Fender CEO Clarifies Cease-and-Desist Campaign After Leaked Dealer Meeting

A video posted to YouTube on May 27, 2026 shows Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s chief executive, Edward “Bud” Cole, speaking directly to the company’s dealer network about the company’s recent cease‑and‑desist letters. The recording, which was uploaded by dealer‑owner Phillip McKnight, is the first time Fender has addressed the campaign in a public forum.

Cole opened the address by stating that Fender is not suing any parties. He said, “Fender is not suing anybody. What we’ve done is to reach out thoughtfully and respectfully to a handful of companies whose guitars come extremely close to replicating the iconic Fender Stratocaster design.” He also clarified that the company is not demanding the destruction of inventory, calling the earlier language in the letters “unfortunate.”

The CEO further explained that the campaign is geographically limited. “Our current conversations are centered on products being made, marketed, or sold in the European Union, not here in the Americas,” Cole said. He added that Fender’s preferred outcome is “practical, reasonable solutions. Design modifications where needed. Generous transition periods to sell through existing inventory. No immediate financial demands.”

These statements represent a shift from the original Bird & Bird letters that were sent to a wide range of guitar builders in late May. The letters demanded that builders either modify or stop selling guitars that closely resemble the Stratocaster’s body shape, and they included a deadline of May 25 for compliance. The letters also contained a clause that, if not followed, could lead to the destruction of existing inventory.

The dealer meeting’s admissions have been interpreted by many in the guitar community as a retreat on several fronts: the inventory‑destruction demand has been re‑framed as “unfortunate,” the hard deadline has been replaced by an ongoing conversation, and the scope of the campaign has been narrowed to the EU. However, the CEO did not apologize for the language used in the original letters, nor did he acknowledge that the campaign’s focus on “a handful of companies” conflicts with the broader reach of the cease‑and‑desist operation.

A key point of contention is the claim that the campaign is limited to the EU. LsL Instruments, based in California, and PRS Guitars, based in Maryland, are both U.S. companies that publicly confirmed receiving cease‑and‑desist letters from Bird & Bird. LsL announced the letters in Guitar World and launched a GoFundMe to cover legal costs. PRS confirmed the letters in a Wall Street Journal interview and stated that it disagrees with Fender’s assessment. These statements contradict Cole’s assertion that the campaign does not target American companies.

Cole also addressed the role of Servco Pacific, a privately held company that has supplied Fender with parts since the 1950s and helped Fender survive a financial crisis in 1985. He highlighted Servco’s long history and the fact that its owners, the Fukunaga and Dames families, are musicians. The CEO noted that Peter Fukunaga founded the company in 1919 with a $1,500 purchase of a two‑car garage, correcting a common misconception that the $1,500 was a loan amount.

The video also touched on the term “S‑style” used to describe the body shape at the center of the dispute. Cole criticized the use of the term, arguing that it diminishes the legacy of Leo Fender and the industry’s reliance on the Stratocaster design. He said, “Calling it simply the S style or the S shape is an attempt to diminish and whitewash the immeasurable game‑changing contribution that Leo and his team made to the entire industry.” The statement was widely noted for conflating the historical significance of the Stratocaster with the legal strategy being pursued.

The dealer meeting does not resolve the legal disputes. LsL’s GoFundMe has raised $51,974, and PRS continues to contest Fender’s claims. Ron Bienstock, a lawyer representing builders who received the letters, has stated that he will not comply with the demands. The June 8 deadline for the original letters has passed without any public enforcement action.

In summary, Fender’s CEO has publicly acknowledged several aspects of the cease‑and‑desist campaign that were previously unclear or contested. He has removed the inventory‑destruction language, limited the geographic scope to the EU, and emphasized a collaborative approach. However, the contradiction between his statements and the confirmed letters sent to U.S. builders remains a significant point of dispute. The guitar community continues to monitor the situation closely as the legal and commercial implications unfold.