Leon Thomas is well aware that R&B is not the first style of music that comes to mind when the guitar takes the lead. Now, as a member of the 2025 Fender Next class, the 32-year-old is excited to bring his Fender Stratocaster along for the journey as he continues to evolve in the genre.

“Coming up being a fan of music, I was a big fan of Jimi Hendrix, and he always played a red Strat. The red Fender Stratocaster has been a potent part of my sound on R&B since the inception of my career. It’s my favorite guitar to play live on stage, so working with Fender was just a no-brainer, and to be recognized by them is definitely legendary to me,” the New York native explained to VIBE on a friendly Zoom call. He later declared that this would be the only guitar of his choice.

“It was so cool to

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