Fender Custom Shop Bass Guitars

They certainly do! The Artist Signature basses are generally limited edition models and it pays to check which ones are currently in production. Fender Custom Shop have made Artist Signature basses for Pino Palladino, Dusty Hil, Jaco Pastorius and Adam Clayton among many others.

These special finishes found on certain Fender Custom Shop basses and guitars are a nod to the practices of the past. Legend has it that Fender builders sprayed every instrument on the production line Sunburst. This was standard procedure. When a request for a custom order came in, they would grab the relevant Sunburst instrument and spray directly over the top. They would then reapplying the nitrocellulose lacquer and send the guitar out for dispatch. Nowadays, Fender Custom Shop are paying tribute to this practice whilst having fun making cool combinations of finishes. This is normally a sunburst underneath something bolder such as Olympic White or Fiesta Red. The idea is that the more you play it, bump it, scratch it etc over the years, the more of the 'original' finish underneath shows through. It's a cool concept and it is based on Fender's history.