Interviewing the Master Builders at The Fender Custom Shop.

Frank took off to the the Fender Custom Shop and interviewed the Masterbuilder's about their favorite part of the build process. We have 90 minutes of footage here so sit back, brag your favorite beverage and learn some stuff from the Master's!
Intro
John Cruz 2:35
Todd Krause 7:19
Yuriy Shishkov 16:55
Greg Fessler 20:56
Dennis Galuzska 29:51
Paul Waller 35:35
Jason Smith 51:30
Ron Thorn 55:54
Kyle McMillin 1:02:31
Scott Buehl 1:05:27
Josephina 1:12:17
Mike Born 1:16:17

[@bluesyjazzcat31]

I’m watching this for the third time and I’m kinda buzzed rn and I’m here polishing a new bone but I just cut and I just want to say to all my fellow fender players: please don’t forget to enjoy the magic of music and please, by all means, try to get lost in the music when you play. I know as guitarists, we always seem to focus on the technicalities, but let us please not forget the magic and freedom that music can bring to us and those who hear us - just remember that it’s all a little easier on a fender

[@deadlegs187]

I'm getting my first fender soon (Jag or Tele) my Yamaha Pacifica is getting on in age now and I want quality. So I'm joining the team

[@bluesyjazzcat31]

Nice. I’ve always wanted a tele and a jag. I love single coils with a fuzz and a good amp and I’m happy

[@simoncuk]

"Josephina, what's your favourite part of your job?" "The visa" lol

[@SHENDOH]

Jerk

[@rdanalytics9197]

I have one Masterbuilt Custom Shop Telecaster (Chris Fleming) and one team built Custom Shop Journeyman Strat. Love them.

[@johnsmith-sm6mh]

I am lucky to own two team built custom shop , relic Strat and heavy relic Nocaster just love them nice to see the fellas who build them , great upload thanks from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@charlesbranch4120]

around 46 minutes, Paul says, "how cool would it be (like at the Fender custom shop with '50s and '60s guitars) if you could go into the Chevy dealer for a '69 Camaro with all the current stuff, LS1 engine and..." Man, it was awesome here in north Idaho to visit the guys building retro 'Vettes with those body styles in carbon fiber over year old current Corvettes with all the safety equipment and propulsion systems! Thank you for this tour, and to Fender for supporting the road crews stuck waiting for tours to resume. At 54 minutes, whoa, a six-position switch like the "11" an Spinal Tap's amps! Way cool!

[@dukeviking]

well not a GM dealer but those are Resto-mods that can be had for $150-200k these days at places like Vanguard Motors in Plymouth Michigan.

[@boatingforbeginners7949]

All the staff are so Positive and lovin life at the factory.. its very impressive - Thanks for sharing

[@dukeviking]

i was EXTREMELY fortunate & lucky financially and timing wise to purchase a 1 of 1 Fender VI MBGF (Masterbuilt Greg Fessler) with a beautiful maple neck this past December.

[@grog5564]

Two of my three Fenders were made in the Custom Shop. Great quality and great guitars. Thank you all! And my latest Strat w/Josophena's Wound Fat '50's is one great Strat.

[@cafestudiosinc.1702]

thank you guys so much for putting such time in to every CS guitar. it makes me feel all warm a cozy to see that.

[@jwoods1746]

Music Gallery is a tribute to the Guitar for serious Musicians that expect and appreciate high-quality, expertise and commitment to their instrument. I've been a customer for over 30 years, there is simply no place like it. Frank and his guys love what they do an it shows. Great Video.

[@benasslick67]

@56:00 the man the myth the legend, Ron Thorn.

[@ADR.Hi-Gain]

I love my 2001 Custom Shop 56 "Mary Kaye" Relic - The Fat 50"s were wound by Abigail Ybarra & It def has "Mojo" !

[@simoncuk]

That "koi" body that Ron is working on is phenomenal!

[@liorauf]

Thank you for a great video!!!

[@cancelwoke9384]

Cool video. Thanks for the detailed tour of the 'dream factory'.

[@cafestudiosinc.1702]

Awesome people using master skill and care to make Awesome guitars!

[@beerdeddi1]

Ron Thorn looks like the brother of Billy Bob "Thorn"ton. Incredible...

[@jojojosmart1]

Awesome- Y'all keep makin' America great.

[@angry546]

jojosmart1, yup, KAG KAG KAG!!

[@sosugarplumfairy]

Great video! Greetings from Spain!

[@demantoid418]

This is a great vid thanks : )

[@wojciech2456]

RIP John Cruz

[@hmm4959]

F

[@j.schaefer5622]

These Masterbuilders have a cool job. Thank you for the nice video. Im using Paul Wallers Fret Edge Secret for some years, with a normal 35 degree you e strings will slip of the fretboard really easy on a vintage fender…

[@mightymite57]

Awesome 🇺🇲🎸💯

[@jimmyjoe1871]

So cool to see where my Strat was made

[@mitcharney1]

Very entertaining!

[@Jkaterchannel]

I own a Greg Fessler tele and it's awesome!

[@JustRockMySoul]

Very interesting to have this type of look into this great company! hope you can manage to prepare a better audio setup on your next visit though! Or maybe you do that in post-production still? I wouldn't count on it, but you should talk to someone that knows! Looking forward to it! :)

[@francofabriziani7307]

this is my paradise !

[@bigsatanloaf]

I hope one day Scott Buehl gets to build his bridge.

[@MrMickey519]

I purchased a Todd Krause master built Stratocaster a few years ago and it is my number one guitar. I also have a pre-cbs strat and must admit, the master built outperforms it - finish, feel and sound. These folks are called masters for a reason. Yes, their guitars cost more and that will not be not right for everyone. I encourage you all to feel and play a few master built Fender’s and then come back with your comments.

[@musicglryinc]

We could not agree with you more! All the vintage pieces that we see are in dire need of expensive repairs in order to get them to play like a Masterbuilt. The art/science/understanding of Luthier's has come a long way since the 1960s!

[@paulcowart3174]

I had several CS guitars in the 90's but never kept any Great guitars but wanted vintage and have a couple but finally decided to pick up another CS model They have come a long way in all aspects in the last 25 year's Ended up getting a Troposphere hard tail

[@jasonochoochoski7442]

I'm watching this amazing video that you put together Frank, and I picked up my Fender Proto 1214 Strat purchased used at your shop in Highland Park around a year ago now. It is by far my favorite guitar in a lineup of around eight (five of which were from The Music Gallery HP). I really should change my photo from the "Heritage" (I live in Kalamazoo now and had to have one) to my Strat. The guy that let this one go (Fender Custom Shop designed to his specs) should be kicking himself. The birdseye maple neck and retro headstock set it apart man! Not to mention the tone with my Blues Jr. tube amp. You guys are amazing... OCHO Jason R. Ochoski

[@tonymarinelli7304]

Thanks for confirming where he lives. In the very beginning of this post in the cartoon when he starts driving it look like he started from Michigan

[@frederikthaysen6931]

I skipped a bit through the video, so I haven’t seen it in its entirety yet - but I noticed there is no footage with Dale Wilson? Why not?? He is my favourite builder

[@deadlegs187]

My Yamaha And I are drooling

[@Jkaterchannel]

Japanese built Yamahas are no slouch either!

[@elducko1951]

Paul VanName is a great guy!!!

[@lsesternester3231]

Josephina is the Boss!

[@nimitz1739]

I always found it hilarious when John Mayer talked about getting his signature custom shop from them. He said when he first got it, it didn’t work because it wasn’t wired right. That really wasn’t good publicity coming for the custom shop. lol Specially with the outrageous prices they charge. Then on top of that he said he wasn’t feeling it, so he put it in his fridge overnight and that made it sound better. lol wtf But I have to say it’s a badass looking guitar.

[@nimitz1739]

@AnticommentWarrior Yeah, but we’re talking about John Mayer. Not the average Joe asking Fender to make them a guitar. He was a Fender signature artist at the time. So a top client for them at that time. It also was his #1 black Strat so it safe to say that guitar was master built.

[@davestambaugh7282]

A ninety degree sharpness angle is really great geometry for scraping maple if the tool is hard enough and glass is plenty hard.

[@Hexspa]

Chicago is definitely the place to eat.

[@thisisshaun1]

i have always dreamt of a yuriy custom strat

[@wildmutha9336]

Yeah great video ** * * ;)= W

[@ScotianBlooded]

what a dream job

[@Andrea_Manconi]

What's the last guitar hanging on Paul's wall? It's so damn cool!!!

[@groundleaf865]

This host is hilarious! Welcome, no welcome.

[@acepaul407]

This is what you are paying for.......taking care of the tiniest of details.

[@cardbored_]

Their employees are a lot happier than I expected them to be.

[@MrFungi69]

well.. these are

[@baja9326]

At 43:40 what is the tool plastic or glass?

[@hyetension6595]

6:32 and number you are Fender

[@klausmadsen3639]

Anybody know what the Fender model at 22:46 is called? I can't hear what he is saying (English is not my first language :( For me it sounds like he is saying something like "Round4" and he says that they call it "Spreeze" or something like that. Any help please?

[@yestoES355]

It’s a Fender Esprit

[@m...6119]

Nothing like a nice piece of ash! 😉

[@silviopimentel7247]

Wow that was very 101 professional 🥴

[@marknorris3769]

gopro ?

[@waynechurchill7212]

Love my fenders lost account

[@mikebrison1838]

the sound quality though

[@5149AND1HALF]

Dale Wilson?

[@davestambaugh7282]

Equal to a thousand keller cuts at fifty thou increments on the machine.

[@0Imtheslime0]

Imagine this was Gibson.. All the workers, no smiles, evil eyes.. like walking into a slaverycamp. Fender Customshop is quite tight and friendly workplace.

[@earthstrong7855]

dumb, Gibson is just as badass as Fender, stop knocking them

[@earthstrong7855]

@@ShadowBannedagain you wake up

[@Colhogan06]

When they mentioned how nice would it be if you could go and order a 69' Camaro and get one looking the way it did with modern parts. There is actually a company (Revology) that sells Mustangs like that. I'm not sure if they are affiliated with Ford but I'm sure they must have gotten some sort of permission to make them if they are not. That being said, they are beautiful cars! But will cost a fortune to own one. So yes you can buy a Mustang that looks like lets say a 1968 Mustang GT but you will pay dearly to get it. I suppose if you have the money to burn, it's probably worth getting one. You would have to be a millionaire just to justify the cost. I dont think the price markup remotely compares to the difference in a custom shop guitar though. The Mustang's go for $200k to $280k. That's a serious markup. Probably close to 10k%, ouch!

[@BecomingAMan]

I’ve lived in corona my whole life, it’s not a huge town, I’ve loved fender guitars and basses for years now, and I’ve never been to fender. Odd

[@GenosGlory]

JoeSchmoe You should visit that place definetly since its your town. I know we take these things for granted and times passes but never too late.

[@1sttvbn]

I have two John Page ‘69 Strats I bought back in 1998. They had reasonable prices back then $1800.00. Today….I’m not paying 4k for any bolt on neck guitar. Won’t do it.

[@kloppsarmy8361]

well that is a cheap trick 😉

[@pendulebone]

I can't believe John Cruz has been fired from Fender Cs for a Facebook post...

[@nimitz1739]

pendulebone They definitely made an example out of him. But that’s the PC world we live in today.

[@TrollsAndScrolls]

@@nimitz1739 pretty sad world if you ask me

[@thefilthygringo9228]

@@TrollsAndScrolls agreed. I guess your supposed to be a robot and not talk. I think o saw the pic he posted and I did not see anything d with it. It was a jeep with fake blood on it and said what protesters. I ran right through

[@derrickharmon7980]

@@thefilthygringo9228 been wondering what the post was exactly figured it was some kind of thought on BLM PC bullshit that's ruining are country. Fenders lost, he's one those guys you either dig or think he's a bit arrogant but he'll never go broke he'll open his own customshop maybe with a few other luthiers kinda like what Knaggs did after splitting from PRS.

[@JTD33]

@@derrickharmon7980 He was possibly the most famous figurehead of the Fender brand and he decided to openly joke about driving over people and basically killing them. I don't know what kind of sick person thinks that's funny, acceptable or worthy of defending - regardless of their political ideals. The problem with both "pro-PC" and "anti-PC" culture is the completely blind support for their own extreme, so when someone on your side does something idiotic you can't criticize them or worse you're already mentally committed to supporting them regardless of what they do. The same applies to US politics in general, and the fundamental issue is people being limited to only those two extreme options that keep moving even further apart because making the other side look bad, rather than seeking co-operation, is now what gets attention and builds negative emotion = votes. The transition of politicians' communication to 24/7 social media posts is probably the #1 reason for this. Unfortunately I don't see any chance of the direction changing, so it will probably end badly.

[@MrBighairyass]

I’m on welfare and proud of that shit...

[@michaelblaney4461]

If they could build me a authentic mid 70s telecaster bass for $1500 id do it , but I know they would laugh. I like and hate the Fender custom shop all at the same time. I don't think Leo Fender would be proud of their wasteful excess.

[@Pegasus4213]

This subject is exciting to all who love guitars, but it just doesn't do the job. It needs a higher technical ability to do it justice. Nice try, but I felt it was somewhat below what it might have been.

[@Idontlikethisever]

Why does your custom shop not offer American jazz bass with neck inlays for left handed player. Makes no sense. I mean people pay for it right? Fender Sucks

[@tasteapiana]

It's basically clones, that's what Fender and Gibson are doing with reissues and relics, they are getting out ahead of the Asian clone builders by offering an ''official'' clone. I couldn't do it, myself, asking a custom shop guy or girl to spend all that time making what has to be for them yet another boring mindless repro. I would have to say ''Do something new, something that pulls from YOUR experience that surpasses that nostalgic Boomer hangup thing''. Face it, those guys/girls have personal opinions and takes and insights gained over decades that rarely get drawn upon because of the selfishness of the money based ''collector mindset'' and that's kind of a sad thing. Is there a body cavity that they've been itching to build? Is there a neck pocket they have discovered is superior? Can a Strat be built like a Les Paul, ie mahogany body+neck / maple top with humbuckers and still be a functional Strat or would it be a gross thing? It would just bum me out to think I contributed to any of them going to work and being bored stiff because I ordered something they've done a million times already.

[@johnpearson4899]

Before I make my comment, please understand that I love Fender Stratocasters above all other guitars and have owned several in my 53 years. However, after watching many videos on KZbin and spending a significant amount of time in Cali since around 1977, I can see why they are so expensive. Particularly the custom shop models and it's not why you would think. These master builders spend an extremely inordinate amount of time out of the shop as well as dicking around in the shop for which they are well paid. I don't need to know which Squier model they prefer (especially since they never touch them) nor do I need to learn any little personal info items to work into a conversation so I can join the name droppers in the forums and render the impression that I know a builder personally. Paying them to do this silly P R stuff adds significant cost across the board to an already overpriced product. I have no idea who added the factory customization to my Harley Fat Boy and I don't care (They are also wildly overpriced). Nor do I care what his favorite model of Honda is. If these guys had to work like most shop level guys, regardless of the industry, you would see nothing but dust flying from thier work area and we might not have to pay twice or more what a new one is actually worth but, in addition to the guitar, we also have to pay salary and expenses for them to goof off and do silly shit. Does Fender think the average customer is to stupid to realize this? Maybe we are. We keep paying the price. Literally. This is a prime example of what has happened to American manufacturing and why we lost our position at the top. It's sad and shameful. Again, I love and own Fender Strats but geez. Considering Fender was born and is still headquartered in California probably explains a lot.

[@michaelblaney4461]

Actually I think Leo Fender would be spinning in his grave if he saw this excess.

[@johnpearson4899]

@@michaelblaney4461 I agree. I didn't nean to imply that the current and long running practices went all the way back to Leo's reign. He was from a different time when more people were tough and had a strong work ethic and a moral obligation rather than a main goal of trying to do and get things as cheaply as possible to the detriment of the product. People didn't expect to have their butts kissed by the boss. Sure, it probably wasn't always pleasant but life is tough and everybody realized that then. Unlike today when everybody expects to be praised and even worshipped for no other reason than the fact that they think they deserve it. People today suffer from a seriously strong false sense of entitlement. But, thats not what this is about so please forgive my rant.

[@michaelblaney4461]

It's is a bit of Style over Substance, the greats of music never had these Custom Shop creations ,they bought stock guitars in music stores and pawn shops. Examples like Teddy Lee , Eric Clapton , David Gilmour

[@eastbaystreet1242]

I think it is a conscious choice by Fender marketing - Custom Shop products are luxury items. As Michael said, Clapton and others started with cheap guitars, so a nice made in Mexico Fender will serve any good player. But when people want to buy a luxury item they are looking for more than just the build. They are looking for the surrounding mystique. I know a guy who has built a street racer for about $40,000 that will smoke a $400,000 Ferrari off the line and stay pretty close in the bendy parts. So someone who pays for the Ferrari wants more than just the build/performance. And "they" say that 90 percent of golfers never break 100. Well, 90 percent of Ferrari owners would crap themselves on the track (or crash badly). Yet, it is the hack golfer and hack driving Ferrari owners that support the industries. The same is true in music. I am a terrible guitar player, maybe because I couldn't start until age 58, or I just suck. But as Phil McKnight points out, 90 percent of guitar buyers are hacks (maybe better than me, but still not pro level). But we support the industry. So if someone wants the special, luxury feel, they buy a Custom Shop. It may only play 10 percent better than a MIM, while costing 4 times as much, but it is about a feeling of ownership. And part of building the mystique around a luxury product is building backstories, provenance. For example, Ferrari might say that Giancarlo is the design team leader whose master mechanics build the engines for the special edition cars and that Giancarlo was formerly the lead builder for Ferrari's F1 program. This makes the product feel more special. And, yes Leo would not like this, but he was operating in a completely different time and situation. He was an entrepreneur building a new company. Startups can't usually afford these excesses. But later, when they are established, they may attempt to gain market share or justify more expensive products by doing these very things. So I think it would be nice to own a Ron Thorn built guitar because he is a cool guy, dedicated professional, and passionate about his work. But I will never be able to afford one. However, some folks can afford it.

[@dubdub680]

too much money they don't make guitars for the real guitar players

[@TheTrollMastah]

RIP John Cruz