Fender will finish and string more than a dozen guitars painted by the likes of Eric Clapton, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Hurley and more.

Get the first look at the guitars before they hit the auction block in October

Rock On: In preparation to auction more than a dozen celebrity decorated guitars for charity, Fender plans to showcase the first dozen guitars on Thursday, August 3 at a special sneak preview for the program "Heart Strings: Making Music, Creating Hope."

J.W. Black, Fender’s senior master guitar builder, will assemble, string and test the personally decorated guitars by:

Jay Leno
Eric Clapton
Shari Belafonte
Coolio
Kenny Rogers
Dustin Hoffman
Ron Wood
Graham Nash
Yoko Ono
James Earl Jones
Elizabeth Hurley
Whoopi Goldberg (guitar complete with dreadlocks!)

When auctioned this fall, all proceeds from the guitars will benefit the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts and the American Cancer Society.

When: Thursday, August 3 from 6 am to 1 pm

Where: Fender Manufacturing Plant in the executive offices building 311 Cessna, Corona, CA

Who: Sponsored by Corona-based giftware manufacturer, Cast Art Industries, Heart Strings involves more than a dozen top-name celebrities from film, TV, sports and the arts who have used their creativity and artistic talents to paint special Fender Stratocaster guitars.

The guitars will be auctioned live and online this October at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Fender Museum of Music and the Arts and the American Cancer Society. With plans to raise more than $2 million, Cast Art will then make miniatures of individually selected celebrity guitars. These unique collectibles will be available winter 2000.

Directions: From Los Angeles, take the 91 east and exit at Serfas Club Drive and turn left. Make a right onto Railroad Street. Take Railroad for 1.5 to 2 miles. Make a left onto Cessna and pull into the Fender parking lot. Meet at the executive office entrance, the large red roof building closest to Railroad Street.