Master Builder Paul Waller is a Southern California native with woodworking and guitar making in his blood. He built his first guitar at age 14 in his high school woodshop and hasn’t looked back since.

He joined a cabinet shop right out of high school and, after a stint at a small Southern California guitar maker, enrolled at the acclaimed Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix in 2000. There he trained extensively in electric and acoustic guitar construction and repair, specializing in arch-top work, which remains his favorite.

Waller joined Fender in 2003 fresh from his training at Roberto-Venn. He spent two years working closely with master arch-top craftsman Bob Benedetto, and he became steeped in the many facets of building techniques from all the Custom Shop’s Master Builders.

His Fender Custom Shop work has included bass guitars for U2’s Adam Clayton, co-work on a Stratocaster® for Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, and highly unusual hand-carved arch-top and “carved brick” Telecaster
designs.