Fender
No electric guitar is more iconic than the Fender Stratocaster. Buddy Holly played one. Jimi Hendrix played one. Bob Dylan "went electric" in 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival. Eric Clapton has a signature model. The Edge from U2 plays one. The list goes on and on. Even famous guitar players who aren't famous for playing Strats have probably picked one up for a while.
The unmistakable design, with its thin, solid body, asymmetrical curves, 21-fret neck and triple pickups, has been around since Leo Fender created it in 1954.
Fender sells many, many different versions of the Strat, for amateurs, pros, rock stars, rich folks, and folks on a budget. But among the most coveted Fender instruments are those that come from the company's Custom Shop in Corona, California, where a small group of "Master Builders" creates masterpieces.
Fender invited me to check out one the most recent examples, a collaboration with Jose Cuervo, the tequila company. Even by the elevated standards of Custom Shop Strats, this guitar was special - and a challenging project for Master Builder Paul Waller.
The wood that was used came from the agave plant, from whence all tequila comes. It was tricky to work with, but Waller was up to the task.