Guitar Legends: The Evolution of the Guitar from Fender to G & L

Rating:
Summary: A simple testimonial to a great American inventor
Review: I have to be a little crazy for reviewing a book [at the current sales rank] on Amazon.com’s sales list, but it gives me a chance to thank Amazon.com for stocking these types of books that are usually listed as “out of print” or are otherwise unavailable on other major web bookseller web sites.

The author, George Fullerton, is a long-time friend and associate of the late Leo Fender, the founder and creative genius behind the Fender Musical Instrument Company. Fender is probably the only company that became as famous for its amplifiers as it did for its guitars and basses, and its products had a huge influence on popular music from the 1950s through the present. Whether you have ever heard of Leo Fender or not, you certainly have heard his instruments played by any number of famous guitarists from Buddy Holly through the Ventures, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, and literally thousands more including everyone from heavy metal to western swing artists. Leo Fender sold his company to CBS in 1965 for over $12 million, and later was instrumental in the success of several new companies, including Music Man and G&L -- all of which are still doing very well today. Fender’s success is even more remarkable for the fact that he was not a musician himself, and never played guitar or bass.

This book is about 110 pages, replete with pictures and reminiscences that capture George Fullerton’s long friendship and professional association with Leo Fender. This book is not a “tell all” book or literary masterpiece -- just a simple testimonial to a great American inventor by someone who worked with him closely for over 40 years. I would recommend it to those who already have a good knowledge of Fender’s history and want to learn some additional details of Leo Fender’s life and times. I should warn, however, that without some previous knowledge of Fender, you probably won’t get that much out of it. If you find it interesting to know that Leo had a dog named “Pudgy” and that most of the test guitars in his lab looked like breadboards, then you will appreciate the many facts and anecdotes in this book. It also includes many photographs of early prototypes of Fender’s famous instruments, as well as many other photos and stories about the workers, associates and musicians that supported Fender over the years. The book is written in an informal, gentlemanly and gracious style that takes us from the late 1940’s when Fender founded his company through the establishment of G&L, which stands for George [Fullerton] & Leo, and finally to Fender’s passing in 1991. Fullerton is modest about his own contributions to Fender’s success, although they are significant.

There is really no one single place to find a complete biography of Leo Fender combined with a really thorough history of his company. There are probably half a dozen books that have touched on some aspect of Fender’s history, including John Morrish’s “Fender Amp Book,” Forrest White’s “Fender: The Inside Story” and this book by George Fullerton. But none of them really provide the overall comprehensive picture of Leo Fender and his accomplishments that he deserves as a great American inventor and creative genius. Fender was born in 1909 (in a barn, no kidding) and I am hoping that someone will write a really complete book about his life and accomplishments that could be published on the centennial of his birth in 2009.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating glimpse into history in the making
Review: It is absolutely fascinating to read this first-hand account of the humble beginnings of an invention as incredible as the modern-day electric guitar. Two ordinary guys -- Leo Fender and George Fullerton -- set out in the 1940s to create a "newfangled" guitar, a solid-body electric guitar. Not only did this pair successfully invent their dream guitar, they immediately set up a production line and watched their dream grow and grow. Virtually every popular musician across the generations, from Tennessee Ernie Ford to Bruce Springsteen, has benefited from a Fender guitar. Remarkable true story about human ingenuity and the fruition of dreams!

-- Graciela Sholander...