“We make those in the same quantities no matter what is in fashion”: Guitar trends come and go – but these are the Fender finishes that will never disappear

Like most industries, electric guitars are subject to ever-changing market trends. Some styles, though, are timeless, and Fender’s Custom Shop team has now revealed which staple six-strings will never fall off the production line.

Trends and fashion are both hugely influential in the guitar space. Fender's divisive Antigua Burst, for instance, is making an unlikely comeback, while the return of Gibson's Dark Purple Burst has proven so popular it's been extended to an Epiphone Les Paul.

Then there’s the growing offset trend, which has seen Jackson revive the Surfacaster silhouette, and Aristides launch its own with Mike Stringer.

Yet, while Fender Custom Shop requests change like the weather, certain staples are always on the menu – and always will be.

“The ones that always get built are the blonde Teles, the black Strats, sunbursts,” Senior Master Builder Paul Waller tells Guitarist. “We make those in the same quantities no matter what is in fashion.”

If anything, the trends that the Fender Custom Shop team are noticing these days aren't particularly concerned with aesthetics, Instead, they're focused on components – and that's a result of the evolution of guitar players.

“The thing that has evolved,” Waller adds, “is the players. They have a more discerning taste and can hear a lot more of what we're throwing [into the design of the guitars] in terms of pickups and tonewoods, specifically [through the use of] the roasted maple and alder, and ash bodies.

“Those that are in the know and seeking out that tone can find it through some of those avenues. It can be a trend that might fall off, or it might stay in – but we're a made-to-order shop, so we just make what people are ordering.”

Of course, the tonewood debate – whether certain woods affect tone or not – is one for the ages. Guthrie Govan said, “the entire audience in the room could hear the tonal difference” during an experiment last year. Paul Reed Smith, meanwhile, has said that alternative tonewoods, such as Guatemalan fence posts, shouldn't be dismissed.

The point here is that, with players becoming more aware of the nuances certain features can have on the overall sound of an instrument, their knowledge is reflected in their specifications.

“The trends – and staying in front of them and making sure that we have good communication with our dealers – are a big part of what we do,” Waller says. “I always tell people I'm kind of living two years in the past because a lot of my orders are two years old. So it's nice to have events where I can talk to dealers and see what's currently the hot trend.”

Other trends currently surging through the guitar world include the stratospheric rise of rubber bridge guitars, as championed by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, and, as far as metal guitars are concerned, single 'bucker builds. But whatever is on trend, requests for blonde Teles and sunburst Strats are inevitable. They will never die.

To read Waller's interview in full, grab a copy of Guitarist from Magazines Direct today.