Thread by @Nash076

In the midsts of Trump's trade war, "America first" nonsense with China, I'm reminded of what happened when Fender Guitars saved itself from becoming a footnote in history, and why shifting trade around isn't a snap of the fingers.

See, originally Fender was owned by the man himself: Leo Fender, designer of the Telecaster (first mass-produced electric guitar), the Stratocaster, a whole slew of amps and one of the most important people in modern music.

But he got older, and wanted to retire.

In 1965, Leo sold Fender to CBS.

Yup. THAT CBS. The one that still makes NCIS for some weird reason.

CBS also owned some of the largest record labels out there. They wanted to laterally integrate to owning not just the artist's contracts, but the means of production.

What followed was an era of cost cutting and lack of quality control that created some of the worst guitars and amps the company ever produced.

Fender guitars from the 70s to the early 80s (CBS era) are the one vintage instrument that people really don't want.

So, having destroyed the brand, CBS wanted out. Fender as a guitar maker was a hair's breath from just being liquidated or dumped altogether.

Fortunately, employees got together and made the offer to buy the brand from CBS in 1985.

But there was a hitch.

While CBS sold the patents and naming rights to the newly made Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, they didn't sell them any of the facilities.

There was no place in North America to build the guitars. No place was ready.

Enter Fender Japan, a licensee of the brand that stepped in. They had the parts, they had the people, they were ready to go.

And that's how for a few years every Fender guitar manufactured came out of Japan while the Corona, CA plant was constructed.

My point in all this is that had Fender Japan not been an option, Fender wouldn't exist as a guitar maker today.

Companies can't just shift on a dime. Facilities take time to build, to staff, to get up and running.

So when you disrupt production chains and just expect companies to instantly relocate to the United States ... you're delusional.

Making real things doesn't work like that. It takes time. Years, in some cases. And in those years, employees and customers suffer.

PS: Those mid-80's Japanese Fenders? They're some of the best guitars Fender ever made. The bodies were a little on the cheaper side for a while, but the necks and electronics were spectacular.

PPS: Yes, *some* CBS era Fender guitars are good. Some. But it's case-by-case, and some were put together wrong, or the fit and finish was screwed up, etc. Quality control was a big problem.

The CBS era amps are all pretty much crap, though.