Fender Reissues The Original First Year Stratocaster! 70th Anniversary 1954 Stratocaster

In 1954 Leo Fender, hot on the heels of the successful Telecaster designed and launched a new electric guitar that would help to shape music for decades to come. The Fender Stratocaster has become synonymous with electric guitar. Often copied by competition the 1954 Stratocaster became the blueprint of a modern, comfortable and versatile electric guitar. Employed by greats like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many more! The new 70th Anniversary American Vintage II 1954 Stratocaster captures the magic of those original guitar down to the plastics used on the guitar. Reissued only during the anniversary periods this is a limited chance to own a piece of history.

0:00 Intro
1:42 History of the Stratocaster
3:52 1954 Stratocaster Specs
9:25 1954 Stratocaster Demo
12:26 Final Thoughts

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[Tonetwisters]

My very first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster. Under the Christmas tree, in 1963. Out the window of my brother's '61 FORD station wagon in July 1965. BTW: Most players knew nothing about the notch positions until Eric Clapton let the cat out of the bag in one of the early Guitar Player magazines, in the early '70s. Here in Jacksonville, Florida, a guy named Jimmy Amerson figured it out in the early '60s. I love the early Stratocasters, love the early '60s as well.

[athathoththegreat]

As a metal guy I have to say WOW!!! That guy can play. You made that guitar sing. Great video!!

[martinsundland]

I have absolutely no idea how anyone could decide which of the umpteen versions of the Strat Fender has on offer would be the final choice. It's truly mind-boggling.

[Visions_in_Toyko]

I just got one of these last week and it’s absolutely stunning. Certainly the pride of my small collection

[mougabo]

i mean, looks beautiful and its voice is

[valjatriogina]

The most genius point on a Strat is, that even in a 100 years from now, there can be people blurbing for hours about this Instrument! Its all about presentation😂

[RevMishka]

Fender really upped their game with this 70th Anniversary Strat… it looks and sounds like the original at a much more reasonable price point than the Custom Shop version… I personally love it! Mine is on order and my other 4 Strats and I await its arrival with bated breath!

[antoonhermans]

What i like about the strat is the fact that it is just perfect, an tele . lp, sg, ES 335, firebird, flying V, jazzmaster ect. ect. are all nice, but they all have something i do not like somehow ( too heavy, too big, muddy neck pu's, neck diving, ugly looks / design ect.), so yeah, after more then 40 years of playing all these types of guitars i sold them all and have kept my squire cv strat so i can noodle a bit at home and just have fun, together with my sigma DR 28 acoustic guitar this for me is the ideal guitar setup and i do not miss all the other types off guitars at all . Greetings from Holland, i do enjoy you're reviews, keep em coming : ) .

[dalecoffing]

It sounds like a Strat they way a strat should sound. Really liked the blues Copper! You were in to it!

[stuartmills]

I was 12 and learning to play in ‘54. Started a little band in58-59 one of the “boyz” bought a ‘58. I want it.

[rmzzz]

The Fender Stratocaster may be the most enduring product every made. It's just that time less. Fender's new motto "Forever ahead of its time" is so fitting. It's a marvel of industrial design

[EdwardMartinsPhotography]

I don't mind so much that they don't come with straps anymore. What I do mind is the quality control. I bought a $1700 2022 American Pro II Tele that couldn't play an open D the intonation was off so bad. It needed a serious set up from the factory and the bridge adjustment screws were also stripped from the factory. My Acoustic Junior amp foot switch has malfunctioned after a month. And my 6 month old Blues Junior needed $500 worth of work to make it reliable after half the resistors crapped out. My Blues deluxe is going strong, though I did replace the spring reverb tank after 2 months. (And returned the first one which was DOA out of the box.) Fender needs to up their QC game.

On the other hand I just bought a $799.00 walnut Taylor Academy 12e and the guitar is one of the best set up guitars I own straight from the factory. And my 2002 314CE is a champ. Though after 22 years of gigging does need some maintenance, though I am retiring it to couch duty and replacing it with an AD12e-SB.

[arniebaird]

Nice riffs to walk with. Thanks Cooper!

[cpoyet]

For me the 54 is the best, Eric Johnson and other guitar heros played it and it makes more sense to me to collect a 54 as a Fender Stratocaster than any other version...

[joemccarthy]

I'm looking at this 70th Anniversary '54 model and I like it. However, since I already have an Eric Johnson "Virginia", I'd have to play the '54 model in a store before I could make up my mind. Good review gentlemen!

[synonyx]

Last few years I've been digging the AmPro2 models, just a all around great strat.

[mauriciom.jr.]

Fender rules. Hello from Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. 🤘🤘🤘

[kellygotell]

I tried a pro ll 2 tone sunburst with maple fretboard at my local shop today and I really liked it. A hint of 54 with the 2 tone burst, and maple board, with modern features like 9.5” radius, comfortable neck, v mod pickups and it was very light.

[paydro]

He played absolute sh*t outta that Strat 🤙🏻

[Telewest]

I bought one of the 1954 they did 10 years ago and i still have it at the time the said they would only build nineteen hundred and fifty four of them and now here we are again i do wish they would stick with what they say and leave it at that . Now those first guitars are no longer a collectors guitar thanks fender .