1950 Fender Broadcaster - THE GEORGE GRUHN ® GUITAR SHOW - TMNtv

TMN is extremely proud to bring you one of the world's foremost experts in guitars & other stringed instruments, Mr. George Gruhn! In this first show, George describes the holy grail of vintage guitars - a 1950 Fender Broadcaster!

[@bddmhopp5]

I watch these over and over again, right before bed. A soothing sound. Thanks George!

[@skeetschuler1859]

Mr. Gruhn is a national treasure for his knowledge on all guitars Hope to visit his shop before I die.

[@IronMan-so8iw]

I could listen for hours when Mr Gruhn is talking about guitar history. Love this guy.

[@elmud]

He's talking about money, not guitars.

[@GrungeIsN0tDead]

He’s like Bob Ross of guitars, not just because of his soothing voice, but he’s painting my mind with information and history

[@paulgeorgia8013]

Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Gruhn on a recent trip to Nashville. It was an honor and a privilege

[@blueshirttail]

Wonderful part of our American heritage both Fender and George Gruhn are national treasures.

[@hogant.551]

Oh yeah, George Gruhn, a person who only drives up the prices of vintage instruments and couldn't care less about the actual music and creativity made with those instruments if it isn't making his bank account bigger.

[@slw59]

Visiting his store and meeting him is on my Bucket List.

[@firdausHITMAN]

Fascinating! One can listen to George Gruhn for hours. He is the Behram Shah of guitars.

[@robhaskell4043]

I could listen to George all day. Very well spoken and the authority on all things guitar. Thanks, George for this video - very interesting.

[@adamhill3107]

I think George is a fine gentleman. I've met him a couple of times and he's always been kind. He's brilliant! !

[@wartimemodels]

"You're gonna like the way it sounds. I guarantee it."

[@TMNTV]

We Wish George would have said that to end this Episode!!!! Thanks so much for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely & With Very Best Regards, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@paulharris8551]

Great history lesson! Thanks, George!

[@bentackett6299]

Leo was a genius. He got it right on the first try! Crazy

[@357bullfrog]

Indeed and he stuck with it

[@nickb3250]

Hey George, my birthday is coming up. That Broadcaster would be a passable gift. Thanks in advance.

[@porgy08]

Thanks George, love hearing about these guitars.

[@craigusselman546]

i would love a broadcaster they look really fun to play and yes i love the sound some day ill get a nice tele to join my strat and get a bassman have fender family thanks grampa broadcaster for all the sweet guitars he inspired,

[@tonymattsson1941]

Fantastic video. Huge fun to watch.

[@marcmorin9436]

Fender history 101. Highly interesting. Thank You !

[@TMNTV]

Marc, thank you for watching & for your comment! George's knowledge is truly extraordinary......Stay Tuned for Season 3! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@Kevin-bp2cw]

I remember "The Four Shmozes" they were amazing !!

[@frankie28web]

george gruhn is a living guitar encyclopedia!

[@mattbluesmain1359]

the masters voice i had the subscription to george's inventory list and bought my son's '57 VR for his 16th birthday ...previous owner...rick nielson

[@dumbletone]

What a great demo and a great sound !

[@ericfaley9019]

Nice presentation. Very knowledgeable. Great story. George is mello . Not like the other guy who is always hyped up .

[@74dartman13]

That guy knows his guitars...wow! A wealth of knowledge! Learned a lot today...thanks!

[@nancychace8619]

I'll be darned. Enjoy hearing about its history. So it sounds like the evolution of the technology through Fender contributed to the "50's" sound. It did change history. Would like to learn more about amps... thanks for sharing.

[@craigusselman546]

i actually really like the bridge cover i would NEVER throw it away

[@lesterpaul9657]

Yes but you cannot do palm mutes with it on. But good enough as an ashtray😊

[@MrAMF50]

Very informative! thanks

[@hubriswonk]

Cool video! My bass luther once repaired a real Broadcaster and I think he said it was 0051. It was found in a barn on a farm and it required a comeplete overhaul and it was like new when he finsihed.

[@Stratboy999]

You can't go far wrong with a Telecaster. Good design, great sound.

[@g.garcia106]

That was a nice story!!! Lovely guit

[@andrewmoran357]

what a great video thanks -

[@mallorga1965]

Great history lesson, sir!

[@ThePigonSkates]

Love listening to George! Such a wealth of knowledge and seems like a genuine gentleman. Total opposite from ego Norm.

[@MrDFaraday]

Thanks, very interesting and well presented!

[@DakotaPlaysGuitar]

George Gruhn has forgotten more info on guitars than any of us gear heads think we know combined lol

[@tomace194]

Imagine owning this guitar.

[@fiftypeehead]

I didnt even notice he was wearing rings. I was listening and looking at a very nice guitar

[@TMNTV]

Matt, thanks for your comment & we agree. Thanks for watching & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@PlanetRockJesus]

Great talk. Wow.

[@alogarcias]

Es una telecaster de toda la vida...

[@nelsondejesus6886]

You know those ashtrays are made to protect the goodies from unforseen damage when not in use, also serves to protect the magnetical field as well as keeping it intact! There's debates of issues as to how much Leo actually knew about the design of a pickup with a mid boost plate serving also to keep the pickup in tact from falling apart. There's always someone second guessing, Leo knew everything and did everything from the Tele to the Strat,etc. just pick up a Fender plug it into a Fender and then you'll know what I and so many know SUCCESS!

[@blueterrace]

Nelson DeJesus and also as a..... ashtray.

[@briangregory6303]

Those are such great stories.

[@Longhammer37214]

That guitar belongs to George. He has more money than you, and he's forgotten more about guitars than you will ever know. He can handle it any way he pleases.

[@TMNTV]

Longhammer37214, thanks for your comment & we agree. Thanks for watching & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@paulharris8551]

***** You agree that George has more money than the commenter and has forgotten more about guitars than the commenter will ever know? (-;

[@TheLambLive]

Lol at the people freaking out about him damaging it. You're lucky it's not mine, I'd rock the shit out of that guitar. ;-)

[@KONAROCK1]

I know, right!?!? ..blows my mind!! When people come in my shop with rings on, I tell 'em they have to remove them first. ..even if they're just picking up a Squier.

[@rodneysettle8106]

The Fender Broadcaster, “Nocaster”and Telecaster are beautiful guitars, if I was moderately rich that would be mine.

[@SIRONEDRAGON]

Very cool : )

[@mattoo31287]

My holy grail right there.

[@freddymclain]

do a blindfold test with a new squire and you won't tell the difference. this 'vintage' thing makes people like this really happy .

[@skillzdatkillz900]

aha nice, and likewise with me wanting to own a fender select telecaster one day. they're the perfect combination of both brands!

[@h20syotoku]

Let's play!!!

[@yaknoff379]

Let's hear the pickup blend setting.....

[@johnm3946]

I need a time machine

[@aum3.146]

Deserves an honorary doctorate .

[@megajames3000]

i wish i had one. i just want a super reverb. i'll tear down the house.

[@Vern859]

The Telecaster most popular guitar and versatile. Truth is with a Telecaster you can play any kind music. 👍

[@GRAFHC]

Hah... all you people complaining about the way he is "treating" the guitar make me laugh. It's survived 60 plus years on Earth being played, transported, dropped, gigged, what have you... for most of those years it wasn't worth more than a few hundred bucks. His ring, or his arm resting on the neck... not going to be the death knell. Short of throwing it on the floor and stomping on it, that guitar will be around for hundreds of years to come. With or without babying it.

[@guppybill]

That's exactly how to handle an electric guitar. Especially how to ditch the ash tray upon purchase. Expert.

[@spider62able]

Albert Collins was one few players who kept the"ashtray" cover on and changed his tone in doing so!

[@TMNTV]

+John Kendall John, you are right! Thank you for reminding all of us of this......that the Iceman was one of the most well-known Tele players who DID keep the ashtray ON the bridge! We very much appreciate your comment & for watching! Please make sure to subscribe & Stay Tuned to many more New Gruhn episodes in 3rd Season in 2016! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@IAmKillEveryone]

+John Kendall It's not a tele without that ashtray bridge to create the metallic resonance.

[@carlsmith1263]

Gonna have to move to Nashville. Austin fell off tp metal. Blues n country guitar player from Tx. Trying to pick up where many left off. How is the blues scene there? Have never been anywhere besides Ky and Iraq.

[@imannonymous7707]

theres two pck up esquires? this guy is amazing

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Yes - the pickup selector switch wiring is different from that of the telecaster.

[@RockYouVideos]

Back to the name...An awesome fact he skipped was that Leo Fender named the guitar "Telecaster" after another relatively new and cool invention, the television. Kinda crazy right? That's good perspective for me on how effective and the successful the Telecaster design has been. Hasn't changed in 65+ years.

[@patfarber8471]

thank you for posting this. in 1998 I bought my Strat and was suprised to find a sticker on the back of the tuning head that said "made in the 50th year of Fender Guitars" on it. I knew Fender started in 49 and made the first solid body guitars in 50. Was mine one of the early runs of the 50th anniversary models? By any chance does anyone know how many of the Fender Guitars have these stickers since I know Strats didn't start until 54?

[@murfdog19]

Most guitar "experts" seem like such dicky nerds. George Gruhn seems like a genuinely nice guy.

[@hogant.551]

He's so full of himself.

[@AllSpace]

sounds like good salesman this fella

[@rjlong89]

Learned some things i didnt know.

[@charlesdespres]

The ashtray on the Broadcaster or Tele actually makes a difference in tone, try it out for yourselves if you still have it. It mostly makes a difference when playing through an amp, as it changes the magnetism of the pickup. Also, it's supposed to work as a shield, the same reason why the neck pickup has a metal cover and Gibson pickups have covers. No one seems to have used the ashtray except Albert Collins, who liked it as a handrest.

[@SeanChurchill97]

Looks and sounds like Allen Ginsberg

[@mukraker1]

George, why didn't you play it? I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment. I would love to have heard it, just a bit.

[@carlsmith1263]

Drooling.

[@carlsmith1263]

Guy knows his stuff man, respect

[@carlsmith1263]

Subbed

[@carlsmith1263]

Any old beat up chunks of wood u call strats. Need me a old beater

[@monzo9999]

Yeah sure George has some beefy prices but he seems like a genuinely nice dude

[@fdjd28]

My fellow Americans, you can learn some twangy history here.

[@vadeiltonsilva5272]

essa é minha guitarra Fender Telecaster 1950"

[@jamestlenahan]

Although, George, I have encountered club owners who would not hire a three or four-piece band. Their "reasoning" was that the audience wanted more. In other words, three guys wasn't the same as a seven-piece group with horns and all that.

[@StevenCarinci]

There is a alot of good wood, pine, ash and maple to make one of these. You got to get the right pu's though.

[@SquierStrat72]

That's a beautiful guitar. I love the Broadcaster. In fact, even though many disliked it at the time, and some haven't even heard of it today, I rewired my Telecaster to the original Broadcaster circuit, and I really prefer it over the later tele wiring.

[@paulharris8551]

How did you get the instructions, or did you have one to take apart? How does it sound different? What do you think of the Esquire? Thanks for any comments!

[@SquierStrat72]

paul harris I knew the Broadcasters were wired different, but I found a diagram on the Seymour Duncan website. Since standard tone pots always load the pickup a little even fully open, the Broadcaster wiring just seems subtly purer sounding without that load. The pickups just run straight through the volume pot. I made the blend pot no-load, so when wide open in the bridge position, there is no influence from the neck pickup at all until you actually start rolling it back. The regular neck position is pretty clear. The neck with the preset dark capacitor in position 3 is useful for some things. For a single pickup guitar, the Esquire is actually pretty versatile.

[@paulharris8551]

SquierStrat72 Thanks for the info. Doesn't the Esquire bypass the tone control in one of the switch positions?

[@SquierStrat72]

paul harris Yes. I believe that scheme is position 1 is the pickup with tone bypass, position 2 with the tone control, and 3 bypasses the tone pot in favor of the preset dark cap. Only one pickup, but three different ways to get tones from it.

[@paulharris8551]

Thanks. Do you really need the neck pickup unless you plan to put a humbucker in there like some jazz guys?

[@DistortedNocaster]

Hi! Great video. Is the neck on the nocaster the tickets there is or are there other fender neck just as fat or fatter?

[@albertomartinez2479]

Leo Fender was an Engineer's Engineer.

[@johnnyleaf788]

Great players maketh a great guitar (imo)

[@SV-wb8kh]

The only thing that could have made that guitar even cooler was to name it the "Outcaster"

[@CaevanOShite]

Cool, but... I was hopin' to hear the guitar plugged-in and played!

[@josephdrach2276]

This is great stuff.Very informative and interesting.But why not play these amazing instruments so we can hear them?These instruments were made to be played and heard after all.

[@TMNTV]

Joseph Drach Hi Joseph, Thanks very much for your comment & for watching. The reason why is we wanted to focus on the instruments, themselves. We understand the reason for a play-test but that was not our goal for the Show. It was to focus on George's world-renowned knowledge of them - their history, design & features. Sincerely, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO of The Musician Network (TMNtv)

[@williamgarrett9479]

i bought a telecaster in 1973...it had the ash tray pickup cover..and it made no difference whatsoever in the sound or the play ability except to prevent palm muting...which sounded great on a telecaster.. so i took it off the guitar and never used it.

[@mr.wizard2974]

what brand amp you using? sounds like a tube vox amp

[@edwither8284]

Ladies and gentlemen please welcome the Four Schmoes.

[@MiMoTheMusician]

IDK if this guy is jewish, but he sounds so jewish IDK how he didn't say oh vei Thank you for sharing this cool history! Love the story : )

[@joshjames086]

My Biggest Regret. there was a 1950 Broadcaster Refin ALL ORIGINAL for just $9,000 i had all my guitars ready for trade but then i held off for a week and when i decided. It sold, :(

[@curbmassa]

Big Bands were usually 16 pieces, George. Not 30.

[@kfraun11]

i have the 1950 fender guitar and im 9

[@zoranhome]

6 years later....do you still have it?

[@harvey1954]

And yet, look how long it took them to get rid of the double bass and tic tac bass.

[@harleykingman]

I LOVE MY ASHTRAYS AND NEVER EVER REMOVE THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@trbossdoggy]

he also uses the neck as an arm supporter ... 6:50

[@harvey1954]

Luckily Guild never pursued any lawsuit against Fender because of their Telecaster line of tubas.

[@uria702]

But does it djent?

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

What ever happened to the "4 shmoes"?

[@craigusselman546]

oh i would also like a frying pan does that thing sound proto punk not just bluesy.

[@777jordan]

the camera angle makes the guitar look HUUUUUUUUUUGE!

[@POsomething]

Umm, guitars are supposed to be played. This guitar has an ultimate tone, I believe. Broadcasters always had. I see no way of getting a kick out of a guitar if I don't play it or if someone doesn't.

[@HerbWalker]

I cant even PLAY it with one ON, Just FEELS weird! LOL

[@mr.wizard2974]

not too bad

[@Tibbon]

How would that harm anything?

[@Tibbon]

Meh, I've played plenty of 50's and earlier guitars. I view them as toys, not relics to be placed on a shelf. I don't baby my '59 Jazzmaster at all.

[@skillzdatkillz900]

They may be overpriced, but you must keep in mind that you're paying for more guitar in comparison to when buying a Fender. I don't mean this in a bad way as Fenders are fantastic instruments, but i just mean it's obviously going to cost more as there is simply more on a Gibson e.g. binding, mother of pearl inlays, flamed maple and so on.