Fender

Since Fender Musical Instruments Corporation was established back in 1946, it has been playing a crucial role in evolving music of almost every genre including jazz, country and western, rock ‘n’ roll and so forth. They are the pioneer in manufacturing guitars, basses, amplifiers and related equipments. Besides, instruments such as Telecaster® and Stratocaster® guitars, as well as Precision® and Jazz® bass guitars are well-known internationally as design classics.

Telecaster® guitar was invented by Leo Fender from southern California in year 1951 and it was the first solid-body Spanish-style electric guitar produced in large scale for commercial purposes. In the same year, Precision Bass guitar was introduced. It has a sequence of bars or ridges on the fingerboard which is used for fixing the positions of the fingers to produce the desired notes, also known as frets. It was played like a guitar. In addition, it is able to amplify and release bassists from increasingly difficult-to-hear acoustic basses. These two inventions have become the foundation for modern rock combo.

On the other hand, Stratocaster was brought into the market in 1954 based on the feedbacks from professional musicians, Fender’s employee and the founder himself. The advantages included are more tonal possibilities due to the third single-coil pickup and easier access to upper registers because of its double cutaway. Not forgetting the new Fender vibrato (or “tremolo”) bridge also. In addition, Leo Fender also comes up with classic instruments and amplifier designs such as the Jazz Bass® guitar, the Jaguar® and Jazzmaster® guitars and the Twin Reverb® amplifier.

The company was eventually bought over by CBS in year 1965. William Schultz and his associate William Mendello then further expanded the company with dramatic quality improvement and commitment to research and development. In 1985, Fender’s flagship U.S. factory in Corona, California was established and the next manufacturing plant was set up in Ensenada, Mexico two years later. Besides, in order to accommodate professional musicians’ requests in customising their guitars, Fender Custom Shop was opened. Schultz retired in 2005 and the CEO position was taken by Mendello.

Electric Guitars
Bass Guitars
Acoustic Guitars