With Fender guitars as popular and iconic as ever, it is through the hard work and organization of the company and a genuine dedication to music and musicians that they manage to maintain a consistently high quality of the instrument while also catering to a mass. market.

From the beginning, Fender has relied on feedback from musicians about their instruments. In the 1950s, this style of ‘customer service’ led to the development of the iconic Stratocaster with its revolutionary single-coil third pickup, classic contoured body, cutaway design and Fender vibrato bridge, all stemming from feedback. of musicians and allowing guitarists to create their own unique sounds.

Due to ill health, Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965. The company continued to grow financially, but at the expense of his well-known affinity for music and musicians. In 1981, CBS put Fender under new management in an attempt to reinvent the company. With William Schultz as company president and William Mendello as his right-hand man, his plan was to improve quality and invest more in research and development while also raising Fender’s profile in the music industry. Schultz led a group of employees and investors in buying Fender from CBS in 1985. This was the best possible outcome for the brand, as it put Fender back under the care of a dedicated group of people who wanted to commit to creating the best guitars and accessories. .

FMIC (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) had to start building the company all over again, sourcing buildings and machinery and buying the name, intellectual property and parts. The first big move was the installation of Fender’s flagship factory in Corona, California. In 1987 they opened a second manufacturing plant in Ensenada, Mexico and the famous Fender Custom Shop in the United States. In 1991, the corporate departments of the Fender company moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and have been there ever since. From here the various divisions and factories around the world are controlled.

Mendello became CEO in 2005 following Schultz’s retirement. The last seven years have seen the company continue to grow, never losing sight of its commitment to maintaining high standards across all of its instruments.

Over the past 5 years, Fender has rejuvenated and expanded the basic shapes of guitars, vastly expanding the range to ensure there is an instrument to fit everyone. Fender electric guitar ranges include the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster and Mustang, with the Jazz Bass, Precision Bass and Mustang making up the bass ranges. Not to mention their acoustic guitar offerings and wide range of amps and accessories. Their most recent product launch has been the Fender Pawn Shop series, “guitars that never were, but should have been”, another range of quality guitars, this time combining features from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s to create a sound modern. with a vintage look.

Its popular Custom Shop offers Fender the opportunity to design and build an individual guitar for the musician. Whether starting from scratch or modifying an existing guitar, a personalized service is available. Famous guitarists from Clapton to Gilmour have had guitars made at the Fender Custom Shop, but this prestigious area of ​​the company is open to all music lovers.

Fender may have a custom shop, but with the wide variety of guitars offered in the other ranges and the superior craftsmanship of all Fender guitars, each instrument is practically a custom shop piece unto itself. To the uninitiated, all guitars may look very similar outwardly, but when picked up the difference is noticeable and when played the difference is even more apparent. A Fender customer has a wide variety to choose from and can try one after another until they find the one that looks, feels and plays exactly how they want it. With a true dedication to high standards across its ranges and a determination to ensure every customer finds the instrument of their dreams, it’s no wonder Fender remains the most popular guitar company. The search for your perfect Fender guitar starts here.