Fender 50th Anniversary Guitar and Amps

January 18, 1996 -- Fender kicks off their 50th Anniversary celebration at NAMM by unveiling custom built, limited edition guitar and amplifier sets which duplicate the look, style and feel of original Fender instruments built in 1946. The set is expected to be one of the most collectable issues in Fender history.

Only fifty of these guitar and amplifier sets will be made and offered on a lottery basis to Fender's worldwide dealer/distributor network at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim, Calif. The set is initially valued at $8,000 and includes a reproduction of a special prototype Telecaster originally built in 1946. This particular guitar was never put into regular production. Recreated in the Fender Custom Shop, the guitar has a wide neck, pine body and a Broadcaster-style pick-up design.

"The amplifier included with the set is an exact replica of an original 1946 Fender Pro amp," said John Page, Fender Custom Shop Manager. "To authenticate the style and sound of the amplifier, Fender Custom Shop craftsmen took apart an actual 1946 model, and recreated each of the fifty commemorative amplifiers with many parts bought from the original vendors and antique electronic distributors."

For more information, visit their web site at www.fender.com.