A Look Back On 75 Years Of Fender

IN 2021, THE BIG F CELEBRATES ITS BIGGEST MILESTONE YET – 75 YEARS AS THE WORLD’S LEADING CHAMPIONS OF ALL THINGS SIX-STRINGS (AND INSTRUMENTS OF OTHER CONFIGURATIONS, OF COURSE). TO CELEBRATE, THE FENDER TEAM WALK US THROUGH JUST A HANDFUL OF THEIR MOST NOTABLE MEMORIES, AND LOOK AHEAD TO A BRIGHT FUTURE WHERE MANY MORE WILL BE MADE.

Rock, pop, metal, blues – even hip-hop and dance; no matter the genre, Fender guitars have been a staple of music history’s landmark moments since the mid-‘40s. The company, born from a simple love of guitars from behind a radio and TV repair shop, started out dealing in handmade lap-steels. Before long, Clarence “Leo” Fender had a million-dollar empire on his hands, developing electric and acoustic models that not only defined the meteoric rise of rock ’n’ roll in the ‘50s, but have long since remained the go-to brand for beginners, hobbyists, full-time road dogs and legendary virtuosos alike.

2021 marks the Big F’s monumental 75th anniversary – and the celebrations don’t just involve reminiscing on fond memories. The company continues to innovate well into the 21st century, whether via ambitious new guitar types like the hybrid Acoustasonic, a fast-expanding pedal range that rivals even the best brands who solely do effects, or signature models with the world’s biggest and best string-splitting icons (and up-and-coming guitar heroes we’re certain to see rule stadiums in the near future).

The time-tested Fender Custom Shop also reigns supreme, allowing players of all inklings to make their wildest dreams a playable reality. And outside the realm of hardware, Fender lead the scene in making the guitar more accessible with Fender

Play, an online service offering countless lessons to potential players of all skillsets and styles.

While we patiently await Fender’s next big game-changing innovation (which, if the rumours ring true, seems poised to come sooner than you might expect), let’s take a look back on some of the company’s biggest milestones thus far…