Fender Custom Shop #6
Master Design, Builder Select, Founders Design and Dealer Select Series
THE REGIONAL ARTIST PROGRAM
The Master Design Series represented the instruments that Master Builders would create for themselves if given complete freedom. Each model in the series stood as a testament to the individual craftsmanship, vision, and passion of the Master Builder who conceived it.
Whether these instruments were inspired by classic Fender models or were one-of-a-kind showpieces that pushed the boundaries of guitar design, they showcased the highest level of craftsmanship and artistry.
Typically, around ten instruments were handmade by the Master Builder who conceived them. Additionally, a larger number of Team Built instruments, ranging from 50 to 75 units, were produced through team building to make them more widely available to musicians worldwide.
The idea of the Master Designs came to Richard McDonald, who asked each Master Builder:
“There’s a guitar in your life, some Fender in your collection, or one that you had, or one that you always wanted to make that’s special, just for you. Go ahead and make it, in a very limited number of Master Builts—maybe just ten, maybe more—and they will sell for 6000 or 7000 dollars or whatever it is, and then will do another 50 or 75 regular Custom Shop versions for 5000 bucks apiece or whatever.”
Richard McDonald
The Master Design project would also advance additional goals McDonald had set for himself and Fender, including placing a stronger spotlight on the Master Builders and further intensifying apprentices’ training. “This would be a way to develop the Master Builders of the future,” Richard said. “We would take the best builders off the floor and move them into the Custom Shop. They would work with our Master Builders as their mentors on these very special, limited-edition Master Designs.”
Like the Master Designs, the Builder Selects models were chosen and designed by the Master Builder. The difference is that a Master Design guitar was based on something more personal to them. It could be something from their past, a favorite old guitar.
Founders Design Series
In celebration of the Fender Custom Shop’s 30th anniversary in 2017, Fender reunited eight of the original founding Master Builders who brought it to life—Michael Stevens, John Page, George Blanda, Fred Stuart, J.W. Black, Mark Kendrick, Alan Hamel and Gene Baker—and each was asked to build a Founder’s Design 30th Anniversary guitar that reflected their personal passions and design philosophies. Only 30 units of each design were built and released monthly, beginning in March at select dealers.
“These Custom Shop Founding Master Builders are truly the best of the best in guitar craftsmanship worldwide,” said Mike Lewis, at the time Vice President of Product Development. “When you look at their work side-by-side, each Founding Master Builder’s design style is classic, but distinctly different. It’s a lot like looking at a Monet, a Picasso—and 30 years later you can vividly see their influence in the Shop’s creations—their contribution has shaped what Fender Custom Shop is known for today.”
The Founders Design Project debuted alongside a new 10-minute documentary that intercut archival footage and photos with interviews with the founding Master Builders, chronicling the genesis of the Fender Custom Shop.
Additionally, the book Fender Custom Shop at 30 Years, which illustrated 30 years of Fender Custom Shop guitars, was released.
Dealer Select Series
The term Dealer Select was used by the Fender Custom Shop to denote small runs of instruments that were designed in collaboration with specific dealers and are exclusively available through those dealers, among whom Make’n Music, Wilcutt Guitars, Guitar Center, Wildwood Guitars, and Music Zoo.
These instruments were tailored to meet dealers’ preferences or special requests, allowing them to offer unique and exclusive models to their customers.This program aimed to strengthen the partnership between Fender and its dealers while also giving customers access to unique, distinctive guitars. Furthermore, it strengthened the relationship between dealers and their customers by providing access to unique instruments that were not available elsewhere.
While the practice of creating dealer-specific models may have begun in the mid-2000s, the term Dealer Select was officially adopted by the Fender Custom Shop around 2009.
While Fender began showcasing some Dealer Select models on its website, these online offerings represented only a fraction of the total number of Dealer Select models commissioned. This suggests that the majority of Dealer Select instruments remained exclusive to the retailers who commissioned them.
