Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Bridge Over Troubled Water
  • World in Motion
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • The genius of Clive Davis
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970 in pictures

News
By The MusicRadar Team
Published 5 July 2010

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970

Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970

In the year that the world's first mass production solidbody electric guitar - the Fender Telecaster - celebrates its 60th birthday, Fender junkies and indeed all fans of hardcore guitar porn should check out one of the sexiest guitar-centric hardbacks we've seen in years.

Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970 by Martin Kelly, Paul Kelly and Terry Foster, published by Cassell Illustrated, is available now from www.octopusbooks.co.uk and Amazon.

The book charts the history of Fender from its humble beginnings through to the sale of the company to CBS in 1965 and beyond. Along the way, the company's instruments and amplifiers changed the face of popular music, and this is celebrated in Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970 alongside images of some of the most valuable and rare guitars on earth, contemporary promotional material and previously unseen factory photographs.

If you want to get your hands on this wonderful tome, MusicRadar is giving away six copies. But before we tell you how to enter the competition, click through the following gallery taken from the pages of Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970. Be warned: you will want this book!

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1946 Model 26/Deluxe Woodie amplifier

1946 Model 26/Deluxe Woodie amplifier

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
A trio of blond 1950 Broadcasters

A trio of blond 1950 Broadcasters

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Late 1950s Precision Bass and Bassman advert

Late 1950s Precision Bass and Bassman advert

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
1958 Surfburst Jazzmaster

1958 Surfburst Jazzmaster

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
1960s The Beach Boys Play Fender postcard

1960s The Beach Boys Play Fender postcard

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
The Golden Age in Telecaster headstocks

The Golden Age in Telecaster headstocks

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
1962 Bass VI

1962 Bass VI

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Early 1960s amplifier advert

Early 1960s amplifier advert

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Mid 1960s Bob Dylan Plays Fender postcard

Mid 1960s Bob Dylan Plays Fender postcard

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Second-series 1966 Lake Placid Blue Marauder prototype

Second-series 1966 Lake Placid Blue Marauder prototype

Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970 by Martin Kelly, Paul Kelly and Terry Foster, published by Cassell Illustrated, is available now from www.octopusbooks.co.uk and Amazon.

Want to win it?

Of course you do! We have six copies up for grabs, so hurry up and click here to enter our competition...

Liked this? Now read: 2010 International Vintage Show in pictures

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
The MusicRadar Team
The MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the internet's most popular website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers.

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.

TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.

STARS: We talk to artists and musicians about their creative processes, digging deep into the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music-making that no other music website can.

Latest in Electric Guitars
A Baum Guitars Verve electric guitar lying on a rug
Electric Guitars Baum Guitars Verve review
 
 
Kirk Hammett plays his Mummy ESP signature guitar [left]; Neal Schon plays a Les Paul on a stage lit up in purple.
Artists Kirk Hammett felt so guilty after buying Neal Schon's Les Paul on the cheap he offered to return it
 
 
Brandon Ellis demos his signature Jackson Kelly in Gold Crackle
Artists Jackson and Brandon Ellis unveil a top-tier 27-fret Kelly that's designed especially for metal solos
 
 
The Guild Newark St. Collection S-300 Deluxe is offered in Neptune blue and Sterling silver Metallic finishes
Guitars Guild’s S-300 returns: can the cult-classic offset find its niche with today’s player?
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up June 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s epic guitar gear round-up: June ’26 edit, ft. EHX, PRS, Fender’s mega-launch and more
 
 
Kramer 50th Anniversary Collection
Guitars Kramer marks 50 years of shred with a gold metallic makeover for its high-performance lineup
 
 
Latest in News
Taylor Swift attends the SongWriters' Hall of Fame induction ceremony 2026
Singles And Albums "Absurd, frivolous and harassing": Taylor Swift wins landmark copyright lawsuit over her lyrics
 
 
james blake
Artists "His son actually cleared the sample": James Blake on sampling Leonard Cohen for Death of Love
 
 
Explicit Music
Streaming New data reveals that explicit lyrics are in decline - but why?
 
 
Dokken
Artists “Metallica are killing us!”: How a hair metal band’s dream gig turned into a nightmare
 
 
George Harrison of The Beatles pop group pictured at the Apple Headquarters in London, 2nd January 1969
Guitarists Did George Harrison contribute to more Beatles songs than he is given credit for?
 
 
Dave Grohl recording in Hilversum Studios, posed at drums
Artists How Dave Grohl delivered his Smells Like Teen Spirit drum track
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...