In reading the book the Stratocaster Chronicles, it talks about Leo Fender and his frist guitar the Broadcaster. Leo of course was an Engineer and not a musician. He could NOT play guitar. The Statocaster was in Leo's words the evolution of the Telecaster. What a lot of people don't realize was that the Tele/Broadcaster was a more mass production oriented than the orginal custom guitars produced by Paul Bigsby. Leo acquired one of Bigsby's guitars before he engineered the Broadcaster.
Here are some quotes about the Broadcaster/Tele.
"I took the first guitar to the 1950 music trade show, and it was, "What's that thing?" We got all kinds of comments. "Do you paddle your canoe with that thing? Swat flies?" They all laughed." -Don Randall (head of marketing)
"When Leo's guitar came out we weren't too surprised, because we were familiar with the Custom solidbodies Paul Bigsby built. We discovered that out in California there were solidbody guitars and they were beginning to get a little section of the business away from us, so we decided that we had to do something to compete with what Leo Fender was doing. We had to buck this competition from the West Coast." -fomer Gibson president Ted McCarty, on the origin of the Les Paul.
"That thing 'll never sell." -Fred Gretsch to Harmony's Jay Krause, upon seeing the Broadcaster for the first time.
It was funny because Leo thought that the Strat would make the Tele obsolete.
I just thought I would add this. All of it comes from the book The Stratocaster Chronicles by Tom Wheeler. A great read.
Also some intersting reading. Make sure you note the time line.
http://www.bigsbyguitars.com/vibe/?page_id=3
This one as well. Check out the 1947 Bigsby guitar.
http://www.stratcollector.com/newsde...es/000103.html
Last edited by ZMAN; October 1st, 2009 at 08:40 AM.
The Blues is alright!
Guitars: 1968 Gibson SG, 2005 Gibson SG Standard, 2006 Gibson LP Classic Gold top, 2004 Epiphone Elitist LP Custom, 1996 Gibson Les Paul Standard. 2001 Epiphone Sheraton II, 2007 Epiphone G400.
Fender Strats: 1996 Fender 68 Reissue CIJ, 2008 Squier CV 50s, 2009 Squier CV 50s Tele Butterescotch Blonde
Amps: Blues Junior Special edition Jensen in Brown Tolex with Wheat front, 65 Deluxe Reverb reissue,1970 Sonax reverb by Traynor, Avatar Custom 2/12 Cabinet with Eminence Legend V1216 speakers,
2008 DSL100 Marshall Amp , Fender Super Champ XD,Fender Vibro Champ XD
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