Fender History
Leo Fender started the Fender Musical Instrument Company in Fullerton CA, in 1946. Leo Fender was an accomplished electronics technician. He began by making amplifiers and lap steel guitars. The lap steel guitars were made using a pick up that he patented. His first success was with his Tweed Amps. The Tweed amps were cloth covered and ranged from 3 to 75 watts. Around 1950 Leo Fender made about 50 electric Spanish guitars that were one pick up Telecaster style guitars. These guitars were called Esquires. They had no truss rod, and no skunk stripe on the back of the neck. In 1951 he introduced the Broadcaster, a two pick up guitar that eventually became known as the Telecaster. The Broadcaster and the Telecaster both had maple necks. Leo Fender invented and pioneered the electric bass guitar that revolutionized music. 1954 he introduced the Fender Stratocaster with contoured body, three pick ups and built in vibrato. The Stratocaster was the most popular and influential guitar ever and remains so today. In 1965 Leo Fender sold the company to CBS. For the next 20 years Fender grew into a huge company, but…quality suffered because of it. In 1985 Fender was sold and the new focus of the company was to build the finest guitars and amplifiers in the world. They carry on that tradition today.
Fender Stratocaster Colors
Fiesta Red 1958-1969
Olympic White 1958-1980
Gold Metallic 1958-1959
Lake Placid Blue Metallic 1958-1959
Dakota Red 1958-1969
Black 1958-1984
Daphne Blue 1960-1965
Shoreline Gold Metallic 1959-1965
Burgundy Mist Metallic 1960-1965
Foam Green 1960-1969
Inca Silver Metallic 1960-1965
Shell Pink 1960-1963
Sherwood Green Metallic 1960-1965
Sonic Blue 1960-1972
Surf Green 1960-1965
Candy Apple Red Metallic 1963-1973
Blue Ice Metallic 1965-1969
Charcoal Frost Metallic 1965-1969
Firemist Silver Metallic 1965-1971
Firemist Gold Metallic 1965-1771
Ocean Turquoise Metallic 1965-1971
Teal Green Metallic 1965-1969
Blond April 1970-1982
Natural 1972-1982