....and they weren't around, which guitar company do you think you would use?
I think I would probably go for PRS

When I went to purchase my first guitar it was going to be a Gibson Les Paul, but I played my Tele and took her home. It would probably have been Gibson, in 1994 at least.

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I don't know >_> Probably Jackson or Gretsch. Of course they're owned by Fender so I guess they count.
Edit: If I could find an older Guild I'd nab that too.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

the same company that I use with Fender around.

Vintage Westerly and Hoboken Guild acoustics and electrics. They make/made every model acous and elec that I need. If I had to I could live with the Guild T-250 instead of a Tele despite the ugly shaped headstock. Guild D40, D50, M20 and F50 acoustics along with the Guild Starfire IV and M75 vintage electrics have all my bases covered.

Otherwise I would play Collings acoustics and electrics.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Gretsch! The only other guitars I play aside form my Fenders are my Gretsches!
ABS

What kind of older Guild were you interested in?

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Maybe a melody maker, or an epi casino.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

Anything from Kmart

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Hey, Boy Blue is back!

I have an older PRS McCarty and I use it when I need a change from my Teles and Strats. So I would have to say PRS as a go to if there was no Fender.

This:

http://www.martynboothguitars.co.uk/gal ... sp?CatID=2

Cheers - C

I play a lot of acoustic so it wouldn't affect me very much as I don't often use Fender for acoustic, and I'd probably use Gretsch for electric.

ESP. i've got my eye on a vyper.

squier

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riley

Back in the 60s and early 70s there weren't as many guitar makers around as there are now so for the single coil sound that I love I would have picked Hagstrom or Vox to get the single coil sound.The Gretsch HiLotrons although single coil had a sound all of the own and the Vox and Hagstrom had the "quack" that we have come to love Fenders for. I would have gone to Gibson SG,Les Paul or Guild S-100 for the humbucker.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

'Had been picking at guitar for over 20 years before purchasing the first Fender.

Gibson and Ibanez (lawsuit copies of Gibsons) before that.