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Fender x Minions is here – and prices start at $48,000

Four bespoke guitars from the Fender Custom Shop will be sold in aid of the Fender Play Foundation.

Fender X Minions

All images: Fender

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Not content on shaking the world music to its core with a star-studded soundtrack, the Minions, alongside their animation studio, Illumination, have now partnered with the Fender Custom Shop for a set of Masterbuilt instruments in the name of Fender’s charity, the Fender Play Foundation.

The Fender Custom Shop x Minions collaboration consists of four masterbuilt instruments: They are:

  • StratoStuart, Masterbuilt by Kyle McMillin
  • Otto’s Moon Bass, Masterbuilt by Ron Thorn
  • Kosmic Kevin, Masterbuilt by Gonzalo Madrigal
  • The King Bob, Masterbuilt by Dennis Galuszka

These are an electric, a bass, an acoustic and a ukulele respectively The Stratostuart lists for $48,000, Otto’s Moon Bass for $50,000, Kosmic Kevin for $71,500, and The King Bob for $50,000.

Those are indeed some extremely eye-watering prices, however, it’s all for a good cause: proceeds from the Minions-themed Fender Custom Shop instruments (no, it doesn’t get any less weird) will go to ​​the Fender Play Foundation, which runs music education
programs with elementary and middle school students in Los Angeles.

Aarash, Darroodi, President of the Fender Play Foundation, saif of the partnership in a statement: “Since we introduced the Fender Play Foundation, it’s been our mission to equip, inspire and educate the next generation of players, supporting their passion for music through our programs.

“Our partnership with Illumination is a special one, as both organisations are committed to expanding the equitable access to music and arts education in after-school programs. For more than two years, the Foundation has been offering virtual music classes for Los Angeles Unified School District students, while Illumination has simultaneously been providing LAUSD students with virtual animation classes through their Animation With Illumination program. By joining forces, we have been able to create truly unique musical instruments inspired by Minions: The Rise of Gru, all proceeds of which will help expand access to music education to even more students in Los Angeles.”

Founder and CEO of Illumination Chris Meledandri added: “We are extremely proud to partner with the Fender Play Foundation to celebrate and support the power
of music and movies to move and inspire audiences of all ages. With a unique combination of Illumination’s artistry and Fender’s craftsmanship, we are bringing our characters to life with this special collection of instruments that will help drive this mission-critical work. Together, we are harnessing the power and creativity of our movies and characters to help expand equitable access to music and arts education for all.”

Take a closer look at the guitars below:

You can see more about the story behind the instruments in Fender’s video below.

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