01x04 - Heart of the Machine

[bunniefuu]

What're you doing?

- Waking up, bro.
- All right, man.

- My name's Bill. What's going on?
- Hey, Bill.

This, right here,
is our wood warehouse.

- Yeah?
- Yeah. Just over here

- is the manufacturing plant.
- Yep.

As a matter of fact, we're growing

and we're looking in
to take that building.

- That's amazing.
- Yeah.

- We wanted to be here earlier, so.
- Oh, thank you, guys.

Nah, that's not true.
We just live on the road.

So this is the Hollywood Bowl
stadium seating.

- No way.
- Yeah, man.

Yeah, all seating.

We're making guitars outta them.

Hollywood Bowl, holy sh*t.

I bet you guys got, like, vintage,
aged wood, too.

- Oh, we do.
- You got all... you got all of it.

We've taken old bridges,
wood bridges, old barn wood

and made guitars out of 'em.

- Should be a good day.
- Yeah.

What I wanted to do on this episode
is I really wanted to focus on

building these instruments
from the ground up.

So, some of my favorite artisans

guys that I follow on Instagram
that are just amazing...

That's the best, I love you, man.

...just being able to document them

and celebrate the craftsman

that's what this is dedicated to.

And taking that,
and then that inspires the artist.

We're gonna sync the end part
of when the Fender team check.

Visiting the Fender factory

is really kind of
the start of this whole thing.

I wanted to show up there.

I wanted to camp out

and wake up and be there
right in the morning.

Fender has had a huge impact
on my journey to playing the guitar.

My first electric was
a Fender Nocaster that I cherished.

It fueled my passion
for playing guitar

and appreciation
for how they're made.

It's not some freaking machine, man.

I love that.

Roger's been here since 1960.
He's 91 years old.

Dude, what's up, Roger?

How you doing, sir? Hey.

You been here...
you been here for 60 years?

It's been 61.

Sixty-one years you've been here?

I started in 1960.

Born in 1929 and you've been here,
and you're 91 years old?

You're amazing.

Thank you, my friend.

Bro, all hands-on artistry.

Same techniques they're using.
Been doing it since 1954.

So much of what founded Fender
as an iconic company

and made it a household name

is still there today.

It's a legacy of craftsmanship

that carries on
with each guitar they make.

I think craftsmanship, for me

is just pouring
yourself into something

so that, you know,
it's reflective of you.

It's crazy to think

of all the music that will be created
for the world by these instruments

and it all begins here,
at the hands of these builders.

Somebody picks up a guitar

and they'll hold it
for several minutes

and stare at every facet
of that guitar.

You think it's like, "Oh, yeah,
these are machine-made..."

but no, every detail, like,
it was wonderful to go in the Fender

and see how much goes
into one of these guitars.

Like, a lot more than I thought.

It's a beautiful process.
I was really blown away.

Damn, Wilson, bro,
I follow you on Instagram!

- Man, that is so cool.
- That's awesome, bro.

Meeting all the artisans,
and guys who I follow

being able to see all the work

their workshops, going in there

seeing how handcrafted everything is.

It's kind of a vulnerable thing.

You make something,
and if... if you're proud of it

you're... you're proud to show
your friends

you're proud to show your family

but you're also kinda vulnerable

because you're worried
they might find all the stuff

that you think is wrong with it.

I've been building guitars
about 18 years here at Fender

and I built my first guitar

when I was 14 years old,
in high school

which, while the kids
were building bongs and clocks

I decided I wanted to build a guitar.

I wanted to slow things down
and take my time

and just focus on something
really detailed.

I could spend my time
making something

that somebody else could appreciate.

Being able to do this
and make someone's day

that's why I'm doing it.

Always learning
and developing that into the craft

and making it better

and I get to pour myself
into that guitar.

I still don't believe
that this is what I do.

Like, sometimes I'll tell my mom.

Like, "Hey, Mom,
I'm at Jimmy Page's house."

And she's like,
"Oh, that's nice, honey."

These craftsmen
have the coolest jobs.

You come into work every day,
and they live their passion

using their skills
to make music possible for so many.

Going to the Fender custom shop

they were so cool to me and so nice,
the whole team.

Seeing how an instrument comes
together made me wanna learn more

and to draw
from that well of inspiration.

This led me to Les Claypool.

Someone who's had a heavy hand
in creating custom guitars.

You go swimming in this?

You can.
We used to have a rope swing.

- Do you still swim?
- We haven't in a long time.

Don't worry.
I used to be a lifeguard.

Swim on on. You're good.

Les Claypool and Primus were massive
influences on me, growing up.

I relate to his unique style of music

and he inspired me
to pick up the bass.

Oh, man.

That was less than a minute.

I call him "Jeff."

Look at that, buddy.

That's impressive, sir.

Being able to spend time with him
and his family

and become friends with him

is something that I never would've
thought possible as a kid.

sh*t!

Damien.

I caught Damien.

This is how bad a fisherman
Aquaman is.

Primus is, without a doubt,
one of my all-time favorite bands.

Bass isn't usually
a forefront instrument

but Les Claypool, when he's on stage

steals the show.

This one really growls.

This one, for me,
sounds more like Primus, like...

He has some of the most
incredibly intricate

and impressive bass riffs
I've ever heard.

So much that...

there's a couple
he can't even play anymore.

He's so connected to his instruments
that create his unique sound.

He's just a master of his craft.

What inspired me to play guitar.

I mean, I've always tried
to pick it up, and I wanted to learn

but I just... I... I didn't have it
when I was a kid

and I wish I would've sat with it
a little bit longer.

But what inspired me
are these artists.

People like Les Claypool and Flea

they're big inspirations in my life.

I don't necessarily wanna make
my own songs

I wanna just sing their songs.

These are all Carl Thompson basses.

He's a brilliant, brilliant luthier.

Everything he makes is so unique

and you kinda tailor your playing...

to the instrument, you know?

But I always tell people

"Hey, if you want to buy
the best bass in the world

buy a Carl Thompson."

I mean, look at this thing.
It's just... It's gorgeous.

He makes
the most amazing instruments.

He's like the Stra... he's like
the modern-day Stradivarius.

He really is.

Anything you want. Anything you want.

I discovered Carl Thompson
through Primus

and Les Claypool
was a huge inspiration to me

and Primus, when I was young,
growing up, skateboarder, and...

and then, just seeing...

seeing him just kinda blew my mind.

What's up, buddy?

It's a pleasure to meet you, man.

Awesome!

The shop is amazing.

It was pretty exciting to be able
to go to Carl's house

and go into Brooklyn,
and go down in this basement

and it is tiny,
like, super, super tiny.

All right, you gonna show me
around a little bit?

Wax on, wax off. Wax on...

It's an honor.

Being in Carl's presence...

Yeah, it's like being with grandpa.

You know, you're in the basement
at grandpa's place

you hope your grandpa's that cool

but he's just dropping
all these, like

beautiful little nuggets of wisdom.

What the hell's this?

Oh, okay. Well, that's fine.
Your brother drew it.

That's it right there?

Billy Ray Thompson.

Me and Batman, I know him...
I know him very well.

Family of artists.

Through this incredible show

we've been able
to meet people from all over

including masters of craft
in unexpected places.

Carl is no different.

His space might be small

but the basses he creates
are unbelievable.

He's been making
these instruments here for years

literally shaping
the course of musical history

from beneath his fingers.

This one's gorgeous.

You sure you wanna send
this to Australia?

We can make him wait longer, right?

You originally started
as a... a jazz musician

and then you started
making your basses

or you always made your basses?

Yup. Yeah.

Yeah, I would say, with that stuff.

So, what year was...
what year is this?

Carl's lived such
an extraordinary life.

Being a self-taught master

words can't describe
how amazing he is.

I want it to look like this.
I want it to look right.

It has to be right, you know.

I don't care how you approach it.

It really shows
the importance of handcrafted

and while many larger builders
have lost that human touch

there are still a few
who champion craftsmanship.

- Hey, Billy.
- Hey.

I remember seeing this
before I even played guitar

I was like, "What is that?"

I bought my first...
I bought my first National

and it was on the day
of Robert Johnson's death

and I learned how
to play the lap steel

and then I learned how to play,
like, "Come on in my Kitchen"

and... before I could actually
play a note.

So, I started... started
playing slide

- Yeah.
- before I could actually play notes.

You still got that one?

Oh, yeah. I've got all of that stuff.

There are some guitars that change
the course of music history.

One of those guitars

ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons'


The Mistress Pearly Gates.

Give me a little history
of Pearly Gates.

They point to Eric Clapton as being
the guy that cracked the code

and the evidence showed up

on the back of the John Mayall
and the Bluesbreakers record,

and that became the go-to thing.

But keep in mind,
that was in '66 or '67.

This instrument had already been
out of production

- since '59, or early '60s.
- '60s, yeah.

Pearly Gates is one of the most
iconic guitars in the world

so I sent my team to Gibson

to meet Billy
and his legendary instrument.

A call from Los Angeles saying that

you had a buyer for Pearly, so.

Yeah, but I told him to steal Pearly.

- Where's Pearly?
- Coming in.

- Oh, my...
- Yeah...

- You guys ready?
- Let's go. Come on, buddy.

Go...

Oh, man.

Pearly Gates is Billy Gibbons' guitar

that he's known to have
from the beginnings of ZZ Top.

Very special.

Immediately, the sound
of the instrument eclipsed everything

that had come before it.

You don't get to see
that guitar that often

so my team got to be there

and to see the most perfect
'59 Les Paul in history.

See, it made divine music,
and it created a genre of music.

- Oh, yeah.
- This is music history.

To be able to sh**t Pearly Gates

it's magic, it's huge.

It's like, that guitar is definitely
locked-down Fort Knox.

Even unplugged, these things
have a... have resonance with them.

I'm gonna meet Tom Murphy.

Tell you what this is.

This was my file when we first tried
to replicate Pearly Gates.

These are the pictures taken
of the actual guitar.

So you got these legends

and I wanna celebrate their guitars.

And by doing that

we're gonna take their guitar

with all the cracks and the beats

the smoky lounges, and everything,
and all that soul that's in there.

And then, we're gonna duplicate it
with other artisans

who are inspired by that music

and then surprise them,
so they can retire that one

and then take it out
and go play it in the world.

Getting the opportunity
to help replicate

one of the most famous guitars
in music history

for a music legend

another surreal experience.

All the love and skill that goes
into building a masterpiece

really makes you appreciate
the craftsmen

who dedicated their lives
to keeping this art form alive.

Everyone that works at Gibson
is excited about these artists

and that's maybe why they work there

and because they're moved by them

and now we get to build his guitar

and then we're gonna auction off
for charity.

So, that was, like,
a really special thing

just to be able to, like,
document that

and then give something back.

I was pleased to see that we were
gonna replicate the Pearly Gates

Billy Gibbons' guitar, for Jason.

It's always been really special to me
because in the spring of '70

I was sitting on the floor
in a tiny, little club

to see Billy Gibbons' new band.

He walked from behind this marsh lamp
holding that Les Paul

and I was a 19-year-old kid
hearing Billy Gibbons play

and seeing that Les Paul.

I mean, it was just guitar heaven,
and music heaven.

So that was just thrilling,
to see that circle happen

where I was influenced by that guitar

and then... then got to replicate it.

This particular guitar

- of all the guitars I've done
- Yeah.

I had to use a wire brush on a drill

to replicate where he's worn
the wood away.

Not the finish.
The wood is rounded off there.

- Belt buckles
- Belt buckles.

and low-slung, you know?

And so that's what
Billy Gibbons' guitar looks like.

Yeah, 'cause it has a real... like,
we're talking about the tobacco

it's been played
in a lot of clubs and...

- Oh, of course. You can
- D'you... d'you wanna...

see the yellowing of the body

that's the lacquer turning yellow
on the whole guitar.

I asked him personally,
of all the years and all the guitars

how this guitar did never get broken.

- Right.
- He said

"'Cause she was right here."

We heard that Billy had named
that Les Paul "Pearly Gates"

so he loaned a car
to a girl to go to California

and the car was named "Pearly Gates."

My buddy, he said,
"There's a cowboy outside of town

he's working a ranch.

He used to have a... a cowboy band.

I think he's got one
of those Sunburst Les Pauls."

I said,
"Well, let's go check it out."

And he pulled it out
from under the bed

it was the famous story,
under the bed.

He opened up the case,
and there it was.

Well, there was a young girl
that was in Texas.

She was actually from Los Angeles

and she had an opportunity
to get a part in a movie

but she didn't have a way to get
from Texas back to California.

So, a buddy of mine and I
gave her a 1936 Packard.

We said, "Listen, we don't know
if it's gonna make it.

We don't know
if you're gonna get there."

But sure enough, she said,
"I'm gonna learn how to drive it."

Which she did.

Made it all the way to California

got the part

and she said, "Now, what do I do?"
I said, "Well, sell the car."

Which she did, and she sent
the money back to us

on the day that we found
the Les Paul.

I had this handful of cash

and I gave it to this cowboy and said

"Here, we'll make a deal."
He said, "Fine."

That was... that was the start of it.

- Yeah.
- Under the bed, in Texas,

that's how you found Pearly Gates?

That's it.

I love sitting with him
and hearing his stories, so...

It was one of those beautiful moments
where you meet your heroes

and your heroes are cool.

So, it's... it's...
"Be cool. Be kind."

The craftsmen who built
the original 1959 Les Paul

changed the course of music history.

Each one was hand-built

creating a unique personality
for each guitar.

And like Pearly

they went on to create music

that would inspire us
for generations.

That's The Pearly Gates!

Yeah!

So, we're at the home of Dan Maloney

who has been making me basses
for years.

See, I wanted to design
my own instrument

that fit me personally.

You know, my ergo instrument.

It was Dan who I...

He was really the only person
I wanted to talk to about it

- so, let's go see Dan!
- And so, it's making me...

Let's go see Dan
and the Pachydermy bass.

He's a good guy.

- He's around town then?
- Yeah.

The mystery guest.

This is the mystery guest.

- How you doing, Dan?
- Good, good.

Nice to meet you, man.

This is where it's all made, huh?

This is where it all happens.
All right, yeah.

I asked Dan to make me one
out of dark chocolate

and... so, I'm very anxious

to have the first edible Pachyderm
bass guitar.

So...

We were... we were talking
because I wanted

to get a bass from you

and then you said, maybe, possibly

the next bass
you'd be making would be a...

You could make it koa, right?

Well, we're making a couple of koas.

Couple of koas.

So we'll see which one I wanna keep.

Yes, so you... so you get twinsies.

I love natural materials.

I feel so connected with these things
that are shaped from the earth.

They have meaning.

Koa is my favorite wood,
and it's from Hawaii.

It's absolutely beautiful.

So this bass is kind of a marriage
of those things that I love.

There you go.

That's perfect.

Wow, that came out great.

How long did it take
to make one of them?

Probably, this one, about
five or six months ago, I think.

And I was like, "Okay.

I want something
that balances incredibly well

that is light, super punchy,
very basic electronics."

I want sh*t to be easy and ergo.

I like it to feel how the contours
on these different things

and how they feel against my body

and I sit there, and I just play
with them in my chair

lie on the couch,
and do all kinds of things, so...

'Cause that was, for me,
when I was growing up

with my Carl Thompson bass

I was... it was like my girlfriend,
you know?

I was... I had that thing
with me everywhere.

I mean, that was very comfortable
for me.

So I wanted my instruments
to be equally as comfortable.

We shifted the waist on it

so, like, this, the waist is here

- the waist is here.
- Yeah.

So, what I was finding
is that it didn't balance

on my knee very well

so we shifted the bottom portion
of the waist back.

It's basically the same bass

but we wanted to extend
the lower horn

so it feels better on your knee.

See, like,
it just sits there, just like...

You know, work on the console,
it doesn't go anywhere.

But it's also a little bit of a...
of an homage to Carl Thompson

- because Carl is... is
- Yeah.

the king of all kings

and this is a bit of a nod to him.

So, each one of these are hand-done?

Some of the ones I use but he does...

he does all the finely-dinely.

I mean,
how would you shape this edge?

I would use this method,
I'd use a bit of that

I'd use the bigger stuff
of this pipe grinder

and then on the...

the real fine stuff, use files,
use sandpaper.

Look, he just ruined it.

That one's mine.

- Yeah, you bought that one.
- Yep, it's all good.

But you can see,
I did a couple of dingers

when I was working on it, too,
right here.

I did exactly what you did.

You know, we edited that out
so we'll never use it.

I didn't ding sh*t.

- I saw you ding it.
- I didn't.

Thank you for opening
your house and home

and showing us your craft

and thank you for showing me
that you do it yourself

which I think is amazing.

I just f*ck around on this thing,
you know?

It's so pretty cool coming down here.

Carl's dad built this.

So he took the neck off an acoustic

and built the body for it.

That was...

built, like, back in the 1930s.

It was before Les Paul was
seeking on building instruments.

His dad was doing
a bunch of recording on...

early recording here.

He just always had trouble
getting feedback and stuff

- on... on that early recording
- Yeah, yeah.

so he decided
to build a... an electric guitar.

Yeah.

Eric Clapton played it?

Man.

It's a museum piece, sir.

Carl's father's guitar
has been played by many big names

and to think it could be
one of the world's first

solid-body electric guitars.

To see it just hanging there

it's just a testament
to how humble he is.

Is there other stuff
to like here too?

- No, this is it.
- That is amazing.

- This is amazing.
- Yeah.

Carl clearly comes
from a family of creators.

As a father who wants to pass down
to my kids the things that I love

my passions

I felt a deep connection.

Well, that's what our show
is really about.

It's, like, just handcrafted artists

and really, it's the...
the heartbeat of it, right here.

Like, being in the basement,
in this small of a studio

making the greatest basses
in the world.

You're one of... You're just...

You're one of the greatest luthiers
in the world, bro.

To document him

that's what this is all about.

It's going down
into his little workshop

you get to experience it.

It was beautiful to watch
this whole thing come to life.

Just what he lives by,
his mottos, the things that, like

that fuel him, and he's so inspiring.

Thank you for it
'cause you definitely

shared your gift.

A hundred percent.

It was. A hundred percent.
He definitely shared his gift.

You know, I'm using my passion
and excitement about what he does

to show the world

and he has this superpower
of being able to do this

and he needs to pass it to the world.

So, I think it's wonderful
that we're complementing each other.

This is called the "Nashville."

That's called a "Nashville"?

Yeah, the Rainbow bass started
as a guitar, back in the '70s.

You were the first one to do that?

Listen... and they call it
Rainbow bass

and when Les came into my life

I just thought,
"These guys are crazy.

Let me make them something crazy."

The craziest. The craziest.

I said,
"I'll make them something crazy."

- Yeah.
- Now everybody wants

a Rainbow bass, you know.

Is that his first one?
Is it, like, the Rainbow?

That's the first one
I made him, yeah.

- That's the first one you made?
- But he had one before that.

- Yeah.
- He found one

and he's had that... that little
piccolo-style bass that he has.

- Yeah.
- The... the longer bass?

He said he found that in a hockshop

and he said he purchased it
from somewhere a long time ago.

- Really?
- So before I even met him, yeah.

All of a sudden, I stumbled
across one at a local music store.

It was used, and I was like,
"Holy sh*t, this thing's incredible."

I picked it up and played it.
It's the one you

- played last night.
- Yeah, that's the one.

I had no money, and so I just went
and borrowed money from everybody

and I scrimped and saved,
and it was $600

and I went in to go back to get it
and they had marked it up to 1,000.

And I told the guy,
"Dude, you told me 600."

I was in high school.

And he goes in the back
and he comes back, he's like

"Okay, I'll sell it to you
for 600 with tax."

And I was like, "Okay."
And I gave him the 600

and I wrote him
a bum check for the tax.

But I got the bass.

Les came over

and he said he wanted
to get a six-string bass.

And so, he started making it,
and then halfway through

I was like, "You know,
I'm gonna maybe have it be fretless"

'cause I'm an idiot.

And I've made my life much harder
by having it be fretless.

Why did I decide to have a fretless?

It's... it was this ridiculous thing.
I was... just wanted to cha...

I was like,
"I'm bored with four-string.

I wanna... challenge myself."

Les' bass

- when I made his?
- Yeah.

This stuff went all the way through

- the Rainbow.
- Yeah.

'Cause when I carved that Scroll

all those woods... oh, it's...

I was in that kitchen, and...
but, you know...

I should've charged him
$50 million for that one.

Les' music was influenced directly

by Carl's genius in making this bass.

And the songs created on it
had a profound impact

on a lot of people, including me.

You know, Mark,
Pachyderm basses are amazing.

They're... they're super ergo

but if you wanted
an incredible piece of art

by the greatest bass builder, luthier
I've ever come across, ever

get a Carl Thompson.

Did you see the picture
I got from him

- No, show it to me.
- recently?

He's a wild man.
I love him to death, man.

He speaks so highly of you, too

so it's an honor to be able
to come here and meet you

and I'm so happy
I got a bass from you.

I'm glad you did too, to meet me.

Like I told you before,
I made guitars for Lou Reed

I made Hank Williams.

I never made one for the Aquaman.

Carl made
this gorgeous six-string bass.

The woodwork was pure artistry.

Took influence from Les' style
and incorporated it into this build.

Carl's just a f*cking genius.

Yeah, this thing's amazing.

Nice and light.

Now, you know,
Les has his Pachydermy basses.

They dealt us with their baloney.

This thing's badass.

Yeah! Carl!

But it's really beautiful
to see, like

where that kinda style came from

and that was through Carl.

Yeah, this thing's very cool.

- I'm stoked.
- Yeah.

- I'm stoked to tell Carl.
- It's very cool.

He was very excited
I was coming here.

Going to Carl's place,
in his little, small basement

I mean, it...
it's quite impressive to go.

You know,
when we're sh**ting on the show

it's like these massive companies

that are still making
handcrafted things

but then it's like getting
into someone's garage

like Dan,
making these amazing instruments.

But still, Carl, you think
it would be a little bit...

I mean, he's like 80-what?

- I don't even know.
- Yeah.

I think he's a vampire.
I think he's ageless.

Yeah, I mean, look... look at that.
That's just...

Nobody beats his woodwork.
It's unbelievable.

They're literally pieces of art.

And that's one of the
beautiful things about it, too.

Like, you're creating with him.

You get to see behind the curtain

of what it takes
to make something like this

that kinda artistry.

So koa wood, the core
is Honduran mahogany.

The neck is roasted maple.

Oh, is that what that is?

This is what they looked like
before, isn't it?

That's the neck.

Well, before this, it's a tree,
you know, sorry.

So, two of my first...

I've never had a fretless.

So, I felt like it was...
if anyone's gonna make me a fretless

it's gonna be you guys.

It's beautiful.
And then, this is my first...

this'll be the first six-string.

Right here.

Amazing.

I don't know how many guitars
he puts out a year

but it's just so special
to be able to have

like, anything from him,
and be able to record him.

Carl, if there's a charity
that you really love

we're gonna raise money

give that to a charity,
if there's anything that you...

- Make-A-Wish.
- If there's... Make-A-Wish?

I'm gonna auction off, basically,
my first fretless

and hopefully raise money,
and we can...

and... and we'll bring some more
to some charities.

And then... and then we'll also do...
we'll also do Make-A-Wish, buddy.

When I talked to him
on the phone, what did I say?

I said, "This guy, I never met him

but he sure sounds like a nice guy."

Well, you gave me
a lot of gold today.

You gave me some...
some great advice.

Yeah, buddy. Yeah.

To be able to use my team
and our passion

and be able to capture him
in the most beautiful way

it was an honor.

- You wanna see what Dan made?
- I do.

Okay,
so this was one of the first koas

that he was working on.

This is the first koa?

- It's one of the first ones.
- One of the first.

So these are
the two koas he was working on

when you were around.

Both of these
have been my road basses.

I've taken them both on the road.

Through the making of this show

I've come to realize
that the flame inside all of us

to create and give our gift
to the world

is the thing that pulls us together.

Being able to share these
one-of-a-kind guitars with the world

I wanted to make an extra one
so that we could auction it off

and then, from there,
donate it to charity.

Well, I always tell my kids,
I'm like, "When I go, when I die

there's no money."

Evel Knievel said,
when I was a kid, "You know

I've made $2 million in my life"

which was a shitload of money
back then

"but I've spent four."

So I tell my kids, "Look,
when I go, there's no money

but you're gonna have
a f*ck of a yard sale, you know?

'cause, like,
I keep all of this sh*t, all right?

What... You saw the van, you know?

I got all kinds of sh*t like that."

Lola and Wolf...

I made a lot of money.
I spent more...

but you're gonna have
a hell of a yard sale.

Hell of a yard sale.

So, when we auction it off

it basically gets to go
to any charity that you want.

What charity would you want
the money to go to?

Well, because we lost
my little nephew, Matthew

baby Matthew, years ago to leukemia

and I saw what my brother
and my sister-in-law

and their whole family,
went through...

in that situation,
as you know, as a father, that's...

that's the most horrific thing
you could possibly imagine

- Yeah.
- losing... losing your kid.

So St. Jude's Hospital
was this amazing place

that really took care of my brother
and his family.

So... St. Jude's.

- Thank you, brother.
- Right on, man.

Awesome. Yeah.

Let's go eat some of your wieners.

Let's eat some wieners.

All right.

Let's go. Let's... let's do this.

- What do you got here?
- Let's... let me show you something.

All right, so straight
from Murphy's lab

we got three.

Oh, my gosh.

I'm... I wanna give you two

and we're gonna sign one for a fan.

Do us the honors.
You wanna open them up?

Oh, man.

Somebody's gonna be really happy.

Oh, man.

Yeah.

- Right?
- Oh, god.

This comes the tough part now.

- Beautiful. This one, too.
- It's... it's done right.

- Nice and dark, too.
- Look at that. Yeah.

Man.

All right. Ooh, baby.

That one's good.

Jeez.

There, now look at the depth
of that color.

The movement, you know?

They call it flame maple,
and there's a reason

because it... it flares under the...
under the movement.

To really be able
to spend time with him

and give it to him in his home

and just honor him is...
it's a wonderful thing, man.

He's really a beautiful human being.

This is really,
really beautiful work.

- They are, aren't they?
- Stunning.

You know, every element,
they're so... so bold.

I hope we captured on camera

like, how just unbelievable
these things are.

Pearly has this, this presence,
this powerful tone

that has yet to be eclipsed.

- Cesar.
- Jason.

- Hi, Billy.
- We did it.

We did it, and we're gonna join you

in supporting one
of the great charities that...

we know that you've been
so closely associated with.

You know, with all the work
that we're doing

around music education

I think Gibsons Gives
will be the right place.

- Nice.
- Gibsons Gives. I love it, buddy.

It's a done deal.

I can't believe it's happening,
pinch myself.

This is a real special moment.

And just in time,
the ZZ Top tour starts in...

just around the corner, and

we... we don't have to worry about
what we're taking on the road.

I'm seeing it right here.

That's awesome.

This is really, really special.

I love it here.

I'm really proud of all the stuff
that you guys have created

and, you know,
that's what we wanna celebrate.

We wanna celebrate handcrafted.

You guys are still doing here
at Fender.

It's just so wonderful
to celebrate craftsmanship

and be able to pass it
over to musicians.

A beautiful full-circle of, like,
passing on the thing that we love

the universal language of music.

So, thank you, Fender.

A lot of these artists come back,
and they want these certain luthiers

these certain craftsmen
to build their guitars.

And so, this one is... it goes out
to the boys at Fender.

I love this little team.

And please enjoy how much goes
into these little pieces of art.

What an amazing journey.

Unlike any other I've had before.

The craftsmen I've met
have opened my eyes to the love

and detail that goes into
every instrument they create.

They come from all walks of life

and create their art
in different environments.

They themselves are works of art.

In basements, in factories,
in garages.

It's a collective of specialists
who love what they do

and they share their gifts
with the world.

They're united by the drive

and passion
to build these tools in music.

And translate that
into every stroke of the file

tap of the hammer

and winding of the strings.

My heart is so full
getting to explore

even a piece of this world

and to meet the masters
who live in it.

I never wanna be a master.

I had an idea about making a bass

and I found a way to make it happen

that's all.

Doesn't take any genius to do that.