What can you say about the Fender Custom Shop and its Master Builders? Well, we can probably agree that they kick out some of the best guitars on the planet. Fender Custom Shop guitars are some of the most coveted guitars on the market and for good reason. These master builders create some of the most well-balanced, premium, and outstanding instruments anywhere.
Now, the Fender Custom Shop Master Builders are creating a handful of guitars to help benefit Crew Nation, as well as a select number of exclusive signed guitars by Fender Signature Artists. Live Nation’s Crew Nation is a global relief fund for live music crews and 100% of the sales will go to support that cause.
The five exclusive Masterbuilt Fender Custom Shop guitars were built in teams of two by the esteemed Fender Master Builders, a never before seen collaboration from the collective.
Each guitar’s neck plate will be engraved with a commemorative logo to celebrate the one-of-a-kind guitars and special collaboration. Both Master Builders will also sign the back of the headstock they worked on. All Master Built and artist signed guitars are available for sale in collaboration with Reverb, a leading online marketplace for buying and selling new, used, and vintage musical instruments.
Because I can’t do justice in describing in words what these Fender Custom Shop guitars are, let’s just read what Fender has to say about a couple of them:
Yuriy Shishkov and Kyle McMillan: Fender Crew Nation Tele- $14,700
Fashioned from beautifully exotic wood just waiting to be used for something very special, Master Builders Kyle McMillin and Yuriy Shishkov worked in their garages to meticulously shape, sand, and finish this guitar using every ounce of their expertise. Each element, detail, and custom appointment was executed with the highest degree of attention, even as the instrument took shape outside the physical walls of the Fender Custom Shop. Shishkov created the body artwork, in which the classic Fender Stratocaster headstock intertwines with heart and scrolled-silver inlay work to illustrate Fender’s dedication to its struggling partners in the music world. Indeed, the desire to help stage crew personnel near and far is the driving force behind this distinctive collaboration.
The guitar’s two-piece ash body has a redwood burl top features custom hand-engraved artwork with silver lace inlay, green diopside stone, and diamonds, as well as a NOS nitro lacquer finish. The single-piece AAA birdseye maple neck features silver lace inlay, green diopside stone, diamonds; ivoroid nitro binding; a large “C” profile; and a 9.5”-radius fingerboard with medium jumbo frets. “Josefina” hand-wound Tele pickups feature three-way switching and modern Tele wiring. Other features include a custom brown-shell pickguard and control cover; ’58-’63 Tele bridge; Schaller®deluxe tuners; strap locks; a “Build at Home” neck plate by Fender Custom Shop Principal Master Builder Ron Thorn; a bone nut and disk string tree. This guitar includes a deluxe hardshell case, strap, and certificate of authenticity.
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Jason Smith and Dennis Galuszka: Fender Crew Nation Tamo Strat- $8,700
Inspired to help raise funds to support the hard-working, behind-the-scenes crews of the artists they love, Fender Custom Shop’s Jason Smith and Dennis Galuszka teamed up for this distinctively classy build. One of the last pieces of tamo ash available in the shop—which was being saved for a special occasion such as this—was used along with a highly-figured maple neck and “Josefina” hand-wound pickups. The result is a beautiful and elegant guitar with tone to match.
The chambered ash body has a figured tamo ash top and an NOS lacquer finish. The tinted AAAA flame-maple neck has a flat-lam AAAA maple fretboard with a 9.5” radius and 21 narrow-tall frets. Josefina hand-wound ’60s Strat pickups (with reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup) feature five-way switching and Vintage Modified #2 wiring. Other features include a three-ply white nitro pickguard; a Custom Classic Strat tremolo; “Build at Home” neck plate by Fender Custom Shop Principal Master Builder Ron Thorn; vintage-style tuners with brown-shell buttons; a bone nut and wing string tree. The guitar comes with a deluxe hardshell case, strap, and certificate of authenticity.
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Those are just two of the models the Fender Custom Shop Master Builders made, there is also:
- Ron Thorn and Paul Waller: Fender Crew Nation Korina Strat- $7,600
- Greg Fessler and Dale Wilson: Fender Crew Nation 2 Tone Tele-$7,200
- Todd Krause and Carlos Lopez: Fender Crew Nation ‘56 Strat-$7,000
- Signed: Eric Clapton Stratocaster in Pewter – $7,500
- Signed: Flea Signature Active Jazz Bass in Shell Pink – $3,500
- Signed: Tom Morello Stratocaster – $2,600
- Signed: Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass in Black – $2,500
- Signed: Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster – $2,450
- Signed: American Professional Stratocaster Jeff Beck – $3,300
There’s a lot of great stuff here, all very expensive I know but if you are interested in more info, check out the special Reverb shop the Fender Custom Shop Master Builders have setup.
Live Nation launched Crew Nation in April to help support touring and venue crews through this temporary intermission while COVID-19 puts concerts on pause. Live Nation has committed $10 million to the fund – contributing an initial $5 million, then matching the next $5 million in donations, dollar for dollar.
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What do you think of these Fender Custom Shop guitars? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
