Fender guitars are made in the USA, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, and China, with each country producing a different tier of the lineup.
Fender is majority owned by Servco Pacific, a Hawaii based company with roots in the musical instruments industry going back to 1937.
Fender just appointed a new CEO in 2026, marking the first leadership change at the top of the company in over a decade.
This article covers who owns Fender today, where its guitars are actually manufactured, whether quality varies meaningfully by country, and its founding history.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Owns Fender?
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is majority owned by Servco Pacific Inc, which became Fender’s controlling shareholder in 2020 after buying out co-owner TPG Growth’s stake.
Current models are shown on Fender’s official website.
Edward Bud Cole became Fender’s CEO on February 16, 2026, succeeding Andy Mooney, who had led the company for a decade before retiring.
Cole previously served as President of Fender’s Asia Pacific region.
Alongside the core Fender brand, FMIC owns Squier, Gretsch guitars, Jackson, EVH, Charvel, Bigsby, and PreSonus.
Where Are Fender Guitars Made?
Fender’s American made models, including the Professional, Ultra, and American Performer series, are built at the company’s factory in Corona, California, home to the Fender Custom Shop.
The Player, Vintera, and Artist series are manufactured in Ensenada, Mexico, offering a lower price point while carrying the full Fender name.
Fender also produces guitars in Japan, generally regarded as high quality, and in Indonesia, where the company began building its Standard Series and select artist signature models in recent years.
Entry level Squier by Fender guitars are made primarily in Indonesia and China.
Buyers can confirm exactly where a specific Fender was built by checking the serial number prefix on the headstock.
Fender vs Gibson: How Do the Two Rivals Compare?
Fender and Gibson have been the two defining American electric guitar makers since the mid twentieth century, but they take different approaches to manufacturing location.
Gibson builds all of its instruments domestically, with electric guitars produced in Nashville, Tennessee and acoustic guitars built in Bozeman, Montana.
Gibson closed its Memphis Custom Shop facility in 2018 and consolidated that production into Nashville.
Fender spreads manufacturing across more countries, with its Corona, California plant handling top tier American models while Mexico, Japan, and Indonesia cover the rest of the lineup.
This gives Fender a wider price range overall, from budget Squier models up through the Custom Shop, while Gibson’s pricing starts higher across the board.
Gibson’s Epiphone subsidiary serves as the brand’s budget alternative instead.
Tonally, Fender’s bolt on neck construction and single coil pickups are generally associated with brighter, twangier tones favored by players like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
Gibson’s set neck construction and humbucker pickups produce a thicker, warmer sustain associated with players like Jimmy Page and Slash. Neither brand is objectively better.
What Is the Fender Custom Shop?
The Fender Custom Shop operates inside the company’s Corona, California factory and represents the top tier of Fender’s American made lineup.
It builds guitars to individual customer specifications using premium tonewoods, hand wound pickups, and detailed relic aging finishes that replicate decades of wear on new instruments.
Custom Shop guitars are built by a small team of master builders, and pricing reflects that hand built process.
Signature artist models from players like David Gilmour can command several thousand dollars or more.
The Custom Shop also produces limited edition and artist signature instruments that are not available through Fender’s standard production lines.
Because these guitars are built individually rather than on a standard assembly line, wait times and pricing can vary significantly by model and specification.
When Was Fender Founded?
Fender traces its roots to 1938, when Leo Fender opened a radio repair shop in Fullerton, California.
The company began mass producing electric guitars in 1950 with the Broadcaster, later renamed the Telecaster, followed by the iconic Stratocaster in 1954.
Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965, and it remained under CBS ownership until a 1985 buyout led by Bill Schultz returned Fender to private hands.
That buyout was backed by an investor group that included Servco. Fender explored going public through an IPO in 2012 but withdrew the offering due to weak market conditions.
Fender celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2026, continuing to build on a catalog of instrument designs that remain among the most widely played electric guitars in the world.
Does Fender Quality Vary by Country?
American built Fenders sit at the top of the lineup and use premium tonewoods and hardware, commanding the highest prices in the catalog.
Mexican built Fenders are widely considered excellent value, with reviewers generally describing the quality gap between American and Mexican built guitars as fairly small relative to the price difference.
Japanese built Fenders have a strong reputation among collectors and players, with some vintage era Japanese models considered comparable to or better than American guitars from the same period.
Fender’s move into Indonesian manufacturing for higher priced instruments initially surprised some longtime players.
The factories used, including those operated by Cort and Samick, are large, established guitar manufacturers with decades of experience building for multiple global brands.
Country of origin remains a meaningful factor in resale value and collector interest, even when day to day playability differences between countries have narrowed in recent years.
Frequently Asked Questions About Who Makes Fender Guitars
Are Fender guitars made in China?
Fender branded guitars are not made in China, but entry level Squier by Fender guitars are, along with production in Indonesia. Fender itself is built in the USA, Mexico, Japan, and increasingly Indonesia.
Who owns Fender now?
Fender is majority owned by Servco Pacific Inc, a Hawaii based company that became the sole majority owner in 2020 after buying out co-investor TPG Growth’s stake.
Who is Fender’s new CEO?
Edward Bud Cole became Fender’s CEO on February 16, 2026, succeeding Andy Mooney, who retired after leading the company for a decade.
How can I tell where my Fender guitar was made?
Check the serial number prefix on the headstock. American made guitars use a US prefix, while Mexican made models use an MX prefix, and other countries have their own distinct serial number formats.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.