Ventures Fender StratocasterAlmost every guitar player has a Stratocaster, many started with it as their first guitar. Don Wilson played a few (both maple & rosewood fret, in sunburst body) when he and Bob Bogle started The Ventures in late '50.
Rosewood fretboard
Maple fretboard
So I got myself a Fender 50th anniversary Strat and a Fender 57 Vintage reissue. I found that I really prefer maple fretboard to rosewood. The Strats I bough later all come with maple fretboard.
I even got myself a vintage 1976 Fender Strat but did not care for the feel and tone. Had also tried a few vintage 60's Strats. The ones I tried did not impress me much and I couldn't afford them anyway.
Sold all three of them eventually and upgraded to a Fender Custom Shop Strat
I was happy with the CS Strat until I saw a Custom Strat made by a boutique shop maker; Don Grosh in Bloomfield, CO. I love the feel of it's specially treated neck (beautiful 1 pc 5A Birdseye neck too!) and the Fralin S/S/S pickups. This Strat will stay with me for a while.
In addition to The Ventures instrumentals, my band also play the tunes by The Shadows, so I bough an used Fender Hank Marvin Signature Strat from another guitar player. It was made in Japan but sounds and plays better than my previous American Strats. I love that odd "Fiesta Red" color and the upgraded Kinman pickups. This is my work horse and I take it to practice, jam, gig everywhere. Many of my fellow players think that the only guitar I have.
The other lead guitarist of The Ventures; Gerry McGee loves to play Strats with Lace Sensor Pickups. In addition to the Jazzmaster, Jazz bass, Fender also designed together with Gerry and issued a Tribute Strat in 1996. In 2008 Gerry worked with Combat; a Japanese guitar maker to produce his own Gerry McGee Signature Telecaster. It is probably marketed in Japan only as I have not seen them in the US. I was lucky to get one. It looks and plays more like a Strat than a Telecaster . We will talk about that guitar later.
Gerry with 1996 Ventures Tribute Strat
Gerry with his Combat Signature Telecaster
That's my story on Ventures Strat. I will wait for a few days for viewers to chime in.... then move on to Jazzmaster.