nope. i just worked building /repairing/restoring guitars and amps out of a music store from 1973-1984, and eventually ended up opening my own guitar shop from 1985-2005. of course, when you do something that long in southern california, you end up working with alot of different people on various projects (rock stars, larger companies etc). i was offered to be the first 'master builder' for the fender custom shop when John Page was running it back in '86, but i had just opened my own shop a year ealier and turned it down. in hindsight, i probably should have taken the job since he offered me a ton of money to build just 12 instruments a year for their high level endorsers (i.e. Clapton, SRV, Eric Johnson etc), and none to be built for public sale.
when i lived a little closer to corona 5 years ago, i applied for work at the fender CS, and when they saw my resume, they said that i was more than qualified to be a master builder, but they didn't have any openings. go figure. i knew John English (who was a 'master builder' very well (rest his soul) but IMO, i never played a single guitar that he built that impressed me at all.
