Fender

The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, initially named the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, was started by Leo Fender in the 1940s, and is one of the most widely recognised manufacturers of electric guitars, bass guitars and amplifiers.

Sales to CBS

In early 1965, Leo Fender sold his company to the Columbia Broadcasting System, or CBS.

Related Topics:
1965 - CBS

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Fender's sale to CBS had far-reaching implications. At first, the sale was a taken as a positive development, considering CBS' ability to bring in money and personnel. However, the sale is often now looked back upon unfavorably, due to the perception that CBS favored numbers and profit over quality; the culmination of this occurred in 1983, when the Stratocaster received a short-lived redesign without a second tone control and a bare-bones output jack. In addition, previous models such as the Swinger (a.k.a. Musiclander) and Custom (a.k.a. Maverick) had been little more than attempts to squeeze profits out of factory stock. The so-called "Pre-CBS cult" refers to the popularity of Fenders made before the sale.

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After selling the Fender company, Leo Fender designed products for Music Man and later founded the G&L company which manufactures top quality electric guitars and basses designed by Leo Fender.

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