Fender Announces American Design Experience; Allows Musicians to Design Their Own Guitars and Basses

Fender has announced its American Design Experience, a new offering on Fender.com that allows musicians to design guitars and basses based on Fender’s instruments — the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass models.

Consumers’ personalized designs are then built by hand in Fender’s flagship Corona, California-based facility and delivered to their door within 90 days.

The Fender American Design Experience began in 2011 at the Fender Visitor Center in Corona, which is adjacent to Fender’s factory. There, consumers have been able to hand-select instrument bodies and necks, and personally design their own unique instrument, before having it built and delivered to them within a matter of months.

Now, Fender is able to provide this program only to people throughout the United States via an innovative digital platform configurator tool on its website at fender.com/american-design.

Several professional artists have designed their own instruments with the American Design Experience, including Neon Trees’ Branden Campbell, the Cult’s Billy Duffy, thenewno2’s Dhani Harrison, Joe Robinson and Taylor Swift’s Amos Heller. Consumers can view these artists’ designs — and others — at Fender’s website for inspiration.

"I've always loved the vintage hot rod vibe that Fender brings with their guitars,” Campbell said. “I've often had to buy two different basses to piece together the features I wanted. Now I have the option to get what I want the first time.”

Within the new online offering, there are multiple options — including body and neck woods and designs, color finishes, pickup and electronics configurations and more — that lead the user to more than a million potential design outcomes.

Check out the photo gallery below.

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