In Episode 1 of “Buy That Guitar,” presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli talks with Nate Westgor of Willie’s American Guitars, discussing how Gibson and Fender became the dominant brands in today’s vintage market.

When you see “Gibson” on the headstock of a vintage guitar, you know it was made by an artisan who carved, shaped, and assembled that guitar, and took pride in the work. Fenders, meanwhile, were pieced together by a worker who likely learned how to operate a bandsaw and router in high-school shop class and basically bolted together two planks of wood. Beyond the build, Gibson instruments typically began life in the hands of a learned musician who wore a suit, gown, or tux as they performed from behind a music stand. The Fender, on the other hand, was more likely played in a smoke-filled honky tonk with sawdust strewn across the floor.

Corrections: Ringo Starr’s band was called Rory Storm in the Hurricanes, not Rory and the Hurricanes. In 1966, Fender changed the Stratocaster neck code from 2 to 13, not 14. Also that year, Fender increased production by 45 percent, not 60 percent.

Links: www.williesguitars.com

Sponsor: Willie's American Guitars

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