{"id":2412052,"date":"2026-05-11T19:09:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T19:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2412052"},"modified":"2026-05-11T19:09:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T19:09:26","slug":"fender-master-builder-starts-their-own-guitar-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/fender-master-builder-starts-their-own-guitar-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Fender Master Builder starts their own guitar company"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-56cd39c6-ab5b-49bf-8004-f2eb0de31cc6\">Hugely respected luthier Levi Perry has left the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/tag\/fender-custom-shop\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/tag\/fender-custom-shop\">Fender Custom Shop<\/a> to launch his own firm, Gavilan Guitars, which he\u2019s describing as a \u201cfull circle moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With nearly two decades of Master Builder experience, and having built high-level instruments for the likes of MkGee, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/tag\/buddy-guy\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/tag\/buddy-guy\">Buddy Guy<\/a>, and Matty Healy, Perry has relocated to New Mexico for a challenge that \u201ckeeps the spirit of childhood adventure alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-56cd39c6-ab5b-49bf-8004-f2eb0de31cc6-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Perry joined Fender straight out of high school and, by Casino Guitars&#8217; count, became Fender&#8217;s youngest-ever Master Builder after acing his Master Builder apprenticeship just six years later.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;PFCQx3bB&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;C9Mdr51M&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_C9Mdr51M_PFCQx3bB_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;C9Mdr51M&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_C9Mdr51M_PFCQx3bB_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;QkonVBJC0ZiCwuvE0+rgFo\\\/upR9yQ5mY2Zv0w\\\/6QkTFtrVBK&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/media\/img\/GW_logo.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"max-h-12 w-auto\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cGavilan Guitars is a full circle moment for me,\u201d he says of his newly launched brand. \u201cIt brings together so many of the moments and memories that have shaped me. It\u2019s where my childhood adventures meet my career. It\u2019s so much more than just a name for me. It\u2019s my home. It\u2019s my family.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"elk-Lu27cSLGPxs\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-Lu27cSLGPxs\" data-yt-video-token=\"Lu27cSLGPxs\" title=\"Fender Custom Shops Levi Perry Leaves to Start Gavilan Guitars - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">Fender Custom Shops Levi Perry Leaves to Start Gavilan Guitars &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Lu27cSLGPxs\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Fender Custom Shops Levi Perry Leaves to Start Gavilan Guitars - YouTube\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 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2.838-3.241V34.229h15.986m81.995.001v71.007h-12.511l-1.391-8.688h-.345c-3.402 6.564-8.498 9.845-15.292 9.845-4.711 0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-6fa2ac6e-3c62-4bdf-8eca-087100cfa644\">Gavilan is the Spanish word for hawk and is also the name of Perry&#8217;s childhood home in California. The Miramonte \u2013 a quirky, stunning offset that has some delicious relic&#8217;ing \u2013 is his brand&#8217;s first build, with many more set to follow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s important to me in a lot of ways because it has these contradictions that I like that I think show my personality,\u201d Perry explains. \u201cI\u2019m an old soul in a lot of ways. I grew up pretending to be a cowboy and watching old black-and-white movies. But at the same time, I&#8217;m a \u201890s baby who loved skate videos and grunge. And so there&#8217;s this feeling of something familiar and old, but at the same time it&#8217;s new, and it&#8217;s original.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted that to happen organically,\u201d he adds. \u201cI hope that you feel that sense of childhood adventure in each instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-aigDCMn62HKpRLNj7DdBYZ\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-aigDCMn62HKpRLNj7DdBYZ slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-73ea51bd-44fb-40dd-b7a2-df6f76a01f64\">Gavilan has built a nine-strong dealer network to start with, including Casino Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, and Andertons to ensure it has a presence on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>Perry follows a handful of Master Builders who have left the Fender Custom Shop roster in recent years <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/gear\/electric-guitars\/john-cruz-joins-iconic-guitars\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/gear\/electric-guitars\/john-cruz-joins-iconic-guitars\">John Cruz now works with Iconic Guitars<\/a>, which has brought<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/gear\/electric-guitars\/iconic-guitars-seven-string-multi-scale-s-type-for-josh-de-la-victoria\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/gear\/electric-guitars\/iconic-guitars-seven-string-multi-scale-s-type-for-josh-de-la-victoria\"> the Strat recipe into the year 3000<\/a> via Josh de la Victoria. Carlos Lopez, meanwhile, set up <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\/castedosa-guitars\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\/castedosa-guitars\">Castedosa Guitars<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an exciting new chapter for Perry, who has already launched a new(ish) body shape to the market, and put his relic\u2019ing experience to great use with these first P-90 loaded guitars.<\/p>\n<p>See <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gavilanguitars.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Gavilan Guitars<\/a> for more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.guitarworld.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hugely respected luthier Levi Perry has left the Fender Custom Shop to launch his own firm, Gavilan Guitars, which he\u2019s describing as a \u201cfull circle moment.\u201d With nearly two decades of Master Builder experience, and having built high-level instruments for the likes of MkGee, Buddy Guy, and Matty Healy, Perry has relocated to New Mexico [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2412053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2412052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Fender-Master-Builder-starts-their-own-guitar-company.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2412052"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412054,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412052\/revisions\/2412054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2412053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2412052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2412052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2412052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}