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Author
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Topic: Leo Fender Rant
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Chris Scruggs
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 18 October 2004 11:35 PM
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I think it's strange how Leo Fender would get an idea and run with it, applying it to all his instruments (steel guitars, guitars, and bass guitars) at around the same time. Here it what I've noticed:Telecaster's, Precision Bass and Dual Professionals/Customs- The original Fender Telecaster (Broadcaster) was released on 1950. This was the first full year for production of the fully realized Dual 8/Custom (trapezoid PU's, black arrowhead fretboards, etc.). Both are similar instruments (rugged, straight forward, squared of design) One year later (1951) the Precision Bass was released with a very strong Tele influence. Stratocasters and Stringmasters- The Stratocaster was released in 1954. The Stringmaster was released in 1953, and redesigned in 1955 (sandwiching the year of Strat release). Both are similar instruments (more pickups than guitarists were used to at the time, rounded, more "designed" body styles, more sonic options than their previous counterparts). Also in 1954, the Precision Bass was given body contours akin to a Stratocaster (in 1957 it was completely redesigned to resemble a Strat) Jazzmasters and early 400s/1000s- Both came out in 1958, and feature the Gibsonesque "soapbar" pickups. Jaguars, Jazz Bass, and later 400s/1000s- The Jaguar was released in 1962, as basically a shorter scaled Jazzmaster with a string mute, and skinny shielded pickups. That same year the 400/1000 recieved a shortened scale, skinny shielded pickups, and string mutes. 1962 was also the first official year for the Jazz Bass (it was originally made in 1960, and called the Deluxe Bass) Even stranger is that the Stringmaster essentially replaced the Dual 8/Custom as Fender's flagship steel guitar. The Stratocaster was originally supposed to be the new redesigned Telecaster, but the current Tele was so popular, the Strat was released as a seperte model. Eight years later, the Jaguar was supposed to replace the Jazzmaster, but was released as a seperate model (familiar?). The "Jaguar" changes made to the steels, however, replaced the earlier "Jazzmaster" pedal steel features. What does it say that one steel would completely replace the other, while older guitar designs were kept in production due to their popularity? Does this suggest that Fender's future was leaning heavily to standard guitar manufacturing, and away from steel guitar quite early on? Jody, if you would please check for facts (just in case the Tele really came out in 1929 and I nobody knew about it!)  , Chris P.S. I'm not trying to lecture anybody here. It's common knowledge what year this and that came out, and I'm no expert. I just wonder if any one has ever noticed this "Leo Fender creativity pattern" pattern before. |
Dan Sawyer
Member From: Studio City, California, USA
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posted 18 October 2004 11:42 PM
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Yeah, and it's really spooky how the names Stringmaster and Stratocaster rhyme  |
Chris Scruggs
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 12:39 AM
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Here's what I can come up with:BroadcASTER
TelecASTER
StratocASTER
StringmASTER
JazzmASTER
MusicmASTER
BandmASTER |
Loni Specter
Member From: West Hills, CA, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 01:01 AM
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Yea but remember it all started with the Broadcaster, but alas, twas not to be, as the Grentch already had a lock on that name for their evil drums. So Broadcaster became Nocaster for a year. |
Andy Zynda
Member From: Wisconsin
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posted 19 October 2004 06:17 AM
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There's also a StarcASTER.
Not Leo's design though, came out in the 70's. Probably one of the very few things that CBS did that stayed in line with Leo's original ideas and philosophy, was to keep the ASTER in the name.
-andy-
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Bill Hatcher
Member From: Atlanta Ga. USA
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posted 19 October 2004 06:20 AM
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I am sure that Jody Carver will set everything straight on this subject. I am a bit skeptical that the Strat was suppose to REPLACE the Tele or the Jag the Jazzmaster. I have read that the Strat was to be discontinued until Hendrix came along and changed that notion REAL fast.I am not skeptical about the fact that Leo Fender was a musical manufacturing genius. |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 09:01 AM
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I believe that the Starcaster was designed by Gene Fields, of GFI fame. |
Rick Collins
Member From: Claremont , CA USA
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posted 19 October 2004 09:03 AM
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Chris and All,That is a very interesting observation, Chris. I have the book on the history of Fender, Fender, The Inside Story, by Forrest White his general manager. Leo Fender was indeed a creative genius. When I was a boy, Fender was only about 25 miles away, down in Fullerton. I have been in the plant several times; but I did not realize at the time, what an historical impact was being made there on instruments and the music business. To me there is something mystical about creativity and discovery. Thomas Edison seemed to just live to invent something. Besides his commonly known inventions, light bulb, phonograph, movie projector, he held over 1,000 patents. Albert Einstein reduced previous knowledge of the mass/energy relationship to a simple equation E=mc2 (where Energy in ergs, equals mass in grams, times the speed of light squared "c"). Only one time in the history of the world does someone discover this for the first time. It seems some people never have an original idea in there lifetime; and a handfull of people can produce so much. And, at times it seems they do it effortlessly. It has to be a gift. We all have seen truly gifted steel guitarist. Rick [This message was edited by Rick Collins on 19 October 2004 at 09:05 AM.] |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 10:36 AM
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To get a real appreciation for the genius of Leo Fender all one has to do is sit down design and build a solid body electric guitar. It becomes real clear real quick what a keen sense of design and business Leo Fender had. Take a look at an issue of Vintage Guitar mag and all the "Fender-type" guitars there are.
The three guys working on the guitar feedback problem at around the same time, Leo Fender, Paul Bigsby, and Les Paul all came to same conclusion, that a solid body was the way to go. All were well aware of the earlier solid body lap guitars, especially Leo who saw them all the time in his repair shop. Leo's later guitars were very similar to the one Bigsby made in '47 and used by Merle Travis. Single cutaway, single pickup near the neck, single sided headstock with tuning machines all on one side and a shape that the later Stratocasters were very similar to. Les Paul had experimented with solid bodies in the forties. One was called the Log, a hunk of 4 x 4 with a guitar neck bolted on and two halfs of a guitar body, it worked but was totally impractical. Later his solid body design produced by Gibson was similar in ways to Leo's Telcaster in that it had a single cutaway and two pickups. But it looked more like a traditional acoustic guitar, both have become classics.
The genius of Leo Fender was that he designed his guitars to be built with readily available materials and on regular shop machines like standard routers and jigs for fast and easy construction. Like a four bolt neck that could be easily changed if warped or busted...very clearly thought out designs.
The guy was amazing. |
Chris Scruggs
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 10:52 AM
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Yes, Paul Bigsby made the Merle Travis guitar in 1947. Without a doubt, Bigsby had a huge impact on the history of the electric guitar. Inline tuners, solid body, a vibrato that actually stayed in tune, etc.Something else Bigsby did thet he rarely gets credit for, is building the first chambered electric guitar. I'm not sure about the Merle Travis guitar, but most every other Bigsby is a neck through body with hollow wings. The Gretsch Duo Jet didn't come out until 1955, and the Gibson ES-335 didn't arrive until 1958. Another Bigsby first! Paul Bigsby without a doubt gave Leo a few ideas, but I think without Leo Fender's "big picture" vision, Bigsby's ideas might of been limited to the few hundred custom built instruments he made (as apposed to the thousands of factory made pre CBS Fender guitars, steels, and amps still in perfect working order today). Chris P.S.
Paul Bigsby also built motorcycles. Alot of common Bigsby parts are actually motorcycle parts. For instance, the top half of a Bigsby volume pedal is a motorcycle floorboard. Funny, huh? |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 19 October 2004 01:27 PM
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Sort of reminds you of '50s cars, where every year the style would change, but all the models of a given brand would resemble each other.[This message was edited by David Doggett on 19 October 2004 at 01:30 PM.] |
Jeff Au Hoy
Member From: Honolulu, Hawai'i
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posted 19 October 2004 02:18 PM
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I think in the 80's, Fender should have changed all factory colors to fluorescents and all "-ASTER" names to "BLASTER".Okay well not really.[This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 19 October 2004 at 02:18 PM.] |
Chris Walke
Member From: St Charles, IL
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posted 19 October 2004 02:53 PM
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But lest we forget:"MasterBlaster run Bartertown."
- Tina Turner, from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome[This message was edited by Chris Walke on 19 October 2004 at 02:54 PM.] |
Ron Whitfield
Member From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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posted 20 October 2004 12:11 PM
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...or the one off, Plastercaster... |
chas smith
Member From: Encino, CA, USA
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posted 20 October 2004 11:10 PM
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quote:
Plastercaster
Yo, Cynthia, who was the "plater".... |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 21 October 2004 08:30 AM
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quote:
Plastercaster
Thats what Jason Lollar "dubbed" one of my many failures ... when tryin' to get a mold made for casting steels ...   ------------------
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
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