Godfather of Korean Rock Receives Fender Tribute Guitar

Rocker Shin Joong-hyun plays a tribute guitar awarded to him by the Fender Custom Shop.

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Korea's legendary rocker Shin Joong-hyun received Tuesday a specially-crafted tribute guitar from Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC), becoming the first Asian musician to be acknowledged by the world's leading guitar brand.

The 71-year-old singer was awarded with the tribute model named ``Shin Joong-hyun Tribute Stratocaster'' by Fender Custom Shop, a division of FMIC, during a ceremony in Sinsa-dong, Tuesday.

``I don't know what to say but thank you. I believe that it's not just me, but Korea and its people who have listened to my music, that brought this honorable opportunity,'' Shin said. ``I am honored to have received such a great guitar and all I want t do now is to play it for my fans."

Richard McDonald, the senior vice president of global marketing at Fender, joined Shin and revealed the one and only guitar to the press.

``Shin is someone I have heard about for a long time, and I have been very eager to meet him. (He) has achieved great success and fame here in Korea and is well known as the godfather of Korean rock,'' he said. ``The fact that he has done this with a Fender Stratocaster in his hands is a great pride for the company and myself.''

McDonald praised Shin as one of the leading musicians in the Asian rock scene, though he was a mystery to America before the Internet boom.

``He was a mythical character for us. Before the Internet, we would only learn about him from word of mouth. He actually has many followers in America and I believe he will be able to fill a concert hall in no time when he visits the U.S.,'' McDonald told The Korea Times.

It was in 1996 when local guitar company GuitarNet CEO John Park met Shin and was deeply inspired by the rock legend. Discovering Shin's affection toward the Fender Stratocaster, Park send a proposal to McDonald, saying that he would like Fender to present a custom made Stratocaster to Shin. The proposal was accepted.

There are currently five other Tribute models given to the world's greatest artists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The recognition is not only meaningful for Shin, but also for the local rock scene as a whole.

``I am proud that the world has come to recognize Korean rock. It is indeed a great honor and it shows that Korean music has reached an international level,'' Shin said, adding that he couldn't wait to play his new guitar.

He had his chance after the conference, where he proudly played the instrument with a big smile on his face.

``The great thing about a Fender is that it embraces you. When you feel sad, the tunes are sad, and when you feel happy, the tunes sound happy too. I feel like I have to do something now and I'm planning to express my life through this guitar from now on,'' Shin said.

Along with Fender's tribute to Korea's biggest rock singer, the brand also opened its new Fender Custom Shop Showroom in Sinsa-dong, where Korean customers can find some of its best products in the very best environment. The Korean showroom is the fourth of its kind in the world, after Germany, Italy and Japan.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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