Hal Leonard Publishes The Fender Archives

A Scrapbook of artifacts, treasures, and inside information   12-Nov-14

Hal Leonard Books has published The Fender Archives: A Scrapbook of Artifacts, Treasures, and Inside Information. Written by Tom Wheeler with foreword by legendary guitarist James Burton, The Fender Archives is part history, part archive, part scrapbook, and part treasure chest, telling the story of an American icon through it's rich past.

In The Fender Archives, Wheeler takes the reader on a research expedition, a sort of archeological dig through several sites: file folders in Fender's offices; the family archives of Don Randall; author/curator Richard Smith's collections; the photo galleries of John Peden and Fretted Americana; jammed metal cabinets in a sweltering warehouse near the Corona factory; and the home of the late Bob Perine in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, just blocks from the beach where he and Ned Jacoby took now-iconic photos of high school kids, surfboards, palm trees, and chrome-clad rocket-ship guitars in Shoreline Gold and Daphne Blue and Candy Apple Red.

"Tom has compiled a captivating collection of artifacts that is guaranteed to satisfy the most passionate Fender fanatic," said Richard McDonald, executive vice president of the Fender brand.

The Fender Archives looks at the company from the inside; handwritten letters, production totals, personal logbooks, in-house memos, Leo Fender's drawing-board sketches, financial reports-such documents are freed here from long confinement in cardboard boxes and filing cabinets, dusted off, and promoted from background to spotlight.

The Fender Archives sheds new light on the inspirations for revolutionary instruments and amplifiers, their sometimes-difficult births and growing pains, the environment into which they were unleashed upon the world, and the motivations and personalities of key players. Featured are rare and previously unseen photographs and documents from Fender's decades-long rich history as well as reproduced historical documents, posters, and other items housed in several folders bound within the book.

About the Author:
Tom Wheeler is a writer, educator, and musician. After freelancing for Rolling Stone, Wheeler held the post of editor in chief of Guitar Player Magazine and became the founding editorial director for Bass Player. He has authored several books, including The Guitar Book, American Guitars, The Stratocaster Chronicles, The Soul of Tone, and The Dream Factory. Wheeler currently serves as a professor at the University of Oregon's School of journalism. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Pricing and Availability:
$45.00

More information:

• Hal Leonard