It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:48 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 43 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:55 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 12:45 pm
Posts: 1169
never learned to play guitar and never took an electronics course.

_________________
In my opinion Leo Fender had essentially perfected the guitar amplifier by 1964.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:00 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:50 am
Posts: 1399
Funny what geniuses get away with. He had integrity. It used to be important to Americans. There is still a good pool if it amongst 'commoners'. Once we get to corporate boardrooms, integrity is now a bastard child black sheep. Maximum profit is the is the wunderkind now. :evil:

Leo had every right to sell Fender. He did his good deed. A big corpseration has manufacturing capabilities that would allow for Leo's inspired creations to reach more players. What the ensuing corpserations did is just what they do. Suck as much blood out of a body as possible but, keep it just vital enough for sale.

His genius is now being pursued by a new generation of DIY'ers following his designs and producing the quality, perhaps better, that Leo intended.

We have FMIC to thank for this awakening. That is not sarcasm, BTW.

_________________
I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:11 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
It does lend a bit of perspective though .... of the kind I prefer.

All those "traditional tone" and "traditional configuration" comments you've seen over the years about "how Leo intended" and such. Leo was an inventor and a businessman, pure and simple. He saw areas in his designs that could be improved so he improved on them and made them better. That why I don't get hung up on "vintage style" anything ... just like Leo intended.
:wink: :wink:

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:23 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
BMW-KTM wrote:
All those "traditional tone" and "traditional configuration" comments you've seen over the years about "how Leo intended" and such. Leo was an inventor and a businessman, pure and simple. He saw areas in his designs that could be improved so he improved on them and made them better. That why I don't get hung up on "vintage style" anything ... just like Leo intended.


Which of his legendary amp designs did Leo ever "improve" upon?

Certainly not the AB763 amp circuits which remain to this day as the paradigm of pure Fender tone.

The sole contribution that Leo made to the company that continued to bear his name after he sold it was the bullet truss-rod adjustment and the three-screw neck which FMI adopted for several guitar and bass models and even then, FMI managed to hose that up by shoddy execution.

Sorry Doc, but your statement is ample grounds for a malpractice suit.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:32 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
I was referring to the Strat and the Tele.
I tend to agree there wasn't very much to improve upon with his amp designs but he did change a few things on the guitars.

I'm always confused, actually, by how the general public views Fender gear. In my view the older amps were amazing but people like the newer designs better. In my view there have been many improvements on the guitars over the years but people keep choosing the vintage style stuff. It baffles me but I guess if we were all the same life would be boring.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:34 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 12:45 pm
Posts: 1169
Retroverbial wrote:

Which of his legendary amp designs did Leo ever "improve" upon?

Certainly not the AB763 amp circuits which remain to this day as the paradigm of pure Fender tone.

The sole contribution that Leo made to the company that continued to bear his name after he sold it was the bullet truss-rod adjustment and the three-screw neck which FMI adopted for several guitar and bass models and even then, FMI managed to hose that up by shoddy execution.

Sorry Doc, but your statement is ample grounds for a malpractice suit.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

Maybe the AB763 was an improvement on the AA763? :P

_________________
In my opinion Leo Fender had essentially perfected the guitar amplifier by 1964.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:41 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
My assertion refers to hypothetical developments subsequent to the AB763 amps. Simply put, there weren't any. At least not by Leo Fender's hand. And not a one of those can be credibly regarded as an "improvement".

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:44 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
I tend to agree but when it comes to the guitars I happen to prefer the newer versions. I like the sealed tuners and the medium-jumbo frets and the 5-way switch and the two-point trem and the CNC machined consistency of the wooden bits.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:10 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
I begrudgingly have to agree that Leo stepped on his dick regarding the 5-way switch. You know how stubborn some of those Slavic folks can be......

(sorta like me)

:mrgreen:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:10 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
BMW-KTM wrote:
I was referring to the Strat and the Tele.
I tend to agree there wasn't very much to improve upon with his amp designs but he did change a few things on the guitars.

I'm always confused, actually, by how the general public views Fender gear. In my view the older amps were amazing but people like the newer designs better. In my view there have been many improvements on the guitars over the years but people keep choosing the vintage style stuff. It baffles me but I guess if we were all the same life would be boring.


BMW-KTM...I am not so sure any real improvements have been made to either the Strat or the Tele. Some might say the two point bridge, but I along with many others might disagree. The Tele? Nope, no improvements there either. Those two basic designs Leo got right first time out! IMHO.

As for the view general public liking the new designs, I think it is just that, the newest, bestest thing out there, but they usually wise up over time and end up back in Fenderland!

:mrgreen:

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:13 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
Retroverbial wrote:
I begrudgingly have to agree that Leo stepped on his dick regarding the 5-way switch. You know how stubborn some of those Slavic folks can be......

(sorta like me)

:mrgreen:

Arjay


Arjay...I gotta disagree! (Although I will agree you can be stubborn :wink: ) Leo always said there was no five way switch that would fit into the guitar back in the day.

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:22 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. In 2000 both the Tele and the Strat (MIA) started to come with "rolled edge" fingerboards. It was a noticeable improvement, IMNSHO.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:00 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
And what does "rolling the edges" of a fretboard do?

It simulates years and years of play, hardly anything that could rightfully be regarded as novel or revolutionary. Merely fine-tuning of an already-fine instrument design. Any competent luthier could perform such a service and have been doing so ever since the advent of the modern-era electric guitar.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:54 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
And now you don't have to take your guitar to a luthier. Fender has done it for you.
Easy peasy.
Better.
Improved.


As for natural wear and tear, I might rub the finish off a guitar neck with my hands after 50 years of play. The thought of my hands removing wood and fret material however, gives me pause. Particularly when done uniformly along the neck. What I see when I look at heavily used vintage Strats on eBay are necks with the finish almost completely worn through. Sometimes I see necks where the wood has shrunk a tad leaving proud fret ends. Rolled edges, not so much.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Clarence Leonidas Fender
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:23 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
BMW-KTM wrote:
And now you don't have to take your guitar to a luthier. Fender has done it for you.


Perhaps so.

But Leo Fender had nothing to do with this now, did he?

Which was the OP's original intent of this thread.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 43 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: jmallard and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: