Fender
It’s a familiar pattern: paisley, to be specific about the visual; cutting and masculine, to identify the sonics.
A late-1960s version of the Telecaster guitar with that amoeba-like design and signature sound was particularly fascinating to Brad Paisley once he discovered that Fender had produced a line that matched his last name.
Now he has partnered with the company to create a limited-edition Brad Paisley 1967 “Lost Paisley” Telecaster, a select line of guitars that captures the vintage appearance and muscular tone of the instrument that was introduced to the market in 1968.
“There’s some magic involved in getting these things to feel old again and new again,” Paisley says in a small room on the second floor of Fender’s East Nashville building. “We had to really figure out what was it that made these things so cool. They are a unique moment — like, why in the hell Fender ever thought it was a good idea to make Paisley Telecasters? And then here I come, born with the strangest last name.”
The Tele was already legendary before Paisley’s national arrival, associated with the likes of Keith Richards, Vince Gill, Muddy Waters and Nashville studio veteran Brent Mason, who contributed key licks to recordings by Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack. Country Music Hall of Fame member James Burton gave the Paisley Tele a high profile when he started playing a red model during Elvis Presley‘s concerts.
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“They became cool,” Paisley says. “Otherwise, I am Brad Plaid. I’d have had to change my name by the time I had a deal. [There’s] nothing cool about Paisley, but it was, luckily, cool thanks to James.”
The sound is cool, but there’s something nerdy about making guitars. And Paisley celebrated the retro instrument line by performing a short set at Fender for an invitation-only crowd of insiders and fellow nerds, including Steve Wariner, who joined Paisley’s band for a rollicking, extended version of “Workin’ Man Blues.”
Paisley’s guitar project owes its reemergence to one of the nerds attending that day. Canadian broadcaster Alan Cross spotted a Craigslist ad for an ammo case of blue Cling-Foil, the adhesive wrap Fender used on the Paisley Tele back in the day. Cross talked the seller from $50 down to $25 — and, to keep peace at home, told his wife he’d only paid $20 for the material.
Once that foil got into Fender’s hands, the company had the opportunity to re-create the line, and Paisley worked hand in hand with Ask Zac YouTube host Zac Childs, Glaser Instruments owner Joe Glaser and the Fender team to learn the nuances of the Paisley Telecaster production process: assembling the neck, body and pickups; applying the paper wrinkle-free; and covering it with a sleek finish.
“The finish is a key element,” Paisley says. “It’s not just the look of it. It does change everything about how it responds. So it’s really great that they were willing to sort of go down the rabbit hole with me. We’ve worked on this for a year now, trying to get it exactly right.”
In recognition of the Lost Paisley’s 1967 model year, Fender will produce 67 guitars through its Custom Shop in Corona, Calif., pricing them at $7,000. Paisley will manufacture 19 pieces with the Fender Nashville team, videoing the assembly and playing each guitar, providing its future owner an assessment of that guitar’s particular strengths and weaknesses. He’ll burn the neck of each of them with a cigar to simulate the abuse they take onstage, and the cigar label will be pasted inside the guitar cavity.
“I’m going to have time-lapse cameras set up,” Paisley explains. “As I paint each one, I will hold up the number, you’ll see me [build] it, you’ll get a little video, and then I’ll tell you what I think of it. I’ll play it once it’s assembled. They get a guitar with its birth [documented], and then a lot of case candy, the really fun stuff, too. There’s all these cool old campaigns and bumper stickers and things they did in the ’60s with Fender. They had these buttons that said, ‘Fender Lovin’ Care,’ and they had the ‘Peace, Love’ bumper sticker. Your case will be covered.”
Paisley is covering plenty of other bases as well. For starters, with the economy poised for a likely downturn, The Store — a referral-only grocery store for financially struggling Nashvillians that he co-founded with his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley — is expected to experience greater demand at a time when a portion of its donors are tightening their belts.
“It’s going to be probably a really important thing for people that didn’t expect to need it coming up, based on what things look like,” Paisley predicts. “There’s funding that went away, but at the same time, we are in a really generous town. I knew this when we decided to try this idea. There are really generous people here, and there are generous people outside of Nashville that know about it, that are committed to helping us in a lot of ways, so it’s not easy right now, but it definitely keeps me sane.”
Meanwhile, he’s optimistic about changes at Music Corporation of America, formerly Universal Music Group Nashville. UMGN chair/CEO Cindy Mabe, who was key in bringing Paisley to the label, left the company. New MCA chief creative officer Dave Cobb and senior vp of A&R Austin Jenkins successfully quelled any apprehensions about the turnover.
“New regimes at labels, which I’ve dealt with three or four times in the course of my career, can make it very clear right away whether or not they get you,” Paisley notes. “These guys have really done a great job of being like, ‘We get you, and we want to empower you to be who you want to be.’ And I’m thrilled so far.”
Paisley was prepared for the new leadership to present a game plan that might not resonate with him. Instead, the team came in with questions.
“They were like, ‘Will you play us some stuff? Will you talk to us and give us an idea of what you have, and what you are in your mind, and what you want to be?’ ” he says. “Then they came up with ideas, sitting there with me, that I went, ‘Oh, I love that.’ The next thing you know, we have days on the calendar now based on one idea in a meeting. So I’m really hopeful that this is a good thing.”
The Paisley pattern is set for its next chapter, whether it’s for the Fender guitar, the artist or both.

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If you’re a fan of hard rock and heavy metal, then you may be looking for apparel and accessories to elevate your personal style.
Handcrafted-jewelry makers Clocks and Colours has partnered with guitar and bass manufacturers Fender on a new collection of premium apparel and accessories that’s made for rock music, tattoos and motorcycle fans.
With prices starting at $49, Clocks and Colours features a selection of rings, stainless steel chains with guitar pick charms, T-shirts and more with sleek and fashionable designs that suits your rock n’ roll look and lifestyle. Most pieces are made from sterling silver, stainless steel, black onyx stone, breathable cotton for T-shirts and other high-quality materials.
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Meanwhile, pieces come in various colors such as silver, black, turquoise and more. Learn more about Clocks and Colours x Fender here.
Below, you’ll find our recommendations for the best Clocks and Colours x Fender apparel and accessories. These items are in stock and ready to ship.
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours x Fender
Rhapsody x Fender
stainless steel chain
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours x Fender
Six String x Fender
ring
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours x Fender
Plectrum x Fender
stainless steel chain
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours x Fender
Amplify x Fender
ring
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours x Fender
Resonance x Fender
T-shirt
In addition, Clocks and Colours has more collaborations with other designers, photographers and musicians, such as photographer Peter McKinnon, Icelandic singer-songwriter JJ Julius Son, AFI frontman Davey Havok and others. There are even accessories collabs with heavy metal bands Avenged Sevenfold and Lamb of God.
These pieces included cuffs, hats, rings, stainless steel chains and more. Below, you’ll find our picks for Clocks and Colours collabs.
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Outback x Peter McKinnon
cuff
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Outlander x JJ Julius Son
hat
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Ni Dieu x Davey Havok
ring
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Heretic x Avenged Sevenfold
ring
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Laid to Rest x Lamb of God
ring
Clocks + Colours
Clocks + Colours
Power to Love x Jimi Hendrix
stainless steel chain
Want more? Shop more apparel and accessories from Clocks and Colours below:
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
During Fender‘s 79th anniversary, the guitar company is celebrating the brand’s iconic guitars, including the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster, with a massive online sales event with deep discounts in nearly all categories.
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We rounded up the best deals on all sorts of electric and acoustic guitars, as well as bundles and amps, at Fender’s website. You can save up to a whopping 60% on all sorts of guitar gear, including cases, cables, picks, straps and more with prices starting at just $4.49 (reg. $4.99) for a pack of acoustic bridge pins. Even ukuleles are on sale for up to 30% off at Fender.
A good amount of the active deals are also web exclusive, which means you can’t find these deep discounts in stores. In fact, Fender has a number of starter bundles for aspiring rock stars looking to buy their very first guitar. Bundles include an electric guitar, a small practice amp, cables, extra guitar strings, a guitar strap, a stand, an assortment of guitar picks and more.
Scroll down to shop our recommendations for the best deals at Fender.
Fender
Fender Sonic Stratocaster HT Frontman Electric Guitar Bundle
$345.99
$406.92
15% off
Fender
Fender Sonic Telecaster HT Frontman Electric Guitar Bundle
$345.99
$406.92
15% off
Fender
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster
$2,119.99
$2,649.99
20% off
Fender
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
$1,569.99
$1,749.99
10% off
Fender
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
$1,569.99
$1,749.99
10% off
Fender
Fender Mustang LT25 Bundle
$196.99
$230.96
15% off
Fender
Fender Redondo Player Dreadnought Case Bundle
$509.99
$599.98
15% off
Fender
Fender Montecito Tenor Ukulele
$199.99
$279.99
29% off
Fender
Fender Tie Dye Leather Straps
$24
$59.99
60% off
Meanwhile, you can get free shipping to your home on all orders over $50, while Fender offers easy returns and exchanges within 30 days of purchase. Learn more about Fender’s return and exchange policy here.
Want more? You can shop more deep discounts on guitars, amps, cables and other accessories at Fender’s website.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
For his next project, Tom DeLonge combines his twin passions for electric guitar and expanding the mind – a new signature instrument with Fender.
The Blink-182 founding member and U.F.O. researcher unveils the Tom DeLonge Starcaster, a semi-hollow, offset guitar, embedded with Seymour Duncan SH-5 pickups.
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DeLonge made several changes to the Starcaster, originally released in the 1970s, and roadtested the guitar on Blink-182’s current global tour in support of One More Time… the pop-punk band’s ninth studio album from 2023.
“I love this guitar, I really do. It’s the coolest guitar ever made. Firstly, it is called a Starcaster—that’s the most important thing. It goes to space and expands your mind,” DeLonge comments in a statement.
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Among the tweaks, “I’ve streamlined the electronics, added the ‘70s headstock to round out the weight, and chose the matte finish with black hardware, so its look matches its modern feel. This guitar shows my evolution as a player but also has the hallmarks of where I came from and what I’m about.”It’s stocked in four finishes, and priced at US$1,199.99.
The Starcaster marks the second time DeLonge was worked on a six-string with Fender, following the 2002 rollout of the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster, which was rereleased when the classic lineup reunited in 2022 due to “unprecedented demand,” reads a statement from Fender.One More Time… is Blink-182’s first album with the group’s longtime lineup of drummer Travis Barker, vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and DeLonge, since he departed the trio in 2015 for seven years, and the first studio effort from that founding lineup since 2012’s Dogs Eating Dogs EP. The album blasted to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, joining Blink-182’s 2016’s California (with the lineup of Barker, Hoppus and guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba) and 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.During his time away from the band, DeLonge’s decades-long U.F.O. studies and efforts to publicize sightings finally got acknowledgement when the U.S. Navy officially released three of the clips he had been brought to attention.
Blink-182’s North American touring schedule continues from late June, followed with shows in the U.K. and Europe in August.
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Steve Lacy has reached a “full-circle moment” in his career. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter, musician and producer has teamed with Fender for his very own guitar.
“This guitar means so much to me. It’s a full-circle moment,” Lacy says in a statement to Billboard on Tuesday (May 10). “My first guitar was a Squier [Stratocaster]. It was the box set that came with an amp, case, quarter inch — the whole 9. Now I have my very own Fender Stratocaster guitar.”
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Named after his crowd-pleasing sounds, the Steve Lacy x Fender People Pleaser Stratocaster Guitar ($1,399.99) represents the Compton native’s evolution from indie artist to chart-topping, Grammy-winning music star.
“The People Pleaser Strat, in a nutshell, is my dream guitar as a kid when I first started playing and my dream guitar as the guitarist I am today. An ode to the old classic design that Fender is known for with all the new specs that make a guitar feel like home,” Lacy continued. “I hope everyone gets to experience the feeling of this guitar. I’m excited to see what people make with it.”
Steve Lacy x Fender
Mason Rose
Steve Lacy x Fender People Pleaser Strat
$1,399.99
The People Pleaser Strat is designed to craft a range of tones. It features a vintage-style synchronized tremolo with modern upgrades like Fender’s trademarked Player Plus Noiseless pickups and a powerful integrated fuzz circuit, which can create “classic dirty tones ranging from over drive to all out fuzz,” according to a press release from Fender.
The People Pleaser mirrors Lacy’s unique aesthetic with special features such as a green/blue checkered back plate, custom double dice inlay, and a neck plate engraved with Lacy’s original artwork.
“We aimed to design a guitar that not only represents Fender’s unwavering dedication to quality but also mirrors Steve’s distinctive character and individuality,” noted Justin Norvell, EVP of product for Fender. “Steve is a longtime collaborator and fan of the brand, and Fender is proud to introduce one of our most innovative designs to date, which includes a brand-new chaos burst finish, that matches his eclectic personality, and a powerful integrated custom-voiced fuzz circuit, that delivers aggressive distorted tones for howling chords and solos.
To celebrate the launch, Lacy and his signature guitar star in a photo and video campaign filmed by videographer Tino Shaedler and shot by Mason Rose.
See the launch video below.
For evidence that California’s Prop 28 — which seeks to provide nearly $1 billion in new funding annually for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools — has become a pet cause among music luminaries, one need look no further than the industry’s most famous structure. The Capitol Tower in Hollywood, whose cylindrical shape has long drawn comparisons to a stack of records, currently has a “Yes on 28” flag flying prominently from its roof.
Universal Music Group, which owns the famed building and has given $25,000 to support the measure, isn’t the only high-profile supporter of Prop 28, which voters will weigh in on Nov. 8. Authored by former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Beutner, the proposition has been endorsed by more than 350 individuals and organizations, including companies like Fender Music and CAA; legendary executives such as Quincy Jones and Irving Azoff; and A-list artists like Dr. Dre, will.i.am, Lil Baby and Katy Perry. In mid-October, Christina Aguilera and her fiancé Matthew Rutler (investor and founding executive of MasterClass) hosted an event at their home in support of the proposition that featured performances by musicians Lady Bri, One Republic’s Tim Myers and Aloe Blacc.
So why has the music industry, which Prop 28 does not directly support, come out to endorse it so heavily? As advocates put it, the money invested in students now will benefit the music business down the road.
“The most important beneficiaries are the kids themselves,” says Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Music, which provided $100,000 in seed money for the proposition and donated another $1 million to collect signatures and market the proposition. But, he adds, “the benefit for companies like ourselves, or anybody who’s in the music and arts business in California, is the long-term investment that may yield dividends beyond my tenure.”
Currently, according to proposition authors, “barely one in five public schools has a full time arts or music teacher” and “arts and music programs have often been the first to get cut” at California public schools – a problem Prop 28 is designed to fix. The money allocated by the measure – which must be spent on arts and music education such as teachers, supplies, arts partnerships, training and materials – would include accountability and require schools to publish annual reports on how they spend funds, including specific programs and how students benefited.
Important in garnering support from voters is the fact that Prop 28 “is not taking any money away from existing school funding,” says Beutner, who retired as superintendent last year and has spent his newfound free time focusing on the measure. The money provided by Prop 28 would be 1% of the California school funding budget, which is currently 40% of the state’s general fund. But instead of siphoning that 1% from other school needs, it increases the school budget from 40% to 40.4% of the state’s general fund. Based on the current year, that would amount to $950 million – 1% of the state’s $95 billion school budget.
Also important to many supporters is the fact that Prop 28 offers a route to diversify the creative sector. While all 6 million public school students in California would have access to the new funding proposed by the measure – which will come from the state’s general fund without raising taxes – 30% would go to schools based on their share of low-income students enrolled statewide (with the remaining 70% going to schools based on their share of statewide enrollment).
UMG’s chief people and inclusion officer and co-chair of the Taskforce for Meaningful Change Eric Hutcherson, who says this is the first proposition UMG has officially gotten behind as a company, notes that by exposing more kids to music education, the new funding will inevitably inspire future leaders in a variety of music industry roles that go beyond just being an artist or producer. “What you find is that these industries have all of those opportunities available,” he says.
Entertainment veteran Tim Sexton, who executive produced the Emmy-winning Live 8 benefit concert and has been working with Beutner to drum up artist support, adds that for media companies “worried about diversity, equity and inclusion, you don’t need to look further than our public schools to see that’s the population looks like that’s what the workforce ought to look like.”
The proposition would ideally be investing nearly $1 billion into California’s creative economy as well. According to Bloomberg, the state of California is on the verge of becoming the fourth largest economy in the world by overtaking Germany and, according to a study conducted by Otis College of Art and Design, nearly a quarter of the state’s economy comes from the entertainment sector.
“Companies like ours, that moved to California to be at the nexus of entertainment and technology, rely on a skilled workforce to fill the high-quality jobs we create here,” said Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge in release in April. “If enacted, this initiative will ensure a future job-ready workforce and secure California’s position as the global epicenter of music and the arts.”
Informal opposition to the measure argues that the increased usage of general funds should be used to address other issues like homelessness or paying down state debt, but the Official Voter Information Guide for California residents – which provides arguments in favor and against each proposition – states that “no argument against Proposition 28 was submitted.”
“I’m not a ballot initiative expert, but I have asked some and no one can recall the last time [an argument against wasn’t submitted,” says Beutner. “It’s truly a unicorn.”
The impact of Prop 28 could be felt far wider than California. If the initiative is successful this election cycle, supporters say they would be interested in taking tailored versions of Prop 28 to other states.
“The money that we spent in support of this initiative is one of the best investments the company has ever made for the future,” says Mooney. “We can replicate that investment in other states where music and art is also really important. Think of Tennessee or Florida with Miami, which is the heart of Latin music in the U.S. these days. There’s a lot of opportunities.”
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