In 1949, Leo Fender released his first guitar. It was a solid-body electric guitar prototype without a truss rod in the neck and only one pickup. This was the prototype behind the Esquire and the Telecaster. Then in 1954, Fender released the guitar that changed the music world forever. Fender released the legendary Stratocaster, the most popular and easily recognizable guitar ever produced. When most people think about guitar, this is usually the instrument they picture. Seventy years later and it is still the most desirable guitar on the market!
Fender has continued to grow into the largest guitar manufacturer in the world! You can talk to someone who doesn’t play guitar and they would still know who Fender is. Fender has become the standard of guitar quality, and most companies will base their new guitars off existing Fender models. Just some of Fenders iconic guitars include the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Duo Sonic, and Jazz Master. Over the years, almost every famous guitarist has used a Fender at some point. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Johnny Marr, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Perry, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, John Frusciante, David Gilmour, and countless others. It would be impossible to list every Fender player because it is almost every single famous musician!
Although Fender became popular due to their electric guitars, they are also equally as famous in the world of bass guitar! In 1951, Leo Fender also created the first electric bass! The Precision bass is one of the most popular bass designs even to this day! Just nine years later Fender released the Jazz bass which has become just as popular as their Precision bass counterpart. Much like their electric guitars, Fender basses have become the gold standard, and many companies try to replicate them! Considering how incredible these instruments are, its no surprise that countless famous musicians use them! Once again it would be impossible to list every bassist that uses a Fender bass, but some of the most notable are Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, Flea, Jaco Pastorious, Paul McCartney, John Deacon, John Entwistle, Mark Hoppus, Duff McKagen, Marcus Miller, and many more!
Fender has also dominated the world of amps as well! They needed to make amplifiers that could hold up to their incredible library of instruments. Both their guitar amps, and their bass amps are some of the most common amps on the market! They are made for every scenario! If you want to practice in your basement, or rock out on stage, there is a Fender amp for you! The Frontman, Mustang, Champion, Rumble, and Blues JR. are all amazing for small venues and clubs! But if you want to get a little louder, the Princeton, Vibro Champ, and legendary Twin Reverb are all perfect for much larger venues!
For 70 years Fender has shaped the music scene and will continue to inspire generations of musicians because of their relentless passion to perfect their instruments and try out new things without sacrificing their past!