Spend time in any guitar forum and you'll hear it: newer Fenders don't always feel dialed-in out of the box. Sharp fret ends, finish flaws, setups that need work before the first gig. This week, Fender CEO Bud Cole took the criticism on directly.
Speaking with musician and YouTuber Mary Spender, Cole said players have always counted on Fender for dependable instruments at every price point, "and when that gets called out, I need to listen."
The short version
Cole acknowledged player concerns about Fender's quality control.
He linked the slide to the pandemic-era rush to meet record demand.
Fender has launched Fender 360, a program that checks quality at every stage of production, not just at the end.
He says the changes are already underway in Corona, California, and Ensenada, Mexico.
What went wrong, in Cole's view
Guitar sales boomed during the COVID lockdowns as millions of people picked up the instrument or came back to it. Cole said that surge pushed manufacturers across the industry to prioritize yield, meaning how many finished guitars roll off the line.
His position now is that volume is meaningless if quality slips. Quality has to come first, he said, adding that Fender "heard it loud and clear."
Cole also pointed to his 22 years living and working in Japan, known for demanding manufacturing standards, as shaping how he views a factory floor.
So what is Fender 360?
Many instrument makers lean heavily on a final inspection before a guitar ships. Fender 360 is meant to go further. According to Cole, it tracks quality from the moment raw materials like wood arrive at the plant, through every step of building, finishing and setup.
The logic: catch a problem early, when it's cheap to fix, not at the end of the line, where a flawed neck or finish is already baked in.
One caveat: Cole shared no defect rates, targets or timeline, so there's no public benchmark yet.
How players are reacting
The quality comments have drawn less heat than the legal fight. YouTube creators have posted reaction videos with titles like "Mary Spender Grills Fender CEO Bud Cole" and "Fender CEO Tells Mary Spender Why He's Suing My Friends," with most of the anger aimed at Fender's lawsuits over Strat-style guitars.
On bass forum TalkBass, some owners have said they sold off their Fenders over the legal campaign, while others called the backlash overblown and defended their instruments as well made. Actual buyers look more forgiving: Fender rates 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot across roughly 500 reviews, with occasional defect reports but frequent praise for how warranty issues get fixed.
Why it matters
Players: If it works, fewer new guitars should need a trip to a tech before they're gig-ready. Until then, check frets, finish and setup before your return window closes.
Retailers: Fewer returns would be a direct win for dealers, who absorb much of the cost of a bad unit.
The industry: Fender is the brand everyone else gets measured against. If it publicly raises its quality bar, competitors will feel that pressure too.
The bigger picture
The interview lands during a bumpy stretch for Fender's public image. In the same conversation, Cole voiced regret over how the company handled its Strat-shape cease-and-desist campaign, which we covered earlier this week. Over the summer, he also walked back remarks comparing cover bands to "analog AI."
Owning the quality issue out loud is smart. But promises are easy. The proof will be the guitars on store walls over the next year, and MI Insider will be watching.
Sources: Bud Cole's interview with Mary Spender, as reported by Guitar World and Ultimate Guitar (Sept. 24, 2026), plus MusicRadar and Guitar World on related comments. Player reaction from YouTube, TalkBass and Trustpilot.