Search results
People also ask
What was the first electric guitar made by Fender?
Who invented the electric guitar?
When did Leo Fender start making guitars?
When was the first solid body electric guitar made?
Did Leo Fender actually play guitar?
Why did Leo Fender create a guitar?
Fender designed the company's iconic early instruments: the Fender Telecaster, the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar; the Fender Stratocaster, among the most iconic electric guitars; and the Fender Precision Bass, which set the standard for electric basses.
Together with George Fullerton, Fender developed the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar in 1951. Called the Fender Broadcaster (renamed the Telecaster later that year), it was produced under the auspices of the Fender Electric Instruments Company, which Fender had formed in 1946.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mar 21, 2022 · When Leo Fender and his colleagues launched the first Fender solid-body electric guitar in 1950, almost everyone who saw it thought he’d gone mad. Fender’s early amplifiers were good, but a solid-body guitar? Every player knew that guitars were hollow. They had air inside.
In 1946, Leo took the plunge and founded the Fender Electric Instrument Company. His first commercial products weren't electric guitars, but rather Hawaiian lap steel guitars and amplifiers. These early ventures gave Leo valuable experience in crafting instruments and understanding the needs of musicians.
- Early Days
- Get Solid
- Enter The Stratocaster
- Changing Hands
- Into The 80s
- Fender in The Modern Era
He might be one of the architects of electric guitar, but Leo Fender started his career as a radio repairman, and famously never actually played guitar himself – but he was good at listening to people who didplay, and crafting equipment that suited their needs. Born in California in 1909, Clarence Leonidas Fender showed a unique talent for electron...
In the late 1940s, Fender began developing the blueprints for a solid body alternative to the hollow body guitars that were popular at the time – it wasn’t the first solidbody, but the guitars were considered something of a gimmick or novelty in most circles. Leo would change all that forever. The Esquire arrived in 1950, and was the signpost to a ...
After the success of the Telecaster and P-Bass, Fender and his brain trust set out to again reinvent the electric guitar. After two years of research and development, 1954 saw the release of a new guitar, one whose space-age contours and inimitable sound would change the face of guitar music forever – the Stratocaster. While the Strat sported simil...
Due to health issues, in January of 1965 Fender sold his company to CBS. While nothing is black and white, and plenty of great guitars were made after the sale, in the eyes of many guitar players, the CBS era was the end of the ‘Golden Age’ of Fender guitars. Undoubtedly, CBS’s ownership led to a reduction in quality and consistency as costs were c...
After the tumultuous 70s, the next decade brought significant changes to Fender’s operations and products. Fender introduced the student Bullet line. It came in two variations and would later become a staple of Fender subsidiary Squier’s roster. They started offering alternatives to more traditional models with unique combinations of colors, pickup...
In the years since the management buyout, Fender has gone from strength to strength and is now unquestionably the world’s largest and most famous guitar company. In addition to facilities in the USA, Mexico and Japan, the big F has expanded elsewhere into Asia, making Fender guitars accessible to every price point while managing to maintain a level...
May 7, 2021 · Partnering with Dale Hyatt and George Fullerton in the late 40s, Leo Fender began carving out his designs for a Spanish-style electric guitar tailored to meet the needs of his customers. After a rough prototype or two, Fender Musical Instrument Co. released its first revolutionary model in 1950, the Fender Esquire.
The Telecaster was a startling innovation, the world’s first commercially successful solidbody electric Spanish guitar. Later in 1951, Fender followed with another cracker, the revolutionary Fender Precision Bass.
