Fender’s CEO seems to think your bandmates are just analog AI

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="Edward “Bud” Cole speaks in Japan in 2023. | Image: Jun Sato/WireImage" data-portal-copyright="Image: Jun Sato/WireImage" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/gettyimages-1259130896.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> Edward “Bud” Cole speaks in Japan in 2023. | Image: Jun Sato/WireImage </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Fender CEO Edward "Bud" Cole gave an interview to <a href="https://www.t3.com/home-living/welcome-to-tele-town-fender-celebrates-75-years-of-the-telecaster"><em>T3</em></a> in May celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster with comments on AI and music that initially flew under the radar. But it has started <a href="https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/fender-ceo-defends-ai/">making the rounds</a> <a href="https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/fender-ceo-bud-cole-ai-comments">recently</a>, pouring more fuel on an already raging fire of bad PR following the company <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7RUpkXsV0">pissing off</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/BOv8HD4LklY">basically</a> the <a href="https://youtu.be/FXdGYqlLugE">entire</a> guitar-playing <a href="https://youtu.be/l4x1oHfu8w0">community</a> by <a href="https://youtu.be/vUIRZz5BbUY">sending</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/18Np7TmKbS0">cease-and-desist</a> letters to builders, claiming copyright of the Stratocaster body shape.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Some influential guitar YouTubers have even said they're <a href="https://youtu.be/tK32zkbWOMc">done buying Fender gear</a> in the wake of the controversy. And Cole's resurfaced comments comparing cover songs and bandmates to a sort …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/974265/fender-ceo-bud-cole-ai-music">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>