The Fender Lead Series was produced by the Fender/Rogers/Rhodes Division of CBS Musical Instruments. The series comprised Lead I, Lead II, Lead III and Lead Bass models.

General features

* Manufactured Fall 1979 through 1982. * Vintage style "Soft C" profile neck with a radius. * Neck width at nut , plus applied finish thickness on 1981 models. *

Truss rod The truss rod is a component of a guitar or other stringed instrument that stabilizes the lengthwise forward curvature (also called ''relief'') of the neck. Usually, it is a steel bar or rod that runs through the inside of the neck, beneath the fi ...

adjustment at the heel of the neck. * 2 vintage style string trees. * 21 medium frets. * "F" tuners (West German-manufactured), and "F" 4 bolt neck plate w/plastic pad. * 3 Ply BWB through 1981 and WBW through 1982

pickguard A pickguard (also known more correctly as scratchplate) is a piece of plastic or other (often laminated) material that is placed on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument. The main purpose of the pickguard is to pro ...

with foil backing. * White plastic nut. * scale length. * Bridge uses a string spacing of . * Hardtail through-body mounted strings. * The saddle screws used lock nuts, not springs. * Comes with a tolex or moulded plastic case.

History

The original concept for the Lead guitar series, including the name "Lead" came from Dennis Handa, then Marketing director for Fender Guitars. The idea was to have a guitar that was cheaper than the Stratocaster and be attractive to players because of the neck feel as well as the pickup options. The smaller

headstock A headstock or peghead is part of a guitar or similar stringed instruments such as a lute, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and others of the lute lineage. The main function of a headstock is to house the pegs or mechanism that holds the strings at th ...

and the neck were both patterned after earlier Fender necks. Originally Steve Morse of the

Dixie Dregs The Dixie Dregs is an American rock band from Augusta, Georgia. Formed in 1970, the band's performance consists entirely of instrumentals that fuse elements of diverse genres such as rock, classical music, country, jazz and bluegrass into an e ...

was the first endorser of the guitar and premiered it at a

NAMM Show The NAMM Show is an annual event in the United States that is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), who describe it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...

show in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

. The Lead Guitars were manufactured between 1979 and 1982 by the Fender Musical Equipment Co. under the direction of Gregg Wilson and Freddie Tavares. Gregg Wilson was succeeded by John Page, who eventually headed the Fender Custom Shop. The Lead Series have elements of the

Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

and

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes Paul had built a prototype solid body ...

in their design with a body that is slightly smaller and with a slightly different shape than the Stratocaster, a Stratocaster-like neck (and headstock), and hardtail bridge with Telecaster-like string ferrules on the back of the body. The Lead Series headstock was smaller than that of the then Stratocaster models and similar though not identical to the 1954 Stratocaster design. The

models at the time of the Lead Series release in late 1979 were still using the larger headstock design until the introduction of the Dan Smith Stratocaster in 1981. At some point during 1982 the lower bout of the headstock was shifted towards the body giving the headstock a more elongated look. The Lead Series were manufactured at Fender's Fullerton, California plant and priced below the Stratocaster models of the time (approx. $495.00). They were eventually replaced in Fender's line up by the

Squier Squier is an American brand of electric guitars owned by Fender. The former manufacturing company, established as "V. C. Squier Company" was founded in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier in Battle Creek, Michigan, producing strings for violins, ban ...

JV model in 1982 as Fender expanded its operations by starting

Fender Japan Fender Japan, Ltd. was a joint venture between Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and to produce and sell Fender-branded instruments for the Japanese market. The collaboration began in 1982 and ended on March 31, 2015, with Fender's launch ...

. In January 2020 Fender reintroduced the Lead II and III as a part of their Player series. These Made in Mexico recreations sport an

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

body, two slanted

alnico Alnico is a family of iron alloys which in addition to iron are composed primarily of aluminium (Al), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co), hence the acronym ''al-ni-co''. They also include copper, and sometimes titanium. Alnico alloys are ferromagnetic, ...

single coil A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal. Single coil pickups are one of the two most po ...

s (Lead II),

humbucker A humbucking pickup, humbucker, or double coil, is a type of guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out the noisy interference picked up by coil pickups. In addition to electric guitar pickups, humbucking coils are sometimes used in ...

s (Lead III) and a modern C-shaped maple neck with

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since h ...

or pau ferro fretboard, 9.5” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets. Other features include a synthetic bone nut, "F" tuners and a string-through-body bridge with block saddles.

Notable users

Notable guitar players who have utilized the Fender Lead series include: *

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...

of U2 (used during the

War Tour War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regul ...

in 1983; can be seen playing a black model in the '' Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky'' video) *

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Elliot Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American guitarist. He played lead guitar and sang backing vocals for The Cars, and his guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. Easton has also recorded music as a so ...

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr ( bass guitar), Elliot Easton ( lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboar ...

("Touch and Go" guitar solo from the ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined i ...

'' album) *

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country and pop hits " King of the Road", " Dang Me", and "Eng ...

Mission of Burma Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The group formed in 1979 with Roger Miller on guitar, Clint Conley on bass, Peter Prescott on drums, and Martin Swope contributing audiotape manipulation and acting a ...

Steve Morse Steve J. Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the lead guitarist of Deep Purple from 1994 to 2022. Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was briefly a member of ...

of the

and

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

("Punk Sandwich" track from the album ''Night of the Living Dregs'' by the

) *

Moon Martin John David "Moon" Martin (October 31, 1945 – May 11, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Career Born in Altus, Oklahoma, United States, Martin gained recognition in the 1970s as a pop artist and composer. Originally a rockab ...

's ''Street Fever'' sleeve shows a Lead I * A. Savage of

Parquet Courts Parquet Courts is an American rock band from New York City. The band consists of Andrew Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Sean Yeaton (bass, vocals), and Max Savage (drums). History Band members Andrew Savage a ...

* Zé Pedro of

Xutos & Pontapés Xutos & Pontapés () are a Portuguese rock band. The band was founded in 1978, in Lisbon, by the late Zé Pedro, Zé Leonel, Kalú and Tim. Their current lineup consists of Tim (vocals, bass), João Cabeleira (guitar), Gui (saxophone, keyboards) ...

* Annie Clark of St Vincent * Hélder Dias of Flama and Canalha * Pablo Mondello of

Massacre Palestina Massacre is an Argentine alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Buenos Aires. It was formed by high school students influenced by American and British bands of the early 80s Alternative Rock movement. Among his influences, artists like Hüsker ...

* HeWhoCannotBeNamed of

The Dwarves The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois and based in San Francisco, California as of 2009.Gentile, John (2009)Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, '' The A.V. Club'', April 13, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2010 ...

* Pat Place of

Bush Tetras Bush Tetras are an American post-punk band from New York City, formed in 1979. They are best known for the 1980 song "Too Many Creeps", which exemplified the band's sound of "jagged rhythms, slicing guitars, and sniping vocals".The Hot at Nights and

Hiss Golden Messenger Hiss Golden Messenger is an American folk music band, originating from Durham, North Carolina, led by MC Taylor (born September 9, 1975). History The band was formed by Mike (MC) Taylor and Scott Hirsch in 2007. The band's early recordings were ...

*Greg "Bonzo" Bonsignore Alien Love *Bobby Dill of The Anniversary Effect
/ref> *Claudio Narea of

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Lynn Gunn Lyndsey Gerd Gunnulfsen (born March 15, 1994), usually known by her stage name Lynn Gunn, is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Gunn is best known for fronting the American rock band Pvris. She has also collaborated with ...

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(in the official music video for the song “My Way”) *

Greg Koch Greg Koch (born June 14, 1955) is a former American football tackle and guard who played eleven seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Green Bay Packers. In 2010, Koch was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Koc ...

Models

* Lead I, 1979–1982: A single bridge-position split

. Three-position coil selector switch (single coil, both coils, single coil), two-position humbucker series/parallel select switch which operates only when both coils are selected (middle position). Master volume and tone controls. * Lead II, 1979–1982: Two X-1 single coil pickups, one at the neck, and the other at the bridge. The X-1 pickup was also used in the bridge position on the " STRAT" and the "Dan Smith Stratocaster" models. Three-position pickup selector switch (neck, neck and bridge, bridge), two-position phase shift switch (in phase, out of phase) which operates only when both pickups are selected (middle position). Master volume and tone controls. * Lead III, 1982: Two humbuckers, one at the neck, the other at the bridge. Three-position pickup selector switch (neck, neck and bridge, bridge), three-position coil selector switch (neck single-coil, both coils neck or bridge, bridge single-coil) which determines if a single coil or both coils of each pickup will be selected. Master volume and tone controls. * Lead Bass: This instrument never went into production. A photo of a 1979 prototype appears in Klaus Blasquiz's 1990 book ''The Fender Bass'', features two slanted single-coil pickups, and has a 34” scale.

Technical information

Fender X1 single coil fiber bobbin pickup

Fender X1 single coil plastic bobbin pickup

Fender Lead I/III Humbucker Pickup Specifications The DC resistance of the Lead I/III Seth Lover designed humbucker pickup is approximately 13 kΩ. The Lead I/III humbucker pickups have 12 adjustable pole pieces and have a

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, ...

magnet. Fender Lead II Single Coil Pickup Specifications The DC resistance of the Lead II X-1 single coil pickup is approximately 7.5 kΩ (9600 coil winds) vrs (7600 coil winds) on a Stratocaster. Lead II single coil pickups have flat alnico polepieces. Early Lead II single coil pickups have bobbins formed of green/grey fibreboard and later Lead II single coil pickups have plastic moulded bobbins that are the same as that used on current Stratocasters. Fender Lead Series General Specifications The Lead Series use 250 kΩ volume and tone

potentiometer A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. The measuring instrum ...

s and use 0.05 µF tone capacitors. The body is usually made of 3 pieces of either alder or ash while the necks are maple with a walnut 'skunk stripe' on their backs and a matching plug on the face of the headstock covering the end of the truss rod. Maple fingerboarded necks are made of one piece of maple (no separate fingerboard) while rosewood fingerboarded necks have a thick veneer of rosewood stuck over the pre-radiused face of the neck. While the lead neck is approximately .04 in narrower at the nut than typical Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters of that era, the neck width at the 21st fret is the same as the Stratocaster and Tele (measuring 2.182 inches). The pickup body routing is the same for the Lead I and the Lead II models (humbucker bridge and single coil neck routing). The grounding system in all three of the series didn't stop with the foiled backing on the pickguard. A ground strap was screwed to the body routing pocket between the bridge pickup and the pickup selector switch cavity. The body pockets were covered with a conductive coating. The bridge ground wire was connected here with a common connection to the pickguard ground. Later year Fender Lead models have a more contoured body and there are two subtle variations in headstock shape, one of which (softer contour) used tooling dating back to the 1950s Stratocaster (as with the Dan Smith Stratocaster). Neck profile and headstock thickness varied slightly throughout the production run for all Fender Lead models of different years. Many instruments used a polyurethane finish which is brittle, chips easily, and develops spider cracks if exposed to extremes of heat or cold. The finish is also prone to clouding.

Serial Numbers

The Fender Lead Series used a modified version of the Fender

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

serial number format. The first letter E designated the eighties, and the next two numbers (00, 01, or 02) indicated the year of manufacture. For example, E01XXXX = 1981. Fender Lead Series guitar serial numbers were installed on the headstock, inside body pocket, and back of the pick guard. An all original model may have the same serial number identifier on each of these major parts.

References

{{Fender guitars Lead Series Musical instruments invented in the 1970s 1980s in music