FORREST was a GREAT GUY!
Morrow said:
Forrest white was the one who gave the Stingray the 3+1 headstock and he had worked at Rickenbacker before starting up Musicman with Leo Fender. I saw a picture of a Ric prototype he did with the 3+1 headstock but the Halls at Rickenbacker said "that does NOT look like a Rickenbacker"and the idea got shelved. I wonder if Forrest got the idea from some of the Tiesco guitars that had 4+2 headstocks.Is Forrest White still with us and does anyone know if he is still designing instruments?
Back in the late 1970's I was a struggling Studio Guitarist in Orange County, and Forrest took an interest in a group I played guitar for. Over the years we became very good pals, and he told me [over lunch, two to three times a month, ALWAYS at Black Angus off of 17th street, in Santa Ana] of his exploits partnering with Leo Fender back in the 50s, and of their friendship over the years. Not many people know of Forrest, but he is the fellow who RAN THE FACTORY at FENDER through the mid 60's when CBS bought in, and Leo went on a Cruise and took a well needed vacation. Forrest soon went his own way too... Later, Leo would start up G&L Guitars, and Forrest started up his own company called MusicMan, which later became the property of Ernie Ball, as I recall. It's been a while, I'm old, give me a break... lol
Anyway, Forrest is the one who introduced me to LEO, who liked my playing
and gave me a G&L Guitar, to go with the MusicMan amps I was using at the time.
I actually used that guitar exclusively on stage, for about 10 years, before I was an idiot and sold it for a Studio Les Paul, and some cash... Hey, I'm a guitar player.
The last time I spoke with LEO, was the early 90s [I had JUST gotten divorced, I recall] and Forrest was retired, but selling WATER PURIFIER systems, and somebody gave him my new phone number. Well, we talked for two hours, and it was VERY cool to talk with him one more time. Sadly, he passed away shortly thereafter. One of the CLASSIEST guys I've ever met.
ONE MORE NOTE: Forrest was in his late 60's at the time we hung out. One day he stopped by my place, with his wife, in her mid-fifties. I HAVE TO SAY, that lady was one of the HOTTEST looking ladies I've EVER met! I would have dated her in a SECOND, and I was in my 20's she was THAT HOT! SERIOUSLY! All that I could think of, was... What did she look like in her 20's and 30's? 40's? WOW! I'm not kidding... It was incredible, and she was JUST as classy as Forrest. That's it, these are just the things I remember...
ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING:
Forrest taught me about Buicks and the holes they used to have on the side of the front quarter panels! You see, the REAL Buicks we're what he called "three holers" or "four holers" and they had stopped making those models several years before we hung out. However, Forrest had his buick "redone" at the factory, and completely rebuilt, every 3 or 4 years. I'm not kidding, it looked like brand new, and it was probably 10 years old when I rode in it. He was just getting ready to have it sent back again, the last time we got together and he was telling me how they did it for him. He ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to buy a new one, since they'd dropped the holes, and they just weren't the same to him. It isn't like he couldn't have afforded 10 new ones, but he just liked that model, and refused to budge... Great guy, I miss him...
ONE LAST THING:
Back in his FENDER days, Forrest had a steel guitar and maching tube amplifier with his name on it. It wasn't much really, but I remember working in a now defunct music store called McFarlines Music, and having a lady walk in, with one of these 6 string steel guitars and matching amplifiers IN THE BAG, BRAND NEW, wondering what it was worth? It had been setting in her attic for years, that's all she knew. I mean, this had to be one of the RAREST items anybody has ever seen, I'm not even sure if it was ever assembly lined. The guy I worked with, who was a CROOK by the way, offered her $25 for both of them, told her they weren't worth anything, he would "Take them off of her hands" and she took it. What a weasel he was... Later he would earn his just reward but that's another story... lol
He then called the Fender Factory in Fullerton, and Forrest himself [I later found out] drove out to Riverside, and paid him several hundred dollars for it. This was YEARS before I would meet him as a musician, but I remember he had a VERY NICE suit on, and he was REALLY JAZZED to see these items. Anway, that's it, take care!
However there is a cool pic of him holding the very first stingray off of the production line. 
