Fender x Hot Wheels Collection: 16 custom shop guitars at a not so bargain price

Fender Custom Shop Hot Wheels  ·  Source: YouTube/Fender

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Do you remember Mattel? The US toy manufacturer responsible for Hot Wheels has teamed up with the Fender Custom Shop for 16 unique electric guitars. They are also uniquely expensive and are, therefore, probably more aimed at collectors who played with Hot Wheels in their childhood and are into the super car aesthetics.

Fender Custom Shop Hot Wheels

We know that the Fender Custom Shop does not produce electric guitars for everyone, but we feel the current collection in cooperation with Mattel’s Hot Wheels team is a bit exaggerated. They are by no means uninteresting variants of the instruments – but with the price, we seriously wonder who these 16 Hot Wheels models are aimed at?

They are master-built guitars that are visually modelled on the Hot Wheels toy cars. You know, those crazy cars from the fantasy factory, which have been shouted into your heads via over the top advertising since the 1980s, always banging on about how cool they are.

Fenders and cars

If you read Gearnews diligently, you have certainly noticed the Fender Lexus LC Strat or the Stratocaster 1 in the Saleen 1 sports car look from Fender CS master builder Ron Thorn. Both of these were high priced models. But, I suspect, they were both far more exclusive builds, and essentially designed from the ground up. Whereas these Hot Wheels models aren’t exactly re-inventing the classic guitar designs they are based upon. It’s essentially a nice paint  job with the majority of them.

The new mini-series with Mattels Hot Wheel Team is located somewhere in the middle, with at least $12,000 as a starting price. The idea for this came from the Custom Shop with the Surf Green Envy Collection. Why not? In the end, Fender, like other manufacturers, caters for all ends of the market.

The Custom Shop Hot Wheels models include Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Precision Bass, Jazz Bass and a Katana model. Here the form was revived for the first time for Japanese bassist Hama Okamoto. And every guitar looks kind of cool and extraordinary.

Fender Katana Bass Hot Wheels

Excessive pricing? Or just delirious?

I get why they have been made, as they show off what the Fender Custom Shop is capable of. However, who spends $12,000 on a guitar based on a model car? Even if only premium components and special designs are included in the pickup covers and tops, and the master builders have worked with fairy dust and the associated toy car is included.  I actually own a SuperStrat Kawasaki bike themed guitar myself, so I kind of get the aesthetic. But I can tell you now for a fact that the custom paint job and hardware on my custom-made guitar didn’t cost anywhere near what Fender is charging for these Hot Wheels models.

Would you spend the money? Essentially, we are simply not the target group in the editorial office, even if we certainly owned all these toy cars as kids. Still, we should note that Fender seems to continue to pursue the Katana form. We’re up for it. But just not at this price!

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Fender Hot Wheels Collection Video

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