The World's Biggest Guitar Store Just Declared War On Fender

On June 22, 2026, Thomann — the world's largest online music retailer — filed a lawsuit against Fender Musical Instruments. This isn't a minor legal spat. It's the culmination of a strategy that started in 2014, when Fender said no to John Mayer and watched him build their fiercest competitor instead. Now, after a controversial German copyright ruling and a sweeping cease-and-desist campaign targeting PRS, LsL Instruments, Suhr, Tom Anderson, and Tyler, the industry is fighting back. This video traces the full timeline: from Mayer's exit, to Servco's acquisition of Fender and Reverb, to the Düsseldorf court ruling, to the lawsuit that could decide whether one company can own the shape of an instrument that's belonged to everyone for seventy years. Does Thomann win this fight? And if Fender pulls it off in court, is that good for the guitar industry — or does it finish what started with one phone call in 2014? Tell us where you stand in the comments, and subscribe to follow this story as it develops. #fender #thomann #prs #silversky #johnmayer #guitarindustry #guitarnews #stratocaster #harleybenton