Fender builds guitars in Mexico too, but the nicest, and more expensive, guitars are made here in the USA. The tour was actually really interesting.
Of course everything I learned went straight into my short-term memory so I may have some details wrong. The guitars start out as wooden planks and are carved by that machine in the background.
Here's a better look at the transformation from board to body.
These are the necks and there is a machine for that too.
There are lots of neck choices.
I didn't take very many pictures but we saw every step of the process and it was all really interesting. It takes a lot of work to get to this point.
These are some of the expensive custom guitars from the custom shop. Some of these can cost as much as a car. A used car, but still a car!!
They make a lot of custom vintage guitars that are distressed (or Matt says "road worn"). They looked super old and well played even though they were brand new.
If you find yourself in the Corona area try to go on the tour. It's definitely worth it. And you can get a free pick, or several free picks. If you found my tour information lacking, ask Matt and he can tell you more than you probably want to know. Need another reason to stop in Corona? Well, there is a really great Chik-fil-A nearby...delicious chicken and free butter mints.
