Fender 75 Years

Fender® guitars and amplifiers are icons in popular culture, their shapes and sounds instantly recognizable. Authoritatively written, lavishly illustrated—and limited to just 500 copies—Fender 75 Years: Deluxe Collector’s Edition is the ultimate visual celebration of the company and its legendary instruments.

This stunning collector’s edition is packaged in a Fender-inspired presentation case that also includes a custom envelope featuring five pieces of exclusive flat art from the Fender archives: a reproduction vinyl decal, a period press photo, and three 12×18-inch posters.

Originating in Leo Fender’s modest shop in Fullerton, California, Fender Musical Instrument Corporation went on to become the world’s preeminent name in musical instruments. Today, Fender’s guitars, amplifiers, and script logo are recognizable even to those with only a casual interest in music.

From Fender’s first instrument—a 1946 lap steel guitar—to Leo Fender’s groundbreaking early six-string guitar designs like the Esquire that set the standard for the electric guitar explosion to follow, author Dave Hunter traces Fender’s entire history to the present. All the innovations and landmark models are here, as well as legendary players who became synonymous with Fender instruments across musical genres.

In addition to the instantly recognizable Telecaster® and Stratocaster®, Hunter examines Fender’s legendary offset guitars like the Mustang®, Jazzmaster®, and Jaguar®, and lesser-known models such as the Marauder, Coronado, and Bronco™. The Jazz Bass®and Precision Bass® also feature, as do Fender’s acoustic guitars and workhorse amplifiers like the Bassman®, Twin Reverb®, and Princeton®, to name a few.

You’ll even get in-depth scoops on the relationships dozens of players have enjoyed with Fender: rock ’n’ roll pioneers like Hank Marvin and James Burton; classic-rock icons like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton; blues legends Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Buddy Guy; alt-rock gods J Mascis and Kurt Cobain; and newer guitar heroes like Courtney Barnett, beabadoobee, and H.E.R.…the list goes on. Hunter also explores the work of the award-winning Fender Custom Shop and the wares produced there.
 
Illustrated throughout with rare images from company archives, Fender 75 Years: Deluxe Collector’s Edition treats readers to rare behind-the-scenes views of the shop floor throughout the years, studio imagery of the guitars, rare period advertising, and performance images of Fender players.

This is the definitive look at the Fender’s first three-quarters of a century and a must-have for the shelf of any guitar enthusiast.

List of contents

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
California Dreamin’: Young Leo Fender and the Radio Store
CHAPTER 2
Wood, Wire & Steel: The Birth of Fender Electric Instrument Co.
CHAPTER 3
Twang Comes to Town: The Telecaster Arrives
CHAPTER 4
Radical Curves: The Stratocaster and the Precision Bass
CHAPTER 5
The Need for Tweed: Fender Amps of the Fifties
CHAPTER 6
All That Jazz: Offset Guitars and Upmarket Advertising
CHAPTER 7
Surf’s Up: Tolex Amps, Reverb, and Evolving Guitars
CHAPTER 8
Executive Order: The Mustang Debuts and CBS Comes Knocking
CHAPTER 9
Feelin’ Groovy: Pianos, Pedals, and Psychedelic Guitars
CHAPTER 10
Saved by the Bill: Declining Quality and a Management Buyout
CHAPTER 11
Hot Rod Rock: The Custom Shop and Relic Guitars
CHAPTER 12
Border Song: Fender Amps Roar Back
CHAPTER 13
Pro Shop: Vintage Reissues and Modern Masterpieces
CHAPTER 14
Future Perfect: The Next 75 Years
REFERENCES
IMAGE CREDITS
AUTHOR BIO, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX

About the author

Dave Hunter is an author, musician, and journalist. He is the author of several popular books about guitars, amps, and effects, including Star Guitars, The Fender Stratocaster, The Gibson Les Paul, and 365 Guitars, Amps & Effects You Must Play, as well as Fender: 75 Years. A regular contributor to Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines, he resides in Kittery, Maine.

Product details

• Authors: Dave Hunter
• Publisher: Motorbooks International
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 11.01.2022
• EAN: 9780760373835
• ISBN: 978-0-7603-7383-5
• No. of pages: 224
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Music > Music history