00:02Trying to live the rock and roll dream?
00:05Head on over to Coolsville with the nifty new Fender Electric.
00:11Kids and grown-ups alike will have a blast with this clean, cutting-edge sound that's so hot it's practically
00:16radioactive.
00:21They say it's the sound that creates legends.
00:28In 1954, Leo Fender wanted to create a better guitar.
00:32On the heels of his first big design, the Telecaster, Fender revealed a new guitar, the Stratocaster.
00:39A remix of the original Telecaster body, its added curves and contours better fit the player, making it the perfect
00:47guitar to rock with.
00:53Making the perfect guitar can take anywhere from two to three months.
00:57The first step is choosing a wood.
01:00Picking the right one is critical because it affects the overall sound.
01:05Most Fender guitars are made from either ash or alder.
01:09This wood is lightweight and flexible, creating a nice balance of treble, bass and mid-range vibrations.
01:17Pieces of wood are glued together to create planks.
01:22These planks are pressed together and set aside to dry or cure for up to two months.
01:32Once the wood is finally ready, the guitar begins to take shape.
01:38Unlike the acoustic guitar, the electric features a solid body, with pockets cut out for the electronics.
01:46A CNC machine is used to cut these patterns, which allows for absolute precision.
02:01To make sure every curve and crevice is silky smooth, the body is sanded.
02:14Because of its unique curved frame, the Stratocaster is a lot more difficult to shape than other guitars, and can
02:21go through several pairs of hands.
02:36While everyone loves a classy chassis, the neck is where you really want to get handsy.
02:44The neck of the guitar is made of maple wood and cut by another CNC machine.
02:51A groove is cut in the neck to make room for a truss rod to be inserted.
02:56The truss rod counteracts the force that the strings put on the guitar, keeping the neck nice and straight.
03:03Once the truss rod is in place, the fingerboard is glued on top of the maple.
03:09A custom machine uses inflatable fire hose to compress the fingerboard onto the neck.
03:20Don't fret. Or do.
03:24Fret inlays help serve as a quick guide for which fret you're playing.
03:28Kind of like a note for notes.
03:30Each dot and line must be perfect, or the whole process must start again from the beginning.
03:37Copper alloy ridges, patterned like columns on the fingerboard, are what help manipulate the strings to play different notes.
03:50Before the body and neck can be joined together in holy harmony, there's still a matter of color.
03:55And as much as we hate to say it, this part is top secret.
04:00After color, the guitars are coated with a clear coat and hung to dry.
04:05As many as 7,000 guitars hang at any given time.
04:14What's an electric guitar without some metal?
04:18The tremolo arm is what gives the guitar its vibrato.
04:22It helps to change the tension of the strings.
04:27The pickup is a small but mighty piece of hardware that reads and relays vibrations from the strings and delivers
04:33the sound to the amplifier.
04:35They're basically responsible for making the electric guitar electric.
04:43Now that all the pieces are made, it's time to put everything together.
04:47The neck is attached with four screws and the hardware is dropped in.
04:53The tremolo block is attached via springs on the back of the guitar.
04:57The input jack is installed.
05:00And lastly, the strings.
05:09Now it's time to give it a play.
05:15If everything hits the right note, it's ready to ship off to the next big star.
05:19Who knows?
05:20It could be you.
05:21Who knows?
05:22It could be you.
