Page "Fender Stratocaster" Paragraph 13

From 1959 to 1967, the Stratocaster was made with a rosewood fretboard as standard, as well as color choices other than sunburst, including a variety of colorful car-like paint jobs that appealed to the nascent surfer and hot-rod culture, pioneered by such bands as the Surfaris, the Ventures and the Beach Boys.

Fender would paint any guitar from the DuPont car color range for 5 % over purchase price.

Dick Dale is a prominent Stratocaster player who also collaborated with Leo Fender in developing the Fender Showman amplifier.

In the early 1960s, the instrument was also championed by Hank Marvin –; guitarist for the Shadows, a band that originally backed Cliff Richard and then produced instrumentals of its own.

So distinctive was Hank Marvin's sound that many musicians, including the Beatles, initially deliberately avoided the Stratocaster.

However, in 1965, George Harrison and John Lennon acquired Stratocasters and used them for Help !, Rubber Soul and later recording sessions ; the double unison guitar solo on " Nowhere Man " is played by Harrison and Lennon on their new Stratocasters.