Gibson US-1 (1986 –1991 ) – first Gibson mass-manufactured try at the superstrat market.Gibson WRC (1985–1986) – an early and rare Wayne Charvel model, a line of guitar manufactured exclusively by Wayne Charvel and branded as Gibson.Gibson also produced some models inspired by the superstrat: Fender Contemporary Stratocaster Japan (1984–1987)įender also released several superstrat models, such as Talon, under Fender/ Heartfield name from 1989 to 1993.Makers of superstrat models besides the companies mentioned elsewhere in this article also included Fernandes, Schecter, Carvin and ESP.įender Contemporary Stratocaster Japan, one of several Fender attempts on superstrat marketįender responded to the superstrat fashion in the mid-1980s, producing a number of models based on the standard Stratocaster. ĭuring the rest of the 1980s, due to the style's huge marketing success, most guitar companies had at least one model of superstrat in mass production. Jackson Soloist (officially produced starting Aug) – HSS guitar with neck-through construction, 24 frets and Floyd Rose/ Kahler bridge-the fullest embodiment of Superstrat features to date in a mass-produced guitar, considered by many the first "definitive" superstrat.Dean Bel Aire (1983–1984) - an early HSS guitar dubbed "superstrat", despite still using bolt-on neck construction with 22 frets and vintage tremolo).Baretta has a close connection to Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat-it was designed to be marketed as Van Halen's signature model, but Eddie never endorsed the Baretta in terms of playing it on stage. Kramer Baretta (1983–1991) – an early guitar with Floyd Rose, one slanted humbucker, but more traditional neck and body contours.Some examples of guitars marketed to this specific audience include: The rising popularity of heavy metal music led to a new generation of guitarists that employed fast and complex techniques which demanded thinner and more versatile guitar necks and stable tremolo systems. Starting about 1983–1984, companies such as Kramer, Jackson, Charvel, Yamaha, Aria, Ibanez, Washburn and Hamer started mass production of superstrat design guitars due to growing market demand. Later all these improvements were integrated in the factory-produced Jackson Soloist model. Many sources cite Grover Jackson as one of the first (and most influential) guitar makers to have crafted custom shop guitars with all the features of superstrats, doing so as early as 1981. Soon, other guitarists and luthiers would also apply similar custom modifications to their instruments. George Clinton: The Mothership Connection, which was filmed in 1976. While many believe Van Halen's 1977 Frankenstrat to be the first Superstrat, Michael Hampton of Parliament-Funkadelic often used a sunburst Stratocaster with 3 humbucking pickups and a reversed headstock during the band's tours in the mid-to-late 1970s. It was later repainted with a top coat of red, and has had different humbuckers over the years, some of them custom-wound. This guitar, known as the " Frankenstrat" was featured on Van Halen's 1978 debut album Van Halen, and pictured on the album cover. An avid tinkerer, Van Halen assembled a Boogie Bodies Stratocaster body with a thin, 21-fret maple neck and a humbucking Gibson PAF pickup in the bridge slot. The stock single-coil pickups of a Fender Stratocaster were noisy, and lacked the output necessary to drive an amplifier into hard distortion (characteristic of the Van Halen sound), but the body shape and wide pitch range of the Fender fulcrum tremolo appealed to him. Dissatisfied with the performance of then-available original stock model commercial guitars, Blackmore sought to create a hybrid instrument that would suit his acrobatic playing style as seen in concert photos from Manchester in 1974.Įddie Van Halen was another pioneer of the idea.
Guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth and Dave Murray had used Fender Stratocasters, but each had minor modifications made to their instrument to suit their individual playing style.īlackmore was one of the first to build a guitar with superstrat characteristics. With the increased popularity of heavy metal music during the early 1980s, guitarists began seeking out guitars more suited to the new style, both in terms of looks (more "pointy" aggressive designs) and playability (ease of playing and larger tone that sounds pleasant with hi-gain amplification). Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat, red painted version
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