Celebrating 100 years of Leo Fender

Leo Fender, believed by many to be the father of the electric guitar, would have been 100 today.

If the privately owned Scottsdale company bearing his name had listened to Marketing Sociologist, there would have been 100 special edition Fender Century guitar and amplifier packages available to celebrate this event, with number 001 going to President Barack Obama at the past Super Bowl.

Leo Fender sold the company on Jan. 1, 1965 for $13-million, two million more than the same purchaser, CBS, paid for the New York Yankees in 1964. Both sales had the same result – a decline in quality for both Fender and Yankees.

Fender himself went on to MusicMan and G&L.

Fender went private 20 years following the CBS purchase. Must commend the company. They gave a fantastic write-up to the man who founded the company.