Follow Roger Miller's Lead

by Bob Moses

Roger Miller needed a new tool. In January 1978, Mission of Burma’s guitarist arrived in Boston a bassist. But the classically-trained musician confidently answered an ad to take the guitar seat in The Moving Parts, added two strings to his fretboard — and a need for a guitar. He borrowed a couple from friends, including a Telecaster and the white Stratocaster seen on the cover of Burma’s “Academy Fight Song” single. The Strat solved one problem – it was plenty loud and bright – but Miller’s sonic approach involved sculpting feedback into siren blasts and birdsongs. The resulting Strat sound carved too close to territory already explored by Jimi Hendrix. So with a little money from Ace of Hearts Records and the promise of more, Miller set out to find his own sound.

Miller's Leads: Roger's Lead II and Lead I backstage in 2008The sound he found burst from one of Fender’s least-heralded electric guitars, the Fender Lead series. Produced in limited quantities for only three years between 1979 and 1982, the Leads essentially welded a Telecaster bridge onto a Strat body and shape, yielding a highly playable, responsive guitar with a modest price (around $399 at the time). They were hardy, solid guitars, made entirely at Fender's Fullerton, CA, plant under the direction of Fender custom-shop founders Greg Wilson and John Page. Ideal for a player who tended to attack his instruments in imaginative assaults.

The Lead had its own sound, despite its similarities in shape and configuration to other Fender models. Meant to be a response to the harder sound rock that dominated the late 70s, the Leads were brash and hard (some would say brittle and thin) due to the use of Fender X-1 pickups (the bridge pickup on the Strat). They were available in three configurations: The Lead I had a humbucker at the bridge that could be separated into two single coils; the Lead II had single coils at bridge and neck; and the Lead III had both a humbucker at the bridge and single coil at the neck. Other players associated with the Leads include Eric Clapton (whose Lead II was acquired by the Hard Rock for its collection), Elliott Easton of the Cars, and Steve Morse (a Lead endorser who appeared in the early ads). Fender Lead Gallery

The early production yielded instruments that were fairly heavy, with a solid contour and great sustain. These models also had a wider headstock reminiscent of mid-50s Strats. By 1982, Fender was using a much deeper contour, creating a lighter body (and less interesting sound and sustain). Each model was available with either rosewood and maple fingerboard. The most common and earliest colors were black and red. Miller owned two black Lead Is with black pickguards – one of which he has been playing again since Mission of Burma reunited five years, three new records, and three definitive re-issue sets ago, courtesy of Richard Balyut of Versus who had acquired it along the way.