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Fender Player II Limited Edition 3-Color Sunburst Sparkle series: the Precision Bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass get a limited edition makeover for 2025.
Guitars “A stage-ready guitar with contemporary updates to power your performance ”: Fender unveils limited edition Player II Series refresh, with the Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz Basses refinished in dazzling Sparkle 3-Color Sunburst
Fender Limited Edition Brad Paisley 1967 'Lost Paisley' Telecaster – the new Custom Shop signature collab features a finish from a Blue Paisley Cling-Foil sheet
Artists “This isn’t just an Artist Signature model – it’s a glimpse into what could have been, had this concept made it to production”: Fender and Brad Paisley introduce the 1967 ‘Lost Paisley’ Telecaster
Fender American Vintage II Series 2025 new models: a still from Fender's promo video pictures the '51 Tele in Prototype White, the '57 Strat in Black, P-Bass in Olympic White, the exquisite all-new '65 Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red (one of three finish options) and the '66 Jazzmaster in Sherwood Green Metallic.
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NAMM 2018: Fender Custom Shop's jawdropping Prestige Collection in pictures

News
By MusicRadar ( Total Guitar, Guitarist ) published 25 January 2018

Breathtaking one-offs from the best-of-the-best

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

NAMM 2018: The Fender Custom Shop display is always one of the most eagerly anticipated features at any given NAMM, and this year's is no exception. 

Arguably stealing the show - even upstaging Yuri Shirkov's latest outlandish flagship - the all-new Prestige Collection is a stable of nine ultra-desirable guitars, each built by a Custom Shop master builder, including the aforementioned Shirkov.

“The Prestige Collection is the foundation of the Fender Custom Shop,” said Mike Lewis, VP Product Development, Fender Custom Shop. “It’s really what we’re all about–continually pushing the envelope of design innovation and craftsmanship to create one-of-a-kind playable works of art. 

"Our Annual Collection models are conceived in the shop to showcase new developments—pickup designs, wiring innovations, finish processes, wood combinations and more. It’s also a way for the Shop to surprise and delight players with something they didn’t know they wanted or inspire new custom builds.”

We hightailed it over to the stand to bring you these wallet-worrying shots.

Paul Waller: Prestige 9-Neck Guitar - $96,000

Among the eight innovative Prestige Collection models is Paul Waller’s frankly disturbing Prestige 9-Neck Guitar (above), which features popular pre-CBS model necks Fender produced before 1965. 

Necks featured include those from a four-string mandolin, Mustang, Jaguar, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Bass VI, Jazz Bass and Precision Bass.

According to Waller, the biggest challenge was trying to get all the different body shapes to flow into one seamless design. 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Check out our constantly updated NAMM hub for more news and on-the-spot video from Anaheim

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Jason Smith: California Mission PJ Bass - $7,400

Jason Smith: California Mission PJ Bass - $7,400

Jason Smith’s California Mission PJ Bass is an homage to the California Missions lining the coast of the Golden State. The inspiration for this came from Jason Smith’s son studying the California Mission Trail in school, which led to a summer vacation trip up the coast of California to see all 21 missions. 

This bass is inspired by the San Francisco Mission in particular, as Smith was drawn to the hand painted pattern of the ceiling and ceiling beams. Featuring a reclaimed roasted pine body, and roasted maple neck–this bass has a very warm, resonate tone, reminiscent of a vintage bass. 

The hand painted body and position markers on the neck show brush strokes, which give the bass a one-of-a-kind look and style. With its unique features, the California Mission PJ Bass will appeal to bassists wanting something different and to anyone interested in California history.

 

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Dennis Galuszka: The Boardwalk Telecaster - $15,000

Dennis Galuszka: The Boardwalk Telecaster - $15,000

Dennis Galuszka’s The Boardwalk Telecaster is for beach and wood-lovers alike. Inspired by some reclaimed redwood from the Santa Cruz pier, the guitar features a perfectly matched roasted maple neck, as well as a carving of an old weathered boardwalk on the top, by V. Lee Cabanilla.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Dale Wilson: Buckeye Burl Top Tele - $11,000

Dale Wilson: Buckeye Burl Top Tele - $11,000

Dale Wilson’s Buckeye Burl Top Tele pairs a buckeye burl top with a lightly flamed mahogany body and Ivroid-bound mahogany neck. This high-end natural wood guitar features an open sound with a Curtis Novak gold foil pickup in the neck position.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Todd Krause: Fire Pit Strat - $10,000

Todd Krause: Fire Pit Strat - $10,000

Todd Krause’s Fire Pit Stratocaster is inspired by the glowing embers of a camp fire. This guitar includes several custom features, including the color, a highly figured quilt top and “roasted” flame maple neck–ideal for players that favor a modern look with vintage sound.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Greg Fessler – Australian Myrtle Tele - $7,500

Greg Fessler – Australian Myrtle Tele - $7,500

Greg Fessler’s Australian Myrtle Tele was born from a unique piece of Blackwood that Fessler had never heard of before. Ideal for figured wood aficionados and players alike, this guitar features 
P-90 pickups, a vintage Strat hardtail bridge and AAAA roasted flame maple neck with a Blackwood fingerboard.  

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
John Cruz Custom Hand Tooled Paisley Leather Tele - $29,000

John Cruz Custom Hand Tooled Paisley Leather Tele - $29,000

John Cruz’s Custom Hand Tooled Paisley Leather Tele builds on the resurgence of paisley designs. Cruz was inspired by friend Dru Whitefeather to create a leather guitar. Something new and unique to the Fender Custom Shop, the guitar features a leather covering, paisley design and custom inlay work that will surely appeal to collectors, artists and players.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Yuriy Shishkov: Prehistoric Tele - $11,000

Yuriy Shishkov: Prehistoric Tele - $11,000

Yuriy Shishkov’s Prehistoric Telecaster guitar’s body and fingerboard are made from nearly 5,000-year-old, Jet Black “Bog Oak”–coming from a tree that grew before the Egyptian Pyramids were built. 

This wood was submerged in the swamp for thousands of years, getting a Jet Black color because it’s one step away from becoming coal. The Telecaster also features a custom tailpiece, making it even more of a “one-of-a-kind“ instrument.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
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Fender Player II Limited Edition 3-Color Sunburst Sparkle series: the Precision Bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass get a limited edition makeover for 2025.
“A stage-ready guitar with contemporary updates to power your performance ”: Fender unveils limited edition Player II Series refresh, with the Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz Basses refinished in dazzling Sparkle 3-Color Sunburst
Fender Limited Edition Brad Paisley 1967 'Lost Paisley' Telecaster – the new Custom Shop signature collab features a finish from a Blue Paisley Cling-Foil sheet
“This isn’t just an Artist Signature model – it’s a glimpse into what could have been, had this concept made it to production”: Fender and Brad Paisley introduce the 1967 ‘Lost Paisley’ Telecaster
Fender American Vintage II Series 2025 new models: a still from Fender's promo video pictures the '51 Tele in Prototype White, the '57 Strat in Black, P-Bass in Olympic White, the exquisite all-new '65 Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red (one of three finish options) and the '66 Jazzmaster in Sherwood Green Metallic.
“A perfect example of a Strat in a transition year”: Fender expands American Vintage II series with fresh finishes, a ’51 Tele with a prototype paint job and a super classy reproduction of a 1965 Stratocaster
Fender Japan Limited Edition Starmaster
A Starmaster is born: Fender Japan sticks a Starcaster headstock on a Jazzmaster for a limited run offset – and there is an Antigua finish option too just in case this didn't look radical enough
Fender Player II Advanced FSR
“With locking tuners and hard-tail bridges, these are built to play hard”: Fender stealth-launches limited edition Player II Advanced – an HH Telecaster and HSS Strat with ebony fingerboards and loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups
PRS Charcoal Phoenix Limited Edition
“These things work for me and I am finding out a lot of other guitar players like ‘em too”: Paul Reed Smith loved his Charcoal Phoenix so much that PRS has released this rare bird in strictly limited numbers
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