“Fender rocks a high note”
(The brand “that started it all” is still the buzz today at its guitar factory and visitors center in Southern California)
It all began way back in 1938.
Leo Fender, the founder of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) – or simply Fender as it is more commonly known – was then an unemployed accountant with a self-taught know-how for electronics. So, on borrowed money and big dreams, he and his wife Esther returned to Fullerton, California, from San Luis Obispo to open a radio repair shop, “Fender Radio Service.” And what started as a struggling regional upstart in the heart of Southern California flourished into the world’s leading guitar manufacturer – one whose name has become synonymous with all things rock and roll. Leo expanded his business, founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company in 1946 (which later became the name it carries today), and the rest is music history (About Fender).
So, what is it about this once modest music-making manufacturer that still drives the instrument industry today? Why has it so dominated the guitar world since its inception? And how does it continue to command the loyalty of the world’s biggest musical performers? The answers can be found, in part, by visiting FMIC’s Visitor Center and Guitar Factory in Corona, California – Fender’s only manufacturing facility in the United States for its electric products. This author recently took a trip there to see if the hype was real, much to the delight of two teenage sons who clamored – even begged – for the opportunity to join the journey (and a wife just as excited for the chance to spend time with her guys, well, being guys).
Our road trip took us just under two hours from our home in the high desert to Fender’s facility in Corona. In the time it took to get there, our vehicle was filled with excited conversation about what to expect upon arrival. Spontaneous competition erupted as we took turns naming previous and current musical artists touting the Fender brand: Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Beach Boys, Rick Springfield, Jimi Hendrix, and so on. Of
course, no conversation about Fender is conducted without discussing the images it invokes, and ours was no exception; we gushed about the big-band and rock atmospheres created by Fender’s product line (much to the chagrin of my wife’s conservative sensibilities), and babbled in nearly incoherent fashion about our fantasies of headlining for sold-out crowds in a packed arena somewhere. Just as our fervor reached a fever pitch, we had arrived.
The Fender Visitors Center and Factory is located in a non-descript neighborhood of industrial offices and warehouses typical of manufacturing organizations: a series of rail lines border the rear of the facility, and the factory is situated in the immediate vicinity of major highway thoroughfares. It is a two-building complex separated by a modest parking lot. The whitewashed stucco exteriors and time-worn concrete walkways actually prompted a moment of skeptical hesitation as we headed toward the Visitors Center entrance.
Once inside, we were met by the folks at the information desk, where we paid our entrance fees for the factory tour ($6 for children under the age of 18, $10 for the adults) and signed into an electronic registration logbook. We were then given wristbands to wear (noting our “paid-for-the-tour” status), and the place was ours for the browsing. The walkway into the main center gallery was a corridor flanked by exhibits of Fender’s earliest big names: The Beach Boys on one side and Buddy Holly on the other. The main gallery space was filled with retail products: clothing, artwork, books, souvenir gadgets, and a plethora of guitar accessories. Also found on the floor were several free-standing exhibits in tribute to Fender’s A-list of current and former musical artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Brad Paisley, and Curt Cobain among others. Just as was the case when the Visitors Center first opened in September 2011, casual observer and ardent fan alike are drawn into the aura that is Fender: a classic American product that has become a household name, and has endeared itself into the hearts of guitar-playing enthusiasts around the world (Lewis).
The real attraction of the Visitors Center hung on its
walls: lining the gallery were Fender’s complete guitar model collections from across the decades. Starting with its 1951 Telecaster and 1951 Precision Bass, to the 1954 Stratocaster and 1964 Mustang, and production models created since, every series was on display: American Vintage, American Deluxe, American Standard, American Special, Classic, Classic Player, Road Worn, Blacktop, Deluxe, Standard, Pawn Shop, and Fender Select. Music lovers of all genres could appreciate the history of the industry’s iconic guitar maker by looking at the descriptive information plates accompanying each series, as well as the fascinating “music in action” photos of performers through the decades using Fender products. As indicated on attraction review sites, it is no wonder that this place is the talk of guitar enthusiasts around the world. Remarked one tourist after is visit, “This is a guitar player’s heaven.” (Fender).
Just as our wandering was complete, a voice announced through the center’s public address system that it was time for the factory tour. We hustled over to the group staging area, eager for a visit to what was clearly the main draw of the complex. Safety goggles were passed out, as were audio sets and headphones. Then, after introductory instructions, we were off. A “yellow highway” marked our trail as we ventured into the voluminous factory, clanging and chirping with the sounds of guitar production. Once inside, we were given a brief overview of the Fender factory. As our tour guide David Brown explained to us, the factory occupies about 170,000 square feet of manufacturing space (equivalent to nearly five acres of land), and employs 350 workers through two 8-hour shifts each workday. This facility produces 400 guitars a day, incorporating over 200 parts per guitar assembled (all manufactured here). The production process takes four weeks; of that time, two weeks are used just for curing/drying (a process whereby the guitars have their sealants, lacquers and paint applied) (Brown).
Once inside, the tour took on a heady, frenetic pace. In step-by-step order, we were led around every part of the factory floor to see the production process in action. Our first stop was the Metal Shop, where all the hardware for Fender’s guitars is produced: pickup mounts, pick guards, fret casings, control knobs, and the like. It is a rather mechanical operation, set up in
assembly line style, and the workers appear as though they are part of the fixtures in the automated way the go about their business. But it is an extremely efficient operation; for example, 800-1000 pick guards are produced in a single day here.
The next stop was an area known as the Transfer Department, where all the parts and pieces of Fender’s products are brought before being sent throughout the factory. It is here that every guitar component is inventoried, labeled, serialized, and sent to its assembly location. Employees in this area are very meticulous in their work, surveying all items thoroughly before dropping them into bins or placing them onto carts for delivery elsewhere.
We headed into the Wood Shop next. This is where the sense of guitar production really comes to life; guitar bodies of all shapes lined the walkways as workers cut, processed, and sorted wood blocks with vast machinery. The Wood Shop is actually divided into two spaces: the cutting room, where all guitars bodies are created; and the sanding room, where all finishing takes place before painting and assembly is conducted. The business of the cutting room is a very artistic process to watch: planks of ash and alderwood are sifted through by automated “wood pickers” before pieces are pulled out and placed into various guitar-creating contraptions. Workers guided machines as they chiseled, chopped, and sliced the next Telecaster or Jazz Bass guitar body. Also in the room were stations devoted to the creation of guitar necks, made from a few pre-selected varieties of maple. The smell of freshly-burnt lumber filled the air as onlookers peered into machine spaces for a peek at the processes. Over in the sanding room, three rows of employees worked newly-produced guitar bodies across sanding wheels of varying sizes. For all the automation that goes into the manufacturing process, every single guitar that Fender makes is sanded by hand; this section of the plant employs about forty workers whose sole job is smoothing and buffing each guitar body into one of several patented Fender shapes.
Our stop at the Paint Shop was just as well-received, as it included a
“walk-through” look at painting in progress. Here, also, workers honed their craft by hand, applying specially-formulated lacquers to guitar bodies. Some work is fairly intricate: up to seven layers of paint are applied depending on the intended design and finish of a particular guitar, including the iconic Tobacco Sunburst three-color look Fender is most known for.
Just as soon as our tour started, it was quickly over. A full 60 minutes in length, it fulfilled the interest and curiosity of all who attended. Not one person in our group of 25 – comprised of corporate executives on lunch break, elderly attendees enjoying a day away from retirement leisure, and schoolchildren out on field trips – was left unsatisfied. From the detailed attention to product quality, to the obsessive craftsmanship applied through every component of the guitar build, it is no wonder that the Fender brand continues to be the most sought-after in the music market. And why Fender receives such a loyal (and large) client base is obvious: its devotion to producing a truly superior musical instrument. One troubling question remains unresolved, though: how do I convince my wife to let me work here?
