“Some believe the slab ’boards have a different tone to veneer ’boards, but others think it’s more of a visual thing”: Everything you need to know about pre-CBS Stratocasters – the holy grail of vintage Fender guitars

A pair of Holy Grail pre-CBS Stratocasters photographed on the floor, with the maple-necked 57 lying on a patterned rug.

If Leo Fender really did get everything right the first time, then why did flagship models such as the Stratocaster continually evolve? By the close of the pre-CBS era, the late-1964 Stratocaster differed significantly from the Strat ‘prototypes’ that began appearing in the first half of 1954.

Steve Hove of ATB Guitars in Cheltenham has brought along five pre-CBS Stratocasters to guide us through the changes that occurred between 1957 and 1964 and tell us about recent market trends.