Leo Fender produced his first Fender Stratocaster guitar in California in 1954. It featured a striking two-tone sunburst finish with its ash wood grain body selected for its appearance as well as tonal & lasting qualitites & a neck made from one peice of solid maple together with the drop-in assembly of the electronics. From 50s rock n roll through to 70s punk & 90s funk it has played a constant & vital role in the development of music through the latter part of the twentieth century & into the twenty-first. This book traces the history of the Stratocaster & the way in which it developed in countries such as Japan & the UK as well as its native US.