Fender Custom Shop
Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop—affectionately known at CME as “The Dream Factory”—has grown to a band of over 50 veteran guitar artisans who take Leo Fender’s legacy to its utmost heights by bringing dream guitars and basses to life.
Taking an amp builder’s sensibility to instrument design, Leo Fender’s modular approach emphasized swappable components. This foundational design philosophy portended a future that we now inhabit, in which it’s not only easy to replace individual parts and maintain the longevity of each instrument—but, players also have the ability to customize every component of an instrument, giving them innumerable options when dreaming up their ideal guitar.
Here at Chicago Music Exchange, we’ve collaborated with the best minds at Fender to build the best instruments from top to bottom, tirelessly going over each spec to ensure that we offer you the best of what Fender has to offer—from neck shaping and fretwork to finishing and aging.
As a result of our ongoing collaboration, the instrument you see here is, of course, much more than the sum of its parts. Imbued with history, alive with the spirit and devotion of those who crafted it, this Fender Custom Shop creation is brimming with intangible, electrifying elements, that add new dimensions to every playing experience.
The Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster is one of the most influential electric guitars ever made, known for its bright, cutting tone, simple yet innovative design, and unmatched reliability. Introduced in 1951, it featured a solid-body construction, a bolt-on maple neck, and a single-cutaway shape, making it a workhorse for countless genres, from country and blues to rock and punk. The early wiring scheme allowed for unique tonal versatility, later evolving into the classic Telecaster control layout with a three-position switch and two single-coil pickups. Its distinct twangy bridge pickup and warm neck pickup made it the guitar of choice for legends like Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Bruce Springsteen, James Burton (Elvis Presley), Joe Strummer (The Clash), and Graham Coxon (Blur). Decades later, the Telecaster remains a go-to guitar for players seeking clarity, punch, and timeless style.
