Leo Fender and "Doc" Kauffman are credited for the creation of the first, highly successful electronic musical instruments and could be said to have been the leaders of a musical revolution. Prior to their work with solid-body electric guitars, electronic pick-ups were placed on Spanish guitars which had hollow bodies and a sound box designed to amplify the vibrations of the strings without electrical amplification. A problem arose with that design in that the pick-ups gathered not only the strings vibrations to amplify electronically, but also the out-of-phase vibrations from the hollow-body's sound box. What resulted was unwanted feedback that totally distorted the sound the musician wanted. Fender's solid body guitars were able to pick up the sounds from the strings making amplified signals pure and clean, even at high volume.
K & F Manufacturing Corporation was founded in the early 1940's to design, manufacture and sell electric instruments and amplifiers, specifically, Hawaiian lap steel guitars. In 1945 Kauffman and Fender began production using their patented electronic pick-ups on the guitars and sold the whole set, guitar and amplifier, as a set. Doc Kauffman and Leo Fender parted ways on friendly terms in early 1946. The Fender Electric Instrument Company was born.
The first electric guitar Fender made was the Esquire, styled after the Rickenbacker Bakelite with a detachable neck. In 1951, Fender invented and marketed the Broadcaster, a new solid-body guitar with Spanish styling, the first to go into commercial production. The Broadcaster was later renamed the Telecaster to avoid legal problems with Gretch and their trademarked "Broadkaster" drum kit. Bass players were soon delighted to a Fender electric bass also in 1951, allowing them to have the freedom and flexibility of sound volume and tone control at their fingertips.
The famous Stratocaster came about a few years later and became the hallmark of vintage electric guitars. Unfortunately, Leo Fender's health was declining during his highlight years of making electric guitars and he sold the company to CBS in 1965. The years CBS owned the Fender guitar company were "less than stellar" because musicians soon found the parent company had little interest in them or making excellent musical instruments. In 1985, employees, loyal distributors and guitar aficionados bought back the company to return to the original goal set by Leo Fender, that is to make a superior musical instrument demanded by the best musicians in the world.
The present Fender name has returned to the original roots by making guitars worthy of the Fender name, however, the most prized Fender vintage guitars are those made prior to the January 5, 1965 purchase by CBS for $13 million. Vintage Fender guitars made prior to 1965 all have a special place in collectors of fine vintage musical instruments as well as master musicians. Models like the 1964 Mustang, a model designed for the advanced student of guitar, the JazzMaster, introduced in 1958, the MusicMaster and DuoSonic in 1958. (The MusicMaster II, the DuoSonic II and the Mustang have the same shape and were considered student guitars. The Fender Jaguar is a follow-up to the original JazzMaster and was first introduced in 1962). Of course, early model Esquires, Broadcasters, Telecasters and Stratocaster vintage guitars with Fender serial numbers of the early years to 1965 are extremely prized.
Unfortunately, Leo Fender passed away March 21, 1991 at age 81 from complications of Parkinson's disease but did get to see the success of his foresight and innovation. Fender had once again entered the top position of master guitar building and regained its name for superior musical instruments. - 15336
K & F Manufacturing Corporation was founded in the early 1940's to design, manufacture and sell electric instruments and amplifiers, specifically, Hawaiian lap steel guitars. In 1945 Kauffman and Fender began production using their patented electronic pick-ups on the guitars and sold the whole set, guitar and amplifier, as a set. Doc Kauffman and Leo Fender parted ways on friendly terms in early 1946. The Fender Electric Instrument Company was born.
The first electric guitar Fender made was the Esquire, styled after the Rickenbacker Bakelite with a detachable neck. In 1951, Fender invented and marketed the Broadcaster, a new solid-body guitar with Spanish styling, the first to go into commercial production. The Broadcaster was later renamed the Telecaster to avoid legal problems with Gretch and their trademarked "Broadkaster" drum kit. Bass players were soon delighted to a Fender electric bass also in 1951, allowing them to have the freedom and flexibility of sound volume and tone control at their fingertips.
The famous Stratocaster came about a few years later and became the hallmark of vintage electric guitars. Unfortunately, Leo Fender's health was declining during his highlight years of making electric guitars and he sold the company to CBS in 1965. The years CBS owned the Fender guitar company were "less than stellar" because musicians soon found the parent company had little interest in them or making excellent musical instruments. In 1985, employees, loyal distributors and guitar aficionados bought back the company to return to the original goal set by Leo Fender, that is to make a superior musical instrument demanded by the best musicians in the world.
The present Fender name has returned to the original roots by making guitars worthy of the Fender name, however, the most prized Fender vintage guitars are those made prior to the January 5, 1965 purchase by CBS for $13 million. Vintage Fender guitars made prior to 1965 all have a special place in collectors of fine vintage musical instruments as well as master musicians. Models like the 1964 Mustang, a model designed for the advanced student of guitar, the JazzMaster, introduced in 1958, the MusicMaster and DuoSonic in 1958. (The MusicMaster II, the DuoSonic II and the Mustang have the same shape and were considered student guitars. The Fender Jaguar is a follow-up to the original JazzMaster and was first introduced in 1962). Of course, early model Esquires, Broadcasters, Telecasters and Stratocaster vintage guitars with Fender serial numbers of the early years to 1965 are extremely prized.
Unfortunately, Leo Fender passed away March 21, 1991 at age 81 from complications of Parkinson's disease but did get to see the success of his foresight and innovation. Fender had once again entered the top position of master guitar building and regained its name for superior musical instruments. - 15336
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