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MoMA's recently acquired Fender Stratocaster dates from 1957, the same year Buddy Holly appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show playing "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day" on his Strat, introducing rock and roll—and its flagship instrument—to America. The archetypal electric guitar, the Stratocaster is a cultural touchstone and design triumph virtually unchanged since its release in 1954. From its humble origins as a dependable and road-worthy electrified guitar for country-and-western musicians, it has prevailed as one of the most iconic and popular musical instruments of the 20th century, setting the bar for both design and performance. It was designed around the player—quite literally, the "beer-gut cutout" on its contoured slab body accommodates even the heftiest of musicians—featuring volume and tone knobs positioned for easy adjustment while playing, and deep double cutouts to hit notes higher up the fretboard. Fender's patented tremolo arm (aka the "whammy bar") and three-way pickups provide a versatile sound and continue to make it, 60 years after its debut, the chosen instrument for countless musicians. The Stratocaster and the 1959 Fender Bassman amplifier pictured above are currently on display as cornerstones of the exhibition Making Music Modern: Design for Ear and Eye. MoMA's recently acquired Fender Stratocaster dates from 1957, the same year Buddy Holly appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show playing "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day" on his Strat, introducing rock and roll—and its flagship instrument—to America. The archetypal electric guitar, the Stratocaster is a cultural touchstone and design triumph virtually unchanged since its release in 1954. From its humble origins as a dependable and road-worthy electrified guitar for country-and-western musicians, it has prevailed as one of the most iconic and popular musical instruments of the 20th century, setting the bar for both design and performance. It was designed around the player—quite literally, the "beer-gut cutout" on its contoured slab body accommodates even the heftiest of musicians—featuring volume and tone knobs positioned for easy adjustment while playing, and deep double cutouts to hit notes higher up the fretboard. Fender's patented tremolo arm (aka the "whammy bar") and three-way pickups provide a versatile sound and continue to make it, 60 years after its debut, the chosen instrument for countless musicians. The Stratocaster and the 1959 Fender Bassman amplifier pictured above are currently on display as cornerstones of the exhibition Making Music Modern: Design for Ear and Eye. |
| | © 2015 The Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53 Street NY, NY 10019 (212) 708-9400 | Image: Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Freddie Tavares. Left: Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar. Designed 1954, this example 1957. Wood, metal, and plastic. Right: Fender Bassman amplifier. 1959. Wood, metal, and plastic. Committee on Architecture and Design Funds | | |
