Les Paul & Leo Fender Part II | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Stuff You Should Know

Paul Bigsby's Contribution and the 1947 Meeting

Paul Bigsby: oldest of the three innovators, former motorcycle racer turned instrument maker
Known for creating the Bigsby tailpiece (whammy bar invention)
Made beautiful artisan electric steel guitars, competed with Leo Fender
1947: Bigsby, Fender, and Les Paul worked together in Southern California garage
Country musician Merle Travis commissioned Bigsby to build guitar from his drawing
Bigsby created stunning solid body electric guitar for Travis
Leo Fender saw Travis playing the Bigsby guitar backstage, borrowed it for "reverse engineering"
Controversy: Fender allegedly copied Bigsby's design features including headstock layout and tuning peg arrangement
Lawsuit filed by Bigsby against Fender but dismissed due to prior similar designs

Bigsby's guitar featured all tuning pegs on top in one line (easier access than Gibson's 3+3 layout)
Bigsby pure vibrato system: mechanical whammy bar that loosened strings by lifting bridge
Fender's bolt-on neck vs Gibson's glued set neck construction
- Bolt-on: more "plucky" sound, easier mass production
- Set neck: warmer tone, more sustain, resembles through-neck construction
Fender's factory approach vs artisan one-at-a-time craftsmanship

Paul Tutmarc invented first electric bass 15 years before Fender P-Bass
Upright bass transportation problems: huge, filled entire car back seat
Precision Bass named for frets (upright bass was fretless)
Revolutionary impact on music: enabled Motown, funk, rock bass lines
Carol K: legendary session bassist who played Fender Precision on countless 1950s-60s hits
Electric bass became driving force rather than background instrument

Esquire prototype debuted at 1950 National Association of Music Merchants convention
Initial neck warping problems from steel string tension, solved with truss rod
Became "Broadcaster" but faced trademark dispute with Gretsch drum set
Renamed "Telecaster" due to television popularity
First mass-produced solid body electric guitar
Don Randall: Fender's 50-50 partner, handled marketing and sales

Fender offered Les Paul endorsement deal with Telecaster - he declined (too bright)
Les Paul returned to Gibson after decade-long rejection
Gibson already developing solid body guitar after seeing Fender Esquire
Gibson Les Paul model: heavy (9-10 lbs vs Fender's 7 lbs), glued neck, warmer tone
5% royalty deal, exclusive playing agreement
George McCarty (Gibson president) actually designed the guitar
Les Paul allowed to claim invention credit as part of endorsement deal

1958 UK tours changed music history:
- Buddy Holly and the Crickets with Stratocaster (influenced Beatles, pop direction)
- Muddy Waters with Stratocaster (influenced Clapton, blues-rock direction)
Dick Dale and surf guitar movement: pushed volume limits
Accidentally destroyed Leo Fender's eardrum during amp testing
Beach Boys, session musicians adopted Fender instruments
The Wrecking Crew: studio musicians who played on most 1950s-60s hits

Leo Fender's health issues: chronic strep throat, ulcers, stress from company growth
1965: CBS purchased Fender for equivalent of $110 million today
Fender and Randall each received $5 million ($50+ million today)
Deal included unprofitable Fender Rhodes piano and acoustic divisions
Leo had 5-year consulting contract, 10-year non-compete clause
Died 1991 after long, wealthy retirement

Music career declined with rock and roll's rise
Ugly public divorce from Mary Ford, unusual custody arrangement for era
Gibson SG originally "Gibson Les Paul SG" until he rejected design
Lived to 92, played small NYC club gigs with famous guest musicians
Only person inducted in both Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and National Inventors Hall of Fame
Died 2009, remembered as "Guitar God's guitar God"

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