Fender Musical Instruments Corp. has announced the opening of its new Corona, California, Visitor Center and the inauguration of free public tours of the adjacent manufacturing facility.
This marks the first time in Fender’s 65 years that the company has opened its doors to the public.
In the 8,600-square-foot Visitor Center, exhibits include interactive displays of modern Fender products, historic instruments, rare photos and artifacts, a tribute to Leo Fender, the Fender Hall of Fame, video presentations on the evolution of the electric guitar, displays presenting reflections on Fender by musicians throughout the history of modern music and more.
The facility includes a retail shop where visitors can browse and purchase Fender apparel, accessories, collectibles and other items. Guests can also buy instruments or design and buy their own instruments. The Visitor Center is also the starting (and concluding) point for the public tours of the adjacent factory and Custom Shop.
The Fender Visitor Center will open to the public Monday, September 19, at which point the twice-daily factory tours will also begin. The Visitor Center is at 301 Cessna Circle, Corona, CA 92880, and it will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The 45- to 60-minute factory tours take place 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. every weekday except Wednesday.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
