I recently picked up a 1980 Fender Lead II. Its a pretty cool guitar-I've never played one before. There is a lot to like here. Its got a 7 1/4 radius which I like on a "normal feeling" neck. Its got smaller light weight body without any neck dive. The pickups are clear and loud. It does a fairly good tele imitation in the middle pickup selection. The lower second switch put the pickups (in middle position only) out of phase. I'm not a big fan of this sound-I had a late 70's Musicman sabre that did the same kind of thing a few years ago, but it is interesting. Anyway a pretty cool guitar.
NGD Fender Lead II
- Thread starter adjason
- Start date
Nice score!
The other guitarist in my last band had a Lead II and he'd bring it to gigs. Sounded fantastic. It's like an all-growed-up Duo Sonic.
The only big name player I can recall using one was Elliott Easton. He could play any guitar and KILL, but he chose the Lead II. Go figure!
The other guitarist in my last band had a Lead II and he'd bring it to gigs. Sounded fantastic. It's like an all-growed-up Duo Sonic.
The only big name player I can recall using one was Elliott Easton. He could play any guitar and KILL, but he chose the Lead II. Go figure!
Chuckster
Tele-Afflicted
Love it... the first "real" guitar I ever played.
Back around '83, my Hondo Strat was pretty wonky, and a very talented friend of mine let me borrow his wine-red Lead II.
Ruined me for life. Team Fender all the way.
Congrats, enjoy the heck out of it!
Back around '83, my Hondo Strat was pretty wonky, and a very talented friend of mine let me borrow his wine-red Lead II.
Ruined me for life. Team Fender all the way.
Congrats, enjoy the heck out of it!
Last edited:
Dismalhead
Doctor of Teleocity
Nice. I remember when those were out around '80ish. Should be a great guitar. Congrats!
Neato!
Chuckster
Tele-Afflicted
St. Vincent (Annie Clark) has been known to play a heavily modified 1980 Lead II at times:
Those guitars look so cool to me. I'm a big fan of the USA Fender bullet because it's a different and less common Fender sonic flavour (very clear sound, somehow lacking the low mids of a Strat or Tele). Would love to have a Lead and find out how it sounds.
Dan German
Doctor of Teleocity
Since my Strat preference is hard tail, and I don’t like the Strat control layout, and I’m not a three-pickup kind of person, it is apparent that I always wanted a Lead II and never knew it!
(Actually, I’ve known it since I first saw one!)
(Actually, I’ve known it since I first saw one!)
Exactly!
The Lead I (one pickup) and the Lead II (you guessed it) were not big hits at the time they were released because they were viewed by many as an effort by Fender to maintain the flow of guitars to the market while cutting production costs. Fender was beginning to decline in to financial trouble at the time, and they were throwing this against the wall to see if it stuck.
The Leads are dirt-simple; all the electronics are completely contained on the plastic pickguard, the body is a flat slab with only a belly carve, and a hardtail bridge. Fewer parts and fewer assembly steps meant reduced production costs.
Fender had done this in the past with the Arrow/Musiclander/etc., but those were blatant examples of Fender using up surplus parts stocks from other models that weren't selling. The Lead series was a good try at a new model that never really caught on.
But they are really great guitars.
The Leads are dirt-simple; all the electronics are completely contained on the plastic pickguard, the body is a flat slab with only a belly carve, and a hardtail bridge. Fewer parts and fewer assembly steps meant reduced production costs.
Fender had done this in the past with the Arrow/Musiclander/etc., but those were blatant examples of Fender using up surplus parts stocks from other models that weren't selling. The Lead series was a good try at a new model that never really caught on.
But they are really great guitars.
PhredE
Friend of Leo's
Bought a new Lead I back in the day.
It was burgundy / dark red with the one HB pu.
I had it modded a bunch, and then liked it even more. Sorry I ever sold that one.
The VM '51 has a lot in common with the Lead series (noting obvious differences in PU combination). Overall, the body style, neck and most of the rest are pretty similar. The Lead guitar was definitely superior in terms of QC.
It was burgundy / dark red with the one HB pu.
I had it modded a bunch, and then liked it even more. Sorry I ever sold that one.
The VM '51 has a lot in common with the Lead series (noting obvious differences in PU combination). Overall, the body style, neck and most of the rest are pretty similar. The Lead guitar was definitely superior in terms of QC.
The Leads were intended to be the replacements for the older 24" scale "student" models (Mustang, Duo-Sonic, MusicMaster, Bronco, etc.) so they cut some costs, but not to the extent of the Bullet models that came out in 1981. And they do have an arm contour - just not a much of one as a Strat - even the Strats of 1979-1980. I got a Lead II new in November 1979; kept it around until 2015 for sentimental reasons as it was my first good guitar.
None of the photos I have left of it really show the arm contour though; this was probably the closest I have to showing it:
Elliot Easton had a custom Lead - call it a Lead I 1/2 since it was basically the neck pickup from the Lead II added to a Lead I. Steve Morse had one too - back in the days when he only had the original FrankenTele and 1-2 replicas of it he used the Lead for a couple of songs done in dropped D tuning, then had his tech retune it to standard as a backup.
@adjason - congrats on finding one in the sunburst. Have you checked the dates on the neck and body yet? It seems like Fender used E0xxxxx serial numbers for several years on these. My 1979 had an E0xxxxx serial number; I got it on November 24 of that year.
I really like my early 83' Lead III. I bought it used a number of years ago because my older brother bought one new back in the day and I love those Seth Lover HBr's. Just ridiculously versatile. I did swap out the original bridge saddles.
The serial number is an E1 but the neck is dated 1-10-83. The weird thing is it came with the old first style tolex case in equally nice shape. Here's a pic with a couple era correct friends.
The serial number is an E1 but the neck is dated 1-10-83. The weird thing is it came with the old first style tolex case in equally nice shape. Here's a pic with a couple era correct friends.
TeleUpNorth
Tele-Holic
These intrigue me. Happy NGD and rock on.
mimmo
Poster Extraordinaire
Very cool!
Bruxist
Poster Extraordinaire
Here's one in music video:
The Leads were intended to be the replacements for the older 24" scale "student" models (Mustang, Duo-Sonic, MusicMaster, Bronco, etc.) so they cut some costs, but not to the extent of the Bullet models that came out in 1981. And they do have an arm contour - just not a much of one as a Strat - even the Strats of 1979-1980. I got a Lead II new in November 1979; kept it around until 2015 for sentimental reasons as it was my first good guitar.
None of the photos I have left of it really show the arm contour though; this was probably the closest I have to showing it:
Elliot Easton had a custom Lead - call it a Lead I 1/2 since it was basically the neck pickup from the Lead II added to a Lead I. Steve Morse had one too - back in the days when he only had the original FrankenTele and 1-2 replicas of it he used the Lead for a couple of songs done in dropped D tuning, then had his tech retune it to standard as a backup.
@adjason - congrats on finding one in the sunburst. Have you checked the dates on the neck and body yet? It seems like Fender used E0xxxxx serial numbers for several years on these. My 1979 had an E0xxxxx serial number; I got it on November 24 of that year.
Other than the names 'Gibson,' 'Fender' ( maybe VOX), I knew very little about any kind of electric guitar when I first started playing (acoustic) around 1974.
In 1976 when i actually did buy my first electric ( a $250 new!, Gibson Les Paul Signature) the Fender Lead I and ll's are what I remember seeing in the music stores, or on back or inside back cover of Guitar Player magazine
( mind blow then, that there was a monthly magazine, just about guitar!)
I swear I don't think I knew anything about Stratocasters or Telecasters yet- just that "Les Pauls are supposed to be really good!"
So I bought one, sort of.
I think you're remembering the magazines and ads from 1979, not 1976 - so it was a couple of years after you got your LP Signature.
The Leads were introduced in the fall of 1979 - that's when the ads with Steve Morse playing one show up. I actually wound up with one because the shop had sold the Gibson "The SG" that I really wanted. The only reasonably-priced Gibson they had left was a pretty ratty "The Paul Firebrand" so I wound up with the Lead II instead.
You are probably right!- I'm off by a few years,
getting old !
Wow, way cool! Congrats. I always liked those ones. It looks like that guitar's in really good shape for a 1980.
I got a 2019 reissue Lead III, but seeing yours, I'm starting to want a Lead II also.
I had one when the first came out. I was 16 years old.
I modded mine. Dimarzio Dual sound humbucker.
The finish was wearing from heavy use. I stripped and painted like EVH bumblebee guitar.
I also had it routed for a Floyd Rose. WTH I had fun while it lasted.
I modded mine. Dimarzio Dual sound humbucker.
The finish was wearing from heavy use. I stripped and painted like EVH bumblebee guitar.
I also had it routed for a Floyd Rose. WTH I had fun while it lasted.
Similar threads
