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NAMM 2015: Fender Custom Shop's wildest guitars in pictures

By Matt Parker
( Total Guitar, Guitarist )
published 22 January 2015

Zombies, jewels, tree sirens and more!

Introduction

Introduction

NAMM 2015: MusicRadar was on hand to capture this year's selection of Fender's finest Custom Shop guitars, including jaw-dropping zombie paintjobs, rare tone woods and diamond-studded stunners.

A regular highpoint at every NAMM Show, the Fender Custom Shop reception, offers selected guests a sneak peek at some of the finest builds from the Fender, Gretsch and Jackson Custom Shops before the show gets fully underway. These are very, very limited models - some of them won't even make it to the show floor.

We headed along to bring you an early report from the show floor, so browse the gallery to see what happens when the Custom Shop's Master Builders are let off the leash...

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
#181 Fender Custom Shop Quilted Redwood Top Tele Relic - Natural
2015 Custom Built

#181 Fender Custom Shop Quilted Redwood Top Tele Relic - Natural

Lightweight ash body, quilted redwood top, thin urethane finish.

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
#300 Fender Custom Shop Baritone NOS Custom Brown Metallic
Master Built by Dennis Galuszka

#300 Fender Custom Shop Baritone NOS Custom Brown Metallic

Ash body, polyurethane finish, maple neck

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
#326 Fender Custom Shop Zombie Strat Custom Art
Master Built by John Cruz

#326 Fender Custom Shop Zombie Strat Custom Art

Ash body, quilt maple top, Zombie artwork by Joaquin Lopez, inlays by Ron Thorn.

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
#334 Fender Custom Shop Solar Eclipse Stratocaster
Master Built by Jason Smith

#334 Fender Custom Shop Solar Eclipse Stratocaster

Alder body, Solar Eclipse Burst, WLS satin finish, hand stained maple neck.

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
#308 Fender Custom Shop Tree Siren Strat Closet Classic
Master Built by Dale Wilson

#308 Fender Custom Shop Tree Siren Strat Closet Classic

One piece Tomo ash body, custom Tree Siren artwork, birds eye maple neck.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
#339 Fender Custom Shop Flicker Flame Strat
Master Built by Todd Krause

#339 Fender Custom Shop Flicker Flame Strat

Alder body, Flicker Flame graphic on body and pickguard by Troy Lee Designs.

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
#347 Fender Custom Shop Cardinal Esquire Crimson Trans
Master Built by Yuriy Shishkov

#347 Fender Custom Shop Cardinal Esquire Crimson Trans

Alder body, 4A quilt maple top, thin lacquer on body and neck, hand polished, gold hardware, silver wire, rubies, green diopsides and diamonds set in body and neck.

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
#336 Fender Custom Shop Carved Pine Top Tele Natural
Master Built by Paul Waller

#336 Fender Custom Shop Carved Pine Top Tele Natural

Chambered mahogany body, carved 100 year old weathered pine top, engraved gold hardware.

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Fender Custom Shop Pine Cone Stratocaster
Master Built by Yuriy Shishkov

Fender Custom Shop Pine Cone Stratocaster

550 diamonds, blue hand-stained finish recreates appearance of the Fabergé Pine Cone Easter Egg.

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
#338 Fender Custom Shop Aluminum Hyroform Strat
Master Built by Scott Buehl

#338 Fender Custom Shop Aluminum Hyroform Strat

Aluminium body and pickguard, handwound Fat 50s pickups, one piece Rift maple neck.

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
#014 Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Relic Tele Caballo Tono Black
2015 Limited Edition

#014 Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Relic Tele Caballo Tono Black

Lightweight alder body, lacquer finish, RSD bridge, TV Jones Classic Neck humbucker, Handwound Texas Special bridge pickup.

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
#501 Gretsch White Falcon NOS
Master Built by Stephen Stern

#501 Gretsch White Falcon NOS

Laminated maple hollow archtop body, maple neck, ebony board, pearl humptop engraved inlay.

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
#503 Gretsch 1955 White Falcon Relic
Master Built by Stephen Stern

#503 Gretsch 1955 White Falcon Relic

Laminated maple hollow archtop body, maple neck, ebony board, pearl humptop engraved inlay.

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
#500 Gretsch Bayou Round-Up
Master Built by Stephen Stern

#500 Gretsch Bayou Round-Up

Laminated maple/gator hide top, mahogany/gator hide back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood board, bayou themed engraved block inlay.

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
#505 Gretsch 1955 White Falcon Red Sparkle Binding
Master Built by Stephen Stern

#505 Gretsch 1955 White Falcon Red Sparkle Binding

Laminated maple hollow archtop body, maple neck, ebony board, pearl humptop engraved inlay.

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Gretsch Master Builder Stephen Stern

Gretsch Master Builder Stephen Stern

The Gretsch guitar maestro, pictured with one of his White Falcon Red Sparkle creations.

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Jackson Roswell ELE

Jackson Roswell ELE

Contains an actual piece of a meteor in the central chamber, distinguishing it from all of the guitars that don't contain a piece of meteor in a central chamber.

Jackson roswell ele detail

Jackson roswell ele detail
Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
#400 Jackson Kaiju
Master Built by Mike Learn

#400 Jackson Kaiju

Hand-carved and painted by Mike Learn. Custom paint by Brian Bock. Custom hand-carved alder body.

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
#404 Jackson Skinned Dinky
Master Built by Pat McGarry

#404 Jackson Skinned Dinky

Skin by FX artist Tim Gore. Painted by Craig Fraser.

#404 jackson skinned dinky detail

#404 jackson skinned dinky detail
Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
Matt Parker
Matt Parker
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Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.

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