Fender (company)

The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of musical instruments best known for its role in popularizing solid-body electric guitars and basses and their associated amplifiers. Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender founded his namesake company in Fullerton, California in 1946 after parting ways with former business partner Doc Kauffman to pursue designing and manufacturing electric guitars and amplifiers. Fender had early successes with amps like the Deluxe and Princeton, which were followed by the industry's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar and bass, the Telecaster and Precision Bass, respectively. The influential Stratocaster followed, as did the Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars and Jazz Bass. Other notable amplifiers released by Fender include the Bassman, Twin, and Vibrasonic. Leo Fender sold his company in 1965 and it has since changed ownership multiple times. Many influential guitarists and bassists are closely associated with Fender's instruments, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Kurt Cobain. Fender also manufactures acoustic and classical guitars, as well as ukuleles, and owns a number of subsidiary companies like Squier, Charvel, Gretsch, and Jackson.