Leo Fender and His Guitars
Leo Fender was by far one of the most important people in the pioneering of electric guitars. As the inventor and creator of the world famous “Fender Guitar” he has literally changed the lives of millions of guitar players. In fact, there are many players who refuse to play anything other than a Fender guitar and for good reason. They are one of the best guitars ever made. Born on August 10, 1909 Leo Fender had a love for electronic equipment ever since he was a kid. After school he would come home and repair whatever electronic equipment he could find. But in high school his need to make money overcame his love of electronics and he decided to pursue a career in accounting.
After high school he actually became an account for the California Highway Department. Unfortunately the Great Depression hit and Leo was one of the millions that lost his job. However, being the resourceful person he was, Leo Fender decided that it was time to start his own business. He took out a loan from a friend for $600 which was a lot of money in those days. He decided to open up a repair shop to work on some of the local people’s electronics and get back to his childhood roots. Leo called “Fender Radio Service” and worked on all different type of electronic equipment and made a nice living for himself considering he had no prior training in it. Eventually he got involved with guitars and amplifiers and added those to his ever growing list of things he could fix. Soon though, working on guitars became his true passion which led him down the road to what is known as the Fender guitar.
He took the technology of the electric guitar and worked hard to improve and basically reinvent it which eventually led to the revolution of the entire music industry. Up until the days before he died he was always looking for ways to perfect the electric guitar, but what he didn’t realize is that it was already perfect for so many people. Looking at the guitars he created you can see how they transformed the history of music. The Fender Broadcaster which came into existence in 1950 was the first guitar that was made of solid wood that could be sold to the public. With a bolt on neck, the whole design was great for mass production and very effective as an electric instrument. The guitar delivered one of the cleanest amplified sounds ever heard and was an instant hit among rock and rollers. The Fender Telecaster came next in 1951.
As the longest running guitar made of a solid body still being made today, the design is straightforward, cutting edge and has a bridge that is extremely effective. Finally you have the Stratocaster which is one of the most popular solid electric guitars to date. Launched in 1954 it now came with three pickups as well as a vibrato arm which bends the pitch of the strings. Technologically advanced, the body was contoured for easy playing and comfort. All in all, the Stratocaster is the ultimate in guitars and are used by the most famous guitarists in the world.