A couple of notable anniversaries for October.

The Big Two of guitar makers both have something worth celebrating this month:

• Although officially announced in April (and included on the cover of Fender’s April price list), full-scale production of the Fender Stratocaster really only began in October 1954.  Initial production – from April until October – was really quite slow, consisting mainly of marketing models.  These were used to demonstrate the radically new instrument to dealers and players (and at that summer’s NAMM).  Only after the dealers had gotten sufficiently used to the new instrument was production ramped up and the first orders fulfilled.
• In October of 1902, Orville Gibson and some investors formed the Gibson Mandolin Guitar Company.  Although Orville didn’t hang about too long, leaving in 1903, he received an income from them until his death in 1918.  I wonder what he’d have made of the Les Paul.