Worship Musician Magazine December 2020 | Page 98

Broadcaster Cost Sheet First Broadcaster Photos
to requests for a neck pickup by offering the Double Esquire , and in so doing created the Telecaster template . Whether to eliminate confusion , or simply to add an ‘ official ’ twopickup offering to the line , the Broadcaster was also launched in 1950 .
ALL IN A NAME Given the popularity of radio at the time , Broadcaster made a lot of sense when it came to naming a new instrument for aspiring guitarists . All of the 250 or so Broadcasters that shipped featured two pickups , an ash body , and a truss rod . This new guitar quickly grew in stature with players and inside the MI space . In early 1951 , Fender received a cease-and-desist order from the Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company for infringing upon their Broadkaster trademark . Being the crafty guy that he was , Leo simply had the word Broadcaster cut from the existing headstock decals . Not surprisingly , these transitional ‘ Nocasters ’ are among the most collectible Fenders out there . When it came time to reorder headstock decals , the Broadcaster was rechristened as the Telecaster , reflecting the arrival of television .
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE While the Telecaster remains one of the most beloved instruments of all time , the role of the Esquire and the Broadcaster in its journey are undeniable . The 70 th Anniversary Esquire and Broadcaster brilliantly illuminate this evolution in terms of homage to their namesakes and
Broadcaster Cease and Desist Telegram
in modern craftsmanship . While one might argue that there have been periods where other manufacturers ‘ out-Fendered ’ Fender on the vintage reissue front , that day has clearly passed . It ’ s both exciting and inspiring to see and hear the detail with which Fender has presently embraced its past !
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