Seeing some bigotry in this thread against Fender's workforce. Note: Mexican and Mexican-American laborers have *always* been involved in making Fender guitars, all the way back to those first days in late 1940s, and continuing up to the present. The pickup shop is also notable for the large number of women who have worked there. The company's most renowned pickup maker was the celebrated Abigail Ybarra, who retired a few years ago after working at Fender since 1956. Her trained successor in the Custom Shop is also a Latina, Josefina Campos. So if you think it's odd to see Mexicans building Fender guitars, you should throw out all your Hendrix albums, plus the Beatles, Buddy Holly, countless country records, and of course every single band where they have a Fender bass. Or in short: Get bent.
It's probably due to women having smaller fingers, in general. That helps to make the work more precise. Can a man with thick fingers do soldering work here and there? Sure, with some practice. But if you want it done in mass production, by workers for whom that is their main job, you'll want people who have smaller fingers combined with coordination and experience.
I grew up in Southern California and Mexican-Americans were never in the minority. A strong work ethic and acquired skills make any group in demand, and Chicanos (there’s a word you don’t hear much anymore) are no different. And I’m not bragging my heritage, I’m a huero.
Wow that is very interesting but doesn't surprise me one bit. Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have been, in my personal experience, some of the most down to Earth, hard working people I've had the pleasure of knowing.
‘Chances are that the song running in the back of your head was written and performed on a strat’ - the song currently running through my head is slash. The complete opposite of a strat.
Tell that to the guys who made a Strat out of cardboard. It does work, it was tested by some of the employees of Fender and Jackson, and has a bill of authenticity by Fender. Sounded like every other Fender to me.
99.9% of the sound is in the pickups. People can get mad and dice hairs all they want. You'll find those are usually the same people who spend $3,000 on a guitar and still suck at playing.
I got to work at the Corona factory in 2006 as a contractor for about 2 months. Saw every room and process during that time. It was pretty cool. I couldn't wait to get there every morning.
+Kodiak and Grizzly Bears I will not argue about it , It doesnt worth with someone so immature , I suggest you to grow up. Saludos desde México pendejo
I own 3 Fender strats and they are my favorite guitar of all time !!! That was an interesting video , I enjoyed it !!!! Thanks for showing us the steps and procedures to making and building the finest guitars ever !!!!!! 😎. 😎. 😎
+SpectacularName Yes, I wish they would stop using the term Tremolo. It is vibrato. Tremolo is altering the volume, vibrato is altering the pitch, which is what happens when you push or pull on the bar. For some reason Fender called it a tremolo back in the 50's and the term just stuck.
yes the fenders and the gibsons were used by old rockstars but there were no other brands the modern rock player doesnt use a strat guitar with three single coils the modernized versions are a different story
The thing is, pushing fender like that sales exec is doing in the video. Telling stories about how fender guitars most likely were played in the soundtracks of your life, how the guitars changed music etc etc. Is all true. That guy has to have one of the best sales jobs there is. He doesn't have to bullshit anyone. Whatever stories and incredible anecdotes he might pull, they are all true. And it simply is a great guitar. I use my two Strats daily. And when it comes to the eternal question of Mexican vs American fenders. You can't look at it that way. When I bought the amazing Strat that I have, and will never part from, I test played all the American Strats they had in the most well renowned music shops in the town where I live. I actually did test them all. Cause I was determined to find the optimal guitar. After three days of trying out American Strats, I went home with a Mexican one. Why? It sounded far better, it was far smoother to play, it was simply a better guitar for me. Was it cheaper? No, it was actually more expensive than the Am ones. It was the fender roadworn series, 60s Strat with texmex pickups. Great guitars in that series, I can tell you that. So. ...you never know. You can't just go buy an American Strat and believe you get a better guitar. It doesn't work that way, it's so much down to the individual instrument, and what series it's from. And most of all, how you feel when you play it.
Michael Nielsen the telecaster was originally call the broadcaster but gretch owned the rights to the name broadcaster because of a drum they were manufacturing the year after they removed the name the guitar was unnamed and in this period they were called "Nocasters" because fender solution to gretch was to just take the name off the guitar the year after the Nocasters came out was when they were finally named the telecaster
I'm personally a Les Paul fan but I think the Stratocaster type guitar is almost unparalleled (I'm exaggerating here) in ergonomics and comfort. I wish I could have a guitar with the build of a Strat and the electronics and tone of a Les Paul. I assume that's what a PRS is but I've never played one.
or a Superstrat? basically an strat body guitar with PAF Humbuckers would do I think. The feel would be different but the sound would be pretty much the same, given that they have the same scale length.
The best part of this video is that photograph of Buddy Holly and Ed Sullivan. Watching his dumbass "I am so square I can't understand this rocknroll ruckus" versus Holly's smug face is awesome!
I have been playing guitars all my adult life, and have owned countless shapes, brands and types. There is just something special about a Fender. I have an Ibanez double cut with a bolt on neck, and it is almost identical to a Strat. But they couldn't be further apart on playability, tone, fit, finish and most important, resale value. The USA Strat will hold it's value more than most others, and in time will increase.
daftmou5s You have to be specific. Sale price for what guitar? If it is a Strat made in California it is going to be worth more than a Mexican made one. Just how it is.
At 6:27 she said that's the heart of the guitar but I think the strings are the heart of the guitar.(not saying the pickups, volume, tone knob, pickup switch aren't important)
In an electric guitar, changing pickups make WAYYY different a tone than changing strings. It’s like your tonewood on an acoustic guitar. Sure, strings can give you some flavor, but the pickups are the meat on the bones.
@@sedrickalcantara9588 Well.. I can't even remember what I was thinking about at the time! 😂 I agree with you, pickups have WAY more affect than strings. Maybe I was trying to say that no matter what pickups are on it, if there are no strings, then you won't be able to play it!
Stratocaster , lots of good music made on them but; they make me think of a bowl full of M+Ms. Maybe that is why the beat up ones are well liked. Tough love equals character infusion.
Seeing that the laborers who build the guitars in American and Mexican Fender factories are mainly Mexicans (for a long time) one can argue its as much Mexican as American. It's okay, I like smelling both American and Mexican feet
Why? I mean I love tele's. Especially my tele, but it just isn't nearly as versatile as my strat. I was reluctant for years to give into the hype and play "the guitar". I've had multiple single coil guitars as well as good guitars with high-end humbuckers and when I finally gave a strat a chance last year it was lifechanging. A good and well setup strat (not just any strat you pickup at guitar center) is amazing. There's a reason they are so iconic and it's not just because the early great guitarists used them, they are just good. They are like the chevy small block engines of guitars. Old in design and simplistic, but consistently great in nearly all applications.
I’m honestly not a fan of nitro finishes. Poly lasts forever, it’s way more durable and resistant to aging. I love it. I don’t see any appeal to nitro. It doesn’t change anything of the sound.
Phill Robinson it looks like the Corona, California factory as my cousin is shown at 6:15 on the right. She retired a a couple of years ago after working for Fender for 19 years.
People speak such tosh, 'When the neck was done you threw the guitar away.' No you didn't- you got it fixed. It is a bit more difficult to work on or to replace a neck that is glued into a guitar body but it is relatively easy to do. In fact that sort of job has to be done occasionally on acoustic guitars whenever the neck needs resetting. All power to Leo for he was a smart guy, but there's no need to talk his achievements up by talking nonsense.
why does the type of wood matter? It's not like it's actually doing anything but be the body. If it was an acoustic guitar definatly, but this just seems like another way to make it more expensive.
_hazza_d _ Eh..... Its like putting hydrogen instead of oxygen in your car tires. Ofcource there is a difference. But its so small and insignificant that its really not worth the extravagant amount of cash.
Tidiest Flyer This is a heavily debated topic. Some swear it affects tone, some say that's BS. There are plenty of home experiments on here that tell us that materials can affect sustain (how long the instrument caries out a note). Sustain increases with the stiffness, and mass or density if the instrument. This is for solid bodied electric guitars.
