Players have “evolved”, but some guitars “always get built” – Fender master builder Paul Waller reveals the timeless builds that never stop rolling off the line
The guitar industry is in constant motion, with boutique trends, YouTube-fueled fads and viral tone-chasing shaping the market year by year. But while player tastes evolve, some instruments stay locked in time.
As Fender Senior Master Builder Paul Waller reveals, there are just certain guitars that “always get built”. Speaking in the latest issue of Guitarist, Waller lifts the curtain on what’s changed behind the scenes at Fender’s Custom Shop – and what hasn’t and probably never will.
READ MORE: Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster review: “this is a wonderful all-round gigging machine”
“The ones that always get built are the blonde Teles, the black Strats, sunbursts,” he says. “We make those in the same quantities no matter what is in fashion.”
Meanwhile, the ears of those who play those six-strings have been getting sharper.
“The thing that has evolved,” he adds, “is the players. They have a more discerning taste and can hear a lot more of what we’re throwing [into the design of the guitars] in terms of pickups and tonewoods, specifically [through the use of] the roasted maple and alder, and ash bodies.”
“Those that are in the know and seeking out that tone can find it through some of those avenues. It can be a trend that might fall off, or it might stay in – but we’re a made-to-order shop, so we just make what people are ordering.”
And given how quickly trend cycles change, staying ahead of the curve means listening as much as building: “The trends – and staying in front of them and making sure that we have good communication with our dealers – are a big part of what we do,” says Waller.
“I always tell people I’m kind of living two years in the past because a lot of my orders are two years old. So it’s nice to have events where I can talk to dealers and see what’s currently the hot trend.”
That said, beneath all the tweaks, requests and evolving preferences, Waller believes that the soul of a Fender electric still lives in one very specific place: the pickup.
“Pickups have always been a big thing for me because I think the heart and soul of a Fender is the pickup itself,” Waller says. “I think everyone’s aware that we’re the biggest electric guitar manufacturer on the planet. And I say, ‘Well, that also makes us the biggest pickup manufacturer on the planet, and we make a pretty good one.’”
“We’ve been doing it a long time, and there are generations of people who have been working in the factory since the ‘50s and ‘60s that are still doing it.”
“To me, that’s super important; that’s the quality ingredient that goes into it,” the builder continues. “I draw a lot of inspiration from the hot-rod world, where you want to make it look like it’s an old part, or make it look like it existed back in the day but modernise it.”
The post Players have “evolved”, but some guitars “always get built” – Fender master builder Paul Waller reveals the timeless builds that never stop rolling off the line appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
