The Stratocaster has been an American icon since it's introduction in 1954. This basic model, from 1995, is finished in Lake Placid Blue with a rosewood fretboard.

The Stratocaster has been through a lot of changes in the more than forty years since it's introduction in 1954, and you can read about all of them in The Story of the Fender Stratocaster by Ray Minhinnett and Bob Young.

This book tells the story of how the Stratocaster was invented in the early 50s, introduced in 1954, and evolved in the years that followed. More than a hundred color photos detail every feature of this model as it changed over the years. The book also contains short biographies and interviews with many of the stars who have made the Stratocaster the most popular guitar of all time.