Fender: The Official Illustrated History

® Originating in Leo Fender’s modest radio and amplifier repair shop in Fullerton, California, Fender Musical Instrument Corporation went on to become . Today, Fender guitars and amplifiers are icons in popular culture, their shapes and sounds instantly recognizable even to those with only a casual interest in music. From Fender’s first instrument—a 1946 lap steel guitar—to Leo Fender’s groundbreaking early six-string guitar designs like the Esquire that set the standard for the electric guitar explosion to follow, . All the innovations and landmark models are here, as well as legendary players who became synonymous with Fender instruments across musical genres. Along the way, you’ll get in-depth scoops on …the list goes on. In addition, Hunter explores the work of the award-winning and the guitars produced there.   Illustrated throughout with from company archives, treats readers to rare behind-the-scenes views of the shop floor throughout the years, studio imagery of the guitars, rare period advertising and brochures, and performance images of Fender players. It’s the definitive look at the Fender’s first three-quarters of a century and .