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DARK SECRETS: Paul waller | Vintage Vibes

“There are no limits. It’s basically: how long will it take and how much is it going to cost?” Behind the scenes at the Fender Custom Shop – where anything goes, and heritage and innovation go hand in hand

Nearly 40 years on from the Custom Shop’s inception, its creations are more ambitious than ever. Master Builder Paul Waller and Director of Product Development Chase Paul give us a guided tour

Guitar World

“They have always been a big thing for me because I think they’re the heart and soul of a Fender”: What gives a Fender guitar its spirit? For the Custom Shop's Senior Master Builder, there’s only one answer

Paul Waller has singled out what he believes to be the defining feature of a Fender guitar – and it might surprise you

Guitar World

“We make those in the same quantities no matter what is in fashion”: Guitar trends come and go – but these are the Fender finishes that will never disappear

Changing fashions keep the Fender Custom Shop Master Builders busy, but a few staple models and colorways will always be on the menu

Guitar World

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read the most diverse news in one place.

“I’ve had many other Strats – I’ve never found one better than that”: John Frusciante’s first-ever Fender signature guitar is here – and it’s a $20k Custom Shop replica of his iconic 1962 Stratocaster

Fender Master Builder Paul Waller has painstakingly recreated the Red Hot Chili Peppers icon’s legendary sunburst Strat, which features all the relic’d cosmetics and electronics upgrades of the original

Guitar World

“Ronnie Wood has a ’55 hardtail Strat and that one was incredible. And then Nile Rodgers’ Hitmaker Strat – that one’s incredible”: Fender’s Master Builders on what makes a good Stratocaster – and the best Strats they’ve ever played

As two of the Custom Shop’s best luthiers, there are few people in the world better qualified to talk Strats than Waller and MacNutt. They share the secrets behind the truly special ones – and the mods that could revitalize yours

Guitar World

“This is a very iconic guitar. It’s one of the harder guitars I’ve ever had to replicate”: Fender’s latest Joe Strummer tribute model is a meticulous Masterbuilt Custom Shop creation that costs $20,000

The forensic replica is said to reproduce “every aspect” of the Clash trailblazer’s 1966 Telecaster, including all the scrapes and scars of the original model

Guitar World

“All the wear and tear from decades of touring is perfectly recreated on this incredible limited edition”: Fender unveils a $20,000 Masterbuilt replica of Joe Strummer’s 1966 Telecaster

Fender Senior Master Builder Paul Waller has gone to town on this Telecaster, forensically recreating all the detail from the punk icon's original – but that detail's gonna cost you

MusicRadar

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“Probably one of the greatest Strats I’ve ever played… and I can see through it”: Watch Marcus King play a cardboard Stratocaster as he previews new track from Rick Rubin-produced album

The Marcus King Band's Cardboard Sessions prove that great tone can come from upcycled materials, and that King's forthcoming album Mood Swings will be a highlight of 2024

MusicRadar

“We had no idea it was going to perform the way it did – or if it was even going to be shown to anyone”: How Cardboard Sessions’ Dave Lee convinced Billy Gibbons, J Mascis and Keanu Reeves to slam on his Fender-approved cardboard guitars

Built by a Master Builder at Fender HQ, you can work the cardboard Strat hard and even whammy it – but you can also see right through it. Could this fun experiment be the future of guitar manufacturing?

Guitar World

Fender’s Custom Shop turns loose the Masterbuilders on the unique, exquisite and eco-friendly California Streetwoods Collection

With tone woods sourced from Street Tree Revival, these one-of-a-kind builds make for one the most intriguing collections Fender’s Custom Shop has ever assembled

MusicRadar

Watch Billy Gibbons tear it up on a custom Fender Strat made out of cardboard – with Matt Sorum playing cardboard drums

While we were all busy with the tone wood cork sniffing, along comes the Reverend and makes cardboard sound divine in a track written and performed on the spot with Sorum

MusicRadar

Is this the guitar Keith Richards used at the Rolling Stones’ first-ever gig?

Many British guitar heroes of the ’60s started out on budget archtops that retain nostalgia value today. But what if you thought you had found Keef’s actual guitar?

Guitar World

7 killer metal albums you might have missed this month

From Kruelty and Demonstealer to Ad Infinitum, nothing,nowhere. and Lana Del Rabies, don't sleep on these brilliant new metal albums

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