Gibson isn't the only guitar maker that has had it's share of troubles. People forget that it wasn't always roses for Fender either. Baxter and Jonathan take you on a trip down memory lane with the rise and fall of Fender!
The whole motivation behind the early guitars was to "interchangeable parts" building them. It was never to make them the best thing in the world. That's where the "old world craftsmen" focused. So where a worn out neck on an ES335 was a big deal, with a tele, it meant paying 1/3 the cost of a new guitar for a neck and throw out the old one. Building an early Fender meant nobody cared what pickup went in. They were all the same in a barrel and got randomly thrown in. Same with bodies, necks, everything. Using a pick guard meant no acrobatics fishing electrics through F holes. Build a random pick guard, solder the connections and throw it in a barrel. I think this is lost on people today. Leo was an engineer and built the guitar like an engineer would. Does that mean the guitars were cheap? Well, yah. Both Strat and Tele sold for around half what an early Les Paul went for. Cheaper to make, so with a similar profit margin, it could undercut the Gibson. Being able to manufacture like this was in itself revolutionary.
This is precisely why I consider Fender the best brand of electric guitars, with the Strat they not only did a great modular on-budget product, but they also did a great user-friendly product for end customers (players): soft, curvy, lightweight, great fretboard access, cool colors, I mean... simply great guitars. It’s a win-win man! And I’ve never ever complained about any finish flaw or QC issue like with Gibson. Not to say Gibson is terrible, but from manufacturing perspective Fender is just great brand, really concerned about delivering real value to end customers. While with Gibson you can feel they’re “struggling” against budget or costs control.
Joey thanks a ton! That really means a lot and we sure appreciate the kind words:) best to you and yours out there and hope you enjoy the future vids coming out!
Ye that was a pretty big omission and were gonna chalk that one up to a big old oops! It was in the notes but somehow didn't make it over to the brain...oh...and the funny haired one is a J-Bass fanatic! Thanks you for the comment and thanks for the good/great/vital point!
Ive been a Les Paul and tele player all my life until I got an American professional Strat and now that's my go to for absolutely everything, I can't describe how amazing it feels and sounds
Interesting Video. One thing. Just prior to Jimi, the Strat was gonna be discontinued. When I went to work at Fender I met this old guy in the Men's room prior to my "Interview". He was Cleaning the sink and emptying waste baskets. Nice guy. Nice chat. I met him again 20 minutes later........sitting behind his desk. #billschultz
Fender didn't go for the total "lifestyle brand" of consumer electronics that Gibson attempted. The mistake they DID make was to try and buy up just about every guitar brand in sight - and ultimately spread themselves too thin financially and organizationally. But this mistake was easier to recover from than Gibson's. They had never lost sight of making good guitars as their core business! They could unload a bunch of those extra brands to new owners, do some revamps on the ones they still had, and they're back on their game. (And oh yeah, they never went into bankruptcy.)
Great comment Eric! Agree on every point there and I think it is all of our jobs to try and keep our favorite brands honest and on point by reminding them not to go down that route. Thank you again!
I recently bought a Telecaster Modern player and I love it I can get so many tones with it, from a vintage soul jazz sound to a hi gain rock metal tone I’m in love with it I didn’t really think I’d be a fender player but I changed my mind as soon as I played that guitar it was amazing 🙌🤘
In the 1990's, Fender had some REALLY cool models that were way ahead of the rest of the world, iMHO. However, pretty sure most of their '90s models were pancake bodies. I have a 1991 '62 reissue, which I believe is pretty solid. 2000 American Series was the first guitar in years, that Fender made with non-pancake bodies. Even still, the pancakes were darn good sounding and innovative guitars.To this day, I dig the Lace Sensors, especially since you could bend a string and keep the volume alive.
I have one 1985 and two 1986 MiJ HSS Strats with the Sytem One trem. They are the best-built guitars I own, including my other Strats. The pickups weren't the best sounding but upgrading them is the easiest mod you can do. So I did. When I retire and sell off most of my gear it will be a tough decision as to whether I keep one, two or all three of those guitars. Everything else can go... all my PA and lighting gear, all my amps, all my effects, and even most of my guitars... but probably not those.
You got me in the picture of the HM Strat in the sam colour as mine! I picked it up new, from a batch of guitars that came into the shop I part-timed in at the time. Played hundreds of gigs and sessions with it. Also still have my Fender Master from around the era as well, maybe the golden age of MIJ.
Since I first fell in love with rock and roll, I have been in love with Fenders both guitars and amps. First strat I got in was in ''94, decked out with screaming gold lace sensor pick-ups. Currently have a MIM strat (SSS), a Corona-built strat pro (HSS) and a MIM tele. All three are killer guitars. I did once own a Les Paul and it was not for me - too heavy and couldn't keep it in tune. Replaced it with a really nice and great-sounding Epiphone ES-335. Sweet sounding guitar. Like it MUCH better than the Les Paul. However, to each their own...
I've been using my 2012 USA HSS strat for 6yrs now and I'm still incredibly happy with it, however: - The glossy maple fretboard becomes a huge problem when the weather gets hot or humid. Excessive sweat makes it incredibly sticky and very hard to play. I'd recommend taking it to a luthier to sand it down. - Some like the traditional tuning pegs, I don't. I replaced them with Schaller locking tuners, they make a world of difference for tuning stability. - I like a very aggressive, but natural, overdrive for my strat in the bridge position, so I switched to Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge. - While I've gotten used to it, I've always felt the neck to be a little on the chunky side. I have pretty large hands and very long fingers, but that's why I like slim necks. I compensate by keeping 9s on my strat and 10s on my Suhr standard. Something to take note of. For me, a strat can't be replaced. Every coil split position on a HB, including my super high-end Suhr standard, makes the humbucker much lighter, but that signature strat 'twang' and 'shimmer' is never there, you'll only get that sound on a good strat.
First-timer on your channel. I enjoyed the information, originality and your beautiful backdrop of gorgeous axes on display! Liked, subscribed and I definitely HIT THE BELL!
Michael thank you for the comment and subscribing!We have a bunch more coming out and I hope you get something out of them as they do:) Thank you again!
Tele’s are versatile, yet so simple. You can play Jazz, Blues on the neck pickup. Then you can really rock it with the bridge pickup. Only issue - I’d like to put a short scale neck on my Tele. I think Warmoth sells short scale necks for Tele’s. Is there anyone else who makes short scale Tele necks?
I think this is the "Golden Age" for guitars. I just bought a new Squire Deluxe Jazzmaster for $380. It's great. Used by like new Fenders are all types are commonly available. I had MIM Strats, USA made Strats and Teles. They are all good. I can't say the same for Gibson. I can say the same for PRS. The SE line is a fantastic value. All this guitars are cheaper, adjusting for inflation, than they were years ago.
Brian thank you very much! We have a ton of episodes coming out and some really cool new shows down the pipeline. Thanks for watching and sincere thanks for commenting!
Guys, I have to say after watching you a few times, I'm a fan. I hope you get a billion subscribers. I'm going to have to come down to your store someday.
They’ve done some really impressive things with their Squire line. I have a Squire 70’s Jazz Bass that, despite its weight, is a blast to play. It makes a great bar bass. Good enough to play, but cheap enough to replace if stolen or damaged. You will want to shield the electronics though.... you get what you pay for.
you should do a gibson blunders episode. reverse v makes me lol. firebird x gives me a chuckel. mechanical tuners. go into detail. why these were misses it would be a great video.
Really enjoying the guitar commentary from you guys. Be interested in understanding Gibson necks better i.e. 58, 50’s, 60’s, rounded, D, slim taper, 60’s D etc... what’s the differences? Which suits different hand sizes?
I've only ever owned two Strats. Both MIJ Contemporary Series from '85. Totally underrated guitars. I bought a new Lake Placid Blue SSS with Sytem 1 Trem as my first electric and everyone 'rubbished it' for not being USA. Sold it in the early Noughties. Big mistake. Finally bought a 'minty' used Platinum HSS with the System 2 Trem last year. Not a replacement. More of an upgrade. All is right with the world again! :-)
i have an 84 mij squier, bought it new in 84. it is a phenomenal guitar, i am never selling it. it has a wilkinson trem in it now, and jumbo frets, but a great sounding guitar. i kept buying ibanez high end guitars, and the mij squier always sounded and played better, so i ended up selling all the ibanez.
I was told by a dealer in the eighties that when fender left Japan the parts were brought to Cali and used there before the Mex plant got cranked up. True? I had an '80's Strat that was 3piece body with not so great PU's. Kept for a long time until you could see the body seams showing thru the pewter finish. My MIM strat today is twice the quality that thing was. Think Fender will give me some money back?
It really depends on what music you want to make and really what you really want from a guitar. For the shit I wanna do and the sounds I wanna make, a Fender Strat is one of if not my favourite option. Just based on taste fam.
And ye that was probably around the time when they had their reps pushing bunk "product" down their dealers throats. Hopefully they learned the lesson as they alienated a bunch of dealers when they started chasing that all mighty dollar at the expense of who brought them...the independents. Thanks for the comment! @MorbidManMusic
I have two loves in my life. 1. My wife to whom I have been wed since 1964 2. And my tele to whom I have been wed since 1962. It is still more or less original, including the frets. OK, it is showing wear but, through a twin reverb, it still sings. There are nights that it does not want to be played, but most nights it screams and howls just like it always did. A great guitar and I would not want to be on stage without it. Bob
More on the sale of Fender $13m in 2018 $’s is about $105m.. a hefty sum. Check out the book “The Birth of Loud” by Ian Port. It’s about Leo, Les and the others who contributed to creating the solid body electric guitar 🎸
Dan Le Roy Very friendly FYI, but Leo was not terminally ill, and his illness was only part of the reason he chose to sell. The thoroughly researched book by devoted Fender historian Richard Smith, "Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World" reveals a few factors, all documented: Fender (the company) was at a big tipping point of needing a major expansion to meet the huge demand of the 1960s (Baby Boomer) guitar market. Being in his mid-50s of age, Leo was very reluctant to make the substantial investment and he longed for the days when operations were smaller. Also, the transistor age was coming on strong. As accomplished as he was, Leo was self-taught in an older school of technology and he saw major threats on the horizon with the new technology (we love tube amps again today but back then, the space-age modern stuff was thought to be the way of the future). And then there was his illness, supposedly a long-lingering infection that made things difficult but was not life-threatening or terminal in any way. Check out that book described above. It's got fascinating history in it, and loads of great guitar pictures, too!
Actually, Leo started working with the company that would become MusicMan almost immediately after leaving Fender in 1966 (he was a consultant with Fender for a year). However, he signed a 10 year no competition clause with Fender, so he was a silent partner with the new company for that duration. As soon as that clause expired is when MusicMan became a thing in 1976.
Like my new Fender American Performer that I just bought over the Ibanez Jem Jr I've had for a year. The Jem Jr is pretty but the Performer plays so good and feels perfect.
How could one not like the tele? No one answer please. Allow me to live in my Tele bubble ;). Baxter, you could try a braid man. Go toward the pony tail. It will work. I went Gibson to Fender to G&L. I love my G&L Tele despite the continual electronic problems. It feels great.
Awesome history lesson!! Me, 5 in '62 during Surf's first wave. Fender was IT! Later in '76 i buy a '75 SB HT Strat. I miss it all the time. Have 3 'strato types' and 2 Squires (Jagmaster and Fat Tele) and a CyberTwin. Wish i could play them more. Its worth noting The Japanese Fenders and then Squires basically saved Bill S and Fender from what i remember. Man, i played a Squire Strat in ' 84. Slippery like my '75 (curvy 9.5 radius). Should have bought it. They've quadrupled in value.
Another great video, but I would dispute the part where you said they were worth a half mil less. I would say that is probably a simplification of the scenario. I would have to look specifically into the details of the corporate records of that deal, but usually there may be other strings attached to buyouts, which involve value that may have been extracted by owners.
Great point and thanks for commenting. It is a bit of a simplification and we couldn't go into to deep detail there. But CBS was not dying to hang onto their diminishing investment any longer than it needed to and those numbers just sound exciting the way we said them right...right? Sincerely, thank for the comment and very good insight!
Thank you very much for a great video! Wonderful overview of the history of Fender! I've been playing electric since the age of 12. My first electric guitar was a Cort X-1 Bk: ok guitar for a price, (especially for beginners) but I didn't really like the pickups and the overall sound. This year when I started studying in a university, I decided not to take it with me. But by the middle of the year I really started to miss having a guitar in my hands, so I went to a local Guitar Center and bought a used 2018 Squier Bullet Telecaster in a beautiful Surf Green color. I was so surprised by it: for a $100 I got a wonderfully built electric guitar that sounds great for its price. It has its limitations, and I'm going to upgrade eventually to a Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, but it is unbelievable how good cheap guitars are right now! Fender is doing an awesome job with its lineup: great beginners guitars, great guitars for the fans of classic Fender, and new innovative projects like Acoustasonic.
Some other minimal yet awesome rises and falls that I’ve came across from different videos and forums (little bit of bias in there since I’m a Fender boy) RISE: Daring to take the world on with some shapes many know such as the Mustang, Jaguar, and so on we’re definitely a sweet staple of the business, but there’s also some not so mentioned limited models where I think deserve a shoutout (which could fall under probably both the RISE section or FALL section of this comment). The models that first come to my mind are from the Pawn Shop series, like the ‘51 Custom, ‘72 Custom, 70 Strat Deluxe, Jaguarillo, Super Sonic, and there’s one or two others that aren’t coming to mind from that series line. Anyways, very cool stuff that had a sort of vintage nostalgia but at the same time a modern make (and modern smell if ya bought it new). FALL: A couple unmentioned little bits of info I’d also like to add involve yet two other models that come to mind. I’m sure there’s maybe more I haven’t stumbled across yet, so please, chime in on everything pro/con ya don’t see in this comment or video. The two models that were a bit of a failure happened in the 80’s. The first being the odd shape and headstock of what is referred to as the Swinger, and the surprisingly one...Fender’s “The Strat”. And by “The Strat”, I’m referring to the rare one with gold plated brass hardware. Now I’m not 100% certain, but from what little info I’ve got from this particular model run, Fender actually lost profits from the amount of gold plating applied to this run of “The Strat” sometime around 1982. That being said though, until I’m graced to try something equally as mesmerizing as my Japanese Fender I’ve acquired through trading (haven’t gotten out much recently and “a bit financially unstable” to put it lightly) Fender is definitely a go to instrument in my opinion (if you’re into that sort of thang). P.S. If a die-hard shredder happens to read this, I’d highly recommend trying out a HH Telecaster. Sure it’s not for everyone, but if John 5 can make it sound awesome, then I believe that if you have the passion, you can do it too!
On recommendation 1st axe was a PRS SE, needed new tuners, output Jack, POTS, super screeechy pickups(85/15s), sold it on reverb after a brief romance with a Gretsch electromatic ( one trick pony) I ended up with a 2010 MIM HSS Strat. I’m in heaven it’s completely amazing and I have a jazzmaster am pro II on order. Eyeballing a vintera tele 🤣 I guess I’m a fender guy now
How about a Why is Rickenbacker still in business video? Cool guitars but the playability and quality don't seem to match the price. I have one and I like it for what it is but due to the frail design I couldn't see it lasting long on tour. When you put them up against PRS or Fender they just don't match up.
Thanks Key! We have more conversational ones coming on all sorts of makers in the business. We also have some coming on particular shops we love. And we are also shooting a really cool one right now that I am not allowed to talk about yet but it is somewhat of an adventure type of show with episodes and all:) Thanks so much for subscribing and thank you for watching!
In 2011 I received an American Deluxe Strat as a gift from my wife. It’s still one of the best guitars I own and I have not found another Strat that comes close. I’m a Gibson guy so for me to have a Strat, it’s got to blow my mind. This one does. Lessons learned from both Gibson and Fender - forget all the other nonsense, just build the best guitars possible at a price normal people can afford.
fantastic ending point and lets hope they listen! And congrats on finding a winner strat. Its fantastic when one speaks to you and keeps speaking:) Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching!
I watch these discussions every day when I'm on lunch and come to find out your shop is an hour east of me! (I live in Charlotte). And come to my surprise you guys are a Fender custom shop dealer that Fender does not list on their website! I will have to make the trip east!
I recently bought a replacement body for my strat from USA Custom Guitars because I wanted to get a contoured heel for better access to the 22nd fret on my USA Custom Guitars neck... these are two BASIC features that Fender denies their loyal customers who aren't willing to pay $1,200 for an American Deluxe. When you consider the massive selection of guitars that are available, including $300 guitars with the contoured heel and 22nd fret that Fender denies us... why in the world should we be loyal to Fender anymore? They aren't loyal to us. My first guitar was a MIM Strat that I bought because of SRV. I looked at that Fender logo on the headstock and was SO HAPPY to have a FENDER STRAT. Totally smitten. I learned to play guitar over the next 4 years and wore out my frets and bought a replacement neck in 2007... it is a USACG $200 neck that features EVERYTHING that Fender will not give us unless we pay $1,200 for it: a 9.5 to 12" compound radius fretboard, a 22nd fret, and Stainless Steel 6105 frets which are not even available from Fender at all. And now I've got a USA CG body with a contoured heel which is superior to Fender's contoured heel. I went from being SO PROUD to be a Fender owner to being proud to not be a Fender owner. Hey Fender, WAKE UP! When it comes to cost and features, you are not competing only with yourself and with the features you withhold on your affordable guitars- you are competing with an entire industry of all kinds of $400 and $500 guitars that offer the features you deny us. And there is also Warmoth and USA Custom Guitars... a couple years ago Fender decided to enter this parts sales business too, and in comparison, Fender's prices on their necks and bodies are RIDICULOUS! But, Fender did do a really good job on the Fender Original '57/'62 pickups.
@@PeterDad60 I bought that neck plate many years ago to do that. Then I realized that the old hole would remain and I wondered if it would impact the strength of the heel after I shaved it down and put another hole in it. Also my 1997 made in Mexico strat had a poplar body, which is pretty soft and not super strong like alder. Also it was covered in a layer of that plastic bondo stuff that gives it the deep shiny finish. So it was good to get rid of. Your rebuttal that everyone knows how to do woodworking and wants to rework their guitar at extra cost and ruin the finish- when the guitar should have been made right in the first place at the factory, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. So you work at Fender then? You might want to forward my message to your marketing department because all the 70, 60 and 50 somethings who will pay $1,300 to get BASIC features on a guitar that has the name "Fender" on it are eventually all going to die off, and then Fender will too. I would rather see Fender survive.
The really good thing about Fender is, as you said, You could buy a Telecaster in 1951 for $151. Today you can buy a Squier for about the same price. And, still get the same amazing sounds.
I always get into the "what is a more diverse guitar" arguments in regards to Strats vs Teles... I personally think the Strat is, but I've heard good arguments for Teles as well. I own 4 Strats and need to invest in a Tele.
Great comment and thank you! I personally go for the strat every time when in a pinch but there is for sure a place for the tele and if you ask Jonathan...its everywhere:)
I played a squier strat for 20 years up until last year when I decided to finally treat myself and upgrade. Bought a Player strat and I have to say Fender has come a looooooong way. They sound excellent. I’ve since purchased a performer Jazzmaster and an professional strat and I have to be honest, the Player is a contender with both. It holds its own. They’re very well built and sound amazing. The player pickups are articulate and clear and retain that classic Fender bell-like tone. With a few upgrades like a bone nut and block saddles, my player sounds better than my American professional with V-mods in them. Now the only difference between a Mexican made strat and an American made strat is about 86 miles
I often consider the American Standard Series (Telecaster and Stratocaster) the guitars that saved Fender in the late 80s and early 90s. Right around the late 2000s, Fender QC kind of went down (especially in the neck work), but now QC has improved.
Fender Japan...played a major role in all of this...Alot of artists Clapton, Beck and Many bought Fender Japan models which where unique and custom too...Kanda Shokai. Made them special runs for famous people etc.
Its almost like people are re- discovering Fenders again. Telecasters are alltine for me. And with quality guitars being made. Its natural players are coming back
Thanks for the comment Stevie! We agree and are thrilled to see younger players entering and choosing these iconic brands to create all new types of music as well!
I have been playing guitar since 1963 . At that time there were some fantastic guitars being made by Gibson , Fender , and Martin . In my opinion the reason vintage guitars got so popular is because of the CRAP guitars being made by every manufacturer in the 70's and 80's !!! The old guitars were golden compared to anything being made during this era . Mid to late 80's quality started to pickup . 90's they got even better . Nowadays there are so many great -good quality guitars being made that it is crazy . You can go to any music store , and buy a $500 guitar and play a gig with it that night . They may not have the magic of the old days , but still very usable in a utility kind of way . The Chinese , Koreans , and Japanese have learned how to build decent guitars ! I still have several American made Fenders , not as good as the old ones , but very serviceable and 10x better than the 80's and 90's junk !! Epiphone has made a huge upward climb . They were so great in the 60's , went to complete crap when they went overseas , started to make a little quality in the 90's , and the past few years they have improved so much that you can use the words Epiphone and Gibson in the same sentence . The big difference is that gibsons are 10x the cost , but less than 2x the quality ! I could go on forever , but after playing guitar for over 56 years , I still love guitars , and still play every day .
I'm an acoustic player about to buy my first electric guitar. I like the sound of a tele and play a lot of alt-country. What do you think of the Baja Telecaster?
The Baja is the hidden gem in the Tele lineup. Darrell Braun has a video on his channel comparing various Teles. He does a good job explaining why the Baja is a great choice.
The Baja is probably the best dollar for dollar guitar I’ve ever owned. Close to just the straight up best. The only Tele I’ve had that beats it out slightly is an American pro Tele with Lollars a installed.....so basically three times the price
Great show. I am a bass player and growing up in the 80s. I had my fair share of pointy basses. I just recently bought a Fender P-bass and I love it. Fender had a bad rep for a long time and I'm glad it got turned around. It's just like Gibson now...I won't own a new Gidson
Great retrospective, guys. I might have gone a little deeper into the CBS era details (like the 3-bolt neck), but given the scope of the subject matter, well done. Say hi to Andy for us... 😁
Thanks Matty! We started to but the guy behind the camera knew we could drag on to infinity on Fender. We did leave some holes and by you bringing em up hopefully that will help fill em! Thanks for the comment and thank you so much for watching.
I'm not a Fender fan but I'm glad to hear they are on the up turn. I've been in a fallout shelter of pre-crash guitars waiting for the long winter to end.
Been playing and collecting for five decades and I have to say that when people mention the eighties and nineties fender you keep hearing they were crap. I should remind people that if you don’t like the tone you can always change pickups, if you don’t like the frets you can always regret the neck, etc, etc, etc. Most Vintage fenders from times past have changed components anyway. One you tweet a guitar and get it to sound and play the way you want it, it is subjective. I’ve got quite a few guitars in my collection that are completely stock but many have been frankensteined. I don’t buy to resell, I buy coz I love to play guitars.
Thanks bunch! At first I thought it was Hillary commenting but then I realized that perhaps she isn't the biggest guitar fan:) Thanks you for watching and thanks for the comment!
@@CasinoGuitars I think she's more interested in evading prosecution, than talking guitars. PS, you've got some really cool guitars, and one of the best guitar shops in the country.
I love Fender guitars....I have two pre-CBS Strats (62 and 63)....my Fender FSR MIM BSB Tele is a great guitar....my American Pro Strat (also BSB with Tele knobs) is a great guitar....I love Teles....I have other guitars but Fender is my favourite....my go to guitars are my Fenders....well the newer Strat and Tele any way....the Fender amps are great too (love my Tweed Blues Junior)....
Mike fantastic comment and thank you for sharing! Oh my those pre CBS gals, wow! I am a Fender die hard as well unfortunately and my trusty Daphne Blue Strat tends to go everywhere with me:)
I am in my third wave of guitar ownership/collection. The first wave passed when the ex-wife ran off with the Les Paul and the Alvarez Yairi 12-string. The second wave passed when my life crashed in 2006 and I had to liquidate everything. SInce 2006 I have carefully invested in my current set of instruments that I hope to enjoy for the rest of my life. This includes a Fender Strat, and Fender Tele. Also a Gibson Les Paul, and a Martin acoustic. I believe I purchased my Fender instruments during high quality trend-times. The Brent Mason Signature Edition Telecaster ios the tele I waited many years to own.
I thought the 25th Anniversary Strat was a great idea. Glad I didn't get the white one and got the "Porche" silver, which is green now. It plays amazing, was hard to wind the strings with metal filings seeping out of the tuners. I installed new locking tuners and still have the original in case I sell it, it will still be stock. I remember when a critic made a remark on how this guitar was a limited edition, but Fender made 10,000 of them.
Love the channel! But, you guys forgot to mention Leo’s greatest contribution to modern music.... the Fender Precision Bass! And later the Jazz Bass. Like Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile. Leo didn’t invent the electric guitar, but invented the first commercially successful electric bass.
Cool video. Good history lesson. I picked up the Player HSS recently, love the neck, ok pick ups. I bought the American Professional SSS about a year and half ago. Can’t say enough about the AM-PRO, love this guitar. The Tim Shaw V-Mod Pickups are amazing. Can’t go wrong with a Strat, worth every penny. Would like to know your thoughts on the V-Mods & Shawbucker. Also have to give praise to Fender for the Bassbreaker 15. They could have just as well named it the “Badass” 15. Enjoyed the vid, keep up the great work. (Buy local...F*** GC). Listen to All, Follow None.
I'd be interested in hearing your take on American vs Mexican vs Japanese (etc.) Fenders. I know other RU-vid-ers like Phillip McKnight have weighed in and said they didn't see much difference, but I wonder if you'd feel the same. I play a 2000 Mexican "Fat" Strat that I prefer to every other Strat I've ever played (ignoring the Custom Shop stuff, of course). And I'd be hard-pressed to say exactly what's so good about my Strat. I usually just say that guitar has good "mojo." It's as good a description as any.
Alton thank you for the comment and we are doing some videos breaking down different lines within Fender. Some are wrapped and some are in the queue but I do like your suggestion and that may have to be one! A side note, I played a Japanese strat from the golden age of Japanese strats on tour for a bit and it is one of the best strats I have ever played. I tried to buy it from the owner (who is a pretty famous guitar player to no avail...darn). Great suggestion and thank you again!
I think you guys are right (we all hope) about being in another golden age of guitars. We know PRS is on their game and Gibson and Fender are in a good place. Fender has established themselves again as number one, many players from all different genres of music are playing some kind of Fender guitar. And, isn't it funny how Leo got it right the first time with the Tele? A simple design that just works. And the Strat speaks for itself....anyone worth their salt has one. You have to on versatility alone. And their Custom Shop is the best. If you can dream it, they can build it. What a concept! Gibson is making all the right moves so far. Just make guitars guys! And make the best! It would also be interesting to see if they delve back into making amps. Some of those old Gibson amps were pretty cool.
Great comment and thanks for all of the insight! We couldn't agree more and I am just getting an old 59 Gibson Amp back from the shop next week and can't wait to scare the family with it! Love those cool things:)
I bought an American Professional I Tele and a Player Strat last year. Both are amazing guitars. I also picked up a Les Paul, and it is what a Gibson should be. Hopefully Gibson can stay out of their own way and make a comeback too.
I loved the video and the information, but I noticed you never mentioned that in the 80's while the USA factory was shut down, you could only buy Japan made Fender's, there weren't very many if any USA Fenders because CBS sold the brand, but told them that they needed to find their own place to build. And once the USA employees got their hands on one of their Japanese made Fender's, they were astonished at the quality, and used that as motivation to get the USA factory up and running quicker. So if anyone ever tries to tell you that they have a 1985 USA Standard Stratocaster, they don't lol. The only USA Fenders at the time were some of the reissue models. USA Standard production models didn't start until late 1986, showing up in stores early 1987. That's my Fender history, and I apologize for any misinformation.
We left out a few and just glanced on that period but great point! I personally love that period of strats and was lucky enough to play one on tour for a bit. I loved it so much I tried to buy it from the lead player ( a famous guitar player form the 70's) to no avail...and I still long for that surf green beauty! Thanks you for detailing that out though and we hope more folks pick up on that note!
They still haven't figured out that neck heel or creating a loaded guitar at a good price. I'll be buying an Ibanez AZ next year which has the most comfortable bolt-on neck heel I've seen and comes loaded with high quality name brand parts and a hot-rodded wiring scheme that makes it way more versatile than a standard fender
If you want a really interesting read, check out "The Birth of Loud" by Ian Port. A new book on the scene which is well researched and documented.It compares Leo and Les and is a fascinating read. -Ltb!
I dont know about buying Fenders out of barrels but I remeber that the guitars they were making in the late 70s and early 80s left us unimpressed. Everyone I knew wre saying they sucked. We would buy older models but not the new ones. Same with the amps. Old twin reverbs (60s) were pretty cheap and common workhorses. Price to value the first Squiers were great. Guys I played with gigged em out of box.
So much about this topic will be subjective to personal requirements and opinions. Both Leo and Les are great innovators and did things differently; business model, product design, customer cost and support, parts availability, branding protection, etc. Both guys had a vision and the 'business' often interfered with their personal vision. Regardless of the pros and cons of each, both offer the consumer something different and the world of guitars needs options. I personally favor Teles over LPs due to technical design but the only thing that really matters is how happy an instrument makes the individual playing it regardless what it is. 👍
Fender learned a valuable lesson from the mid to higher range of Squier guitars. The quality of the Squier's were getting better and better, so they drew the line and started releasing the mid-range models from Indonesia and basically put a bigger gap between the top Squier to the bottom Fender. Fender took the concept of improved playability at a reasonable price and moved into the Mexi built models, putting better pickups and the likes into those models while raising the price slightly. Hence moving the Squier buyer's into the Fender line and selling more and more Mexi models. The positioning of these product lines made a huge difference for Fender.
Got back from Nam in 68 and bought a 68' white start .... Hendrix was playin one .... got in trouble ...sold it (sht ) for little money ... the end. Now I am in the Squire market ... that 68 is probably $8K (sht)
That is not a story that brings happiness to me but the way you told it, that was funny:) Just imagine what joy that 68 is hopefully bringing someone:)
I am bumed how Fender treated Guild and Sunn. Those were both amazing brands that deserved better. I have to say the one time I called Fender with a question they got me right through to a tech and he answered my question. FWIW the "awfulness" of the CBS gear is overstated IMHO. I have a Coronado and a Lead II and they are 2 of my favorite guitars.
They are making great stuff these days. The charvel usa select guitars from a year or two ago are great for the money, pretty much custom shop for under 2k. Great vid, subbed.
Nice show, guys. Well paced, informative... even entertaining. I've been a PRS guy or years. Recently bought a 2017 MIM Tele. Not the most refined workmanship. The fretwork is marginal, but on balance it's fun to play and has its sonic moments. But Fender does a lot of marketing sleight-of-hand, and has a lot of "murky" product differentiation, so it's difficult to determine where exactly the value is in each "line." For consumers, that can get quite frustrating...
Great comment! We have started to disseminate how Fender works and have seen the marketing machine a bit better for what it does recently. I think they are trying to standardize the line with an overall refresh of the core pieces (Player, Performer, Pro, Original, and Elite) while adding little gems and one offs throughout each quarter to try and keep us all excited. We have also seen that they made such a good guitar in their new Player Series that it has actually cut into their US sales quite a bit. What we feel may be the best bang for the money, the American Original, has really not sold that well at all compared to the other lines. They almost buried it by having so many different less expensive lines available. Great comment and thanks a bunch for watching!
The Fender Mustang amps are some of the best modeling amps I've heard. All your foot pedals in one amp and you can tweak them to your desire. Fender did it right.
