{{Short description|American musical instrument manufacturer}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{coord|33.6460322|-111.899058|display=title}} {{Infobox company | name = Fender Musical Instruments Corporation | former_name = Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company | logo = Fender guitars logo.svg | logo_size = | type = [[Privately held company|Private]] | industry = [[Musical instrument]]s | founded = {{Start date and age|1946}} in [[Fullerton, California]], U.S. | founder = [[Leo Fender|Clarence Leonidas Fender]] | hq_location_city = [[Los Angeles]], California | hq_location_country = U.S. | origins = | | key_people = {{plainlist| Edward "Bud" Cole (CEO)<ref name="GW Cole CEO">{{cite web |last=Astley-Brown |first=Michael |title="2026 is going to be in the record books as one of the most exciting years for Fender": Fender has announced its new CEO – what does it mean for the future of the iconic guitar brand? We met Edward 'Bud' Cole to find out |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/new-fender-ceo-edward-bud-cole-interview |website=Guitar World |access-date=8 January 2026}}</ref><br /> Justin Norvell (President, Americas)<br /> Aarash Darroodi (CLO) }} | area_served = Worldwide | products = {{plainlist| * '''Current''': [[Electric guitar|Electric]], [[steel-string acoustic guitar|acoustic]], & [[classical guitar|classical]] guitars, [[Acoustic bass guitar|acoustic]] and [[bass guitar|electric]] basses, [[ukulele]]s, [[guitar amplifier|amplifiers]], [[effects unit]]s<ref>[https://www.falymusic.com/donde-comprar/catalogo-fender-2019/ Fender, 2019 Catalog]</ref><ref>[https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/2018-namm-sneak-peek 2018 Fender Gear]</ref> }} | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | parent = | brands = {{plainlist| * [[Bigsby Electric Guitars|Bigsby]]<ref>[https://www.bigsby.com/2019/01/13/fender-musical-instruments-corporation-announces-acquisition-of-bigsby/ FENDER® MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF BIGSBY®], Scottdale, ARIZ, Jan 13, 2019</ref> * [[Charvel]] * EVH * [[Gretsch]] * [[Jackson Guitars|Jackson]] * [[PreSonus]] * [[Squier]] }} | divisions = {{plainlist| *[[Fender Custom Shop|Custom Shop]]}} | owner = [[Servco Pacific]] | website = {{URL|https://www.fender.com/|fender.com}} | footnotes = }} The '''Fender Musical Instruments Corporation''' ('''FMIC''', or simply '''Fender''') is an American [[manufacturing company|manufacturer]] of [[musical instrument]]s best known for its role in popularizing solid-body [[electric guitar]]s and [[electric bass|basses]] and their associated [[guitar amplifier|amplifiers]].
[[Leo Fender|Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender]] founded his namesake company in [[Fullerton, California]] in 1946 after parting ways with former business partner [[Doc Kauffman]] to pursue designing and manufacturing electric guitars and amplifiers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brosnac |first=Donald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvRhKfXfiqkC&pg=PA |title=Guitars Made by the Fender Company |date=1986 |publisher=Bold Strummer |isbn=978-0-933224-06-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Dickson |first1=Jamie |last2=Brakespublished |first2=Rod |date=2022-09-23 |title=The surprising history of the Fender Telecaster |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-surprising-history-of-the-fender-telecaster |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}</ref> Fender had early successes with amps like the [[Fender Deluxe|Deluxe]] and [[Fender Princeton|Princeton]], which were followed by the industry's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar and bass, the [[Telecaster]] and [[Precision Bass]], respectively. The influential [[Stratocaster]] followed, as did the [[Jazzmaster]] and [[Fender Jaguar|Jaguar]] guitars and [[Fender Jazz Bass|Jazz Bass]]. Other notable amplifiers released by Fender include the [[Fender Bassman|Bassman]], [[Fender Twin|Twin]], and [[Fender Vibrasonic|Vibrasonic]]. Leo Fender sold his company in 1965 and it has since changed ownership multiple times. Many influential guitarists and bassists are closely associated with Fender's instruments, including [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[David Gilmour]], [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]], and [[Kurt Cobain]].
Fender also manufactures [[acoustic guitar|acoustic]] and [[classical guitar]]s, as well as [[ukuleles]], and owns a number of subsidiary companies like [[Squier]], [[Charvel]], [[Gretsch]], and [[Jackson Guitars|Jackson]].
==History== [[File:FGF museum 01. Leo and early models.jpg|thumb|left|Leo Fender and several of his early guitar models at the Fender Guitar Factory Museum.]]
===Origins=== The company began as "Fender's Radio Service" in late 1938, in [[Fullerton, California]].<ref name="Xiao">{{cite web |last1=Xiao |first1=Evigan |title=Fender's ownership history in a nutshell |url=https://guitar.com/features/fender-ownership-history/ |website=guitar.com |publisher=Guitar Magazine |access-date=3 July 2025}}</ref> As a qualified [[electronics technician]], Leo Fender had repaired radios, phonographs, home audio amplifiers, public address systems and musical [[instrument amplifier]]s. He became intrigued by design flaws in contemporary musical instrument amplifiers and began building amplifiers based on his own designs or modifications to existing designs.<ref name="Xiao"/>
By the early 1940s, Leo Fender had entered into a partnership with [[Doc Kauffman|Clayton Orr "Doc" Kauffman]], and they formed the [[K&F Manufacturing Corporation|K & F Manufacturing Corp]] to design, manufacture, and market [[electric instrument]]s and amplifiers.<ref name="Xiao"/> Doc Kauffman's experience in the industry had great value for Leo. During the 1930's Doc Kauffman had assisted [[George Beauchamp]] & [[Rickenbacker]] in developing the Lap Steel A-22 Frying Pan, as well the [[Electro-Spanish Ken Roberts]] the first full-scale electric guitar. A scale length, which Fender would continue forth. Production began in 1945 with Fender's first stringed instrument design, a Hawaiian [[lap steel]] guitar encompassed with a patented pickup and accompanying amplifier. By the end of the year, Fender became convinced that manufacturing was more profitable than repair and decided to concentrate on that business instead. Kauffman remained unconvinced, and he and Fender amicably parted ways in 1946. Fender then renamed the company the "Fender Electric Instrument Company".<ref name="Xiao"/>
The brand's first official guitar design came in spring of 1950 with the release of the [[Fender Esquire|Esquire]], which came with both single- and double-[[Pickup (music technology)|pickup]] options. However, as the Esquire's one-piece maple neck proved susceptible to bowing in high humidity, a [[truss rod]] was added and the model was renamed the "Broadcaster", and later the "[[Fender Telecaster|Telecaster]]" after a trademark dispute with [[Gretsch]].<ref name="Xiao"/> The Telecaster's bolted-on neck allowed for the instrument's body and neck to be milled and finished separately, and for the final assembling to be done quickly and cheaply by unskilled workers.{{cn|date=July 2025}} The "Tele" was the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.<ref name="broadcasterguitar">{{Cite web |year=2008 |title=Broadcaster Guitar Development |url=http://original.britannica.com/eb/topic-204192/Fender-Telecaster |access-date=2008-08-31 |publisher=[[Britannica]]}}</ref> Following the success of the Telecaster, Fender debuted the world's first [[bass guitar|electric bass]], the [[Precision Bass]], in 1951, alongside the first-ever bass amp, the [[Fender Bassman|Bassman]].<ref name="Xiao"/>
[[File:Miss_Daisy_1_light.jpg|thumb|The [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] was released in 1954]] In August 1954, Fender unveiled the [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] electric guitar. The "now-iconic" Strat differed significantly from the Telecaster's design in several ways, such as using three pickups, a spring-tension vibrato bridge, and a contoured body shape.<ref name="Xiao"/> Following the Stratocaster's release, the Precision Bass received a major makeover, aligning its design more with the Stratocaster, as opposed to the Telecaster. In 1959, Fender released the [[Fender Jazzmaster|Jazzmaster]] guitar.<ref name="Xiao"/> Like the Stratocaster before it, the Jazzmaster was a radical departure from previous guitar designs, with an offset body, new vibrato system, and innovative electronics that were designed to (unsuccessfully) capture the [[Jazz]] guitar market. The [[Fender Jazz Bass|Jazz Bass]] followed in 1960, with the [[Fender Jaguar|Jaguar]] released in 1962 and [[Fender Mustang|Mustang]] in 1964, completing Fender's "classic" instrument lineup.<ref name="Xiao"/> Fender began producing acoustic guitars in 1964, as well.<ref name="Xiao"/>
=== Sale to CBS === In January 1965, Leo Fender sold his companies to the Columbia Records Distribution Corporation,<ref name="Xiao"/> a subsidiary of the Columbia Broadcasting System ([[CBS]]), for $13 million (${{format price|{{inflation|US|13000000|1965}}}} in {{inflation year|US}} adjusted for inflation).<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 5, 1965 |title=CBS Acquires Guitar Concern. Purchases Fender Co. for $13 Million in Cash Deal |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/01/05/archives/cbs-acquires-guitar-concern-purchases-fender-co-for-13-million-in.html |url-status=live |access-date=2012-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524180515/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50F1EFF355C147A93C7A9178AD85F418685F9 |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |quote=The Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., which entered the sports field by acquiring the New York Yankees, is further diversifying into the guitar and amplifier manufacturing business.}}</ref><ref name="DayBurns36">{{Cite book |last=Day |first=Paul |title=The Burns Book |publisher=Bold Strummer |year=1979 |page=36 |isbn=978-0933224094}}</ref> As Fender later explained, "In 1964 Leo found himself with 17 buildings, about 600 employees, and a back order of $9 million in guitars and amps. The overwhelming demands of the company coupled with his often debilitating illness forced him to sell the company to CBS in 1965."<ref>"The Fender Story" (4-page advertisement). Musician, October 1985, 21-24.</ref> Fender's "CBS-era" saw several notable changes implemented, such as a redesigned oversized [[headstock]] (1965), bound fretboards with block inlays (1966), and a three-bolt neck joint (1971).<ref name="Xiao"/>
The company introduced new instrument and amplifier designs during this time, as well. The [[Fender Starcaster|Starcaster]], for one, was unusual because of its shallow semi-hollow body design that still retained the traditional Fender bolt-on neck with a new headstock design. The Starcaster also incorporated a new [[Humbucker|humbucking]] pickup by [[P.A.F.]] designer [[Seth Lover]], the [[Fender Wide Range|Wide Range]] pickup. This pickup was installed in three new incarnations of the Telecaster: the [[Fender Telecaster Custom|Telecaster Custom]], the [[Fender Telecaster Deluxe|Telecaster Deluxe]], and the [[Fender Telecaster Thinline|Telecaster Thinline]].<ref name="Xiao"/>
In 1966, Fender opened a much a larger facility at 1300 S. Valencia Drive adjacent to the existing factory at 500 South Raymond Avenue.<ref name="Stratocaster 2020. pg 26">''Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster: The Story of the World's Most Iconic Guitars'' by Dave Hunter. Voyageur Press 2020. pg 26</ref> Guitar and amplifier production, which had increased 30% in CBS's first year, soon increased another 45%.<ref name="Stratocaster 2020. pg 26"/>
Despite the new models and technology, Fender's popularity waned among players due to a perceived decline in quality with CBS' takeover, while so-called "pre-CBS" vintage instruments became highly collectible.<ref name="Xiao"/> To try and restore the brand's reputation, CBS brought in three new executives in 1981: John McLaren, [[Bill Schultz (Fender)|Bill Schultz]], and Dan Smith, who had previously worked for [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha Musical Instruments]]. To address quality control issues, the Fender Fullerton plant was shut down for a short time in order to revamp the manufacturing process. Fender was also struggling to fight against lower cost copycat guitars on the market. Production was moved to Japan. On March 11, 1982, Fender Japan Ltd. was founded.<ref name="reverb.com">{{Cite web |date=2016-02-01 |title=A Brief History of Squier: Origins of Fender MIJ, Budget Superstrats & More |url=https://reverb.com/uk/news/a-brief-history-of-squier-and-the-origins-of-fender-mij |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=reverb.com |language=en}}</ref>
After selling his namesake company, Leo Fender founded [[Music Man (company)|Music Man]] in 1975, and [[G&L Musical Instruments]] in 1979, both of which manufacture electric guitars and basses based on his earlier designs.
===After CBS=== In 1985, Bill Schultz and a group of investors—including company employees and external companies like Servco Pacific Capitol—purchased Fender from CBS for $12.5 million and renamed it "Fender Musical Instruments Corporation" (FMIC). However, the sale did not include many of the company's patents or the old Fullerton factory, leading to the cessation of U.S. operations that same year.<ref name="Xiao"/> Production of Fender products instead moved to Japan, but their import strategy became untenable in 1987 when the value of the [[Japanese yen]] doubled. Fender reintroduced U.S. production in 1987 with the ''American Standard'' series via their new [[Corona, California]]-based [[Fender Custom Shop|Custom Shop]], which would also release the brand's first artist signature series models, both Stratocasters, for [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Yngwie Malmsteen]] a year later.<ref name="Xiao"/>
In 1987, Fender established a manufacturing facility in [[Ensenada, Baja California]], [[Mexico]], and by 1990 Fender and their Japanese partners [[FujiGen]] had started manufacturing in the city. In 1991, FMIC moved its corporate headquarters from its Corona location to [[Scottsdale, Arizona]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-06-fi-466-story.html |url-access=subscription |first1=Michael |last1=Flagg |title=Fender Moving Headquarters to Arizona |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=2025-03-26 |date=1991-06-06}}</ref> and the Ensenada plant took over as Fender's primary export line.<ref name="Xiao"/> The plant was rebuilt in 1994 after a fire.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bacon |first1=Tony |title=35 years of Fender Mexico: a timeline |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/35-years-fender-mexico |website=Guitar World |date=July 18, 2022 |publisher=Future Publishing Ltd |access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref> Ownership changed in December 2001, when private equity firm [[Weston Presidio]] bought a controlling stake in Fender for $57.8 million.<ref name="Xiao"/> Weston Presidio sought an [[initial public offering]] in 2012, but the IPO was withdrawn to poor market conditions. Longtime investor Servco instead bought out Weston Presidio, with [[TPG Growth]] as an equal partner. Fender began new measures to attract customers, including implementing direct-to-consumer sales in 2015; the introduction of a digital learning platform, Fender Play, and a practice app, Fender Songs; and creating an [[eCommerce]] store in China to capitalize on the country's growing music scene. These initiatives resulted in a 300% increase in revenue. In 2020, Servco bought out TPG Growth's stake, making them Fender's majority owner.<ref name="Xiao"/>
In 2025, Fender's headquarters will move to [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.musicincmag.com/news/detail/fender-to-open-new-corporate-co-headquarters-in-phoenix-in-2025 |title=Fender to Open New Corporate Co-Headquarters in Phoenix in 2025 |date=2024-03-19 |website=Music Inc |accessdate=2025-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc15.com/news/business/fender-could-hire-100-at-new-co-headquarters-in-reimagined-north-phoenix-mall |title=Fender could hire 100 at new co-headquarters in reimagined North Phoenix mall |first1=Audrey |last1=Jensen |date=2023-11-14 |website=[[KNXV-TV]] |accessdate=2025-03-26}}</ref>
{{main article|Fender Stratocaster#Litigation}}
In a decision dated December 2025,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nrwe.justiz.nrw.de/lgs/duesseldorf/lg_duesseldorf/j2025/14c_O_64_25_Vers__umnisurteil_20251222.html|title=Landgericht Düsseldorf, 14c O 64/25|lang=de|accessdate=2026-05-19|website=Rechtsprechungsdatenbank Nordrhein-Westfalen}}</ref> FMIC won a [[default judgment]] in a German copyright infringement case against a Chinese guitar manufacturer, with the Düsseldorf Regional Court finding that the Stratocaster body shape was protected by copyright.<ref name="Owen2026">{{cite news|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/fender-cease-and-desist-lsl-instruments|title=Fender escalates legal campaign against S-style guitars, issues first cease and desist to US builder|accessdate=2026-05-19|date=2026-05-18|author=Matt Owen|website=[[Guitar World]]}}</ref><ref name="musicradar-cease-and-desists">{{cite news|url=https://www.musicradar.com/guitars/fender-issues-cease-and-desist-over-s-style-guitars|title=Fender issues cease and desist letter to US builder|website=[[MusicRadar]]|accessdate=2026-05-23|date=2026-05-19|author=Jonathan Horsley}}</ref> In May 2026, FMIC began sending [[cease and desist]] letters to several other manufacturers of Stratocaster-style guitars selling their products in the European Union, citing the ruling, with demands including the recall and destruction of all such guitars.<ref name="Owen2026"/><ref name="musicradar-cease-and-desists"/> This sparked a backlash among the guitar community, with musician [[Tim Pierce]] describing it as "brand suicide".<ref name="musicradar-cease-and-desists"/> Fender has argued the ruling protects "fair competition".<ref name="musicradar-cease-and-desists"/> One confirmed recipient of a cease-and-desist was [[PRS Guitars]], manufacturer of the popular [[PRS Silver Sky]], a Stratocaster-style guitar that has several notable differences from Fender designs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/prs-fender-cease-and-desist|title=PRS has been hit by a cease-and-desist from Fender|date=2026-05-28|accessdate=2026-05-28|author=Matt Owen|website=[[Guitar World]]}}</ref> Previously, in 2009, Fender had lost a case attempting to assert ''trademark'' protection on the Stratocaster body shape in the United States, with a judge noting that this body shape "is so common that it is depicted as a generic electric guitar […] in the 1987 edition of Random House Dictionary of the English Language".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/fender-loses-guitar-copyright-case-201886|website=[[MusicRadar]]|title=Fender loses guitar copyright [sic] case|accessdate=2026-05-20|date=2009-03-31|author=Michael Leonard}}<!-- [sic] because the case is not about copyright, it is about a trademark --></ref>
== Players == {{Mainarticle|List of Stratocaster players|List of Telecaster players}}
=== Early players === [[File:Poster of B.B. King and Bill Harvey (saxophonist) and Orchestra, featuring photos of B.B. King holding his guitar and Evelyn Young playing saxaphone. - 8049g557h files 92a57ed3-1d17-4a52-bda9-53dd48145101.jpg|thumb|right|A promotional poster featuring B.B. King with a Fender Esquire.]] Fender's products, particularly its electric guitars, have been prominently associated with numerous notable players, often forming a key part of their tones and styles, and being used during significant moments in popular music history. While often associated with the impending rise of [[rock and roll]], Fender's initial models, the Esquire and Telecaster, gained initial popularity in the early 1950s with the [[Western swing]] artists that had recently replaced [[big band]]s in popularity.<ref name="OwensTele">{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Jeff |title=The One That Started It All: A Telecaster History |url=https://www.fender.com/articles/behind-the-scenes/the-one-that-started-it-all-a-telecaster-history |website=fender.com |publisher=Fender |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref> Unlike older, East Coast-based manufacturers, Fender's California location, technological innovation, and affordability meshed with the subsequent emergence of U.S. [[youth culture]] and up-and-coming genres like rock and roll, [[rhythm and blues]], and [[country music|country]]. [[Johnny Cash]]'s guitarist [[Luther Perkins]] adopted the Telecaster in 1954. R&B guitarists like [[B.B. King]] and [[Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown]] took it up, as well. [[Dale Hawkins]]' [[Top 40]] [[rockabilly]] hit "[[Susie Q (song)|Suzie Q]]" (1957) was anchored by a Telecaster-played riff from [[James Burton]], who later joined [[Ricky Nelson]]'s band and repeatedly showcased his Telecasters on ''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]'' throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s.<ref name="OwensTele"/> Early rock and roller [[Buddy Holly]] was an early proponent of the Telecaster's follow-up, the Stratocaster, famously playing one during a 1957 performance on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' and giving much of the public their first view of this new Fender guitar.<ref name="Flood">{{cite web |title=60 Years of the Fender Stratocaster: A History of the Greatest Moments of the Electric Guitar |url=https://floodmagazine.com/6301/60-years-of-the-fender-stratocaster-a-history-of-the-greatest-moments-of-the-electric-guitar/ |website=floodmagazine.com |publisher=Flood Magazine |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref> During his October 1958 tour of the U.K., [[Muddy Waters]]—wielding a Telecaster—shocked audiences expecting "folksy acoustic" music with loud, electrified blues instead. Waters' tour proved a pivotal influence on what would become the next generation of electric guitarists from England.<ref name="OwensTele"/>
=== 1960s–1980s === Electric guitar-based music continued to increase in popularity into the 1960s, especially among younger musicians. [[Surf rock]] icon [[Dick Dale]] created his unique sound with a Stratocaster and the brand's amplifiers beginning early in the decade. When [[Bob Dylan]] [[Electric Dylan controversy|went electric]] at the 1965 [[Newport Folk Festival]], he was playing a 1964 sunburst-finish Stratocaster.<ref name="Flood"/> [[Jimi Hendrix]], perhaps the Stratocaster's most well-known player, famously set one on fire at the 1967 [[Monterey Pop Festival]]. He also used a Strat during his rendition of "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" at [[Woodstock]], a performance considered one of the most iconic moments of the 1960s.<ref name="Flood"/> Despite his later association with the [[Gibson Les Paul]], [[Jimmy Page]] was gifted a Telecaster by [[Jeff Beck]] and used it on much of his early [[Led Zeppelin]] work, including "[[Stairway to Heaven]]".<ref name="Tomisich">{{cite web |last1=Tomisich |first1=David |title=10 of the most iconic Fender Telecaster players of all time |url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/10-most-iconic-fender-telecaster-players-of-all-time/ |website=mixdownmag.com |date=April 2025 |publisher=Mixdown Magazine |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref> His bandmate [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] played Fender's Jazz Bass model.<ref name="HodgsonMM">{{cite web |last1=Hodgson |first1=Peter |title=10 of the most iconic Fender Jazz Bass players |url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/10-of-the-most-iconic-fender-jazz-bass-players/ |website=mixdownmag.com |date=November 5, 2024 |publisher=Mixdown Magazine |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref> Outside of rock and blues, session bassist [[James Jamerson]] created a distinctive feel and groove with his Precision Bass on numerous [[Motown]] records, amassing 23 [[Billboard Hot 100]] number one songs during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="100PB">{{cite web |last1=Lloyd-Russell |first1=Andy |title=The greatest Fender Precision Bass Players of all time |url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/the-greatest-fender-precision-bass-players-of-all-time/ |website=mixdownmag.com |date=November 11, 2024 |publisher=Mixdown Magazine |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref>
[[File:TaylorHawkTributeWemb030922 (169 of 281) (52334409036).jpg|thumb|left|[[Rush (band)|Rush]]'s [[Geddy Lee]] is one of the Jazz Bass' most notable players.<ref name="HodgsonMM"/>]] [[David Gilmour]] of [[Pink Floyd]] extensively used [[The Black Strat|a black Stratocaster]] during the 1970s and 1980s,<ref name="Flood"/> as did Eric Clapton with his Strat [[Blackie (guitar)|Blackie]]. A former Gibson player, Clapton had bought [[Brownie (guitar)|his first Fender]] in 1970. That same year, he gifted a butterscotch Telecaster to his friend [[Keith Richards]] just as [[the Rolling Stones]] were about to record ''[[Exile on Main St.]]'' Dubbed "Micawber", Richards replaced the neck pickup with a [[P.A.F.]] [[humbucker]] and it became his primary guitar for much of his career.<ref name="Tomisich"/> [[Heartland rock|Heartland rockers]] like [[Tom Petty]] and [[Bruce Springsteen]] played Telecasters on many of their hits, with Springsteen using his hollowed-out 1952 Tele, "The Mutt", continuously since 1973. In the world of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] played a single "P-Bass" across all of [[Iron Maiden]]'s albums beginning in 1975 with the band's debut.<ref name="100PB"/>
Although Fender's popularity waned somewhat in the 1980s with the rise of heavier music styles and the "[[superstrat]]" era, many noted players continued using the brand's guitars and basses. [[Andy Summers]] and [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] scored a string of hits with [[the Police]] during this time, with Summers using a heavily-modified Telecaster and Sting playing Precision Basses.<ref name="OwensTele"/><ref name="100PB"/> [[Shred guitar|Shred]] virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen notably stayed loyal to the Stratocaster throughout this era. [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] prominently played Strats throughout his short career, including his favorite, the battered, sunburst [[Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical instruments#Number One|Number One]].
=== Modern era === [[File:RHChiliPeppersSpurs210723 (75 of 90) (53065666915).jpg|thumb|right|John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing a Stratocaster.]] While the Telecaster and Stratocaster remained popular in the 1990s among players like [[John Frusciante]] of the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] and [[Mike McCready]] of [[Pearl Jam]], many [[grunge]] and [[alternative rock]] players gravitated towards other models. [[Kurt Cobain]] used Jaguar and Mustang models in addition to Strats. [[Thom Yorke]] of [[Radiohead]] has used a Telecaster Deluxe model, while bandmate [[Jonny Greenwood]] favors Telecaster models like the relatively uncommon Telecaster Plus. Bassists [[Mike Dirnt]] of [[Green Day]] and [[Nate Mendel]] of the [[Foo Fighters]] have crafted their tones with Precision Basses.<ref name="100PB"/> [[Flea (musician)|Flea]] has favored the Jazz Bass, wielding it as both a rhythm and lead instrument.<ref name="HodgsonMM"/> Other recent players to receive Fender signature guitars include [[H.E.R.]] and [[Cory Wong]].<ref name="Edwards">{{cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Lewis Noke |title=The most iconic Fender Stratocaster players and their unique Strats |url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/mixdowns-10-greatest-hardware-equalisers-of-all-time-part-one/ |website=mixdownmag.com |date=December 11, 2024 |publisher=Mixdown Magazine |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref>
==Logos== [[File:Fender Telecaster American Vintage 52 RI headstock.jpg|thumb|150px|Fender Telecaster with a "spaghetti logo" from the pre-CBS era]] The Fender "spaghetti logo" was used by Fender from 1954 to the mid-1960s. By 1965 Fender used a transition logo which was a thicker gold-and-black logo (this logo is associated with CBS).<ref name="Spaghetti">{{Cite web |last=Owens |first=Jeff |title=What Are Fender's 'Spaghetti' and 'Transition' Logos? |url=https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/what-are-fenders-spaghetti-and-transition-logos |access-date=8 August 2019 |website=Fender |publisher=Fender Musical Instruments Corporation}}</ref>
== Acquisitions and partnerships == FMIC has purchased a number of instrument brands and firms, including the [[Guild Guitar Company]], the [[Sunn]] Amplifier Company, and [[SWR Sound Corporation]]. In early 2003, FMIC reached an agreement with the [[Gretsch]] family and began manufacturing and distributing new Gretsch guitars. Fender also owns [[Jackson Guitars|Jackson]], Olympia, Orpheum, [[Tacoma Guitars]], [[Squier]], and Brand X amps.
On October 28, 2007, Fender acquired [[Kaman Music Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2025-03-26 |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/fender-to-buy-kaman-music-corp |website=Premier Guitar |date=2007-10-29 |title=Fender to Buy Kaman Music Corp.}}</ref> which owned the [[Ovation Guitar Company]], [[Latin Percussion]] and Toca hand percussion products, [[Gibraltar Hardware]], Genz Benz Amplification, [[Charvel]], [[Hamer Guitars]], and is the exclusive U.S. sales representative for [[Sabian Cymbals|Sabian]] Cymbals and exclusive worldwide distributor of [[Takamine Guitars]] and [[Gretsch Drums]].
In 2011, [[Volkswagen]] partnered with Fender to manufacture premium sound systems for its vehicles in [[North America]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Raymundo |first=Oscar |date=2012-06-11 |title=Volkswagen Unveils Beetle Fender Edition |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/volkswagen-unveils-beetle-fender-edition-71501/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |access-date=2018-10-11}}</ref> [[Volkswagen]] vehicles in [[North America]] that offer optional Fender Premium Sound are the [[Volkswagen Golf]], [[Volkswagen Beetle]], [[Volkswagen Jetta]] Sedan, [[Volkswagen Passat]], and [[Volkswagen Tiguan]].
In 2014, Fender sold Guild Guitars to Cordoba Music Group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to Sell Guild Guitars Brand to Cordoba Music Group |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-musical-instruments-corporation-sell-guild-brand-cordoba-music-group |date=2014-05-07 |website=[[Guitar World]] |accessdate=2025-03-26}}</ref>
In February 2015, KMC was sold to [[Jam Industries]]<ref name="Sold to Jam">{{Cite news |date=February 12, 2015 |title=FMIC Sells KMC Music Wholesale Distribution Business to JAM Industries |work=Music Inc. Magazine |url=http://www.musicincmag.com/News/2015/1502011/150211_FENDER_SALE.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314235210/http://musicincmag.com/News/2015/1502011/150211_FENDER_SALE.html |archive-date=March 14, 2015 |quote={{smaller|''Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced on Feb. 10 that it has completed an asset sale of the KMC Music wholesale distribution business, including the trade name B & J Music, and certain proprietary brands, to JAM Industries, Ltd. JAM Industries is a global leader in the MI, pro-audio and consumer electronics wholesale distribution business.''}}}}</ref> by FMIC.<ref name="SEC2012">{{Cite web |date=2012-03-08 |title=Fender Musical Instruments Corp: General form for registration of securities under the Securities Act of 1933: List of Subsidiaries |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/767959/000119312512101896/d293340dex211.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141806/http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/767959/000119312512101896/d293340dex211.htm |archive-date=2015-09-24 |website=EDGAR |publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |format=Type: EX-21.1; Act: 33 |id=Acc-no: [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/767959/000119312512101896/0001193125-12-101896-index.htm 0001193125-12-101896] (33 Act), File No: [https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?filenum=333-179978&action=getcompany 333-179978], CIK#: [https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000767959&owner=include&count=40 0000767959] |quote=''KMC Music, Inc. dba KMC Musicorp., CT / •KMI Europe, Inc., DE / •B & J Music Ltd., Canada / •Takamine Gakki Co., Ltd. (12% KMC Music, Inc.), Japan''}}</ref>
In January 2019, Fender purchased the [[Bigsby Electric Guitar Company]] from its partner Gretsch.The subsidiary operates independently, and produces the popular [[Bigsby vibrato tailpiece]] as well as several [[Paul Bigsby]]-designed electric guitars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FENDER® MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF BIGSBY® |url=http://www.bigsby.com/vibe/2019/01/13/fender-musical-instruments-corporation-announces-acquisition-of-bigsby/ |access-date=6 August 2019 |website=Bigsby.com}}</ref>
In November 2021, Fender purchased the Louisiana-based [[PreSonus|PreSonus Audio Electronics]], a manufacturer of professional audio equipment and software.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1, 2021 |title=Fender Musical Instruments Corporation Signs Definitive Agreement To Acquire Presonus Audio Electronics, Inc. |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fender-musical-instruments-corporation-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-presonus-audio-electronics-inc-301412539.html |access-date=January 28, 2022 |website=PR Newsire}}</ref>
In June 2023, Fender opened its first flagship store in Tokyo, Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fender Press Releases & Products Updates {{!}} Fender Newsroom |url=https://spotlight.fender.com/newsroom/news/896 |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=spotlight.fender.com}}</ref>
In 2024, Fender and [[Teufel Audio]] jointly launched a speaker line.
==Publications==
===Fender Frontline=== Fender published the Fender Frontline magazine as a source of product, artist and technical data for the company's customers.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Black |first1=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rC2X0BiF2ZMC&q=frontline+magazine+fender&pg=PA1991 |title=The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History |last2=Molinaro |first2=Albert |year=2001 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9780634026409 |access-date=2019-01-08}}</ref> The first half featured interviews and articles about the guitars and the stars who played them, and the second half was a catalog section.<ref name="2tuguitars">{{Cite web |title=Fender Frontline |url=http://www.2tuguitars.com/fender-frontline.html |access-date=2019-01-08 |website=2tuguitars.com}}</ref>
Fender published 27 issues of the magazine from 1990 through 2000.<ref name=2tuguitars/> Notable interviewees included [[Kurt Cobain]] in Fall 1994, in what was his last interview.<ref name="jagstang">{{Cite web |title=Fender Frontline Fall 1994 Article |url=https://www.jag-stang.com/guitars/fender-frontline-fall-1994/ |access-date=2019-01-07 |website=jag-stang.com}}</ref> Fender had designed a hybrid guitar for Cobain, known as a Jag Stang.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-21 |title=Nirvana: Super Fuzz Big Muff |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/nirvana-super-fuzz-big-muff |access-date=2019-01-09 |website=guitarworld.com}}</ref><ref name=jagstang/> Other notable interviews featured [[Pink Floyd]] guitarist [[David Gilmour]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glenn Hughes from Fender Frontline |url=http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/131.htm |access-date=2019-01-09 |website=pink-floyd.org}}</ref> [[Glenn Hughes (English singer)|Glenn Hughes]] from [[Deep Purple]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Big Shots |url=https://www.thehighwaystar.com/interviews/hughes/gh1993xxxx.html |access-date=2019-01-09 |website=thehighwaystar.com}}</ref> and [[King Crimson]]'s [[Adrian Belew]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview with Adrian Belew in Fender's Frontline |url=https://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki/Interview_with_Adrian_Belew_in_Fender%27s_Frontline |access-date=2019-01-09 |website=elephant-talk.com}}</ref>{{self-published inline |certain=y |date=March 2025}}
In 2001, Fender eliminated the interviews and features section, and Frontline became an annual illustrated price list until 2006, when it was replaced with a product guide.<ref name=2tuguitars/>
==Products== {{main|List of products manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation}}
Fender's core product are electric guitars, namely the [[Fender Jaguar|Jaguar]], [[Fender Jazzmaster|Jazzmaster]], [[Fender Mustang|Mustang]], [[Fender Telecaster|Telecaster]], [[Stratocaster]], [[Fender Duo-Sonic|Duo-Sonic]], Meteora, and [[Fender Jag-Stang|Jag-Stang]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=Daniel |last1=Seah |date=2021-10-12 |url=https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/fender-2021-jag-stang-nirvana-kurt-cobain/ | title=Fender brings back Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang for Nevermind's 30th Anniversary }}</ref> This is alongside bass guitars in the [[Fender Mustang Bass|Mustang]], [[Fender Jaguar Bass|Jaguar]], [[Fender Jazz Bass|Jazz]], [[Fender Precision Bass|Precision]] and Meteora models.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://americansongwriter.com/fenders-new-era-meteora-joins-family-of-telecaster-stratocaster-guitars/ |first1=Tina |last1=Benitez-Eves |title=Fender's New Era: Meteora Joins Family of Telecaster, Stratocaster Guitars | date=March 27, 2022 |work=American Songwriter}}</ref> Fender also manufactures acoustic guitars, [[lap steel guitar]]s, [[banjo]]s, [[electric violin]]s, guitar/bass amplifiers and the [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes]] electric piano (until 1983). In addition, Fender produces [[effects pedals]] and [[Plectrum|picks]].
According to American guitar expert George Gruhn, the Fender Telecaster, Precision Bass, and Stratocaster are "three of the most important models in the history of the electric guitar", and were all introduced between 1950 and 1957.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Gruhn |first=George |title=Electric Guitars and Basses: A Photographic History |publisher=Backbeat Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-87930-974-9 |location=New York |pages=35}}</ref> In 1953, Fender also introduced the Stringmaster, a double-pickup model<ref name=":0" /> which was popular with [[western swing]] steel-guitar players.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bacon |first=Tony |title=50 Years of Fender |publisher=Balafon |year=2000 |isbn=0879306211 |location=London |pages=16}}</ref>
Fender manufactures and distributes all musical instruments sold under the [[Eddie Van Halen|EVH]] brand, including Custom Shop models and replicas of the [[Frankenstrat]].{{fact|date=March 2025}}
== Squier == {{main|Squier}}
Squier was a string manufacturer that Fender acquired. Fender has used the [[Squier]] brand since 1982 to market inexpensive variants of Fender guitars to compete with [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] copies, as the [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] became more popular. Squier guitars have been manufactured in the [[United States]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]], [[Indonesia]] and [[China]].
== Impact and legacy == Fender products have become known for their versatility and "clean" sound, and the design of some of the company's guitar models have become iconic, and a part of popular culture. Daryl Robertson of ''[[Guitar World]]'' wrote in 2023, "Fender is arguably the most well-known guitar manufacturer of all time. Without Leo Fender's influence on the wonderful world of guitars, amplifiers and basses, the landscape of music would look very different – it certainly wouldn't be as colorful."<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Daryl Robertson |date=2023-05-24 |title=Best guitar brands 2025: Whether you're an acoustic or electric player, these are the guitar companies you need on your radar |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/best-guitar-brands |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}</ref> Luke Mitchell of ''[[SlashGear]]'' wrote in 2023, "Fender amplifiers have defined the sound of blues, rock, and country music, making them a staple for musicians worldwide."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Luke |date=2023-10-09 |title=Every Major Guitar Amplifier Brand, Ranked |url=https://www.slashgear.com/1415379/every-major-guitar-amplifier-brand-ranked/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=SlashGear |language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Music Man (company)|Music Man]] *[[G&L Musical Instruments]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} {{Commons category}} * {{official website}} *[http://www.ci.fullerton.ca.us/depts/museum/exhibits/leo_fender_exhibit/default.asp Leo Fender Exhibit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927140851/http://www.ci.fullerton.ca.us/depts/museum/exhibits/leo_fender_exhibit/default.asp |date=2011-09-27 }}, Permanent exhibit at the Fullerton Museum on the Fender company history in the city *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/william-schultz William Schultz Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program]] (2000) *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/bill-mendello Bill Mandello Interview] at NAMM Oral History Program (2010) *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/larry-thomas Larry Thomas Interview] at NAMM Oral History Program (2012) *[https://reverbzone.com/fender/ Fender Guitars Database]
{{TPG Inc.}} {{Fender}} {{Fender guitars}} {{Guitar brands}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Fender Musical Instruments Corporation| ]] <!-- Please respect alphabetical order --> [[Category:1946 establishments in California]] [[Category:American companies established in 1946]] [[Category:Bass guitar manufacturing companies]] [[Category:Economy of Corona, California]] [[Category:Guitar amplifier manufacturers]] [[Category:Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Riverside County, California]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1946]] [[Category:Private equity portfolio companies]] [[Category:TPG Capital companies]] [[Category:Harmonica manufacturers]] [[Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions]] [[Category:1965 mergers and acquisitions]] [[Category:Former CBS Corporation subsidiaries]]