1946: Clarence Leonidas Fender (1909-1991) forms the Fender Electric Instruments Company (FEIC) on South Pomona Avenue, in Fullerton, California.
1950: Broadcaster.
1951: Precision Bass.
1954: Stratocaster.
Dec 1964: FEIC is sold to CBS for $13M.
1982: Fender Japan line (built by Fuji Gen Gakki).
1983: Squier series built in Japan (targetting european market). Squier was previously a strings brand owned by CBS since 1965.
Mar 1984: CBS sells Fender to an investment group (led by William Schultz) for $12.5M. Fender becomes Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC).
1985: No production since the sale didn't include any production facilities. Most instruments sold in 1985 are then either stock or Japan made.
1986: New factory built in Corona, California. Production is restored.
1989, 1990: FMIC experiments with India.
1990: Mexico plant built.
1991: FMIC headquarters relocate to Scottsdale, Arizona.
1998: FMIC opens up a new plant in Corona, California.
FMIC currently produces guitars from China (Tianjin), Japan, Korea, Mexico (Ensenada) and the United States (Corona).
Fingerboards (source: Blue Book of Electric Guitars):
1950-1959: All maple.
1959-1962: Maple neck planed flat, rosewood fingerboard glued on top: Slab top/fingerboard.
1962-1983: Maple neck rounded to radius, thin piece of rosewood glued on it: Veneer fingerboard.
1983: Back to Slab top design.
Neck plates (source: Blue Book of Electric Guitars):
1950-1971: 4 screws.
1971-1981: 3 screws, micro-tilt.
1981-1983: Slow return to 4 screws.
1983: Back to 4 screws.
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