Woodie

Woodie may refer to:

People

Woodie (car body style)

A woodie is a car body style with rear bodywork constructed of wood framework with infill wood panels. Originally, wood framework augmented the car's structure, where later models featured applied wood and wood-like elements.

Ultimately, manufacturers supplanted wood construction with a variety of materials and methods to recall wood construction — including infill metal panels, metal framework, or simulated wood-grain sheet vinyl (DI-NOC), sometimes augmented with three-dimensional, simulated framework. In 2008, wood construction was evoked abstractly on the Ford Flex with a series of side and rear horizontal grooves.

History

1930s and 40s

As a variant of body-on-frame construction, the woodie originated from the early (pre mid-1930s) practice of manufacturing the passenger compartment portion of a vehicle in hardwood. Woodies were popular in the United States and were produced as variants of sedans and convertibles as well as station wagons, from basic to luxury. They were typically manufactured as third-party conversions of regular vehicles—some by large, reputable coachbuilding firms and others by local carpenters and craftsmen for individual customers. They could be austere vehicles, with side curtains in lieu of roll-up windows (e.g., the 1932 Ford)—and sold in limited numbers (e.g., Ford sold 1654 woodie wagons). Eventually, bodies constructed entirely in steel supplanted wood construction—for reasons of strength, cost, and durability.

Fender Amplifiers

Fender amplifiers have a long history. Leo Fender began building guitar amps before he started manufacturing guitars. The first of these amps were the K&F models, which were produced between 1945 and 1946. The original Fender amps were tube-powered and the company also started producing solid-state models in the late 1960s.

Early amplifiers: K&F and Woodie

The K&F amplifiers were the first "Fender" amps made. They were made by the K&F Manufacturing Corporation, which was run by Leo Fender and Doc Kauffman. Most of the amps were finished in a "gray crinkle" finish. The finishes were baked in the Kauffman family oven. They were made in three different sizes, 1x8" (one 8" speaker), 1x10", and 1x15". They are all very rare today and few have survived.

The first amplifiers made in-house by Fender is the Woodie series, built in 1946 through 1948. They included the Model 26 Deluxe, the Princeton, and the Professional.

Tweed amplifiers