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History
of Fender
For more than four
decades, Fender electric guitars and amplifiers have had a tremendous influence
on the way the world composes, plays and listens to music. While guitarists in
the early part of this century played country, folk or blues on acoustic
guitars, in the 1930's, jazz musicians experimented with amplifying traditional
hollow-body guitars so they could play with other instruments at the same sound
level. One problem was that the speakers and pickups tended to generate
feedback when played at a high level.
In the 1940's, a California inventor named Leo Fender had made some custom
guitars and amplifiers in his radio shop. Eventually, Leo would create the
world's very first instrument amplifiers with built-in tone controls. More
importantly, though, was Leo's vision of better guitar. With his knowledge of
existing technologies, he knew he could improve on contemporary amplified
hollow-body instruments . . . and improve upon them, he did. In 1951, he
introduced the Broadcaster, the prototype solid-body guitar that would
eventually become the legendary Telecaster®. The Tele®, as it became
affectionately known, was the first solid-body electric Spanish-style guitar
ever to go into commercial production. Soon to follow the Tele were the
revolutionary Precision Bass® guitar in 1951, and the Stratocaster® in 1954.
In 1965, because of poor health, Leo Fender sold his company to corporate giant
CBS. Over the next two decades, Fender Musical Instruments experienced some
tremendous growth. But as time wore on, CBS's lack of commitment and real
understanding of music and musicians was becoming apparent.
In 1981, CBS recruited a new management team to "re-invent" Fender. William
Schultz was soon named President, and was supported by associates William
Mendello and Kurt Hemrich. They had developed a five-year business plan based
on the idea of increasing Fender's presence in the marketplace by dramatically
improving quality and making a significant commitment to research and
development. This association continued until CBS decided to divest itself from
the non-broadcast media business.
So, in 1985, a group of employees and investors led by William Schultz
purchased the company from CBS. This sale put Fender in the hands of a small
group of musically dedicated people who have committed their lives to creating
the world's best guitars and amplifiers.
The team had to start from scratch - there were no buildings or machines
included in the deal. They owned only the name, the patents, and the parts that
were left over in stock. Supported by a core group of loyal employees, dealers
and suppliers - some of whom had been with the company since Leo Fender began
making guitars and amplifiers - Bill Schultz and his colleagues set out to
re-build an American icon.
Initially, Fender imported their guitars from offshore manufacturers who had
proven their ability to produce affordable, viable instruments. But the quest
for even more control over quality soon led to the construction of Fender's
flagship domestic factory in Corona, California. Eventually, Fender would build
a second modern manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico,
with the goal of being able to build quality instruments and offer them at more
budget-oriented prices.
In 1987, Fender acquired Sunn, a storied line of amplifiers whose past
endorsees have included The Who, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. This
jump-started Fender's re-entry into the amplifier business by making accessible
Sunn's manufacturing facilities in Lake Oswego, Oregon. But this was still an
early stage of the "new" Fender, so Schultz put the Sunn line of amps on the
shelf until the Fender name had been re-established as the world's leading
amplifier.
Fender has always recognized the importance of an open-door policy for the
professional musician. When artists first started requesting specific features
for their guitars, they were accommodated on an individual basis. These
relationships led to the formalizing of Fender's custom operation in 1987.
Today, the world's greatest guitarists work with the renowned Fender Custom
Shop in Corona, California, to create their dream instruments. Recently, Fender
has added amplifiers to the list of custom-made instruments that can be
produced at the Custom Shop in Corona.
In 1991, Fender moved its corporate headquarters from Corona to Scottsdale,
Arizona. From here, administration, marketing, advertising, sales and export
teams oversee the operations of Fender's satellite facilities around the world,
which now include the locations in the United States (California, Tennessee,
New York and Rhode Island), as well as international operations in: Ensenada,
Baja California, Mexico London, England Dusseldorf, Germany Suresnes,
France Brussels Japan Korea and China.
Also brought to Scottsdale at this time was Fender's Amplifier and Pro Audio
Research & Development. With guitar amplifiers, Fender sets the standard
for sound and value. Its R & D staff has pioneered many technological
advancements in developing amplifiers that meet the needs of the performing
musician. In late 1992, the Amp Custom Shop was opened in Scottsdale, Arizona,
to offer custom and limited editions of professional amplifiers for working
musicians.
Recognizing that country music and acoustic guitars were increasing in
popularity, Fender expanded upon its acoustic guitar line. In addition to
working with respected manufacturers in Japan, Korea and China to produce
quality acoustic guitars, the company has become the exclusive North American
distributor of the prestigious Manuel Rodriguez line of nylon-stringed guitars,
which have been hand-crafted in Spain by the Rodriguez family since 1905. These
additions have put the company in an excellent position for growth within the
acoustic guitar market.
Founded in a loft in New York City in 1952, Guild Guitar Company continues to
be known for its quality instruments and exceptional value. Faced with internal
financial troubles in the early 1990's, Guild management had decided to sell
the company. Fender acquired Guild in 1995, signaling a return to ownership by
a group of people dedicated to producing the finest value in American-made
acoustic and electric guitars. Today, Guilds are still being produced at its
historic, 60,000 square-foot facility in Westerly, Rhode Island.
1998 would prove to be a banner year for Fender and its subsidiaries. With
Fender amplifiers once again enjoying a very strong presence in the market
place, it was now time to dust off the Sunn line of amps. R&D had spent the
previous three years studying the original Sunn products and developing
prototype models that faithfully replicated the trademark Sunn sound. The
timing was right, and Fender introduced the new Sunn line of amplifiers to an
immediate industry acclaim.
And for Guild, 1998 brought the expansion of its Custom Shop in Nashville,
Tennessee. First opened in 1996, the new Guild Custom Shop boasts an 8,000
square-foot , climate controlled facility near downtown Nashville that allows a
great deal of extra space for production and storage of raw materials.
Guild had also introduced DeArmond guitars in 1998. Fender had purchased the
DeArmond brand of musical instrument pickups in 1997, and then combined the
company with Guild to produce an alternative line of high quality, affordable
guitars and basses that are modeled after Guild designs. The guitars themselves
are built and assembled in Korea before being sent back to Corona, where they
are fitted with American-made DeArmond pickups. Following their successful test
runs in European and Asian markets, DeArmond guitars were introduced to
American and Canadian consumers and received instant acclaim as an exceptional
value.
But the biggest event for Fender in 1998 was the opening of its new
state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Corona. The 177,000 square-foot
facility was built on a nineteen acre site, with over half of that space set
aside for future growth, and is the culmination of a vision that at times
seemed almost impossible. The entire line of American-made Fender guitars are
built at the Corona factory, which is capable of making over 350 guitars each
day. In addition, the Corona facility utilizes the innovative UVOXÔ system,
which combines ultraviolet light, a special scrubber process, and a carbon bed
absorption system to help ensure that the air emitted from the factory is 95%
clean. The new factory is not only a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,
but a tribute to how a group of dedicated individuals, when they set their
minds to it, can create the "impossible".
The Fender Custom Shop also shares space at the new facility. Over fifty
artisans now work at the Custom Shop, offering the world's finest custom made
instruments to professional musicians, as well as a complete line of
hand-crafted replications of classic Fender models. And to complete the Corona
operation, the amplifier Custom Shop was brought back from Scottsdale and
folded into the guitar Custom Shop.
Simultaneously, a new 70,000 square-foot addition was completed at the Ensenada
facility. The extra space was added to bring amplifier production, aside from
those produced at the Custom Shop, into one main facility.
During the past decade, Fender has grown dramatically in sales and stature. The
company manufactures and distributes virtually everything that a guitarist
needs to perform, from the guitar, strings and accessories, to the pro audio
products including amplifiers and mixing boards. Today, under Schultz's
direction, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is a world leader in the
manufacturing and distribution of electric guitars and amplifiers.
Fender became the world leader by defining the sounds we hear, meeting the
needs of musicians, creating quality products and backing them up with service
and stability. As Fender Musical Instruments Corporation forges through the
1990's and into the 21st century, its management team will maintain Fender's
number-one status through a winning combination of business acumen and a love
of music.
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