Blonde Fender Broadcaster Electric Guitar, 1950

Manufactured in 1950, the first year of its release, this Fender Broadcaster was the first electric guitar designed to be mass-produced, and featured a replaceable bolt-on neck to keep the price low: an affordable $189.50.   

Leo Fender’s design for the instrument was produced in 1950, but it did not receive patent approval until 1951. After marketing the guitar for only six months, Fender changed the name to Telecaster in 1951 to avoid trouble with Gretsch, a guitar manufacturer who produced Broadkaster drums. Gretsch notified Fender of the products’ similar names in February 1951. Fender continued production but the Broadcaster name was removed from the label (garnering the nickname “Nocaster” for those affected) until the Telecaster label was applied later in 1951. Despite a humble look and inexpensive price tag, the Fender Telecaster was a huge success, made an enormous contribution to the popularity of the electric guitar, and continues to be one of the most popular electric guitars to this day.