Justifying an Evaluation
“Fender rocks a high note”
(The brand “that started it all” is still the buzz today at its guitar factory and visitors center in Southern California)
It all began way back in 1938.
Leo Fender, the founder of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) - or simply Fender as it is more commonly known - was then an unemployed accountant with a self-taught know-how for electronics. So, on borrowed money and big dreams, he and his wife Esther returned to Fullerton, California, from San Luis Obispo to open a radio repair shop, “Fender Radio Service.” And what started as a struggling regional upstart in the heart of Southern California flourished into the world’s leading guitar manufacturer – one whose name has become synonymous with all things rock and roll. Leo expanded his business, founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company in 1946 (which later became the name it carries today), and the rest is music history (About Fender).
So, what is it about this once modest music-making manufacturer that still drives the instrument industry today? Why has it so dominated the guitar world since its inception? And how does it continue to command the loyalty of the world’s biggest musical performers? The answers can be found, in part, by visiting FMIC’s Visitor Center and Guitar Factory in Corona, California – Fender’s only manufacturing facility in the United States for its electric products. This author recently took a trip there to see if the hype was real, much to the delight of two teenage sons who clamored - even begged - for the opportunity to join the journey (and a wife just as excited for the chance to spend time with her guys, well, being guys).
Our road trip took us just under two hours from our home in the high desert to Fender’s facility in Corona. In the time it took to get there, our vehicle was filled with excited conversation about what to expect upon arrival. Spontaneous competition erupted as we took turns naming previous and
(The brand “that started it all” is still the buzz today at its guitar factory and visitors center in Southern California)
It all began way back in 1938.
Leo Fender, the founder of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) - or simply Fender as it is more commonly known - was then an unemployed accountant with a self-taught know-how for electronics. So, on borrowed money and big dreams, he and his wife Esther returned to Fullerton, California, from San Luis Obispo to open a radio repair shop, “Fender Radio Service.” And what started as a struggling regional upstart in the heart of Southern California flourished into the world’s leading guitar manufacturer – one whose name has become synonymous with all things rock and roll. Leo expanded his business, founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company in 1946 (which later became the name it carries today), and the rest is music history (About Fender).
So, what is it about this once modest music-making manufacturer that still drives the instrument industry today? Why has it so dominated the guitar world since its inception? And how does it continue to command the loyalty of the world’s biggest musical performers? The answers can be found, in part, by visiting FMIC’s Visitor Center and Guitar Factory in Corona, California – Fender’s only manufacturing facility in the United States for its electric products. This author recently took a trip there to see if the hype was real, much to the delight of two teenage sons who clamored - even begged - for the opportunity to join the journey (and a wife just as excited for the chance to spend time with her guys, well, being guys).
Our road trip took us just under two hours from our home in the high desert to Fender’s facility in Corona. In the time it took to get there, our vehicle was filled with excited conversation about what to expect upon arrival. Spontaneous competition erupted as we took turns naming previous and