THE 2017 FOUNDERS DESIGN PROJECT

For thirty years the Fender Custom Shop — The Dream Factory — has been creating instruments as legendary as the players who wield them. To honor the Custom Shop’s Pearl Anniversary we challenged the best of the best — eight of the original Master Builders who kick-started the Custom Shop into action — to turn their imaginations loose and design their ultimate instrument. The result, the 2017 Fender Custom Shop FOUNDERS DESIGN PROJECT is made up of a stunning collection of imaginative instruments that cements these Master Builders’ place in guitar history.

Working tirelessly in Corona, CA, this dedicated band of builders lived, slept and breathed nothing but guitars and basses. Devoting themselves to combining art and science with their limitless vision and unmatched skill, the Master Builders began a legacy of crafting peerless instruments that can easily stand on their own as works of art. These eight Master Builder-designed instruments will be crafted by the team of artisans at the Fender Custom Shop, continuing the tradition of world-class excellence begun by these eight pioneers. This sterling collection will be limited to 30 units of each imaginative design, and a new instrument will be released monthly, beginning in March 2017.

We’re proud to present the 2017 Fender Custom Shop Founders Design as a tribute to these visionary artists who advanced the art of luthiery light-years beyond what anyone could imagine possible.