I’m going to do my best to recommend books I’ve actually read for the Book Club. This is one of them. In fact, I’ve probably read every book every written about Fender (I used to work in their marketing department, so I had to be an expert).

I can honestly say that this is my favorite “Fender” book. Although I appreciate an author who can painstakingly detail the evolution of Fender headstocks, logos, and the number of winds on their pickups, those books are really a dime a dozen. This book was written by Forrest White, an insider (Fender’s only General Manager during the Leo years), and really gives great insight into the early history of the company and the mind of Leo Fender.

The Book: Fender: The Inside Story
The Author: Forrest White
The Run-Down: Even though Leo Fender never learned how to play a guitar, he was the first to make the electric solidbody guitar a commercial success. Despite his low-key style and conservative roots, his radical designs for guitars and amplifiers altered popular music forever.

Much has been published about the Fender Electric Instrument Co., but Leo always wanted its story to be told “just the way it happened.” Now, Forrest White, his friend and only general manager, offers a behind-the-scenes look at this company. In his down-to-earth style, White traces the company’s entire history, from Leo’s beginnings as a radio repairman up to the eventual sale of Fender to CBS and beyond. In between are stories about the development of the Telecaster, Precision Bass and Stratocaster, as well as insights into Leo Fender’s unique personality.

Fender: The Inside Story is packed with more than 100 historic photos and illustrations; instrument diagrams and specifications; and anecdotes about artists such as Merle Travis, Bob Wills, Speedy West, and Tex Ritter. Here is the book that sets the record straight and dispels the myths about the Fender Electric Instrument Co., a company that forever changed the look, sound, and personality of American music.

Check out more music-related books at the BiblioPipe Music Media Library.