Asked to picture an electric guitar, most people will immediately bring to mind Leo Fender's most famous model—the Stratocaster. Upon its introduction in 1954, the Stratocaster not only redefined(重新定义) the sound of American music, but also immediately became an astonishing piece of design. Many musicians found Fender's first model, the Telecaster, clumsy, so he simply improved the instrument, making its shape fit a player's body. For Fender, form followed function as naturally as morning followed night.
You can learn more about electric guitars from The Birth of Loud. Ian S. Port's book is a vivid account of the careers of Fender and his main competition, Les Paul, the star guitarist. The book explores the two men's rise with extraordinary skills and authority.
Although they would be forever linked in their fame, they were in many ways opposites. Fender was silent and could often be found working in his laboratory until late at night, while Paul was a showman, a musical and technical whiz(奇才) who was one of the biggest stars before the age of rock' n' roll pop. What they shared was that they both dared to try out crazy ideas. They were" untrained men who could build or fix almost anything", Port observes.
This book reflects Port's ability to marry an anecdotal writing style to a musician's ear. Describing sound is extraordinarily difficult. I myself have played electric guitars designed by Fender and Paul for many years, and Port's descriptions of their different sounds are the most accurate I have ever read. Port's writing skills are shown clearly when he describes Hendrix's famous performance of" The StarSpangled Banner" at Woodstock in 1969, which pushed rock guitar playing to a height it may never again reach. Port wisely ends his book here. The story of these instruments is the story of America from 1945 to the 1960s：loud, cocky(自大的), aggressively new.
