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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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 New In Box Fender B DEC 30 Digital Entertainment Center Preset Loops Amp Model $149.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 31m |
 Fender Lite Ash Telecaster All original Seymour Duncan Birdseye Ash $419.99 Time Remaining: 28d 17h 50m Buy It Now for only: $419.99 |
 Fender Billy Corgan Signature Stratocaster with OHSC Made In The USA $1,100.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 32m |
 1998 FENDER STRATOCASTER GUITAR CLASSIC REISSUE STRAT WHITE GREEN GUARD COOL VG+ $175.00 Time Remaining: 28d 6h 45m Buy It Now for only: $175.00 |
 Fender MIM Black and White Telecaster $275.75 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 34m |
 1997 Fender American Standard Stratocaster $649.99 Time Remaining: 6d 2h 17m Buy It Now for only: $649.99 |
 Replacement Body Aged Nitro Fin for Fender Telecaster $251.50 (20 Bids) Time Remaining: 43m |
 Fender Standard Stratocaster Strat Brown Sunburst FREE Shipping USA $499.99 Time Remaining: 18d 21h 2m Buy It Now for only: $499.99 |
 Squier by Fender New Bullet Strat with Tremolo White $74.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 49m |
 Blue White Squier Strat Fender Electric Guitar w Whammy Tremolo Bar Strings $59.99 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 51m |
 1996 Made in USA Fender Stratocaster Standard in Blue $899.00 Time Remaining: 19d 3h 2m Buy It Now for only: $899.00 |
 1976 Fender Jazz Bass $2,200.00 Time Remaining: 52m Buy It Now for only: $2,800.00 Bid now |