Three years harnessing dreams
The Fender Custom Shop (FCS) concept was created 28 years ago in California, 3 years after Bill Schultz helped Fender rise above the CBS stage under the new Fender Musical Instruments Corporation name. Fender Custom Shop started operations in 1987 with two Master Builders, John Page and Michael Stevens, and under the strict guardianship of Schultz who wanted to erase the questionable reputation of the CBS instruments, and counter the image of mass produced guitars, he even sought out to rescue the legacy and tradition of founder Leo Fender and his team, when extraordinary instruments were built in Fullerton, California in the early days.
By 1998, Fender USA, including the Fender Custom Shop division, relocated to Corona, California, where they still operate to this day. From its origins, the FCS has provided connoisseurs the attention to detail, craftsmanship and quality in luthiery.
On december 4th 2012, Holocausto opened its doors to the first official Fender Custom Shop show-room in Latin America "Fender Custom Shop Mexico City", with the help of recording artist Manuel Mijares who cut the inaugural ribbon of this amazing hall. Becoming a dream making factory since then.
Fender Master Builders hand make very limited number of guitars and bass guitars through out the year, they even make one of a kind masterpieces that cannot be found anywhere else. FCS is obviously better known for building instruments for recording artists to their own specifications from the Danny Gatton Telecaster to the Jag-Stang designed in collaboration with Kurt Cobain, to name a couple. So, part of making dreams come true is to be able to hold in your arms exact replicas of guitars or bass guitars created for some of the best players in the bussiness like Clapton, Beck, Burton, Cray, Gilmour, Townshend, John5 and the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan, to name a few. It's all about instruments that are at a whole new level regarding quality and value.
The Custom Concept
FCS models are handmade by a Master Louthier, hence the name "Master Built". But high end and limited run series are also made at the FCS, like the Custom Classic, Closet Classic and the famous Relic series, that are made and purposfully "wore down" to reproduce a vintage look and feel. But we wil talk more about this in upcoming issues.
Santiago Calcagno
Editor in Chief
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Photos courtesy of Holocausto Audio Iluminación Profesional S.A. de C.V.
and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation("FMIC")