Known primarily for being one of the world's top guitar makers, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is a privately owned company, with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. Leo Fender founded the company in Fullerton, California in 1946. Andy Mooney has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of Fender since 2015. Mooney was the former chair of Disney Consumer Products.

In addition to the popular guitar models produced under the Fender brand, such as the Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass, the company also produces a wide variety of guitars, musical instruments, and musical equipment🐟 through the other companies that it has acquired, including EVH, Charvel, Jackson, and Squier.

1. EVH

Fender's EVH brand is legendary rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen's personal 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:product line of electric guitars, amps, and accessories. Every model and piece of equipment produced under the EVH label is meant to reprod꧂uce Van Halen's unꦿique sound.

With original artwork designed by Van Halen, the EVH Striped Series is designed to mimic the look and sound of the guitars that he played during the 1980s. Van Halen was known for tinkering with his amplifiers, and EVH amps are designed to produce the same sound that Van Halen spent years attempting to achieve. EVH equipment is manufactured at Fender's facility in Corona, California.

2. Charvel

Wayne Charvel worked at Fender for three years in the early 1970s and started Charvel's Guitar Repair in 1974. His custom finishes, repairs, and upgrades earned his shop in Southern California a solid reputation among musicians, and he began building complete electric guitars. He eventually 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:sold the company to Grover Jackson in 1978.

Under Jackson, the Charvel brand rose to prominence. Jackson convinced many of the most popular rock guitarists of the 1980s–such as Van Halen, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, and Vinnie Vincent of꧅ Kiss–to🧔 play Charvel guitars. At the height of the company’s success, Jackson sold Charvel to a Japanese manufacturer in 1989, and Fender purchased Charvel in 2002.

3. Jackson

Jackson guitars, also created by Grover Jackson, are considered the wilder, high-performance alternatives to their more traditional cousins sold under the Charvel brand. Featuring bold, bright designs, Jackson guitars became the instruments of choice for many 1980s heavy metal guitarists, such as Phil Collen of 🦂Def Leppard, Phil Demmel of Machine Head, and David Ellefs🍃on and Chris Broderick of Megadeth.

Jackson guitars have evolved over time. The company has claimed that it is the longest-operating true custom guitar shop in the United States, with many of its original staff still producing high-quality instrum🌳ents. Fender acquired the Jackson brand along with its 2002 purchase of Charvel.

4. Squier

Produced and marketed as inexpensive guitars for beginner players, Squier guitars represent the lower end of Fender's vast array of instruments. While Fender's other brands offer electric guitars that cost well into the thousands of dollars, many Squier models are under $200.

Under the Squier brand, Fender makes less expensive versions of its popular Stratocaster and Telecaster models, among others. Originally a string manufacturing company for violins, banjos, and guitars, Fender acquired Squier in 1965 and began producing Squier guitars in 1982.

5. Bigsby

Bigsby Electric Guitar Company began in the '40s, during the early days of the modern electric guitar. In 1965, Ted McCarty, an ex-Gibson executive, purchased the company, and in 1999, the Gretsch Company purchased Bigsby.

Two decades later, Bigsby was sold to Fender Musical Instruments Corp on Jan. 8, 2019. Bigsby vibrato tailpieces are popular with guitarists and are featured on a wide range of instruments, in addition to its guitars. Bigsby runs as a standalone business under FMIC's Specialty Brands, according to Fender's website.

Fender Acquisitions and Partnerships

In addition to the five aforementioned companies, Fender has also acquired numerous other brands, including G🅷uild Guitar Company, Sunn Amplifier Company, SWR S𒈔ound Corporation, Tacoma Guitars, and Kaman Music Corporation, among others.

In January 2020, after a decade of joint ownership, Servco Pacific Co. acquired TPG Growth's shares in Fender, and after a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:sale and purchase agreement, Servco became the new 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:majority owner of the company.

The Bottom Line

Fender is not just a legendary guitar maker but also a giant in the music industry. The company has a deep history with many legendary br𓂃ands under its corporate umbrella. Fender has played a large role in s🌊haping the sound of rock music over the decades with its iconic Stratocaster and brands such as EVH, Charvel, Jackson, Squier, and Bigsby.