Fender Custom Shop "Masterbuilt Only" Options

[shreddermon]

Just wandered into this posted on the web. I know it's probably nothing new for you Fender guys out there. But I thought it was kind of an interesting read, esp in re to last year's newly-required "masterbuilt" fees for some J/C custom guitar options.

"Fender Custom Shop Master Built Only Options

To help you differentiate between Masterbuilt Custom and Teambuilt Custom guitars, here is a list of options that can only be used on Masterbuilt Guitars.

These options are reserved for Masterbuilt guitars only, for all or one of the following reasons;

- The complex artistic quality involved,
- The perfection needed to properly construct and install the requested option(s)
- We reserve the highly figured grains (AAA) and exotic wood for Masterbuilt Guitars.
MASTERBUILT ONLY OPTIONS

• Scalloped Neck
• Roland Ready
• Set Neck
• Carve Top
• Hollow Body
• Chambered Body
• Chambered Body with F hole
  • Options 3,4, 5, 6 & 7 can be teambuilt if that feature already exists on a current Catalog Model and that is the model you want to be customized.

i.(i.e. Thinline Tele, Showmaster Elite)

• Neck Through
• Paisley Finish
• Gold & Silver Leaf and Other Precious Metal Finish
• Exact Color Matches
• Specific Bursting requests on any Sunburst guitar (i.e. More Red in the burst, Thicker Black border etc.)
• Floyd Rose
• Bigsby
• 3 pickups on a Telecaster Nashville Tele Setup.
• "AAA" Flame Or Birdseye Neck
• "AAA" Flame, "AAA" Quilt, Spalted Maple Top, Back or Sides
  • "AA" Flame and Quilted Maple tops can be used on Teambuilt Guitars
• 1 piece Ash Body
• Guitars made out of any body or neck wood other than Alder or Ash
  • Rosewood, Lacewood, Spalted Maple, Koa, Mahogany etc.
• Toronado Guitar Requests
• Cyclone Guitar Requests
• American Deluxe P Bass Requests
• American Deluxe Jazz Bass Requests
• 1970s Jazz or Precision Bass Requests
• 1970s Bullet Truss rod, 3 bolt neck guitar Requests
• Fretboard Inlay Requests
• Custom Body Art Requests
• Exact Weight Specifications (i.e. I want it to weigh no more than 7 lbs)
  • This rule does not include the general "sort for light" in which the dealer does not specify any certain weight."

[Axewielder]

Man I hate the masterbuilt rules. I already ran into this bullshit earlier in the year trying to spec a Telecaster out. They pretty much derailed my project with their soaring costs. I was asking for petty stuff too, like abalone dot inlays and a satin neck. I walked away with one finger up in the air.

[Rich#6]

Team built= off the rack at guitar center or sam ash
Master built =everything else.

[cdwillis]

Basically everything is masterbuilt to them. Hell a DKMG has a floyd, is that masterbuilt material? If you wanted them to build one it would be. WTF.......

[Axewielder]

I hate to ask the question I really do, but who is going to step up and fill the void that Jackson is leaving and become the new "made-to-order" custom guitar builder of choice? Ran guitars? GMW?

[skorb]

yeah that's total BS.

"master" built my ass.

just another excuse to jack up prices.

[Axewielder]

I actually found a Masterbuilt tele new from a dealer on the bay after I gave up on getting one custom made. It's pretty badass, but needed some work (!) The pickguard needed to be grounded (it crackled when you touched it), the bridge screws needed to be cut down (they dug into your hand), and the saddles had to be repositioned (the fret margin was all out of whack). Other than that, yeah, um...totally masterbuilt!!!

[Genebaby]

A one piece ash body? Floyd Rose?.....crazy stuff.

I knew right away when Fender bought Jackson that eventually this MB stuff would spread into Jackson. I found it hard to believe back then that their Custom Shop had a Custom Shop inside it. What a crock, but it was being lapped up by the Fender faithful. It took 4 or 5 years, but it's with us now, only not being so well received, but maybe they only want to do few high priced guitars a year?

[straycat]

If I want a custom guitar I'll build it thank you.