75 YEARS OF FENDER
1946: Founder Clarence “Leo” Fender opens a humble instrument manufacturing factory in Fullerton, California.
1950: Fender launches the nowiconic Esquire as the world’s first fully solid-bodied Spanish-style electric.
1951: The Telecaster is introduced as the first commercially mass-produced solid-bodied Spanish-style guitar. Fender invents the Precision Bass guitar, the first commercially mass-produced solidbodied electric bass guitar.
1952: The groundbreaking Bassman amplifier was unveiled, an amplifier dedicated to electric bass players.
1954: The Stratocaster is invented based on feedback from professional musicians, such as Bill Carson and Jimmy Bryant as well as Fender employee Freddie Tavares.
1955: Two student models are introduced: the dual-pickup, three-quarter size Duo-Sonic, and the single-pickup, three-quarter size Musicmaster guitar.
1957: The Bassman amplifier design evolves with advanced tone control, increased power and an array of four speakers.
1958: Fender introduces a new type of electric guitar in the, Jazzmaster aimed at bringing more jazz players to solidbodies. Unexpectedly, it takes hold in the all-new So-Cal genre, “surf”.
1960: Fender launches the Jazz Bass, which to this day remains Fender’s top-selling electric bass.
1962: Fender releases The Jaguar, offering several new features built around the classic Jazzmaster body, but had smaller pickups, different switching, and more chrome.
1963: A new breed of “clean” tone Fender amplifiers is released – the ’63 Twin Reverb and the Deluxe Reverb – along with the first Fender Acoustics.
1964: The Mustang guitar is introduced, bringing a vibratoequipped guitar to the student market..
1965: CBS acquires Fender. Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival, taking the stage with his Fender Stratocaster. 1969: George Harrison plays his iconic Rosewood Telecaster during The Beatles’ famed rooftop concert in London, England; Jimi Hendrix plays a gut-wrenching rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock; Led Zeppelin 1 is released with guitar parts played almost entirely on Jimmy Page’s famed, “Painted” Telecaster.
1970: The 1970s gave birth to the disco era with guitar players, like Chic’s
Nile Rodgers, using his Fender “Hitmaker” Stratocaster as his guitar of choice on a string of hits.
1973: The CBGB music venue opens, marking heyday of the New York City punk rock scene. It became home to American punk and new wave bands like the Ramones, Talking Heads, The Misfits and the Patti Smith Group – many of which played Fender guitars.
1982: Joe Strummer plays his bashed-up black Telecaster (later reissued by Fender) during The Clash’s iconic Live At Shea Stadium recording and performance for 50,000 fans.
1985: After twenty years of CBS ownership, William “Bill” Schultz, Fender’s then-president under CBS since 1981, buys
the Fender name, trademarks, and some inventory from CBS for $12.5 million. The Corona factory opens.
1987: The Fender Custom Shop is established. Dan Smith designs the American Standard Series and Fender opens its manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Mexico.
1991: Fender moves its corporate headquarters from Southern California to Scottsdale, Arizona. Meanwhile, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen
Spirit” changes the musical landscape with the iconic music video featuring singer Kurt Cobain thrashing a Fender Mustang.
1993: Radiohead releases its iconic anthem “Creep”, with central guitar parts recorded on a Fender Telecaster.
1997: Fender unveils the Passport P250 PA system, the first audio system to offer professional power levels and multiple input signal mixing in a lightweight, easily portable package.
2001: The Cyber-Twin amplifier is introduced. It’s an analog/digital wonder filled with pre-programmed amp models and effects.
2005: Fender reintroduces the California Series – acoustic guitars with classic Fender electric guitar appointments.
2008: Jay-Z headlines Glastonbury Festival, opening his performance playing “Wonderwall” on a Fender Stratocaster.
2011: Fender initiates an unprecedented partnership with Panasonic to create Fender Premium Audio systems. The first system launches in the 2011 Volkswagen Beetle.
2015: Fender Digital was born and would later introduce a suite a digital products and applications – such as Fender Tune, Fender Tone and Fender Play, in the years to come.
2016: Fender opened its Hollywood office. The Fender Mod Shop is established, allowing customers worldwise to customise their own guitars and basses online.
2017: Fender Digital releases Fender Play, a complete digital learning app for guitar, bass and ukulele. Flagship American Professional guitars are introduced along with Fender’s firstever Bluetooth-capable portable speakers. Fender Custom Shop celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2018: Fender also releases the American Original Series, the Player Series and signature ukuleles with Grace VanderWaal, the brand’s youngest signature artist.
2019: Fender releases American Ultra and the American Acoustasonic Telecaster, a revolutionary hybrid acoustic electric guitar. The brand reasserts itself in the guitar effects market with a full line of innovative pedals. Rising star H.E.R. makes her Grammy debut, playing an iconic acrylic Stratocaster on stage.
2020: Fender offers free Fender Play to nearly one million new players during the pandemic. Fender introduces the American Acoustasonic Stratocaster, American Professional II Series, as well as signature models with top artists like Billie Eilish, Shawn Mendes, and H.E.R. – the first black woman to receive her own model.
2021: Fender celebrates its 75th anniversary with commemorative electrics. Artist signature guitars for Chrissie Hynde, Ben Gibbard, Mike McCready, Dhani Harrison, Jason Isbell and more. Fender launches the Mustang Micro, a complete personal guitar amplifier featuring a wide selection of tones from the wildly popular Mustang series amps.