:)
I used to own and original 66 Fender Duo Sonic and a 65 Music Master and a 76 Hard tail Strat. But they're long since gone.
I used to have a 77 Les Paul Artisan too,but it got stolen.
:0(
Same as this one....
Posted on 07/08/2009 1:26:42 PM PDT by Son House
George Fullerton, a longtime associate of Leo Fender who played a crucial role in the electric-guitar innovator's extraordinary success through his broad-based skills as a musician, artist and technician, has died. He was 86.
Fullerton died Saturday of congestive heart failure at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, said his son Geoff.
While Fender tinkered away, coming up with improvements in guitar design that led to the creation of his revolutionary Telecaster and Stratocaster electric guitars, Fullerton was charged with making those innovations practical for mass production in their Orange County factory that opened in the late 1940s. Nearly 1,000 people were working there when Fender sold it to CBS in 1965.
"Leo's domain was the lab: innovation, getting ideas together on the conceptual level. George's domain was the shop," said Richard Smith, curator of the Leo Fender Gallery at the Fullerton Museum Center and author of "Fender: The Sound Heard Round the World." Fullerton "made the machine that threaded the guitar necks. He came up with the neck shaper and all these unique tools they used. If Leo had problems, [Fullerton] needed to solve them."
George William Fullerton was born March 7, 1923, in Hindsville, Ark. He was one of six children in a family in which "everyone was musical," Geoff Fullerton said. "There was definitely a music gene going on there."
Fullerton moved to Southern California shortly before World War II. He picked up technical skills working in an aircraft manufacturing plant during the war, after which he periodically ran into Fender, who ran a radio repair service and retail store.
Fender had begun making guitars -- originally focusing on steel guitars -- and amplifiers with Doc Kaufman (under the K&F brand), but their partnership ended quickly because of differing ideas about how to run the business.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Check out this tribute to Mr Fullertons creation-—
Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods by the fabulous Bill Kirchen—
click on the track, give it a spin......
http://www.rhapsody.com/bill-kirchen/hammer-of-the-honky-tonk-gods—2007
RIP, George. :-(
One of my most prized possessions, and one of the last things I would ever sell only if I was starving and needed food, is my American-made Stratocaster. I can’t play worth a damn, but I just love the thing.
And if you need to you can "bonk" people off the stage with it knowin' it won't break (it's a musical instrument and a weapon).
I hear ya.
I’ve got two.
an ‘87 and an ‘89.
Not parting with them for any amount.
RIP.
I won’t ever part with my ‘79 Jazz Bass either. Rock On.
The “G” in “G&L” guitars as well (I want an ASAT bass!).
Wonderful stuff.
CBS - the ruined Fender guitars and Rogers drums in the late 60’s / early 70’s .
I have a G&L Legacy that is a spectacular guitar.
Every bit a fine as a Strat.
(But I’d still like to find about a 58-62 Strat.)
I like, how on my G&L, on the headpiece, is the little decal that says: “Guitars by Leo”
“I’ve got two.
an ‘87 and an ‘89.”
....Aha...! A chance to brag about some of my guitars. I have a real 54 tele, a real 57 strat, a real 62 Jazz bass (original Sea Foam Green), a real 68 maple cap strat(black), and a 90’s fretless Jazz bass delux. I also have 6 Stringmasters from the 50’s and 60’s and one real 65 Delux Reverb.....na naa nee nah nah!
I also love my “real” Fender stuff! Rest in peace George! You did a wonderful job.
‘52 Pro Amp
‘56 Pro Amp
‘58 Bassman
‘63 Super (Vibrate-oh! that never ends)
‘64 Vibroverb
‘64 Vibro Champ
‘74 Princeton Reverb
‘91 Deluxe (white, with a ‘60’s Jensen)
‘57 Strat (San Marino Blue! Just like the Eldorados that year!)
2 ‘ 80’s MIJ Telecaster Customs (fabulous guitars! the wood, I think)
Recent Nashville Tele with a Bigsby added.
Recent Baritone Strat (A killer)
So,,, all of these wonderful material possessions that I wouldn’t have unless Leo and George were there to create them! Thanks guys!
RIP George.
I knew I’d forget something! Too much stuff! But a vintage dealer buddy told me “If it says “Fender,” keep it!” I also have a Quad Reverb that was converted to Blackface, in split cabs, running a 15” JBL for my steel guitars.
Oh! And the Stand-alone Reverb! Bet I’m still forgetting something,,,,,,
Even my car plates say “Tele”
oh yeah....I forgot, I also have a fender bass VI. By the way, if you want some really nice fenders, try for those “not for export” MIJ fenders. They are near custom shop quality for one tenth the price plus they are great to beat up on. They make a 65 sunburst strat RI that is outstanding. They also have their own version of Dave Gilmores 54 strat. If you check around enough you can also find some MIJ fenders in some very hard to find custom colors. Ebay is a source but if you google around the Japanese guitar stores you can find some nice stuff. Fender USA has really gone out of their way to block Fender Japan from exports however...........
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