A Strat copy is a colloquialism that is used to label electric guitars that closely emulate the design of the Stratocaster but are not manufactured by Fender or Squier. Stratocasters are popular and hence enjoy a large following, thus fueling a drive for cheaper editions of Stratocasters that a large number of guitarists can afford. They are made by a multitude of manufacturers under many different brand names. The variation of Strat copies are far more wide-ranging than those of the original Stratocasters. They are often found marketed as "budget-priced" guitars aimed at beginner guitar players manufactured by a wide variety of manufacturers. They can also be found as high-end boutique models with hardware and components different from that of the original Stratocasters. Look up Colloquialism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Left: Rosa Hurricane, a heavy metal-style solid body guitar. ... A Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fingerboard and three-tone sunburst finish. ... It has been suggested that Fender Amplifier History be merged into this article or section. ... Squier is a second-line brand of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. ... This article is about brands in marketing. ...

Budget copies

The most commonly encountered Strat copies are budget copies. These usually differ from the genuine Fender Stratocaster in their use of cheaper materials and components, although this may not always be the case. Most have bodies made of basswood or plywood, while hardware and electronic components are made with more cost-efficient techniques. These are sold by non-music establishments such as department stores and mail order catalogs. Basswood is the common name of timbers of Tilia species. ... Toy constructed from plywood. ... A department store organizes its goods by departments, such as womens clothes, home furnishings, electronics, and the like. ... It has been suggested that Mail-away be merged into this article or section. ...

Budget strat copies make ideal, inexpensive platforms for customization. Guitarists who like do-it-yourself designs often replace the stock electronics and hardware on a Strat copy with their own choice of aftermarket parts to improve the guitar's tone and stability. In addition, the cheap bodies invite DIY-ers to customize the appearance of their Strat copies with painting, applying stickers, cutting and reshaping pickguards. See also: DIY Network, a cable TV network. ...

Some professional guitarists, however, like to use budget strat copies because they often have their own unique tone, and because they can be abused and replaced with less cost and guilt than an expensive professional-quality guitar. ^{[citation needed]} In the DVD audio commentary of the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest in character) comments that the fake Strat he used and damaged during the performance of "Sex Farm" is made by a company called Fake Strat (though the company, like Guest's character, is apparently fictional). Also Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day used a Fernandes Strat Copy whilst recording and performing Green Day's early albums. He has many copies of this guitar made which includes a real Stratocaster with the Fender logo sanded off the headstock. These guitars are nicknamed "Blue". Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... A major selling point of DVD video is that its storage capacity allows for a wide variety of extra features in addition to the feature film itself. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... This Is Spin̈al Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ... Nigel Tufnel is the fictional lead guitarist of the rock band, Spinal Tap, featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. ... Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948), is a British/American comedian, actor, writer, director, composer, and musician known as Christopher Guest. ... Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972, in Oakland, California) is best known as the lead vocalist, main lyricist, and guitarist for the rock band Green Day. ... Green Day is an American rock band band comprising three core members: Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, lead vocals), Mike Dirnt (bass, backing vocals) and Tré Cool (drums). ...

Budget Strat copies are usually manufactured by low-profile companies, but they may also be manufactured by larger, more reputable companies, but with minor differences to differentiate them from Fender's Stratocasters and avoid a lawsuit. Such examples are Ibanez's GRX40 and Peavey's Raptor, which place their input jack elsewhere on the body. Ibanez (pronounced eye-ban-ez) is a well known guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. ... Peavey may refer to: peavey tool, A logging tool used to move timber Hartley Peavey, the founder of the Peavey Electronics Corportation. ...

In response to the rise of these budget Strat copies, Fender marketed its own line of inexpensive instruments under the Squier brand, the Stratocaster-related models among them being the Squier Stratocaster and Squier Bullet. At the same time, Fender retains its position as a more premium guitar manufacturer. These Stratocasters and the like are not considered Strat copies due to the fact that they are manufactured under the Fender name, to which the Stratocaster design is attached to. Rather, they are considered inexpensive variants of the original design. It has been suggested that Fender Amplifier History be merged into this article or section. ... Squier is a second-line brand of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. ... The Squier Stratocaster is an electric guitar manufactured and sold by Squier, a marque of Fender. ... The Squier Bullet is an electric guitar that emulates the Fender Stratocaster and Squier Stratocaster, but with modifications to reduce cost and increase affordability. ... It has been suggested that Fender Amplifier History be merged into this article or section. ...

Boutique copies

Another class of Stratocaster and Telecaster-inspired guitars, often closely matching the shape and cosmetic details of vintage Strats and Teles, is made by boutique luthiers such as Ed Roman, Patrice Vigier, John Suhr, Don Grosh, Gerard Melancon, Tom Anderson, Roger Giffin and James Tyler. These guitars are often considerably of higher quality (and pricing) and may be built with more high-end exclusive materials than a standard solid-body electric. These are very often unique, being made to order to the exacting specifications of the individual guitarist. Hence, along with being hand-crafted by these luthiers, they are also extremely expensive, including famous models such as Studio Elite, Ultimate Weapon, ASAT, Comanche, Classic, Tylerbastar, Mongoose, Mongobastar, Excalibur, Cobra and Bent Top Custom. G&L, being co-founded by Leo Fender after he sold away Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, manufactures guitars that closely echo the style of Leo's original designs on license from the Fender company for using trademarked designs, and these also have certain innovations. Boutique makers include Tom Anderson Guitar Works, Suhr Guitars, Vigier, Melancon Guitars, Don Grosh Custom Guitars, Ed Roman and James Tyler Guitars. An engravers impression of Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument. ... The G&L logo. ... Image:Leo Fender tinkering. ... The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, of Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, is famous for making stringed instruments, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and Telecaster. ...

Superstrats

Main article: Superstrat

While superstrats by non-Fender companies share some characteristic with original Stratocasters, they are not considered Strat copies because they have several modifications that can clearly differentiate them from the original Stratocasters and cater to a different style of playing. They thus resemble the Stratocasters, but are not close copies in their own right. The Ibanez JEM is a recogniseable example of a super strat, showing some of the features mentioned in the comparison table. ...