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EXPLAINED: 2 - The Real Truth

“It may be a cliché, but let’s say it anyway: Jimi Hendrix didn’t do too badly with CBS Fenders”: Fender’s CBS era is often associated with the company losing its reputation for quality – but is that view still justified?

Fender’s CBS era is often boiled down to an equation of ‘corporate drive for profit and quantity = lowering of build standards,’ but like many things in life, it's not so simple

Guitar World

“One of the most visionary and influential bassists in the history of our instrument”: Anthony Jackson, low-end legend who pioneered the concept of the modern six-string bass, dies aged 73

Al Di Meola has led the tributes to a session icon who took the instrument to new frontiers

Guitar World

"Rest in Power": Anthony Jackson, six-string bass ace, dies aged 73

Jackson played for stars across the jazz-fusion-pop spectrum, including Buddy Rich, Al Di Meola, Madonna, Chaka Khan, Roberta Flack and more

MusicRadar

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“Leo was somewhat disgusted that he played an indirect role in the newfangled radical and rambunctious sounds that were taking over radio airwaves”: How the Fender Jazzmaster became the one offset to rule them all – even if no one really used it for jazz

Joe Pass was one of the few jazz cats who used the Jazzmaster for what it was designed for. But that didn't stop it being a sleeper hit for Fender, and a future classic

Guitar World

“If Leo Fender had released a Jazz Bass like this back in the ‘60s, it would have changed the entire history of popular music”: The inside story of Adrian Younge’s half-fretless, fuzz-loaded Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass

Having collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan and Kendrick Lamar, Younge joined forces with Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt to recreate his favourite bass sound

Guitar World

“The big thing was the neck shape that Clapton wanted. We made about a dozen neck samples for him to play”: From Slowhand’s Strat to “tongue-in-cheek” relics, this is the hidden history of the Fender Custom Shop

Fender’s Custom Shop had a precarious start in the mid-1980s, but the story of its formative years is full of big ideas, some bizarre instruments, and a queue of famous guitarists

Guitar World

“I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me. We wound up plugging the guitar straight into the board. That’s why it’s such a clean tone on that track”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song

"For some reason the guitar wasn’t working through the amp," Gibbons recalled

MusicRadar

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“I of course fully endorse ANY mods done to any of my designs, let alone from the great Hammett”: Kirk Hammett orders up custom Thinline version of Jack White’s Fender Triplecaster – and gets one for White, too

Jack White's been giving out his Triplecaster to all and sundry and now Hammett returns the favour, with a "cool mod" that White hopes will duly upset Telecaster purists

MusicRadar

“Sleep Token are big fans of what we did, and they’re the biggest rock band in the world right now. That means a lot”: From Oceansize to Biffy Clyro and now Cardiacs, Mike Vennart is one of the UK’s greatest under-the-radar guitar talents

With a style somewhere between shred, Slayer and Pavement, Mike Vennart has headlined some of the world’s biggest festivals, played with Dave Lombardo, and now he’s fronting his all-time favorite band. He attempts to make sense of the many twists and turns in his career

Guitar World

Rolling Stones guitarist has an axe to grind over Met museum’s Gibson Les Paul

Instrument is believed to have been among nine guitars stolen from the band’s villa in France back in 1971

The Independent UK

“This is the way Leo would be building guitars if he were still alive. In our eyes, G&L is more ‘Fender’ than Fender actually is”: How G&L Guitars is carrying on the legacy of Leo Fender

G&L director of sales Steve Araujo on the other brand that Leo Fender built, and the innovations that have made it a favorite of A-list pros such as Jerry Cantrell

Guitar World

“I said, ‘Ted, you can see inside the horn, it's got a maple cap.’ He goes, ‘Shut up’”: Paul Reed Smith says early Les Pauls were all Goldtops to hide a tonal breakthrough from Leo Fender

The PRS Guitars founder answers the million dollar question: why were all the early Gibson Les Pauls Goldtops?

Guitar World

“Korea is one of the most dynamic and exciting music markets in the world”: Fender expands its presence in Asia with the establishment of Fender Music Korea – is a retail store coming next?

Headed up by Jack Kim, FMK will exclusively distribute Fender, Squier, Jackson, Charvel, EVH and Gretsch guitars in Korea. CEO Andy Mooney says move strengthens the Big F’s global presence

Guitar World

“Some believe the slab ’boards have a different tone to veneer ’boards, but others think it’s more of a visual thing”: Everything you need to know about pre-CBS Stratocasters – the holy grail of vintage Fender guitars

Steve Hove of ATB Guitars presents us with five Strats from Fender's golden era and details their specs, the model's evolution, and the market dynamics behind their astronomical price

Guitar World

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Guitar World

Black Sabbath! The final interview with Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – all yours in the new Guitar World

Plus interviews with Jake E. Lee, Adam Jones, Creed Bratton from The Office, the guys from Goose, former Jethro Tull man Martin Barre, K.K. Downing, Zakk Wylde, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, Lzzy Hale, Billy Duffy, Robben Ford and more

MusicRadar

“Robbie came to us in 2022 with an idea... His favourite guitar was the 1953 Esquire he used for many years with Paul McCartney”: Robbie McIntosh and Monty’s unveil pickup set offering best of both worlds for Tele and Esquire fans

The Pretender is the upgrade that can give your Telecaster a new lease of life – and the “vibe” and sound of McIntosh's Esquire

Guitar World

“I didn’t think anybody would believe I got it from George Harrison. I figured they’d call me a liar”: Vintage guitar guru Norman Harris names the 5 most memorable guitars that have come through Norman's Rare Guitars

As owner/operator of Norman's Rare Guitars, Harris has seen some guitars in his time. This five, featuring a John Fogerty Ricky and a Gretsch owned by a Beatle, are the ones that stick in his mind

Guitar World

“Leo said, ‘Here, try this guitar.’ I grabbed it, turned it around, held it upside-down backwards and started playing ukulele chords. He almost fell off his chair laughing”: How Dick Dale made the Stratocaster the ultimate surf-rock weapon

The surf guitar king was not only a Fender man to his bones – he had a close working relationship with Leo Fender himself

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Guitar World

“The most in-demand mods straight from the factory”: Fender’s elevated Player II Modified line brings the firm’s most sought-after guitar upgrades to the masses

Speedy satin necks, upgraded pickups, expansive electronics and Floyd Rose tremolos headline the drop, which lifts the humble Player II line to new heights

Guitar World

“It's the most significant development in the last 50 years. Everything else has just been a little tweak on something Leo Fender or Les Paul did”: Once Allan Holdsworth picked up a headless Steinberger, there was no turning back

Though he'd also later work with Carvin, Holdsworth remained a headless guitar devotee for the rest of his life, telling Guitar World in an interview just days before his death, “Once you play a headless guitar, you’ll never want to play a regular guitar again”

Guitar World

“The six-string bass guitar was a dream – if Leo Fender could come back today I think he would approve”: 10 6-string bassists you need to know

From John Myung to Felix Pastorius to Thundercat, we follow their historic quest for the ultimate extended-range axe

Guitar World

“The Strat is the most versatile electric guitar that there is; but the Les Paul is a perfect instrument”: Sting guitarist Dominic Miller weighs in on the Strat vs. Les Paul debate – says the Strat loses despite being a more versatile instrument

It’s a debate that has raged for decades, and Sting’s six-string foil has some interesting arguments

Guitar World

“I said, ‘Mr. Fender, I’m Dick Dale. I’m a surfer and I have no money. Can you help me?’ He looked at me and said, ‘Here, try this guitar’”: How Dick Dale made the Stratocaster the ultimate surf-rock weapon

The surf guitar king was not only a Fender man to his bones – he had a close working relationship with Leo Fender himself

Guitar World

“We’ve painstakingly restored Les Paul’s original gear”: The Les Paul Recording Studio opens in Hollywood – bringing the innovator’s revolutionary gear to a whole new generation of musicians

Aside from his work revolutionizing the electric guitar, Les Paul helped modernize recording methods, and this new studio honors his legacy with the gear he built

Guitar World

“In many ways, this amp is far more versatile than its tube counterpart”: Fender Tone Master ’59 Bassman review

Fender attempts the incredible feat of replicating the historic Bassman with a digital heart in its latest addition to the Tone Master series

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