Fender

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), commonly referred to simply as Fender, is an American manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers. It is known for its solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars, such as the Stratocaster (also known as the "Strat"), Telecaster (also known as the "Tele"), Precision Bass, and the Jazz Bass. Its headquarters are in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company, previously named the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, was founded in Fullerton, California, by Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender in 1946.

The company is a privately held corporation with Andy Mooney serving as the Chief Executive Officer. The company filed for an initial public offering in March 2012, but this was withdrawn five months later. In addition to its Scottsdale headquarters, Fender has manufacturing facilities in Corona, California (US) and Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico).

The company also makes and / or distributes acoustic guitars, electric basses, mandolins, banjos, and electric violins, as well as guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, and PA (public address) equipment. Other Fender brands include Squier (entry level/budget), Jackson, Charvel, Gretsch guitars and collaborated with Eddie Van Halen to make the EVH guitars and amplifiers.

Fender Trivia

The company created by Leo Fender was purchased by CBS in 1965 for $13 million, which was around $2 million more than CBS payed for the New York Yankees just two years before.

On July 25, 1965, five days after releasing "Like a Rolling Stone," a Stratocaster-strumming Bob Dylan showcased his new electrified sound and his new song at the Newport Folk Festival-to the vocal disapproval of the audience. Dylan's Newport Strat was auctioned for $965,000 in 2013.

The Fender Telecaster, first released by Leo Fender as the Esquire in the 1950s in California, has been in constant production for over 60 years.

The Fender Stratocaster is still the most popular and copied electric guitar in the world.

Lap guitars were originally developed by Hawaiian musicians and only much later became fixtures of country-western music.

Leo Fender opened Fender Radio and Record shop after losing his accounting job in the Great Depression. That shop went on to become Fender Guitars.

Jeff Beck, Bruce Sptrinsteen, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton and Yngwie Malmsteen all use(d) Fenders as their primary guitar.