Fender Custom Shop Introduces New 2021 Prestige Collection
Fender has unveiled the new one-of-a-kind Master Built creations from the 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection, including Sugar Surprise Strat, Acrylic Jazzmaster and Double Neck Marauder.
Fender 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection
American guitar company Fender has released an eccentric and unique collection called the 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection. The philosophy of this new collection is that each of the Master Builders in the Fender Custom Shop is challenged to “build a guitar without limits.
The result is the Prestige Collection, which consists of an electric guitar or bass creation by a master builder.
Models from the 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection
- Leaves of Tears: a luxurious and eccentric Strat
- Sugar Surprise Strat: a Strat with Mexican art painted on her body
- Acrylic Jazzmaster: an avant-garde guitar
- Tapestry Telecaster: a delicate and refined Tele
- Custom ’60s P Bass Special: an artistic and rustic bass
- Double Neck Marauder: a true rarity from the guts of Fender
- Custom Burled Redwood Strat: colorful and original guitar made of wood and resin
- Box Top Tele: a telecaster featured figured maple and birdeyes maple shank
- Tamo Ash Tele: a guitar made with really striking and unique woods
- Jazz Telecaster: a unique Tele made to play Jazz
- Custom Flamingo Sunset Tele: guitar painted with incredible flamingo motifs.
- Custom ’62 Precision Bass: A bass with an impressive tree painting on the body and neck of the instrument.
Fender Sugar Surprise Strat – Paul Waller
Paul Waller’s new Sugar Surprise Strat is inspired by Los Angeles artist Pamelina, who approached Waller with a project of a guitar that lights up. The idea was to create something that would take on a different feel when the guitar is lit. The guitar’s Sugar Skull theme brings together the idea that works of art have two different styles. What looks like simple and beautiful scroll art turns into a sugar skull with loose hair.
Paul Waller recounted: “Pamelina and I have worked a lot together over the last few years and we have really connected artistically. He was able to take that direction and turn this guitar into a beautiful sugar skull, enveloped in natural light. All the detail of the skull comes to life when the Lumilor brand paint is illuminated. A seemingly benign cashmere scarf turns into a colorful sugar skull with loose hair, and it’s absolutely stunning.
He continued: “The biggest challenge with this project was getting the power source to work within the limited space. I ended up creating a pedal to activate the light, eliminating the need to create a cavity to accommodate the additional electronics and keeping the weight within acceptable specifications. It is a unique piece that will be the envy of any collection.
Fender Leaves of Tears – Yuriy Shishkov
Built with the taste of luxury in mind, Yuriy Shishkov’s Leaves of Tears is a delicate and elegant guitar. Another example of Yuri’s alternative inlay and decorating approach to handmade ornaments.
It has a “wraparound” silver wire inlay pattern around the body, producing tiny sparks with diamonds and diopside stones on each of its branches. Quilted maple wood is well known for its beauty and one of Yuri’s favorite materials for this type of musical instrument. Thus, the contrast between the hand-dyed violet pop and the gemstones give this guitar a unique look.
All this luxury goes inside a great guitar to play, but also a unique work of art. Thus, it combines a guitar with exotic and luxurious characteristics, which will also play and sound like any other high-quality Strat from the Fender Custom Shop.
Fender Acrylic Jazzmaster – Scott Buehl
Scott Buehl’s Acrylic Jazzmaster is his first incarnation of an acrylic guitar on the offset platform. Having built acrylic Strats over the past few years and with more and more orders, Buehl says “it felt like the time had come.” Clear acrylic conforms to the contours of the Jazzmaster, and having visible parts and wiring adds to the look.
With acrylic outweighing wood, Buehl employed tactics like routing the entire perimeter of the pickguard free of material that not only shed valuable pounds from the guitar, which features Josefina’s hand-wound Jazzmaster pickups and an RSD Jazzmaster bridge, such as’ a caller and has brought many compliments.
Fender Tapestry Telecaster – Dale Wilson
Dale Wilson’s Tapestry Tele is another collaboration with artist Pamelina, who had the initial inspiration for this guitar. She brought the idea to Wilson to collaborate on the details. He was originally drawn to the idea of Pamelina incorporating wood into artwork. Wilson says, “I’m always drawn to guitars that have wood as a canvas.”
Wilson describes the artwork as “a beautiful combination of scrolls against a flamed maple back with a barely perceptible explosion at the edge.” The guitar has a flamed top, back and neck, which contributes to playability and sound, and features hand-wound “OBG” bridge pickups and Twisted Tele neck pickups.
Custom ’60s P Bass Special – Jason Smith
This bass is inspired by the 70th anniversary of the Precision Bass, Jason Smith’s Custom ’60s P Bass Special is a celebration of both the Precision Bass and the ghost towns of the old west.
The design of this P-Bass was based on early P-Bass with modern playability and unique appearance. With a rustic, reclaimed, tan pine body with nail and bolt holes.
The pickguard is made of carved and hand painted leather. Thus, the pickguard gives the instrument an appearance of elegance combined with the worn body. A set of hand-wound “Josefina PJ” pickups are slightly overwound for higher output and deeper bass tone.
Fender Double Neck Marauder – Carlos Lopez
True to form, Carlos Lopez has made a Double Neck Marauder. This instrument combines two of Carlos’ favorite guitars, the Electric XII and the Marauder. The guitar was designed in collaboration with Paul Frank, who shares a very similar taste in guitars with Lopez.
Lopez explained, “I love the fact that the 12-string string is on top, as it should be.” All the pickups on this guitar were designed and built by Curtis Novak, and according to Lopez, “the color and feel of the build should only be experienced in person.” Designed to appeal to anyone who likes to think outside the box and can appreciate mystique and dark guitar like the Marauder.
Fender Custom Burled Redwood Strat – Kyle McMillin
Kyle McMillin created Custom Burled Redwood Strat taking inspiration from the art of wood and resin on social media and using techniques more associated with furniture and home décor.
The resin top is a new feature for guitar builders and is one of McMillin’s favorite aesthetic features along with the inlays that tie together the look of the guitar.
Striking, exotic guitars have always been a McMillin love of guitar making, and he set out to create something that had never left the Custom Shop before.
Describing the guitar as “stunning and beautiful in both looks and sound,” this is one of McMillin’s favorite builds to date.
Fender Box Top Tele – Todd Krause
Todd Krause’s new Box Top Tele is inspired by building an amp cabinet. The maple top is inserted into the body of the guitar with a snare joint, which is a personal highlight for Krause and a technique not often employed in guitar making.
Contrasting woods give the checkered binding look here, and the light honey color shows off the AAAA Birdseye joint and lid.
Despite its unique appearance, the Krause Telecaster still features traditional specs, while the hand-wound pickups are a Josefina “OBG” on the bridge and a ’55 / ’56 Telecaster on the neck.
Fender Tamo Ash Tele – Greg Fessler
Greg Fessler’s Tamo Ash Tele is an exotic take on a classic design. Being a fan of carved wood, the Prestige collection was the perfect opportunity to wear a Tamo Ash lid that Greg had been saving for a special occasion.
The guitar features a full-figured Tamo top and a flamed maple U-shaped neck with abalone dots, as well as Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 pickups, a vintage-style “Sawed-Off” Tele bridge and a Tamo body. Ash. A true work of art.
Fender Jazz Telecaster – Chris Fleming
Chris Fleming’s Jazz Telecaster is a tribute to Fleming’s love for the art of bebop-style jazz guitar, mixed with admiration for classic Telecaster design. The Jazz Telecaster features a custom-designed and machined Fender Jazz Tailpiece, which was designed specifically for this instrument, as well as a slanted snake headstock and custom Brazilian rosewood accents.
In the true spirit of keeping it functional, simple and elegant, the guitar features a unique humbucker pickup and volume control.
The body is made of semi-hollow mahogany, with a tortoiseshell-bound spruce top. The goal was to recreate the feel of an archtop guitar with a Telecaster. This is a truly one-of-a-kind guitar, and it’s one of the few instruments Fleming has made before his retirement this year.
Fender Custom Flamingo Sunset Tele – Vincent Van Trigt
Vincent Van Trigt was inspired by a 1960s beachside cocktail bar when he created the Flamingo Sunset Telecaster. Based on a 1960s Telecaster, the guitar features artwork by Ian Ward. Great instrument from the 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection.
Designed for the guitarist who likes a unique style with a vintage touch. The guitar is light and resonant, plus it features cocktail bar neck inlays, a tan body and neck, and Josefina Tele ’63 hand-wound pickups.
Fender Custom ’62 Precision Bass – Dennis Galuzka
Dennis Galuzka let his inner horror buff contribute to his Masterbuilt Prestige Collection 2021 creation. His love for the look of a dead forest, or better yet, a singular dead tree, was the foundation of this Precision Bass.
Featuring artwork by Madeline Hanlin, a tried and true vintage P-Bass, this bass blends form with function, appealing to anyone who needs that classic P-Bass tone and wants to do it with serious flair.
It features the tonal standards of a Fender bass, alder body, and maple neck, which was also the perfect canvas for this form of artwork, while featuring Josefina’s hand-wound Precision Bass ’62 bass pickup.
You can learn more about the new 2021 Custom Shop Prestige Collection by visiting the Fender Custom Shop.
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