What Makes a Fender Masterbuilder? - The Captain Meets Levi Perry & Austin MacNutt

What does it take to be a Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder? Lee sits down with two of the best luthiers around to find out how they make the finest and most unique instruments Fender has to offer! | tinyurl.com/yruq34ng
» Fender Masterbuilt "Fuzz Smuggler" Tele by Levi Perry | tinyurl.com/yn42myve
» Fender Masterbuilt 60’s Strat in Relic Lake Placid Blue by Levi Perry | tinyurl.com/ylwghrwg
» Fender Custom Shop Jazzmaster Heavy Relic in Burgundy Mist Metallic MBLP Masterbuilt by Levi Perry | tinyurl.com/yolubrxg
» Fender Custom Shop Austin MacNutt Masterbuilt '65 Strat Heavy Relic in Vintage White | tinyurl.com/yuelt7l7
» Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Jerry Garcia Alligator Strat in Aged Natural | tinyurl.com/2x9cpfs7
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⏰ Timestamps ⏰
» 0:00 Intro Playing
» 0:46 Introducing the Masterbuilders!
» 1:08 What is a Masterbuilder?
» 2:26 How Do You Become a Masterbuilder?
» 7:56 Influences?
» 10:05 Your Favourite Fender Guitars?
» 18:49 Learning as an Apprentice?
» 20:37 Creative Freedom?
» 21:34 Fuzz Smuggler Tele?
» 27:15 Masterbuilt Guitars & Value?
» 30:00 Timber Selection?
» 33:05 Your Unique Styles?
» 38:02 Artists You'd Like to Build For?
» 41:15 Thanks For Watching!
» 41:57 Outro Playing!
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[@RareYogurtMale]

Love when Andertons uploads while I’m at work

[@Fallub]

The Captain is such a great interviewer. Well asked question, always gives people enough room to talk… just perfect.

[@Guitaural.]

He always does a fantastic job - he's a well-raised fellow : ) Remember his one interview with PRS? lol Lee is a quality guy...

[@parmeshgurung]

lee seems the only guy that can handle Prs ego @@Guitaural.

[@ERAPOSORESERVA]

Lee is such a talented interviewer!

[@cynthiaboulet]

I don't know if it's just me, but these guys didn't make me wanna buy a Masterbuild guitar. Maybe it's just the way they explain things but I didn't feel the skills and passion. It almost made me feel like anybody could do their job (of course not) but you know what I mean? Am I crazy? I don't want to be mean or anything, I respect their work!

[@guyfawkes8873]

The thing is… anyone can? The hard part of becoming a luthier is building a brand, not learning woodworking, that’s just a matter of practice. No part of making electric guitars is more complicated than building high end chairs. Hollowbodies and acoustics, sure, but not electrics.

[@daniherg]

Wonderful video! Entertained me a lot 🌞 All I was thinking about is how nice it must be for Pete coming to work and getting told "hey today we need you to demo some wonderful master build guitars from fender, and the guys building it are here". My guitar playing is shit at the moment, so I think it will take a while for me to get one of those. For me personally these are the holy grail in guitars like for others the vintage insturments. It's a big motivation for me pushing my guitar playing so at some point it's worth it to own one of those. Have a nice day all! ❤

[@theruthlessfish]

Another great Oz moment, really going to town on that Smuggler's Tele! Great stuff! :D

[@Disco-Terry]

That telecaster is really cool, not £11,000 cool but I'd be happy to win it in a raffle!

[@jamiebridson7871]

I'd be happy to spoon it in a trifle.

[@rowbags3017]

That Jazzmaster is simply gorgeous! 😎

[@ivorytelecaster]

Austin has been killing it. I’ve drooled over so many of his guitars this year.

[@CYBERDROiD9000]

That's why his last name is "MacNutt".

[@zeeb0w]

I’ll never forget how i found Levi - black sparkle tele with black tuner knobs. I knew he was my master builder right away - to not fear going away from tradition. Waited years and couldn’t be happier!!!

[@sonicase]

would have liked to hear more about build processes, build tips/tricks, how they like to set up... etc

[@edwardjons8684]

I don’t much like Jags, but I have to admit the one Pete is playing here is one of the best looking instruments Ive seen in a while as was the strat at the beginning.

[@MrVinB]

The Fuzz Smuggler is very cool, too bad I've only got 'Squier Sonic Tele with a Behringer SF300 ducktaped to it' money.

[@rodmorgan7041]

Such a good story. And what an amazing bit of Bond music you played at the there Pete.

[@WAGSU2BE]

Very informative video!

[@ilovegreenock]

Great interview it's also nice to put a face on a guitar and also to get to know their journey to become master builders!

[@rowbags3017]

I love how modest these guys are.

[@aydenmcfly1362]

I would do anything for the fuzz smuggler!!!! It suits my PlayStyle perfectly, the guy who did the demo hit alot of voicings that i also tend to lean to!

[@iainfreeman5112]

Love the video as always fascinating to hear them. If i had the money here's what I would order. essential a 57 looking and feeling hardtail strat , but sounding early 60s. of and it had to have a bullet truss rod on a small headstock.

[@alexgarnett5373]

Saw these guys at the Guitar Guitar meet and greet event last month .. nice guys

[@Mike202115]

Its so cool to see Pete take his playing 3 notches higher when he's by himself jamming vs testing pedals and amps where he literally noodles on spot. It's like he's paying deep respect to the guitar.

[@hotblackdesiato3451]

Yep, always nice to see a good musician stretch their legs and improvise without restrictions.

[@brandonhupp464]

Well, my own advice to any person that doesn't want to spend over 4grand for a guitar build your own Stratocaster with genuine parts of what you want and you can come pretty close to this level of extra touch.A Real Fender parts caster is going to sound better than a stock guitar.. your mileage will very lol

[@lyinking1998]

That fuzz smuggler tele is rad af

[@Bobbyshee]

Agreed! I need one !

[@13aphomet]

If I got to pick one of those demo'd geetars, I would def pick that jazzmaster. Sounded epic!!

[@whiggy]

Everyone keeps saying that Telecaster was an affordable guitar when it came out... back in 1951 it cost $179, which in 2023 money is $2,125. 🤷

[@aydenmcfly1362]

Love that Austin really liked being able to make Cory Wong's master-built.

[@johnmundt7834]

I don’t think I’ve ever touched a master built, really curious if it’s something you grab and just immediately go, whoa. That smuggler tele is awesome… I’ll have to wait for the MIM though 😂

[@vladi7441]

i LOVE that austins favourite is the telecaster

[@MesaGuitarGuy]

Pete's intro sounded so sweet!

[@edwardjons8684]

Great interview. These look awesome guitars. Reminds me of the story about the first strats to arrive in the UK - people ordered them from a catalogue, had them shipped over, having never played one and yet paying more more for the privilege of owning one. Why? Because Buddy Holly, a hipster of his time, had one and it looked fkn cool like a jet airplane or an automobile. The visual impact has always been a legitimate and inspiring element of what makes electric guitars great and what inspires people to create great, new music and perfomances. All these people complaining anout the aesthetics and cost of these guitars are entirely missing the point that what makes a guitar desireable and inspiring is largely subjective. These builders are creating instruments that many of us find inspiring, just as those guys in the 50s found those weird looking strats inspiring, and we are willing to pay for the things we love.

[@effess8698]

Love hearing these skilled people talk about their work. Also, that fuzz brain thing is some kind of sorcery

[@jtyoung706]

Austin looks like the type of guy who would kick ass on the pinball machine at the local bowling alley..... I really mean this in the nicest way.

[@mattevans060972]

The guy who put the make up on that Doctor Who villain the first time. He was the Master Builder.

[@gazfunk]

That Jazzmaster 😍

[@danielburke2619]

I have 5 Jason Smith guitars...He can handle a super heavy relic, I think! My total collection is 30 MB's and a few Murphy Lab L.P's

[@ehmmmjay9907]

That's an interesting hat to wear considering how many blues lawyers and wall street bros are probably Yankees fans. Maybe keep an eye on the prices of Levi Perry Masterbuilts, lol.

[@pouyatorkiyan3258]

Nice 👍

[@stockholm1752]

So what kind of trucks do they drag the guitars behind, Fords or Chevys?

[@XLTBlarg]

RAM trucks

[@STERNWAERTS]

should have shown some pics of guitars that they built

[@mjwilson6847]

What’s the bridge on the Jazzmaster? Aftermarket or fender made bridge?

[@Jointlock]

I was really hoping you would ask both of the builders to weigh in with an opinion as to why Pete's purple tele is so far superior to most other tele examples?

[@CoreyOConnor2012]

we already know the answer... because Pete plays it

[@Jointlock]

that was a given@@CoreyOConnor2012

[@djt6546]

Not sure where the superior element comes from. It might be good but not necessarily more magical than any other good Tele. Now is it superior for Pete. Yes! It’s an inspiration for Pete and the best he will ever own unless he decides to shop for another. Anyone of us choosing to ‘shop for another’ will inevitably find something we want more… because we go looking for it 🙂 Was the purple Tele a fantastic guitar for the original owner? No. Anderton’s explained that the original owner buys, swaps and changes all the while. Whether something cost ££/$$ or £££££/$$$$$ the only thing making something great is whether it gives the owner personally the inspiration to make it so. Besides even Pete thought TPS Dan’s red Tele was better than Durple 😊

[@lemon__j]

Cool.

[@kostasbk741]

Good questions by the captain but I found the interviewees lacking. Quite an uninteresting watch

[@larsheuker]

Genuine question, how do pre aged guitars look in 50 years? If i where to go custom shop id just have them make a new old stock kind of guitar thatll still look good and have real aging in some decades, but if you would pass on a relic to lets say your kids how would they look at that point

[@ryanturner9509]

In addition to the very obvious and most agreeable evolution and progress as a player, which imo is becoming a really cool and individual style. It seems to me Lee has grown into a pretty skilled and intuitive interviewer also. Dare i say a most grown up kinda vibe....? Actually maybe not grown up....but certainly talented despite the excellent childishness and daftology!

[@lukesteverything627]

I've spent years spoiling my guitars. I don't need anyone to 'damage' it for me because I'm an expert now. I've even stopped swearing when it happens.

[@StringsOfCrossroads]

Especially on Your PRS 10 top!😅

[@J.M.81]

I have a Dennis Galuzka 64' JB - added Block Inlays and an Ash Body - out of the Case that Bass killed

[@travisthree11]

So the Super-Sonic is basically a left handed Jazzmaster. I know he can come up with a pretty wild left handed guitar. Might have to contact Levi someday...

[@johnbriggs3916]

Lee certainly earned his money on this one! Getting Austin MacNutt to talk was like pulling teeth. One thing he said was that he taught for a few years: how on earth did he manage that?

[@graziolivenier]

That black Tele sold didn’t it?

[@rowbags3017]

Turn back the clock to 1969 or so, and I reckon Jimmy Page would have grabbed the Fuzz Smuggler and produced some iconic Led Zepp tracks with it.

[@BurstBelievers]

that's it for me Danish Pete for the next Bond film

[@christoguichard4311]

A sanding sponge from Poundland. 😁

[@OccamsEraserhead]

Austin was about as nervous as I've ever seen anyone get on KZbin

[@pepmasters-999]

There was a tour of the Fender CS with John Bohlinger for Premier Guitar's you tube channel where he was a bit more relaxed, when he was showing the Jerry Garcia guitar.

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

The end jam is like if Quentin Tarantino did a Tom and Jerry cartoon. That's a compliment .

[@SamMaskery]

Perfect for killing time at work while waiting for refrigerant to go in

[@S-T-E-V-E]

James Bond outro! 😂👌

[@WhyAlwaysMeMario]

Boy O' BOY! I can't wait for the played out "My Squier sounds better and plays just as good as these Customs Shops" comments. Or even better...tried and true "If I wanted a relic guitar I want to do it myself!"

[@Sammywhat]

Great video, Lee! These guys embody the beauty of how the internet has made companies like Fender, Gibson, etc., really step up their game. They are producing some of the best guitars around. Even their sibling brands like Squier and Epiphone are really next level. It's a glorious time to be a guitar player!!

[@chriscolabella880]

I love old, beat up guitars, but I've never seen a Fender Custom Shop guitar which looks like an old Fender. They generally look awful to my eyes. Tom Murphy made the distinction between aging and relicing. I wish Fender would just make replicas of 50s and 60s guitars which were as close as possible to the OG (albeit maybe with bigger, flatter frets).

[@larryburwell8550]

the price he charges. with their resources anyone who knows how to put together a fender strat which is a modular guitar, can make a great strat. the ageing is another story and i dont like relic guitars. trashing nice guitars isnt to my liking

[@S-T-E-V-E]

What Makes a Fender Masterbuilder? About 4 grand extra! 😂

[@jimmygillard]

I really wish I had 11k to burn right now to buy that fuzz brain. It's so up my street, adore it.

[@pepmasters-999]

Hilarious that the Captain thinks Fender smashed the Tele straight off the bat and got it so perfect that the subsequent modifications were unnecessary. To reiterate, this would make the following unnecessary: - The option of picking a colour that isn't butterscotch - Having a neck pickup that doesn't sound like a bass - Having any fretboard radius flatter than 7.25" - Brass saddles - The option of choosing a rosewood fretboard - A tone knob Simply crazy to think the standard switching of bridge -both-neck and a tone knob is an unnecessary modifcation.

[@ktsproductionstudio]

I’m sure these guys are great but when Lee questions them about “pushing the boundary” they really start to say a whole lot of nothing

[@pepmasters-999]

Funnily enough, I just got an extension added to the back of my house by a masterluthier.

[@craigthomson3621]

Talking of Specs - Austin MacNutt is wearing a pair of Wrangler 13MWZBW jeans.

[@awkwardme5375]

34/32, I reckon?

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Imagine being an apprentice where your no1 objective is to fk things up.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

The Tornado is sooooo crazy!!! A lame version of an offset guitar shape with Les Paul pickups and controls. That will be so boundary pushing.

[@marekgitarzysta5193]

Question to master builders: will you finally learn how to paint guitars? All of the guitars you build seem to have various paint job issues: rough/no paint, colour on colour (like an idea change middle of the road?), scratches and dents, no gloss etc.... Harley Benton can do it better, even I could do it better!

[@andybinns4993]

That James bond theme is hot as.

[@klausfritsch4350]

Pete is King!

[@WestOz196Four]

I guess when you’re an old guy working the trade for 50 years you’re just a has been but if you’re a young fella you’re a master builder

[@TelevsionCanyons]

Masterbuilder Schmasterbuilder

[@Kyle-fy9kt]

I trust Levi Perry to build a masterpiece guitar because he has a Sox hat on.

[@pepmasters-999]

Smart thinking. I hear the ability to build a quality guitar is highly correlated to choice of cap.

[@Lorneplumber]

Proof if any were needed you should let the builders talk. I’m looking a you John Cruz et al. They can’t answer any question without talking absolute bollocks.

[@synepster]

Pete turns anything he plays into gold

[@Sonnypaul1]

I’m not sure

[@Bigcountrybreakfast]

Listening to the guys who make relics talk has nearly ruined relics for me. Tom Murphy gets it, these dorks don’t.

[@billydunn]

Great video as usual ,but just convinced me that "Master Build" Fenders are not value for money in 2023 these guys are assembling components to a certain extent and then destroy the finish ,the term Master Builder has been diminished IMHO

[@TrashHeapCustodian]

as someone who builds electronic stuff for a living, you'd be surprised how much difference there can be between two folks who "just assemble components" when there's soldering and fine tuning the details involved.

[@mannes3721]

@@TrashHeapCustodian absolutely, i have only build one pedal but i’m sure that if a professional build the same circuit with the same components it would sound 600X better

[@timetraveler_0]

​@@TrashHeapCustodian Quality of soldering joint has not effect on the tone, as long as the electrons flow it's all the same. Pickups yeah, but not like twice as good in custom vs stock build, still if you know what you want a machine can do it better. Fender is a for profit company after all, as long as it makes them money, why not.

[@basiltiffani8850]

The masterbuilt thing seems like a total farce. It's just a customshop guitar with an incredible markup.

[@MaesVideo]

You can get rid of all that BS in the biginning of the video and just show Pete jamming to 007 and I'd be happy. Pete, I love that you do these videos, but I wish you were touring.

[@CrystaIian1]

first?

[@ivorharden]

I'm probably going to get some flak for this, but I find that Fender has become a hipster guitar brand. I remember Rob and Lee saying that they were told off by Fender for stereotyping Charvel players as 80s metal players. Now, when you see a Fender advert online, the person playing the instrument is your stereotypical young hipster. I know it sounds absurd, but it is something I have noticed.

[@unitednihilists]

100% agree.

[@WAGSU2BE]

That’s called good marketing!

[@ivorharden]

​@WAGSU2BE yeah if you're a hipster

[@WhyAlwaysMeMario]

Better that than a Boomer in tan cargo shorts, Skechers, and a Tommy Bahama shirt playing Bad Company...BADLY!

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@ivorharden Well, at least Fender doesn’t give artists signature models of someone else’s signature model or unleash a multitude signature models like Gibson does for Slash and Adam Jones.

[@markmcdonald5711]

Already have two G&L strats, a F-100 made in 1981 and a George Fullerton model made in 2004, Don't need any overpriced Fender strat.

[@WhyAlwaysMeMario]

Everybody...do you hear that! Mark has TWO G&L Strats...we can all sleep better now knowing that.

[@1148bucknasty]

Wow thanks for that tid bit

[@GuitarJawn]

They are all just too much money, I rather buy from a small builder for less

[@TornelliGuitars]

😉👍

[@deanmccaskill5495]

Just missing John Cruz… other than that fantastic

[@yeoldefoxeh254]

You mean ruiner of guitars for money?

[@identifiesas65.wheresmyche95]

Wow, for a split second I thought that was scumbagdad. That would have been hilarious.

[@antoniocamboa7511]

Levi has to make a call to Mexico to do a road worn jazzmaster in shell pink over sunburst with an ice blue metallic headstock :D

[@VoloviaUk]

Just a passing comment: why do Americans wear those Donald Duck hats indoors all the time?

[@XLTBlarg]

Who framed Roger Rabbit?

[@timetraveler_0]

No need to maintain hair, quick hack.

[@timetraveler_0]

Where is the relic crowd at? These are the guys who destroy your new instrument and then charge you for it. But sure you love beat up instrument, just because.

[@felipeepilefelipe]

So this 2 guys are the ones in charge of destroy perfectly and beautiful Fender guitars. “Relic” is the most stupid and snob thing on the guitar world on the last decades.

[@soundpainter2590]

Bation... Hey, you asked..

[@GerryBlue]

Nice interview, just wished I could see their faces behind those baseball hats, at least they are not wearing cargo shorts 😅

[@7171jay]

@GerryBlue I can see their faces just fine. Also there are certainly bigger problems in the world than people wearing cargo shorts... like people who are offended by those who wear cargo shorts, just to start.

[@GerryBlue]

@@7171jay Yeah, or people that are offended by other people's comments on youtube and need to reply to them to tell them off, right? Personally I 'm not offended, I just think Americans need to learn how to dress for the occasion

[@micspaffymillard719]

@@GerryBlueI’m sorry a baseball cap offended you so badly. Maybe they will read your comment and cease to wear baseball caps. That is a possibility. That would be great for you. Thanks for your well thought out input and opinions. I hope you bend the world to your will with your well thought out comment. Maybe then you won’t be so offended by a baseball cap anymore. Great input you just gave everyone that Is offended by a baseball cap wearer in a KZbin video a voice. Maybe you can all get together and plot some points on how you can not get so offended about a baseball cap anymore. Wonderfully crafted comment. Thanks for sharing.

[@GerryBlue]

@@micspaffymillard719 I'm sorry you're so dumb you missed the point, offended? c'mon, I'm not a Millennial or GenZ, thank God (yes, I believe in God, does that offend you?) 🤪

[@BreadSlocum]

"What makes a great masterbuilder?" Ummm loneliness...

[@nekot9274]

Who had a $#!t on that strat???

[@anthonymcnatt3799]

Jackson doesn't have masters just artisans.😂

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

If I was paying the silly price required for a Master Built Fender, I'd want the finish to indestructible.

[@joe.b944]

Great interview. Shame the guy on the right is so dull though