Fender

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation , initially named Fender' S Radio Service then Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company is a company created by Leo Fender (Clarence Leonidas Fender) in the Forties, and one of the firms most recognized in the world on the market of the manufacture of electric guitars, low and Amplificateur S.

Leo Fender quickly made evolve/move the electronics and the amplification of the guitar in particular by replacing the single microphones by a system of six micro independent.

History

Birth of Broadcaster/Telecaster

All started with " accident" : to test electromagnetic microphones that they created for acoustic guitars, Leo Fender and its partner Doc. Kaufmann manufactured a guitar having for body a full piece of wood. Allured by this its brilliance and this Sustain, of many musicians started to borrow their prototype for their concerts to them. Léo and Doc. then started to manufacture some instruments with the hand, of the prototypes mainly.

They were not the only ones to work on electric guitars Solid body . The Rickenbacker firm had already conceived a " lap-steel" equipped with an electromagnetic microphone, famous the " Frying Pan" , in 1931. Others also sought to design guitars electrified less sensitive to the Larsen effect, like Lloyd Loar at Gibson in the years 1920 and one some Lester Polfuss, known as the Paul, who conceived in 1937 a prototype including/understanding a conducting handle acting as central beam, which gave its name to the prototype: " The Log" (the log).

The first Guitar produced by Fender " in série" (less than 50 specimens) was Esquire, which had only one microphone, a simple case of form in frene, a maple handle, without brought back key, and of mechanics of the Kluson type. Anecdote: the majority of these specimens have being exchanged in guarantee, because they suffered from a major defect in the stringed-instrument trade, the handle being bored under the effect of the tie of the cords. Leo Fender and its team managed to solve the problem while inserting a metal bar it " truss rod" - in the handle, which reinforces it, and allows, by adjusting it by means of a system of tightening, to exploit its curve.

Later, during the year 1950, one passed to two microphones, and one baptized this model Broadcaster. Alas, this name was already deposited by the mark Gretsch for a line of batteries. Fender, which vis-a-vis Gretsch was at the time a small company, inclined and changed the name of Broadcaster for… Telecaster (in reference to the new medium going up, the Télévision). For the little story, between the abandonment of the name Broadcaster and the arrival of the new transfers Telecaster, certain guitars left without name models; today called Nocaster, they are very required.

Stratocaster, birth of a mythical guitar.

Realized according to the sketches of Freddie Tavares in 1953, the Stratocaster appears in 1954 with its original form, its small head, its handle out of maple and the first logo Fender. It is equipped with 3 microphones simple winding.

Stratocaster was born from the councils and information feedbacks of the first users of Telecaster. It should be a model innovating of share its ergonomic form and its electronics; and an answer to mythical the Gibson LesPaul appeared in 1952. It had a great success. Some other improvements were made to him thereafter, like the system of rest floating supported by five springs then of new mechanics Safety Slot Kluson.

The Stratocaster adopted also all the innovations of the Telecaster like the potentiometer of volume and, from now on, two potentiometers for the tonality. The selector of microphones was also present and offered 3 positions. The maple key present on all the models from 1954 was accompanied by the option touches in purple wood since 1959.

During the Years 1950, the Stratocaster knew the celebrity thanks to the various artists who used it: Bill Carson, Dick Paves, Buddy Holly, Pee Wee Crayton, Otis Rush). Thereafter, towards 1956, of new colors made their appearance.

Then a little later in the Years 1960, several guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix… found and used frequently intermediate positions (with the three principal ones) of the selector of microphones, offering two new sounds. All Stratocaster left after 1977 from now on are equipped with a selector with 5 positions. The large user of Stratocaster of this period is without question Jimi Hendrix which gave it to the last style and which made of it an instrument of legend. Although it had guitars of all kinds - and marks, the junior by Fender remained without question her guitar preferred.

The sale with CBS

After its personal doctor diagnosed a cancer to him, Leo Fender decides to sell the company of which he is the principal shareholder. In 1965, the Fender company is bought by company CBS. With its request, Léo Fender remains in the firm as consultant. Then Leo Fender changes doctor, and its new doctor does not find him anything of alarming and cures it very quickly.

With beginning of the year 70, CBS makes the decision to begin the mass production, with the chain, of the Fender guitars, by also lowering the quality of materials used to reduce the production costs! Léo Fender is opposed to it vigorously. He wants to continue to make guitars which remain " the référence".

Léo Fender decides to leave CBS with best its former craftsmen to create the guitars " Music Man" (mark which will be repurchased in Léo Fender about 1983 by Ernie Ball). CBS obtains in justice that Léo Fender cannot use its name any more, nor names of Stratocaster and Télécaster to continue and sell its own guitars.

Fender wanted that the quality of its guitars “ exceeds all that it had made previously” to answer to some extent CBS which produced under the name of Fender of the guitars whose quality had dramatically dropped because of this mechanical production and by materials of insufficient quality for him. He wanted that its new creation were a continuity, a result of Stratocaster by correcting certain weaknesses and while adding to it of new innovations.

It is thus under the mark " Music Man" that Léo Fender will create then the Stingray 1 and the 2 then Saber 1 and 2, of the guitars revolutionary and equipped with the last innovations. Quality was with height and Fender did not look at the price for materials and electronics. Curiously for a production of Léo Fender, these guitars had two microphones of the " type; humbucker". One thus found, logically, a his close relation of Gibson but also, thanks to many possibilities of adjustment, that of Telecaster and Stratocaster.

At the exit of Stingray, the opinions were unanimous to recognize that the sound was phenomenal. The Saber model, which followed, also profited from a very high level of exit, and from a sound very easily modifiable, thanks to an embarked electronics. But the market of the electric guitar rested on models headlights, very difficult to compete with, whatever the quality of the new achievements. The new guitars of Léo Fender suffered from a terrible lack of image. They did not have will have it its old productions. In contractual impossibility to use the name of Fender for its new guitars, without advertizing policy well defined and, especially, without the image which could have brought to him the use on scene of a Guitar hero , these new guitars were sold badly in spite of their excellence and a price slightly lower than that of Stratocaster.

For Stingray, just 8000 specimens were built and sold. That makes a rare guitar of collection of it, the Saber which followed, more ergonomic, with the body close to the drawing of Stratocaster, but without vibrato, could not increase the sales figure.

Leo Fender resold the name and the mark with Ernie Ball while it joined his old friend and accessory Georges Fullerton to create the mark G&L which it will continue until his death.

Fender guitars

Electric guitars

Low electric

  • Fender Musicmaster Low

  • Fender Low Jazz
  • Fender Low Jaguar
  • Fender Mustang Low
  • Fender Low Precision
  • Fender Performer Low
  • Fender Tele Low
  • Fender VI
  • Fender Low Zone
  • Fender Low Dimension
  • Low Fender V
  • Fender Bronco Low
  • Fender Bullet Low

Accoustic guitars

  • Redondo 1
  • Redondo 2
  • California Series
  • Great Concert
  • Nylon

Fender amplifiers

  • Fender Twin Amp
  • Vibro- King
  • Vibroverb Amp
  • Cyber Twin
  • Cyber Deluxe
  • Bassman
  • Twin Reverb
  • Cyber Field
  • Super Reverb
  • Deluxe Reverb
  • Pro Reverb
  • Concert Reverb
  • Twin Amp
  • Custom Vibrolux Reverb
  • Hot Rod Deville
  • Hot Rod Deluxe
  • Pro junior
  • Blues Junior
  • Training course
  • Pinceton
  • Champion
  • Bullet
  • Ultimate Chorus
  • Frontman amps
  • Acoustasonic Series
  • G-DEC
  • Rumble series
  • Vibrolux-Reverb
  • Tremolux
  • Princeton
  • Super Sonic

See too

Internal bonds

  • Guitars Gibson

  • Guitars Ibanez

External bonds

  • Official site Fender France
  • Official site of international Fender
  • Museum of the guitars and low Fender - resources, opinion of users, images
  • Nouvelle Fender Jaguar Low
  • Fenderbass site carried out by an amateur of low Fender
  • Laguitare.com is the first French-speaking gate of resources for the guitarists

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