Interviewwith Richard McDonald of Fender

This month's Feature Profile is with Richard McDonald, Vice President of Marketing at Fender Musical Instruments. As a part of our tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Stratocaster, Richard was kind enough to provide us with an update of what's happening at Fender these days.

MH: Richard, give us a history of your musical background and how you got your start in this business?

RM: I started playing guitar seriously when I was 14. My father played upright bass and encouraged music as a hobby. Key word...Hobby. Like most sick, aspiring obsessed guitarists I later worked in the retail environment at a local music store. I didn't know it at the time but that experience would help me understand the music retail business I would later be involved in. By 1985 the band I was in (Walt Richardson's "MorningStar") was recording and touring extensively. At this point I was a professional guitarist living the dream...so to speak. Living the dream means I did everything and anything to keep playing. 300 nights a year, 80 cities. It was a great run.

MH: Tell us when and how you arrived at Fender, and your responsibilities then?

RM: By 1993 I was getting tired of the road and all its challenges. I heard Fender was moving its offices to Scottsdale AZ. The band was based out of nearby Tempe so I wrote Fender a letter asking about employment opportunities for tired guitar players. I was interviewed and later got an entry-level position in Fender's small parts call center. Did I say entry level? I mean the band entrance you know...in the basement. I took calls from dealers looking for replacement parts. I mean every part from everything the company has ever made. It was incredible. People would ask "do you have the fluid from the canister inside of the Sound Dimension IV?" I still know 0064063000 is the part number for a Twin Reverb tank.

MH: How and when did you officially evolve to the position that you are currently in as Vice President of Marketing?

RM: Well that has been quite a journey; I need to condense 10 years of work real quick. An opportunity came up at the facility in Corona California. We were just moving out of Orange County from the Brea location. I was transferred to work as the accessories sales person operating out of the distribution center in Corona. I had a desk a phone and about 900 accounts. I just smiled and dialed all day evangelizing the merits of genuine Fender strings and replacement parts. About a year and a half later Bill Schultz asked me to come back to Arizona and assist Fender's new amplifier marketing manager Ritchie Fliegler, who had just come on board from Korg/Marshall. I was a guitar player with an electronics background (Coast Guard as a young man) and so I was Ritchie's assistant. We had a ton in common and worked passionately for years together on Fender amplifiers.

Ritchie and I did some killer amps together... Hot Rod amp series, Acoustasonic series to name a few. When Ritchie moved on to VP of marketing I was the logical successor to the amplifier gig (I guess). I did that for a few years developing the Cyber Twin; Reissue Super, Twin, Pro Reverb and Concert amps among others while also doing Pro Audio while Fender looked for a Marketing Manager. During this period I finished and launched the Fender PASSPORT portable PA. That was also a big job.

Somewhere in this period I went back to college and finished a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. I didn't sleep much for a few years! The Fender guitar gig came up and FMIC management gave me the position. I was overwhelmed. The amp job was mind boggling but guitars...keeper of the Stratocaster...wow. I was blown away. So I did that for some time as the VP of electric guitars. Great job title isn't it?

It is a little fuzzy but at some point they asked me to run the entire Product portion of FMIC as the VP of Marketing. So I did the guitar gig and managed the various FMIC product lines...Squire, Guild, and Amps etc. Last year I was able to pass the guitar gig on to Mike Tonn and focus on the managing Fender's various brands (now including Jackson, Charvell SWR and Gretsch). That's it here I am.

MH: Fender obviously has an incredible amount of brand equity, what do you feel has primarily contributed to the success of the Fender brand?

RM: Well there is nothing like doing it right the first time. I think it has a lot to do with the people. FMIC management and Bill Schultz specifically knew that quality is what it's about. He saw what happened during the CBS period. He put guitar players with a sense of Fender's history and legacy in charge. He hired guys that bleed Fender red. One of the biggest misconceptions about this company is that it is this big heartless corporate entity. Its not it's a bunch of business minded guitarists/musicians that care about their work. Hey I loose sleep over this stuff. They write books about this company. I don't want a chapter that reads, "What the heck was McDonald thinking."

MH: Give us a break down of the many other titles that Fender has acquired over the years?

RM: Sunn, Guild, Gretsch (distribution) Rodriquez (distribution), Squire, Jackson, SWR, Charvell, Benedetto come to mind. Don't forget Rogers drums and The Fender Rhodes keyboard.

MH: There are some exciting things happening in the Fender Custom Shop these days. Can you bring us up to date on the developments?

RM: Well, I can tip the cards a little. We will be doing 100 pieces of SRV # 1 clone. That's unreal. Some really cool Master Design instruments from Fender's Master Builders. There is a ton of new stuff... FLAT HEADS, Cool Showmaster models. The 1954 Stratocaster 50th anniversary model. MH: As a long time player yourself, how has this benefited you with the position that you now hold?

RM: The years on the road, the expectation of performance from the gear you're earning a living from, the real challenges facing players. Credibility with customers that know I understand what they are saying. Ears, ears, ears. You need to know what sounds good and what sounds Fender. Most importantly...doing the same thing Leo did... listening to players and trying to solve their problems. Objectivity is VERY important. We don't make what I like; we make what is right for the market.... what players want. My proclivities have nothing to do with it. As a matter of fact there are a few guys around here whose negative opinion on a product may be enough for me to decide to produce it...because it's not for them, they aren't supposed to "get it."

MH: How do you feel the marketplace has changed since the time you have been at Fender, and how has this affected the companies marketing strategies?

RM: Fragmentation is the biggest thing I have seen. Everybody wants something specific to their genre/life style etc. Look at how many magazines are on the rack compared to 10-15 years ago. There is a publication for every life style. Country of origin is another. A lot of younger players don't care where something is made as long as it represents value to them.

MH: What can we expect from Fender at the NAMM Show in January, any surprises?

RM: New American technology from our crack R&D folks, pick-ups switching etc. Special editions and cool limited runs. Crazy finishes. That's all I want to say. Keep an eye out we have a ton of new stuff. Ok, one more... how about a 1957 Tweed Twin reissue?

MH: How has the internet affected the way you support your dealers, and how has e-tailing affected your marketing decisions?

RM: The web is powerful as a promotional tool. It has made customer service better. You can get schematics and info at 2:00 am on line. A guitarists' dream!

MH: How many dealers does Fender currently have, and what are your expectations from your dealers?

RM: That is proprietary info ...sorry. A bunch.

MH: In closing Richard, what is the most important attribute you have learned over the years, and how has this attributed to your phenomenal success?

RM: Okthat's a tough one. Listen to what is going on. Don't follow trends start them. Strive and push everyone around you for excellence. Practice critical thinking... don't compromise.

Special thanks to Morgan Ringwald and Rich Siegle for all their assistance with this interview.

Info:
Fender Musical Instruments
7975 N Hayden Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
www.fenderusa.com