- Fender tapped Zach Top as one of the headline performers for "Tele Town," a one-night live music event at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on May 4, 2026, honoring the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster, the world's first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.
- The event brings together a deep lineup of elite Telecaster players, including Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Ricky Skaggs, Brent Mason, Steve Wariner, and James Burton, with all net proceeds going to local Nashville charities.
- Zach Top's involvement caps a landmark stretch: he was named New Artist of the Year at the 59th Annual CMA Awards, earned his first #1 at country radio with "I Never Lie," and launched a signature jean line with Kimes Ranch.
- Fender has a strong track record of pairing with artists around the Telecaster specifically, most recently teaming with Brian Fallon for a limited edition '59 Tele Custom, and maintaining a long-running signature series with Brad Paisley.
Zach Top is joining forces with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation for “Tele Town,” a marquee campaign event celebrating the Telecaster’s 75th anniversary.
The show lands at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on May 4, 2026, bringing together legendary Tele players: Brent Mason, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne, Guthrie Trapp, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, and James Burton, alongside rising country star Zach Top.
Derek Wells, two-time ACM Guitar Player of the Year, serves as musical director, calling it “a true honor” and describing the lineup as players “who’ve lived with this guitar onstage and in the studio.”
The Fender pairing comes at a pivotal moment for Top. His sophomore album “Ain’t in It for My Health” pulled in over 30 million global streams in its first week, earned three Grammy nominations, and his single “I Never Lie” became his first #1 at country radio.
Top has also been building out his brand portfolio off stage. His partnership with Kimes Ranch includes sponsorship of his “Cold Beer & Country Music” headlining tour, a co-branded VIP experience, and an apparel endorsement. He later expanded that deal into a signature jean line debuted at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo.
On Fender’s side, the brand has been active with artist-driven Telecaster campaigns. Just days before Tele Town, Brian Fallon partnered with Fender for a Custom Shop Telecaster release, and the brand’s ongoing signature series with Brad Paisley has yielded multiple limited-edition Telecaster models over the years.
Fender also recently announced a search for its first-ever “Guitar Correspondent” to cover major festivals in 2026, signaling a broader push around artist-led storytelling.
This is Top’s first known campaign partnership with Fender. In a year where he has also headlined the C2C Festival across Europe and performed at Country Thunder Arizona, his placement on Fender’s biggest 2026 stage yet makes a clear statement about where the industry sees his trajectory heading.
Takeaways
Fender didn’t just book a performer for an anniversary show, they picked someone who plays the Telecaster as part of their core identity, not as a prop.
Zach Top is known for Telecaster-driven arrangements that sound like they could’ve been recorded in 1987. That authenticity is exactly what Fender needs to make a 75th anniversary campaign feel real rather than corporate.
For Top, this is a significant brand credibility leap, going from apparel deals to being on Fender’s marquee Nashville stage puts him in company with guitarists who’ve had decades-long relationships with the brand.
It also raises a bigger question: is a signature Telecaster next? Fender clearly pays attention to who draws organic associations with the guitar, and Top is now firmly on that radar.
Could Zach Top’s “Tele Town” appearance fast-track a future signature Telecaster deal with Fender, similar to the path Brad Paisley took? With Fender leaning heavily into country and Americana talent for its 75th Telecaster campaign, does this signal a strategic shift from the brand’s historically rock-dominated artist partnerships?
