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Fender Announces Opening of Free Public Visitor Center and Factory Tours

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.

For more information, visit fender.com/visitorcenter or call 951-898-4040.

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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.

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Factory Tour: Fender Custom Shop Acoustics, Part One

Posted on Feb 16, 2013 by Adam Baine

Factory Tour: Part One   Part Two   Part Three

Just days after the 2013 Snowpocalypse called Nemo dumped literally feet of snow on the east coast, we found ourselves fleeing our relatively slushy New York City home and heading straight into the arctic wilderness of Connecticut.  Why?  We had an invitation from Fender Custom Shop to be the first dealer to ever tour their new Fender Custom Shop Acoustic factory in New Hartford.  We learned a couple of important things.  First, folks in Connecticut know how to plow the hell out of a road.  Second, the guitars we will be seeing and strumming coming out of this gorgeous 1849 brick factory building will be, without a doubt, the very best acoustic guitars ever to wear the word “Fender” on the headstock.

For many years Fender’s acoustic guitar line was composed mainly of affordable units imported from overseas and designed to hit a price point.  Under the direction of master luthier Ren Ferguson, these new guitars are a whole different ballgame.  The Music Zoo is thrilled to be a part of this rebirth of Fender acoustic instruments, and it all starts with a tour.  So let’s get started shall we?

Let’s start with the building itself.  It’s an enormous, labyrinthian place that is older than the city of Los Angeles.  See those hardwood floorboards?  Ancient maple six inches thick.  We joked that we would love to make some necks out of it; apparently we weren’t the first visitors to say that.  The place is just chock full of vibe and history.  We could tell that those who work here they enjoy their place and what they do here.

This is Darren Wallace.  He’s the engineering manager of the factory who gave us the tour.  Notice that he is wearing a Guild shirt – that’s because parent company Fender has nestled their new Custom Shop Acoustic guitars into the KMC Music plant where Guild guitars and Ovation guitars are also built.  Having the resources of all these brands is a huge bonus.  We started in the wood storage area where literally tons of different tone woods are organized and stacked on pallets.  We love seeing this.  Darren is pointing towards the kiln, where the fresh wood that is shipped in will be heated and dried to achieve the optimal moisture content.

Rosewood, for example, always needs to be kiln dried.  They’ll set a tightly strapped pallet in there, and a week later the wood has shrunk so much that the straps have fallen off.

This is a mix of both red spruce and sitka spruce wood that will be used to make the braces for inside the guitar.  In almost all aspects of building musical instruments, good hard wood is what you want.  Red spruce (also known as Adirondack spruce)  is usually very stiff, regardless of the width of the grain.  Sitka tends to be less consistent, but still a good wood.  Fender always uses red spruce for the all-important top bracing of a guitar, and on some more high end models full red spruce bracing is an option.  Red spruce was the standard material before World War II for guitar building, but during the war the supply of it was depleted massively; it was used to build airplanes.  65 years later, Fender’s suppliers are so determined to find the best red spruce that they’ll drive around and offer to buy someone’s tree right out of their yard.

Really nice quilted maple is hard to come by, but here’s some gorgeous stuff.  Fender’s got these choice pieces slated to become the sides of some upcoming Custom Shop guitars.

Here are some beautiful figured maple boards.

And this black walnut is typically used to make necks.

Here’s a big hunk of spalted maple.  Darren explained that what they call “ink”, the black lines that make spalted look so cool, when sanded will really kick up your allergies if you’re allergic to mold.

Check out the coloration difference between eastern red maple on the left and big leaf maple on the right.  The eastern red is harder, brighter, and gives a cleaner, whiter look.  The softer big leaf maple often has more figuring to it.

Here’s some cocobolo, which is available for custom guitars.  It’s apparently “itchy” to work with, but damn it looks good!  We immediately noticed this wood on the shelf because we thought it looked just like brazilian rosewood.  Some of this figured cocobolo could really fool someone.

Matching woods is a big part of the job when figuring out just which pieces go together to make a good guitar.  Darren told us that the woman who works in this area would be a real weapon at a casino because her memory is unbelievable.  She organizes hundreds of pieces of wood for tops, backs, sides, fingerboards, and can photographically match pieces in her mind that might be buried in a stack on a shelf.

This laser cutting machine is used to cut out pieces of wood that will be used as guides later in the build process.

For example, this guide piece is cut to determine the dimensions of the inside of the guitar body, and provide some locations for things like internal components and bracing that will later be read by a CNC machine.

Some of the information lasered onto the wood aren’t just for measurement, they can also give the builders reminders of what the heck guitar they’re working on!

Here’s a top for one of the new Fender Custom Shop Acoustic models coming out this year.  Notice the tabs still attached to the top.  Those will be trimmed off later but for now will come in handy during the body assembly process.

Here’s a guitar back that has been routed and had a decorative inlay installed.  Traditionally when you see a strip like this running down the back of the guitar, there might be a two piece back glued together, hidden by the inlay.  What Fender does is route a perfect channel down a one-piece back for the decorative inlay, no two piece back required!

Here’s a closeup of the inlay in the perfectly routed channel.  Check out part two of the Fender Custom Shop Acoustic Factory tour, where we’ll get into tops, backs, necks, and frets!

Continue to part two

• Tags : acoustic guitars , Acoustics , Factory Tours , Fender , Fender Custom Shop

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Fender Factory Tour – A Strat is Born

“A Strat is Born” is a quick Fender factory tour video that showcases the building processes behind their popular Stratocaster guitar.

This new short film from Fender takes you to a high speed ride through the entire production process of a Fender Stratocaster guitar.

If you have ever wondered what building a modern day Stratocaster is like, this is a great sneak peek.

The film is shot at Fender’s main US manufacturing facility in Corona California. And it shows the entire guitar making process – beginning from the selection of wood, wood shaping, sanding, adding of parts and all the way to the final testing stages. Fender showcased how much handcraftsmanship is still being used on the humble Strat.

Here is the new Fender Short Film – A Strat is Born:

For a good contrast, here is a video that we previously featured, a Fender Factory Tour back in 1959 :

The good news is, you can experience this same manufacturing process at the Fender Visitor Center and Factory Tour – located near the Fender Corona facility which the recent video was shot on.

For more information on the Fender Visitor Center, you can check out their website at Fender .

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1 thought on “Fender Factory Tour – A Strat is Born”

To anyone who cares, this clip was not shot in 1959 as stated, but rather, summer of 1957. They are clearly making 2-tone sunburst finish Strats with nylon parts in this clip. The earlier ‘Bakelite’ parts were phased out by about June ’57 in favor of the more durable nylon parts. The 3-tone sunburst finish came out during the first quarter of 1958, so the production window of 2-tone sunburst Strats with nylon parts is from June ’57-February ’58. If you notice all the guys in T-shirts or no shirts at all, it’s safe to say this was shot during the summer of ’57…just sayin’

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A Fender Custom Shop instrument is extraordinary. You know it when you play one—it’s definitely more than the sum of its parts. It’s filled with intangible, electrifying elements that add a new dimension to your playing experience. It’s as if the instrument itself is imbued with history, alive with the spirit of the place where it was built and the devotion of those who crafted it.

The Custom Shop is home to Fender’s most skilled and talented builders. It’s a bustling, noisy and creatively volcanic place that re-earns its nickname—the Dream Factory—every day. Custom Shop builders are completely dedicated to their art—part craftsman, part artist, part music fan and, more often than not, part mad scientist. They’re the best at what they do, and they pour all of their passion, hard-earned knowledge and skill into every instrument they build. It’s no ordinary place, and the creations that come from it are no ordinary instruments. Welcome to the Fender Custom Shop.

For players who wish to create a completely custom instrument—anything from a humbucking pickup-equipped banjo to a custom-engraved aluminum-bodied Strat®—we offer Masterbuilt, a singular experience working one-on-one with one of our Master Builders. Custom-Built is for those prefer to start with one of our time-honored models and personalize the specifications to meet your specific needs. Use this guide to design your very own Masterbuilt or Custom-Built Fender guitar and make your dreams come true.

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Choose your build level, masterbuilt.

In every art form, there are those who have mastered their craft so thoroughly, through years of training and experience, their work routinely commands extra acclaim and admiration, not to mention outright awe. These astonishing artisans are the Master Builders of the Fender Custom Shop; a select group of the most talented builders recognized around the world for their matchless skill, limitless imagination and utter devotion to their art.

Crafting a guitar with a Custom Shop Master Builder is the ultimate artistic partnership—simply put, no idea is too crazy and no job too large or too small. They’ll walk you through everything—body design, neck shape, tonewoods, pickups, hardware and more—to give you the look, feel and sound that you’re searching for. From start to finish the Master Builder will personally ensure that each guitar is built with the highest possible quality and to your exact specifications. Additionally, it’s about more than just specifications, it’s about making the instrument of your dreams a concrete reality.

Custom-Built

Your dreams are what make the Fender Custom Shop the reality that it is today. From its inception in 1987, the Custom Shop has grown from two builders to today’s more than 50 artisans—a veteran band of builders, each a specialist dedicated to their own area of expertise—working together to build your ideal Fender to your exact specifications. From neck shaping and fretwork to finishing and aging—every step of creation—each Custom Shop craftsperson brings years of hard-earned skill and dedication to bear on your custom-built guitar with one goal in mind—to create an instrument and playing experience that can only come from the Fender Custom Shop.

A Fender Custom-Built guitar lets you define your ideal instrument. Begin with one of our base models and choose from our vast selection of options to customize it as little or as much as you want to meet your personal needs, aesthetic taste and playing style.

Whatever shape your dream may be, our luthiers stand ready to craft an instrument that will unlock your utmost creativity and self-expression. Their passion is bringing your dreams to reality, to create the ultimate instrument—one personally customized exclusively for you.

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• Fender Flagship Tokyo

空の王者「火竜 リオレウス」

モチーフのテレキャスター登場.

世界的人気を誇るハンティングアクションゲーム「モンスターハンター」の20周年を記念したコラボレーションギター『Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ® 』。このモデルは、象徴的なモンスターである【火竜リオレウス】をモチーフにデザインされた特別モデルとなり、2025年3月より世界各国のFender正規取扱店にて販売されます。

Fender Flagship Tokyo およびフェンダーオンラインショップでは、特別なハードケースが付属される豪華仕様の限定モデル『Limited Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ® 』も同時に発売。Fender Flagship Tokyoでは、9月27日（金）11時より店頭にて両モデルの予約販売を開始します。

※ 9月30日（月）より Fender Flagship Tokyo にて両モデルが展示されます。

『Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ® 』は、モンスターハンターシリーズの象徴的存在である、空の王者【火竜 リオレウス】をモチーフとしており、ボディの背面と12フレットのインレイに施されているリオレウスのアイコンをはじめ、ボディ表面には特徴的な羽の模様と炎を表した紋様、ギルドマークなど、ゲームの世界観を各所で感じることができます。リオレウスを表現したオリジナルのカラーリングやピックガードの素材、全てブラックで統一したハードウェアなどにも拘った、唯一無二のギターです。

サウンドやプレイアビリティにも妥協はありません。サテンフィニッシュのアルダーボディに、22本のミディアムジャンボフレットが採用された9.5インチラジアスの“C”シェイプメイプルネックが装備されています。ピックアップは、Monster Hunter Rathalos Single Coilをブリッジに、Monster Hunter Rathalos Humbuckerをネックに搭載したSH構成で、歪みペダルとの相性が良く、ハイパワーでありながらもリッチなトーンが表現できます。コラボレーションを象徴するオリジナルのバッジが取り付けられたブラックのハードケースとネックプレートに刻印されたナンバリングが記載されたオリジナルの認定証が付属されます。

「モンスターハンター」シリーズプロデューサー 辻本良三は、「『モンスターハンター』シリーズの20周年という節目に、世界的なギターブランドである「Fender」とのコラボレーションが実現できたことに、非常に興奮しています。コラボギターは爪痕やインレイ、ボディの模様など、随所にシリーズの代表的なモンスターのリオレウスを感じて頂ける仕上がりになっております。また、『モンスターハンターワイルズ』に何らかの形でのインゲームコラボも予定しておりますので、そちらもご期待ください」とコメントしています。

フェンダーミュージック株式会社 アジアパシフィック統括 エドワード・コール代表取締役社長は、「Fenderは常にギターの表現の可能性を追求しており、『モンスターハンター』とのコラボレーションはその新たな一歩です。また、長く愛され続けているアイコニックなゲームシリーズとのパートナーシップは、私たちにとって非常に特別なものです。今回、伝説のモンスターであるリオレウスが私たちのギターで見事に表現されていることに大変興奮しています。このコラボレーションは、音楽とゲームという異なる世界を結びつけ、プレイヤーやファンの皆様に、創造性に制限のない唯一無二の体験を提供する素晴らしい機会になると確信しています」とコメントしています。

Fender Flagship Tokyo およびフェンダーオンラインショップで限定販売されるモデル『Limited Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ® 』は、ピックアップカバーとピックガードを貫通するリオレウスの爪痕が表現されているほか、ネックの裏側にもリオレウスの羽の模様が刻印されています。さらに、ボディバインディングと12フレットのインレイ、サイドドットには、蓄光素材を採用しており暗闇の中で赤く光ります。アイテムボックスをモチーフとし、本革のベルトで装飾された特別なハードケースとネックプレートに刻印されたナンバリングが記載されたオリジナルの認定証、そしてピックセットが付属されます。

両製品ともに、9月27日（金）午前11時より Fender Flagship Tokyo 店頭にて予約販売を開始します。リミテッドモデルは数量限定でのご提供となりますので、ご希望の方はお早めにお買い求めください。（ Fender Flagship Tokyo 店頭での予約販売は、クレジットカードでのお支払いのみの受付となります。ギターのお届けは2025年3月頃を予定しております。予めご了承ください。）

Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ®

2025年3月発売予定

※ Fender Flagship Tokyo では、9月27日（金）11時より店頭にて予約販売開始。

（クレジットカードでのお支払いのみの受付となります。）

ボディ表面には特徴的な羽の模様と炎を表した紋様、ギルドマークなど、ゲームの世界観を表現。また、12フレットのインレイにはリオレウスのアイコンが施されています。

リオレウスのアイコンが施されたボディ背面。また、ネックプレートには「モンスターハンター」20周年記念ロゴとナンバリングが刻印されています。

オリジナルのバッジが取り付けられたブラックのハードケースとシリアルナンバーが記載されたオリジナルの認定証が付属。

JAPAN OFFICIAL STORE LIMITED

Limited Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster ®

リミテッドモデルのみ ピックアップカバーとピックガードを貫通するリオレウスの爪痕が表現されています。

リミテッドモデルのネック背面にはリオレウスの羽の模様をモチーフとしたデザインが彫り込まれています。

ボディバインディングと12フレットのインレイ、サイドドットには、蓄光素材を採用。暗闇の中で赤く光ります。

アイテムボックスをモチーフとし、本革のベルトで装飾されたスペシャルハードケースとオリジナルの認定証、特別なピックセットが付属。

Special Pick Set

モンスターハンター20周年を祝った特別なデザインのギターピックとピックケースも2025年3月に発売予定です。ピックは、 火竜 リオレウスを討伐することで獲得できる【尻尾】【翼】【鱗】といったゲームではおなじみの素材アイコンがデザインされています。12 種類のデザインのうち、ゲームで入手難易度の高い【火竜の逆鱗】【火竜の天鱗】【火竜の紅玉】の 3 種には、高級感のあるメタリックな質感のアイコンが採用されています。裏面には Fender ロゴとモンスターハンターの 20 周年記念ロゴがデザインされており、周年を祝う貴重な仕様となっています。346 シェイプのHEAVY タイプで、エレキギターはもちろん、ベースやアコース ティックギターなどにも使用しやすい汎用性の高い仕様です。

ピックケースは、ハードケース同様に、ゲームに登場するベルトで装飾されたアイテムボックスをモチーフとしており、質感のよいレザー調のマテリアルにアイテムボックスの象徴とも言える鍵穴と紋章が型押しによって表現されています。裏面には Fender とモンスターハンターの 20 周年記念ロゴが同じく型押しされており、遊び心がありながらも高級感のあるデザインとなっています。

※ 価格などの詳細は後日発表となります。

MONSTER HUNTER

「モンスターハンター」シリーズは、雄大な自然の中で巨大なモンスターに立ち向かうハンティングアクションゲームです。2004年の第1作発売以来、ネットワークを介して「他のプレイヤーと協力して強大なモンスターに挑む」というプレイジャンルを確立し、シリーズ累計販売本数1億300万本（2024年6月30日時点）を突破しました。2024年3月に20周年を迎え、今や世界中から注目を集めるコンテンツに成長しています。

「モンスターハンター」20周年 公式サイト： https://www.monsterhunter.com/20th/ja-jp/

「モンスターハンター」20周年 公式X： https://x.com/MH20th

「モンスターハンター」シリーズ 公式サイト： https://www.monsterhunter.com/ja/

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