TMN is extremely proud to bring you one of the world's foremost experts in guitars & other stringed instruments, Mr. George Gruhn! In this first show, George describes the holy grail of vintage guitars - a 1950 Fender Broadcaster!
Oh yeah, George Gruhn, a person who only drives up the prices of vintage instruments and couldn't care less about the actual music and creativity made with those instruments if it isn't making his bank account bigger.
We Wish George would have said that to end this Episode!!!! Thanks so much for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely & With Very Best Regards, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
i would love a broadcaster they look really fun to play and yes i love the sound some day ill get a nice tele to join my strat and get a bassman have fender family thanks grampa broadcaster for all the sweet guitars he inspired,
Marc, thank you for watching & for your comment! George's knowledge is truly extraordinary......Stay Tuned for Season 3! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Cool video! My bass luther once repaired a real Broadcaster and I think he said it was 0051. It was found in a barn on a farm and it required a comeplete overhaul and it was like new when he finsihed.
I'll be darned. Enjoy hearing about its history. So it sounds like the evolution of the technology through Fender contributed to the "50's" sound. It did change history. Would like to learn more about amps... thanks for sharing.
You know those ashtrays are made to protect the goodies from unforseen damage when not in use, also serves to protect the magnetical field as well as keeping it intact! There's debates of issues as to how much Leo actually knew about the design of a pickup with a mid boost plate serving also to keep the pickup in tact from falling apart. There's always someone second guessing, Leo knew everything and did everything from the Tele to the Strat,etc. just pick up a Fender plug it into a Fender and then you'll know what I and so many know SUCCESS!
I know, right!?!? ..blows my mind!! When people come in my shop with rings on, I tell 'em they have to remove them first. ..even if they're just picking up a Squier.
+John Kendall John, you are right! Thank you for reminding all of us of this......that the Iceman was one of the most well-known Tele players who DID keep the ashtray ON the bridge! We very much appreciate your comment & for watching! Please make sure to subscribe & Stay Tuned to many more New Gruhn episodes in 3rd Season in 2016! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Gonna have to move to Nashville. Austin fell off tp metal. Blues n country guitar player from Tx. Trying to pick up where many left off. How is the blues scene there? Have never been anywhere besides Ky and Iraq.
The ashtray on the Broadcaster or Tele actually makes a difference in tone, try it out for yourselves if you still have it. It mostly makes a difference when playing through an amp, as it changes the magnetism of the pickup. Also, it's supposed to work as a shield, the same reason why the neck pickup has a metal cover and Gibson pickups have covers. No one seems to have used the ashtray except Albert Collins, who liked it as a handrest.
thank you for posting this. in 1998 I bought my Strat and was suprised to find a sticker on the back of the tuning head that said "made in the 50th year of Fender Guitars" on it. I knew Fender started in 49 and made the first solid body guitars in 50. Was mine one of the early runs of the 50th anniversary models? By any chance does anyone know how many of the Fender Guitars have these stickers since I know Strats didn't start until 54?
Back to the name...An awesome fact he skipped was that Leo Fender named the guitar "Telecaster" after another relatively new and cool invention, the television. Kinda crazy right? That's good perspective for me on how effective and the successful the Telecaster design has been. Hasn't changed in 65+ years.
Hah... all you people complaining about the way he is "treating" the guitar make me laugh. It's survived 60 plus years on Earth being played, transported, dropped, gigged, what have you... for most of those years it wasn't worth more than a few hundred bucks. His ring, or his arm resting on the neck... not going to be the death knell. Short of throwing it on the floor and stomping on it, that guitar will be around for hundreds of years to come. With or without babying it.
Although, George, I have encountered club owners who would not hire a three or four-piece band. Their "reasoning" was that the audience wanted more. In other words, three guys wasn't the same as a seven-piece group with horns and all that.
That guitar belongs to George. He has more money than you, and he's forgotten more about guitars than you will ever know. He can handle it any way he pleases.
That's a beautiful guitar. I love the Broadcaster. In fact, even though many disliked it at the time, and some haven't even heard of it today, I rewired my Telecaster to the original Broadcaster circuit, and I really prefer it over the later tele wiring.
How did you get the instructions, or did you have one to take apart? How does it sound different? What do you think of the Esquire? Thanks for any comments!
paul harris I knew the Broadcasters were wired different, but I found a diagram on the Seymour Duncan website. Since standard tone pots always load the pickup a little even fully open, the Broadcaster wiring just seems subtly purer sounding without that load. The pickups just run straight through the volume pot. I made the blend pot no-load, so when wide open in the bridge position, there is no influence from the neck pickup at all until you actually start rolling it back. The regular neck position is pretty clear. The neck with the preset dark capacitor in position 3 is useful for some things. For a single pickup guitar, the Esquire is actually pretty versatile.
paul harris Yes. I believe that scheme is position 1 is the pickup with tone bypass, position 2 with the tone control, and 3 bypasses the tone pot in favor of the preset dark cap. Only one pickup, but three different ways to get tones from it.
This is great stuff.Very informative and interesting.But why not play these amazing instruments so we can hear them?These instruments were made to be played and heard after all.
Joseph Drach Hi Joseph, Thanks very much for your comment & for watching. The reason why is we wanted to focus on the instruments, themselves. We understand the reason for a play-test but that was not our goal for the Show. It was to focus on George's world-renowned knowledge of them - their history, design & features. Sincerely, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO of The Musician Network (TMNtv)
i bought a telecaster in 1973...it had the ash tray pickup cover..and it made no difference whatsoever in the sound or the play ability except to prevent palm muting...which sounded great on a telecaster.. so i took it off the guitar and never used it.
My Biggest Regret. there was a 1950 Broadcaster Refin ALL ORIGINAL for just $9,000 i had all my guitars ready for trade but then i held off for a week and when i decided. It sold, :(
Umm, guitars are supposed to be played. This guitar has an ultimate tone, I believe. Broadcasters always had. I see no way of getting a kick out of a guitar if I don't play it or if someone doesn't.
They may be overpriced, but you must keep in mind that you're paying for more guitar in comparison to when buying a Fender. I don't mean this in a bad way as Fenders are fantastic instruments, but i just mean it's obviously going to cost more as there is simply more on a Gibson e.g. binding, mother of pearl inlays, flamed maple and so on.
