CBS purchase announcement to employees, 213
CBS purchase offer, 207, 210–11
CBS purchase price, 212, 216
CBS’s rights to Fender name, 270
compensation from company, 208
competition with Bigsby, 68, 124
competitors’ copying of designs, 272
concerns about the future and decision to sell the company, 182–83, 200–203, 264
consulting for CBS-Fender, 210, 215, 267
doubts about changes in music business, 202, 213
employee loyalty to Fender, 92, 178, 265
endorsement policy for artists, 203
final responsibility for Fender products, 271
G&L guitar company, 268, 269–71, 272, 273
Gibson’s rivalry, 96
later thoughts on selling company, 267–68
Music Man company, 268
Paul’s friendship and later rivalry, 5, 34–35, 38–39
philosophy for running a company, 263
possible outside purchasers of Fender Company, 204–5
reaction to CBS purchase, 214–15
reactions to growth of company, 209
success of company, 179, 181–82
union formation at Fender, 201
AS DESIGNER, BUILDER, AND ENGINEER
amps for Dale, 157–61, 216
challenges of electric guitars, 35, 36–37, 38
as designer, builder, and engineer, 3, 34–35, 38, 39, 114, 176–77, 208, 209, 224, 270–71
echo system design, 164
electric bass development, 90–95, 114, 122, 244, 271, 272. See also Precision Basses
Esquire solid-body standard guitars, 71, 74, 75–76
focus on guitar amplification, 38
mariachi insight for guitar design, 91–92
new electric guitar project, 50–51, 53
radio repair shop, 3, 17, 18–19, 28–30, 53, 74, 77, 263, 268
Stratocaster guitar design, 122–24, 165, 171, 263, 270
Stratocaster tremolo (whammy) design, 123–24, 232
Telecaster guitars, 76, 85, 91, 96, 115, 125, 263, 270, 280
PERSONAL LIFE
childhood accident and glass eye, 52, 269
death, 273
health, 142, 158, 179, 182, 183, 201, 210, 211, 267, 274
hearing loss, 160–61
life after selling Fender, 267–73
marriage to Esther, 30, 91, 92, 174–77
marriage to Phyllis, 269, 272, 273
recognition for music industry contributions, 270, 272
rental house with studio, 30
retirement, 216–17
vacations and cruises, 176, 177, 267, 269, 272
well-matched harmony with wife, 176–77
wife Esther’s death, 269
Fender, Phyllis, 269, 272, 273
Fender amplifiers
Bassman model of, 224
CBS consultants’ report on, 207
CBS-Fender’s approach to, 264
development of, 3, 157–61, 270
Fender’s early tinkering and, 9–10, 19
Marshall amplifiers copied from, 224
musicians using, 141, 165, 166, 167–68
price of, 167
quality of, 263
sales of, 141
stacked design of, 160, 161
success of, 182
surf music and, 165
Fender Bassman amplifiers, 224
Fender company, Fullerton, California, 180–83
acoustic guitar division of, 181, 205–6, 210
band photos and record covers showing products of, 166
Beatles’ transformation of music industry and, 200, 209
cash offer to Beatles to use equipment of, 203–4
CBS consultants’ report on, 207–9, 263
as CBS division. See Fender Musical Instruments, CBS
CBS negotiations to purchase, 206, 209–11
CBS purchase price for, 212, 216
CBS’s rights to Fender name, 270
compensation structure at, 208
competitors’ copying of designs of, 271–72
Danelectro bass’s competition with, 201
electric piano division of, 181, 205–6, 210
employee loyalty at, 92, 178, 208, 265
employee reaction to CBS purchase of, 212–13, 215
Esquire solid-body standard guitars from, 70–78, 86, 115, 141
Esther Fender’s support for, 30, 32, 269
factory space and backlog at, 180–81
Fender’s concerns about the future and decision to sell, 182–83, 200–203, 264
Fender’s development of, 3
Fender’s final responsibility for products from, 271
Fender’s G&L guitar company’s conflicts with, 270
Fender’s health and responsibilities at, 179
Fender’s philosophy for, 263
Gibson’s rivalry with, 96, 167, 171, 182, 207, 250, 254–55
growth of, 181–82, 201, 202, 209
marketing to teenage sense of cool by, 165–66
need for new leader at, 202
possible outside purchasers of, 203, 205–6
quality and delivery problems at, 48, 49, 68, 70–71, 74, 75, 76, 114
Randall as salesman for, 30, 31, 32, 48, 68–71, 76, 77, 83–84, 114, 118, 137, 139, 140–41, 167, 180, 204, 208
relationship between employees and Fender at, 178–79, 215, 265
rock ’n’ roll music and, 146
sales figures for, 167, 203
sales office–factory relationship in, 208
salesman Hayes’s death and, 139
salesmen’s salaries at, 180
Southern California surf culture and, 165, 166, 167
success of, 179, 181, 203
union at, 201–2
Fender Duo-Sonic guitars, 166
Fender electric basses. See Precision Basses
Fender Electric Instrument Company. See Fender company
Fender guitars. See also specific models
band photos and record covers showing, 166
Beach Boys and, 2, 4, 239, 243, 244
Beatles and Rickenbacker guitars and, 197
Bigsby guitars’ similarities to, 66–67, 115, 123, 124–25, 271
bright exterior colors for, 3, 165
CBS consultants’ report on, 207
CBS-Fender’s approach to making, 264–65, 268, 272
cheaper models of, 165–66
competitors’ copying of designs of, 271–72
design for comfort of, 115–16, 122–23, 171
disagreements about designers of, 270, 271
Gibson guitars’ competition with, 4
guinea-pig players during development of, 115–16, 117, 125, 146, 271
Hendrix’s use of, 233, 234, 251–52
musicians using, 135, 141, 145–46, 155–56, 168, 186, 239
quality of, 263
sales of, 145
sonic character of, 141–42
success of, 182
surf music and, 165
teenage sense of cool and, 165–66
weight of, during performances, 144
Fender Jaguar guitars, 3, 165, 166, 195, 201, 263
Fender Musical Instruments, CBS (CBS-Fender)
CBS’s management of, 263–66, 268, 272
CBS’s selling of, 272
Fender as consultant to, 210, 215, 267
Fender’s G&L guitar company’s conflicts with, 270
guitar prototype from, 263–64
purchase press release on, 212
Randall’s management of, 210, 214, 265–66
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
Fender’s founding of. See Fender company, Fullerton, California
Schultz’s management of, after CBS sale, 272
Fender Musicmaster guitars, 165–66
Fender Precision Basses. See Precision Basses
Fender Reverb units, 16
4–65, 169, 201, 264
Fender Showman amplifiers, 217
development of, 157–61
musicians using, 165, 167–68
price of, 167
Fender Stratocaster guitars. See Stratocaster guitars
Fender Telecaster guitars. See Telecaster guitars
Fitzgerald, Ella, 80
Flint, Hughie, 225, 226, 227
folk music, 151, 155, 156, 197, 209, 217–20
folk rock, 218–19
Ford, Mary (born Colleen Summers), 21–23, 84
auto accident with Paul, 44–45, 54, 55
Autry band and, 23, 25, 26, 54
background of, 21–22, 25
breakup and divorce of, 172–73, 231
death of, 275–76
desire for settled domestic life by, 169–70
desire to quit performing of, 170
dread of performing by, 61, 109, 126, 128, 130, 169, 170
as duo with Paul. See Les Paul and Mary Ford
early romance with Paul, 25–26, 42–43, 61, 62–63
first child’s birth and death and, 118, 126–28
first meeting and audition with Paul, 22–23
guitar playing by, 23, 60–61, 84, 276
guitar weight when performing, 144
health of, 173, 274
hillbilly radio show with Paul, 23, 25, 57
later children of, 170, 173
later relationship with Paul, 170, 172, 275
love of music by, 25
marriage of, 63, 109–10
Paul’s Gibson contract and, 88, 89, 110, 170–71, 172
Paul’s “Lover” first heard by, 42, 43
Paul’s renaming of, 26, 42, 61
Ford, Tennessee Ernie, 72, 73
Freed, Alan, 118, 134, 155
Fullerton, Fred, 75–76
Fullerton, Geoff, 177
Fullerton, George, 75, 137, 165, 177, 179, 181
background of, 48–50
as Fender’s assistant, 48, 49–50, 117, 178
Fender’s electric bass and, 95
G&L guitar company, 268, 273
solid-body electric guitar project and, 50–51, 53, 64–66
Fuzz Face, 252–53, 258, 259
fuzz pedals, 235, 252–53
G&L guitar company, 268, 269–71, 272, 273
Gibson, Orville, 86, 87
Gibson ES-335 guitars, 171
Gibson guitar company
European tradition at, 70, 86–87
Fender’s rivalry with, 96, 167, 171, 182, 207, 250, 254–55
fuzz pedal from, 235
later years and sale of, 277–78
McCarty’s ownership of, 232
Paul’s contract with, 88–89, 110, 170–71, 172, 276
Paul’s early guitar experiment and, 13
Paul’s relationship with, 85, 86
reissue of Les Paul guitars by, 254, 274
solid-body guitar development by, 86–89, 95, 112, 232, 280. See also Les Paul guitars
success of, 112
White’s move from Fender to, 264
Gibson guitars, 70. See also Les Paul guitars
decline in use of, 232
internal metal rod used in neck of, 71
musicians using, 171, 185, 196, 222, 251, 262
Paul’s early use of, 10–11
renewed interest in, 254–55
Stratocaster guitars compared with, 253
Gibson Les Paul guitars. See Les Paul guitars
Gibson SG guitars, 171–72, 173, 231, 253
“Good Vibrations” (Beach Boys), 244
Goodman, Benny, 17, 111, 112, 133, 156
Gordon, Robert, 98
Gordy, Berry, 240, 241
Gray, Gary, 177
Gretsch, Fred, 70, 96
Gretsch guitar company, 96, 123, 166, 232
Gretsch guitars, 70, 77, 155, 196, 200, 222
Griggs, Bill, 121
Guy, Buddy, 223, 248
Haley, Bill, 103, 118, 129, 133, 147, 151
Hall, Francis Carey (F. C.)
Beatles’ New York trip and, 193–95, 197–99
as Fender partner 5, 136
Fender products sold by, 31–32, 68, 70, 71, 74, 75
Fender’s purchase of shares of, 139–40
loans to Fender from, 32, 139, 140
Randall’s relationship with, 30–31, 69, 140
Rickenbacker guitar company purchase by, 137, 139, 193
Hamilton, Jack, 241
Hammond organ reverb system, 164
Hampton, Lionel, 92–94, 134
Hankin, Clyde, 122
hard rock, 5, 254–55, 274
Harrison, George, 196, 197, 198, 199
Hayes, Charlie, 32–33, 48, 70, 95, 117, 136–39
heavy metal, 253, 274
Hendrix, Jimi, 184–87, 233–37, 246–49, 257–63
background of, 184–85, 248
bands formed by, 235
black musicians’ tradition of electric guitars and, 248–49
Chandler’s English tour with, 236–37, 246–48, 252
Clapton and, 237, 246–47, 253, 261, 262
death of, 261–62
fuzz pedals used by, 252–53
guitars used by, 5, 184, 185, 186, 233, 234–35, 251–53, 255, 256, 257–59, 260, 261, 263
Keith’s relationship with, 233–35, 236
King’s influence on, 185–86
playing style of, 233, 236, 246–47, 251–53
showmanship of, 186–87
sideman work of, 186–87, 234
songs by, 236, 246–47, 253, 257
Woodstock festival and, 257–60, 261
hillbilly music, 9, 23, 25, 57, 73, 107, 111, 119–20
Hofner guitars, 196, 197
Holley, Larry, 119, 121–22
Holly, Buddy, 119–22, 147–50, 151, 155, 251
background of, 119–20
Beatles and, 196
Berry’s influence on, 134–35
Ed Sullivan Show appearance of, 131–32
English tour of, 147–50, 153
guitars used by, 5, 120, 121, 122, 123, 132, 135, 145, 146, 148–50, 155, 251
musicians influenced by, 149–50
Presley’s influence on, 120, 121
songs by, 132, 147, 149–50
Hollywood Hillbillies, 33–34
honky-tonk music, 73
“How High the Moon” (Paul and Ford), 80–81, 82, 102–3, 111
Hyatt, Dale, 74–75
Jaguar guitars (Fender), 3, 165, 166, 195, 201, 263
Jamerson, James, 240–41, 242, 244
James, Jimmy, 235, 236, 237
jazz, 93, 111–12, 148, 152, 153, 166, 171, 185, 242
Berry and, 133, 134
England and, 151
Fender and, 272, 277, 279
Kaye and, 189, 191
Paul and, 10, 24, 25, 57, 62, 80, 81
Jazz Bass (Fender), 201, 263
Jazzmaster (Fender), 165, 188, 263
Jimi Hendrix Experience, 252–53, 257
Johnson, Robert, 227, 248
Johnson, Roy, 93, 94
Jones, Johnny, 185–86
Jones, Max, 152–53
Jones, Steve, 274
Jordan, Louis, 133, 134
Juszkiewicz, Henry, 278, 279
Kauffman, Clayton “Doc,” 28, 29, 50, 53, 271
Kaye, Carol, 188–92, 238–40
Beach Boys and, 192, 238–40, 242–43
Fender bass guitar used by, 190–92, 241, 243, 244
sessions work by, 188–90
Keen, Ronnie, 148
Keith, Linda, 233–35, 236
King, Albert, 185
King, B. B., 141, 185–86, 221–22, 223, 248
King, Freddy, 185, 222–23, 224, 227, 248
Kings of Rhythm, 101–2
Kizart, Willie, 102
Knight, Curtis, 233–34, 235, 247
Law, Tom, 260
Lawrence, Robb,
87, 280
Led Zeppelin, 5, 230, 254–55, 274, 279
Lennon, John, 149, 150, 196, 198, 199
Les Paul and Mary Ford, 79–82, 106–10, 126–30
Blue Note performance by, 62
Capitol Records and, 79, 80, 81–82, 110, 169
challenges of live performances for, 107–9
commercial success of, 81–82, 106–7, 109, 110–11, 127, 129
death of first child and, 126–28
early gigs of, 62, 63
first performance by, 60–61
Ford’s contribution to, 173, 276
Ford’s desire to quit performing and, 170
Ford’s divorce from Paul and, 173, 231
Ford’s dread of performing and, 106, 109–10, 130, 169, 170
Gibson promotional visits by, 112
hectic lifestyle of, 127–28
incessant rehearsing by, 128–29
later career of, 169–70
later children and schedule of, 170
later tributes and recognition for, 278–79
Paul’s love of performing and, 170
public reactions to, 61, 62
radio show of, 61, 62
songs by, 79–81, 107, 110–111, 129, 169
television show of, 109, 110, 129, 172
time out for first child by, 118
Les Paul guitars (Gibson)
blues and, 5, 143–44, 171, 274
Clapton’s use of, 222, 224, 225, 226, 228, 230, 249, 263
cultural shift after 1965 and, 250–51
Dallas Rangemaster effect with, 226
description and features of, 95–96
development of, 86–89, 280
Fender guitars’ competition with, 4
Ford’s contribution to, 276
Gibson’s SG replacement for, 171–72, 173, 231, 253
introduction of, 95
later versions of, 171, 278
legacy of, 276
musicians and guitar weight when performing with, 144
musicians using, 120, 143–44, 150, 222–23, 230, 251, 274
naming of, 89, 111
Paul’s birthday party and, 277
Paul’s connection with, 89, 96, 277, 278, 280
reissue of, 254, 274
resurgence in demand for, 231–32, 253–54
rockers’ preference for, 253, 255
sales of, 144, 145, 171
Stratocaster as Fender’s answer to, 122
success of, 112
Les Paul Trio, 10, 25, 277, 279
Let’s Dance Away and Hide Away (King), 222–23
Lewis, Jerry Lee, 154–55
Lieberson, Goddard, 206
Little Richard, 129, 149, 151, 154, 186, 247
Little Walter, 100, 101, 227
Logoz, Dinu, 227
Longhorn bass guitars (Danelectro), 201
loudness and volume
amps and, 1–2, 148, 157, 159–61
Beach Boys and, 168
Bigsby’s guitar for Travis and, 47–48
Clapton’s playing and, 226–27