[Superman]

No, he was not a musical genius. At least, in the sense of being a musician. But he knew how to develop VERY functional musical equipment and to bring those products to market with great performance and efficient manufacturing techniques. The single most popular electric bass guitar over the past sixty years is the Fender Precision. It has the tone you hear in your head if you think of a bass guitar sound. What is incredible to me is that he got it perfect the first time. For example, if you move the pickup 10mm closer to the bridge or further away, then the tone will be just 'wrong.' I have seven electric bass guitars and four of them are Fender Precisions. I rarely play the other three.

The story of electric six-string guitars is similar. The sound of a Fender Telecaster through a Fender Twin Reverb amp is burned into your consciousness, even if you don't know it. Leo Fender got these products right the first time, which is why Fender is by far the most successful electric guitar/bass manufacturer. Then and now.