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Please have a look at our extensive listing of used Fender guitars following this brief history of Fender.
Scottsdale, Arizona is the home to the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender is obviously well known in the world of guitars, especially electric guitars. They are responsible for famous guitars like the Stratocaster and Telecaster, as well as others.
The company was originally named Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, and was founded in Fullerton, California by Clarence (Leo) Leonidas Fender, an electronics technicain, and owner of the then, Fender's Radio Service in 1938.
Leo Fender repaired various electronic devices, including phonographs, public address systems, and instrument amplifiers. Seeing many design flaws in the amplifiers, he began custom building his own amps.
By the early 1940s, he partnered with Clayton Orr 'Doc' Kaufman, and they opened K&F Manufacturing Corporation. In 1945 production started with Hawaiian lap steel guitars, using an incorporated patented pickup. By early 1946, Leo Fender was convinced that production was the way to go, but Doc Kauffman wasn't so sure and the duo parted ways. Leo Fender then renamed the company the Fender Electric Instrument Company.
The first Tweed Amps were built in 1948. They were called tweed because of the covering used. It was the same as that used to cover luggage of the era. The early days saw such amps as the Princeton and the Champ. With the addition of tremolo and Jensen speakers, not to mention the many other changes, Fender's successes were great. Although he owed much to the marketing genius Don Randall, and also to talented associates such as musician/product engineer Freddie Tavares.
With products like the Jazzmaster and Stratocaster, and fantastic marketing efforts associating Fender with the hip, teenage, surfer, sports car, Beach Boys culture, made Fender a household name and a brand recognized world-wide.
In 1965 Leo Fender sold all his companies to CBS (Central Broadcasting System) for 13 million dollars. The previous year the New York Yankees baseball team were purchased by CBS for almost 2 million dollars less.
There were numerous changes made in the 'CBS era', some touted as improvements, some were not so accepted. Regardless, the 'CBS guitars' are not looked on as favorably by collectors.
After selling out to CBS, Leo Fender started Music Man in 1975 and G&L Musical Instruments later.
In 1985 the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company employees bought the company from CBS, and renamed it to the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The new owners produced the older model instruments, along with some new designs and ideas. The Corona factory in California produces Fender's highest quality instruments, with the mid to high quality instruments being made in Ensenada, Mexico. Fender also releases lesser quality guitars under the Squier brand, those guitars being made by an Asian contractor.
Fender also owns the Guild Guitar Company, the Sunn Amplifier Company, and also the Charvel, Tacoma and Jackson guitar companies. They also are associated with several other entities, including a 2003 deal with Gretsch to manufacture their new guitars.
Just a few of the famous names from Fender are the Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, and Jazzmaster, just in the guitar production area alone.
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 Fender Stratocaster 40th anniversary model 1994 with hardshell case $750.00 Time Remaining: 37m Buy It Now for only: $1,200.00 Bid now |
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