Why Are Pre-1966 Fender Guitars Better Than Later Years?

The Wood Matters Too?

Fender also took chances with the wood, going for Indian wood instead of Brazilian wood, as well as trading out a crucial component called nitrocellulose lacquer that went over the guitar. They replaced it with polyurethane, which ruined a lot of the tone, feel, and playability. This was a few years later, but the die was cast, and Fender guitars from before late 1964 started to climb in stature, fame, and value, because of the un-tampered tone and quality of the instruments.

Now, don't get me wrong. The search for the perfect fender vintage guitar, fender relic or reissue, is still ongoing and alive, especially at my site, but there are a few things that need to be cleared up. Why did Leo sell Fender? This will require more research, but why did he sell it to CBS of all companies?

In doing initial research on the glorious times of Fender, many things have been brought to my attention, but one thing is the saddest of all- that Leo Fender actually let his Fender electric guitars decline in value, quality and tone through the selling of Fender Music Corp to CBS in 1965.

Why Are Pre-1966 Fender Guitars Better Than Later Years?

However, probably the worst thing really to come of this selling of Fender was the loss of the maple one piece neck to a three-bolt neck process. This ruined the tone for many people...

The Years Mattered

It seems that before '66, the Fender line and legacy was intact, and hands-on love was still applied. After January '65 though, when CBS got control of Fender, many things changed. Everything just seemed to go down hill.

The Vintage market really started to take shape around the time CBS took over, because not only would these guitars become more valuable, the fender electrics before the end of '64, time would also start to add a huge boost to their value and worth. So, really, the CBS takeover was good for vintage collectors in a way, because the CBS fiasco made a certain segment of vintage fender guitars much more valuable than other models Fender would produce after '64-'65.

The Good News About Vintage Fender Guitars & CBS

One of the reasons why late '64 and early '65 are frowned upon, unless you consider tone to be well, just tone, is that this is really the time that Leo Fender handed over the reigns to the mass-production, lesser-standards company, CBS. Many lament this trade, and wished that it had never happened.