Fender Custom Shop is one of the best guitar shops you could go to for custom fenders. They hire some of the most talented and skilled guitar builders in the world. In addition, they offer hundreds of options in customization. In this article, we will go into some detail on what this custom shop offers in terms of guitar customization. Here’s what you can choose from to design the Fender of your dreams.
Fender Custom Shop Custom-Built Guitars
This Fender shop produces high quality instruments that are designed to add a new element to the player’s experience. The most skilled and talented builders at Fender work in the custom shop. Their workers are passionate about music, craftmanship, and creativity. It’s a great place for players to purchase custom instruments. Fender Custom Shop personalizes and customizes their models based on the client’s specifications.
For customers who want a fully custom instrument, Fender Custom Shop refers them to their Masterbuilt where you get to work one-on-one with a master builder to create a fully custom instrument. Even if you want a humbucking pickup-equipped banjo, they can deliver. Their master builders have constructed instruments for many famous players, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Ritchie Blackmore.
Keith Richards playing his custom Telecaster (Image Source: Pinterest)
The Finder Custom Shop was established in 1987. They started with two artisans but now have over 40, each specialized in an area of guitar making. Examples of guitar making aspects that they have specialists in are fretwork, neck shaping, aging, and finishing. In the shop’s own words,
Whatever shape your dream may be, our luthiers stand ready to craft an instrument that will unlock your utmost creativity and self-expression.
How to Customize Your Guitar
The Available Base Models
- 1955 Stratocaster.
- 1956 Stratocaster.
- 1960 Stratocaster.
- 1963 Stratocaster.
- 1965 Stratocaster.
- 1969 Stratocaster.
- 1951 Nocaster.
- 1952 Telecaster.
- 1960 Telecaster.
- 1960 Telecaster Custom.
- 1963 Telecaster.
- 1967 Telecaster.
- 1959 Esquire.
- 1950’s Thinline Telecaster.
- 1955 Precision Bass.
- 1959 Precision Bass.
- 1960 Precision Bass.
- 1964 Jazz Bass.
- 1962 Jazzmaster.
- 1962 Jaguar.
- Bass VI.
Body Wood Options
Alder
This type of wood gives electric guitars a pronounced upper midrange, sharp attack, and good sustain. Guitars with an alder body deliver a bright, balanced, and resonant tone. Aesthetically, alder has large swirling grain patterns.
Ash
Ash body guitars feature a sweet, resonant tone. They also have a strong low end and a well-defined midrange. Ash is a dense, strong wood.
Mahogany
Mahogany presents a midrange bite and warm tone. It can add a visual twist to your instrument. The wood is dark and dense.
Roasted Ash Body
Roasted ash body has the sound of old wood, which comes from crystallization of the sap during the roasting process. Guitars made of roasted ash body have accentuated figures.
Roasted Alder
This type of wood is stable and durable. Guitars of roasted alder feature rich, deep tones. The roasting process causes the wood to darken.
Pickup Options
Stratocaster Pickups
- ’50s Strat – ’50s Strat pickups feature cutting tones reminiscent of 1950s. They have alnico 5 magnets, formvar wire, and vintage stagger.
- Fat ’50s Strat – The Fat ’50s Strat has a hot-rodded wiring design that creates enhanced bass response. It characterizes the 1950s Stratocaster sound and 21st century attitude.
- ’60s Strat – This pickup delivers warm punchy lows and glistening highs. It has a classic 1960s design with a vintage stagger, formvar wire, and alnico 2 magnets.
- Texas Special Strat – Texas Special Strat produces crystalline highs, tight bass, and midrange chirp. Because of their overwound single-coil construction, they are suitable for Texas blues.
- Dual-Mag Strat – A vintage style calibrated pickup set, the Dual-Mag Strat has beveled alnico 2 magnets on the treble and unbeveled alnico 5 magnets on the bass side. This design establishes balance and consistency in tone. It also delivers greater clarity among the strings.
- El Diablo Strat – El Diablo Strat features a big opened sound. It is overwound and flush with high D (bridge) pole pieces. The pickup also has calibrated alnico 5
pickups with custom low G. - Ancho Poblano Strat – As a pickup that is hand overwound, Ancho Poblano Strat has a wide range of high output tones. It also has tonal flexibility.
- Vintage Noiseless Strat – This pickup embodies the harmonic attributes, definition, and clarity of vintage single-coil Strat minus the hum.
- Fender Lace Sensor Strat – Fender Lace Sensor Strat features a crsp, bell-like Fender tone and low noise performance.
Telecaster Pickups
- ’51 Tele/Nocaster – These pickups have clear, balanced midrange and tight low end. They were designed with the originals in mind.
- ’63 Tele – ’63 Tele is a replication of original ’63 tele pickups. They feature alnico 2 Magnets, enamel wire, and a vintage stagger.
- ’67 Tele – ’67 Tele has crystal clear twang. They are lower output Tele pickups with a copper baseplate, vintage stagger, enamel wire, and alnico 5 magnets.
- Twisted Tele – Twisted Tele delivers a high-output Telecaster guitar tone.
- Texas Special Tele – These pickups characterize noticeable presence and midrange.
- Josefina Red Hot Tele – Josefina Red Hot Tele has alnico 2 on the neck and alnico 5 magnets on the bridge. it delivers mid-range growl in the bridge position.
Bass Pickups
- ’64 Jazz Bass – These pickups feature warm, clear, and articulate tone.
- ’75 Jazz Bass – Even string response, warm tones, and enhanced dynamics characterize the ’75 Jazz Bass.
- Noiseless Jazz Bass – Noiseless Jazz Bass feature the harmonic attributes, definition, and clarity of a vintage jazz bass.
Pickups Humbuckers
- Enforcer – This pickup establishes crunchy distortion with full volume. it has a dynamic range and high output.
- Shawbucker – This open-coil pickup features multi-dimensional tone with well-defined overtones.
Other Options
Other customizable options at Fender Custom Shop include color, wiring, neck shape, neck wood, and fret wire. They have a wide range of colors you can choose from, such as vintage blonde, red sparkle, gold sparkle, color sunburst, and aged cherry sunburst. Examples of possible neck shapes are ’52 Style U, ’60 J Bass U, Large C, and 1952 U.
Final Thoughts
The Custom Shop is an excellent place to build your own Fender because they provide abundant options and possibilities. You can customize body wood, neck shape, pickups, fret wire, color, and more. For a guitar that’s truly your own, you should order one that’s custom-made. Have you ever bought a Fender from this custom shop? Let us know your experience in the comments below.
