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Post subject: Stratocaster... What a word!
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:44 pm
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Does anyone know the origin of the most beautiful word in the world, Stratocaster? It's so fun to say and it rolls off the tongue, could that be perhaps why they chose it/ came up with it?

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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:20 pm
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according to wikipedia (the most reliable source in the whole world) it was inspired by the Boeing Stratofortress like how the telecaster was a nod to television, both new and futuristic things at the time..

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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:24 pm
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I think that Wiki story reaches a bit too far. It is an obvious extension of the Braodcaster/Telecaster name. But at the time people were interested in all things space-age, and Don Randall named it after "the stratosphere," implying that this was a guitar that could take you "up there." While the Sratofortress takes it name from the same source, there's no indication that Randall was thinking of that plane.

Best source for this kind of info is "The Sound Heard 'Round The World," by Richard Smith.

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Sound-Hear ... 0964861275


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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:59 pm
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SlapChop wrote:
I think that Wiki story reaches a bit too far. It is an obvious extension of the Braodcaster/Telecaster name. But at the time people were interested in all things space-age, and Don Randall named it after "the stratosphere," implying that this was a guitar that could take you "up there." While the Sratofortress takes it name from the same source, there's no indication that Randall was thinking of that plane.

Best source for this kind of info is "The Sound Heard 'Round The World," by Richard Smith.

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Sound-Hear ... 0964861275
The wiki probably gets it from "The Fender Stratocaster Handbook" by Paul Balmer. He uses that phrase in the introduction.


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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:00 pm
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SlapChop wrote:
I think that Wiki story reaches a bit too far. It is an obvious extension of the Braodcaster/Telecaster name. But at the time people were interested in all things space-age, and Don Randall named it after "the stratosphere," implying that this was a guitar that could take you "up there." While the Sratofortress takes it name from the same source, there's no indication that Randall was thinking of that plane.

Best source for this kind of info is "The Sound Heard 'Round The World," by Richard Smith.

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Sound-Hear ... 0964861275
The wiki probably gets the Stratofortress thing from "The Fender Stratocaster Handbook" by Paul Balmer. He uses that phrase in the introduction.


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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:24 pm
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Fender`s marketer Don Randall who died on Dec. 23rd `08 gave the Stratocaster its name. He named Fenders first commerically available guitar the Broadcaster in 1950 then renamed it the Telecaster following a trademark dispute with another company. In 1954, he tapped into his background as an aviation enthusiast and pilot to dub Fenders newest guitar the Straocaster. :D

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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:47 pm
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JPD wrote:
He named Fenders first commerically available guitar the Broadcaster in 1950 then renamed it the Telecaster following a trademark dispute with another company.
And isn't it ironic that Fender now owns Gretsch? :D

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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:49 pm
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Actually I believe that Fender just takes care of some of the bussiness of the Gretsch company, like marketing and maybe some other stuff, but the Gretsch company is still owned by the same Gretsch family that founded it.


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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:15 am
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During the early-mid 50s, Boeing was making three airplanes for the USAF Strategic Air COmmand. The B-47 Stratojet was conceived in the late 40s and was SAC's first all-jet strategic bomber, flying in the "Stratosphere."

A couple of years later came the B-52 Stratofortress, the 8-jet marvel which still serves the forces of freedom. Its tanker-companion was the KC-135 Stratotanker, which is being phased out.

Likely these three aircraft with their totally hip 50s jet associations were in the minds and hearts, as well as on the televisions and LOOK and LIFE magazines.


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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:38 am
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I agree with SlapChop.

In the Fender Book "The sound heard 'round the world" by Richard A. Smith

Cheers :D


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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:20 pm
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I don't know when it sterted but I think in the early 40"s. Not sure :roll:




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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:00 am
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Ok, its actually a play on two words.

Stratosphere and Broadcast.
Two big topics back then.

Sound odd? Its true. Here is proof, direct from the factory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTi8ISIxX8c

Watch the whole vid or tune too 2 mins and open your ears.


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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:20 am
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Carbonite wrote:
Ok, its actually a play on two words.

Stratosphere and Broadcast.
Two big topics back then.

Sound odd? Its true. Here is proof, direct from the factory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTi8ISIxX8c

Watch the whole vid or tune too 2 mins and open your ears.

Thats correct. 2 big issues at the time.


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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:28 pm
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"Stratotanker" just doesn't have the same magical sound, does it?

I heard this story about the origin of the name just yesterday from my teacher.

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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:45 am
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A bit more, Ellen.

The KC-135 Stratotanker aerial tanker was often referred to as the "Stratobladder" by both givers and receivers, an even less-nice name.

Tanking up other aircraft from the KC-135 was colloquially called "passing gas."


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