George Fullerton of Fender Guitars RIP

George William Fullerton passed way on July 4, 2009, at the age of 83 in, coincidentally, Fullerton, California, where he had been a long time resident. His association with the Fender company, its founder, Leo Fender, and the birth and development of the company's two most noted offspring, the Telecaster and Stratocaster, will forever be remembered by everyone with a passion for the electric guitar and its history.

Fullerton joined forces with Leo Fender and what was then the Fender Electric Instrument Company in 1948 and soon served a pivotal role in the creation of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, instruments that shaped the subsequent history of both popular music (and in a very real sense, popular culture) and the electric guitar. While precisely what that role was is often a matter of debate among historians and collectors, it's of the warmhearted variety. "When Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Bill Carson, Don Randall, et al., speak about who contributed what to the birth of the Strat, they aren't testifying in front of a patent judge - they're a group of proud relatives each claiming the baby has his nose," says Tom Watson in his review of The Stratocaster Chronicles by Tom Wheeler.

Leo Fender and George Fullerton left Fender a few years after its purchase by CBS in 1965 and in the late '70s co-founded (along with Dale Hyatt) G&L Musical Instruments - George being the "G" and Leo, the "L," where the two could again share their mutual passion for the electric guitar holy grail. In 2007, Fullerton returned to Fender, which resulted in the Custom Shop Limited Edition George Fullerton 50th Anniversary Stratocaster and Relic Tweed Pro Junior Amp.

But, while George Fullerton's passing will rekindle thoughts about Telecasters, Stratocasters, G&L, etc., to those who had the privilege of meeting this generous and kindhearted man, it serves as a poignant reminder that the story of the electric guitar isn't about wood and metal, but about people.