From the smoky bars of 1950s Nashville to the wide-open stages of Glastonbury and Splendour in the Grass, Fender guitars have been there, humming, howling, and shaping the very sound of modern music. More than just tools of the trade, these instruments are icons in their own right: sculptors of tone, canvases for self-expression, and vessels of nostalgia that bind generations of musicians and fans.
In Australia, as much as anywhere else, the Fender legacy runs deep. Whether it’s the jangly riff of INXS’s “Don’t Change,” the fiery solos of Midnight Oil, or Courtney Barnett’s grunge-soaked Telecaster twang, the fingerprints of Leo Fender’s designs are all over the nation’s soundscape. But the story of Fender is global. It’s about the marriage of innovation and culture, of timeless design and musical rebellion, of pop stardom and bedroom daydreams.
This is the story of Fender through its sales, its style, its pop culture influence, and its enduring place in the hearts of guitarists across the world.
The Birth of a Revolution: Fender in the 1950s
When Leo Fender founded the Fender Electric Instrument Company in 1946, he wasn’t trying to start a revolution. He was just trying to make a guitar that worked better for musicians.
In 1950, he released the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar: the Broadcaster, quickly renamed the Telecaster. Two years later, the Stratocaster followed, a guitar that would become one of the most recognisable and enduring instruments in history.
Fender’s approach was radically different from the competition. His guitars were affordable, easy to repair, and featured bolt-on necks and cutting-edge pickups. Country, blues, and early rock players flocked to them for their bright tones and practical design. Fender wasn’t just building guitars. He was changing the rules.
From Surf to Stadiums: Fender and the 1960s Boom
By the 1960s, Fender had become the soundtrack of a generation. Surf rock pioneers like Dick Dale and The Ventures helped make the Stratocaster the voice of California’s wave-chasing youth.
Across the Atlantic, British bands were taking note. The Shadows famously used Fenders, paving the way for a new generation of UK players. Icons like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and David Gilmour all turned to Fender for its signature tone.
But it was Jimi Hendrix who redefined what a Stratocaster could do. His performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock in 1969 remains one of the most visceral musical moments of the 20th century, immortalising the Strat as an instrument of protest, power and poetry.
In Australia, the impact was just as strong. The Easybeats, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, and The Masters Apprentices embraced the American sound. Fender guitars became the chosen voice of Aussie rock as local acts shaped their own sound using global tools.
Global Sales and Local Impact: The Numbers Behind the Name
While Fender’s cultural impact is undeniable, its commercial success is equally impressive. Over the last 75 years, Fender has sold millions of guitars, and the Stratocaster and Telecaster remain among the best-selling electric guitars of all time.
The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly ushered in a new golden age for guitar sales. According to Fender, more than 16 million guitars were sold worldwide in 2020, and CEO Andy Mooney called it the company’s best year ever, citing a dramatic rise in new players driven by social media and digital learning tools.
Australian retailers echoed this boom. Stores like Sky Music, Billy Hyde and Guitar Brothers reported widespread shortages of popular Fender models. The accessible Squier Bullet Strat was especially popular with beginners, while pros and collectors continued to snap up American-made guitars and vintage reissues.
Style and Identity: The Fender Look
A Fender guitar is instantly recognisable. The clean, offset lines of the Stratocaster. The slab-bodied minimalism of the Telecaster. The quirky curves of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. Each model says something different about the person playing it.
Buddy Holly helped popularise the Strat in the 1950s, his thick-rimmed glasses and slick hair perfectly matched by the sunburst guitar. Bruce Springsteen’s black-and-blonde Telecaster, immortalised on the cover of Born to Run, became a symbol of working-class grit. Kurt Cobain’s sticker-covered Mustang defined grunge-era rebellion, while John Mayer’s shimmering Strats helped revive the instrument in the 2000s.
In Australia, the Fender identity runs just as deep. Keith Urban has long favoured Telecasters for their twang. Troy Cassar-Daley plays Fenders both on stage and in the studio. Tash Sultana, one of the brand’s most prominent global ambassadors today, loops psychedelic, genre-bending soundscapes live using a Stratocaster as their centrepiece.
Pop Culture Moments: Fender in Film, TV and Fashion
Fender has never been just about music. Its guitars appear across film, television and fashion, reinforcing the brand’s status as a cultural symbol.
In Back to the Future, a Surf Green Strat appears in Marty McFly’s bedroom. In Wayne’s World, Garth lusts after a white Strat with the immortal line, “It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.” School of Rock brought a new generation into the fold as Jack Black wielded a battered Telecaster while preaching the gospel of rock and roll.
Recent shows like Stranger Things leaned into guitar nostalgia. The fourth season featured a key moment that reignited interest in all things guitar, with sales spiking for vintage-inspired instruments.
In fashion, Fender partnered with Levi’s for a capsule collection that blended rock heritage with streetwear cool. No longer just a musical brand, Fender has become a lifestyle icon.
