T
he boutique guitar world is rife with
specialists: those who do modern set-neck
fusion machines, or down ’n’ dirty rock
warriors, or presentation guitars with exotic
woods and elaborate inlays, or hot-rodded bolt-necks.
Ron Thorn does all of the above, and more – and
he nails everything he touches with a rare blend of
precision and soul. No wonder Fender’s Custom Shop
made him Principal Master Builder.
As well as the talent and unfettered creativity he
brings to the Custom Shop, Thorn also has impressive
statistics. No prior Master Builder has come into the
ranks from outside Fender since the inception of
the institution at the hands of co-founding Master
Builder Mike Stevens. Plus, to our knowledge, none
has built as many guitars while an independent maker
as Thorn did prior to his move to the Custom Shop
(some 800 in total), while also maintaining a business
as one of the world’s most renowned inlay artists.
It would also be safe to say that none honed their
chops making guitars that diverged so widely, even
radically, from the traditional Fender formula. A 24-
fret, set-neck double-cut with carved bookmatched
top in flamed koa, multicoloured Koi inlaid into its
ebony fingerboard, abalone purfling ringing its body,
fingerboard and headstock and Brazilian-rosewood
humbucker bobbin tops and knobs? Yes indeed.
But Thorn can also turn out a bolt-neck, single-cut,
Cabronita-style twang monster in matte black with
pinstriping and Dia de los Muertos graphics, and show
just as much excitement in the process. Take that
kind of artistry, put a Fender decal on it and inject
it into the existing powerhouse that is the Custom
Shop, and the sky’s the limit.
It’s also worth noting that Ron Thorn is one of the
nicest guys you’ll ever meet, anywhere, in any walk
of life and has a deep, easy, enthusiastic laugh that
bubbles forth whenever the subject really tickles
his fancy. Make of that what you will, but the world
could definitely use a lot more of it.O CANADA!
Asked how it feels to have a bench in such hallowed
ground in the guitar world on the near-anniversarySHOP TALK
RON THORN
FENDER CUSTOM SHOP
PRINCIPAL MASTER BUILDER
WORDS DAVE HUNTERMeet one of the world’s most skilled
guitar-makers and inlay artists, whose
exceptional creations are some of the
best and most imaginative designs the
Californian “hot-rod shop” has to offerSHOP TALKGUITAR MAGAZINE 83