The Virtual Guitar Festival: The Fender Broadcaster emerged in the Autumn of 1950 as Fender's first solid body electric guitar with a truss rod and two pickups. After Gretsch objected to the similarity with its own BroadKaster trademark, its name would eventually change to the Telecaster we know and love today. But what about those original Broadcaster models and their reissue? Well they're a very distinct proposition.
With the release of the 70th anniversary Broadcaster guitar, we sat down with Fender Custom Shop VP of Product Development Mike Lewis to talk about the then and now of the Broadcaster story in the video above. And we go deep on its build and why it's not a Telecaster under a different name to an insightful discussion.
For more on the different options available for the 70th anniversary Broadcaster head to Fendercustomshop.com and Fender.com.
Check out more of the Virtual Guitar Show
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![Chris Hayes [left] wears a purple checked shirt and plays his 1957 Stratocaster in the studio; Michael J. Fox tears it up onstage as Marty McFly in the 1985 blockbuster Back To The Future.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nWZUSbFAwA6EqQdruLmXXh-840-80.jpg.webp)