Astonishing work. Thank you for producing and sharing with the world. I fell in love with the Telecaster shape b/c of Prince's non-telecaster copy cat guitar that he would have pictured on his 45 and extended EPS.
Thank you Mary for this amazing tour! It was nice to see younger sisters of my Dark Night Strat being born ;) How I wish I were there someday. And your voice is so silky and clear, you could talk about digging a sand on a desert and it wouldn't be boring :)
The scene at the end where he said he loves his job, was fantastic. This video was so well made, Fender should use this video in their marketing. Makes me want to start playing guitar.
@@christianlacheze3323 Yes, nothing about the ruinous pickguard I got that had screws so far off the mark we had to chisel out 3/16" to clear the bridge plate. Another guy got one that looked like a kid's shop class cut it.
The best description of the Fender Stratocaster that I’ve ever heard was from the late great Jeff Beck (RIP). Jeff was the subject of one of those TV specials “Jeff Beck Talks Music”. When the interviewer asked Jeff why the Strat was his “weapon of choice”, Jeff said that the guitar gave him “endless colour”. Jeff then gave a pretty comprehensive demonstration of all of the styles of guitar that he could wring out of the instrument. I then realised why Jeff was/is held in such high esteem by his peers and fans alike. Jeff Beck - Master of The Stratocaster, May You Rest In Peace sir.
I am a huge fan of Jeff Beck, and was genuinely grieving for days after he passed. That one sentence of his sums up the appeal of the Stratocaster for mere mortal players, let alone the great master.
I find it really cool that my Corona made Stratocaster was made in that same factory , using the same machinery 25 years ago . Its the best guitar ive ever owned and it sounds incredible and plays like butter .
This is not a vlog, it's a documentary!❤ skilfully recorded and edited. Your smooth and warm voice blends nicely with one your host has (loud and clear). Happy anniversary Fender!
I’m just a 20 minute drive from the Corona factory. I hope California was kind to you. Your videos are so next level compared to other UA-camrs. Very accurate, informative, and arresting, meaning I couldn’t look away, and was frustrated every time UA-cam interrupted you with a commercial. You do fantastic work Mary, and your passion shows through in your professionalism, understanding, and deep passion for all things musical. Thank you 🙏 😊
Can’t believe some of those machines are from 1950!! And still in use. Great video. Fascinating. I’ll never look at my strats and teles the same way. Thanks so much.
As a Bass player, the Fender Precision Bass is a timeless classic, still used today by countless artists it will never go out of style.I have had my Made In Mexico Fender Prcision Bass for 4 years and it still plays great.
As my baby ages, its origin story becomes increasingly mysterious to me. Built when I was three, we met when it was ten and I was thirteen and we are daily companions. Now sixty-six years old, my 1958 Stratocaster is a wonder, made of apparently perfect wood holding its shape to perfection throughout most of Fender’s history. It seems to get stronger.
1. Glad it wasn't a 1 hour + video. 2. Great video/editing. 3. My gawd, I could listen to your voice (singing & speaking), all day long!! Thank you for being you!
If Mary ever gets tired of being a musician, she could have a great career as a voice over artist and narrator. She really has the most posh accent and lovely voice
Great video! This is the best guitar video I've watched this year so far and I don't think anything would beat this video. Everyone who loves Fender guitars and basses would love this video.
I did a tour of the Fender plant in Corona, CA 10 years ago with David Brown and it was just amazing. The plant is amazing-clean, well lit and massive. There is so much more to see than what is in this video. Everyone there was upbeat and pleasant-all lovers of things Fender. I did a tour of Gibson in Memphis, TN 2 weeks later and the old factory was dark and dirty. Very low tech. The tour leader obviously did not play guitar. People were depressed it seemed. Fender is ultra modern with CNC yet all goes to hands on building. Fender tour also included the Custom shop. On the tour they said you could put "dibs" on a guitar or bass if you wanted to take it home. A great experience.
Same here, did also the tour with David about 10 years ago. At the end of the tour he pulled out a very nice Tele special in white wirh flamey neck, which I liked very much, but I was unsure how to get it through customs when heading home. Seems he was at GL for some time. Glad he’s doing good. 👍
The magic is at the 17:30-ish mark when he starts talking about that guitar and how cool it is. You can just tell when a guitar is special and someone's love for guitars is infectious.
Mary, yet another amazing video by a wonderfully talented, knowledgeable, guitar player. Your interview skills and persona are second to none. Thanks again for teaching me so much. I appreciate you.
I always love watching factory tours and yours are one of the best, well edited, clear voiceover and a soothing vibe overall. It's also pretty special to me as a viewer this time around as there's an albeit small chance you saw my '54 in the process of being made. I had my eyes on the Custom Shop '55 for a while now and then the '54 got announced and presented a much more attractive spec and price. Fender tours always carry a much more approachable and friendly nature to what you'd get with a Gibson tour (the recent ones shot by Anderton's was definitely less cold than previous ones however)
Can't help but want one of these after hearing Mary speak about it. Her wisdom and passion about guitars 🎸❤ is spot on and I could listen to her beautiful voice whether she's singing or talking all day. I enjoyed this video and hope you stay blessed Mary Spender.
I am not a guitarist but this tour was fabulous. It really showed me how the process shows the care each instrument get its sound and looks. Thank you for taking me on your. God Bless, be safe and be well. 🎸🎸🙏❤️
I loved this! I worked in manufacturing most of my life, used CNC machines similar to the ones cutting the bodies and necks. My first job was in a machine shop in 1977 on Fender avenue in Fullerton Ca. I was told that Leo Fender owned all the buildings on that street. Also in the early 2000's the company I worked for moved to Corona Ca. within about a few miles of the Fender factory. I have built a few Appalachian style banjos, tried to play several instruments, but my joke is that I play the stereo best. It was great to see the factory tour, thanks!
Never owned a Fender but I have played both a strat and a tele of which I used a tele to record the lead guitar bits on our bands 3rd album. I actually preferred the tele because it felt more naturally comfortable to me. The strat neck felt clunky like I was holding a round chunk of wood which is more than likely due to that particular models neck radius, I think it was a 'U-Shape' neck and the tele was more a traditional 'C-Shape' or faster 'D-Shape' I'm not sure. The engineer told me both Fenders were custom built for the owner of the studio of which our band recorded in. Great guitars with fantastic tone.
Thank you, Mary, for a.simply awesome tour of Fender. So thorough, yet concise, with perfect length of commentary and content. This was way better than any Discovery Channel documentary to me. So much appreciate what you do. Thank you again!!!
I enjoyed this video never was able to afford a fender my entire life and surprisingly I just received an all original 68 mustang in Daphne blue for Christmas.
When the video started I was like “I’ve seen so many factory tours”. But you actually managed to tell your own story with this video and there are lots of things in there I haven’t seen yet. Like the computer aided wood matching in the beginning!
I got so excited when I saw this vid in my recommended. I borrowed a Strat from a friend for 3 months and before i had a chance to even give it back, I already bought my own strat and it’s been my favorite thing ever since.
I don't understand why other companies use fender's grain matching processes that is kinda genius if you ask me & I love your video of the fender factory tour it's more in depth well explained & better for ppl who don't know as much about making guitars
Great video of a great guitar, about 50 years ago i went to my brothers stagparty and was admiring the guitars of the live band ,when a friend of my brother said that guitar is a Fender the best guitars i n the world ,i promised myself i would have one some day when i could afford one ,i now own more than one, having a Fender is like owning a Ferrari ,a legend ,really enjoyed the video😅
I met Dave when we took the factory tour the year they first started doing the tour I think it was 2012 It was amazing. He is so knowledgeable and gave a great tour.
A very fine documentary! It's not really true though that anyone can order their dream guitar from "The Mod shop". You should add: "Anyone who is loaded with money." Some of us have to make do with a Made in Mexico Stratocaster, but I'm not complaining, since I love my Mexican friend.
Dear Mary, thank you and thank you again for this show. It was the best thing I've seen in a long time, and I hope to have a fender some day. I love the detail work,, different stages and how each part is specially made by special people who work with just that process to get it all right. It made me commit to doing my work with more concern.🖤💜💙💛🧡❤
I always pictured elves working their magic in the Custom Shop. Getting to spec my Strat was one of the most fun things I've ever done. Most fun was getting it and having it exceed my expectations.
Very interesting. When I was a guitarist I always played Fender. I still have my 1965 Jaguar that I bought new when Surf music was all the rage. Since I switched to playing the pedal steel guitar many years ago I haven’t played guitar as much. Enjoyed this video very much. Thank You.
@stephentodd4895 Hiya Stephen..I saw and read ur comment, about the Strat. and found ur background interesting.. what kind of music did you play ?? Probably shouldn't have said " did " , so I'll replace it with the word, do lol. Do you play country ?? When you swapped over from guitar to steel , what type of music were you playing then ??? Sorry bud , I wasn't even thinking. Here I am bombarding you with all these questions , and ur probably thinking ( and rightfully so lol ) , who is this guy, and what's his bleeping problem ??? Well, I actually have just one more question, then I'm done. What kind of steel do you play now...??? MSA...Gibson...Emmons...any of these ?? I apologize for hitting you with all of this, my friend. I play country music myself, but while I love an old Strat , personally I prefer a Tele... no biggie ofc, it's just a matter of preference is all.. anyway, if you choose not to reply, I wouldn't blame ya..!!! Lol.. hagd and many blessings to all... 😊😊
I’ve been on the tour 3 times. Always an amazing experience, they have it down. They also have an amp section as well. The finish part is really special, alit more work than I thought.
WOW -- what a presentation. This is not a UA-cam video, this is a world class historical Documentary. You have the most soothing, clear, and proper voice for hosting this style of video. Bravo Mary!! Now that I know the way Fender makes that perfect sound (The two Coke Cans and a Water Bottle) I can sleep at night. God Bless you Mary. Perfect video.
Nothing like a custom shop Strat. The feel, finish and sound are something to behold. Great vid Mary.. So glad you did it. Hope to see you perform live someday. From east Kentucky USA. Take care.
WOW . . . there needs to be more exposure for this Fender Factory in Corona. Way more ! We see all of the other factories too much. And I have seen the Fender Amp factory. But the Fender guitar factory for an instrument that has played, and continues to play, such a large part of my musical life is emotional and magical. The same magic that is in music itself. I see an individual component that is partially completed and I get a flash of "I know this, this shape is a part of me, it is in my genetic make up, it feels like home". Then I place it as being a part of my Tele. The musical conveyance that is a part of me. And it so nice to see that Fender is a positive friendly bright work space that takes the care and does it right. (Not the toxicity that we see and hear from other large manufacturers for example.) Thank you Mary. Now fly right back there over the ocean again and do some shows on more detail of specific stations and areas ! .:) Is early next week for four shows enough time ?
I have that shirt he's wearing ... He been in my closet? My very first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster that my just divorced dad gave me for Christmas in 1963. Prior to that, I was playing my older brother's brand new 1960 Jazzmaster through his 1960 PRO amp. I would later lose my Stratocaster out the back of his 1961 Ford station wagon when we played in Palatka, Florida, dropped off our drummer on the westside of Jacksonville, forgot to put up the back window then stopped to pay toll on the old Fuller Warren crossing the St Johns. It went sliding out the back when my brother gassed that wagon. It fell out onto the Jacksonville expressway and some kind person stopped and hauled Stratocaster into the darkness. That was July of 1965. My brother would lose his Jazzmaster and Pro amp and fairly new reverb tank when he moved to Tallahassee in 1966 and had to pawn it all to live on. Hey, Mary! One of these Master Builders needs to be building me a '54!! Like my original Stratocaster hero used to sing, "Well, That'll Be The Day"! 🙂
At the 2:00 mark you see someone rounding the edges of the fretboard with a razorblade. So for those of you who ever wondered how these "master craftsman" do it... there ya go!! Nice share, Mary! Thank you!! Cheers!!
I’m glad to have two guitars built right there in corona. Got them in the 00s back when they were still affordable. Amazing part of California history and my two favorite guitar I own
Over 45 years ive had all types, from Rickenbacker in the Jam days to Tokai 58 flying V, Tokai 58 les paul, better than the 4 Gibson i tried, Tokai make good guitars, had firebirds all kinds, but only one Strat which was in the mid 80s, i turned it into a single gold humbucker with one volume (very 80s) its probably the most versatile electric, they just got it right from the start, same as the Tele and Les Paul. I've had a Gretsch 6120 for 15 years and thats been my favourite and longest ive had a guitar and still love it. Really enjoyed this tour around the Strat factory.
In the early 70’s I went to pickup directly from the Fullerton factory a long overdue custom Strat I ordered. When I arrived they still hadn’t finished setting the pickup height and action, so I was personally given a tour of the factory while I waited. At the time, they were still using the edge mounted 3-point belt sanders Leo had designed. Though they had incorporated ncn routers for control and neck cavities, necks were still hand-profiled. Finish body shaping was hand done, too. I learned a ton of stuff I later used as a custom builder. One of the most impressive stations was the “water wash spray booths”, a sheet of water behind the piece sprayed so that overspray was trapped in water rather than “filters”. To this day that thing sticks in my mind. At the time, I was spraying nitrocellulous lacquer in the open air of my backyard, totally exposing myself and neighbors to toxic vapors. Not exactly a “good-neighbor” policy??
Actually, they were using patterns with an “overhead” router running 1/2” router bits. NCN wasn’t used. I started doing the same - rough bandsawing body and headstock and finish them using a router guided by screwed on plexiglass patterns. Hardly needed finish sanding using 1/2 carbide router bits. The trick was roughing them to within an 1/8 to minimize burning, which required excessive sanding
@@RelicOnMaui Back in the late seventies and early 80s' I worked at a Pontiac dealership, back then we were still mostly using lacquer paint, the two fellows that worked there detailing cars would come into the paint room every time I would get a car ready to paint and sit side-by-side on a small wooden bench they had placed in there up against the wall right beside the exhaust fan' they would sit there quite as a mouse with their backs up against the wall staring straight forward and not make a move 'it looked like two soldiers sitting there at attention' they would not wear a mask' they would sit there like that the whole time while I painted the car, When I would get finished' they'd stand up with their backs up against the wall and arms straight out to the side up against the wall and take baby steps' scooting down the wall towards the paint booth exit door. It'd take them 2....3 minutes to get to the exit door that was only 30' away grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I worked there almost 4 years and they'd come in there every time I'd paint a car. They were the best 2 car detailers around back then. One lived to be in his mid 90's the other one late 80's. RIP Ransom and Junior.
3 Mod Shop Strats for me. Like you said, it's really great for left-handed players like myself that cannot find what they want from standard retailers. A wonderful video/tour, Mary!
I repeat myself, but every time you do a video like this I remember the first time I watched one of your videos and at the end I was surprised to find out you were actually a musician because your style is so natural and journalistic I just assumed you were a BBC presenter.
I got 2 Statocasters HSS. One was made in Mexico with a floyd rose tremolo, which was incredibly well made. The oder one is American made Ultra Stratocaster. Honestly, when I got this one, that time was the first time I saw an instrument made to perfection.
Absolutely brilliant information on the Stratocaster, 3 single coil pickups are nice and a Floyd rose tremolo for effects thank you for sharing with us
Thanks Mary! I got a couple connections to fender besides owning a few and restricting a few as well. My buddy Tracey Chapman has worked there for years and a local customer is one of their label/decal vendors. It’s cool growing up so close. I will say I hope you checked out the snow which is less than an hour away but even more fun and more of what Southern California is all about, the beaches. 😅 I’m 61, till I was 18, corona was where we rode dirt bikes. In the late 80s the inland empire which is where corona is blew up when new housing developments appeared with homes at a fraction of the cost closer to the ocean. Now there’s an hours worth of traffic towards the beach in the morning and the same the other way in the evening (maybe more). Fullerton which is in the best county. (Orange) it a pretty cool spot “DTF” is known for lots of bars and restaurants , collage townish. Too far from the ocean though. If you live on the beach side of the 405 in OC you only need air con 2 weeks a year and heat the same amount of time. If you missed it on this trip, come back and you aren’t gonna hate it.
🎸 *MY TOUR DATES*
bit.ly/MarySpenderTour
🥁 *SUPPORT PATREON*
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Astonishing work. Thank you for producing and sharing with the world. I fell in love with the Telecaster shape b/c of Prince's non-telecaster copy cat guitar that he would have pictured on his 45 and extended EPS.
Your cinema is astonishing.
Thank You Mary
Amazing Content, Thank You
I’m going see if they can create a guitar that I use to have that I lost to a pawn shop that I had custom setup.
Thank you Mary for this amazing tour! It was nice to see younger sisters of my Dark Night Strat being born ;) How I wish I were there someday. And your voice is so silky and clear, you could talk about digging a sand on a desert and it wouldn't be boring :)
Spender meets Fender. A match made in heaven ❤
Spender spends a day at Fender
I hear a signature model in the making...
Mary spender builds a Fender
Went on a bender with spender at fender. Now back to the UK. Return to sender…
When it comes to Fender, Mary's a big spender. Badum tss.
The scene at the end where he said he loves his job, was fantastic.
This video was so well made, Fender should use this video in their marketing. Makes me want to start playing guitar.
That's what I was thinking too. It looks like a fantastic place to work.
A masterbuilt is around $7-10k US
The pride he feels shined through better than a Custom Shop finish...
Can’t you see this is a Fender-sponsored video?
@@christianlacheze3323 Yes, nothing about the ruinous pickguard I got that had screws so far off the mark we had to chisel out 3/16" to clear the bridge plate. Another guy got one that looked like a kid's shop class cut it.
Mary Spender’s voice is perfect for voice-over narration. I could listen to her all day long. Her music is pretty cool too.
I wish she would do sleep stories for the Calm app
LOVE her voice
Strongly agreed
I can already imagine Mary doing a NatGeo or Discovery documentary voice over.
I just posted the same thing. She has the most posh accent and beautiful speaking voice
The best description of the Fender Stratocaster that I’ve ever heard was from the late great Jeff Beck (RIP). Jeff was the subject of one of those TV specials “Jeff Beck Talks Music”. When the interviewer asked Jeff why the Strat was his “weapon of choice”, Jeff said that the guitar gave him “endless colour”. Jeff then gave a pretty comprehensive demonstration of all of the styles of guitar that he could wring out of the instrument. I then realised why Jeff was/is held in such high esteem by his peers and fans alike.
Jeff Beck - Master of The Stratocaster, May You Rest In Peace sir.
I am a huge fan of Jeff Beck, and was genuinely grieving for days after he passed. That one sentence of his sums up the appeal of the Stratocaster for mere mortal players, let alone the great master.
I find it really cool that my Corona made Stratocaster was made in that same factory , using the same machinery 25 years ago . Its the best guitar ive ever owned and it sounds incredible and plays like butter .
This is not a vlog, it's a documentary!❤ skilfully recorded and edited.
Your smooth and warm voice blends nicely with one your host has (loud and clear).
Happy anniversary Fender!
Fantastic educational video, I'd love to go on a Fender Factory Tour. Thanks, Mary 😊
I’m just a 20 minute drive from the Corona factory. I hope California was kind to you. Your videos are so next level compared to other UA-camrs. Very accurate, informative, and arresting, meaning I couldn’t look away, and was frustrated every time UA-cam interrupted you with a commercial. You do fantastic work Mary, and your passion shows through in your professionalism, understanding, and deep passion for all things musical. Thank you 🙏 😊
Can’t believe some of those machines are from 1950!! And still in use. Great video. Fascinating. I’ll never look at my strats and teles the same way. Thanks so much.
Great vid ,great camera work , thanks for taking the time to put that together, rob from Australia
As a Bass player, the Fender Precision Bass is a timeless classic, still used today by countless artists it will never go out of style.I have had my Made In Mexico Fender Prcision Bass for 4 years and it still plays great.
I could watch this over and over. And I probably will. Thanks Mary
As my baby ages, its origin story becomes increasingly mysterious to me. Built when I was three, we met when it was ten and I was thirteen and we are daily companions. Now sixty-six years old, my 1958 Stratocaster is a wonder, made of apparently perfect wood holding its shape to perfection throughout most of Fender’s history. It seems to get stronger.
What's the color?
1. Glad it wasn't a 1 hour + video. 2. Great video/editing. 3. My gawd, I could listen to your voice (singing & speaking), all day long!! Thank you for being you!
If Mary ever gets tired of being a musician, she could have a great career as a voice over artist and narrator. She really has the most posh accent and lovely voice
Spent countless hours at Fender right down the street here in Corona. Met Eric Johnson there and many others. My tech and I love hanging there!
I love the Strat above and beyond ANY other guitar. It's perfect! The Tele is a close second.
The cinematography was great on this one. You really did a great work!
Excellent music choice 😃I'm not a big Fender fan, but this video is just great!
Took a beautiful Brit to give us the best American guitar factory tour! Well done, Mary. 😍
Thanks Britain lady.
Great video! This is the best guitar video I've watched this year so far and I don't think anything would beat this video. Everyone who loves Fender guitars and basses would love this video.
Bravo to David Brown that showed around the facility. You can tell he really enjoys his job. How can you ask for any job that you love to do.
What an excellent representative David Brown is for Fender.
I did a tour of the Fender plant in Corona, CA 10 years ago with David Brown and it was just amazing. The plant is amazing-clean, well lit and massive. There is so much more to see than what is in this video. Everyone there was upbeat and pleasant-all lovers of things Fender. I did a tour of Gibson in Memphis, TN 2 weeks later and the old factory was dark and dirty. Very low tech. The tour leader obviously did not play guitar. People were depressed it seemed. Fender is ultra modern with CNC yet all goes to hands on building. Fender tour also included the Custom shop. On the tour they said you could put "dibs" on a guitar or bass if you wanted to take it home. A great experience.
Same here, did also the tour with David about 10 years ago. At the end of the tour he pulled out a very nice Tele special in white wirh flamey neck, which I liked very much, but I was unsure how to get it through customs when heading home. Seems he was at GL for some time. Glad he’s doing good. 👍
The master builder. The master storyteller. Beautiful.
The magic is at the 17:30-ish mark when he starts talking about that guitar and how cool it is. You can just tell when a guitar is special and someone's love for guitars is infectious.
Mary, yet another amazing video by a wonderfully talented, knowledgeable, guitar player. Your interview skills and persona are second to none. Thanks again for teaching me so much. I appreciate you.
I always love watching factory tours and yours are one of the best, well edited, clear voiceover and a soothing vibe overall.
It's also pretty special to me as a viewer this time around as there's an albeit small chance you saw my '54 in the process of being made. I had my eyes on the Custom Shop '55 for a while now and then the '54 got announced and presented a much more attractive spec and price.
Fender tours always carry a much more approachable and friendly nature to what you'd get with a Gibson tour (the recent ones shot by Anderton's was definitely less cold than previous ones however)
Thanks, Mary and Fender!
There are only few things that keep their age, don't date. Aircraft like the Spitfire, mustang, Hughes 500 helicopter and the Fender guitars for sure.
Such fantastic video 👏🏼
Can't help but want one of these after hearing Mary speak about it. Her wisdom and passion about guitars 🎸❤ is spot on and I could listen to her beautiful voice whether she's singing or talking all day. I enjoyed this video and hope you stay blessed Mary Spender.
I am not a guitarist but this tour was fabulous. It really showed me how the process shows the care each instrument get its sound and looks. Thank you for taking me on your. God Bless, be safe and be well. 🎸🎸🙏❤️
I loved this! I worked in manufacturing most of my life, used CNC machines similar to the ones cutting the bodies and necks. My first job was in a machine shop in 1977 on Fender avenue in Fullerton Ca. I was told that Leo Fender owned all the buildings on that street. Also in the early 2000's the company I worked for moved to Corona Ca. within about a few miles of the Fender factory. I have built a few Appalachian style banjos, tried to play several instruments, but my joke is that I play the stereo best. It was great to see the factory tour, thanks!
Never owned a Fender but I have played both a strat and a tele of which I used a tele to record the lead guitar bits on our bands 3rd album.
I actually preferred the tele because it felt more naturally comfortable to me. The strat neck felt clunky like I was holding a round chunk of wood which is more than likely due to that particular models neck radius, I think it was a 'U-Shape' neck and the tele was more a traditional 'C-Shape' or faster 'D-Shape' I'm not sure. The engineer told me both Fenders were custom built for the owner of the studio of which our band recorded in.
Great guitars with fantastic tone.
I never realized that I was interested in how a guitar was made.
This was a great video. Even the Hendrix advertisement was fun to watch.
I'm not much of an audiophile, but your narration is fantastic. You could do amazing hypnosis or meditation videos.
Thank you, Mary, for a.simply awesome tour of Fender. So thorough, yet concise, with perfect length of commentary and content. This was way better than any Discovery Channel documentary to me. So much appreciate what you do. Thank you again!!!
What a great company! I can understand how making a beautiful thing like a Fender guitar would keep workers focused and glad to come to work.
I enjoyed this video never was able to afford a fender my entire life and surprisingly I just received an all original 68 mustang in Daphne blue for Christmas.
When the video started I was like “I’ve seen so many factory tours”. But you actually managed to tell your own story with this video and there are lots of things in there I haven’t seen yet. Like the computer aided wood matching in the beginning!
I got so excited when I saw this vid in my recommended.
I borrowed a Strat from a friend for 3 months and before i had a chance to even give it back, I already bought my own strat and it’s been my favorite thing ever since.
100% pure awesome. If this doesn't give you ideas for a custom guitar, nothing will.
Any chance you will be touring the PRS facility any time soon?
Just because they look gorgeous doesn’t mean they have great quality control.
Have to try before you buy.
I don't understand why other companies use fender's grain matching processes that is kinda genius if you ask me & I love your video of the fender factory tour it's more in depth well explained & better for ppl who don't know as much about making guitars
Wow, im looking at my American Strat a whole different way now! 😊 Awesome video.
Great production on the video Mary - came across like it was shot and edited by a big studio.
Great video of a great guitar, about 50 years ago i went to my brothers stagparty and was admiring the guitars of the live band ,when a friend of my brother said that guitar is a Fender the best guitars i n the world ,i promised myself i would have one some day when i could afford one ,i now own more than one, having a Fender is like owning a Ferrari ,a legend ,really enjoyed the video😅
Dave Brown is a great tour guide also! You couldn't have been matched up any better than him!
I met Dave when we took the factory tour the year they first started doing the tour I think it was 2012 It was amazing. He is so knowledgeable and gave a great tour.
Could be the best guitar factory tour video I've seen. Many thanks.
There are many good guitar factories
A very fine documentary! It's not really true though that anyone can order their dream guitar from "The Mod shop". You should add: "Anyone who is loaded with money." Some of us have to make do with a Made in Mexico Stratocaster, but I'm not complaining, since I love my Mexican friend.
this video is as lovingly put together as a fender guitar
Awesome Mary🌷《☆》Nice Tour👍🏾❤🤳The Stratocaster was Light Years ahead when it was introduced🎉🎸🎉Congratulations FENDER✌🏼😎☯️
Dear Mary, thank you and thank you again for this show. It was the best thing I've seen in a long time, and I hope to have a fender some day. I love the detail work,, different stages and how each part is specially made by special people who work with just that process to get it all right. It made me commit to doing my work with more concern.🖤💜💙💛🧡❤
Nothing like seeing a masterpiece built by a master builder. I’ve got a 2000 Stratocaster. I love this guitar.
Thanks for all your efforts Ms. Mary. That was definitely top shelf content. I’ll be watching it again in a few minutes. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This is the best video of this kind that I"ve seen. Well Done!
Awesome video! Really appreciate pulling the curtain back and showing us how much of the process is done by hand!
Another great run down 👍
Excellent job Mary. Thoroughly enjoyed your tour.
I always pictured elves working their magic in the Custom Shop. Getting to spec my Strat was one of the most fun things I've ever done. Most fun was getting it and having it exceed my expectations.
Very cool. His enthusiasm is infectious.
Amazing. The quality of you films is just off the scale. Thank you for this.
Thank the "Team" too.
Great vid, Mary! Prolly one of the best factory tour vids out there. Thanks also to David Brown. Take care...
Very interesting. When I was a guitarist I always played Fender. I still have my 1965 Jaguar that I bought new when Surf music was all the rage. Since I switched to playing the pedal steel guitar many years ago I haven’t played guitar as much. Enjoyed this video very much. Thank You.
@stephentodd4895 Hiya Stephen..I saw and read ur comment, about the Strat. and found ur background interesting.. what kind of music did you play ?? Probably shouldn't have said " did " , so I'll replace it with the word, do lol. Do you play country ?? When you swapped over from guitar to steel , what type of music were you playing then ??? Sorry bud , I wasn't even thinking. Here I am bombarding you with all these questions , and ur probably thinking ( and rightfully so lol ) , who is this guy, and what's his bleeping problem ??? Well, I actually have just one more question, then I'm done. What kind of steel do you play now...??? MSA...Gibson...Emmons...any of these ?? I apologize for hitting you with all of this, my friend. I play country music myself, but while I love an old Strat , personally I prefer a Tele... no biggie ofc, it's just a matter of preference is all.. anyway, if you choose not to reply, I wouldn't blame ya..!!! Lol.. hagd and many blessings to all... 😊😊
@@Jerry-ej3cm I play a GFI Ultra D-10
Mary, I couldn't think of a better narrator for this! Thank you.
David Brown is a man who clearly loves his job! The Tele at 19:01 is my dream come true. What a lovely, blissful video. Thanks, Mary.
@19:33 we can definitely tell man the energy you have comes through the screen!
Awesomeness!🤘
You can get better built guitars now from smaller boutique guitar companies for a fraction of the cost.
The one thing in the mod shop , you can't get a coil switch for humbucker to single coil, yet the professional 2 telecaster has it
That’s too bad because I have that on my hb’s and I use it a lot. My guitars that don’t have it, well I really miss it.
An excellent video showing the end to end process with such enthusiasm and pride from your guide. It must have been thrilling to experience that tour.
I’ve been on the tour 3 times. Always an amazing experience, they have it down. They also have an amp section as well. The finish part is really special, alit more work than I thought.
WOW -- what a presentation. This is not a UA-cam video, this is a world class historical Documentary.
You have the most soothing, clear, and proper voice for hosting this style of video.
Bravo Mary!!
Now that I know the way Fender makes that perfect sound (The two Coke Cans and a Water Bottle) I can sleep at night.
God Bless you Mary.
Perfect video.
Nothing like a custom shop Strat. The feel, finish and sound are something to behold. Great vid Mary.. So glad you did it. Hope to see you perform live someday. From east Kentucky USA. Take care.
WOW . . . there needs to be more exposure for this Fender Factory in Corona. Way more ! We see all of the other factories too much. And I have seen the Fender Amp factory. But the Fender guitar factory for an instrument that has played, and continues to play, such a large part of my musical life is emotional and magical. The same magic that is in music itself. I see an individual component that is partially completed and I get a flash of "I know this, this shape is a part of me, it is in my genetic make up, it feels like home". Then I place it as being a part of my Tele. The musical conveyance that is a part of me. And it so nice to see that Fender is a positive friendly bright work space that takes the care and does it right. (Not the toxicity that we see and hear from other large manufacturers for example.) Thank you Mary. Now fly right back there over the ocean again and do some shows on more detail of specific stations and areas ! .:) Is early next week for four shows enough time ?
Thank you Mary & Fender for the interesting tour. Hope to see it in person someday.
That was a nice wholesome look at the Fender production. Thanks for doing that walk through.
I have that shirt he's wearing ... He been in my closet?
My very first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster that my just divorced dad gave me for Christmas in 1963. Prior to that, I was playing my older brother's brand new 1960 Jazzmaster through his 1960 PRO amp. I would later lose my Stratocaster out the back of his 1961 Ford station wagon when we played in Palatka, Florida, dropped off our drummer on the westside of Jacksonville, forgot to put up the back window then stopped to pay toll on the old Fuller Warren crossing the St Johns. It went sliding out the back when my brother gassed that wagon. It fell out onto the Jacksonville expressway and some kind person stopped and hauled Stratocaster into the darkness. That was July of 1965. My brother would lose his Jazzmaster and Pro amp and fairly new reverb tank when he moved to Tallahassee in 1966 and had to pawn it all to live on. Hey, Mary! One of these Master Builders needs to be building me a '54!! Like my original Stratocaster hero used to sing, "Well, That'll Be The Day"! 🙂
You have such a PERFECT speaking voice!
That telecaster at 19:00... what a beautiful guitar...
At the 2:00 mark you see someone rounding the edges of the fretboard with a razorblade. So for those of you who ever wondered how these "master craftsman" do it... there ya go!! Nice share, Mary! Thank you!! Cheers!!
This guy loves his job!!! Thanks for talking and explaining this as you pop in and out sitting serenely in your studio
I’m glad to have two guitars built right there in corona. Got them in the 00s back when they were still affordable. Amazing part of California history and my two favorite guitar I own
Mary's voice is like honey.
Thanks for the tour. Going to the Fender site to see how much my dream bass is going to set me back 😂
Great video! This is what a UA-cam factory tour should be, not a 2 hour rambling mess!
Thank you, Mary 🙏🏻🤍
Great tour!
Thanks so much, Mary. I've seen a lot of guitar factory tour videos. This one is one of the best!
The guy clearly loves his job. The way he gets excited about using the same original die, or those paint finishes lol. Great to see.
Finely crafted video for finely crafted guitars. Very nice. 👍
Thanks Mary, that was a great tour. I really enjoyed it.
Over 45 years ive had all types, from Rickenbacker in the Jam days to Tokai 58 flying V, Tokai 58 les paul, better than the 4 Gibson i tried, Tokai make good guitars, had firebirds all kinds, but only one Strat which was in the mid 80s, i turned it into a single gold humbucker with one volume (very 80s) its probably the most versatile electric, they just got it right from the start, same as the Tele and Les Paul. I've had a Gretsch 6120 for 15 years and thats been my favourite and longest ive had a guitar and still love it. Really enjoyed this tour around the Strat factory.
In the early 70’s I went to pickup directly from the Fullerton factory a long overdue custom Strat I ordered. When I arrived they still hadn’t finished setting the pickup height and action, so I was personally given a tour of the factory while I waited. At the time, they were still using the edge mounted 3-point belt sanders Leo had designed. Though they had incorporated ncn routers for control and neck cavities, necks were still hand-profiled. Finish body shaping was hand done, too. I learned a ton of stuff I later used as a custom builder. One of the most impressive stations was the “water wash spray booths”, a sheet of water behind the piece sprayed so that overspray was trapped in water rather than “filters”. To this day that thing sticks in my mind. At the time, I was spraying nitrocellulous lacquer in the open air of my backyard, totally exposing myself and neighbors to toxic vapors. Not exactly a “good-neighbor” policy??
Actually, they were using patterns with an “overhead” router running 1/2” router bits. NCN wasn’t used. I started doing the same - rough bandsawing body and headstock and finish them using a router guided by screwed on plexiglass patterns. Hardly needed finish sanding using 1/2 carbide router bits. The trick was roughing them to within an 1/8 to minimize burning, which required excessive sanding
The other thing that struck me - at the time, frets weren’t hammered from the face but force into fret slots FROM THE EDGE
@@RelicOnMaui
Back in the late seventies and early 80s' I worked at a Pontiac dealership, back then we were still mostly using lacquer paint, the two fellows that worked there detailing cars would come into the paint room every time I would get a car ready to paint and sit side-by-side on a small wooden bench they had placed in there up against the wall right beside the exhaust fan' they would sit there quite as a mouse with their backs up against the wall staring straight forward and not make a move 'it looked like two soldiers sitting there at attention' they would not wear a mask' they would sit there like that the whole time while I painted the car,
When I would get finished' they'd stand up with their backs up against the wall and arms straight out to the side up against the wall and take baby steps' scooting down the wall towards the paint booth exit door.
It'd take them 2....3 minutes to get to the exit door that was only 30' away grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I worked there almost 4 years and they'd come in there every time I'd paint a car. They were the best 2 car detailers around back then.
One lived to be in his mid 90's the other one
late 80's. RIP Ransom and Junior.
3 Mod Shop Strats for me. Like you said, it's really great for left-handed players like myself that cannot find what they want from standard retailers. A wonderful video/tour, Mary!
I repeat myself, but every time you do a video like this I remember the first time I watched one of your videos and at the end I was surprised to find out you were actually a musician because your style is so natural and journalistic I just assumed you were a BBC presenter.
I got 2 Statocasters HSS.
One was made in Mexico with a floyd rose tremolo, which was incredibly well made. The oder one is American made Ultra Stratocaster. Honestly, when I got this one, that time was the first time I saw an instrument made to perfection.
Absolutely brilliant information on the Stratocaster, 3 single coil pickups are nice and a Floyd rose tremolo for effects thank you for sharing with us
U need a signature model, how bout the spender fender
You can say what you want about Gibson, but Fender is the look and sound of rock and roll! I have 2 Strats and a Tele! Among numerous other guitars.
Great logic
Thanks Mary! I got a couple connections to fender besides owning a few and restricting a few as well. My buddy Tracey Chapman has worked there for years and a local customer is one of their label/decal vendors. It’s cool growing up so close. I will say I hope you checked out the snow which is less than an hour away but even more fun and more of what Southern California is all about, the beaches. 😅 I’m 61, till I was 18, corona was where we rode dirt bikes.
In the late 80s the inland empire which is where corona is blew up when new housing developments appeared with homes at a fraction of the cost closer to the ocean. Now there’s an hours worth of traffic towards the beach in the morning and the same the other way in the evening (maybe more).
Fullerton which is in the best county. (Orange) it a pretty cool spot “DTF” is known for lots of bars and restaurants , collage townish. Too far from the ocean though. If you live on the beach side of the 405 in OC you only need air con 2 weeks a year and heat the same amount of time.
If you missed it on this trip, come back and you aren’t gonna hate it.