Thailand distributor Beh Ngiep Seng (BNS) and the Fender Custom Shop team up to celebrate and co-design the 50th Anniversary of BNS with the 1962 BNS 50th Stratocaster as part of the Custom Shop’s Dealer Select program.

The 1962 Stratocaster was chosen as the base model for this special guitar because 1962 is an important year between Fender and BNS. It was the first year that BNS sold Fender in their store.

Back in mid-50s, the Vietnam War was started, American Military bases were set up in many cities in Thailand. The troops that went there, brought with them American Culture, American Music and Fender Guitars into the region. It is common knowledge that the solid body electric guitar is considered an icon of American Culture and the Thai people held that belief too.

Local establishments started hosting live music to help foster this intrigue in the new culture, and it was these establishments that gave Thailand’s teenagers their first contact with Rock and Roll music. Some of these teenagers were so inspired by this new music, that they wanted to learn how to play. They searched high and low for these instruments and in 1962 they were able to find them at Beh Ngiep Seng.

This was the year BNS decided to contract with Fender and the partnership began.

1962 is not only a year of the celebration of 50th anniversary for the long relationship between Fender and BNS, but also a celebration of the long relationship between Thai’s people and Fender.

Ben Nhiep Seng and Fender would like to thank to all of Thai’s customers for their loyalty and for their love of Fender for over 50 years.