Leo Fender's Impact On The World
An Idea Turned Into A Legacy
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was born August 10, 1909 in Fullerton,CA. He spent most of his childhood in his Uncle's shop, where he was fascinated at what his Uncle can make out of scratch (Ex:Radios).
The Early Years Of Fender
During The Great Depression (1938), after losing several accounting jobs in San Louis Obisbo, Leo Fender moved back to Fullerton with his wife and he borrowed $600 to start the first companies he would found. Fender Radio Service. The company specialized in P.A. Systems, Amps, and Steel Guitars.
The First Amps Made By Fender
Before The Creations
Gibson ES-150
The Gibson ES-150 was said to be the first successfully-commertially Spanish-Style electric guitar.
Double Bass
Before the Fender Precision Bass, was the Double Bass. The Double Bass was used in Jazz, Blues, rarely in Classic Music, and Orchestra. The way it was used to be amplified was through a microphone and loud speakers
The First Three Guitars Leo Fender Has Made
Fender Telecaster (Esquire)
While Leo was making huge advances to amp technology, guitar amplification was still limited to acoustics with pick-ups added to them. It was around this time that Leo Fender made designs for his first solid body guitar (Note:Leo Fender was NOT the individual who invented the solid body guitar. The inventor is still unknown) The Fender Esquire was released in 1950. It was carefully designed to be easily amplified with a high quality of sound. This set it apart from other guitars at the time.
Fender Precision Bass
Leo's next innovation would be on the bass. At this point in time, bass amplification would be limited to the Double Bass. They were large instruments that broke easily, and were difficult to amplify. In 1951, Leo Fender introduced the Precision Bass, along with the Basement Amp. Although it was used mostly for Jazz and big bands, the Precision Bass would go on to make it's big impact on music (Ex:Pop, Blues, Rock, etc.)
Fender Stratocaster
Since the release of the Telecaster, despite it's popularity, Fender did get some complaints about it's design. Some guitarists didn't like the Trademark "Twangy" sound of the Telecaster, and also complained about the sharp edges digging into their sides while playing for long periods of time. With these complaints in mind, Leo Fender began his designs for the Stratocaster. The Fender Stratocaster was released in 1954, and was the first guitar to be mass produced.
The Impact He Has Made
The thing about Leo Fender, is that he never stopped innovating. And that's what Fender has been about for many years. The instruments that he made show emotion and personality. In a way, a Fender Stratocaster,Telecaster, Jazz Bass, Jaguar, and Precision Bass, can help bring out your personality. Leo Fender continued creating guitars until his death on March 21, 1991. Even after his death, his legacy continued into more guitars and amps.
Interesting Facts
1.The Telecaster had two other names before "Telecaster". First was the "Esquire", then the "Broadcaster".
2.In 1995, Keith Richard asked Fender Custom Shop to build him a guitar that he could use to tour with The Rolling Stones. When he received it, he complained about it be too "Shiny" and "New". So he said "Bash 'em up a bit!", and The Fender Relic Series was born.
Sources
Leo Fender:Actions That Led to a Legacy in Music. Perf. Leo Fender.Youtube. Moonerstephanie, 4 May 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpE_QYQ7LVs>.
Documentary About Fender. Youtube. PromenadeMusicTV, 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ZfxvuZZ1Y>.
Top Ten Fender Stratocaster Facts You Probably Didn't Know. Perf. Mark.Youtube. Guitar Nerds, 5 July 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcUid9JdiYE>.