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 What would Eric Clapton be without his trusted black Fender Stratocaster?" Where would Jeff Beck be without his signature beat up blonde Telecaster? How many countless guitarists started playing because they saw these, and many other, players using Fender guitars?
While Leo Fender was the man behind the design of these classic instruments, it was his right-hand man that gave these guitars the names and image that are now burnt into the public consciousness. That man was Don Randall, one of the most important figures in the world of guitar, and a name you've probably never heard of before today.
Don was working as a manager in an electric parts wholesaler in Santa Ana when he first met Leo Fender, who at the time was building lap-steel guitars and small amplifiers. While Leo became the brains behind the design of some of today's most famous guitars, Randall was the marketing genius behind the names and images used to sell these guitars to the world market. Randall was responsible for coming up with some of the most recognizable names in guitar, the Broadcaster, Telecaster and one of the best selling guitars of all time, the Stratocaster. Being more than just a name man, Randall also designed the ad campaigns that helped bring millions of Fender guitars into the homes and hands of Americans over the past 50 plus years. His unique ads were filled with images of young people having fun playing Fender's guitars in various situations such as surfing a big wave or hanging out by the back yard BBQ. This young and hip image has stuck with Fender and is one of the main reasons why it remains such a popular instrument today. Though many of us have never heard of Don Randall before his passing on January 11th, 2009, he was one of the biggest reasons why Fender guitars have such a lasting impression on popular culture. So the next time you pick up your favorite Fender and strum that first chord think to yourself, "would this feel just as cool if it wasn't called a Stratocaster?"
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