A ‘lost’ Fender Performer from 1985 has surfaced – possibly the rarest example of the quirky electric guitar ever made

A Fender Performer with a maple fingerboard
(Image credit: Guitar Auctions at Gardiner Houlgate/Instagram)

An ultra-rare Fender Performer from 1985 – perhaps the only one its kind to feature a maple fingerboard – has emerged, and it’s headed to the auction block.

Looking like something that would be right at home among a modern day prog metaller’s electric guitar arsenal, the Performer (not to be confused with today’s American Performer series) is one of the most peculiar Fenders ever made – but this one is even stranger still.

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Matt Owen
Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.