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 and lasting qualitites, and a neck made of one peice of solid maple, together with the drop-in assembly of the electronics. From 50s rock 'n' roll through to 70s punk and 90s funk, it has played a constant and vital role in the development of music through the latter part of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. This book traces the history of the Stratocaster and the way in which it developed in countries such as Japan and the UK, as well as its native US.