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Oh dear, is that a David Cameron quote - "sweetheart".
Let's not lower the tone totally lol :-)
I believe the answer is yes, they select the parts via a parts list, put them together and set up the guitar.
I'll see if I can find a video for you, I've seen one on YouTube a while back. Just added it below.
My reality-check for this subject is that I reckon a luthier living in the UK or US should be able to make a top-class strat-type guitar for £2500, even without CNC or parts already made by others. I'd say for acoustics we'd be up to £4000-£5000. Prices beyond that are down to branding/celeb status/rarity or extra cost features like pricey woods, geometries or custom hardware.
Paying more for that for a Fender-brand electric is a bit of a paradox for me: if it's a custom-model you'd be saying you want something special and individual, yet using nearly exactly the same design and spec as everyone else, with components from the Fender production line. If it's based on celeb-status of Fender staff, why not just go to independent luthiers instead? How can it be "a Fender" and "different to a Fender"?
I can see why each brand can have a custom shop, or a higher-quality line of guitars. What I don't get is why the other workers aren't retrained to adopt the techniques of the "master builders", so that all Fender guitars are made as good
Fender make production-line guitars, if BMW started offering "masterbuilt" versions of their cars, that were tuned better or drove more accurately or more comfortably, because of the way they'd been assembled, there would be lawsuits I think.
The M-sports add-ons (or AMG for Merc) change the specs, and enhanced the measurable performance.
What are the Fender masterbuilders doing beyond an extra level of QA and a top-level luthier setup? (Ignoring the relic'ing)
Here you go - Paul Waller building a strat.
Looks end to end to me from selecting the wood to doing the physical relic.
I’m just wasn’t keen on being belittled for asking a simple yes or no question.
Like I said earlier, if they do actually build the thing then I get the price tag. It just seems odd in that case that fender choose to not categorically state it when it’s the obvious selling point.
More importantly I posted a video for you.
OK - I posted a pic from the video - give me two mins.
That answers your questions, I think and it's an interesting watch.
When it comes to manufacturers having Custom Shops, whilst I'm sure they first came into being to offer non-standard specs, I think most people now accept that they just as much fulfil the function of making guitars using methods that may not be economical for production instruments. For acoustics, think hide glue, tap tuning etc. You wouldn't train production line members to do those things because you'd never have them use those techniques on a production line. You could get a master luthier to give lessons of fret work (for all I know, that does happen) but if you're giving the production line worker a 5th of the time to do the work than the custom shop builder might take, it's probably a marginal benefit.
Can I be your friend too?
And he didn't wash his hands after going to the toilet.
I don't want a piss stained guitar at ANY price.
Another tangent on the thread from hell.
The only difference in the “factory” alder/ash vs the CS selection is the amount of glue between the joins in the bodies And for the record, I’ve stripped many 3+ piece CS bodies for refinishing. Some of the nicest pieces have been Mexican made.
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars