Leo Fender

Steve Araujo grew up in Southern California playing guitar and bass in school and in local bands. Becoming a professional bassist, Steve toured and taught music for many years.  Seeing a need to create a platform online for bass players to gather, he developed the website The Bass Hang. The site connected Steve to many musicians and makers of musical instruments who were seeking help in marketing themselves and their products. Steve produced videos for social media and provided tips for musicians on his site, which quickly gained the attention of the owners of G&L Guitars, who

John Carruthers has established himself as a leading expert on guitars and amplifiers as a designer, builder and repairman. Working along side Leo Fender at Music Man, John helped improve the quality of the product line and years later helped establish a series of instruments for Yamaha including their electric bass and acoustic guitar line. John’s reputation grew in part due to a decade long column he wrote for Guitar Player Magazine and his dedication to teaching.

Billy Carson was listed in the Guinness book of world records for growing the largest watermelon ever weighed. And if you think that is something, consider the fact that Billy also worked with Leo Fender in streamlining the Stratocaster electric guitar in the early 1950s. As a country player in Southern California in the late 1940s, Billy became close friends with Leo. At the time, Leo was a radio repair man who helped musicians on the side fixing their amplifiers. Over the years, Billy related his frustration over the way the sharp edge of his guitar would cut into his ribs.

Susan Carson opened her first music store, Taylor Guitar Shop, at just 18 years old in Johnson, Tennessee. Taylor Guitar Shop became the local hangout spot for bluegrass pickers and those looking to jam every Saturday. Susan sold the store when she married her husband, Bill Carson, and he took a job in California with Fender. In 1985, Susan became a district sales manager with Fender and then was instrumental during the process of working with Fender to develop the Leo Banjo. Susan currently chairs a council on Bluegrass and Country at East Tennessee State University in her hometo

Christy Coobatis is a college music professor whose amazing musical journey includes playing professionally before he was a teenager, beta testing guitars for Leo Fender, and helping to create a guitar synthesizer for Allan Holdsworth! Christy’s latest and longest tenure as a teacher has been at MiraCosta College in Oceanside California, where he started in 2000. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, taking lessons at one music store in town and teaching at another. In elementary school, he played at the local fair and at 12 he was wearing a tuxedo and playing in a wedding band!

Michael Doyle was traveling with a band when he had an opportunity to tour the Marshall factory. It was an eye opening and fortuitous experience. Several years later he was offered a job with Korg USA, and was able to rep the Marshall line for over nine years. After working for Fender (he got to meet Leo Fender at a NAMM Show), Michael joined the Guitar Center team. At the time, the chain only had nine stores and Michael takes pride in the company’s growth. Overseeing several guitar projects at Guitar Center, Michael established the Eric Clapton signature series as well as the pri

Phyllis Fender was married to Leo Fender, the great pioneer of the solid body electric guitar. After reading several publications on his life’s work, it was a refreshing treat to hear about the man behind the workbench when Mrs. Fender sat down for her NAMM Oral History interview in 2003. She recalled Leo’s passion for his work and how he would wake up in the middle of the night with an idea. She spoke of their marriage, his love of ice cream and the illness that took him from her in 1991.

George Fullerton befriended Leo Fender back in the days before Leo quit the radio repair business and started in the guitar making business. George worked for the Fender Guitar Company from the beginning and up to the day it was sold to CBS Musical Instruments. After the sale of the company, Leo could no longer use his last name to produce and promote guitars, so he teamed with George to form a new company, named after the first letter in their first names. And so, G & L Guitars was born.

Jim Greenhill opened Jim’s Music store in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The area was brimming with recording activity in 1977 when Jim opened the store and as a result, most of the studio sessions players were customers of his. Jim focused on the latest in electronic technology in his store and among his early customers were LeBlanc & Carr, who purchased all of their amps and Anvil cases from Jim for their first tour. After closing the store, Jim worked with Ron Tunks Sales and began his long career as an independent rep, first for Ron and then on his own.

Dave Gupton has had a long career with a number of companies and a rather impressive list of innovators who helped pioneer our industry. Dave worked in retail with Karl Bruhn before joining Fender--before the CBS Musical Instruments buyout in the mid 1960s. As a result he was able to work with Leo Fender. Dave also worked with other industry innovators who became close friends, such as Harold Rhodes, Don Leslie and Arnold Brilhart. Dave also worked with Danny Henkin and the Rico Reeds Company before retiring in 1990.  

Bob Harrison tells many stories of his father and aunt working in music retail when he was a child. His aunt, Mary L. Spence, owned a store with her name on it in Plainview, Texas. She was a pioneer in the music industry as well as in business. Bob's father, Nolan, ran her store when Aunt Mary died in 1964. Nolan, Bob, and Bob’s brother soon after moved to Flagstaff, Arizona where they opened and ran Flagstaff Music Center for several decades. Among the most important memories Bob hold dear to his heart are the stories musicians tell of his father’s kindness towards them.

Geraldine Herrera was working at J.C. Penney in Anaheim, California, right out of high school while preparing to attend Fullerton Junior College to pursue her dream of becoming a schoolteacher. While there, a regular customer, Irene Vasquez, encouraged her to take a new job that would raise her pay from sixty-five cents to a full dollar an hour. Geraldine agreed and soon found herself at a workbench winding pickups for a fledgling guitar company called Fender. The year was 1949. She worked part-time and during summers, side by side with the company’s founder, whose workbench was j

Dale Hyatt was hired by Leo Fender while the iconic guitar builder was still a radio repairman in Fullerton, CA. The year was 1948. Dale recalled all of the major landmarks that helped establish the development of the Stratocaster and the birth of rock and roll. Dale remained with Leo as he established The Music Man and with Fender when it was sold to CBS Musical Instruments. Dale worked with Leo and George Fullerton to create G&L Guitars. In fact, Dale retired from G&L, Leo’s last guitar company, six months after Leo’s passing in 1991.  

Roxie Hyatt was married to one of Leo Fender’s early sales representatives, Harold Hyatt. Harold first worked for his brother, Dale, who Leo hired in the late 1940s. After working for Dale for several years, Harold was officially hired as a salesman in 1965 and stayed with the guitar maker until 1985. Roxie was, as she put it, “his girl Friday,” helping to organize his trips and writing his correspondence with music dealers. She even traveled with him on occasion while holding on to her own full-time job, first in the aerospace industry and later with Walmart's Real Estate Divisio

Rob Joly was playing in a surf band in 1966 when Leo Fender hired him to work at a teenage fair. The fair attracted young students and Leo felt the event would be great to introduce his new line of guitars. As a thank you gift for his help, Leo gave Rob a P-Bass! Just a few years later, Rob began working at Jim's Music, now located in Tustin, California. In the early 1970s, the founder, Jim Boggio, sold the store to Rob, who later brought in a partner Rick Meyer. Rob was on hand in 2017 when NAMM's CEO presented Jim's Music with a 50th Year Milestone Award.

Lowell Kiesel, as the founder of the southern California guitar company Carvin, joined the ranks with Leo Fender, Paul A. Bigsby, and the Rickenbacker Company, in establishing the new era of electric guitar. In 1946 he formed L. C. Kiesel Company winding pickups on an old sewing machine.  As the company grew and the product line began to connect with musicians around the world, Lowell changed the name of the company to Carvin, after his sons Carson and Gavin.

Ken King performed in several Country and Western bands in and around Los Angeles beginning in the 1940s. While playing his guitar as a guest on the Spade Cooley television show in late 1949, two fellow musicians in the band (Jimmy Wyble and Cameron Hill) showed Ken the new solid body Fender guitar. “What is a Fender?” he recalls asking at the time and soon found himself traveling down to Fullerton to meet the man behind the name, Leo Fender. Ken ordered himself a Fender - a model Leo called “The Broadcaster” - and within a year Ken received what he believes was the sixth Broadcas

Jeff Lace serves as Vice President of Actodyne General International, known in the music industry as Lace Music Products. Founded in 1979 by his father, Don Lace Sr., the company began in their family garage, initially producing industrial solenoids for computer components.  Recognizing the potential for musical applications, Don Sr. pioneered the development of the Lace Sensor pickup in 1985, introducing a noiseless design that Fender adopted from 1987 to 1996. Jeff and his brother, Don Jr., joined the family business, contributing to innovations like the Alumitone pickup, which

Bob Luly built the first sound system for the Rolling Stones that they used in the United States. The system was created for the Orange Show in the 1960s and led Bill to build systems for the likes of Three Dog Night and Frank Zappa (whom Bill played electric bass for on stage in the early part of Zappa’s career). Bob worked to improve the sound and electronics for live shows and found he had a great interest in designing amplifiers.

David McLaren worked closely with his father, John McLaren Sr., at BBE Sound in Southern California, which purchased G&L Guitars. David fell in love with the G&L story and products, and today serves as President & CEO. His main focus is to continue the legacy of the two founders, George Fullerton and Leo Fender. After Leo sold his first company, named after him, he teamed up with his old friend and guitar designer George Fullerton to create a new product line.

John McLaren Jr. grew up in the music business as his father, John McLaren Sr., served as a strong leader for CBS Musical Instruments, which owned such brands as Steinway pianos and Fender guitars.  His father was also the Senior Vice President for Yamaha Corporation.  John Sr.'s involvement in Fender guitars allowed John Jr. to meet and get to know many of the woodworkers and craftsmen that Leo Fender had hired for his original factory in the 1950s and 60s. When his father purchased Leo’s last company, G&L Guitars, John and his brother, David, vowed to continue the legacy Leo

John McLaren Sr. served as the president of BBE Sound, which develops pro audio gear. The company purchased G&L Guitars and has been dedicated to keeping the spirit of the founders and their ideas and traditions evident in each guitar. G&L was originally formed by George Fullerton and Leo Fender and has become a successful guitar line around the world. In the early part of his career, John worked for Yamaha, which resulted in strong friendships he continues to this day.

 Robert Perine was raised in Los Angeles in a very artsy family.  At the age of six, his father drew his portrait and asked young Bob to do the same.

Don Randall met Leo Fender before World War II when both men worked in radio repairs. After the war they decided to form a business together that would allow Leo to focus on developing a line of guitars. Don’s history of radio amplifiers and his business education made for a perfect match. The Fender Guitar Company began work on a series of electric guitars and Don named all of the products Leo designed. First he named the Broadcaster, then the Telecaster and by the time rock was rolling into popularity Don named the next line of guitars the Stratocaster –perhaps the most popular

Owen Ray recalls his father buying him a ukulele when he was a kid and his passion for string instruments began! Owen played a vital role in the Australian guitar market when he started repairing guitars as his day job while gigging with his band, the Countdowns, at night. While repairing Fender instruments he contacted the factory with ideas of improving designs that would reduce the number of needed repairs.

Herb Remington was the steel guitarist for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboy who built his own line of guitars called Remington Steel.  Among his fascinating history: being long time personal friends with Leo Fender.  For a while, Fender made steel guitars and, in the beginning, Leo would often give Herb instruments to try out while traveling with Bob Wills.  On more than one occasion, when Herb would call Leo after a tour to provide  his feedback, Leo would tell him he had a pile of orders from fans who saw Herb play and wanted a steel guitar of their own!

Bob Rissi was the founder of Risson Amplifier Company, which produces Made-in-America products based on Bob’s own designs.  He began designing amplifiers in 1960 when he was hired by Leo Fender himself.  He later worked at Rickenbacker before forming his own company in 1971.  In addition to his creative innovations in amplifier design, Bob became friends with several industry leaders, such as Fredrick Hall and Leo Fender, who he viewed as personal and professional mentors. 

Van Schipper is a guitar luthier who has enjoyed embracing the roots of his craft. As a student of guitar building, he sought the advice of others with a mind to paying tribute to his great influences such as Leo Fender and Paul A. Bigsby. In his handcrafted artistry, Van has used designs and inlay to provide messages of hope and love in one series of guitars and forgiveness in another. He formed Seven Guitars in the late 1990s in southern California.

Babe Simoni began working for the Fender Guitar Company in 1953. He was a teenager when George Fullerton hired him to work on the factory floor. Babe’s father had worked in the plant just the year before but had suffered a stroke and left the company. Babe worked on nearly every style of guitar the company produced in those early days and he remained on staff until several years after CBS purchased the company. He then followed Leo Fender, who by that time had already established Music Man, where Babe remained until his retirement from the industry in the early 1980s.  

Jim Washburn took on a writing assignment as a journalist for a newspaper about the electric guitar, which led to a series of books and articles that has documented a significant chapter of the music products industry. While writing these stories, Jim was able to meet and interview a long list of instrument makers such as Leo Fender, Doc Kauffman, Seth Lover, and Nat Daniel, the founder of Danelectro. Jim’s publications include The Martin Archives: A Scrapbook of Treasures from the World’s Foremost Acoustic Guitar Maker and Martin Guitars: An Illustrated Celebration of American’s

Curtis White was 11 years old when his father, Forrest White, resigned from Fender Guitar Company. Curtis remembers being devastated and wondering what the family would do since Fender was such a big part of his life. Forrest was one of the early employees of the guitar maker, located in Fullerton, California. He resigned after Leo Fender sold the company to CBS Musical Instruments when he felt the quality was changing. Curtis had nothing to worry about because his father, Leo, and Tom Walker formed the Music Man guitar and amp company three years later. Curtis also recalled memor