My mother's funeral was yesterday. She is in the film here at 4:46 working on a lap steel. She was skilled in many aspects of guitar making at Fender; so skilled that co-workers called her "the expert" when they needed help on something. Rest in Peace, Mom...
Hey Joe, Sorry about the loss of your mother. I own a mid 50's lap steel. One day I removed the tone and volume plate and found a small piece of paper that said "Inspected by Gloria, Fullerton CA, November 1954". Just wondering what your mother's first name was.
Scott Berkobien I do recall mom mentioning a Gloria. It was possibly the same woman. My mom started working at Fender around 1956 (I wish I could be certain). My dad was working there at least as early as '54 as there is a photo of him in a group of employees with Leo Fender from '54 at the Fender factory in Corona on the wall.
my dad is in the first part this video. he is the man sitting down. he worked for North American Van Lines. after so many years after his death its good to see a video with my dad in it. my dad had a part in moving the great guitar company to fullerton Ca
WOW! Thank you for this. I went to work in this very factory as a janitor at night while attending Anaheim High. Worked my way up the ladder... bought-out by CBS in 65? [I won't go into the "pre-CBS issue.] Continued working there through high school, college... 15+ years. Knew Leo Fender, Forrest White, George Fullerton (George and Leo formed G & L later). CBS built a 300,000 square foot factory. Tremendous "Summer Shutdown" parties every year... 1000's of jobs, spray booths, safety equipt., Freddie Tavares -Aloha Stratocaster, Harold Rhodes - electric piano, Forrest White was the plant manager when I was hired by Andy Koepher Don Randall...I knew them all. Everyone played and dreamed about becoming a rock-n-roll star. I worked in the Ensenada plant and in the San Luis plants as well. I left in the mid-80's during the Bill Schultz rein. For many of us, it was a TREMENDOUS place to "work" and I feel VERY LUCKY. A great American made product - yeah sure some sub-assemblies were made in Mexico by GREAT people as well! I still run into ex-employees and musicians who rhapsodize about Leo Fender, this factory and THE GUITAR! If memories are all we have at "the end," thanks to Leo and my Fender family, I have some doozies! Jer Ayles
That's some serious pride in workmanship. The end product speaks for itself!!!! Btw, what are your feelings on these instruments fetching the prices they do today? Thanks for your comment.
These folks built guitars that sold for about $250.00 as I recall. The same guitar would sell for 10 times that amount 20 years later just because some famous doper played a similar model. The "vintage guitar market" is 85% scam and snakeoil. Pre-CBS guitars that vintage guitar dealers were calling junk a few years are now being sold as "rare and "vintage" and selling for ridiculous prices. I am sure Fender made a bunch of real fine guitars back then but certainly not all of them were magical. There are also 100's of no-name amps from the 40's and 50's being sold for stupid high money. When it comes to "Vintage" it's definitely buyer beware.
Woaw, a video of Abigail Ybarra handwiring the pickups & the Perez family doing the lapsteels. Honoured to see this, seriously, they're making actual 1959's! FML
Just imagine if these people working in this humble little corner factory saw the future of what was to become of the name of Fender and also how collectible the guitars they are making would become in the future, they had no idea. That time period looks so peaceful and carefree, no internet, mobile phones and no mind control, such a beautiful simple life.
All right… except for the mind control bit. This is at the top of the Cold War and American propaganda machine was at its best brainwashing their citizens.
Great short film.....to remind us of how America got its reputation for building great products, and how American instruments still hold their value today.....I bet somebody out there has a grandparent or parent in this film....
So beautiful this piece of history. The best part is in the end with that man with no shirt testing the guitar and then the old guy cleaning it up with a cloth. Just amazing!!!
Wow, how great is yo see how those guitars were made, I'll bet no guitar made on those days are similar since they were made by hand. What a treasure!!!
@@wolfgangwylde5889 If you could tell one of these workers that, you would be a time traveler, and you should bring as many of those guitars back with you as you can. I believe a new 59 Strat sold for about $75
@@timhallas4275 They were actually really expensive for the era. In today's money, in 1959, a Strat sold for around $2400 (Somewhere around $275 plus 39.95 for a case in '59)
As a child of the 50's, this really brings back fond memories of when, as a kid, touring the GM plant where my Dad worked. I'm enjoying reading through the comments of others too. What nostalgia! I wonder how many of the tasks are still done by human hands today?
Did you see the high quality and fine craftsmanship going into each and every piece, now you know why they sound so much better than the new ones made by machines. Ahhhhhh, those were the days of pride in workmanship and pride in what they made.
Oh man I just keep watching this - thank you for restoring and posting it. Amazing to see these being built by hand and the workmanship and pride that went into each guitar. Thank goodness they are being preserved and treasured now.
Wow, brings back memories..., I visited Fender in 1974 and took a factory tour. At the the time, this building was being used as the Customer Service counter (You could walk in and have your Fender product repaired/setup and even buy parts "factory direct") and R&D department run by Freddie Tavares. We saw the first rosewood Tele and the Lucite Strat hanging on the wall. CBS built a large building next door where production moved to, but it was still the same hand work even in the CBS years...
Thanks for posting this. I'm a player and fan of older Fenders, and do a lot of building and repairs, too. Viewing this classic footage is a great experience!
Much appreciated and so nice to hear...he was a very nice man who loved music. I looked for years on the internet for this film and I believe there is at least one more of my dad out there (the one he said was on TV). Let's hope much more film of the Fender employees will be found and posted soon. They all deserve the recognition for what they helped Leo & Co. create!
Awesome to hear and know. I fantasize (with good reason) that when I hear Eric Clapton's classic works (playing "Brownie") that he was using a guitar they both had a direct hand in making. Same goes for many other songs by many other artists. Thank goodness for gift of great music.
Wow..She is a major part of musical history.How great is that!..I know it’s 4 years since your post but I’m sorry for your loss.Im sure she is in heaven now with the great creator..Prayers go up.
That's why those guitars sound so good, human touch, they were all different, no 2 alike, like any handmade instrument... Love the guy painting without a shirt mark etc.... Try that today...
That's Forrest sitting next to Leo in the second shot. I had the honor of working with Forrest in the mid-80's. He was a wonderful and brilliant man. Fender would not have been nearly as successful without Forrest there to guide things along.
I was just saying to the person who sent me this link how every guitar seen in that film would be a collector's item today. Thanks for sharing this classic bit of history.
I love the "vintageness" of all there is in this video. The so fifties dresses women are working with ("Uniform? What the hell is that?"), their hairstyles, the guy with no respirator, working in his tshirt, just applying paint to the bodies and possibly just putting on his shirt when the shift is done, all normal in a day´s job but looking so nostalgic and wholesome to us, the dwellers of these shitty 21st century technological fast years. I seriously doubt that anyone of these hard working people could think "here I am, manufacturing this guitar for which a whole bunch of people will be paying SHITLOADS of money 60 years from now..." Awesome video.
Crazy to think the sounds that were developed and tools of music were all created and came out of that building and from those people, thanks for posting
I was waiting for Abby Ybarra to show up and it did not disappoint. I wonder if it ever crossed their minds they are making music history while they work.
There are two things about these guitars that make them separate and apart from any Fender Custom Shop creation. Hand shaped necks for one. Each year had different evolving features from baseball bat shape in the early days, to V necks, to tapered C shape necks. I've owned many of these guitars (wish I had them all now) and each guitar was personal and unique. The second thing is sound differences largely created by uneven and erratic windings of the pickups. The rosewood fingerboard models had less windings and the other maple ones were always brighter by design. You could take two identical '50s strats, put identical strings on them, and they would sound different. I've done it years ago when I was a kid. That's what makes these original vintage Fender's so awesome. I managed to keep some of my favorites over the years. I currently own a '50 Broadcaster, '59 maple necked Strat, '60 Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard (my favorite) and two '60s P basses. I will probably die with those instruments and somebody will inherit them if I don't give them away before then.
Abigail Ybarra used to wind the Custom Shop pickups by hand until she retired in '03. I'm not sure what they do today. The woodwork is all done by hand. No CNC machining.
the guy doing the setup at the end was named Gene .. i forget his last name but he was final inspector at plant off of Raymond in Fullerton in the 70s when i worked there as final setup and test I do remember Vern Morgan who was with Leo from the start as well .. I had started in the Amp Cabinet shop in '72 . worked though the guitar woodworking section .. then got into the final assembly area doing neck filing and hardware .. then got into final set up by '74 .. left near the end of '75
About 3 years ago I ran into Bud Morgan, Vern's son in Goodyear AZ. He still has his dad's strat from the last day of production at the CBS plant. (2-knob) I talked to him about his Fender years for an hour or more. Really nice man with lots to say about the early days of Fender. He still has the banjo that Little Jimmy Dickins gave him. Bud said he was in charge of shipping and receiving, as well as parts procurement for lots of Leo's sudden design changes.
@@guibensotar3 Ha! Just read an interview with Forrest White where he talks about having to put his foot down regarding Leo's mid-production run changes
What a cool piece of history. These guys and ladies were cranking em out fast, by hand, and the quality was still top-notch. Id like to own one of those '59 Strat's right now: ) The amazing thing is since Leo sold in '64-'65, most all have copied but none have bettered his amp circuits! The best (and most expensive) brand new amps Fender sells today are the reproductions made closest to Leo's mid-sixties originals.
Wow.This is so cool to see.My self a guitar lover.What a perfect background song singing guitar.I remember in my boyhood days.My neighbour named Albert Stewart who lived in Britain for many years and moved back to his homeland Grand Bay Dominica with some machines identical to the video.Thanks for taking me back to the good old days.
I wonder then if the first Strats are all different between them. No CNC = the artisan cutting the necks and bodies made it by "eye measurement", so I would guess it would be impossible to get them all the same. Just for this, I would love to have a damn time machine, get some 1952 US dollars from some collector and go to the year this video was made. "Hi Mr. Fender, can I purchase one of these? Maybe this one that was just finished? Thank you, here´s your money". Back to the machine and back to 2015, with a perfect vintage 1959 Strat.
Well, they would bandsaw the rough neck and body blanks, then screw on a template and route them the rest of the way. Pretty sure the contours were done by eye on a belt sander, though. Still WAY more hands-on then any production guitars made now, though
If you time travelled back to '59, and brought a strat with you to the present day, would that strat not be just a few weeks/months old when you are back here? It would be like new off the cutting board, it would be called a fake everywhere lol
@@Whydoyoureadme You would have to stash it somewhere safe in 1959 and go collect it today. You would be better off buying them 2nd hand when prices were at there lowest, then stash them.
My brother, sister and I are honored to know our parents helped create such beauty in this world...though they were largely unaware of it. Mom later went on to work in the aerospace industry (1960's), helping wire circuits that put our astronauts into space and on the moon!
Wow all done by hand on band saws , belt and hand sanding pure art. If I worked there I would never want to go home. And everything was so cool back then I bet the boss would let you make an extra strat to take home. Or maybe these guys would make their own starts in the secret home shop.
That's an assembly line. Its not like one person built each guitar by themselves. There was a whole team of people -each doing one thing in building guitars.
Everything was made using jigs and templates. A CNC machine does exactly the same thing, only digitally. This myth that things must sound better when done the "old way" needs to die.
@@ReValveiT_01 Exactly. Assembly line just like today. The thing to me is; tens of thousands were made back in those days, and only the real special playing ones survived, the others probably trashed at some point and everyone thinks all the guitars made back then were special.
With all the fans going it must have been a stinking hot day in the factory, I've worked in a factory like this and it's hot! It would have been a perfect day to film as there would have been a lot of light. The lack of OH&S would have mean quite a few of these guys would have perished due to inhalation of saw dust and inhalation of paint. The comments about the band saw and pin router are all true. I suppose it is of little comfort to them or their relatives, but it was nice to see the people who made the beautiful Fender instruments recognized. Looking at the primitive tooling made me appreciate Leo Fender setting up an effective business producing high quality instruments even by today's standards.
I keep watching this awesome piece of American history over and over, and listening to the great sound track. Thank you Forrest, Ross, and Russell for this film. May all Leo's employees rest in piece up there in StratHeaven. Yes, many helped, but Leo, you're the man, no one influenced our modern world more, no one.
I highly recommend "Fender: The Inside Story," by Forrest White. Thanks to whoever for this nice little old video. And to that blues-guitar-player: develop some variety in comping!
It's a working mans style of blues that shows off the pure single coil sound of those awesome tone machines... it's something you woulda heard in the 50s no doubt....its sonic gold....
I love the guy applying lacquer with a paint brush!! Ha ha!! Also, the guy doing the spraying was not even wearing a mask. Think of all those gnarly, toxic fumes he breathed in every day! Unbelievable. But those guys were true craftsman. I would love to see the same video from 1969 to see how things changed for the worse after CBS jumped into the mix and put profits before craftsmanship!
He probably just was applying a grain-filler or grain-sealing coat of lacquer with the brush. The finish and clear coats certainly would have been sprayed.
I'm not certain but it kind of looks like he might be spraying under an exhaust hood, similar to what you find in a commercial kitchen. At least I hope so.
I've been playing the Guitar since 1967 but I didn't have money to by myself a good guitar and that caused a little frustration. It wasn't until 1972 that my Dad introduced me to my first Fender Guitar, a Mustang. Here it is 40 plus years later and I still own and play Fender Guitar's and I still own that Mustang that my dad got for me. Fender Guitar's are like an addiction to me that I will never recover from and that's OK with me and that's just the way it is!
i have no idea where i got the idea that alot of these processes were somehow more 'automated'....lol. this is old-fashioned workmanship. wow. thanks for this reality check.
Pinche Pendejo That was the 1920’s and did not include land or labor. I was born in a house my grandfather paid $5000 for in 1947 and in 1966 when I was five we moved and it sold for $16K. It sold last year for $870K. And was promptly torn down.
Correct. All things musical--amps, instruments, and decent home hi-fi equipment, were pretty expensive by today's standards. This was also in a brief era when many working people in the US earned living wages.
The old saying goes: Do you know what is the difference between a Mexican and a USA Fender? The Mexican Fender is built by Mexicans in Mexico. The American Fender is built by Mexicans in the USA.
plejaren giants. I was wondering that myself. I couldn’t tell if it was 3 pieces or if that was just the different colored grain of the wood. If it is 3 pieces, then it definitely dispels the 1 piece holy vintage myth. A 1959 strat with a 3 piece body seems like blasphemy.
I am in awe,,,,,just beautiful to see people working and not a bunch of soulless CNC robots,this is where all the mojo of the old ones comes from ,everypart touched by human hands thousands of times gently coaxing the magic out of the wood and steel
Watching this is amazing - at the time they were just trying to make a living - not knowing every single thing would one day be so valuable and sought after -
The difference is that these "mexicans" were Mexican Americans bleeding red, white, and Fender blue. Shit was made with love and pride back in those days.
I just would Like to say these People were Artist and most were women and Hispanic so I cant Honestly say that today American strats are all that Better Then Mexican Strats after all its the same Hard working People with the same work ethic at least thats what I see !!! Enuf Said !!!
@@FlyWhistle yeah, I honestly don't know why I said that. I'm guessing I got another TH-cam conversation nixed up. I wouldn't say something of that nature about what the individual was speaking of. Sorry 'bout that folks.
Really? Because I see Americans in this video. Your comment is proof that diversity is a failed experiment. It appears all non white non Christian people are too ethno centric for this whole melting pot thing to work out. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing it's just a fact . Tonight you will hear on TV how even though our current country is racist, masogonist and xenophobic it's NOTHING compared to the 50's in America. It was practically Nazi Germany they will tell you. Blacks hanging from trees every other block. However, this video of 1950s America shows Males, Woman, Whites, Latinos and Blacks all working the same job with each other. I'm sure they where listening to Chuck Berry while working as well. Oh what a racist and xenophobic country it was. White Christian America bought into diversity because they are the only group of people that actually think all men are created equal. Now that they realize there country was stolen from them right before there eyes, now that the collages teach that white people are inherently evil, now that all corrupt politicians who are selling our country out to NGOs, and China have to do to get elected is race bait to minorities about imaginary oppression and promise to give them free stuff, now that we are being called white supremesits and Nazi's by political leaders, celebrities and collage professors when it was our Grandfathers (literally our blood) who came back from WW2 after defeating actual Nazis with faces blown off and 98% bodily burns, they are waking up. There birth right has been stolen. You've awoken and poked the bear. And this time after it reconquers the world, it's not gona feel like sharing the land or the spoils. And it definently isn't gona give a fuck about your feelings. This is not from hate. Again, this is because of the ethno centric qualitys of "the people of the world". We don't blame the minorities. They are useful idiots and can't help it. We know who the real perpetrators are. Be damn sure the plan is in motion and in our life time the just deserts will be had. Minorities just and WILL be going back to where they came from.
Really? Because I see Americans in this video. Your comment is proof that diversity is a failed experiment. It appears all non white non Christian people are too ethno centric for this whole melting pot thing to work out. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing it's just a fact . Tonight you will hear on TV how even though our current country is racist, masogonist and xenophobic it's NOTHING compared to the 50's in America. It was practically Nazi Germany they will tell you. Blacks hanging from trees every other block. However, this video of 1950s America shows Males, Woman, Whites, Latinos and Blacks all working the same job with each other. I'm sure they where listening to Chuck Berry while working as well. Oh what a racist and xenophobic country it was. White Christian America bought into diversity because they are the only group of people that actually think all men are created equal. Now that they realize there country was stolen from them right before there eyes, now that the collages teach that white people are inherently evil, now that all corrupt politicians who are selling our country out to NGOs, and China have to do to get elected is race bait to minorities about imaginary oppression and promise to give them free stuff, now that we are being called white supremesits and Nazi's by political leaders, celebrities and collage professors when it was our Grandfathers (literally our blood) who came back from WW2 after defeating actual Nazis with faces blown off and 98% bodily burns, they are waking up. There birth right has been stolen. You've awoken and poked the bear. And this time after it reconquers the world, it's not gona feel like sharing the land or the spoils. And it definently isn't gona give a fuck about your feelings. This is not from hate. Again, this is because of the ethno centric qualitys of "the people of the world". We don't blame the minorities. They are useful idiots and can't help it. We know who the real perpetrators are. Be damn sure the plan is in motion and in our life time the just deserts will be had. Minorities just and WILL be going back to where they came from.
Amazing to see this this. That so many of these instruments still exist in usable state is testimony to the great work of those craftspeople. Watching them shape by hand!, well you wouldnt want any body or neck made by me that way :) Now if i could only get a time machine and go back and grab one or two...
Great moment in time. There is at least one longer, lower-resolution version of this film on TH-cam, in two parts. It contains more factory footage - lots of amps - footage of Leo boating and even a trade show. The other version is about 20-25 minutes but this version here actually has some footage not in the other one and is much higher quality. Great stuff.
No masks, no gloves, no respirators, no ventilation, no shirts....hahaha! Man, those were the days. Hard working folks making legendary instruments. Love it!
My father, Jose G. Perez, is at 1:46, working on guitar necks with the band saw & power & hand drills (in long sleeved shirt & hat). My mother, Carrie S. Perez, is at 4:46, working on a lap steel (wearing a long dress & big ear rings). They married on Jan 31, 1959, and I notice neither one of them is wearing a wedding ring. Leads me to believe the film was made in Jan '59, or earlier (at least one of them would have worn their wedding ring-even while working, but I can't be sure). -Joe Perez
Hey Joe thanks for sharing. A bunch of us with vintage Strats ('60s-'66) and have an S black S inside the body or a pencil S. Any idea what it stands for? Someone's name for inspection or Sunburst color to be sprayed? Thanks
The recording, playing and guitar tone on this video is great well done. Thanks for the video too, sure many more people are interested in seeing more like this.
My mother's funeral was yesterday. She is in the film here at 4:46 working on a lap steel. She was skilled in many aspects of guitar making at Fender; so skilled that co-workers called her "the expert" when they needed help on something. Rest in Peace, Mom...
Sorry to hear that.
How old was our mother?Was she born in California?It's so interesting to know her story...
Hey Joe, Sorry about the loss of your mother. I own a mid 50's lap steel. One day I removed the tone and volume plate and found a small piece of paper that said "Inspected by Gloria, Fullerton CA, November 1954". Just wondering what your mother's first name was.
Never mind Joe, I went back to the clip (duh) and see that her name was Carrie.
Scott Berkobien I do recall mom mentioning a Gloria. It was possibly the same woman. My mom started working at Fender around 1956 (I wish I could be certain). My dad was working there at least as early as '54 as there is a photo of him in a group of employees with Leo Fender from '54 at the Fender factory in Corona on the wall.
my dad is in the first part this video. he is the man sitting down. he worked for North American Van Lines. after so many years after his death its good to see a video with my dad in it. my dad had a part in moving the great guitar company to fullerton Ca
Can you give specifics. Is he the guy sitting next to Leo at 0:24 ?. Im trying to build a family tree of workers. May i know his name please?
WOW! Thank you for this. I went to work in this very factory as a janitor at night while attending Anaheim High. Worked my way up the ladder... bought-out by CBS in 65? [I won't go into the "pre-CBS issue.] Continued working there through high school, college... 15+ years. Knew Leo Fender, Forrest White, George Fullerton (George and Leo formed G & L later). CBS built a 300,000 square foot factory. Tremendous "Summer Shutdown" parties every year... 1000's of jobs, spray booths, safety equipt., Freddie Tavares -Aloha Stratocaster, Harold Rhodes - electric piano, Forrest White was the plant manager when I was hired by Andy Koepher Don Randall...I knew them all. Everyone played and dreamed about becoming a rock-n-roll star. I worked in the Ensenada plant and in the San Luis plants as well. I left in the mid-80's during the Bill Schultz rein. For many of us, it was a TREMENDOUS place to "work" and I feel VERY LUCKY. A great American made product - yeah sure some sub-assemblies were made in Mexico by GREAT people as well! I still run into ex-employees and musicians who rhapsodize about Leo Fender, this factory and THE GUITAR! If memories are all we have at "the end," thanks to Leo and my Fender family, I have some doozies! Jer Ayles
That's cool, dude!
Thanks, Man!
That's some serious pride in workmanship. The end product speaks for itself!!!! Btw, what are your feelings on these instruments fetching the prices they do today? Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for sharing.
These folks built guitars that sold for about $250.00 as I recall. The same guitar would sell for 10 times that amount 20 years later just because some famous doper played a similar model. The "vintage guitar market" is 85% scam and snakeoil. Pre-CBS guitars that vintage guitar dealers were calling junk a few years are now being sold as "rare and "vintage" and selling for ridiculous prices. I am sure Fender made a bunch of real fine guitars back then but certainly not all of them were magical. There are also 100's of no-name amps from the 40's and 50's being sold for stupid high money. When it comes to "Vintage" it's definitely buyer beware.
Back in the days when they were actually made by hand, very very cool video!
Hi Ben!
As a guitarist......this is the most incredible piece of film footage that I've ever seen. A magical time!
Woaw, a video of Abigail Ybarra handwiring the pickups & the Perez family doing the lapsteels. Honoured to see this, seriously, they're making actual 1959's! FML
it´s crazy that we all have Ipads and stuff & Internet etc... BUT still a Fender Strat is relevant today as it was in 1959...pretty cool...
What an incredible video. It's great to watch craftsman making some of the best instruments in the world. It's like watching history being made.
Just imagine if these people working in this humble little corner factory saw the future of what was to become of the name of Fender and also how collectible the guitars they are making would become in the future, they had no idea. That time period looks so peaceful and carefree, no internet, mobile phones and no mind control, such a beautiful simple life.
The working conditions look pretty horrendous by today's standards.
They wouldn’t believe or understand it.
@@motoguy3574 where do you work, the candy ass factory?
All right… except for the mind control bit. This is at the top of the Cold War and American propaganda machine was at its best brainwashing their citizens.
@@motoguy3574 They don't seem to mind.
No CNC machines, just craftsmanship and skill.
yeah, its so sad that guitars made nowadays are made with so much less risk of injury or illness to the builder.
Great short film.....to remind us of how America got its reputation for building great products, and how American instruments still hold their value today.....I bet somebody out there has a grandparent or parent in this film....
Tadeo appears shortly at 3:25, he built my beloved Telecaster back in 1952! Thank you so much for this video!
Same with me , serial # 0761
7:05 I hope that guitar made some kid somewhere very happy.
Great video.
Long Live Fender!
So beautiful this piece of history. The best part is in the end with that man with no shirt testing the guitar and then the old guy cleaning it up with a cloth. Just amazing!!!
This is simply beautiful and a bit emotional too; thank you Leo, with your creativity you somehow made the world a better place; R.I.P.
I love that they were played by a shirtless guy before being shipped off...lol
No one is wearing protective masks while spraying polycoat
That appears to be John McClain actually
That is really funny! Ah, those summers in SoCal.
@@richardernest1612 Its Nitrocellulose.. Nasty stuff
Watch this movie over and over and over...
Seeing that guy cut out the body and size the neck on the band saw by eye was probably the coolest woodworking I've ever seen.
And all in about what... 25 seconds? Unbelievable
Wow, how great is yo see how those guitars were made, I'll bet no guitar made on those days are similar since they were made by hand. What a treasure!!!
If you told one of these workers in '59 that those guitars would sell for $40 000 in 2019,
they would probably shake their heads and call you crazy.
,😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👍
@@wolfgangwylde5889 If you could tell one of these workers that, you would be a time traveler, and you should bring as many of those guitars back with you as you can. I believe a new 59 Strat sold for about $75
@@timhallas4275 They were actually really expensive for the era. In today's money, in 1959, a Strat sold for around $2400 (Somewhere around $275 plus 39.95 for a case in '59)
@@timhallas4275 That's about right for the Tele, but the Strat was a bit more expensive. Even in '54 I think that price was about the same.
all hand-made with human errors that's why its PERFECT!!! hope y'all understand the meaning
As a child of the 50's, this really brings back fond memories of when, as a kid, touring the GM plant where my Dad worked. I'm enjoying reading through the comments of others too. What nostalgia! I wonder how many of the tasks are still done by human hands today?
Did you see the high quality and fine craftsmanship going into each and every piece, now you know why they sound so much better than the new ones made by machines. Ahhhhhh, those were the days of pride in workmanship and pride in what they made.
Oh man I just keep watching this - thank you for restoring and posting it. Amazing to see these being built by hand and the workmanship and pride that went into each guitar. Thank goodness they are being preserved and treasured now.
Thanks for this film. Good to see the ladies on the drills. Beautiful guitar sound on the soundtrack. ty
love youtube you can see anything = great stuff loved fender guitars since i was 13 in 1968.
Wow, brings back memories..., I visited Fender in 1974 and took a factory tour. At the the time, this building was being used as the Customer Service counter (You could walk in and have your Fender product repaired/setup and even buy parts "factory direct") and R&D department run by Freddie Tavares. We saw the first rosewood Tele and the Lucite Strat hanging on the wall. CBS built a large building next door where production moved to, but it was still the same hand work even in the CBS years...
Thanks for posting this. I'm a player and fan of older Fenders, and do a lot of building and repairs, too. Viewing this classic footage is a great experience!
Much appreciated and so nice to hear...he was a very nice man who loved music. I looked for years on the internet for this film and I believe there is at least one more of my dad out there (the one he said was on TV). Let's hope much more film of the Fender employees will be found and posted soon. They all deserve the recognition for what they helped Leo & Co. create!
History ! Respect to all the great workers peace !!!
Something about watching a work day at the old Fender Gitarr factory just calms you down!
Hand made for easy assembly, Leo put affordable guitars in the hands of many who wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise. Genius.
your dad, with his work, has helped make many people happy ... including my dad! :) respect
Awesome to hear and know. I fantasize (with good reason) that when I hear Eric Clapton's classic works (playing "Brownie") that he was using a guitar they both had a direct hand in making. Same goes for many other songs by many other artists. Thank goodness for gift of great music.
This is video gold..cutting out bodies on a bandsaw with no jig..are you kidding... wow....hand built.....this is awesome...
Wow..She is a major part of musical history.How great is that!..I know it’s 4 years since your post but I’m sorry for your loss.Im sure she is in heaven now with the great creator..Prayers go up.
Thank you for your words and sentiment. Much appreciated, even now.
That's why those guitars sound so good, human touch, they were all different, no 2 alike,
like any handmade instrument...
Love the guy painting without a shirt mark etc....
Try that today...
Thank you, so much, for adding their names. My mom's health has declined in recent days and these images are a comfort.
That's Forrest sitting next to Leo in the second shot. I had the honor of working with Forrest in the mid-80's. He was a wonderful and brilliant man. Fender would not have been nearly as successful without Forrest there to guide things along.
Mr White gave my father and me a personal tour of the big Fullerton factory, during the CBS years, while he was still at Fender.
I was just saying to the person who sent me this link how every guitar seen in that film would be a collector's item today. Thanks for sharing this classic bit of history.
I love the "vintageness" of all there is in this video. The so fifties dresses women are working with ("Uniform? What the hell is that?"), their hairstyles, the guy with no respirator, working in his tshirt, just applying paint to the bodies and possibly just putting on his shirt when the shift is done, all normal in a day´s job but looking so nostalgic and wholesome to us, the dwellers of these shitty 21st century technological fast years. I seriously doubt that anyone of these hard working people could think "here I am, manufacturing this guitar for which a whole bunch of people will be paying SHITLOADS of money 60 years from now..." Awesome video.
Crazy to think the sounds that were developed and tools of music were all created and came out of that building and from those people, thanks for posting
I was waiting for Abby Ybarra to show up and it did not disappoint. I wonder if it ever crossed their minds they are making music history while they work.
doubtful, they were just earning a living to support their families.
Leo wasn't thinking about making history, he was making millions
My pickups are signed by Abby.
@@guppybill that's awesome!
This is an awesome video....to see what real skilled craftsmanship is like ....without the aid of computers !!!! Long live Fender instruments 🎸!!!!!
There are two things about these guitars that make them separate and apart from any Fender Custom Shop creation. Hand shaped necks for one. Each year had different evolving features from baseball bat shape in the early days, to V necks, to tapered C shape necks. I've owned many of these guitars (wish I had them all now) and each guitar was personal and unique. The second thing is sound differences largely created by uneven and erratic windings of the pickups. The rosewood fingerboard models had less windings and the other maple ones were always brighter by design. You could take two identical '50s strats, put identical strings on them, and they would sound different. I've done it years ago when I was a kid. That's what makes these original vintage Fender's so awesome. I managed to keep some of my favorites over the years. I currently own a '50 Broadcaster, '59 maple necked Strat, '60 Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard (my favorite) and two '60s P basses. I will probably die with those instruments and somebody will inherit them if I don't give them away before then.
Abigail Ybarra used to wind the Custom Shop pickups by hand until she retired in '03. I'm not sure what they do today. The woodwork is all done by hand. No CNC machining.
Woods used to be better as well.
50 broadcaster has to be worth a pretty penny indeed
Este material es un tesoro, nos recuerda como se forjan las leyendas!!! Larga vida Fender!!
Well that was cool as hell...
Love it, thank you for not letting us forget the pre-CNC days!
the guy doing the setup at the end was named Gene .. i forget his last name but he was final inspector at plant off of Raymond in Fullerton in the 70s when i worked there as final setup and test
I do remember Vern Morgan who was with Leo from the start as well .. I had started in the Amp Cabinet shop in '72 . worked though the guitar woodworking section .. then got into the final assembly area doing neck filing and hardware .. then got into final set up by '74 .. left near the end of '75
About 3 years ago I ran into Bud Morgan, Vern's son in Goodyear AZ. He still has his dad's strat from the last day of production at the CBS plant. (2-knob) I talked to him about his Fender years for an hour or more. Really nice man with lots to say about the early days of Fender. He still has the banjo that Little Jimmy Dickins gave him. Bud said he was in charge of shipping and receiving, as well as parts procurement for lots of Leo's sudden design changes.
@@guibensotar3 Ha! Just read an interview with Forrest White where he talks about having to put his foot down regarding Leo's mid-production run changes
Eugene "Gene" Gallien..
What a cool piece of history. These guys and ladies were cranking em out fast, by hand, and the quality was still top-notch. Id like to own one of those '59 Strat's right now: ) The amazing thing is since Leo sold in '64-'65, most all have copied but none have bettered his amp circuits! The best (and most expensive) brand new amps Fender sells today are the reproductions made closest to Leo's mid-sixties originals.
They put their heart into it; maybe thats why people prefer vintage guitars
Priceless footage. Interesting to see how many women worked on these now vintage instruments. Leo was an innovator in more ways than one.
Women have a long tradition in factory assembly work particularly electronics.
What the hell is naked Tom Hanks doing there at 6:50???
I guess that's where Private Ryan worked after the war, then...
Lol. I thought that too.
BAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHahhaahahhHaahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Forrest gump is real
No shit... he finds his way into everything! haha
Wow.This is so cool to see.My self a guitar lover.What a perfect background song singing guitar.I remember in my boyhood days.My neighbour named Albert Stewart who lived in Britain for many years and moved back to his homeland Grand Bay Dominica with some machines identical to the video.Thanks for taking me back to the good old days.
I wonder then if the first Strats are all different between them. No CNC = the artisan cutting the necks and bodies made it by "eye measurement", so I would guess it would be impossible to get them all the same. Just for this, I would love to have a damn time machine, get some 1952 US dollars from some collector and go to the year this video was made. "Hi Mr. Fender, can I purchase one of these? Maybe this one that was just finished? Thank you, here´s your money". Back to the machine and back to 2015, with a perfect vintage 1959 Strat.
Well, they would bandsaw the rough neck and body blanks, then screw on a template and route them the rest of the way. Pretty sure the contours were done by eye on a belt sander, though. Still WAY more hands-on then any production guitars made now, though
If you time travelled back to '59, and brought a strat with you to the present day, would that strat not be just a few weeks/months old when you are back here? It would be like new off the cutting board, it would be called a fake everywhere lol
@@Whydoyoureadme You would have to stash it somewhere safe in 1959 and go collect it today. You would be better off buying them 2nd hand when prices were at there lowest, then stash them.
My brother, sister and I are honored to know our parents helped create such beauty in this world...though they were largely unaware of it. Mom later went on to work in the aerospace industry (1960's), helping wire circuits that put our astronauts into space and on the moon!
George Fullerton is shown at 6:15 - 6:20
Wow all done by hand on band saws , belt and hand sanding pure art. If I worked there I would never want to go home. And everything was so cool back then I bet the boss would let you make an extra strat to take home. Or maybe these guys would make their own starts in the secret home shop.
When the handmade WAS handmade...
I thought there would be jigs and guides. Nope. Here is a piece of lumber and a file, get rid of everything that is not a Strat body. :)
You are so right! That’s why I think guitars made in that era sound and play so much better.
That's an assembly line. Its not like one person built each guitar by themselves. There was a whole team of people -each doing one thing in building guitars.
Everything was made using jigs and templates. A CNC machine does exactly the same thing, only digitally.
This myth that things must sound better when done the "old way" needs to die.
@@ReValveiT_01 Exactly. Assembly line just like today. The thing to me is; tens of thousands were made back in those days, and only the real special playing ones survived, the others probably trashed at some point and everyone thinks all the guitars made back then were special.
Great video, a perfect example of why the early Stratocaster plays so amazing.
EPIC.Poor guys spraying lacquer with out a mask. Ouch.
+bobbysbackingtracks indeed!
+bobbysbackingtracks That was how they did it back in the day...you can pretty much assume everyone in this video is long dead...
+Alan Jankowski Yep long dead (no dust masks a bad way to go) and gone, but the guitars live on.
+bobbysbackingtracks theres not alot of overspray with lacquer
+BAJARACER43X Wood Dust kills too.
My dad graduated high school in '54 and he and his friends were doing it back then. . .
With all the fans going it must have been a stinking hot day in the factory, I've worked in a factory like this and it's hot!
It would have been a perfect day to film as there would have been a lot of light.
The lack of OH&S would have mean quite a few of these guys would have perished due to inhalation of saw dust and inhalation of paint. The comments about the band saw and pin router are all true.
I suppose it is of little comfort to them or their relatives, but it was nice to see the people who made the beautiful Fender instruments recognized. Looking at the primitive tooling made me appreciate Leo Fender setting up an effective business producing high quality instruments even by today's standards.
I keep watching this awesome piece of American history over and over, and listening to the great sound track. Thank you Forrest, Ross, and Russell for this film. May all Leo's employees rest in piece up there in StratHeaven. Yes, many helped, but Leo, you're the man, no one influenced our modern world more, no one.
Amazing find & great post. This is what youtube is all about, or should be!!!!
Excellent video....appreciation for all those people who worked to put out a great product.
I highly recommend "Fender: The Inside Story," by Forrest White. Thanks to whoever for this nice little old video. And to that blues-guitar-player: develop some variety in comping!
It's a working mans style of blues that shows off the pure single coil sound of those awesome tone machines... it's something you woulda heard in the 50s no doubt....its sonic gold....
that was beautiful, That's a cornerstone of rock history right there!
This is probably pre-1958, as the sunbursts here are two-color
Thank you for this great piece of history!!!!
The film is probably from 1957 as you can see that the Strats still are 2-tone sunbursts.
Check out this film posted by Fenderampfreak and he provides a lot of commentary on it and he mentions 1957 as the year of its filming.
Same observation I made on the Tobacco Burst Strats, Krook. Plus, no rosewood fretboards, which came online in 1959. It's 1957 in this film.
Amazing to see the creation of the greatest guitar ever made.
I love the guy applying lacquer with a paint brush!! Ha ha!! Also, the guy doing the spraying was not even wearing a mask. Think of all those gnarly, toxic fumes he breathed in every day! Unbelievable. But those guys were true craftsman. I would love to see the same video from 1969 to see how things changed for the worse after CBS jumped into the mix and put profits before craftsmanship!
He probably just was applying a grain-filler or grain-sealing coat of lacquer with the brush. The finish and clear coats certainly would have been sprayed.
I'm not certain but it kind of looks like he might be spraying under an exhaust hood, similar to what you find in a commercial kitchen. At least I hope so.
I've been playing the Guitar since 1967 but I didn't have money to by myself a good guitar and that caused a little frustration. It wasn't until 1972 that my Dad introduced me to my first Fender Guitar, a Mustang. Here it is 40 plus years later and I still own and play Fender Guitar's and I still own that Mustang that my dad got for me. Fender Guitar's are like an addiction to me that I will never recover from and that's OK with me and that's just the way it is!
Someone should pin this to John 5 , He would love to see this vintage stuff .
Yeah. I think John 5 would be ecstatic. He remains a real pioneer and we're so lucky to have him still around.
i have no idea where i got the idea that alot of these processes were somehow more 'automated'....lol. this is old-fashioned workmanship. wow. thanks for this reality check.
all the guitar being made in this vid are currently in actions somewhere.... back then, they went for $250.00
Pinche Pendejo That was the 1920’s and did not include land or labor. I was born in a house my grandfather paid $5000 for in 1947 and in 1966 when I was five we moved and it sold for $16K. It sold last year for $870K. And was promptly torn down.
Adjusted for inflation, $250 in 1959 dollars is equal to $2,164.85 in 2018 dollars.
Correct. All things musical--amps, instruments, and decent home hi-fi equipment, were pretty expensive by today's standards. This was also in a brief era when many working people in the US earned living wages.
It's amazing everything was cut by hand, no computer guiding you. No wonder they are so much better and worth lots of money
The old saying goes: Do you know what is the difference between a Mexican and a USA Fender?
The Mexican Fender is built by Mexicans in Mexico. The American Fender is built by Mexicans in the USA.
Q. What is the difference between a Fender Usa and Fender Mexico ? A. About 300 kms.
About 20 miles, depending on what route you take.
Si es verdad gabacho. De nada( means you welcome in English sir). Señor.
@anticala u have no way of knowing these things...like air conditioning. jeez.
Assuming that you can reliably tell americans and mexicans apart by appearance alone.
Superb footage - bless the person who chose to film this - and in Color!
Is that a three piece body that guy is cutting? I thought these were one piece back in the day? Nice guitar sounds! Good upload!
plejaren giants. I was wondering that myself. I couldn’t tell if it was 3 pieces or if that was just the different colored grain of the wood. If it is 3 pieces, then it definitely dispels the 1 piece holy vintage myth. A 1959 strat with a 3 piece body seems like blasphemy.
At 03:02, the great Queen oferece tone appears: Abigail Ybarra. She started to work with Leo Fender informações 1956.
A great Legend.
Nope. 5:56 that is Abigail Ybarra
@zeLudoo She's at 5:55 - Abigail Ybarra
Perhaps one of the coolest videos I've ever seen. So amazing to see this, and so glad it's around.
Now, most of those guitars would be worth five figures! Didja see those guys spraying those guitars without respirator masks? Ah, the 1950's.
I am in awe,,,,,just beautiful to see people working and not a bunch of soulless CNC robots,this is where all the mojo of the old ones comes from ,everypart touched by human hands thousands of times gently coaxing the magic out of the wood and steel
For all those "it has to be a two or single piece body" wise guys: on 1:20 yo can clearly see a three piece Tele being cut
Strat, not a Tele. And depending on the available stock, they could be anywhere from 1 to 4 pieces.
@@LeftyPem I think less pieces for sunburst bodies, more for solid colour bodies
Super cool. What a nice bit of history to see in a million different ways.
I have wondered for 40 years what "Gloria" must have looked like; the girl that wound my pickup and installed all the controls in my 54' Esquire.
+stearman Gloria Fuentes was no pickup winder (like Abby Ybarra). She was a Final Assembly employee.
Strato Dude Thanks for that, never knew her last name.
Watching this is amazing - at the time they were just trying to make a living - not knowing every single thing would one day be so valuable and sought after -
Nothing has changed, Fenders still made by Mexicans, and still the best builders.
MIM Fenders have nothing on the originals. Hell, MIJ Fenders have always been superior to MIM.
Abby was Mexican! Worked there 50 yrs & her pickups are legendary.
I worked there in final assembly in the 70s .. and by chance ran into Abby shortly after she retired up in Rialto in the late 90s
Doesn't matter the colour of the skin does it, it's the person not the skin colour.
The difference is that these "mexicans" were Mexican Americans bleeding red, white, and Fender blue. Shit was made with love and pride back in those days.
Boy, this is so wonderful to see (and don't I wish I had the Strat at 6:52...)!!!
I just would Like to say these People were Artist and most were women and Hispanic so I cant Honestly say that today American strats are all that Better Then Mexican Strats after all its the same Hard working People with the same work ethic at least thats what I see !!! Enuf Said !!!
You just know it all don't ya'?
G-dubya prick
@@FlyWhistle yeah, I honestly don't know why I said that. I'm guessing I got another TH-cam conversation nixed up. I wouldn't say something of that nature about what the individual was speaking of. Sorry 'bout that folks.
Really? Because I see Americans in this video. Your comment is proof that diversity is a failed experiment. It appears all non white non Christian people are too ethno centric for this whole melting pot thing to work out. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing it's just a fact . Tonight you will hear on TV how even though our current country is racist, masogonist and xenophobic it's NOTHING compared to the 50's in America. It was practically Nazi Germany they will tell you. Blacks hanging from trees every other block. However, this video of 1950s America shows Males, Woman, Whites, Latinos and Blacks all working the same job with each other. I'm sure they where listening to Chuck Berry while working as well. Oh what a racist and xenophobic country it was. White Christian America bought into diversity because they are the only group of people that actually think all men are created equal. Now that they realize there country was stolen from them right before there eyes, now that the collages teach that white people are inherently evil, now that all corrupt politicians who are selling our country out to NGOs, and China have to do to get elected is race bait to minorities about imaginary oppression and promise to give them free stuff, now that we are being called white supremesits and Nazi's by political leaders, celebrities and collage professors when it was our Grandfathers (literally our blood) who came back from WW2 after defeating actual Nazis with faces blown off and 98% bodily burns, they are waking up. There birth right has been stolen. You've awoken and poked the bear. And this time after it reconquers the world, it's not gona feel like sharing the land or the spoils. And it definently isn't gona give a fuck about your feelings. This is not from hate. Again, this is because of the ethno centric qualitys of "the people of the world". We don't blame the minorities. They are useful idiots and can't help it. We know who the real perpetrators are. Be damn sure the plan is in motion and in our life time the just deserts will be had. Minorities just and WILL be going back to where they came from.
Really? Because I see Americans in this video. Your comment is proof that diversity is a failed experiment. It appears all non white non Christian people are too ethno centric for this whole melting pot thing to work out. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing it's just a fact . Tonight you will hear on TV how even though our current country is racist, masogonist and xenophobic it's NOTHING compared to the 50's in America. It was practically Nazi Germany they will tell you. Blacks hanging from trees every other block. However, this video of 1950s America shows Males, Woman, Whites, Latinos and Blacks all working the same job with each other. I'm sure they where listening to Chuck Berry while working as well. Oh what a racist and xenophobic country it was. White Christian America bought into diversity because they are the only group of people that actually think all men are created equal. Now that they realize there country was stolen from them right before there eyes, now that the collages teach that white people are inherently evil, now that all corrupt politicians who are selling our country out to NGOs, and China have to do to get elected is race bait to minorities about imaginary oppression and promise to give them free stuff, now that we are being called white supremesits and Nazi's by political leaders, celebrities and collage professors when it was our Grandfathers (literally our blood) who came back from WW2 after defeating actual Nazis with faces blown off and 98% bodily burns, they are waking up. There birth right has been stolen. You've awoken and poked the bear. And this time after it reconquers the world, it's not gona feel like sharing the land or the spoils. And it definently isn't gona give a fuck about your feelings. This is not from hate. Again, this is because of the ethno centric qualitys of "the people of the world". We don't blame the minorities. They are useful idiots and can't help it. We know who the real perpetrators are. Be damn sure the plan is in motion and in our life time the just deserts will be had. Minorities just and WILL be going back to where they came from.
Amazing to see this this. That so many of these instruments still exist in usable state is testimony to the great work of those craftspeople. Watching them shape by hand!, well you wouldnt want any body or neck made by me that way :) Now if i could only get a time machine and go back and grab one or two...
27 people took the effort to "dislike" this video? I'm losing faith in humanity.
Great moment in time. There is at least one longer, lower-resolution version of this film on TH-cam, in two parts. It contains more factory footage - lots of amps - footage of Leo boating and even a trade show. The other version is about 20-25 minutes but this version here actually has some footage not in the other one and is much higher quality. Great stuff.
No masks, no gloves, no respirators, no ventilation, no shirts....hahaha! Man, those were the days. Hard working folks making legendary instruments. Love it!
Russell Eldridge is such a naturally flowing & passionate guitarist- wow- nice bluesy jazz tone and inflections
Que genio el que corta los cuerpos, y Tom Hanks en cuero probando las guitarras jaja
Javier Lafuente Eso sí, tan fluido
JL! jj
My father, Jose G. Perez, is at 1:46, working on guitar necks with the band saw & power & hand drills (in long sleeved shirt & hat). My mother, Carrie S. Perez, is at 4:46, working on a lap steel (wearing a long dress & big ear rings). They married on Jan 31, 1959, and I notice neither one of them is wearing a wedding ring. Leads me to believe the film was made in Jan '59, or earlier (at least one of them would have worn their wedding ring-even while working, but I can't be sure). -Joe Perez
Hey Joe thanks for sharing. A bunch of us with vintage Strats ('60s-'66) and have an S black S inside the body or a pencil S. Any idea what it stands for? Someone's name for inspection or Sunburst color to be sprayed? Thanks
Wonderful ... I hope things have been .. staying in tune . for you ;)
You are a lucky man Joe!!!
I wish I knew what the S stands for, but I don't.
@@spiritof76forever81 This great history Man!🤗👍💪
The recording, playing and guitar tone on this video is great well done. Thanks for the video too, sure many more people are interested in seeing more like this.