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I'll agree to your Hank Marvin view, but you'll agree that very few big name
music stars from Europe played Strats. Sure, a lot of Shadows fans wanted
them, but even Clapton played a Telecaster during his time in the Yardbirds
(roughly 62-64) before switching to the Les Paul of his Bluesbreakers days.
The Ventures had played a Strat, but as you said - the only landslide it had
up until Hendrix was Marvin and his fiesta red Strat. If memory serves,
wasnt his accquiring the famous red one a 'take what you can get' story? If
anyone knows the details, please share them!
Fenders were cheapo's compared to Gibsons, which were 'the' guitar of the
time, followed by Gretsch, made popular by Chet Atkins, which begat Eddie
Cochran and Duane Eddy using them. Fenders were used by a scant few jazz
musicians, like Jim Fox. Most people dabbled with them, particularly the
Jazzmaster - such as Gibson stalwarts like Lonnie Mack (owner of serial # 7
Flying V which he still plays), but the Stratocaster was a fairly
low-on-the-totempole guitar, whos only 'stars' up till then were Buddy Holly
and Richie Valens. The Telecaster had gotten off to a great start with Jimmy
Bryant, but it too was a fairly low brow guitar until Don Rich and Buck
Owens made them country de facto. I still think Fenders being more popular
with these landmark musicians then say a Gibson (versus someone in say New
York or Europe) were their locale - Leo Fender took his new invention to the
man around town in LA who happened to be Jimmy Bryant, and Jimmy wouldnt
give it back... Buck and Don were in Bakersfield (after coming out of
Seattle, amazingly, as well as Nokie Edwards who was Buck's leadman before
Don!) and of course the whole surf scene (all over SoCal). I agree whole
heartedly they were considerably more expensive than Teisco Del Reys or
Silvertones, but compared to the big name guitars - Gretsch, Gibson, Guild,
etc - they were the low end of that scale.
As for the cementing of the popularity, no doubt about your opinion there,
you're dead on. It's popularity did wane with the 70's again, until SRV came
out in '83. In one fell swoop, he not only brought the Fender sound back to
prominence, but drove the vintage guitar market through the roof! The time
of 85-87 when blues-rock staged a comeback was the last time the real Fender
sound had a foothold on the airwaves. Even the grunge explosion didnt do it,
since most of those fucktards pulled out the Fender pickups and taped in
humbuckers. Oh the humanity!
Fender has always done well in my book offering the bargain basement rigs as
well as the top shelf stuff (Squier to Custom Shop). As far as my opinion of
them being bargain basement in 1962, I base that on what I was told by
guitarists who were regulars in music stores around that time. (in the
CIncinnati and Toledo markets, not SoCal). I guess like everything, location
has everything to do with perception.
Robb
----- Original Message -----
From: "IVAN PONGRACIC" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2002 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [SurfGuitar101] a not so fantasticlly amazing start... ugh
> On Fri, 26 Apr 2002, Robb Lowe wrote:
>
> > As for rich kids and Fenders - it's hard to believe today, but in the
early
> > 60's, Fenders were one of the cheaper instruments, with the Strat and
Tele's
> > being on the low end of the spectrum. They were not 'rich' kid toys till
the
> > CBS era. Fenders were primarily regional, i.e. - Southern Californian -
> > birthplace of Surf, home of Fender. They didnt take over the world till
> > Hendrix took a hankerin to one...
>
> I must strongly disagree here. It's funny you mention 'hankerin'", cause
> Stratocasters were EXTREMELY popular in Europe from '60-'64 or so, due to
> one reason - Hank Marvin of the Shadows and his Fiesta Red Strat. Europe
> was flooded with red Strats because of this reason. They fell out of
> favor from '64 to '67, cause everybody wanted semi-hollow electrics, like
> the Beatles and other beat groups played (Gretsches, Ricks, Epiphones,
> etc.). Hendrix did bring back the interest, and then Clapton solidified
> it. But it started with Hank.
>
> I must also disagree with your statement that Fenders were one of the
> cheaper instruments. Adjusted for inflation, (US-made) Fenders cost
> about the same then as they do today, which means around a $1000 mark,
> which is certainly NOT one of the cheaper instruments. I believe the
> Gibsons (like today) were more expensive, but Gretsches were
> comparable. The other companies, like the various Japanese, Italian,
> German guitars were considerably cheaper than Fenders. Fenders definitely
> WERE for the rich kids.
>
> Ivan
