Great Designers. e.g. Leo Fender - he didn't even play them!

[Chiliwailer]

I'm in awe of Mr Fender, not only did he design one master piece but arguable he designed over a dozen.

So how does a radio repair man, who doesn't even play, become the architect of modern music?

For one, not only was he a great designer and visionary, he actually listened to players and what they wanted.

So, in the bass and guitar world, who does it for you? Or what do you think of Leo?

Edited September 2, 2013 by Chiliwailer

[deaky]

Genius pure and simple

[discreet]

Well... as other instruments got ever louder, the acoustic 'dog house' bass just couldn't compete. Leo addressed this issue with the 'small' and 'portable' solid-body bass guitar, which could be amplified to any level. Thus, he (and his associates) allowed 'rock music' to happen. [size=4]For this I will ever be grateful to him, and I sincerely hope he is receiving his reward in heaven. That is all.[/size]

Edited September 2, 2013 by discreet

[risingson]

There are plenty of Fender haters about but for me, I'm completely amazed at Leo Fender's achievements. I must admit to not knowing fully about the back history of Fender, especially in the early days and I think his instruments were as much adapted purely through luck as much as ingenuity and clever marketing, but i won't hold it against him. I've played all kinds of bass guitars, nothing stands up to the designs that Fender as a company put in place. Sonically great (for me, and many others) plus they feel perfect under my hands and fingers. I'll be happy playing Leo Fender's instruments for a long time to come.

[Woodinblack]

I am not a huge fan of fender guitars as items (although i have fretless jazz) but as a part of the history and development of guitars and basses, he and his company had a huge impact.
I assume if he hadn't done what he had done others would have done but that is fairly immaterial, he did and his designs are still going.

[Lorne]

Bernie Rico Snr, a Flamenco guitar player, based in the USA with a Mexican workforce, somehow becomes the god of handmade Heavy Metal instruments, with a workforce that was mainly drunk on tequila????

How did they manage to make a single B.C.Rich?

[chris_b]

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1378158577' post='2196541']
....I'm in awe of Mr Fender, not only did he design one master piece but arguable he designed over a dozen....[/quote]

Don't be confused. Leo Fender wasn't a one man operation. He hired good people.

Fred Tavares and Bill Carson designed most of the Strat and Don Randall named all of the instruments.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1378163667' post='2196637']
....I am not a huge fan of fender guitars....
[/quote]

I am.

Without Leo Fender we'd all be playing Gibson's or, even worse, Rickenbacker's. Nooooooooo!

Leo didn't invent amps or electric guitars or electric basses, but he did invent a production line approach which is the reason his instruments were designed and manufactured in the way they were, and still are today. That was the quantum leap which enabled Rock n Roll to take off and everything that followed.

There are too many myths around Leo Fender but he changed my life so, good on him.

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1378166957' post='2196657']
Don't be confused. Leo Fender wasn't a one man operation. He hired good people.

Fred Tavares and Bill Carson designed most of the Strat and Don Randall named all of the instruments.
[/quote]

Confussed? I did write that he listened to musicians and that he 'arguably' designed a dozen more (after the Tele which started it all). Every ship needs a Captain and source of inspiration, no? You guys are right, Bill Carson, Don Randall, Fred Travers, George Fullerton etc played a huge role and are as much to praise. Leo got the gang together, started a vision and i respect that too.

Your post read as very condescending, escpecially the confussed part, Is there really any need for it?

It's not that I'm sensitive. I'm purely astonished that so many people disrespect each other on this site when actually we all have the same love of basses and the right to an opinion, and for that opinion to be discussed [u]respectfully[/u]

I must be old school.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Chiliwailer

[Grangur]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1378168666' post='2196662']
I am.

Without Leo Fender we'd all be playing Gibson's or, even worse, Rickenbacker's. Nooooooooo!

Leo didn't invent amps or electric guitars or electric basses, but he did invent a production line approach which is the reason his instruments were designed and manufactured in the way they were, and still are today. That was the quantum leap which enabled Rock n Roll to take off and everything that followed.

There are too many myths around Leo Fender but he changed my life so, good on him.
[/quote]

Sorry, Leo Fender didn't "invent" the production line. He may have instructed others to install one.

Henry Ford invented the production line for the manufacture of the Model T Ford car.

Fender did, i believe invent the bridge as we know it.
Fender also achieved something in bringing to the market cheap, affordable instruments for the mass market. It's the drive for cheapness that meant the had to use a production line method of manufacture.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Ned Steinberger.
Furniture designer IIRC.
Obviously with a taste for minimalism, but that transferred well into bass design.
The NS uprights are well designed, and the new Radius series look good too.
Didn't he also design the Spector body shape- also used by Warwick in the form of the Streamer?

[ead]

There are plenty of examples throughout industry of talented people spotting a good opportunity that had either been overlooked or ignored by others and just persevering with it. Clearly LF hit the jackpot with an industry that was pretty much starting out and a revolutionary approach to the problem as well as listening to his potential customers. I think it helped enormously that he was able to do the amps as well as the basses, and he clearly had an eye for marketing strategy too.

For me what is more interesting is that there are far fewer examples of innovators that didn't then evolve the design within the business. I wonder what Fender could have become if the Musicman and G&L basses had all been designed and developed within Fender world?

Edited September 3, 2013 by ead

[Mykesbass]

Jim Marshall - like many with Fender, I'm not a huge fan of his products but, like Leo, he certainly helped the development of rock music.

[neepheid]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1378168666' post='2196662']
Without Leo Fender we'd all be playing Gibson's or, even worse, Rickenbacker's. Nooooooooo!
[/quote]

Heh.

However, if there was nothing to fight against/compete with then there's no way that Gibson would have gone completely mad in the 70s and 80s and produced some of my favourite basses if they didn't have to (i.e. if Thunderbirds were the #1 best selling bass in the world). So, thanks Leo et al.

[Ou7shined]

I'm sure if Leo had his way we'd all be playing G&L's instead of his early prototypes. It just people wanting to emulate their heros that keeps the F brand alive. How many people out there cite the P bass as being the ultimate weapon yet have never seen an L-1000 let alone heard or played one?

[discreet]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1378201138' post='2196841']
How many people out there cite the P bass as being the ultimate weapon yet have never seen an L-1000 let alone heard or played one?
[/quote]

I do, and I haven't. I suppose the P is just so ubiquitous. You don't have to think about it. You can always get your hands on one. You know what it's going to play like and sound like. It's easy and comfortable. You can pull her on like an old sea boot. Or something.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1378201374' post='2196847']


I do, and I haven't. I suppose the P is just so ubiquitous. You don't have to think about it. You can always get your hands on one. You know what it's going to play like and sound like. It's easy and comfortable. You can pull her on like an old sea boot. Or something.
[/quote]
Well I thoroughly recommended you try one. You may end up eating that old sea boot.

[andydye]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1378201604' post='2196851']
Well I thoroughly recommended you try one. You may end up eating that old sea boot.
[/quote]

It's a shame they're not a current production model isn't it

Does anyone build a replica/reissue of them?

Edited September 3, 2013 by andydye

[Dr M]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1378189715' post='2196689']
Sorry, Leo Fender didn't "invent" the production line. He may have instructed others to install one.

Henry Ford invented the production line for the manufacture of the Model T Ford car.

Fender did, i believe invent the bridge as we know it.
Fender also achieved something in bringing to the market cheap, affordable instruments for the mass market. It's the drive for cheapness that meant the had to use a production line method of manufacture.
[/quote]

If we're going to be picky, Henry Ford didn't invent the production line either.

He was one of the first to successfully implement an [i]assembly[/i] line, but the concept of an assembly line is actually quite a bit older.

[discreet]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1378201604' post='2196851']
You may end up eating that old sea boot.
[/quote]

'Eating the old sea boot'. I shall use that as a euphemism from now on.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1378202058' post='2196860']
It's a shame they're not a current production model isn't it
[/quote]

Yep. And old ones are increasingly hard to come by now. Although there are ways around it - the L-2000 is close and can be modified in the right direction. I have a '80 L-1000 in my collection and use it as inspiration to build a bit of Wunkay into all my own personal use basses.
My latest present to myself is letting everything else I gig or noodle with just gather dust. It's not even finished yet but I've gigged it twice now.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1378202713' post='2196871']
'Eating the old sea boot'. I shall use that as a euphemism from now on.
[/quote]

[andydye]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1378203203' post='2196875']
Yep. And old ones are increasingly hard to come by now. Although there are ways around it - [b]the L-2000 is close and can be modified in the right direction[/b].
I have a '80 L-1000 in my collection and use it as inspiration to build a bit of Wunkay into all my own personal use basses.
My latest present to myself is letting everything else I gig or noodle with just gather dust. It's not even finished yet but I've gigged it twice now.

[/quote]

Nice 'bass on sofa with puss' type shot matey!

The L2000 can be modded to do the L1000? Is one of the pups in roughly the right place then? Keep one pup, rip out the electrics and go passive? ...interesting

Edited September 3, 2013 by andydye

[discreet]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1378203203' post='2196875']

[/quote]

Well I have to say that I like the look of that very much, Rich!

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1378203472' post='2196879']
Nice 'bass on sofa with puss' type shot matey!

The L2000 can be modded to do the L1000? Is one of the pups in roughly the right place then? Keep one pup, rip out the electrics and go passive? ...interesting
[/quote]

Yep spot on.
The neck pup is give or take a mil pretty much in the same spot as the wunkay. Me and Neepheid compared our respective G&Ls. I wish we'd done pics now.

And ta.