"The Other Side Of The Story"

[Jody Carver]

For those of you who have posted, and those who may post,you can read both Frank Greens book and then Forrest White'a book,and then you can come to a conclusion as to what you're opinion is. I only ask that you don't ask me what my opinion is,there are two sides to every story.It's you're opinion that counts.....as for Music Man amps. they were in my opinion far superior to Fender,I traveled with a 210HD 130 and it was a killer sound..the baffle boards were made of 1/4 inch marine plywood with T nuts mounted as to remove a speaker would not be a problem Fender used partical board.....the cabinets were lock jounted ..today I don't have a Fender amp I have 2- 212 HD 150 amps with Altec 417 speakers and I have new 410HD 150 in pinwale white with EV speakers...a tremendous sound and used once.
............. Tom Walker brought in a young fellow who was great, his name is Mark Wentling, he was a welcome addition to Music Man..he designed the RD amps (reverb distortion) and RP smps Reverb with Phasor sp? Mark in my opinion was the best thing to happen to Music Man......distribution.Music Man reps seletced their own dealers, we tried to get the dealers who didn't carry Fender...they were promoting Music Man to it fullest.............now there are two of the largest stores Guitar Center and Sam Ash...what happened to the intermediate dealers and mom and pop stores,?

Jerry and Paul Ash are dear friends of mine as well as my friend Barry Horowitz VP who is a member of this Forum a great guitarist and a gentleman..I know if Sam Ash had Music Man which he wanted..there would have been be mega sales, Mr. Walker told me the territory was mine and yet when I wanted to open Sam Ash, he went back on his promise.. there are many things to consider here, that's why I have to give Music Man the Credit they so rightfully deserve.....the biggest problem was Mr. Fender and Tom Walker and Forrest did not get along,Mr, Fender and Forrest did, I have always had respect for Mr. Walker in spite of his adding a fair trade agreement for the Music Man Dealers to sign and sell the products at MSRP meaning list Manufacturers Suggested Retail price, this was against the Taft Hartly Law and that was something that hurt the sales.those in top management of the named above would have, eased up on some of these things..I do belive today Music Man would be number one.....I did use a Fender Twin no reverb with 2 Jensen P12Q speakers when I did the HCOA and the Godfrey shows..the front panel was wide faced and brown linen fabric. Tweed Covering a GREAT amp...........It was stolen when we worked opposite Joey Dee and The Starlighters at the Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan I am in touch with Joey as he's doing a bio on those days and would like me to add what it was like back then............the cause of failure with Music Man was not the product, Mr. Fender and Mr. Walker did not get along..I can't place the blame on either one, Forrest White and those mentioned will alwsys be in my prayers and in my heart...............Mark Wentling is alive and well..he then years later joined Fender when Music Man closed. I have the utmost respect for this young man and always will.he now resides in Rochester NY where he was from when he joined Music Man.

Miss you Mark .... I used the 410HD 150 one time and it's brand new..Willie Nelson had a few of these and was an endorser. 10 inch speaksre move a lot of air..I beive the 12AX7 tube was removed and in place a cap was put on, I hear no difference, they were great amps.The reverb is a 3 spring accusonic setup and I think these were the best amps on the market then and would be now, if the management were to have agreed to do the job and dtop the lidigation meeting with attorneys often TODAY Music Man would be number one...I was able to pick up a 212 HD 130 or 150 by the back apron.;..no partical board here, plywood.........that's all I have to add, when Music Man closed the doors I was the last one with Mr, Walker and sold all the closeouts. God rest the souls of Tom Walker Clarence Leo Fender and Forrest White.........If you own a Music Man amps keep it. I also have a a lab chassis Mr. Walker gave me thats in a lock jointed wood box..it was one of the very first amps to be designed by Tom Walker, Mr. Fender Designed the cabinets and Mr. Walker designed the amplifiers and with the addition of Mark Wentling a dear friend Music Man was and in my opinion the best of the amps..............I have the utmost respect for Hartley Peavey for his great amps used by pedal steel players all over the world, I know Mr, Peavey admired Mr. Fender and that tells the story right there and Mr. Fender felt the same about Mr. Peavey

I miss those who have passed,and proud to have been a dear friend of Mark Wentling.God be with you young man and god bless your family.You are and will always be remembered by myself and my late wife Marilyn....Your always friend.........Jody, and last but not least..My friend the late Rick Alexander for the beautiful website she made for myself and my friends and Loved ones...miss you buddy.You are always in my heart and will be as long as God keeps me here.. All this and many others,and I'm unable to find a publisher to do Thae Last Fender guitar..It's a human interest story of my life as a Fender salesman and what is was like being there from the start and to the end and what it's like to be on the other side of the counter as a customer and what it was like being the sales person taking care of the customer....Yes there are many books out there on Fender, most are techical issues, Richard Smith composed a great book, he is also a good friend..he himself told me to get the book out there.How? My memories of the dearest friend will be in my heart Forever Mr. Donald Dean Randall. God Rest your soul and Mrs. Jean Randall..Love you Mr.and Mrs Randall.. Your Buddy.............You are always in my heart and will be FOREVER!!!!!I have a chapter on this The Prince and The Last Knight.. he knew my middle name as he asked me during dinner in Manhattan.....he was at my home when we lived in Queens and thought so very much of Marilyn, she cooked dinner for him.he visited us often..That Last Knight as we sat in a resturant in 1969 he told me that he resigned that day, one year short of his five year contract..he looked at the cuff on my shirt and asked, Jody what is JFC mean, I said Mr. Randall my middle name is Francis Jody Francis Carver

God Bless you Mr. and Mrs Randall.My.Marilyn and myself love both of you and may God keep you in his arms with My Marilyn who I miss so very much...You will always Be in My Heart, Marilyn has gone home, and I know I will see her again, and Mr. and Mrs Randall and all those we've lost........Thank you bOb for all you've done allowing me to use up the bandwith....you once posted when I was posting stories you wrote Have at It Jody I will always remember that, thank you and I'm trying to do all I can to have the Last Fender Guitar Published...God be with all of you FOREVER!!!!

Jody

[George Redmon]

Jody, you don't spel nearly as bad as i do.But this is just fasinating reading. I will sure get your book when it comes out, and i will pick up the other one you mentioned as well. I have been a fender user since i was old enough to hold a guitar. I still own fenderguitars, and amps. I really enjoy history like this, no matter how controversial. I enjoy your playing, and friendship jody, and fender products.

[Jody Carver]

George, thank you, you are too kind, I appreciate it and I can do much better with my spelling if I tried harder. Thank you our good friend.

[Jody Carver]

My Friend Frank Green and myself are in contact regarding sometime this The other side of the story and The Inside story...Frank tells it like it was as he saw it he tries to and,a straight ball right down the middle and he does..... Read Forrest book again, as you may be aware my name is not mentioned. that was intentional. And I respect him for that and I know in his final hours he called me at home, and respected me as well..for not including my name in his book........end of story!!

[P Gleespen]

Ah, fair sweet Musicman...how do I love thee?

The best sounding bass I ever owned (and I've owned a lot) was the Musicman Sabre. String through the body, two active pickups...I still can't believe I sold it. ...and I REALLY can't believe how little I sold it for.

The Stingray and the Sabre save the same active electronics and sound the same. The differences are purely cosmetic.

I'm surprised to hear that the Sabre guitar was pretty much the same as the Stingray guitar, though. The Sabre bass was quite different that the Stingray bass, sound-wise. Or it could be, if you wanted it to be. That bridge pickup by itself with the tone down was like "hyper-jaco"....

I'm really looking forward to your book, Jody. Best of luck to you.

[Jody Carver]

Forrest was a good friend of mine, Frank Green is still a good friend ..They both had their own opinions.I will not give my opinion and stay out of this discussion. I thought very much of Forrest who did so very much for the musicians, Uncle Art Satherley who was a close friend of Bob Wills introduced Forrest to Uncle Art, it was then Bob Wills was endorsing Fender Leon Mc Auliffe etc and the others.., so you see Forrest, was the driving force at Fender, when he was at Musicman,it was a drastic change.......he wasn't happy and I could not blame him

[Jody Carver]

What I posted above was and is the Gods Honest truth.

The one human being who knew all this was my late wife Marilyn, she was not happy I left Fender, not beacuse of the money, but from what I've told her about what I was getting into,as I was told by people whose names I wont mention was too late, I made a commitment...Musicman could not a candle to The Fender with Mr. Donald Dean Randall

[Hank Pell]

Jody is the other side of the story avaiable in bookstores in our area. although i am not an avid reader I do perk up when it comes to music things.especially those Fender Years.