The thing is, Leo did the RIGHT things. That’s the key.
Yep, that is the key.
My Uncle Joe had a guitar Academy in San Leandro California any ran that thing successfully from the early-50s to the late-60s. He often talked about Leo Fender and their big franchise engagement all up and down the west coast and the academic music seeing going on with competitions and what not. Uncle Joe used to tell me he’d go down to Fullerton California and visit the factory two or three times a year get the latest and greatest from the guys and the gals and he was pretty good friends with most of the staff, including Leo. He had some really nice things to say about Leo. Those are the halcyon days of Fender and the sales staff and the franchising staff were on the ball and work very hard to bring Fender products to Young Musicians who could not afford gear otherwise.
Uncle Joe also mentioned that Fender products always included cases, guitars and electric basses that is. It was unscrupulous guitar shop owners who started charging for the cases separately. but Uncle Joe stated that he never did that because he was more interested in putting good gear in the hands of his students.