Fender aficionados - Fender Factory Tour 1959

[Jind]

I saw this mentioned in this months Premier Guitar and thought it was pretty damned cool. Late last year someone found and restored some 8mm film of a factory tour at the Fender factory in Fullerton, CA that was filmed in 1959. There is a reason why all remaining guitars from that era are so highly prized and priced.

Now, thanks to some restoration by CinePost, footage of the Fullerton factory is now up on YouTube for the public to see.

The video was shot by Forrest White in 1959, and shows the factory workers crafting the guitars by hand, well before the use of CNCs.

Spot Leo Fender in the second shot

Watch it and see how times have changed - everything was produced by hand, no computerized CNC lathes machines, not even powered screwdrivers. Watching it gives you a new appreciation for the small custom builders still doing it the old fashion way. Keep up the great work guys!



Pretty cool huh?

 

[FIXXXER]

cool vid, love watching this!

and btw, i don't think that CNC makes guitars less worthy, quality or whatever.
it's much more accurate which actually MUST be a benefit to the guitar
the problem nowadays lies in the poor wood quality, greed for profit etc.

cheers
S.

 

[Bekanor]

Hahahaha have a go at in-shape-out-of-shape-guy-from-the-50's there rocking up to work without a shirt.

 

[iekobrid]

Between the roomful of chicas buffing lap steels and Shirtless Joe the Setup King, that felt like it might veer from gear porn to actual porn at any moment.

 

[Habsburgs]

"We've all heard about Abagail Ybarra and Tadeo Gomez but I would really like salute Carl McMullins who used to sweep the floors(@5:47)"

Lmao I want a tele

 

[hsinn3r]

Damn, all I can see is people cutting their hands off.