Q&A: John Cruz Fender Custom Shop

John Cruz, master builder for the Fender Custom Shop, tore it up on stage with the CE Pro All Star Band, and turned heads with the reissue 1963 Fender Stratocaster he built.

Custom installers that attended the EHX show’s CE Pro All-Star Band concert on March 25 were treated to a night of fun rock-and-roll, supercharged by the musical prowess of the veteran music industry pro.

Cruz, a master guitar builder for the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation Custom Shop division, has been a guitar player for decades and a Fender employee since 1987. At EHX, Cruz was brought to the show by Innovolt to help talk about how power can affect components, and to lead the band through a night of classic rock.

Innovolt capitalized on Cruz’s musical and guitar-building talents through a marketing promotion in which the company gave away one of the Southern Californian’s own creations: a limited-edition 1963 reissue Fender Stratocaster.

Prior to the concert Cruz talked with CE Pro about what makes Fender so highly regarded among musicians and music fans.

What makes Fender Custom Shop products different than standard Fender products?

Our Fender products are held to a higher standard. The Custom shop takes it to the next level; hand-picked woods, hand-picked components, added attention to detail, and all of the employees are of the highest standard.

They specialize in making your dreams a reality.

John, what is your role with the Custom Shop?

I am the master builder for the Custom Shop.

How did you get involved in guitar building, and what makes working for Fender and its Custom Shop fun for you?

I always loved to rip guitars apart and put them back together. I am also a player, so it’s good to know your tools. There was a band mate that got a job with a competitor and he could work around other musicians; he didn’t have to cut his hair and I liked that idea.

I went down to the company and they told me they weren’t hiring. They suggested I go to Fender. I took a tour of the factory and they hired me at an entry level to sweep floors and help wherever I could.

I had always aspired to be a master builder from day one, but I had to pay my dues and learn from scratch. I learned the product line inside and out.

Who are some of your clients and what has made their guitars unique?

I build guitars for all types of people from the novice, to top pros like Jeff Beck, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jimmy Vaughn and Richie Sambora [Bon Jovi] to name a few. Building for these artists is great and they all have certain specs, but a lot of them say, “do what you want and that’s great.”

How long does it take to make a Fender Custom Shop guitar, and how much of a premium is it for a consumer to buy a Custom Shop product?

It varies depending on the complexity of the order. I’ve never timed the process, but it’s all about meeting the consumer’s date. Pricing is not something I discuss; we have a sales team that handles that.

Focusing on the 1963 Reissue Stratocaster that Innovolt gave away at EHX, what is the process for designing and building this type of guitar and what makes the construction of a reissue instrument difficult? Is it the uniqueness of the parts which may be obsolete when compared to modern guitars, pickup technologies, neck geometry, the woods?

The 1963 Stratocaster is one of those iconic years we chose to reproduce. From tooling techniques, to the proper amount of finish sprayed on it, the attention to detail is all there, and when seeing it, the guitar takes you back to those early years in Fullerton [Fender’s original home].

Looking at the final product, we think we nailed the vibe of the original and I think our customers would agree.

If you were to say anything to the winner of the 1963 reissue Stratocaster [Chad Luke of Matthews, N.C.-based NTouch Media Entertainment], what would you say to him about the guitar?

I would say only three things to remember, plug it in, turn it up and floor it. That’s our motto at Fender.

What is your favorite guitar that you've built and why is it your favorite?

I would say it would be the SRV tribute [Cruz built the Stevie Ray Vaughn “number one” reissue Stratocaster for Fender] was my favorite to be a part of. I love the 1963 because it’s the year I was born. My all time favorite is the 1961. That year is the Holy Grail for me because some of my all-time heroes played that year.

Fender remains an iconic brand to not only musicians, but also to consumers that know its products because of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc., why do you think Fender remains powerful and popular today?

Look at all the best players who have had Fenders pass through their hands at some point, and someday when you're ready, you may buy one, too.