G & L factory tour

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XViK4laMGwk interesting tour of the old pre cbs fender factory, fullerton, california in which leo fender continued to build his guitars,

[Malcolm]

Eddie, visited this factory 28 years ago, while on honeymoon in LA(wife was not to pleased, )At that time CBS were in charge, was shown round by their European sales manager, who took me into their "Lab" to show me their latest model which he said could sound just like a Gibson.When I said that if I wanted a guitar that sounded like a Gibson I would buy a Gibson, and wouldn't it be better for Fender to build guitars that sounded like Fenders,he was quite put out.At that time they also had the Fender Rhodes and Rodger's Drum assembly line which apparently ran about once every three months,It surprised me how small the unit was.Despite trying hard, I could not talk him into selling me a cheap Tele.

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

I guess that petty much summed up the post CBS fender mentality, that SALESMAN [wonder if he could play guitar] wanting a fender to sound like a gibson, Leo would never have said that, the 'SALESMAN' obviously didnt understand guitars or guitarists, Gibson's are class guitars in the main, so are Fenders, but never the twain meet, i just took delivery of a G & l U.S. guitar, which came with certificate, stating Leo Fender and George Fullerton set uo G & L guitars in 1980, you state Malcolm, the factory was still owned by CBS 28 years ago, presumably 1982?, wonder what year they pulled out and Leo moved his guitar production back in there? i also wonder were Fender Steel Guitars built at this factory pre or post CBS? cos i have re issue Fender catologues as far back as 1958 showing steel guitars, also, did sho bud manufacture later Fender pedal steel guitars? loads of potential questions and answers regarding this facility, i think it deserves some response, i hope so anyway,

[Basil Henriques]

The ShoBud Fender.....
Shot wasn't involved in this venture, It was the "Music City Mfg.," company, owned by David Jackson that did the Fender contract. 4400 steels were made for Fender in a one year period by David Jackson. This is a common misconception, everyone thinks that Shot Jackson was at head of Sho-Bud production mfg.when it was David that did 90% of all of the guitars with the "Sho-Bud" logo and 100% of the Fender guitars, as a matter of fact, Shot Jackson was totaly against David doing the deal with Fender, he figured it would be a bad deal where there was a chance that David could lose the company to Fender. This is the way the Fender lawyers worded the contract: "If Music City Mfg. didn't perform on the contract 100%, in one year, Fender could take over and finish the contract themselves. Shot hated this deal, David thought he could do it, and DID! When the contract was filled, most of the Fender designed parts and tooling went into the "NEW" Sho-Bud Super Pro steel guitar. See, David really came out the big winner, he sold Fender 4400 steel guitars, Fender paid for all the tooling, and at the end, David Jackson built the next great Sho-Bud from the Fender tooling. Shot was three blocks away just hoping his son wouldn't loose everything he had. He didn't. David later sold the company to Fred Grestch, (after a second big run of steels to the "Baldwin co." in Cincinnati OH.) Dec.31,1984.

Technically, there were TWO Sho-Bud companies at the same time, Shot Jackson's at 416 Broadway, Nashville, and David Jackson's, "Music City Manufacturing" on Second Ave. North.(three blocks from his Daddy's store). David did the high steel guitar production numbers while Shot built Dobros,lap steels, did mostly custom guitars, Retail sales and repairs. Very low volume, but high profile.

Shot seems to get the credit today for the production steels built from '68 upward when he really had almost nothing to do with it at all. Of course, there would have been no David if it hadn't been for his daddy "Shot"!

Bobbe Seymoure said that.. HERE

I knew Shot quite well as I produced an album for him and also for "Donna Darlene" (Shot's Wife) When they toured Ireland in the early eighties.