Latest about Fender Custom Shop
“I got to play one of the prototypes through my actual touring rig. It sounds really good”: Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett is working with Fender on an affordable signature version of his Masterbuilt Telecaster – and it’s already been road-tested
Shiflett has put a Charcoal Frost-finished prototype of the P-90-stocked build through its paces, so a full-scale production might not be too far away
“A very endearing, characterful instrument… a guitar that looks and feels old, played-in and used but is perfectly fit for purpose”: Vintage Proshop V72 Custom Build review
With guitars seemingly getting more expensive by the day, is a bespoke build now just a thing for the very well-off? We go in search of a more affordable route from the UK…
“It’s the higher-profile artist associations that tend to attract the big money – things like your Pearly Gates and your Jimmy Pages”: Why Gibson’s replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars
Gibson’s highest-tier replicas are seriously sought after on the collector's market. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page’s fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard
“The higher end the guitar, the more robust the demand is”: Why are guitars getting more expensive? We spoke to the world’s biggest guitar companies to find out
From $50k acoustics to eye-watering ‘premium offshore’ prices, the cost of big-name new guitars has felt like it’s spiraling. So how did we get here? And how do we get out of it?
“He is the fastest and cleanest and has more technique than any other”: Jimmy Bryant was one of the very first Telecaster heroes. Learn how his trailblazing playing shaped the guitarists who followed
Effortlessly mixing jazz, country and blues, Bryant was one of Albert Lee’s great influences, and his style remains a white-knuckle ride of technique and imagination
“This year’s collection will set a new standard for excellence in the world of custom guitar”: Fender pays homage to golden era guitars and pushes the boundaries of contemporary design with 2024 Custom Shop collections
The Big F goes big on Bigsbys, serves up an assortment of wild finishes and opts for exotic tonewoods across its 6 new catalogs, which each serve a specific design purpose
“A limited-edition collection showcasing the rich heritage and legacy of this incredible instrument”: Fender continues its 70th Anniversary Stratocaster celebrations with ultra-luxurious Custom Shop drop
2024 is set to be a year of celebratory releases for the Big F, which has continued to mark the Strat's milestone with five new Custom Shop creations
“Playability is where this guitar shines. This Strat is a player”: Fender Mike McCready Stratocaster review
With its Road Worn finish and easy neck, the Pearl Jam guitarist's new signature Strat feels like it's had a few decades under its belt, and is just warming up
“We determined, ‘Boy, with that checked finish, the acoustic guitar – which is a box that vibrates – really rings’”: Gibson's Tom Murphy on how Murphy Lab acoustics are taking aged guitars into new sonic territory
Gibson’s master artisan Tom Murphy has reinvented the process of guitar aging. Now he’s turned his eye and – perhaps, more importantly – his ear, to the firm’s acoustic line
“That is a ’54 reissue. This is the real ’54. It’s number 588”: Måneskin’s Thomas Raggi drops by Norman’s Rare Guitars – and ends up playing one of the first Fender Strats ever produced
The Italian guitarist headed to the store following his LA Forum performance – and found time for a killer jam of Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along the Watchtower with Michael Lemmo
