Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970

by Paul Kelly, Martin Kelly, Terry Foster

The Stratocaster. The Telecaster. During the quarter-century following World War II, Fender guitars didn't just make music. They made musical history. Those spectacular years are remembered and celebrated in this definitive new book, which tells the story of the Fender company and the wondrous instruments it created. Featuring 250 photographs of Fender guitars-including some extremely rare guitars in private collections-as well as the largest collection of Fender advertising ever assembled, this gorgeously designed volume is a comprehensive account of Fender's golden age. It will be irresistible to anyone interested in guitars, rock 'n' roll, or mid-century American collectibles and ephemera. Like the guitars it documents, the book simply brings down the house.

Genres: Music, Coffee Table Books, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Matt]

This is one of those unusually well done coffee table books that is both visually perfect, and textually interesting and well-written. I love vintage guitars and felt like I knew a lot about the Fender story, but I enjoyed finding out all the cool things I didn't know. I've got a bunch of guitar-themed coffee table books, but this one is definitely top three.

[Dustin Keller]

I quite liked reading this book. Not only was there tons of excellent images, which have peaked my interesting in building more guitars, but the book was well written. I liked the way the authors have divided the sections up by instruments, amps etc. I actually learnt a lot... Not that I consider myself knowledgable on the subject... I look forward to finding a book more about Fender guitar wiring from a tonal point of view, if anyone knows of one please let me know.

Oh, I which this book was three times the size... My copy is about 8.5x6.5. And I would like to look at the images on a larger scale...

[Jim]

Excellent book covering Fender's history from conception through the CBS buy-out. Tons of photos and detailed descriptions of all of the product lines and their changes over the years. Highly recommended for guitar aficionado.