Oh boy, here’s a beaut for all you collectors of iconic musical instruments! But an expensive one. I’m talking about a 1950 Fender Broadcaster electric guitar.
A way-cool item
Since growing up in the ’60′s and hearing my first Beatles tune, I have been enthralled with electric guitars. I always wanted to be in a band with one of those way-cool things strapped over my shoulder. I tried but couldn’t quite get up to speed with it. I bought a pawn-shope 6-string and didn’t have the patience to learn. I found that dealing with six strings was an impossibility. But not to denied of my dream I thought I’d try a bass guitar. It only had four strings and you didn’t have to do finger gymnastics playing chords—-only one note on one string at a time. I could do this. But still, I never got too far. It was a lot of fun anyway, and I still have my old Carvin Bass on display at home.
So electric guitars became an instant love and I have been fascinated with all the brands and players over the years. So when you get to know all the makes and models, you can’t help but have a favorite. Mine was and still is the Fender Telecaster.
So what does all this have to do with a Fender Broadcaster? And what is a Fender Broadcaster? Never heard of it!
Well, to my delight when I first unearthed it while researching, I immediately noticed it looked just like a Telecaster. Then I found out it was the precursor of the Tele, and had a very short existence. It came into being in the 1940s as Leo Fender designed an unusual guitar: a solid body electric.
Can't believe this is out there!
Leo Fender designed the initial prototypes for the Telecaster (the Broadcaster) in Fullerton, California in the early 1940s. From 1932-1949 several other independent guitar manufacturers and companies were releasing solid-body electrics but none of them could gain in popularity commercially. Fender’s Broadcaster was the very first model to break through and place solid-body models on the map.
A rare find.
Today’s Telecaster hasn’t changed much from the 61-year old Broadcaster. The characteristics unique to Broadcasters and early Teles are: closed-shell Kluson Deluxe tuners with no protruding shaft on the side (evolved into open-shell by 1952), maple headstock plug (all were walnut by ‘52), back string ferrules not in a straight line (straightened by ’51), pickup blend control (became a tone control by ’52), and slot-head screws (became Phillips screws by ’54). A black pickguard was used until late ’54,and a transparent finished ash body was standard through the 1970s.
This first “production” electric guitar is acclaimed for having a rather steely, piercing sound, and had the design and style of “solid-body electrics” without any hollow sound chambers. The Fender Telecaster was considered by many guitar players as a great, versatile instrument especially strong in country, blues, and of course, rock and roll.
The price tag is pretty high, but this is a very rare collectible.
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