What is Dan Smith era Fender?
In the early ’80s, Fender’s marketing director Dan Smith decided to upgrade the Strat with a smaller headstock and pre-CBS era neck plate. Unfortunately, the guitar only survived production for two years. The Dan Smith name is just a moniker with which the instrument has been dubbed by collectors.
What is a CBS Strat?
A Pre CBS Stratocaster is considered by many to be the holy grail of electric guitars. They are guitars (specifically Stratocasters for our discussion) that were built by Fender Guitars prior to 1965. Early 1965 is when Leo sold his company, Fender Musical Instruments, to CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System).
Is Fender still owned by CBS?
CBS owned Fender for a total of 19 years, leading to the unofficial designation of Fender guitars built during that time as “CBS-era” instruments. In January 1985, Fender was purchased by an investor group led by William Schultz, president of Fender Musical Instruments.
What is a Starcaster Strat?
The typical Starcaster Strat Pack solid-body electric was fitted with three single-coil pickups, a five-way selector switch and a floating tremolo bridge. Later Starcaster models feature the smaller Fender headstock. The body may be basswood or agathis depending on model and year of manufacture.
Who used a Fender HM Strat?
Notable users. The Fender HM strat was endorsed by Greg Howe. Many of which were featured on album covers up until 1995 Parallax. In recent years, guitarist Ethan Brosh has been spotted playing old ’80s HM Strats as his touring instrument of choice.
What makes a super strat?
Superstrat is a name for an electric guitar design that resembles a Fender Stratocaster but with differences that clearly distinguish it from a standard Stratocaster, usually to cater to a different playing style.
Why did Leo leave Fender?
1970 – Music Man and G&L In the 1950s, Leo Fender contracted a streptococcal sinus infection that impaired his health to the point where he decided to wind up his business affairs, selling the Fender company to CBS in 1965.
Who bought out Gibson guitars?
Gibson was owned by Norlin Corporation from 1969 to 1986. In 1986, the company was acquired by a group led by Henry Juszkiewicz and David H. Berryman. In November 2018, the company was acquired by a group of investors led by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
Are Fender Starcasters rare?
Bass guitars under the Starcaster name are rare; one is model no. 284800108, the Starcaster J-Bass guitar, based on the Fender Jazz Bass. The Precision Bass model is even rarer.
When did Dan Smith change the Stratocaster model?
In an effort to improve Fender’s market position, Smith orchestrated a revamping of the basic production model Stratocaster and by late 1981 the new model was introduced as the Standard Stratocaster. It featured a more accurate version of the pre-CBS smaller headstock
When did the Fender standard Stratocaster come out?
At the end of the resurgent Dan Smith era, Fender introduced a new Stratocaster with only two control knobs and a input jack mounted on the top of the body for 1983 and 1984. This guitar is referred to as the “Standard Stratocaster” (not to be confused with the later Made in Mexico Strat of the same name).
Who was the marketing director for Fender in the 1980’s?
Fender underwent a lot of changes as a company, and some of those changes can be represented by the Fender Dan Smith Stratocaster. In the early ’80s, Fender’s marketing director Dan Smith decided to upgrade the Strat with a smaller headstock and pre-CBS era neck plate.
When did CBS Stop Making the Stratocaster?
Otherwise, the 1981 Standard Stratocaster signalled the end of the CBS 70s style Stratocaster. The 1981 Standard Stratocaster was produced until 1983, when it was significantly revised by placing the jack plug on the pickguard flush with the body and offering only one tone control instead of two.