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Disco Stu
Silver Member
USA
303 Posts |
 Posted - 01/12/2009 : 02:59:01
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Randall, named Fender Stratocaster guitar, dies
Sunday, January 11, 2009
(01-11) 16:32 PST Santa Ana, Calif. (AP) --
Don Randall, the marketing dynamo who gave Fender's Stratocaster guitar its name and led the brand to onstage ubiquity, has died. He was 91.
Randall died of age-related causes Dec. 23 at his home in Santa Ana, his son, Tim, told the Los Angeles Times.
Randall's marketing savvy elevated electric guitar designer Leo Fender's instruments, played by such musicians as Ritchie Valens, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, into a hugely successful franchise during the brand's first two decades.
Tom Wheeler, a former editor of Guitar Player magazine, said Randall changed the way the public viewed guitars and playing music, adding: "It's highly unlikely that Fender could have achieved anywhere near as worldwide success without Don Randall."
Randall was born Oct. 30, 1917, in Kendrick, Idaho, and moved with his family to California when he was 10.
He was managing an electric parts wholesaler in Santa Ana when he learned about the lap steel guitars and small amplifiers Fender was building in his small radio shop in nearby Fullerton. The two teamed up to form what is now the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
He named Fender's first commercially available guitar the Broadcaster in 1950, then renamed it the Telecaster following a trademark dispute with another company. In 1954, he tapped into his background as an aviation enthusiast and pilot to dub Fender's newest guitar the Stratocaster.
Randall negotiated the 1965 sale of Fender's firm to CBS for $13 million. In 1970, he founded Randall Instruments in Irvine, which he sold in 1987. Fender died in 1991.
(This version CORRECTS that Fender died in 1991, not Wheeler. Wheeler is still alive.) |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2009 : 03:44:54
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| sorry to hear about that. i have been reading about him in the fender book soul of tone |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2009 : 05:34:04
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2009 : 13:03:44
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Randall was an extremely important person in the success of Fender, his marketing genius was a great compliment to Leo Fenders ideas. Remember that Randall was with Fender from the very early days.
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2009 : 17:48:02
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Isn't it amazing that people like this along with the guys at gibson got it so right the first time around...? i would say what the majority of electric guitar players want is a classic Fender or Gibson guitar that hasn't really been changed too much from the 50's... R.I.P. Don........ |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 00:08:18
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| i have played all the crappy gear through out the years with guitars, pedal,amps.I have been truly happy with my guitars and pedals going with the old reliable stuff. and fender is a great product and it lasts for a long time. All my guitars are fender except my acoustic which is a Martin. |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 07:00:15
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RIP Don Randall
