As NAMM 2025 is a highly anticipated event, Fender's awaited return is generating quite the buzz among music industry professionals. However, according to Fender CEO Andy Mooney, attendees should not expect the brand to reprise its flashy guitars and products in the past booths.

NAMM 2025 is approaching quite quickly and the anticipation for several big companies to return such as Marshall and Fender is definitely a highlight to many. However, Fender will not be showcasing all of their electric guitars and acoustic guitars as according to a recent interview with Zak Kuhn, Fender CEO Andy Mooney revealed the reasoning behind Fender's reappearance at NAMM and also hinted at a scaled-back presence. According to Guitar World, he shares:

"We really missed the personal interaction with the dealer base," Mooney explained, stating the value of face-to-face connections. However, Mooney expressed concerns about the trade show culture, which he compared to his experiences at Nike and Disney. "It becomes Booth Wars -- 'My booth has to be bigger than your booth' -- and you end up spending tons of money for a very short period of time," he noted, questioning if such an approach aligns with Fender's long-term goals and values. Mooney's comments also align with his past criticisms of trade shows, making Fender's participation less surprising. While the company remains a part of this year's NAMM, it is clear their focus will shift away from extravagant displays and have a strategic reassessment of their presence at such events.

Watch the full interview below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.