Fender

Leo Fender and the rise of the electric guitar

Fender was founded in Fullerton, California in 1946 by Leo Fender, an electronics technician and repairman. Convinced that manufacturing instruments was more profitable than repair, he rebranded his prior repair business as the “Fender Electric Instrument Company”, and the rest is history. Over the course of the next decade, Fender would become a dominant force, pioneering an iconic lineup of electric guitars coinciding with the exploding popularity of rock and roll music.

Fender would go on to become a household name, not just in electric guitars and bass guitars but also other stringed instruments such as acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles, as well as amplifiers, harmonicas, effect units, and a wide variety of audio equipment and accessories. Nonetheless they will always be best known as one of the most historically iconic manufacturers and innovators of the electric guitar.

The Fender Portfolio

Fender manufactures a diverse variety of makes and models of electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and other stringed instruments. However, a few very special Fender guitars truly epitomize the brand and its impact on music

The Telecaster

The Fender Telecaster is considered to be the world’s first commercially successful electric guitar. It not only brought the instrument mainstream success, it contributed to the evolution of nearly every type of popular music at the time, from country to blues to rock and roll and beyond. Its versatility allows for both bright, rich tones as well as a more mellow and warm sound, and is the instrument of choice for guitar giants such as Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, and Muddy Waters.

The Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster emerged from the line not long after its Telecaster cousin, but would soon match and even surpass its success, becoming the world’s most recognizable and oft-imitated model of electric guitar. It was the first Fender guitar to incorporate three pickups, and took on a sleek and contoured design in relation to the boxier Telecaster.

Over time the popularity of the Stratocaster has only been solidified further, with a lot of help from the huge list of stars who play them, including the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many, many more. The Stratocaster has an almost hallowed aura about it as the most coveted of all electric guitars, with Wayne Campbell possibly saying it best on the big screen in a memorable scene from the film Wayne’s World—“It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine!”.

Other Fender models

The Telecaster and Stratocaster may be recognized as the big two, but the Fender stable still hosts a number of other iconic styles. These include the Fender Jaguar, Fender Mustang, and Fender Jazzmaster, along with a variety of acoustic and lap steel guitars.

The Fender advantage

One of the reasons Fender products have stood the test of time is their commitment to quality. They have over 70 years of innovation and experience behind their process, and have continually led the industry in creating and designing instruments that perform at the highest level of excellence. Many guitar manufacturers often attempt to imitate Fender designs, cutting corners along the way to save costs. However, there is no substitute for the care and craftsmanship put into a genuine Fender guitar.

Fender amplifiers, accessories and more

They may be best known for guitars, but Fender is also a frontrunner in the manufacture of guitar and bass amplifiers as well. Their catalogue includes a lengthy list of new and classic models including the Fender Hot Rod, Mustang, Champion, Bassman Pro, and more—featuring both solid state, vacuum tube, and hybrid technology.

Naturally Fender also produces a plethora of guitar-related parts and accessories as well, including cables, strings, effect pedals, straps, capos—virtually anything under the sun that a musician might need or want. Much like its guitars and amplifiers, fans have come to associate the name Fender with high quality design and functionality across its entire line of additional products.

From the most iconic electric guitars in history to an extended catalogue of stringed instruments, amplifiers, accessories and more, Fender is among the elite in setting the standard of excellence in their industry.