What are the terms of my U.K Warranty?

Every new Fender® guitar or amplifier purchased within the U.K and Ireland carries a two year manufacturer’s warranty. Should the product be found to be faulty due to a manufacturing fault, you are entitled to return it to the shop where you bought it within two years of purchase. The shop will then send the instrument back to us and we will assess the damage. Providing we are satisfied with the validity of the warranty claim, we will carry out the necessary repairs and return the instrument to the shop free of charge. After the two years warranty period has expired, the owner of the instrument will be responsible for any subsequent repair costs incurred. We would advise, therefore, that you keep the purchase receipt for your Fender® product in order to validate the date of purchase.

I bought my instrument used, is it still under warranty?

Can I order a "one-off" instrument directly from the Fender Custom Shop?

Yes. Visit your nearest Custom Shop Dealer. (See our Dealer Finder. All of our Custom Shop Dealers have an ‘X’ marked in the ‘Custom Shop box situated at the top of the chart). They will go over your design with you. When your guitar design is complete, the Custom Shop Dealer will contact us and we will give the Dealer a price estimate. Once agreed, a deposit will be taken by the dealer and the order will be sent to the Fender® Custom Shop in Corona, California.

Can I get a price list for Fender products?

Certainly! You can now download a current U.K Price List from this website.

I did not receive a warranty card with my new instrument, could you send me one?

Fender does not issue warranty cards nor register consumer warranties with the sale of any FMIC brand product. An "Owner's Registration" card does accompany many FMIC products but this is a U.S.-only promotion. The registration, however, is simply a demographic marketing research survey; it is not a "warranty" registration.

Your original sales receipt is your verification of proof and date of purchase for validation of warranty claims. Please retain your sales receipt for the term length of the warranty of the product. In the event that you have a claim for warranty service, this receipt must be presented at the time of service for appropriate consideration.

In the event that you may require warranty service, return to the Authorised Fender Dealer from whom you purchased your product.

What are the tonal differences on solid body guitars, between Alder, Ash, Poplar, Basswood, Mahogany and Maple?

(1.) Alder: full and rich, with fat low-end, nice cutting mids, and good overall warmth and sustain. Alder is generally considered to be one of the "traditional" Stratocaster body woods.

(2.) Ash: exhibits a "snappier" tone with a bright edge, but with a warm bass and long sustain. It is often considered as the other "traditional" Stratocaster body wood.

(3.) Poplar: one of the softer hardwoods, nicely resonant with a meaty tone. Many guitar manufacturers as a substitute for alder are using this wood, as it is quite similar in tone.

(4.) Basswood: the principal wood used on many Japanese made instruments. This is due both to its tonal response, (once again, very similar to Alder) as well as the fact that Basswood is much more readily available to the manufacturers in Asia.

(5.) Mahogany: deep warm mids, good sustain and nice "bite"

(6.) Maple: punchy, bright, and has a nice bite on the high end. Often used only as a laminated top instead of an entire body, as it tends to be a particularly heavy wood.

I am working on a school/college project. Please can you send me information on Fender’s marketing strategies/financial performance, etc?

Much as we would like to help you with your request, regrettably we are unable to divulge sensitive financial and operational information to third parties. This policy is essential if we are to safeguard our commercial interests both in the UK and Worldwide.

Where can I get a Fender catalogue?

Our entire product range can be found in the Products section of this site. We do publish a twice-yearly 36-page, full-colour brochure featuring exciting new products. This is called Frontline In Home and can be delivered to your door FREE OF CHARGE! All you need to do is sign up here and we will send you a new copy whenever it is published.

Are there any job opportunities at Fender®? Who can I send a CV to?

Please send a CV to The Office Manager, Fender® GBI in relation to any vacancies shown on the fender.co.uk website or in any press release. The address is as follows:

Human Resources Manager,
Fender GBI,
Unit 5,
The Felbridge Centre,
Willard Way,
East Grinstead,
West Sussex,
RH19 1XP

I’ve seen some cool stuff on the U.S online store. How do I order it?

The U.S.A site can only serve North American customers. Most of the stock seen on the U.S online store can be ordered from your nearest Fender® Authorised dealer. If you are interested in purchasing an item, make a note of the ten-digit product code and order it from your local store. You will probably need to place a deposit. You may need to wait a few weeks for your order to arrive.

Do you have any replacement parts for my old Fender guitar?

We offer a wide selection of replacement parts for old Fender instruments. Parts may be ordered directly from your local Fender Dealer, who may already be well stocked with parts and accessories!

Which left-handed guitars/basses are currently available in the Fender® range?

To view all the left-handed instruments in our range, simply click here and then type the word 'left' into the search field.

What does the term "neck radius" mean, relative to my guitar?

The measure of the curvature of the top of the fretboard from edge to edge is often incorrectly referred to as the "neck radius". Actually, the correct terminology would be either "fretboard" or "fingerboard radius" and the actual neck shape and size should be called "neck profile". The fretboard radius can be found by first drawing a circle with a corresponding radius, (the "radius" is the distance from the center of a circle to its outer edge), and then cutting out a portion of that circle corresponding to the width of the fretboard. For example, if you have a 7 1/4" radius fretboard. You could tie a piece of string to a pencil, measure out a length of string to 7 1/4", and put a thumbtack on the other end of the string. Secure the tack, stretch the string, and draw a circle. By cutting out a piece of that circle the width of your fretboard, you will have an example of an arc with the same curvature as that of your fretboard radius.

What is a V, C or U shape neck?

The letters V, C, and U are used today by Fender as analogies to describe the "neck profile" or shape and contour of the back of our instrument necks. Necks described by these letters will correspond roughly (although not quite as exaggerated), to the visual appearance of these letters.

The V shaped necks come in two different versions, a "soft" V and a "hard" V. The "soft" V shape is a bit rounded off, whereas the "hard" V is somewhat more pointed.

There are a couple of other neck shape descriptions which do not have directly corresponding letters. These are the "oval" and the modern "flat oval". Many people, however, simply use the letter "C" when referring generally to these "oval" shapes.

The "U" shape is chunky and rounded, with high shoulders, as seen in the exaggerated letter U.

There is no doubt that it is easier to understand the application of these terms to the necks when you put your hands on them and get the feel, however, the use of these letters is pretty accurate in describing the shape of the back of Fender necks.

There is often confusion between the use of the letters V, C, and U used to describe neck shapes, and the use of the letters A, B, C and D in describing Fender neck widths. During the period of time from the early '60's to the early '70's, Fender used the letters A, B, C, and D to refer specifically to the width of our guitar and bass necks at the nut. These letters were stamped on the butt end of the necks, and had no reference to the shape or contour of the neck. An "A" width was 1 1/2" at the nut, "B" was 1 5/8", "C" was 1 3/4" and "D" was 1 7/8".

How can I get an owners manual or wiring diagram for my instrument?

For information and access to Fender owner's manuals and wiring diagrams, please visit the Support section of the Fender website.

How often should I change my strings?

There is no set rule for how often you should change your strings. If you have strings which are worn, flattened, kinked, corroded, rusted or gunked up with sweat grease and grime, then it is definitely time to change your strings. Really, the only other determining factor should be that if your strings are no longer giving you the tone, brightness and response that you desire, then it's probably time to change them.

Setup Guides

How often should I have a set-up done on my instrument?

All electric guitars and basses, which are made from wood, are subject to changes in temperature and humidity. These instruments are machines, which have moving parts, and like any other machine, they require periodic maintenance and adjustment in order to insure a maximum level of performance and playability. This is precisely why there are multiple points of adjustment on each instrument. It is very important to familiarize yourself with the different points of adjustment on your guitar or bass i.e. truss-rod, tilt-adjust, saddle height, and intonation, as these features are there for a very important reason.

The woods of your instrument absorb the moisture (humidity) in the air, and expand and contract with changes in both temperature and humidity. This phenomenon may be illustrated easily with the following example: Suppose your instrument is already in tune, and you subsequently transport it during the heat of summer, to an air-conditioned venue. When you take it out of the case and let it cool to room temperature, the pitch of the instrument will dramatically drop as the wood cools and shrinks, causing the tension on the guitar to decrease. While this dramatic example may not require immediate adjustment compensation, it is often necessary to make seasonal adjustments in the action of your instrument to compensate for these changes. It is also important to note that changing string gauges or materials will also affect the amount of tension on the neck and will usually require a neck adjustment to compensate for this change in tension.

It is also, not uncommon that there may be a "settling in " period with a new instrument, where periodic adjustments in the action must be made until the wood stops moving, (bear in mind that seasonal adjustments may still be necessary). If you're a "do it yourselfer", visit our Setup Guides page for detailed information on setting up your instrument.

If you do not feel comfortable making adjustments in the action of your instrument, we would recommend that you have a qualified technician a Fender Authorised Dealer check out your instrument for the proper setup adjustments approximately every 6 months. This would also be a great time for your tech to keep an eye on such things as such as fret wear, intonation, etc. Please bear in mind that setups and adjustments are the owner's responsibility and are not covered by warranty.

Setup Guides

How do I intonate my instrument?

To maximize the performance of your instrument you must be sure to always keep it properly intonated so that the instrument will be in relative tune to itself. Always check and adjust the intonation as needed after every change of strings. When we intonate a guitar we shorten or lengthen the active vibrating length of a string so that it will be in tune with itself, given the scale length of the instrument, as well as differences in string gauges and micro-variations from string to string which occur in the manufacturing process. For information on how to set the intonation for your guitar check the Setup Guides for your instrument on this website.

Can you tell me how much my instrument is worth?

Fender, as a manufacturer of new instruments only, has no direct involvement in the used, collectors, or "vintage" instruments markets and therefore, we are unable to offer you the current value of your instrument. There are many variables involved in establishing the value of used or "vintage" instruments such as condition, rarity, desirability, etc. These conditions are best determined by a dealer who specialises in the sale of used and vintage instruments.