Meet Fender’s latest Master Builder, who worked on its Game of Thrones guitars and some stunning signature models
Levi Perry joined the firm direct from high school and worked under the likes of Ron Thorn before his recent promotion
Fender has promoted luthier Levi Perry to the rank of Master Builder – a rarified title reserved for the firm’s brightest and best guitar-making talent.
Perry has been with the firm for 10 years, having joined Fender fresh from high school. His most notable contributions come from his recent years as an assistant Master Builder – an apprenticeship under the watchful eye of Fender’s finest, including Principle Master Builder Ron Thorn.
In doing so he worked on the Game Of Thrones guitars, the psychedelic masterpiece that was the George Harrison Rocky Strat and the Phil Lynott Precision Bass build, among others.
Before that, Perry initially worked on the US production line, moving to the Custom Shop after three years at the firm to work as a relic artisan – which, we can all agree, is a superb title to have on your business card.
“For me, what’s important is always to be learning and growing and to remain a student of the craft,” says Perry, of his new role.
“Fender has such a deep and rich history to glean from, and when you allow that history to teach and guide you while continuing to be creative and push the boundaries, you’ll be amazed at what you can create.”
Perry has since shared some of his most recent builds on Instagram – including this stunningly relic’d Telecaster, equipped with a Bigsby and Strat middle pickup.
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The luthier now has the privilege of seeing his name alongside the line-up of Master Builders listed on the Fender Custom Shop site, including Dale Wilson, Paul Waller, Jason Smith, Yuriy Shishkov, Todd Krause, Dennis Galuszka, Greg Fessler, Ron Thorn, Kyle McMillin, Vincent Van Trigt, Austin Macnutt, Andy Hicks and David Brown.
For more information on the Master Builders, head to Fender Custom Shop.
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Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
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