I guess mine were more in-store poster ads instead of the magazine ads. The Fairy Tales with the stories at the bottom...those are repros of the magazine ads, right?

Anyone happen to read that?

"Don't be surprised if there's a 2001 AD Telecaster."

I lol'd, cause there actually is one.

Yes, thousands of them, actually. Hilarious.

Lawrence Welk's guitarist Buddy Merrill was one of Fender's early "artists: Buddy played a Stratocaster. When Buddy was drafted, Neil LeVang took over the seat. By then, the Jazzmaster had been marketed. That was the instrument Neil played on the TV broadcasts. When Buddy returned from service, both were retained, and each played their respective instruments. Neil was often seen playing acoustic as well.

As you observed, there was an intensive push for the higher end instrument. It finally found it's niche, but has never been as popular or as well acclaimed as the Strat, even to have received an industrial design award for achievement in the 20th century. Quite a feather in the cap of the three principals involved in bringing it to realization.

I didn't want to part with mine, either!

Doc

Love that sign in the background!