The Fender Stratocaster Handbook: How To Buy, Maintain, Set Up, Troubleshoot, and Modify Your Strat

There are six million out there--from Eric Claptons million-dollar "Blackie" to your treasured hand-me-down--and still the world cant get enough of the Fender Stratocaster, the legendary electric guitar-of-choice for players and dreamers from pioneers like Buddy Holly to todays garage-band heroes.

This is the worlds first hands-on, how-to manual for the Strat, taking the mystery out of maintaining and modifying what is really a relatively simple instrument (two boards, some wires, some pickups). It shows you how to make the most of your Stratocaster--and how to make it truly your own.

With clear text and colorful illustrations, this guidebook takes readers through the basics of selecting and buying Strats; maintenance and repairs such as tuning, setting intonation, tremolo alignment, fret repairs, bridge and nut adjustments, electrics troubleshooting; spur-of-the-moment stageside fixes; and some basic performance enhancements like adding "hot rod" Fender and aftermarket pickups, locking-tremolo nuts, and more.

Paul Balmer is the author of The Fender Stratocaster Handbook and The Gibson Les Paul Handbook. A veteran guitarist, musician, and documentary film producer, he is the author of a biography and a film on Stephane Grappelli, among other projects. Balmer lives in the UK.Hank Marvin is the lead guitarist of The Shadows, one of the most influential rock bands before the The Beatles. His guitar playing was a great inspiration to others, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Mark Knopfler, Pete Townshend, and many more. Marvin was also one of the pioneer users and innovators of the Fender Stratocaster. In 1992, Fender honored him with the limited-edition Fender Squier Stratocaster Hank Marvin Signature Model.