History
In 1954 Leo Fender designed a double cutaway guitar. This firs model was available in the 2 tone sunburst that would define the Pre CBS era. This model also came with a signature "U" shaped neck and had a three way pick up selector. The original Stratocaster came with a maple fretboard and neck. Although these first era guitars were not commercially successful they became famous as influential guitarists like Buddy Holly and Eric Clapton preferred them. as the 1950s progressed into the 1960s Fender made several additions to the guitar. They added a 5 way selector and made the fingerboard available in rosewood instead of maple and added a wider array of colors.
CBS Era
In mid 1964 CBS purchased Fender and redesigned several elements of the Stratocaster starting in 1965. This brought key changes to the guitar. the redesigned the Fender logo and made the headstock larger and longer. They also shifted away from the "U" shaped neck and replaced it with the "V" shaped neck. In this era, more legendary musicians started using the Stratocaster. Musicians like Jimi Hendrix and and Eric Clapton started experimenting with the sounds of the guitar and revolutionized what Rock and Roll for that era.
Modern Era
From the 1970s onward the Stratocaster saw many different sub eras. Different Fender CEOs and management tried reusing elements of past eras to gain the commercial success of past eras and lost some of their identity in the 1980s and 90s. The Stratocaster saw minor design changes in the Headstock design and added even more colors but the overall design remained the same. This era saw musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn and David Gilmour make their own unique sound using the Stratocaster. Their influence helped propel the use and popularity of the guitar into what it is today and how it has become and one of the most iconic guitars of all time.