Philip Kubicki has been building instruments since his teens. During 1964, while attending junior college in Fullerton, California – coincidentally near the original Fender plant – he took a tour, applied, and was hired by Roger Rossmeisl to work on acoustic guitars. He worked for Fender until 1973 and then struck out on his own.
In the 1980s, Kubicki developed the Factor bass, going into production in 1983. One of his early basses went to John Taylor of Duran Duran, and demand rose dramatically.
By the late 1980’s, Kubicki entered into a licensing contract with Fender and from 1989 to 1991 the Factor bass was built at the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California. Once the contract expired, hand-building resumed.
Philip Kubicki died in 2013 in New Hampshire.
