Earlier this week, Fender hosted the grand opening of its new Nashville HQ, which was attended by a huge array of electric guitar players.
Similar to the ceremonious ribbon-cutting activities that took place at the new Gibson Garage UK earlier this year, the opening day of Fender’s newest location looked to be a well-attended spectacle.
Some key names from the event include a handful of both Fender and Nashville’s most prominent and prolific players, with Guthrie Trapp taking to social media to reel off the star-studded guest list.
As per Trapp’s post, the party was attended by Billy Gibbons, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Cory Wong, Brent Mason and Jack White, as well as Chris Stapleton, Jon Randall, Rob McNelley, Steve Mackey and Patrick Clifford.
Chris Shiflett, Joe Glaser, Brett Papa, Raul Malo “and a bunch of other characters”, including brand CEO Andy Mooney, were also involved in the festivities.
Some of those A-list attendees also sat round for an all-star impromptu jam session – footage of which, fortunately, was also shared by Trapp.
“It was yet another epic evening in Music City, Guitar Town aka Nashville, Tennessee,” Tripp writes. “Our good friends at Fender invited us all to attend the grand event for the opening of their new headquarters in East Nashville.
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“This town always has a way of reminding us often why we all still live here. There’s no where on the planet that these cats would be in the same room together for such a cool low key hang. It was great to catch up with so many old friends. The adventure continues!”
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The new multi-purpose Nashville HQ will double as both a space for offices and guitar building, and for artists relations.
“Designed to meld with the city's pulsating artistic energy, this new space becomes an active participant in the city's music culture, while sparking inspiration in the upcoming generations of musicians,” explains Powell, the firm that worked on the project.
“The ground floor is home to the Fender Woodshop, the pulsating creative hub where guitar prototypes and bespoke creations are painstakingly sculpted and fine-tuned.
“The first floor comes alive as a lively nerve center for Artist Relations. This vibrant area offers artists a space to immerse themselves in Fender's extensive collection, engage in discussions about custom projects, and experiment with a diverse range of instruments.”
Visit Powell for a more in-depth look at Fender’s new facility.