Early Impact of Design: A Coveted Design

From the moment of birth we are exposed to the world of design. It surrounds us from that moment on as almost everything we come into contact with is designed. This gives us numerous opportunities in our early years to discover the impact of design through interactions with toys, games, movies, furniture, rooms, etc. With all these opportunities, it wasn't until eight years old that I had a truly significant experience with a particular product of design. It was a design by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares.

My uncle Tony introduced me to the electric guitar. More specifically, the Fender Stratocaster. The first time I saw a real electric guitar in person, it was a 50's style white Fender Stratocaster with a maple neck. The smooth gloss finish over the maple neck and ergonomically designed white body was beautiful. More captivating was the contrast of materials consisting of wood, plastic, and various metals, intertwined so as to draw your attention away from the materials, and make you focus on the instrument as a whole.The smell of the guitar was a combination of the polyester coating mixed with the wood, and nickel coating of new strings. A scent that is part manufactured, and part organic. 

(Image courtesy of fenderstrat.net)

Beyond it's appearance, the most important aspect of this guitar is it's sound.The Stratocaster's five way pickup switch allows it to create some of the most beautiful sounds possible on an electric guitar. It ranges from a deep buttery bass frequency, to a hi/midrange twang allowing endless possibilities in between. It is not the most simplistic guitar yet for the features it possesses, it's control layout is organized neatly and effectively.
The design of the Stratocaster has influenced hundreds of imitations trying to achieve it's coveted style. It is a style that made me as well as countless others, take notice of the world of guitar playing. It's combination of aesthetics, physical playability, and numerous sound capabilities make it one of the most popular guitars in the world.