Fender Ignored John Mayer. Now Thomann Is Suing Them. Same Mistake Twice

Fender's brand-new CEO took over in February 2026 — and ninety days later, his company sent PRS a cease-and-desist demanding they stop making the Silver Sky, a guitar that only exists because Fender rejected John Mayer's redesign pitch back in 2014. We trace the full chain: Mayer's exit, the Silver Sky's rocky launch and eventual dominance, Fender's failed 2009 U.S. trademark attempt, the German default judgment that revived the claim, PRS's defiant response, and Thomann's lawsuit that followed weeks later.