Fender always brings the big names out, and when its plush new Nashville HQ opened in the Music City last night (21 May), it became a who's who of the local guitar talent.
Joining Fender CEO Andy Mooney at the event were high profile artist and session players, reportedly including Billy Gibbons, Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, Chris Shifflet, Cory Wong, Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and Guthrie Trapp.
Of course, when you get so many guitar players in a room filled with Fender guitars, the inevitable will happen, and Guthrie Trapp posted footage of a jam featuring Urban, Mason and Paisley above.
The new Fender headquarters is divided into two areas: a specialised woodworking studio for guitar building on the ground floor and an artist relations and office space.
"The first floor comes alive as a lively nerve center for Artist Relations," states Nashville construction and design company Powell, who worked on the project.
"This vibrant area offers artists a space to immerse themselves in Fender's extensive collection, engage in discussions about custom projects, and experiment with a diverse range of instruments," adds Powell. "It also includes a well-equipped kitchen, a conference room, and a workspace, all bathed in the natural light flooding in from the large windows."
The basement Fender Woodshop area looks to be well-equipped for special projects, and Powell describes it as "the pulsating creative hub where guitar prototypes and bespoke creations are painstakingly sculpted and fine-tuned".
