Much like Gibson’s 1950s sunbursts, the look of vintage Candy Apple Red Fenders varies considerably. We’ll be discussing the reasons for that later as we examine six examples from a collection of around 50 that will be coming up for sale at Gardiner Houlgate over its next few guitar auctions.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs tells us: “They’re not all great guitars because, probability-wise, that’s never going to happen – but the thing the owner really wanted was at least one example of every model in Candy Apple Red. Another issue with some of these guitars is that the owner was a serial buffer, so in some cases he flattened the finishes down and made the lacquer checking less pronounced than it should be.”

Candy Apple Red is one of those colours that divides opinions – most guitarists either love it or they quite like it. So, before examining each of these guitars in detail, let’s check out the origins of the finish and discuss how the application method differs from Fender’s other metallic custom colours.

From the early 1960s onwards, Fender offered a fairly wide choice of custom colours. Some are vanishingly rare and genuine vintage examples are seldom seen, while others are almost as common as sunbursts. Of the 21 factory custom colours Fender listed during the 1960s (not including the sparkle and metal flake finishes and one-off specials), 12 were metallic.

One of those metallic finishes was Candy Apple Red, but the process of applying it differed significantly and it created a toffee-apple lustre. Most Fender colours were inspired by automotive trends and are associated with specific US car manufacturers. Candy Apple Red stood out because it came from the hot-rod scene and the method of application was developed by a car customiser called Joe Bailon.

His ‘candy’ painting process, which Fender adopted, was developed over a 10-year period, and Bailon began applying it to custom builds in 1956. All of Fender’s other metallic finishes were mixed and applied in the same manner as Gibson’s gold finishes, with metal powder mixed into coloured lacquer.

Fender would usually, but not always, apply a white base coat and then spray Lucite acrylic metallic colour coats on top before building the thickness with clear nitrocellulose lacquer.

In 1963, Candy Apple Red replaced the then-unpopular Shell Pink in Fender’s custom colour chart. Fender typically began by applying a white base coat, which was then oversprayed in silver. At that time, Fender’s silver of choice was a Chevrolet colour called Inca Silver, and it seems probable that’s what they would have used for Candy Apple Red.

The red component was the same transparent red that was used for sunbursts and it was applied straight over the silver. This provided depth, with the metallic silver glowing through the red and the topcoats of clear nitrocellulose or poly, depending on whether the guitar was sprayed pre or post mid-1968.

A change was made to the formula when CBS took over in 1965 and Inca Silver was quietly dropped. Rather than continue to buy it especially for Candy Apple Red paint orders, the factory began spraying gold instead. Firemist Gold replaced Shoreline Gold in 1965, so it is most likely the gold that Fender applied until Candy Apple Red was withdrawn in 1973.

1966 Jaguar

This is one of the guitars that has maybe been over-polished, but, otherwise, Luke tells us, “it checks out as a really good honest guitar”. It combines play-worn gold hardware with an off-white three-ply pickguard, and the foam mute is still mounted on the bridge.

Besides what might be an added strap-button screw hole on the lower bout, the finish retains a strong colour and, given that this guitar was clearly played, it’s still in largely undamaged condition. The back of the neck also retains its finish and isn’t worn or discoloured.

The matching headstock is a standout feature, with its gold-plated string tree, fully intact decal and a set of F-stamped tuners. The original factory shim is still present in the neck pocket, and the paint stick shadow reveals that Fender applied a semi-opaque yellow stain prior to spraying the white base coat and colour coats.

By 1966, Fender’s offset necks were being fitted out with pearloid marker blocks and fretboard binding. Fender necks weren’t squared off at the body end, so there was no need for a mitre or butt joint; Fender simply wrapped the binding around, allowing the job to be done using a single strip of binding. Here, the fret nibs are in great shape, and Fender even cut nibs around the nut.

Lifting the pickguard reveals the original pickups and fully intact multi-coloured wiring, switches, components and potentiometers that are dated the 34th week of 1966.

The shield plate remains taped to the underside of the pickguard and the finish is only a hair darker, so this Jaguar has barely faded. It weighs 3.85kg (8.5lb) and comes with its original case containing the factory leather strap and hang tags.

1970 Competition Mustang 

First introduced in 1964, Fender’s Mustang was a ‘student’ model, which was available with two shorter-than-standard necks – 21 frets with a 571.5mm (22.5-inch) scale and 22 frets with a 610mm (24-inch) scale. Besides the finish, this 22-fret example’s standout feature is the ‘Competition’ stripes.

They were almost certainly inspired by the special paintwork applied to Carroll Shelby’s hot-rodded racing version of the Ford Mustang, and Fender’s ‘Competition’ colours also included dark blue, red and orange.

Competition Mustangs were produced from 1969 until 1973. This one has some minor surface scratches and dents, along with a drop-filled ding on the top and a superficial lacquer crack on the back running half the length of the body. The colour remains dark and vibrant, and the overall condition attests to the toughness of poly finishes as much as minimal use.

For a ‘student’ model, the Mustang is pretty well equipped, with two pickups and a vibrato. There’s a three-way switch assigned to each pickup that turns them off and engages them both in and out of ‘phase’.

Here, the 1970 date-stamped 250k volume and tone pots are still intact, along with the original 0.05μF ceramic tone capacitor. However, the switches are a bit on the intermittent side. The October 1970 neck still has its original frets and, besides a small dent and a slightly bent top E tuner shaft, it’s almost devoid of playwear.

In recent years, many players have come to appreciate the Mustang’s easy-playing charms, especially in the wake of Kurt Cobain, so they are no longer as affordable as they once were. This one weighs 3.35kg (7.4lb) and comes with an original Victoria hard case.

Swinger/Musiclander/Arrow

This fairly obscure Fender was also a ‘student’ model and is known by various names. It was concocted as a way of using up leftover Bass V bodies and Musicmaster hardware, and production estimates range between 250 and 600.

Apparently, they were all assembled in 1969, but neck and potentiometer dates are often earlier.

On this example, the potentiometers are from the 42nd week of 1966, and the short-scale neck has a 1966 date stamp and a very slim profile. The body was refinished by Clive Brown a long time ago and it’s not certain that the (now deceased) owner was made aware of that when he bought the guitar from a dealer.

The overall condition is fairly good, with original frets, fully functioning electronics and an original Victoria hard case.

1966 Jazzmaster 

Of all the Jazzmasters in the collection, this is Luke Hobbs’ personal favourite due to the finish fading.

During the 1950s and 1960s, most guitar manufacturers struggled with red pigments that lost intensity when exposed to UV light, but the fading that would have been grounds for warranty claims when the guitars were new is now highly prized by many vintage-guitar enthusiasts.

The extent of the fading on this late-1966 Jazzmaster is apparent even without looking under the pickguard, where the finish retains a more intense vibrancy.

With gold beneath, the exposed areas have softened to a lighter red with a hint of orange. The back is slightly less faded, and in all other regards the guitar is in extremely good condition.

There appears to be no hardware corrosion, and the bound neck retains its original nibbed frets and an unmarked Indian rosewood fretboard. The only obviously noticeable blemish is a cigarette burn on the headstock face, which shares the same faded Candy Apple Red as the body. Interestingly, the area under the logo looks even more orange thanks to the yellowed decal.

The wiring is completely intact, with the original masking-tape pieces securing the wires flat against the shield plate. Besides the serial number, there are various pieces of information that pinpoint the manufacturing date to late 1966.

The potentiometers are from the eighth week of 1966, but the neck date reads 13NOV66B and the handwritten dates on the grey-bottom pickups are 11/17/66 and 12/6/66 – in American-date style.

With its original case and a body weight of 3.61kg (8lb), we think this Jazzmaster is a real highlight of the collection.

1966 Telecaster

Luke considers this particular Telecaster to be “basically all good”. The finish has survived well, although it’s clear numerous drop-fills have been carried out in order to camouflage dents, and there is some armwear. Similarly, the neck finish shows that the guitar has been used with some light surface wear.

The transitional decal is in fairly good shape and the double-line Klusons tuners remain fitted, along with the original pickups. The potentiometers are both replacements, with the volume and tone dating to 1984 and 1986 respectively. The instrument also has a relatively recent paper-in-oil tone capacitor, but the switch appears to be original.

The jury is out on whether the neck has been refretted, but the frets retain plenty of life. The hardware is in good condition with only very light rusting and tarnishing that doesn’t affect functionality. Its Fender case is from the 1970s, but the guitar weighs a mere 3.65kg (8lb) and, according to Luke, it “sounds incredible”.

1966 Stratocaster 

If you like the look of heavily worn vintage Fenders with armwear on the lower bout, copious lateral lacquer-checking, beautiful fading and ‘tan lines’ around the pickguard, this 1966 Stratocaster is the stuff of dreams. The irony is that it may be the least original of the bunch.

A Strat from this era should have a paint-stick shadow in the neck cavity revealing yellow stain, as we can observe on the Telecaster, Jaguar and Jazzmaster. But besides a bit of red stain, this Strat’s neck pocket is bare wood.

The finish in the pickup and control cavities appears excessively thick, and the wood fibres lining the worm rout are caked in lacquer. The solder also looks a bit shiny and reworked around the ground wire connections on the volume potentiometer.

All things considered, Luke believes that the body was refinished a very long time ago. Clive Brown has identified all the guitars in the collection that he refinished, but he didn’t mention this one. It certainly looks the part, but Clive would have done the neck pocket correctly.

The potentiometers are dated mid-1966, the pickups all have hand-written dates from early November 1966, and the neck is date stamped September 1966. The fretboard shows some playwear, and the neck has been refretted with chunkier wire, but the ends are slightly protruding and need to be chased back.

Luke is unconvinced the gold bridge parts or pickup and pickguard screws are correct because the plating is so intact. It’s possible they have been replaced or replated, but if the looks and 3.49kg (7.8lb) weight appeal, it’s a tempting player-grade Strat that may be relatively affordable.

• With thanks to Luke Hobbs and Gardiner Houlgate for showing us this collection.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Johnny Marr’s first Fender signature guitar was a celebration of the Jaguar but also with a hint of, ‘okay, let’s fix the bits that don’t work’. This new Special Jaguar follow-up doesn’t really change the sentiment except for the obvious addition of three lipstick pickups (that we associate with Danelectro, of course), which replace the custom-wound Bare Knuckle Jaguar-style pickups of the original.

You’re certainly not going to mix up the iterations; the lipsticks’ unique appearance in their domed split-tube chromed covers almost adds a boutique-style mash-up vibe.

The bright plating also matches the guitar’s lower control plate and upper shoulder ‘rhythm circuit’ plate, plus the additional treble-side chrome plate, which originally held three slide switches to switch each pickup on/off, and the classic ‘strangle’ switch, which mounts the four-way lever switch for pickup selection here.

It’s not the only change as, like the original, there’s no rhythm circuit: that bass-side chromed plate holds the ‘universal’ bright switch and another bright switch for the lever switch position 4 (bridge and neck in series). On our new model the addition is the lowest-placed third switch, a three-position switch specifically for the middle pickup: off, on and solo’d.

Pickup and control changes aside, the guitar follows the original JM Jaguar with its all-nitrocellulose gloss finish, although this time the only colour offered is black. Its offset body is still alder and also features subtly enhanced body contours, while the maple neck retains its vintage style with the body-end truss rod adjustment and a profile based on Johnny’s 1965 Jaguar, like the original.

While vintage-style ‘small’ frets are retained, this time they’re on a more modern 241mm (9.5-inch) radiused rosewood ’board; the first version used the original 184mm (7.25-inch) camber.

Another area that Johnny tweaked was the classic offset bridge and vibrato tailpiece. The former swaps the individual threaded-rod height-adjustable saddles for the Mustang style, which uses three different-diameter solid-brass barrels (each with a central string groove) to create the string camber, which can’t move.

The original signature had wider vintage-style string spacing of 56.5mm; here that’s narrowed to 52.5mm and, as a result, the outer strings sit in a little more.

Another tweak is the nylon ‘locks’ for the bridge’s needle-point height-adjustment screws, which stop the screws moving as the originals tend to. Here, these are stainless steel and larger in diameter than the standard Fender screws. There’s also another nylon collar for the push-in vibrato arm, which means it’s not only tight‑fitting, but it stays put where you want it and is also really responsive to the lightest of touches.

Many of the tweaks for the original guitar – and that feature on this new Special, too – were conceived with the help of the late Bill Puplett, Johnny’s long-time repair person of choice.

For example, Johnny shares that it was Bill who suggested swapping to Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups for this Special. Meanwhile, the hardware tweaks, such as those bridge-post locks and the vibrato arm stabilisation, were conceived by engineer John Moore of Staytrem fame.

Specs

• PRICE: $2,999/£3,099/€3,649 (inc case)
• ORIGIN: USA
• TYPE: Offset double-cutaway solidbody electric
• BODY: Alder
• neck: Maple, custom shape (based on Marr’s ’65 Jaguar), bolt-on
• SCALE LENGTH: 610mm (24”)
• NUT/WIDTH: Synthetic bone/42.6mm
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, ‘ivory’ dot inlays, 241mm (9.5”) radius
• FRETS: 22, vintage style
• HARDWARE: Fender Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles and vintage style ‘floating’ tremolo tailpiece, split-post tuners — nickel/chrome plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 52.5mm 
• ELECTRICS: 3x custom-wound Kent Armstrong Johnny Marr single-coil lipstick pickups, 4-position lever pickup selector switch, 3x slide-switches: Universal Bright Switch, Bright Switch for lever switch position 4, middle pickup off/on/only. Master Volume, Master Tone
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.89/8.56
• OPTIONS: None
• RANGE OPTIONS: Original Johnny Marr Jaguar (£2,619) features a pair of Bare Knuckle Jaguar-style single coils and is available in Olympic White and Metallic KO (red)
• LEFT-HANDERS: No
• FINISHES: Black – gloss nitrocellulose neck/body
• CONTACT: Fender

Usability and sounds

Offset guitars can be heavy thanks to their enlarged bodies, and this sample isn’t the lightest we’ve played, though it is trimmer than the original 2012 sample we had for evaluation. Strapped on, it has a very centred balance and, while it has that shorter scale, it doesn’t feel small. It’s a very comfortable feel.

The same can be said for the neck profile, which is quite full in the hand, even in lower positions where it’s a lot thinner, depth-wise, at 21mm than it is by the 12th fret, where it measures 25mm. This vintage-style profile is also structurally very sound and there’s zero neck-flex here.

You really need to get your head around the expansive possibilities that the array of switches offer – particularly before you head off to a gig. First of all, it might have three pickups like a Stratocaster, but you can also run it as a two-pickup ‘Telecaster’ (like the original JM Jaguar), and that depends on where you set the lower-placed three-position push-switch on the bass-side panel.

Pushed up towards the headstock, the middle pickup is out of circuit so the four-way switch on the treble side gives us bridge, both, neck, and neck and bridge in series like a Telecaster, with the four-way switch series mod.

Move that lower push-switch to its centre position and the middle pickup is now added to the first three selector-switch positions, creating bridge and middle, all three, and neck and middle, while the previous series sound is now just the middle pickup. Finally, with the switch pushed down towards the bridge, the middle pickup is solo’d in all positions of the four-way switch.

Then we have the two bass-cut switches: the universal bright switch (the top one) moves left to right, or treble to bass side. In the treble-side position it’s bypassed; in the bass-side position it’s active on all selections on the four-way selector. The middle switch is another bright-switch, but for the bridge/neck series sound. To add to the confusion this switch moves north to south, or up and down: in up position it’s on; in down it’s off.

To warm up our test amp, we use a ’69 Telecaster with its long-serving Fender Custom Shop pickups and four-way lever switch to add the bridge/neck series voice. And the Special sounds a little polite in comparison. That’s no bad thing, though, as the lipstick voices have something of a purity to them.

There’s a lot of attack, but at the bridge there’s a relatively smooth high-end. The snap continues with the neck pickup, although it’s a fuller and richer sound, of course. Quickly soloing the middle pickup – and, yes, it sits nicely between those two extremes – it’s easy to hear why Johnny Marr wanted to effectively highlight this voice.

Bridge and neck in series is the biggest voice on the guitar, but it only appears with the middle pickup out of circuit. Switching the middle pickup to on (but not solo’d) we get bridge and middle (in parallel), which adds some Strat-y bounce.

Likewise, neck and middle while all-three on (again in parallel) is a subtle shade in between: all three selections are a little softer sounding. We’re beginning to feel spoiled for choice. The two bass-cut bright switches obviously thin out the low-end and enhance the honk.

If you’re after articulate clean jangle and chime, well, this is your vehicle, not least with some – or quite a lot of – modulation. But while that may be a major draw, the Special works extremely well with some much more gained sounds, like a good Danelectro, from spluttery fuzz to heavier and much heavier voicings. Here, again, those bass-cut switches really work, tightening the low-end, and are a great tool for band playing and recording, helping to focus the sound.

One thing to note is that the tone control – which is wired a little differently from standard, and has a lower value capacitor – gives a very usable range and seems to slightly reduce the volume as it’s initially rolled back. Subtle, yes, but another useful sonic-shaping tool.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

It certainly does what it says on the tin. This really is a Johnny Marr tool with all the brightness and articulation his style demands, but it’s far, far from limited to our man in terms of its potential use. It also builds on the sonic options of his first signature: there’s a bit more Strat in here, plus that ‘all round’ middle pickup, which can be solo’d.

Yet dig a little deeper and there’s a lot more to enjoy, especially when you get your head around the switching options, not to mention the very usable tone control, which does a pretty usable jazz-box impersonation when rolled down, before you turn it back up and launch into Spaghetti Western twang. It loves a pedalboard, too, and takes on yet another character with fuzz and overdrives.

Guitar World verdict: At the time of writing, it is the most expensive USA production Jaguar – nearly double the price of the recently introduced Professional Classic – so its considerable appeal will be somewhat limited, but it remains a beautifully crafted piece with very sensible upgrades and those stellar sounds. A serious outlay, then, but also a very serious and considered pro-level and quite unique instrument.

Hands-on videos

Fender with Johnny Marr

Empire Music

• Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Signature review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Having been in the industry for over 40 years, Johnny Marr knows a thing or two about how the guitar world – and, by extension, the music industry – operates. While many may have been introduced to his work through his early years with ’80s indie rock legends The Smiths, he has since carved a path that traverses genres and labels.

That path has seen him work with a diverse spread of artists from The Pretenders to Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The The, and even Hans Zimmer. In short, a true chameleon – with the guitar serving as the unifying throughline in all his various endeavors.

When he released his first signature Jaguar with Fender 13 years ago, it was clear that Marr had put his years-long experience on stage and in studios worldwide – along with his in-depth knowledge of what makes a guitar tick – to good use. The result? One of Fender’s best-selling signature models.

Fast-forward to 2025, and he took this one step further with the recently released, limited-edition signature special Jaguar, which expands the model’s tonal palette into Strat and even P-90 territory.

“My original signature guitar does so many sounds,” he enthuses. “[For this new one, I've lost count], and the thing I'm most proud of is, it's not active. There’s no batteries living in it.

“Aside from the radius and it being a bit more of a rock sound in quite a few positions, it sounds very much like a Stratocaster, which means that when you play at high gain, it almost does a kind of blues rock sound, which is unusual from a Jag, because a Jaguar is notoriously difficult to get a decent rock sound out of.

“I wouldn't say it’s for metal or for shredding, but you never know!” he quips. “Maybe I'll do a third one that you can shred on.”

What motivated you to create a second signature Jaguar model, and how does it differ from your original design?

[The original] has been really commercially successful, and has continued to sell and sell, which makes me really proud, because other guitar players like it, and of all different kinds of music – it's not just an indie rock machine.

I wanted to continue to do what I do on my [first] signature Jag, but make it for people who wanted a bit more of a conventional feeling guitar – [for example,] make the radius a little bit different [9.5” as opposed to the original’s 7.25”]. It's not me improving my original signature Jag. It's just an alternative to my original Jag.

The new one has a pretty unique pickup selection system, and it also has lipstick pickups, as opposed to the first’s custom-wound Bare Knuckle single-coils. Can you walk us through the thought process behind all this?

For nearly 40 years, I had the same guitar luthier, whose name was Bill Puplett, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. I don't use the word genius a lot, but there are some people who worked with Billy who would use that word.

Bill got very excited about the idea of the lipstick pickup. And I have to give him credit for putting that idea in my head. And then I had the burgundy Jag, which I thought was a really good-looking guitar, and so we used that as a prototype. So, between Bill and myself, we started to try these different lipstick pickups. But really, it was Bill's ingenuity that came up with the configuration of the pickups.

So, my original signature Jaguar does a lot. It has a Telecaster blade switch [that] gives you four different scenarios: the bridge pickup, the two pickups together, the neck pickup, and the bridge and middle pickup in series.

But with the new Signature Special, you have all of that – but then you also have all of that with the middle pickup added, and then also just the middle pickup.

What the other switches do is all of the above, but with a high-pass filter, which is what I retained from the original ’60s design. And then the third switch [is] a slider switch [that] when it's in series position is an extra notch filter, because when the pickups are in series, they are so fat-sounding that they just take it away from the Fender realm, and they almost sound more like a P-90.

Would you consider it a tribute to Bill?

Yeah, that's right. And we all felt that because it was the last project that Bill was involved in, and he was very passionate about it. The wiring is really ingenious.

This year, I got to collaborate with Gorillaz and also with Franz Ferdinand. Because I've got the prototype, I wanted to see how it would work with a different kind of music to my own, and the fact that it's so versatile has really come up pretty good.

Your first signature Jaguar inspired a new generation of players. What do you hope this new version communicates to younger guitarists?

There are people who bought my signature Jaguar because of its reputation – and because they don't necessarily have to be a fan of my music – but what I feel I did with both my signature Jags [is that] they are more efficient than the original ’60s design. That's to do with the change in the blade switch and the way the bridges behave – staying in tune, the saddles, and all of those things that I felt were necessary improvements.

So I want for that to continue, but also maybe a new person coming along who thinks that they want to do all of that, but also for it to be more of a rock guitar. I think that was my original idea, to not lose anything of my signature Jag, but for it to behave better as a driven guitar.

You've lent a lot of guitars to other musicians in the past, like Noel Gallagher, of course, and Radiohead. Do you still lend your guitars out these days?

Well, I think most of my friends actually own my guitars now [on a sort of] a permanent loan [laughs]. I tend to encourage my friends to try different things. So, for example, when Radiohead were making In Rainbows, I couldn't believe they'd never used a Les Paul before. I think I loaned them an SG for the album. And Thom [Yorke] ended up buying an SG himself.

Who, in your opinion, are some of the artists or bands right now who are really shaping the guitar scene?

I feel a little weird even bringing this up, because I've been around for so long, but I can't help but celebrate the fact that we're just now so used to female bands.

When I was starting out in the early ’80s, particularly when I started with the teenage bands in the late ’70s, women in rock, certainly playing guitar with bands, either as the lead singer or lead guitarist, were nowhere near as common. You had Chrissie Hynde, obviously, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell… but there were few rock guitar players.

And now, you only have to look at social media for a couple of minutes, and you see all these girls playing dazzling guitar.

I know the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been around a long time, but I always really, really like whenever they put a new record out, because I think Nick Zinner is a really, really exciting guitar player. I like The Last Dinner Party – [Emily Roberts] is a good guitar player. And also, I'd say Fontaines D.C.'s latest record's [Romance] got the type of guitar playing that I just really like.

Speaking of influential guitar players, what are your thoughts on Oasis’ recent reunion shows?

From the minute the reunions were announced, in the UK, at least, almost three-quarters of the country were cheered up. Because Noel's my friend, to give you a serious answer, I'm very happy that he's reunited with his brother. That's a great thing, obviously, but the concerts had such an elevated atmosphere and a real positive message of the power of music.

When I was in America, because people know that I play with Noel, so many people were telling me that they went to the concerts and how amazing these concerts were – and, sometimes, it was people who you wouldn't think were fans of Oasis.

So it became like a cultural phenomenon, with the main inspiration being about unity. That's something that is very much in need in today's world. So they've done something really great, not only for themselves, but really, for a lot of people. They brought a lot of people joy. And it's something I've never seen in my lifetime. Biggest reunion of all time.

Did they ask you to guest star?

There were three very, very loud guitar players up there, because Gem [Archer] has got a big sound as well, and between Bonehead [Paul Arthurs, bassist] and Noel, I think they've got plenty of decent jackets up there. They don't need me in a good jacket! [laughs]

And finally, which guitar players have inspired you over the years – particularly ones people might not expect?

You know who I think was a really, really interesting guitar player? John Lennon. Some of the things that people don't quite realize he was doing on the White Album... I can go down rabbit holes.

And John McLaughlin. Whenever I mention John McLaughlin, I think people are surprised because I come out of the indie rock scene. But you know, when I started out, I would be talking about Nile Rodgers. And at the time, I remember that all those boys who were working in the British music press couldn't believe what they were hearing when I was talking about Nile Rodgers.

But now, everybody can understand that me and Nile Rodgers have got a lot in common – mostly to do with the way we make music: collaborating with other bands, producing and arranging, and using the guitar as a kind of hook.

The idea of someone standing behind a mixing desk working on vocals with the singer, but with their guitar around their neck, while still being known for playing the guitar – Nile was a bit of an example for me, really. It's [all] an evolution.

• The Limited-Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar is available now from Fender retail partners. For more information, visit Fender.

Fender has reunited with Johnny Marr for a limited-edition signature Jaguar that not only builds on the success of his original best-selling signature model with the brand, but promises to blend “vintage character with modern innovation.”

“The Jaguar has been central to my sound and style for nearly 15 years,” enthuses Marr. “With this new model, I wanted to create an instrument that feels classic but also pushes players to explore new tones and possibilities.

“From my work with The Cribs playing gritty in-your-face indie, to the cinematic soundscapes I crafted with Hans Zimmer, the Jaguar has been an incredible asset in helping me expand my sound, no matter the genre or the occasion.”

Specs-wise, the Limited-Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar features a custom gloss nitrocellulose black lacquer finish, a smooth custom neck inspired by Marr's own 1965 Jaguar, and a rosewood fingerboard with 22 vintage-style frets and ivory dot inlays. Furthermore, it boasts a Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles, complemented by a vintage-style ‘floating tremolo’ tailpiece.

Perhaps one of the most interesting additions is the set of custom-wound Kent Armstrong Johnny Marr single-coil lipstick pickups, which offer a “unique range of tonal versatility.”

The tonal palette is further enhanced by the presence of Marr’s personal wiring scheme and an all-new four-position blade switching system – plus three slide-switch options – all of which deliver a “fresh perspective” on the classic Jaguar tone.

Speaking about this new signature release, Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at Fender, says, “Johnny Marr’s legacy as one of the most inventive guitarists of the last four decades is undeniable.

“The new Signature Special Jaguar is a versatile, performance-ready twist on his classic instrument that delivers a captivating tone with great feel. We’re thrilled to share it with guitarists everywhere.”

Priced at $2,999.99, the Limited-Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar is available now from Fender retail partners.

For more information, visit Fender.

What is it?

Arriving late with all the swagger that an icon of electric guitar might demand, Fender's Player II Jaguar steps back into the spotlight with a fresh approach. Returning closer to the rebellious charm of the original whilst still retaining the Player Series' modern sensibilities, can its quirky allure appeal to the next generation of guitar players?

Where the Player I opted for a humbucker in the bridge position, Fender has seen fit to return to a more classic dual single-coil lineup, although many players will be disappointed to see the original Jag’s elaborate circuitry is still absent. It appears that Fender has gone for a majority ‘player-first’ mindset versus honoring tradition when it comes to the design of the latest Player II Jaguar.

This smaller-than-average guitar boasts a 24-inch scale, offering players a cozier approach to their fretting hand. It still fits 22 frets into its slab rosewood fingerboard, and as with all the Player II Series guitars, it has a modern ‘C’ neck shape. It also has a flatter 9.5-inch radius, another eschewing of the more traditional leanings some of the other Fender Jags offer.

The iconic offset body is made from alder, giving it a decent heft that feels reassuring when you put it on your knee. It’s available in some more modern colorways too, including Aquatone Blue and Hialeah Yellow. A pair of Alnico 5 single-coil pickups complete the lineup alongside a Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles and a vintage-style ‘floating’ tremolo.

Specs

• Launch price: $829/£729
• Made: Mexico
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, Modern ‘C’
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale length: 24”, 610mm
• Nut/width: Synthetic bone, 42mm
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Hardware: Fender ClassicGear tuners, Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles, and vintage style ‘Floating’ tremolo tailpiece
• Electrics: 2x Player Series Alnico 5 Jaguar single-coil, master volume, master tone, 3-position blade switch
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: 3-Color Sunburst, Polar White (as reviewed), Aquatone Blue, Coral Red, Hialeah Yellow
• Case: No
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Buil quality rating: ★★★★½

Upon unboxing the Player II Jaguar and doing my usual close inspection of the guitar, finding very little out of place. We’ve all seen forum talk of QC issues with some of the Made In Mexico guitars, and I encountered some minor blemishes myself when I reviewed the Fender Player II Strat, but the Jaguar was pretty much perfectly put together.

My detail-orientated nature didn’t like that the chrome plate the controls are mounted on doesn’t perfectly intersect with the pickguard, but it’s a small detail that’s barely noticeable unless you're a couple of inches away from the guitar. The fretboard edges felt lovely and smooth, the string tree and bridge saddles were all perfectly aligned, and I couldn’t see a single blemish on the Polar White finish.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Picking it up to play sans amplifier, it didn’t take me long to get used to the short scale. It doesn’t feel that drastic a change versus my regular scale Telecaster until you get further up the neck towards the higher frets where it starts to feel a little more cramped than usual. It didn’t hinder my playing after making the adjustment either – it just took me a little practice when sliding up the neck to make sure I nailed the right note.

It’s a similar feel with bending the strings. The 9 gauge stock string set feels very light for the scale length, so I’d definitely up them to a set of 10s at least to get a more playable feel if I’d bought the guitar. Despite these initial feelings, my initial experience of the playability was that it’s a really nice feeling guitar. The action is nice and low without being so close to the fretboard as to choke out any bends, and subsequently, I found myself wanting to pick it up again and again from my guitar rack.

The rosewood fingerboard feels silky smooth, and whether it was noisy tritones, blues licks, or legato runs I found it joyous playing a wide variety of styles and sounds on it. The back of the neck was similarly smooth feeling thanks to the satin finish, allowing for easy movement up and down the fingerboard.

The medium jumbo frets offer that Goldilocks-zone experience of tallness when you’re sliding around the neck and bending alongside responsiveness to a lighter touch. Coupled with the smaller distance between them you’ve got yourself a very playable guitar.

The tremolo arm slotted in perfectly into its housing, with no hammer, springs, or tape required to get it to stay in place. I was really surprised at how stable it is too. Despite regular dips and dives it managed to stay pretty much perfectly in tune for the majority of my playing. It’s not perfect of course, no tremolo is, but 90% of the time I played I had zero issues with it going out of tune.

The addition of the Mustang saddles on the bridge definitely helps temper this type of guitar's willingness to buzz, although with the light gauge string set from the factory, it doesn't tame it completely. The improved break angle and smaller slot the string nestles in definitely contribute to the overall stability of the system, and the strings didn't jump out of the saddle once during my testing.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Plugging the Jaguar into my Orange Rocker 32 tube amp alongside the POG III and Kernom Elipse I’m also reviewing right now, I'm immediately greeted with a bright, punchy single coil sound. On the clean channel, I found it spiky but not quite icepick territory, although I did find myself rolling off the tone knob more than I normally would with my Telecaster.

The neck pickup is a darker affair, but nowhere near as dark as my usual Telecaster or Stratocaster in the same position. There's an inherent brightness to it which can be remedied by rolling off the tone knob, which makes it warmer without muddying it up. Played clean it’s a jangly affair, and once you start mixing in delays, reverbs, and modulation effects you can get some really lush sounds out of it.

There’s a lot of clarity in these pickups that sound great even when you start ladling on the effects, and I found it equally at home playing psychedelic chords with phase and delay as I did with ultra-clean jazz chords.

Switching to the drive channel and adding in the low tones of the POG III gives you plenty of heft, but always underpinned by a definition in the sound. The single coils are pretty noisy as you up the gain, but if you’re gunning for rowdy noise rock this won’t bother you in the slightest.

Playing without a low octave engaged I found a pleasing grittiness when I dug in, although I did have to re-jig my EQ a touch first. The pickups responded brilliantly when I introduced my Carcosa fuzz pedal into the mix, delivering a ripping tone that was anything but pleasant, but absolutely grin-inducing. It’s a really unique sound that the Jaguar gives you, but I found it really inspiring.

Verdict

I get to test a lot of different guitars in my job, and the major tell that separates a great guitar from a good one is that I consistently find myself picking it versus the other guitars in my rack. The Fender Player II Jaguar was my first port of call when going to play guitar during my time with it, and that tells you everything about how inspiring, interesting, and ultimately how fun it is to play.

I can appreciate that there are some who will be disappointed that it doesn’t have the additional controls the original and more vintage-flavored models have, but I don’t think it detracts from the experience at all. There are way more things to write home about here than the addition of a strangle switch would overcome.

Guitar World verdict: The Player II Jaguar is a brilliant guitar for those who want something different from your average Strat or Tele. Providing a uniquely bright tone all of its own, it’s versatile enough to cover the vast majority of sounds, while still providing a distinctive tone that might not be for everyone, but will please those in search of sounds anew.

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Hands-on videos

Play And Trade Guitars

Jeremy Sheppard

60 Cycle Hum

“Introduced in 1961, the Fender VI is often referred to as the Bass VI. When I was growing up I wasn’t a catalogue geek and I was unaware that this model even existed when I saw a listing in the classifieds of a local newspaper for a Fender VI. I just assumed it was a six-string guitar. It was a sunburst and the guy wanted $200 so I bought it anyway.

“My friend recognised what it was and I soon discovered that the VI was used by Glen Campbell, The Hollies, Aerosmith, Jack Bruce, The Beatles and Brian Wilson. The VI also became a studio staple in Nashville. Although I wasn’t even old enough to drive, I had discovered that you could open up Fender guitars and find dates on the neck and body.

“I had also learned how to read date codes on potentiometers, and very few people knew these things in the 1970s. The neck date was 11/60 and the potentiometer dates showed January 1961, so it was one of the very first VIs made.

“I just fell in love with these instruments, but for whatever reason I sold it and I later realised that the later ones had different pickups. Most people think they’re Stratocaster pickups, but they’re really not because the coil is wider. If you look at the bobbin material and how it’s cut, they’re basically Telecaster bridge pickups complete with inductance plates.

“They have the cool-looking metal surrounds, too. The earlier pickups really do sound better and that’s why they’re the ones serious professionals want if they’re using them to record. They sound richer and thicker than the later Jaguar pickup and they’re just wonderful.”

“I went on a quest looking for the earlier ones with the Telecaster pickups. I saw a few sunburst examples but never any custom colours. They’re so rare to see on a VI and are actually far more common on Stratocasters and Jazzmasters.

“I eventually found a blonde one and I hung onto that for a while, then I found a Fiesta Red ’63 with the later pickups, and eventually I came across the Shoreline Gold one that we can see here.

“It’s a January ’62 with the bridge cover, all the tags and a slab fretboard. The headstock is non-matching, but by late 1962 matching headstocks were on practically every one, despite it supposedly being an optional extra.

“The ’63 Champagne Sparkle came from a guy in California who used to be a guitar finder for me. He thought it might have belonged to someone famous, but he wasn’t sure who. Of course, that set me off on another quest. I discovered that Kathy Marshall, the ‘Queen Of Surf Guitar’, had a Champagne Sparkle Jaguar.”

“Having mixed a quantity of paint, Fender would have sprayed more than one instrument in that colour, so I’m sure this VI was painted at the same time as hers. I tried to figure out who Kathy’s bass player was, but it seems she mostly sat in with other bands, and I never did find out who the original owner was.

“It’s a genuine Dennis Swiden sparkle finish of the period and there’s only a little bit of wear and tear. I used to talk with Dennis on the phone and he shared lots of little tells to identify original examples.

“The period from 1961 to ’64 was a crazy time and that’s when almost all of the Fender sparkle finishes were done. Fender carried on spraying sparkle finishes in-house up to ’68, but they look very different. The metal flake altered and a lot of them had urethane over the top, rather than nitrocellulose.”

“The later VIs had Jaguar-style circuitry where you could turn each pickup on and off individually and also that phasey bass-cut setting. That fourth switch wasn’t included on the earlier ones. It’s interesting that you can still get strings for them and my preference is for flat-wounds because they sound more authentic. But you can also fit round-wound strings and play with a dime to get that sharper Joe Perry sound.

“The mute is another great feature that players like Glen Campbell used, but the reissues don’t have them. The VI can sound like so many different instruments; I think people are rediscovering them and creating sounds that have been missing from music for a long time.

“Of the two guitars, the Shoreline Gold is my favourite. Technically, it’s for sale – I’ve priced it at a point where I hope nobody will ever buy it because I know I’ll never see another.”

What is it?

Is it a bass? Is it a guitar? Ask around and you’ll get different answers, but one thing’s for sure, the Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Bass VI is one of the most unique instruments I’ve ever had my hands on.

The 30-inch scale is in short-scale bass guitar territory, but the string spacing and the fact there are six strings point toward the traditional electric guitar. It also has a non-locking tremolo like you’d find on a Jazzmaster or Jaguar, and I can’t ever recall seeing a tremolo unit on a bass as stock before.

The poplar offset body is hefty and finished in the ever-divisive Antigua colorway. Born of an accident when Fender burned the outer edges of some of its guitar bodies, it’s certainly eye-catching.

The recreation of the effect on the pickguard gives the guitar some interesting symmetry, and much like its indecision as to what kind of instrument it wants to be, the finish is neither garish nor subtle. The non-guitarists I showed it to found it unremarkable, whereas all my guitarist mates hated it.

The neck is gorgeous, though. I love black block inlays on a maple fretboard, and the vintage gloss finish is fantastic. The black binding and inlays contrast beautifully with the maple thanks to the glossy finish, which really makes the whole instrument pop.

It’s a ‘C’ profile, which feels like the right balance of heft and slink for an instrument with larger proportions. 21 narrow tall frets give you plenty of feel when you slide up and down the neck, and the nut width at just below 43mm will feel comfortable to the majority of guitar players.

Keeping in theme, the electronics are similarly unique, with three single coil pickups that are very spaced out on the body. Each pickup has a dedicated slide switch for on or off, while a fourth switch engages a ‘strangle’ circuit which takes out some of the bass frequencies. You can order the pickups any which way you like, with combinations or just single pickups engaged. A master volume and tone knob offer additional tone sculpting options.

In terms of hardware, the standout spec here is that non-locking floating vibrato. It’s a seemingly strange addition to what is essentially a bass guitar, but more on that later. You get a six-saddle bridge that you typically find on Fender’s offset guitars, and six vintage-style tuners adorn the headstock.

Specs

• Launch price: $499 / £479 / €549
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric bass guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Maple, ‘C’
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Scale length: 30”/762mm
• Nut/width: Bone, 42.86mm
• Frets: 21 frets, narrow tall
• Hardware: Vintage-style tuners, 6-saddle vintage-style bridge with non-locking floating vibrato
• String spacing at bridge: 52mm
• Electrics: 3x Fender-designed alnico single-coils, master volume, master tone, 3-on/off slide switches (one for each pickup), 2-position slide switch for bass-cut ‘strangle’ circuit
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Antigua
• Cases: No case
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

Build quality feels like a given nowadays, and I rarely receive a guitar I think is below the expected standard, but there were some small flaws with the Classic Vibe Bass VI. On the plus side, there’s absolutely nothing out of place on the neck with the frets well dressed, the gloss finish applied with perfection, and ditto for the binding and the block inlays. The tuners respond well to your inputs, with each giving an even response.

The classic issue of the loose, squeaky tremolo arm from this style of bridge is here – which can be permanently remedied with the hammer trick – more a design flaw than a build quality issue though. I did find that the volume knob felt a little loose in its housing. This could have happened during the shipping process to be fair, and again is something easily remedied.

I also noticed that both the knobs weren’t applied in the same manner, which will have any detail-orientated guitarists out there boiling, as the knobs point in slightly different directions when they’re both at full blast.

It sounds like I've only got complaints regarding the build quality, but these are small issues that don’t detract from the sound or playability of the instrument. Overall, the finish is exceptionally well applied, even if you’re not a fan of Antigua, and the guitar feels well put together. Aesthetically it’s hard to find any fault with it at all.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Finally sitting down to play through a Neural DSP Quad Cortex and Positive Grid’s Spark Live acting as an FRFR speaker, I immediately noticed that the action was set a little low, leading to some string buzz on the lower notes of the low E that were audible through the speaker. Nothing that a quick raise of the bridge couldn’t solve though.

Playing the Bass VI is a really strange experience. On the lower strings, it feels like a bass thanks to the tuning being a full octave below a regular guitar. Playing riffs and single-note licks feels distinctly bass-like, and the string gauge is similar to what you would find on a bass or extended-range guitar.

Moving to simple barre chords around the eighth fret makes it feel more like a guitar with heavy strings on, a feel more similar to a baritone. Go to play lead on it and you get something between the higher strings on a bass and the lower notes on a guitar.

On the one hand, it’s too slinky to be a bass, with legato licks coming a lot easier, and yet you can’t bend quite as easily as you can on a guitar, it’s less limber qualities belying the fact this is a longer scale instrument.

It is very playable for guitar licks, though. It didn't take me long to get up to speed with some of my favorite scale runs and lead licks. The neck profile makes it comfortable for fast playing and once you've gotten accommodated to the spacing, you can absolutely rip on it like you would a guitar.

If you want to try and play it like a traditional bass you can, but it’s a little awkward as the pickups don’t have enough clearance to rest your thumb on comfortably.

I made the best of it resting my thumb on top of the pickguard, and once I’d gotten used to the string spacing and reined in the attack with my fingers, it felt more like plucking away at a short-scale bass guitar, albeit with the occasional wayward hit of an unintended string when trying to mute.

The vibrato works really well, and it holds its tuning brilliantly even when you lean on it. Adding vibrato to the low chords you can play is a decidedly different sound to what most guitarists are used to, and it’s great fun to mess around with. The arm does feel a little close to the strings though, so if I was going to keep this guitar I’d probably make some adjustments and get the arm resting further away from the strings for easier control.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

With individual on/off slider switches for each of the three single-coil pickups, you can use any combination of the pickups together with one another. Using the pickup nearest the neck delivers a decidedly bass guitar-like tone, and when combined with a Gallien-Kreuger bass amp model on the Quad Cortex, there’s little doubting the bass guitar qualities of the Bass VI. Round and warm, with oodles of low-end energy, in a blind test I don’t think anyone would think you’re playing something other than a P or Jazz Bass.

The middle position is pretty bass-heavy too, leaning slightly more to the midrange but to my ear, not too dissimilar to the neck pickup. In the bridge position however, you get a much more guitarist-friendly tone, with a lot of that low-end roundness gone and plenty more of that midrange and treble ‘clank’ in the tone. Here if you play higher up the neck it sounds much more like an electric guitar with single coils, with plenty of chime and cut.

Playing through a clean amp gets you a unique tone, particularly with open chords at the lower end of the neck. It’s hard to quantify, sounding somewhat like a bass yet having more clarity than you’d find if you pulled similar shapes on your bass guitar. It sounds beautiful with clean-picked arpeggios higher up the neck, delivering its own distinctive voice that’s quite unlike anything else in my guitar collection.

I’ve seen quite a few heavy bands using the Bass VI nowadays and I can report that if it’s your bag, then yes it does djent. Your picking and string muting technique better be really good though, because it can get noisy with the bridge construction at higher gain levels.

With the right technique and high-gain amp model engaged, it’ll absolutely sound like an 8-string guitar though, with the single-coils helping it deliver plenty of clarity, even when I tuned it down to drop D.

Curious to see how it would sound with other instruments, I booted up the project for my band's latest song and got to work seeing how it would fit into a full band mix. It’s a bit of a strange one to drop in where there’s already a bass or electric guitar though, and it seems to work better as texture or backing to something already there.

Adding some drive and chorus to the tone alongside a bass amp model and pairing it with the bass line helped bring that section further to the front of the mix. Similarly, when I doubled the heavy palm-muted guitar riff at the end through a guitar amp model, it gave it some extra heft that wouldn’t be immediately noticeable on first listen, but you’d definitely miss it if it wasn’t there.

On its own, the ability to play both bass and guitar parts is really useful if you’re doing a lot of production. You can get bassy chord stabs that are much more coherent than they would be via regular bass guitar, while djent-y guitar breakdowns or doubled leads can deliver some fantastic extra textures to your mixes.

Verdict

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that the Classic Vibe Bass VI is an inspiring instrument to play. Because it doesn’t feel quite like or bass or quite like a guitar, you find yourself approaching riffs differently, and I felt super-creative every time I picked it up. It forces you to adjust your technique to account for the different gauge strings, and that’s always a good thing when you want to pull yourself out of the rut of a regular six-string guitar.

It is a very niche instrument though, and I’ll caveat most of what I’ve said with the fact I regularly play a baritone, so it doesn’t feel that alien to me. Much like the baritone though, once you get over the initial feel of the longer scale, it’s the kind of instrument that can be a really powerful songwriting tool, or a versatile addition to the arsenal of a recording guitarist.

Would I want it as the lead instrument in a band or composition? I’d argue probably not. In the supporting actor role though it’s absolutely brilliant, and it will play a vital role in helping beef up the sound of a live band or add an extra layer of audio to recorded compositions.

Final verdict: Despite a slight identity crisis, the Bass VI is a truly unique instrument that has its own lane. On the one hand, it's separate from the bass or electric guitar, and yet it can imitate both. Truly unique instruments are few and far apart in this world of Strat and LP copies, so for the guitarist who wants to push the boundaries, the Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI is a potential game changer.

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Luna Li – real name Hannah Bussiere Kim – made a name for herself during lockdown with her viral video compilations, in which the guitarist played an impressive range of instruments, from an ethereal harp to her go-to J Mascis Squier Jazzmaster. The resulting Jams EP has amassed over 50 million plays on Spotify.

As the 28-year-old musician reflects, those jams have taken her to places she never dreamed she’d go. Her sophomore release leans on equally ambitious contemporaries like Weyes Blood and Melody’s Echo Chamber. As a result, When A Thought Grows Wings features enchanting scores of tender strings and wistful woodwinds.

The production polymath opens up about collaborating with 19-year-old wunderkind Monsune, crafting transitional performance arcs, and what she believes music is for.

You’re fresh from completing a two-month US tour. Talk us through the gear that you take on the road, including that new Vintera II ‘70s Jaguar.

“We had much more gear than we normally would have. I had the harp and a new stand that allows me to play it standing up. I got a new violin with five strings, so an extra low Viola C.

“It’s nice to have access to that low range. I started learning flute in January of this year. I was excited about trying it out after we had an amazing flute and woodwinds player play on my record.

“We have a few guitars on stage now. I have an acoustic – which I’d never played in a live band setting. It’s by Art and Lutherie, a Canadian company. I was in the Folk Music Center in Claremont, outside of LA, and picked it up. It's a nice, small parlour guitar.

“I chose an acoustic on the smaller side because I wanted something laying around the house that would be easy to pick up and play. It also had a Fishman pickup so I knew it’d be ready to play live. I’m lucky to have a great front-of-house, Niki, who helped dial in the tone, and the only challenge was remembering to change the battery often enough!

“I received the Vintera Jag from my partnership with Fender. I’ve always loved offset guitars and I thought the Jaguar would be a nice complement to my J Mascis Jazzmaster. I love the Vintera’s black with the tortoise shell pickguard.”

A few years back you spoke about the difficulties in keeping your sound consistent onstage as an opening act. For headline dates, how do you achieve the right tones to perform the new songs live?

“I was lucky on this tour to work with a musical director for the first time. Sarah Hinez played keys in my band before but is an MD as her main gig. I was feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of putting everything we recorded into a live setting and achieving that with four players.

“She did a great job of figuring out the arrangements with me. We would spend afternoons at her studio, figuring out how we wanted everything to be achieved live, including a great arc with transitions.

“We also had a week of rehearsals before we went, which we've never done on that level before. Having Sarah there to rehearse with us and workshop everything was helpful.”

You collaborated with composer and engineer Andrew Lappin on When A Thought Grows Wings, who explained that you came up with some clear-cut goals for this album – specifically, exploring more idiosyncratic chord progressions and expansive sounds. How did that present itself in the studio?

“I wanted to challenge myself to build something that could feel full but not too dense arrangement-wise. In the past I’ve been guilty of layering and adding more and more, even when we already have so much in the mid-range. With Andrew, we were able to dial into the tone, so that even with three elements, it would feel full.

“The Jams EP was very loop-based. I wanted to let the progressions go as far as they could, instead of keeping a two-chord loop. I was like, ‘Okay, how can we modulate this? How can we create an interesting key change going into the bridge, or skating through a few different keys throughout the song?’”

You also worked with Canadian synthpop musician Monsune (SZA & Drake) What did that collaboration look like?

“We first connected through the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, who set up virtual artist sessions while we were all in lockdown. We clicked in terms of our references having both been a part of the Toronto music scene.

“I’ve been a fan of Scott’s music for a while. With every idea he had I was blown away. Scott was like the Toronto sessions, and Andrew was the LA sessions – it was nice to have a little bit of both cities as a part of this record.”

When you release the Jams EP you accompanied it with a 22-page booklet containing handwritten tabs, sheet music and illustrations. What was the motivation?

“I wanted to make some sort of DIY zine, and I had all these guitar solos from the EP that people were asking about. I used to be a music teacher so I’ve done a lot of figuring out songs to teach to my students.

“I got my bassist and best friend Sabrina to illustrate it. She’s an amazing visual artist. We wanted it to have a handwritten, personal feel. It took a while, but I did it when I had Covid and I was stuck in my house.”

In one of the Fender PlayerSeries videos you say: “Everyone and anyone should try playing an instrument – it’s never too late.” Given your breadth of skills across multiple instruments, where would you recommend someone start?

“What gets me through the struggles of starting something new is having a sense of community or having a friend help me. If you’re learning a new instrument, if it’s accessible to you, taking some lessons keeps you accountable every week. They can check in with you and give you one-on-one advice.

“If that’s not accessible, even finding a friend who plays music, to jam and learn songs together, is special. There’s something so beautiful about sharing music and playing music with a friend. More people should be doing music for fun. It’s something that should be for everybody.”

• When A Thought Grows Wings is out now.

As you are undoubtedly aware by now, Black Friday is right around the corner, and thankfully, Fender has fired up its deals machine prematurely, dropping their Early Black Friday sale over 2 weeks out from the big day.

The Fender site is currently brimming with tasty discounts on all of your favourites, with everything from legendary combo amps, game-changing acoustic electric hybrids and the best beginner electric guitars on the market, all seeing their prices slashed.

With around 188 different products across multiple sales categories, it can get a little exhausting trying to find the best bargain, so with that in mind, here are a few of the deals we are the most excited about.

It’s no secret that we are massive fans of offset guitars here at Guitar World, and therefore, it makes sense that we are immediately drawn to the Vintera II '70s Jaguar. This well-spec'd Jag gives you all the vintage charm of the original, just at a fraction of the price – and frankly, we love it! Save a whopping $150 right now at Fender.com.

Sometimes, the track you are working on is crying out for the unmistakable sound of a 12-string, and with the Squier Paranormal Jazzmaster XII, you can nail the tone without breaking the bank! Save $100.

Fender’s Acoustasonic range took the world by storm when they initially hit the scene, and they have proven that there really is a place for an electric/acoustic hybrid. If you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, then now is the time to grab one, as the Acoustasonic Jazzmaster is now $1,799.99.

Of course, there are many more models up for grabs in Fender’s massive Early Black Friday sale, with huge savings on some of their most popular models, as well as offering various finish options. So, if you are on the hunt for a brand new Fender – regardless of the price point – there has never been a better time to buy.

Not quite ready to shop just yet? Be sure to bookmark our Black Friday Fender deals page, where we’ll be posting the very best offers from this year’s sale.

Need more shopping advice? Check out our expert guides below

• Get some xmas inspiration with the best gifts for guitar players
• Black Friday guitar deals: The place for the latest news and early deals
• Should I buy a guitar on Black Friday? We give you the answers

Mk.Gee has truly established himself as one of 2024's rising stars. In fact, he's shooting beyond the emerging artist phase and straight into household name territory after his performance on Saturday Night Live last weekend, where he treated television audiences to his new single, Rockman, and Alesis., from his debut album, Two Star & the Dream Police.

The performance saw the guitarist wield his now-signature Fender Jaguar, which he strings as a baritone guitar. He was joined by guitarist Andrew Aged on a heavily-modded Charvel T-style guitar and Zack Sekoff on samples.

Ever the elusive artist, Mk.Gee didn’t participate in any skits. However, host Bill Burr starred in a fictional '80s hair metal and “sex rock” band called Snakeskin, known for “rockin’ tunes about living fast, dying young, and doing sex,” as the comedian’s character put it.

Conversely, despite using 80s-indebted tones in his music, the young guitarist is more low-key, with an artistry that extends beyond the nuances of his guitar playing.

“I just want to be known for making the best music," he said in a recent interview with Dazed. "Not for anything else, really. I’m not trying to sell you anything – people have gotta stop selling you their personality, and just make a perfect song.

“Categorically, I think people are pretty confused by me, and when you’re confused, you put whatever’s confusing you in a particular box, or zone. And there’s nothing wrong with that if it helps you to understand the music.”

He continued, “But categorizing me as a good guitar player? I mean, I am a good guitar player; I like to find new cadences and interesting arrangements, and contextualizing different stuff on a guitar with weird production choices.

“But I don’t really relate to the guitar anymore. I don’t like its nature... Honestly, guitar is, like, the least interesting thing about the record to me.”

Recently, Eric Clapton named Mk.Gee as his favorite contemporary guitarist, praising his off-kilter approach to the instrument and comparing the experience of discovering him to the first time he saw Prince.

Correction 11/13/24: This article has been updated to reflect new information about Andrew Aged's guitar after the guitarist was contacted for a statement. “what appeared to be a vintage Charvel T-style guitar”, was amended to, “a heavily-modded Charvel T-style guitar.”

Mark Hoppus doesn’t do a lot of interviews. And he definitely doesn’t do a lot of interviews about bass.

But the blink-182 bassist, co-frontman and sole consistent member has a lot to say in that regard. His tone – produced by reversing the classic P-Bass split-coil configuration – is about as perfect as pop-punk rumble gets, while his basslines are hooky and deceptively deep, incorporating chunky chords and neat passing lines.

With the return of fellow founding member Tom DeLonge in 2022, blink has been riding a wave that’s as big as anything in their Warped Tour-headlining heyday, with sold-out arena tours across the globe. And it’s not pure nostalgia, either – the band released new album, One More Time…, last year, and an expanded edition followed last month.

With the rekindled friendships, monster tours and smash albums comes fresh instruments. And while DeLonge grabbed the guitar headlines with his single-pickup Fender Starcaster, his bandmate has his own eagerly awaited signature model, the Fender Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass.

These are the exact models the bassist has been using live, having switched to the offset body shape to match Matt Skiba’s Jaguar guitars during his tenure with the group. But Hoppus has stuck with the outline upon DeLonge’s return, equipping it with his signature flipped Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups and a Jazz Bass neck.

Other highlights include a single volume knob and a neat Hi My Name Is Mark octopus logo on the neck plate. And don’t even get us started about the matching headstock on the Sea Foam Green-finished model. We want one, and we want one now.

When Fender let us in on the deets, they disclosed that Hoppus would be willing to answer some questions via email, exclusively for Bass Player/Guitar World.

And boy, did we have questions: why the Jazz Bass neck? How did bass chords become your trademark? And when you record guitar, what are you using?

What follows is our complete Q&A with Mark Hoppus.

Hi Mark, my name is Mike. Let’s start at the beginning: what are your earliest memories of playing bass? And what made you want to pick it up in the first place?

“I saw the music video for the Cure’s Just Like Heaven and knew right then that bass was the instrument I wanted to play. I had to paint my stepmom’s condo to earn the money.

“Dad took me to a local music shop and I bought the first bass I saw on the wall [a black Mako P-Bass]. I took it home and practiced playing along to all my favorite songs.”

What was the first moment where you felt you had found your ‘sound’ on bass?

“By the time we recorded Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, [producer] Jerry Finn and I had refined the tone to what I’ve tried to stick with ever since. Boosted mids, punchy bass, roll off a bit of the treble.”

You played Ernie Ball basses in blink’s earlier days – what made you switch to Fender, and why have you stuck with them all this time?

“During the Enema of the State recording, I wanted to get a different tone on some of the songs. Jerry Finn and I left the studio and drove to a Guitar Center nearby, ran in just before closing and bought a Fender P-Bass, took it back to the studio and cut one track with it. Then another… then we re-tracked almost every song with it. Just a random P-Bass from Guitar Center. Fender has always been my dream bass.”

Your signature models are famed for their reversed pickups. What inspired you to flip them around?

“The E and A strings sounded a bit wooly compared to the D and G strings, which sounded doinky. Inverting the pickups puts the one under the E and A strings closer to the bridge, which gives them a bit more bite and punch, while the pickup under the D and G strings is closer to the neck, allowing it to catch more of the swing in those strings, giving them a bit deeper, fuller tone. It gives a more even tone across the four strings.”

Your previous Fender signature bass featured a P-Bass neck. Your latest has a Jazz Bass neck – what do you prefer about the Jazz neck these days?

“I think it started by accident. One of my basses got built with a thinner neck, and I liked the way it felt and played. Playing a standard P-Bass neck is like playing a baseball bat to me now. Still love them, but the Jazz neck is where I am today.”

Of all the basses you have played throughout your career, is there one that means more to you than the rest?

“Pinky. It’s a customized bass with skulls inlaid in the fretboard. The Fender Custom Shop found this old forgotten hot pink paint in the back of their shop and went to town on it. That was more than 20 years ago. It’s been to hell and back. Toured, dropped, played, loved. It has a crack in the body now, so he’s been taken out of the touring rotation but it’s still probably my favorite bass.”

There’s an entire community of fans who obsess over your bass tone – what do you make of the fervor surrounding your sound?

“My tone rules! It cuts through without being clanky, has a great low-end, isn’t brash or sizzly. Just a great rock tone. When I do noodly bits on the high strings it sounds full and when I’m deep in the track keeping the rhythm and melody going, it fits right in the pocket.”

You’re using Kempers onstage now with blink. Why did you make the switch, and what advantages does it offer you?

“I used Kempers for years and recently switched to a Neural Quad Cortex. Once the modelers caught up to tube amps in their tone, it was all over for me.

“We were in Conway Studios in LA tracking, with my full cabinet/head setup on one channel and my Kemper tone on another channel, and no-one in the room could tell the difference between the two.

“At that point, why pay to freight hundreds of pounds of gear around the world? My whole live rig fits in one rack now.”

Who are your bass heroes?

“Simon Gallup from the Cure, Tony Lombardo from Descendents.”

Chords are a trademark of your bass parts – can you remember a particular moment where you first started exploring that style?

“The first time I heard [cult English rock band] Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, who had two bass players – one sticking to the root notes, and another playing the high strings doing chords – it blew my mind. For me, it all started there.”

You’ve played guitar on blink records, too – are there any standout parts that you recorded, and what guitars did you use?

“I tracked about half the guitars on [2011’s] Neighborhoods using my Tele Jr, which rules. I think it was made in ’92. Jerry Finn told me to buy it and I haven’t regretted it once. [Editor’s note: the dual-P-90 Telecaster Junior was a favorite of Finn’s, and rumored to have featured heavily on several classic blink-182 recordings, including Enema of the State.]”

What’s the bassline you’re most proud of in blink?

“Carousel’s intro I love. It was a mistake I made while trying to learn [Beethoven banger] Für Elise, and I liked how it sounded so I kept it. The first day I met Tom I showed him that bassline and he’d been working on something similar on guitar. It was the first song we wrote together and we still play it today.”

What’s the hardest blink song to play on bass?

“The intro to Carousel. I still fuck it up all the time.”

12 years ago, you delivered a lecture called Bassists Look Too Bored, in a bid to inspire bass players to move more on stage. Have you seen any improvement over the past decade?

“We just toured with Pierce the Veil and their bassist Jaime [Preciado] goes nuts onstage like no-one I've seen before. At Lollapalooza, he jumped into his amps like Kurt Cobain jumping into Dave Grohl’s drum kit.”

For more information on the Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass, head to Fender.com.

Mark Hoppus has become the latest high-profile artist to sing the praises of amp modelers, as he revealed he recently switched to the Neural DSP Quad Cortex for blink-182’s run of arena shows.

In an exclusive interview with Guitar World/Bass Player to celebrate the release of his new signature Jaguar Bass, Hoppus says he changed up his rig after conducting exhaustive tone tests in the studio.

“I used Kempers for years and recently switched to a Neural Quad Cortex,” he tells Guitar World. “Once the modelers caught up to tube amps in their tone, it was all over for me.

“We were in Conway Studios in LA tracking, with my full cabinet/head setup on one channel and my Kemper tone on another channel, and no-one in the room could tell the difference between the two.

“At that point, why pay to freight hundreds of pounds of gear around the world? My whole live rig fits in one rack now.”

Prior to his digital amp conversion, Hoppus had been a die-hard tube user, employing Ampeg SVT heads and 8x10 bass cabs for blink’s early noughties heyday, before picking up an Undertow 300 from Minnesota boutique co New Vintage Amps for their first reunion. He made the switch to Kemper in 2016.

Hoppus joins the growing ranks of big-name players making the switch to Kemper, Quad Cortex and Axe-Fx units. Guitarists as diverse as Dave Mustaine, Mark Knopfler and Jimmy Eat World have upended their rigs, while bass pros including Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton, Slipknot’s Alessandro ‘Vman’ Venturella and Dirty Loops’ Henrik Linder have also made the jump.

The other essential ingredient in Hoppus’ tone is his unique reversed pickup configuration, which features on the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound split-coil P-Bass pickups in his new signature model. He reckons that swapping them around “gives a more even tone across the four strings”.

“The E and A strings sounded a bit wooly compared to the D and G strings, which sounded doinky,” he says of the regular P-Bass orientation.

“Inverting the pickups puts the one under the E and A strings closer to the bridge, which gives them a bit more bite and punch, while the pickup under the D and G strings is closer to the neck, allowing it to catch more of the swing in those strings, giving them a bit deeper, fuller tone.”

For more information on the Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass, head to Fender.com.

Fender has partnered with Mark Hoppus for its second blink-182 signature model of the year, the Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass.

Following his bandmate’s Tom DeLonge Starcaster, the Jag Bass features the same specs as the basses Hoppus has been playing on blink-182’s sold-out reunion shows.

While the bass is a Jaguar in name, it combines Hoppus’ favorite features from the Fender bass portfolio, bolting a custom C profile, 34” Jazz Bass maple neck with slab rosewood fingerboard onto an alder Jaguar body.

A pair of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound split-coil P Bass pickups provide the bassist’s much sought-after secret sauce via a reverse-mounted configuration that yields a brighter tone from the lower strings. As Fender proudly proclaims, the bass “will enable players to produce the blink-182 bass tone they crave”.

The bass comes in a choice of two finishes: 3-Color Sunburst and Sea Foam Green, the latter of which comes with a matching headstock – although both feature the stripped back ‘Fender Jag’ decal.

There are some other neat spec touches, including a treble-bleed circuit on the solitary master volume control, which retains high-end when rolling back the volume, while the HiMass Vintage bridge can be strung up through the body or top-loaded.

Aesthetic touches include the 4-ply white pearloid pickguard and Hoppus’ 'Hi My Name is Mark' logo on the neck plate and included gig bag.

The bass is similar to the designs Hoppus has been selling direct via his own website, although those now-sold-out designs featured different headstocks, block rather than dot inlays, and came in Hot Pink and Daphne Blue finishes.

The price of the new model may be something of a sticking point. At $1,399, the Hoppus signature is over double the seemingly discontinued Player Jaguar Bass, which is also built in Mexico. On that basis, it’s one for hardcore blink-182 fans – which may explain the limited-edition designation.

In an amusingly straightlaced contribution to the PR, Hoppus says of his new signature bass: “It has a Jaguar body; it has a Jazz bass neck – C style, Rosewood fretboard, pearloid pickguard, 1 volume knob because I don’t need a tone knob, my tone comes from the wood, which in this case is alder, the Maple neck, and of course, it comes from my pickups.

“I've used Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups that are mounted inverted so that the lower strings are closer to the bridge and give them a little more brightness. This bass is really nice, and I hope players enjoy it.”

“Mark knew what he wanted when ideating this bass,” adds Justin Norvell, EVP of Product at FMIC. “In turn, that is what fans of blink-182 fans want, too. It’s been a true joy to work with Hoppus and help create this signature Jaguar bass.

“Hoppus’ use of this bass on stages worldwide showcases its exceptional sonic capabilities. By incorporating Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups in a reverse position, he’s enabled fans to achieve the iconic blink-182 tone they've always dreamed of. I can't wait to see how musicians worldwide will bring their creativity to this instrument.”

It’s been 22 years since Fender launched its first signature model for the blink-182 bassist – a signature Jazz Bass, which featured a P-Bass neck and pickup set. In 2006, after the band’s first breakup, a new version reversed the pickups at Hoppus’ request.

Hoppus first began using Jaguar Basses when Matt Skiba – who played Jaguar guitars – replaced DeLonge in the group. Hoppus has continued playing the offset design since DeLonge rejoined in 2022.

The Mark Hoppus Jazz Bass is available now – see Fender.com for more info.

From creating his own brand of expressive, jazz-infused yet genre-fluid guitar music to capturing the internet's fascination with his Fender Jaguar baritone setup and his penchant for using a Tascam as a preamp, Mk.gee has truly managed to capture – and conquer – the zeitgeist.

The elusive guitarist and multi-instrumentalist recently opened up about his technique and how his innovative approach to guitar is partly due to learning the basics from an upright bassist.

“I think it was helpful to do it that way,” he tells Dazed. “I never liked the idea of getting lessons from a guitar player, and thought it would be more useful to learn from someone who didn’t play the guitar at all – someone who could give musical lessons that were more exploratory, more about trying things out.”

In his early teens, Mk.Gee formed a jazz trio with two older friends, and started gigging in bars along the Jersey Shore. However, tension and creative differences meant the young musician had to forge his own path.

“I always knew that I wanted something more, you know, because I wanted to be the best ever. And so eventually, as one does, I got a four-track recorder. And then I was just like, ‘All right, fuck y’all, I can play your instruments even better than you can. I’m just gonna learn how to record myself.’”

Earlier this year, Mk.gee released the 33-minute Two Star & the Dream Police, his debut album. What followed was his first-ever televised performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! of his single Are You Looking Up, plus an endorsement from Eric Clapton, who picked him as his favorite contemporary guitarist.

“Mk.gee kinda sits in a bit of a pop category for me. Right. But it's unique. And he has found things to do on the guitar that are like nobody else,” said Clapton.

“My daughter turned me on [to Mk.gee] today, and I trust her taste. And not only that, we're [referring to the guitar scene and the music industry] safe. The same when I first saw Prince, it was like we're safe. Just to know it's there [artists like Mk.gee] is enough.”

In addition to his solo endeavours, the experimental guitarist has confirmed he's working on new music with pop superstar Justin Bieber.

“Anything that comes out of his mouth: That’s pop music," he reveals in a recent New York Times interview. "You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that, just because it represents something.”

Post-punk band English Teacher are the latest to win the UK's prestigious Mercury Prize, which counts PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys and Primal Scream among its list of previous winners.

Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Lily Fontaine, along with lead guitarist Lewis Whiting, recently discussed developing their sound through Fender guitars and how this experimentation culminated in their critically acclaimed debut album, This Could Be Texas.

“There are loads of '90s rock bands I'm really inspired by. They got me excited about playing guitar. Lots of Jazzmaster and Jaguar players. Johnny Marr is a big one,” Whiting tells Fender.

“In terms of electric guitars, I've never used anything other than Fender in my life. I've developed my sound through Fender. We've got two sides to our music. We've got the more soft, more ballad-type songs, and then you've got quite abrasive ones,” continues Fontaine.

“The Jaguar works really well, in terms of having one thing that can do all of that and sound good,” adds Whiting.

In an interview with Guitar.com, the band talked about being pigeonholed and overcoming the pressure and expectations that come with a debut album. “We never really set out to be a particular thing. We initially had a very love-hate relationship with guitars,” admitted Whiting.

However, their love for '90s-style guitars à la The Smiths and Blur, the contrast between “really noisy guitar and more delicate riffs” and interweaving melodies between bass and guitar led them to create the album they envisioned.

“We didn’t necessarily try to hit any specific genre,” said Fontaine. “There were external pressures to write certain types of songs to appeal to certain types of people, but we had to balance that with still figuring out who we wanted to be ourselves at the same time.”

English Teacher released This Could Be Texas in April and were pegged as ones to watch by Fender through their Fender Next Class of 2024 program. The band is also set to support IDLES on select dates of their upcoming North American tour.

Think of Samantha Fish and the electric guitar and you'll think of her bone-white SG or maybe one of the cigar-box guitars she used to play when making her bones in blues guitar. 

But on the cover of her 2019 studio album, Kill or Be Kind, there she was with a Fender Jaguar – here, she explains why, and why you should think of switching up your favorite six-strings now and again.

When and where did you buy this guitar?

“Probably around 2018 or 2019. It’s one of those newer models, a Mexican Jaguar. I got it from Reverb; I’ve gotten a lot of stuff off Reverb and Sweetwater. I walk into guitar stores now, and there’s not always a massive selection to choose from. I can’t remember the last time I was able to successfully buy one from a store that felt good.”

You’re known for your Gibson SG, so why did you choose a Jaguar?

“I had never played a Jaguar before and wanted something that wasn’t overly expensive but that I could try out to see how it felt. I thought it was going to be an aggressive guitar – I was thinking of Kurt Cobain, who played a Jaguar – but when I got it, I felt it lent itself better to more of the R&B material I was playing.

“So I shopped around for a while, and this was the one that kept calling to me. It complemented old-school, ’60s R&B and had this nice bell tone. But if we’re going to be superficial about it, I think they look great. I’m still finding new sounds on the Jaguar because it has a ton of options.”

Have you used this guitar on any notable recordings?

“I definitely used it on Kill or Be Kind [2019]. I didn’t use it on Death Wish Blues [2023] or Faster [2021]; I had a limited arsenal for both albums. So it’s on Kill or Be Kind, but I can’t remember which songs. I don’t want to lie and rewrite history, but if I could take myself back in time, I probably would have used the Jaguar on the title track.”

What does the Jaguar bring to the party creatively that your SG doesn’t? 

“Offset guitars can be really clumsy, but that clumsiness makes me approach them differently. I had to refine my rhythms and kept hitting the kill switch mid-solo, thinking, ‘Why is this here?!’ [Laughs]. 

“Anytime you switch up guitars, it’s going to help you maybe rein in a bad habit or approach it in a way that unlocks a lot of stuff.”

It seems you have a special bond with this guitar. Is that why you chose it for your GW cover shoot?

“The photo used for the GW cover was one of the photos we didn’t use for [Kill or Be Kind]. We probably took 300 pictures in that set, and I had a bunch of my guitars with me, and I was trying different outfits and guitars to go along with them.

“I have a bond with all my instruments, but everyone sees me with the SG. It’s all about the song and the application. I beat the hell out of them, so it’s nice to have some variation.”

We know you still own this guitar; do you have plans to record with it in the future?

“Fender gifted me one when we were doing the Kill or Be Kind album cycle, so I got an updated Jaguar, and that’s the one I’ve been bringing on the road. It’s Sea Foam Green, so I’ve been leaving the Olympic White one, the original one, at home. 

“I play around with it when I’m off, and I could possibly record with it again. It’s still sitting here for a reason; if I had a house fire, it would be one of the top 10 I’d grab.”

• Kill Or Be Kind is out now via Concord.

Guitar Auctions at Gardiner Houlgate has announced its latest raft of high-profile electric guitar and acoustic guitar auctions, which will be headlined by a 1965 Fender Duo-Sonic that once belonged to Peter Green.

Though the late Fleetwood Mac guitar star is most often associated with iconic Greeny Les Paul – as well as a handful of Stratocasters and Telecasters – it turns out the Duo-Sonic was yet another Fender model that Green was partial to.

In fact, according to the auctioneer, Green began playing this particular ’65 in the late 1970s, and used it to compile his 1979 solo album, In The Skies – a record that marked Green’s long-awaited return to music.

The Duo-Sonic then apparently saw action for the follow-up, Little Dreamer, which featured Green on lead and Ronnie Johnson on rhythm. Green’s late ’70s comeback followed nearly 10 years out of the limelight, during which time the guitar great dealt with mental health issues and drug abuse.

Now, although the Duo-Sonic shares some strong similarities with the Mustang, this particular offset is its own thing. In the case of Green’s model – a Duo-Sonic II – a hardtail three-saddle bridge can be found, as well as two slider switches that control the pickup tones.

Notably, those sliders replaced the original Duo-Sonic’s three-way toggle switch, with the flagship mode’s all-plastic pickguard giving way to a far more Mustang-esque metal control panel.

Other specs include a humble 22.5” scale length, a rosewood fingerboard, an Olympic White finish, and all the wear and tear that came from Green’s playing. Of course, you get plenty of chime-y bite and rumbly crunch that comes from the two single coils – an assortment of tones that can be heard in Gardiner Houlgate’s demo video above.

The Duo-Sonic is one of Fender’s most under-appreciated offsets, often overshadowed by the likes of the Mustang, Jazzmaster and Jaguar.

However, the plucky model originally designed for students found favor with an array of A-list guitar stars, and was championed by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon.

Green’s Duo-Sonic will go under the hammer on September 3, with a rather modest upper estimate of $4,000. It’s easy to see this going for slightly more, even if it isn’t one of Green’s most famous instruments.

Visit Guitar Auctions at Gardiner Houlgate for more info in the meantime.

This is the latest guitar from the blues legend to hit the auction blocks, following the sale of over 150 of his guitars in June 2023.

Budget gear co Harley Benton has launched three new DIY electric guitar kits for aspiring luthiers and hobbyist tinkerers alike to build their own flying V and Explorer-shaped guitars.

The Extreme-76, Extreme-84, and Victory kits deliver all the parts for electric guitars in an Air Fix and Lego-like setup – that is, players will get the joy of piecing their axe together.

As such, there’s a huge scope for personalization; will you keep the natural wood grain finishes they come with, or go wild with the blank canvas to create something more reflective of your personality?

All kits include a body, neck, and all relevant hardware, electronics, and fastenings to get these instruments riff-ready.

The Extreme-76 and Extreme-84 kits deliver Explorer-inspired silhouettes, coming with okoume bodies and necks with a sleek natural finish. They offer 22-fret roseacer fretboards, tune-o-matic fixed bridges, a pair of humbuckers, and die-cast tuners – with hardware chrome in the ’84 kit and black in the ’76.

The ’84 kit comes with own-brand HBZ (bridge) and HBX Active (neck) humbuckers, and nondescript ‘buckers in the ’76.

For those who adore a V-shaped axe, the Victory kit comprises a similar itinerary, save for basswood replacing Okoume for its neck and body. The hardware is chrome and it‘s the ’76's humbuckers here, too.

All three kits are rounded out by two volume controls – one for each pickup – a master tone and a three-way pickup switch.

Strings (.010-.046) are also included – let’s be honest, it would be a travesty if they weren’t – but Harley Benton adds that “some basic skills and tolls are required”.

“These three new Harley Benton electric guitar kits offer musicians the perfect opportunity to build a custom instrument tailored to their style and needs, embracing the DIY spirit and experiencing the joy of playing a guitar you’ve built yourself,” says the Thomann-owned firm.

Some may turn their nose up at the concept of, not only a budget axe, but also one you have to assemble yourself. How good could it be?

The truth is that HB has a tidy reputation for quality builds that don't break the bank – hell, they don't even dent the brickwork.

In recent months, it has dropped a contender for the best-value electric guitar of 2024 in the ST-Modern Plus HSS, a range of Fender-inspired basses, and even dipped into the smart guitar market with the $270 TravelMate-E.

The kits are priced at $117 for the Victory and Extreme-76 sets, and $144 for the '84.

If these new shapes aren't to your liking, there are also HB kits for Strat, Tele, Les Paul, Jaguar, 335 and many more body shapes. It’s fairly exhaustive.

Head to Harley Benton to learn more about its new electric guitar kits.

We’ve previously hailed Polish virtuoso Jakub Żytecki as the future of guitar playing for his shred-meets-ambient sound. Now, the guitarist has brought his progressive mindset to his first-ever signature guitar from Polish guitar company Mayones.

Hailed by the firm as “truly a signature guitar created from the ground up”, the Jassper Nidra may be inspired by classic Jazzmaster and Jaguar outlines, but it brings plenty of Żytecki’s own ideas to the table.

For one, there’s that PRS-esque cutaway on the body’s lower horn and some generous rear contouring to allow maximum upper-fret access, while the woods themselves utilize Mayones’ Tonally Enhanced Wood roasting process to promote resonance and stability: swamp ash for the body, hard-rock maple for the D-shaped neck and birdseye maple on the fretboard.

That fretboard is kitted out with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets on a 12”-radius, with a Graph Tech TUSQ nut and the now-obligatory Luminlay side dots. Curiously, the scale length is 25.4”/645mm, 3mm shorter than your standard Fender.

In a Mayones first, the guitar boasts the company’s first-ever signature pickups: the Velvetrone Ironside + Exile, in an HS configuration – a major perk for anyone who’s struggled to balance woolier neck and brighter bridge humbuckers.

This is where things get interesting. A tiny slider switch activates Mayones’ Silk-R Intensity preamp. If you’re familiar with Żytecki’s cleaner-than-clean, almost koto-esque tapping techniques, this is the sound. You can hear it in his demo of the Aquila 6 below – it’s a bit like the sparkly nylon-string sim on Tim Henson’s signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers.

Other electronics include a Volume (with push/pull coil-split for the bridge humbucker), passive Tone, Silk-R intensity and a three-way pickup selector.

In a neat touch, the onboard preamp is chargeable via a small USB port on the base of the guitar.

Hardware is up to boutique industry standards, with a Gotoh 510 tremolo and locking tuners, Schaller security straps and Switchcraft jacks, and the whole thing comes in a Mayones hybrid case.

There are currently no finish options available other than Monolith Retro White. But when that looks this good – paired with a tortoiseshell pickguard and block inlays – we’re not complaining.

“The Jassper Nidra model is an instrument that strives for a dialogue between old and new,” says Żytecki. “The shape, the sound and the aesthetics evoke the approach of the past that perfectly merge with the ergonomics of a modern instrument. I can’t wait for you all to try it out.”

“I am thrilled to introduce our new model, co-created with our friend and longtime artist Jakub Żytecki,” Dawid Dziewulski, Mayones Co-owner/CEO adds. “This creation blends timeless, classic design with modern innovations found in our Aquila and Duvell models. I truly hope you enjoy what we have crafted together.”

We’ve been nagging, ahem, certain guitar companies for years to build classic-looking offset guitars with contemporary playability and tones, and we’re starting to see a real groundswell of electrics that fit this very bill.

Besides the likes of Balaguer and PJD Guitars – not to mention the odd Fender Japan offering – you’ve even got Mike Stringer and Lee Malia playing offset Jackson custom models.

But Mayones has struck upon a unique combination here: a classic look, with some stealthy modern features for players looking to harness unique cleans as well as heavier sounds. That said, we do hope Zytecki’s mooted eight-string version sees a release down the line…

Prices for the six-string Jassper Nidra vary, but we’re starting to see these surface at Chicago Music Exchange for $3,382 in the US, and £3,199 at Peach Guitars in the UK.

For more info, head to Mayones.com.

Fender has lifted the curtain on its long-awaited Player II range – an upgraded collection of electric guitars and bass guitars that takes the firm’s wildly popular Player family to new heights.

The flagship Player lineup arrived in 2018, and has become one of the most beloved guitar lineups of the 21st century. Indeed, over the past six years, it has developed into Fender’s best-selling range of all time.

That’s all been for good reason. These represent the most affordable Fender guitars, and are positioned as a bridge between entry-level Squiers and pricier Vintera II/American Performer families.

In Fender’s own words, the Mexican-made range is “designed for musicians ready to take the next step in their creative journey”, though appeals to aspiring and seasoned players alike for its ability to deliver genuine Fender-made guitars for a reasonable price.

Now the Player family has been rebooted in the form of the all-new Player II, which introduces never-before-seen body options, previously unreleased finishes, and some sought-after spec upgrades at the request of players.

Where to start? Well, first up, it’s worth noting what models are included. Stratocaster, HSS Stratocaster, Telecaster, Telecaster HH, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang electrics – with left-handed versions of the first three – have been unveiled. As for basses, there is a Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, and Mustang Bass.

The main update here undoubtedly concerns the fretboard. Across the collection, rosewood has finally been restored to the lineup, and replaces the pau ferro ‘boards that were drafted in on older Player guitars.

Now, this alone will no doubt be enough to appease many players, given there was considerable disappointment when Fender first made the switch to pau ferro for its Player models a few years back.

The ‘boards have been further bolstered by rolled fretboard edges – which help provide a smoother canvas to navigate – that have been used to offer “a broken-in feel”.

Further functional updates include what Fender has called “upgraded hardware”. Across the range, some of these include improved Mustang saddles and ClassicGear tuners.

Elsewhere, Fender has also introduced chambered body options for its Stratocaster and Telecaster models for the first time. Available in ash or mahogany, these new designs promise to be lighter in weight, and, on paper, provide a more resonant tonal warmth.

The standard Strat and Tele, though, still look as though they'll be arguably the cornerstone of the refurbished range.

GuitarWorld's Matt McCracken has already taken both for a spin during a deep-dive Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster review, and described them as “two stone-cold classics that provide effortless playability and iconic guitar tones at a pretty reasonable price”.

Last up on the list of ‘what’s new’ is an updated collection of never-released vintage colorways inspired by ‘50s and ‘60s car colors, which have been pulled from the archives. These include Coral Red, Aquatone Blue, Hialeah Yellow and Birch Green.

So, a pretty comprehensive list of updates, but the Player II range is clearly keen on continuing the Player precedent that proved so wildly popular in the first place, as the rest of the spec sheets show.

There are a bunch of models to explore in the Player II range, but the headlines are as follows: alder is used for the bodies (except for those chambered guitars), maple is used for the modern-C profile necks, and 22-fret, 9.5”-radius fingerboards are available in either maple or rosewood.

Player Series pickups in a variety of configurations are in charge of tones, with each particular model arriving with its own tried-and-trusted control circuit.

“The Player II Series is not just an upgrade, it's a detailed re-imagining of our core silhouettes, highlighting our dedication to quality and the continuous refinement of our instruments,” comments Fender’s Justin Norvell.

“We listened to the feedback from musicians around the world and incorporated their insights to refine and innovate our instruments.”

It makes for arguably Fender’s most significant range refresh of recent years, and the accompanying launch video – which features Julien Baker, DIIV, Wallows and April Kae covering the Kinks' All Day and All of the Night – seems to suggest the firm feels the same way.

Now, how exactly have all those updates affected the cost?

The new Player II Strat starts from $799, whereas its predecessor is listed for $679. It’s the exact same story for the Tele and Mustang, while the Jazzmaster and Jaguar have found their prices rise from $709 to $829.

And, as expected, the chambered Player II models – which will arrive in September – are slightly more expensive, with prices rising to $899.

To find out more about the Player II range, head over to Fender.

UK-based Lime Garden mash up a unique mix of alternative, rock and electronic influences to create their own special sauce of indie-flavored pop with attitude. 

Guitarist Leila Deeley’s lush sonic textures are the bedrock upon which the band’s sound is built – never showboating, always keenly aware that the song is king. They’ve just released their debut album, One More Thing, an effervescent concoction of instant pop classics.

What got you into playing?

“My parents are huge music fans, although they don’t play instruments themselves. I’d hear their music, which ranged from Black Sabbath – I loved Tony Iommi – and the Doors to indie music, and I absorbed it all.

“I started to play when I was seven on a scaled-down Strat copy. I had lessons when I was young, and I picked it up really quickly. My first serious guitar was a Gibson Les Paul, though I rarely play it now. 

“I’ve been playing a Strat for about six years; the whammy bar became a huge part of our sound. Recently, I got a really beautiful Jaguar, which I put quite heavy strings on – .11 or .12 on the E – to thicken up my sound a little.

“We’ve been getting a lot of support from Fender; they helped me out by changing the bridge on the Jag for a Jazzmaster bridge, as it felt more secure for bending.”

Lime Garden tracks like Pop Star and Mother are a million miles away from Black Sabbath. Do you ever feel the urge to break out the shred?

“Absolutely. All the time. [Laughs] I have long periods where I’ll spend a lot of time playing at home, working on technique, and that really fires me up as a player, but I suppose I do see myself as a songwriter. I really like playing slide guitar, though I still don’t feel quite ready to bring that to our live shows.”

You released 11 singles before the first album came out. Was that a deliberate game plan?

“We were nervous about the idea of making an album for a long time, as we’d never been in a studio for more than a couple of days. We spent two weeks recording the album, and it was really exciting; it was always our dream to make an album. We’d had most of the songs already written for a long time, so we knew them inside out.”

What do you use for amps and effects?

“I have a Roland Space Echo, which is on all the time for a slap-back effect, as is a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb. I recently bought a Rat distortion pedal for super crunch when I need it. I also use an MXR overdrive and a Behringer Super Fuzz, which is my all-time favorite fuzz. It was really cheap, too – about $30. I run everything through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.”

Everyone in the band seems to have widely disparate influences. How does that work with songwriting?

“What we’ve been able to do is home in on where our various Venn diagrams intersect and use that as the core of what we do. We’ve played together for a few years and we’re all comfortable bringing in ideas. One of us might think something is rubbish, but someone else will often see the potential in it – from a different perspective.”

• One More Thing is out now via So Young Records.

Squier, the most affordable entry point into the Fender family, has added three new bass guitars to its Affinity Series – one of which is a spotlight-stealing six-string Jazz Bass VI model that costs less than $350.

Sitting just above the firm’s Sonic range in price and specs, the Affinity series aims to give that little bit more to beginner guitarists (or players on a budget), with the Jazz VI bass making its surprise debut in the series as part of this latest release.

The range neatly comprises four-, five- and six-string bass models, with many specs present across the trio of Jazz Basses.

Fender is hyping the new “player-friendly refinements” made across its new range of bass and electric guitars, including thinner, lighter bodies, and “slim, comfortable C-shaped neck profiles”.

Offered in Black Metallic, the Affinity Series Jazz Bass VI ($329.99) features a thin, contoured offset body, the aforementioned C-shaped neck profile, and lightweight sealed-gear tuners, with its low-end snarl coming from two Squier single-coil J Bass pickups.

The Affinity Series Active Jazz Bass V ($349.99), meanwhile, serves two Squier Noiseless J Bass pickups, shaped by an active two-band preamp for “a variety of punchy tones”.

These sit alongside the range’s stock assortment of shapely refinements, with block inlays offering a touch of vintage visuals. Once more, there is only a Black Metallic finish available.

Things get a dash more colorful with the Active Jazz Bass ($329.99), with the standard four-string available in Mystic Seafoam and Olympic White. It’s very much the same build as the Jazz V, with the same specs mirrored, including the noiseless pickups and its accompanying two-band preamp.

“The Affinity Series delivers legendary design and quintessential tone for today’s aspiring guitar hero,” says Fender as it aims to appeal to new and established players alike. “It is ready to help lay the foundation for any player at any stage, and these new additions to the range offer even more options for players.”

Head to Fender to learn more about the new Affinity bass models, which will be available later this month.

Squier has also significantly expanded its Affinity electric range, debuting a Tom DeLonge-inspired Starcaster, Thinline Telecaster, and Jaguar.

Today (July 1) hails Fender’s now-traditional summer release avalanche. Top of the pile is the news that Squier has added a generous five new models to its hugely popular Affinity range, including series debuts for Fender’s classic Telecaster Thinline and Jaguar models, and a new Tom Delonge-inspired take on the Starcaster – all of which will retail for under $300.

The Affinity series is Fender’s second-most affordable tier of guitar and bass builds, following the budget-friendly Bullet line. However, as we argued recently, the variety of budget build options has massively expanded in recent years.

We’re now moving past the point of the ‘surprisingly decent’ entry-level guitar and seeing more and more affordable electric guitars that channel specs and aesthetics inspired by higher-end custom builds. These new Affinity models only cement that trend.

As such, you can now find a new pair of semi-hollows in the Affinity line-up, each available for under $300. First is the Telecaster Thinline ($299.99), complete with a chambered body and two Squier single-coil pickups.

Then there’s the Starcaster Deluxe, which undoubtedly takes a bit of a cue from the Fender Tom DeLonge signature Starcaster. It swaps out the controversial Starcaster headstock for a Strat-style number and equips it with a pair of Squier humbuckers (all for $249.99).

Continuing the ‘deluxe on a budget’ theme, the Telecaster FMT SH (also $299.99) combines a thinner, lightweight body with a flame maple top – in a choice of Crimson Red Transparent or Mocha finishes – plus a Tele Custom-style SH pickup configuration.

Elsewhere, the Jaguar gets its debut appearance in the Affinity series, offering a thin, lightweight body, the traditional 24” scale-length and a simplified configuration of a three-position selector switch and two Squier single-coil pickups.

Then, while we’re on short-scale builds, there’s also a new reduced-footprint Strat option, in the shape of the Stratocaster Junior HSS ($249.99), which features a humbucker and two single-coils, a smaller, lighter body – and that reduced 24” scale-length.

Finally, in a sign of the times, the perennial Strat Pack (Fender’s go-to beginner guitar and amp set) has been augmented with the Affinity Stratocaster Mustang Micro Pack ($429.99), bundling the firm’s excellent headphone modeling amp into a thoroughly 2024 beginner package.

Guitar World got hands-on with some of the new Affinity models a few weeks ago and the immediate impression was that the balance of low prices, those addictive slim C-shaped necks and the beginner-friendly bungs (a simplified Jag for $300?) feels like a winning combination.

For more information on all the new models, head to Fender.

Conversations about Fender’s signature range of instruments first started in the mid-’80s when the company approached Eric Clapton to begin building a guitar to his specs. In 1988, the first production Clapton model was released, alongside a model from neo-classical virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen.

And so began a long line of Fender signature guitars and basses, which continues to grow to this day. There are lots of different models available today, all boasting different specs, tailored to each artist. Some players want particular pickups, different neck profiles, more versatile control panels – even new, one-off finishes.

Fender endorses a massive range of artists, too – from country and metal, to blues and R&B – basically any genre you can think of, Fender probably has a finger in that pie.

We’ve picked out five of our current favorite Fender signature models (we've stuck to electric guitars for this feature as there currently aren't enough great signature basses to justify a separate list), as well as highlighting some other artists that we think are crying out for a Fender collaboration.

5 Fender signature models we love

Using a few of Marr’s early-to-mid ’60s Jaguars as a starting point, Fender and the former Smiths man have created a highly modded indie machine.

Starting off with a pair of Johnny Marr signature Bare Knuckle single-coils, you get all the chime and bright, articulate twang you’d expect from a Jaguar, with a little more focus and resonance from the fact that the polarity of the pickups hasn’t been reversed.

The switching system is actually very different to your typical Jag though. Instead of the three individual switches, there’s a four-way toggle switch – this gives you each pickup, and then the option of both pickups in series, and in parallel. What would normally be the rhythm circuit switch at the top is now a high-pass filter switch, alongside a second filter switch that only works when the pickups are in series.

One mod that many players make on a Jag, and indeed has also been made on this, is replacing the classic saddles with Mustang saddles so that the strings sit in place better, as well as altering the bridge screws slightly so that there’s more stability. 

All in all, it’s an incredibly well-made and well-thought out Jaguar that is perfect for the modern player. It has come about from years of road-testing prototypes before the finished product was released. Go and watch Marr play any of his shows, and you’ll see him using these live.

This is probably one of the most striking signature guitars that Fender offers. Finished in the amazing Chrome Glow and more recently, Blue Marlin, you can make an impression before even playing a note.

Whilst it’s visually got some futuristic vibes about it, the multiple Grammy award-winning H.E.R.’s signature guitar has a variety of both modern and vintage features adorning it. It’s fitted with a trio of Vintage Noiseless pickups. These give you a nice variety of classic early Strat tones. They’re bright and clear, but also have a nice, warm attack. Plus, with them being Noiseless, you don’t suffer from any background hiss or hum, making this an excellent tool for recording musicians.

The neck profile is a comfortable mid-60s C – this will likely be very playable for a wide range of guitarists, it’s neither too thick nor too thin. Everything else – hardware etc – is pretty much everything you’d expect from a top-of-the-range Mexican Fender Strat. It holds its tuning nicely, the vibrato system works well and so on.

It’s nice that Fender are branching out from the typical rock and blues players and endorsing someone from the R&B world. H.E.R. is an incredible artist and a very talented player, so it couldn’t be more deserved! 

This is a made-in-Mexico take on a US-made Custom Shop’s take on a 1960 Strat. Fender wanted to make a more affordable version of the grunge star’s most prized battle axe, and it’s fair to say that they absolutely nailed it with this. 

Though not everybody likes a relic job, the attention to detail on the finish is excellent – better than most you’d find without paying a good amount extra. The relic on the neck feels really nice, and coupled with the slim neck profile actually makes for a very fast-playing guitar. 

The pickups fitted are vintage-voiced, as per Mike’s original 1960 Strat. They’re bright without being cutting, and offer amazing clarity and note separation. Of course, you get that incredible, warm neck position Strat tone, which really excels through a mildly driven tube amp. It can handle a good amount of gain and fuzz too – as you’d hope from one of grunge’s biggest players. Though, as any good Strat should, it cleans up beautifully too.

To be honest, this just makes for a really nice 1960 Strat reissue, without paying Custom Shop money. Looking at it, you wouldn’t really know it’s a signature model, so it will appeal to anyone that’s a Strat fan, as well as Pearl Jam super fans.

Read our full Fender Mike McCready Stratocaster review

Here you’ll find a premium, no-nonsense twin-humbucker Telecaster from one of blues’ hottest young stars – Christone ‘Kingfish' Ingram.

One of the main unique features of this guitar is the use of two custom-made humbucking pickups, voiced especially for the main man himself. These excel through a nicely overdriven rig, delivering powerful, punchy tones but with plenty of clarity and note definition. They will growl and rip when you need them to, but will also clean up real nice as well, making them extremely versatile.

What’s really nice about the layout of this twin-humbucker set-up is that each pickup has its own volume and tone knob. That way, you can dial back on one pickup, cleaning it up, and then switch to the other for an immediate boost without using any pedals.

The Mississippi Night finish on this signature model is beautiful, with a subtle purple shimmer to it. The large headstock and bullet truss rod also add to the whole vibe of the guitar. The ‘V’ neck profile might not be to everyone’s taste, but many players, including Kingfish swear by them!

Here’s a signature guitar that’s a Jazzmaster in shape, but not much else! Fender and Jim Root of Slipknot have done away with the classic, indie/surf vibe and gone for an all-metal chug and shred machine.

It’s a simple slab of mahogany, covered in a nice and simple flat white finish. The ebony fingerboard and black hardware then provide a striking contrast, so whilst it’s unfussy in its design, it certainly makes an impact!

The V4 Jazzmaster is fitted with Root’s signature set of EMG pickups – the Daemonum open-coil active humbuckers. These aren’t too dissimilar to the legendary EMG 81/60 set in that they are clear, articulate and deliver a massive punch, but they’re also really dynamic. As you’d expect, they handle masses of gain really well, so if you’re playing heavy music then this is one of the best signature Fenders you can get. They also handle low tunings very well, keeping a nice, tight bass response without getting ‘flobby’ sounding. 

Another nice, player-centric touch is the use of fluorescent fret markers on the upper part of the neck. This will mean that they glow slightly on a dark stage, so that if you’re playing live, you’ll always know where your hands need to go when the lights dip low. 

Read our full Fender Jim Root V4 Jazzmaster

5 Fender signature models we'd love to see

So, those are the best models from the here and now. Here are 5 more we'd love to get our hands on in the future. 

1. John Frusciante

It actually seems pretty crazy that one of rock’s biggest players (and Fender advocates) doesn’t have a signature guitar. He’s known for slinging a ’62 Strat on the stage and in the studio, so a replica of that in the future wouldn’t be a huge surprise. 

There was even talk of him playing a replica a few years ago, so naturally the rumor mill started up with talks of a signature Fender in the pipeline. His bandmate Flea also has a signature Jazz bass, so there’s a connection there (not that Frusciante would have trouble getting in touch with Fender).

Even an affordable take on his unique Tele with the ‘F’ on the scratchplate would be cool; he’s probably known more for using a Strat but he does use that too – more so in recent years.

2. Nandi Bushell

At 13 years old, Nandi Bushell has done more than most of us could ever dream of – she has played at the likes of Wembley Stadium, The LA Forum and the O2 Arena, and has jammed with the upper echelons of rock royalty. 

Nandi is a multi-instrumentalist and is often seen shredding the drums as well as playing a Mustang bass and, more interestingly, a short-scale purple Strat. She has a smaller Squier and a similar, slightly bigger and upgraded Fender model, too. 

Nandi is undeniably cool, and for young people to see her playing all these different instruments on some of the biggest stages in the world must be incredibly inspiring. If Fender were to release a signature Squier or Fender with her specs and now iconic Prince-inspired purple finish, I can’t imagine a better starting point for young beginners.

3. Madison Cunningham 

Madison Cunningham is a true triple threat – an incredible songwriter, amazing vocalist and outstanding guitar player. Her use of open tunings and superb command of the instrument leads to some of the most interesting guitar work we’ve heard in a long time.

Madison often uses a Jazzmaster, and was actually involved in the campaign for the Vintera II range. A little while ago, she also hosted a giveaway for a really cool hand-painted Jazzmaster that matches the artwork for her album Revealer. 

Something that matches her specs for keeping up with different tunings, and that provides her distinctive, woody, throaty tone would be nice. Especially if it had a unique, eye-popping finish! 

4. John Squire

Despite there being a blatant opportunity to make a Squier John Squire signature model, there’s also a fair bit of sense in producing a Fender for the ex-Stone Roses legend too. He’s probably one of the most influential players of the late ’80s/early ’90s and no doubt inspired countless youngsters, particularly in the UK, to pick up the instrument. 

He even touched on a signature model recently when talking to Jimmy Page. The latter asked him if Gibson ever approached him about making a signature guitar, to which he replied, “No, maybe I play too many Strats.” If that’s not an invitation to Fender, then we don’t know what is!

With his recent work with Liam Gallagher, he’s mostly been playing Stratocasters, most notably a red Todd Krause Custom Shop model. A reissue of this, complete with inscribed Fools Gold lyrics could be a great shout for Fender!

5. Mateus Asato

Yes, yes, we know he’s with Suhr, but forgive us for getting excited when he popped up on Fender’s recent video celebrating 70 years of the Strat with a modern take of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child (Slight Return). This is also alongside the Fender video of him at the ‘Jazzmaster Jam’, playing one of their then-new Ultra offsets. 

He’s currently got a few different signature Suhrs – a Classic T (available with Lollar Gold Foils or single coils) and an HSS Classic S. There’s no sign of him moving away from Suhr, but we’d love to see an affordable take on either one those from Fender.

Mateus wowed everyone a number of years ago when he essentially invented the genre of ‘Instagram guitarist’, and then moved on to play for some of the biggest artists in the world. I also don’t think there are many people that have done as much for pink Strats than he has (though Fender artist Tyler Bryant might have something to say about that!).

Best Fender signature guitars: Buying advice

Looking to pick up a Fender signature model for yourself? Here's where you should start when searching for the right one for you. 

Get the look

Most Fender signature guitars are quite subtle, which is good as it means you don’t necessarily have to be a fan of the person whose model you’re wielding. For example, you might not be a huge Slipknot fan, but Jim Root’s Jazzmaster is the perfect guitar for a range of styles of metal. Basically, if you want to play heavy music, this guitar has you covered. Plus, with its subtle, sleek, plain white finish, it’s not blatantly a signature model.

So, as much as we'd like to say that looks don't matter, they clearly do – so go with your eyes as well as your ears.

Mexican or US-made?

Many artists choose, with Fender, to make their signature models more affordable by making them in Mexico, as opposed to the US. You’ll usually get higher quality hardware and electronics on the US-made Fenders, but rest assured it’s still great on the made-in-Mexico guitars too.

Better hardware will mean that the guitar resonates better, and will likely stay in tune more. Better electronics and pickups mean you get a wider frequency range, so your top end is more treble-y, and your bottom end is bassier. All in all, the differences are subtle, but they’re definitely there. 

Pickups

Pickups play the biggest part in how a guitar sounds, aside from you. Usually, signature models will feature pickups that are voiced either specifically for that artist, or pickups that already exist but perfectly suit the style of music they play. 

If it’s a metal players’ guitar, then it’s likely that the pickups will be better suited to metal than indie, or country for example. The classic Strat and Tele pickup configurations are pretty versatile, so will work for lots of styles of music, unless they’re voiced in a particularly extreme way. 

Eric Clapton has revealed who his favorite contemporary guitarist is, and why he compared the experience of discovering him to discovering Prince for the first time. 

In an interview with The Real Music Observer, Clapton was asked to rank his top guitarists. “Where is Mk.gee in that list?” he says. “Mk.gee kinda sits in a bit of a pop category for me. Right. But it's unique. And he has found things to do on the guitar that are like nobody else.”

“I think he goes into... I used to have one of these things... a Tascam? It's a four-track recording cassette machine. He uses that as a preamp.

“My daughter turned me on [to Mk.gee] today, and I trust her taste. And not only that, we're [referring to the guitar scene and the music industry] safe. The same when I first saw Prince, it was like we're safe. Just to know it's there [artists like Mk.gee] is enough.”

Mk.gee is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who fuses lo-fi and experimental indie with soft psychedelia. He caught the Internet's interest with his guitar playing style, which incorporates fingerstyle and a heavy emphasis on dynamics and vibrato using his guitar of choice, Fender ’60s Jaguar reissue, a short-scale guitar modified in such a way that it's in a baritone range. 

In a 2018 interview with Complex, Mk.gee mentioned how Eric Clapton, alongside Jimi Hendrix, were two artists who inspired him to pick up guitar.

“Eric Clapton, Jimi… more artists on the side of people who have shifted musical trends,” he said of his favorite players. “People that take these instruments and don’t play them how the instruments are supposed to be played.

“I was really drawn to that, but I didn’t know why at the time, I just knew I really liked it. Especially with Jimi’s playing, which really changed the game. He didn’t play like any conventional guitarists from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Deep Purple and all that classic rock stuff, too.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Clapton praises Mk.gee and his collaboration with R&B artist Dijon. “There's this thing with Mk.gee and Dijon – Absolutely. It's a film. I couldn't believe it. It's happening [referring to innovation in the guitar scene]. It's still going on."

Mk.gee recently made waves beyond his niche after appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing his song Are You Looking Up.

Down in rural Somerset, UK you’ll find a little slice of Matsumoto, Japan at the premises of Gas Station Guitars. The store, which primarily does business online, imports a wide variety of rare and sought-after Japanese guitars.

But, as owner Keith Anderson admits, it’s the colourful and quirky offset guitars made by Fender Japan – notably at its famous Fujigen factory – that are his ruling passion.

Less wedded to tradition than US Fenders, the guitars made by Fender Japan have always been a riot of colour and modded features, with guitars often made in vanishingly small runs for individual stores.

In this hothouse environment, which set a premium on exclusive finishes and unique features, traditional offsets such as the Jazzmaster evolved into truly capable and versatile contemporary electrics (just check out the Elemental Jazzmaster). 

We join Keith to explore how Japanese Fenders provided the missing link between vintage classics and modern do-it-all offset guitars.

How did you get into selling offsets made by Fender Japan?

“I think a lot of guitarists of my generation got into offsets because it was all we could afford at the time. And I think the same was true for a lot of my favourite bands, like Sonic Youth and Swervedriver when they started out.

“So if people wonder why indie music is so connected with offsets, it’s because we were all poor in the early ’90s! But now they’ve become kind of legendary and, really, Gas Station Guitars has always been about offsets for all of those reasons.”

How did the Japanese market for offsets get started?

“Before Fender Japan started making guitars at the Fujigen Gakki plant, a brand called Greco was building Fender clones at Fujigen. They’re rare as hen’s teeth, but I’ve got two here – an old Greco Jazzmaster and a Greco Jag as well – and those are basically the prototypes of the Fender Japan offsets that went on to be made by Fujigen. There’s a couple of little differences, but they’re basically [extremely similar to] the later Fujigen-built Jazzmaster and Jags.

“So I think Fujigen were building [clone] guitars so well back in the late ’70s that’s what got Fender interested in having them make their guitars. But they didn’t really start rolling out offsets until I think the late ’80s. 

“I’ve got a few from the late ’80s and then from around 1990 through ’93/’94 onwards, then they started really churning out Jags, Jazzmasters and Mustangs when nobody else was doing them. So I think they almost kickstarted offsets because they were the only ones really building them in any numbers at that time.”

Japanese Fenders are often very colourful and uniquely spec’d, and they enjoy a reputation for pristine build quality. Has that always been the case?

“There are certain periods with Fender Japan that I love where they got really creative. For example, the CIJ ‘Q’ Series were built in a period from around 2000 to 2004 during which time, for some reason, there was an explosion of different colours and finishes. There were some great guitars made just in that little serial number period. 

“Then they got a bit more conservative again, but people have always gravitated to guitars by Fender Japan because you get so much more choice with them. The electronics, to be perfectly honest, is the bit that sometimes lets them down – but I think the build quality is the best Fender makes outside the Custom Shop.”

There’s a real crisp, box-fresh look to Japanese Fenders, partly due to their immaculate poly finishes. Was nitro never a selling point in the Japanese market?

“Yeah, a lot of people don’t like the fact that they always use poly finishes as opposed to nitro. A lot of people will ask, ‘What Fender Japan models are finished in nitro?’ and the answer is very few, really – although I’ve actually got a couple of examples in right now. But they tend to stick with poly and, generally speaking, the Japanese market loves pristine new guitars. 

“Over here when a guitar gets old or you get a bit bored of it, you might mod it, and British players don’t tend to mind a few dings and bumps. But that’s not really the case in the Japanese market. Over there when your nice, shiny new poly guitar picks up a couple of dings, off it goes.

“They’ll even get left on the street sometimes – there’s a kind of a junk collection service in Japan and they sweep the streets every morning and pick up all these perfectly decent hi-fi systems and guitars that people have put out just because there’s a newer model out.

“So I think the Japanese market prefers poly because it always looks new. And, actually, I don’t think Fujigen ever had a permanent nitro spraying facility. That said, they have used nitro on a couple of guitars and I have one here – it’s a Heritage Jazzmaster and they pulled out all the stops on it with an anodised gold scratchplate. They also made a Japanese Strat exactly like this with a reverse headstock, which was really cool.” 

One of the beautiful things about Jazzmasters and Jaguars from Japan is the sheer range of custom colours that are available as well as special-finish options.

“Yes, and one thing I particularly love about Fender Japan is all the guitars with matching headstocks. These days, people are into big colours on an offset and I think that’s actually because of Fender Japan – they were the ones in the mid-’90s who were doing all these amazing finishes – because the [Japanese market] expected their guitars to be, like, Daphne Blue or Sonic Blue with matching headstocks.

“That continues to this day – for example, I’ve got an Inca Silver Jaguar here that’s just come out that they’ve also put neck binding on, which is quite nice. As far as I’m aware, that particular model has only been released for one single store in Japan; no-one else is getting them. So that’s going to be as rare as hen’s teeth.”

How about underneath the finishes – are the tonewoods used what you’d expect of traditional Fenders?

“All the offsets from the ’90s, apart from the Mustangs, were alder-bodied. More recently, for some reason, they’ve moved to basswood. I’m not sure why that is – it’s not massively popular over here. I don’t mind it personally and it is lighter than [alder]. 

“But I always thought that Fujigen didn’t actually like making basswood guitars because they needed different tooling [settings and tolerances] because it’s such a soft wood. So all their machines will have had to have been set up again for basswood because previously they were typically always alder – especially through the ’90s – and those alder guitars tend to be the most sought-after.”

You get the impression Fender Japan has always been a bit of a law unto itself…

“The relationship between the [main US Fender brand and Fender Japan] is really bizarre. I get people messaging me saying, ‘I just bought this Fender Japan guitar and it doesn’t work in the serial number search box.’ And I have to say, ‘No, that’s right – it won’t.’

“Because there’s no Fender search tool that’s going to give you the exact date of a Japanese Fender. So all you’ve got to go on is the serial number and that’s [only accurate to] within a period of two or three years. 

“I love that the Japanese Fenders are a law unto themselves. At Fujigen especially, it often seems like there was little rhyme nor reason to anything they ever did. Sometimes, I’m working on a guitar and I take the neck off and you look at the neck pocket and it’s got all these Japanese inscriptions and [when you investigate it] it basically means nothing! 

“I think that’s what keeps me interested, to be honest – you just never know what’s gonna turn up. My guys in Japan [sourcing guitars] are great. They know the kind of stuff I like, which is offsets. So they find me all the weird and wonderful stuff!” 

• See Gas Station Guitars for more Fender Japan rarities.

Love ’em or loathe ’em, Fender offset guitars have some challenging quirks and most of these are related to the bridge and vibrato. While the system can work superbly, some knowledge is required to achieve that.

This applies whether you have a vintage example, a Japanese reissue or even a Squier. And there are plenty of upgrades and modifications to take your offset to the next level.

1. Neck angle

Jazzmaster and Jaguar strings pass over the bridge saddles with very little break angle between the bridge and the vibrato plate. This minimises friction, but with lighter strings and low action, strings can pop out of their saddle slots and noises often occur behind the bridge. You may also notice a tonal characteristic that’s softer and less sustaining than other Fender models.

Many offset fans consider indistinct tone and extraneous noises part of the charm, but if that’s not for you, try shimming the neck. You can place a small piece of hardwood veneer in the neck pocket, but it’s preferable to use a tapered maple shim that doesn’t leave gaps between the neck and body.

Google ‘guitar neck shims’ and you’ll see many come in packs of three with 0.25, 0.5 and 1 degree increments; these can be used individually or combined. A shimmed neck requires a higher set bridge, which steepens the break angle, minimises unwanted noises and, hopefully, secures the strings in their saddle slots.

Alternatively, the Buzz Stop is a roller bar that mounts on top of the vibrato plate and increases the break angle over the saddles. It’s similar to the front roller on a Bigsby B7, but we’d suggest that you read some reviews before going ahead and buying.

2. Glide guitar setup tricks

Friction is the enemy of stable tuning and keeping things running smoothly is imperative with vibrato-equipped guitars. Start at the nut and if you hear any pinging noises when tuning, those slots need filing and finessing. That may be a job for your luthier, but anybody can lubricate a nut. 

You can use petroleum jelly, soft wax, lip balm, silicon grease or graphite from a soft pencil. Graphite powder works well (although it can get messy) and there are guitar-specific products such as Big Bends Nut Sauce. While you’re at it, try lubing the saddles and undersides of any string trees.

3. The hammer trick

Offset arms can get loose over time and the ‘hammer trick’ is a widely accepted fix for optimising the fit. Grip the arm firmly in a vice, leaving about 25mm or so clear of the jaws, and give it one moderately firm tap with a hammer. The object is to introduce a barely perceptible bend that will tighten the fit in the collet. 

Repeat the procedure if the arm still feels loose, and continue until you achieve the desired feel. If it gets too snug, pop the arm back in the vice and tap it in the opposite direction. If you don’t fancy this, check out the Staytrem arm and collet set.

Don’t confuse an overly swingable arm with a loose arm housing. If the arm is rattling about, you need to remove your strings, take the vibrato assembly out of the body and tighten the nut that secures the arm housing to the plate.

4. Electronic upgrades

Besides the obvious stock pickup upgrades, check out companies such as Mojo Pickups, The Creamery and Monty’s for drop-in P-90, Gold Foil, humbucker and high-output alternatives.

Asian-manufactured guitars may benefit from upgraded potentiometers and switches, but such is the complexity, we’d suggest a pre-wired assembly. 

Pre-formed brass inserts can be installed to beef up the shielding, or you can also use sticky-back copper foil in the cavities and under the pickguard. With plastic pickguards, we’d prefer a vintage-spec aluminium shield, but they’re unnecessary if you have an anodised pickguard.

With so many switches and controls onboard, Jazzmaster and Jaguar wiring can be reconfigured in many ways without irreversibly altering the appearance. Jaguar switches can be changed to a slider or toggle, or repurposed for series/parallel or polarity switching.

And if you never use the rhythm circuit, you can bypass it altogether or convert to Les Paul wiring with individual volume and tone controls for each pickup.

5. Bridge mods

Vintage-style Jazzmaster and Jaguar saddles are made from threaded steel rod, and strings often come out of their slots. Consequently, a lot of offset upgrades focus on the bridge, and players have been installing Mustang saddles and bridges onto Jazzmasters and Jaguars for decades.

Graph Tech saddles are another option and promise more stable tuning. Some opt to upgrade the entire bridge, and while the Staytrem looks like a Mustang it has nylon inserts for the saddle screws to eliminate rattles and is available in 7.25-inch and 9.5-inch radiuses.

Elsewhere, the skeletal-looking Mastery bridge is machined from stainless steel and adjustable in every direction. It keeps strings in place and promises to improve sustain and tuning stability. Not one for the purists, but ideal if you want an oddity-free offset.

In the world of electric guitars, there are a few names that ring out quite as loud as Fender. Along with their stablemate Gibson, Fender paved the way in the 1950s for the future of mass-produced electric instruments and it’s fair to say that popular music would look very different without their influence. 

Leo Fender founded the company in 1946 and quickly pivoted from repairing radios to manufacturing amps and instruments. It wasn't long before he struck gold, so to speak, with the invention of the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar – originally called the Esquire, it would later be rebranded the Telecaster. Since then, Fender has gone on to do huge things and continues to be a pioneer within the industry. 

Now, there are all sorts of different Fender instruments, amps, and accessories, all produced in various parts of the globe. Even within the world of Fender electric guitars, there is a diverse range of models that all offer their own unique sonic characteristics. 

Here, we will break down some of the main guitars that Fender offers, along with the main series on the market today, looking at both US-made guitars and those made in Mexico and Japan. While Fender does make some incredible basses and acoustic guitars, we’ll just be focusing on electric guitars today. 

Fender guitar types overview

There are lots of different guitars made by Fender, but it’s fair to say that the most recognizable models are the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang. Other guitars such as the Starcaster, Musicmaster and Meteora all certainly have their place, but these five models are at the core of what Fender does and therefore will be our focus.  

Fender Stratocaster

One of, if not the most popular electric guitar shape in the world, the Stratocaster is characterized by its famous double cutaway body and three single-coil pickups (though you might often see one with a humbucker in the bridge position – known as a HSS Strat). Strats are versatile and work for a plethora of different musical styles, though they’re often favored by blues, rock, soul and funk players. 

People often describe the Strat as sounding glassy, chimey and bright. The five-way pickup selector allows you to dial in a variety of really cool tones, with positions two and four giving it more ‘quack’ and ‘chop’.

If you don’t know what sound you’re after, a Strat is a good place to start. 

Fender Telecaster 

The Telecaster is an evolution of the first guitar made by Fender and is still massively popular to this day. Fender Telecasters traditionally feature two single-coil pickups, though they’re quite different from those found in the Strat. 

The pickup's construction isn’t quite the same as a Strat – the Tele bridge pickup is slightly bigger and mounted to a metal plate. This gives it slightly more output and its signature ‘twang’. Players have turned to the Tele for its trademark sound – radiant, snappy, and twangy in the bridge position and warm and mellow in the neck. 

You’ll see many country and blues players turn to the Telecaster, though they actually work well for pretty much anything. Like with the Strat, a Telecaster can be a great starting point.

Fender Jazzmaster

Introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster was intended for a jazz audience, but it quickly found favor with a surf-rock and rock ‘n’ roll crowd. This was Fender’s first offset guitar and is instantly recognizable by its asymmetrical design. 

The Jazzmaster certainly has the twang and jangle of both the Tele and Strat but with added warmth and depth. Yes, the Jazzmaster features single-coil pickups, but sonically, these large oblong pickups can be placed somewhere between traditional single-coil and P-90s. There’s then a whole other circuit that, when engaged, gives the guitar a much darker, warmer, mellower and woodier tone, which can, as intended, work really well for jazz. 

Nowadays, all sorts of players use the Jazzmaster – they’re particularly big in the alt-rock, grunge and indie worlds.

Fender Jaguar

The Jaguar is very similar to the Jazzmaster in terms of aesthetics, though what’s going on within the electronics is quite different. Like the Jazzmaster, it’s got a Rhythm circuit for that darker tone, but the Jaguar has individual on/off switches for the pickups, as well as a bass-cut switch which gives you less bottom end.

They’re fairly bright and thin and often described as narrow-sounding, which can work particularly well in certain mixes. They also have a shorter scale length – Jaguars have a 24” scale, compared to 25.5” found on most other Fender guitars.

Fender Mustang

The Fender Mustang was Fender’s student model, released in 1964 and, like the Jaguar, has a shorter 24” scale length. The Mustang, however, is fairly stripped down and sports two single-coil pickups along with a three-way switch for each pickup. This allows you to get some pretty cool out-of-phase sounds.

Generally, they sound quite bright, trebly, and cutting – some find that there’s a bit of a percussive element to the sound, especially with both pickups engaged. They might not work for everything, but alternative, indie, and punk players have gotten along wonderfully with this pint-sized Fender over the last few decades.

Fender Series' explained

Fender Player – starts around $800/£600

The Player series represents the entry-level into the world of Fender guitars, though rest assured, these aren’t purely entry-level instruments. 

The Players are the most affordable of all new Fender guitars, but they’re still incredibly reliable and road-worthy. They’re made by the skilled team in Ensenada, Mexico, and they replaced the old Standard series a few years ago.

The Players compile both traditional and modern features to essentially give you the best of both worlds, resulting in very playable instruments that will function well night after night. If you’re seeking the classic Fender sound, look, and quality but are on a budget, the Player Series is for you. 

In addition, you’ll see Player Plus guitars around – these are basically regular Fender Player guitars with some really cool additional extras. There might be an additional pickup, active or upgraded electronics, or a different pickup configuration. They tend to be very versatile but still offer great value for money. 

• Explore the full Player series

Fender Vintera II – starts around $1,150/£850

Very much implied by its name, the Vintera series brings you a range of vintage-inspired guitars with authentic decade-correct features. Unearth the sound of those first-ever Teles or rock the style of the unmistakable 70s Strat. These guitars give you the look, sound, and feel of those old-school golden-era Fenders with all the benefits of buying a new guitar.

With the Vintera series, there are three decades – 50s, 60s and 70s, each with its own few models. For example, if you’re really into Strats, you can get the different vibe of each of these three decades without having to spend a considerable fortune on vintage models. They’re perfect for players who are tempted by the allure of an old Fender but don’t necessarily want to go down the US, Custom Shop, or vintage route. 

These Vinteras are all made in Mexico, which places them on the more affordable end of Fender’s scale. They’re built to a superb standard and are solid, reliable instruments – make no mistake. 

• Explore the full Vintera II series

Signature series – starts around $1,100/£1,000

Fender offers a wide variety of signature models, too. These guitars are made in both Mexico and America, so range quite a bit in terms of price. From Jim Root of Slipknot to H.E.R. and Bruno Mars, Fender’s roster of signature artists reflects the massive range of players out there using their equipment.  

• Explore the full Artist Series

Fender Japan – starts around $/£1,000

In the 1980s, Fender started making instruments in Japan to compete with some of the other more affordable but frankly, really high-quality brands such as Tokai and Fernandes. They still make some guitars and basses today, often in the form of FSR or Fender Special Run guitars.

The build quality of Japanese Fenders is extremely good – many of them are even comparable to the US-made models. You’ll also often see some really cool, limited-run guitars with slightly different specs and more standout finishes. 

Fender American Performer – starts around $1,400/£1,200

In the way that the Player series is the entry into Fender, the American Performers are the entry into US-made Fenders. Also similarly to the Players, these guitars usually blend contemporary and traditional specs to create guitars that are dripping with Fender’s DNA but are built for the rigors and demands of the modern player.

For example, the Performer Strat has three single-coils that give you all the clear, chimey, glassy Strat tone you’d expect, but lifting up the tone control gives you access to more pickup configurations, making it even more adaptable. 

The pickups in these guitars, compared to those in the Players, will give you a clearer and more defined tone. They tend to yield a wider frequency range too, so your top and bottom notes are richer, but they’re also more balanced across all six strings. The hardware and build quality also experiences a step up.

• Explore the full American Performer range

Fender American Professional II – starts around $1,800 /£1,600

If you want a no-frills, US-made workhorse Fender guitar, then this is where to come – the American Professional II. They’re fairly traditional in terms of spec, but you will see some player-centric upgrades that many guitarists in today’s climate will love. Things like a sculpted neck heel and rolled fingerboard edges make the whole experience more comfortable for lots of people. 

The American Professional guitars and basses represent the flagship for Fender’s USA range. A lot of what makes them so great are the new and improved V-Mod II pickups. These are super clear and dynamic pickups. They put out exactly what you put in, and have loads of that classic Fender character you’d expect. 

These guitars are vintage-inspired, but they’re not bound to a particular year, or even era. They can take from every success Fender have had in the last seven and a half decades and put them into these guitars. Each one also comes shipped with a high-quality hardcase that’s designed for life on the road. 

There’s a good range of finishes to choose from – some classic, some more modern looking, and you tend not to see any crazy specs; maybe a humbucker here and there but that’s about it. 

• Explore the full American Professional II range

Fender American Vintage II – starts around $2,300/£1,750

The American Pros aren’t tied to any particular time in the past, but the American Vintage guitars definitely are. These are faithful recreations of some of Fender’s most treasured and sought-after instruments. If you’re chasing a moment from Fender’s golden era, but you don’t want to drop thousands on a Custom Shop or vintage model, then these guitars are for you. 

The Fender American Vintage II series pays respect to the instruments that without which, the sound of popular music wouldn’t be the same. Fender’s classic models shaped the music we listen to now, and these guitars celebrate that. 

Fender has carefully examined some vintage models to ensure that these new guitars do the job they’re supposed to. So, expect to see period-correct finishes, neck profiles and hardware.

Even the pickups are voiced specifically so that they sonically match originals from that particular year. Whether it’s the bright sparkle of a ’57 Strat, the snap of a ’51 Tele or the power of the twin humbucker-equipped ’75 Tele Deluxe, these guitars offer you authentic vintage tones that transport you to the golden era of Fender’s rich past.

• Explore the full American Vintage II range

Fender American Ultra – starts around $2,200/£1,850

Not everyone wants a vintage-spec guitar; in fact, many players want something modern. That’s where the Fender American Ultra series comes in. These guitars are still quintessentially Fender, but they’re fitted with a ton of modern features. Whether you’re playing old-school inspired music, or more contemporary stuff, these guitars will handle anything you can throw at them. 

The Ultra range represents some of Fender’s most advanced instruments. On these, you’ll likely see fast-playing neck profiles and radiuses, redesigned body and neck contours, and a variety of cool and pretty non-traditional finishes – alongside some more subtle ones, too. 

Here, you’ll also find Noiseless pickups. These are still super dynamic and sensitive to picking variations, but they get rid of the unwanted hiss or hum which can often plague more traditional style single-coil pickups. 

Some models are available as an ‘Ultra Luxe’ – these are basically the same, but the frets have been upgraded to stainless steel and the tuners are locking, plus you have the option of having a Floyd Rose bridge system. The matching painted headstocks are a nice touch, too!

• Explore the full American Ultra range

Fender Custom Shop – starts around $4,000/£3,000

In a separate part of Fender’s Corona, California factory lies the Custom Shop which is manned by some of the best guitar builders in the world. The Custom Shop builds a number of different models – some are authentic reproductions of sought-after vintage models, others are high-performance, modern guitars, and there are even some that blend contemporary and traditional features together.

What they all have in common though is incredible build quality and extremely high-quality components – from the wood used to the hardware and pickups. The attention to detail that goes into these instruments is very impressive. If you’re looking for the best of the best in terms of Fender guitars, then the Custom Shop is where to look.

• Explore the Custom Shop line

Our recommendations

Want to learn more? Below you'll find even more Fender content

• Looking for more options? These are the best Strat-style guitars
• On a budget? Here are the best Squier guitars
• Pair your guitar with one of the best Fender amps
• Fender vs Squier: What's the difference?
• Jazzmaster vs Jaguar: what's the difference

Nobody disputes the fact that the Jazzmaster was designed for jazz guitarists, so it’s hard to understand why Leo Fender imagined all those ‘one tone for everything’ archtop huggers would be drawn to complex control layouts and a floating vibrato mounted on a plank. And if anything, the Jaguar is an even more baffling proposition. 

Like so many of Leo Fender’s products, these instruments ended up being wildly successful at producing sounds that ran contrary to his intentions and that would not have met his approval. 

That’s why we’re going to take a deep dive into the radical design features, ingenious hardware and innovative electronics that make Fender’s finest offset guitars more popular than ever and continue to inspire guitar players and builders alike.

Offset Bodies 

The Jazzmaster and Jaguar body shape represents a significant departure from conventional guitar design. Guitar bodies had traditionally been symmetrical – cutaways notwithstanding – but the offset waist was introduced for ergonomic reasons and the term ‘offset’ is now generally applied to most asymmetrical guitars. 

Observing how jazz players performed, Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares set out to design a guitar that would feel more comfortable in a seated position. 

As Leo explained to author Tom Wheeler in American Guitars: An Illustrated History: “Normally, the player is forced to hold the guitar at an angle to play it because it’s not balanced. So it was a matter of fitting it to the ribcage. The offset waist […] went right along with the idea of the dressed away portion in the back. It was just a matter of function.”

The body was larger and generally heavier than Tele and Strat types and was slightly thinned down by mid-1959. Most were constructed from two or three pieces of alder, but rare blonde-finished examples were ash.

Most Jazzmasters are played standing up, which somewhat undermines the design concept and makes the neck feel like it’s protruding further from the body. The Jaguar body, meanwhile, was pretty much identical, besides a slightly pointier top horn.

When surf groups started playing them, the Mosrite company took notice and introduced offset models of its own that were good enough to lure The Ventures away from Fender. 

Gibson’s reverse Firebird came out in 1963 with a body and headstock that looked like an upside-down offset. Some say Fender took exception, prompting Gibson to introduce the non-reverse Firebird in 1965. 

In truth, it was probably done to relaunch an under-performing model and reduce production costs. But if Gibson was really responding to Fender, why is the non-reverse design even more Fender-like? You might conclude Gibson was ‘flipping the ’bird’.

Necks

The desire to move upmarket resulted in the Jazzmaster being the first Fender with a rosewood fretboard and top-loaded truss rod. An early advert shows a Jazzmaster with Telecaster knobs, black pickup covers and a rosewood-capped neck with a walnut plug at the headstock, but it was probably a prototype. 

The headstock shape is subtly different from the Strat’s, with a tad more curve on the bottom. The Jaguar neck’s 24-inch scale length was shorter than the Jazzmaster’s 25 ½-inch scale, and it had 22 frets, rather than 21. This gives Jaguars a slightly looser and slinkier feel, for the equivalent string gauge, and arguably a warmer acoustic response. 

Up to mid-1962 all Jazzmasters and the very earliest Jaguars had slab-rosewood fingerboards. Fender changed to veneer ’boards from July 1962 onwards and began binding them in 1965. The Jaguar’s headstock was always slightly bigger and more curved – a portent of the ‘big headstocks’ that would follow.

Hardware

Had Leo Fender been left to his own devices, the Stratocaster would have been equipped with a vibrato very similar to the design featured on the offsets. He’d understood that low friction was key to stable tuning and designed a bridge with roller saddles. 

After Bill Carson’s road tests revealed a vibration issue with the bearings and poor sustain, Freddie Tavares talked Leo into a complete redesign. It must have stung because $5,000 had already been invested in tooling, but Leo eventually revisited his favoured option.

The bridge was redesigned with threaded steel saddles and long posts at each end of a bridge plate that slotted into metal ‘thimbles’ that were set into the body. It was intended to rock back and forth, and string-height adjustments could be made by altering the post lengths and/or individual saddles. The Jaguar bridge also had a string-muting device attached.

The strings were anchored in a curved plate that passed through (but made no contact with) a baseplate that was screwed to the body. This string plate was placed over a strong spring at one end and pivoted against a knife edge at the other. The spring pressed up against the string plate to resist string-pull and the unit was fully floating.

With a Strat vibrato, the springs stretch when the bar is depressed and then pull the bridge back into its default position. And with the offset vibrato, depressing the bar compresses the spring and equilibrium is restored when it expands.

This allowed Fender to implement a locking feature that would slide across to deactivate the vibrato and restore tuning in the event of string breakage. Some modern players have found this feature invaluable when drop tuning, but careful adjustments are needed for it to work.

The offset vibrato was designed for heavier gauge strings, but the lighter strings that were becoming commonplace revealed some issues with insufficient break angle, strings popping off saddles and extraneous noises behind the bridge.

Circuitry

The Jazzmaster’s two fully independent circuits were inspired by a home-built lap steel that Forrest White showed Leo Fender in the early 1950s. This allowed players to switch instantaneously from a darker and quieter ‘rhythm’ tone to a louder and brighter ‘lead’ setting. 

In rhythm mode, only the neck pickup is active, and the volume and tone settings are controlled by two knurled thumb-wheels. They barely protrude above the pickguard and do not obstruct the player. 

A 50kohm tone potentiometer darkens the rhythm circuit because it’s much like a regular tone control that only operates between 3 and 0. The lead circuit is more conventional, with a three-way selector and master volume and tone controls. Rather than Fender’s usual 250k value, 1 meg-ohm potentiometers are used with a 0.033μF tone capacitor.

Jaguar wiring was very similar, but the rhythm circuit had a 0.01μF tone capacitor and Fender employed three slider switches on a metal plate, rather than a three-way switch. Two flicked the pickups on and off, while the third routed both pickup outputs through a 0.033μF capacitor that only allowed upper midrange and treble frequencies to pass through. It’s widely known as the ‘strangle’ switch.

The tone control is unconventionally wired, with a 56k resistor across the tone control’s input and wiper lugs, and the volume control connected from the wiper. 

There is much debate about what this does, but the consensus is that it operates as a treble bleed that also shifts the cut-off frequency of the tone control upwards. With the strangle switch engaged, the resistor allows the tone control to operate more like a bandpass filter and it prevents drastic loss of volume when the tone control is rolled fully back.

Shielding

The Jazzmaster followed hot on the heels of Gretsch and Gibson’s humbucking pickups, but since Leo Fender remained a devotee of single-coil pickups, it became necessary to upgrade the shielding. 

All of the Jazzmaster’s control and pickup cavities were lined with form-fitted brass shielding trays, and the earliest Jazzmasters had gold anodised pickguards. By early 1959, the control rout had been modified to accommodate the extra screws of a new celluloid nitrate pickguard, with a thin aluminium shield installed beneath.

For the Jaguar, Fender only installed flat brass plates in the bottom of the cavities. Metal coverplates were used for all three control cavities, but the shielding was far from complete.

Pickups

To entice jazz players, Fender needed pickups that sounded fatter and warmer. One way to achieve that with a single-coil pickup is to make the coil wider and shallower. Stratocaster coils are around 7/16-inch tall, while Jazzmaster coils are only 1/8‑inch, and the coil widths are around 9/16-inch and 1 ½ inches respectively. 

This also means that more magnet wire is needed to wind a Jazzmaster pickup with the same number of turns as a Strat pickup, so Jazzmaster DC resistance readings tend to read closer to 8k than 6k. But the higher inductance is more significant.

Typical Fender parts included vulcanised fiberboard flatwork and Alnico V magnetic slugs. The slugs were lightly bevelled at the top and barely protruded beyond the upper flat, but they extended further beyond the bottom flat. 

Of all the pre-CBS Fender pickups, Jazzmaster types varied more than any other and offset expert Jim Shine has shared some invaluable information. From 1958 to 1962, the coils were scatter-wound with plain enamel wire that would fill the bobbin.

Fender used heavy Formvar magnet wire from 1962 until 1964, and began making the windings less scattered. Both types were potted in an alcohol activated material, which was probably blonde shellac. 

During the CBS changeover period of 1964 to 1966, black flatwork changed to grey and Fender started dating the flatwork with stamps, pencil and black marker pen. Some coils during this era were wax-potted, but when Polysol magnet wire was introduced in 1965, Fender reverted to the alcohol-based potting liquid. Plastic insulated leadout wires replaced cloth wires in 1968 and, once again, date codes were stamped.

Leo Fender had concerns about the Jazzmaster’s ‘broad spectrum’ pickups placing excessive demands on valve amplifiers and causing distortion. In many ways, the Jaguar pickup was a return to type, with a narrower and taller coil that “put out a little more punch and a cleaner sound”, as Leo put it.

Although in essence a rehash of the Strat design, the Jaguar pickup had non-staggered Alnico V slugs and a solder terminal at each end of the lower flat. The obvious difference was a steel U-shaped yoke that enclosed the pickup. 

In addition to raising inductance, it was supposed to lessen susceptibility to hum and modify the magnetic field – which it did to an extent, albeit with a small decrease in treble sensitivity.

Two of the ‘teeth’ are shorter than the others, so there’s fractionally less treble loss. The yoke can be fitted either way round, so place the shorter teeth adjacent to the strings you want to brighten up. Heavy Formvar 42 AWG magnet wire was only used in 1962, after which Fender changed to plain enamel wire of the same gauge. The slugs got a stagger in 1964.  

Jaguar Throne might be one of the newer names on the UK metal circuit but its members come with decades of experience, with some familiar faces from well-established bands Bossk, The Hell, Krokodil and Cognizance. 

Given the mix of influences at play here, from post-metal and prog rock to hardcore and tech-metal, there’s no shortage of avenues for sonic exploration available to them…

“I met the guys by producing their records or playing shows together,” says guitarist Steve Sears. “We all bring our own thing to the table. Although I write almost everything, our other guitarist Chris Binns plays a lot of the technical parts that are completely beyond my abilities!”

So far the band have released one EP and are currently penning material for their debut full-length. Early songs like Tectonic and Chrome Goddess nod to the gargantuan heaviness typified by bands like Mastodon – weighing complexity against moments that are more atmospheric, loose and free.

“We definitely share that dark prog vibe with bands like Mastodon,” continues Steve. “A lot of heavy music can just sound like people playing scales up and down, but Mastodon have a lot of feel. I use a lot of open strings in my riffs, which can make for interesting chords.”

For their recordings thus far, Steve has mainly stuck with single-coil and P-90 models like his Telecasters and Les Paul Classic Custom, which get fed into a Peavey 5150II through an oversized Mesa/Boogie cabinet via his Tube Screamer. It’s very much the metal sound he grew up with.

“I have Marshall, Orange and Victory amps, but they just don’t have the bark I need for this project,” he shrugs. “The 5150 was the first serious amp I bought, and that’s what metal sounds like to me. I lean towards the pokier, mid-heavy tones, as opposed to anything too smooth or scooped.”

Given his production background, having engineered and mixed bands such as Gallows and Conjurer, as well as his own projects Gold Key and The Hell, Steve certainly knows a thing or two about capturing high-gain tones. For all the bands learning how to self-produce, he recommends a certain degree of distance. 

“It’s hard to be objective with your own music. My advice is: don’t buy a bunch of toys because the internet says they’re good. It’s always tempting to use the latest miracle plugin, but it’s better to understand how your DAW’s stock compressor works than to guess blindly with more attractive tools. ‘Better’ gear doesn’t mean better recordings!”

• Jaguar Throne's self-titled EP is out now.

The second collection of affordable vintage-era Fenders, the Vintera II range, was introduced last year and to say we were impressed with the ’50s Nocaster/Telecaster and ’60s Stratocaster we reviewed is an understatement. But could we get our hands on the new trendy offset guitars? Not until now.

While the first wave of Vintera offsets centred on the ’60s, the second wave jumps either side with the ’50s Jazzmaster and ’70s incarnations of the Jaguar and Mustang and – as we reported in that previous review – style aside, the primary changes are the switch back to rosewood fingerboards from pau ferro, a pickup upgrade across all the models and, yes, a slight price increase.

Viewed today, it’s quite remarkable how these offsets are not only cohesive designs but how different they are in looks, feel and sound, too. Plus, although we have a ’50s Jazzmaster alongside a ’70s Jaguar and Mustang, we’re not comparing different decades or styles of manufacturing – a leveller that makes a contemporary comparison of ‘vintage’ Fender designs that much more interesting.

Basic Style

So, while the Jazzmaster retains the classic ‘long’ Fender scale length of 648mm (25.5 inches) and fret complement of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, the Jaguar and Mustang both drop down to a shorter 610mm (24-inch) scale with an extra 22nd fret. It’s a fundamental change that noticeably affects both the feel and sound, and aside from copies, we can’t recall any other-brand electric guitars that use this scale length today.

Historically, of course, the Mustang was also originally offered with the even shorter 572mm (22.5-inch) scale like the single-pickup Musicmaster and dual-pickup Duo-Sonic, although from the introduction of the Mustang in 1964 those models were also offered with the longer 610mm scale.

Both the Jazzmaster and Jaguar, of course, share the same body outline, which is 42mm thick with its classic smoothly domed forearm contour, ribcage scoop and large edge radius. We can’t see any wood – or how many pieces are used – through the opaque finishes of either. 

The Mustang scrapes into the offset category courtesy of its waist and slightly offset base, and is slightly thinner in depth, closer to 39mm, again with the heavily radiused edges, lighter contouring and those more, well, Fender-like body horns.

It’s little surprise, then, that the Mustang is the lightest of our trio at 3.66kg (8.05lb); the ’50s Jazzmaster is only a little heavier at 3.78kg (8.32lb) and, although the same shape, the ’70s Jaguar tops out at 4.04kg (8.89lb), something that actually reflects – we’re sure unintentionally – the often lighter stock used in the 50s as opposed to the often heavier wood of that later period. If weight bothers you, it’s worth checking.

Obviously, as era-correct replications there’s no modern fashionable rounding of the body heel (it’s square edged), and all use the classic neckplate and four-screw attachment. The actual neck pockets appear pretty tight fitting, too. To be picky, there’s some slight sideways movement of the neck on the Jaguar, but that’s fixed with a quick tightening of those screws.

Neck Work

We’d expect all the maple necks here to be slab-sawn where the end grain is parallel to the headstock face. In fact, both the Jazzmaster’s and Mustang’s end grain is diagonal, what Fender calls ‘rift sawn’. Aside from the slightly larger ’70s headstocks here, both the rosewood ’boards are slab-style and unbound, unlike the black-bound maple of the ’70s Jaguar with its large black plastic block inlays.

Interestingly, the Mustang’s dots are slightly larger in diameter than the Jazzmaster’s, and the dual 12th-fret dots are placed slightly closer together. All three use the original ‘small’ fingerboard radius of 184mm (7.25 inches), each has body-end truss rod adjustment, and each uses the same narrow-tall fretwire.

Our three guitars advertise slightly different neck profiles – and dimensionally, though close, reflect some very subtle differences. Still, probably due to the lightly tinted polyurethane gloss of the neck back, there’s more commonality than you might think. 

The narrow tall fretwire (measured at 2.08mm wide by 1.09mm high) isn’t particularly high, but the maple ’board of the Jaguar avoids that almost ‘fretless wonder’ feel of many from that period.

Metalwork

Probably the most polarising aspect of the Fender offset is the bridge and separate vibrato of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. Today, there’s a whole industry of aftermarket ‘fixes’ for the original designs and there are plenty of tricks in terms of how you can set them up. 

We can easily debate the failings of the original design, but for many players that’s precisely the draw: the otherworldly resonance of the strings behind the bridge and the ability to bend them with some swoops from the light-feeling vibrato.

The lack of mass of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge also plays its part in the offset sound here and many players actually prefer the sound and performance of the Mustang’s saddles, which aren’t individually height adjustable: the domed radius is created as the E-string pair has the smallest diameter, the G and D string pair the largest, with the B and A pair in between. 

These saddles also have quite a deep groove to hold the string more firmly in place. Then there’s the vibrato’s large string anchor block, which also provides more mass.

The ‘trem-stop’ of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge, when set correctly, will prevent up-bend and also keep you in-tune (ish) should you break a string. The arms simply push-fit, whereas on the Mustang vibrato you can set the swing tension of the Mustang’s arm, thanks to a small Allen key, or lock it in place.

None of the three bridges is fixed to the body, either. To allow them to ‘rock’ as the vibrato is moved, each has two legs that sit in circular metal ferrules sunk into the body and pivot on a sharp pointed screw that passes through each of those legs.

Each of our trio also uses split-post tuners, the 70s models with the ‘F’ logo backs, while the Mustang’s have plastic buttons. They use a single ‘butterfly’ string retainer on the top two strings, although, oddly, there’s no spacer on the Mustang’s tree, which means those top strings are pulled down behind the nut at a much steeper angle.

Control Chaos

The Jazzmaster introduced the dual ‘rhythm’ and ‘lead’ circuit concept that has befuddled us guitarists for the past 66 years. It is, in fact, not that complicated and can be quite useful. 

The key lies with that two-position slide switch at the top tip of the one-piece scratchplate: pushing it in towards the neck you have the ‘lead’ circuit where the three-way toggle selects either or both pickups, and the volume and tone work as we all know. 

Easy. Move that slide switch away from the neck and you introduce the ‘rhythm’ circuit: the neck pickup only with its two thumb-wheel controls for volume (the upper wheel) and tone.

The later Jaguar uses pretty much the same dual-circuit concept, but instead of the lead circuit’s toggle switch we get individual pickup on/off switches and the lower-placed ‘strangle’ switch, effectively a high-pass filter that attenuates the low-end. 

It also introduces the four-piece scratchplate where both circuits’ controls are mounted on chrome-covered metal plates, as are those three lead circuit slide switches, leaving the more central piece as a plastic laminate. 

Style over substance? Well, the Jaguar’s metal control plates do mean it’s easy to investigate any wiring issues without removing the entire scratchplate and bridge as on the Jazzmaster, plus experiments with things such as capacitor types and values is loads easier. Something to bear in mind if you like to tinker.

Our Mustang has just one circuit and is the epitome of Leo Fender’s modular approach to guitar manufacturing. Unlike the other two offsets, the pickups are suspended on the plastic scratchplate, as opposed to direct mounting to the body, and the bridge doesn’t sit over it.

Here, the two slightly angled black-covered single coils are each controlled by their own three-position slide switch. In the centre position the pickup is off, both outer positions are on, but if you engage the upper ‘on’ position of the neck pickup with the lower ‘on’ position of the bridge – or vice versa – they’re out of phase.

Finally, there’s another chromed metal control plate to hold the volume, tone and output jack, slightly smaller than the one used on the Jaguar. While the Mustang’s metal and plastic ’plates line up perfectly, the Jaguar’s rotary control plate is slightly misplaced and doesn’t quite fit into the tortoiseshell as neatly as it should.

Feel & Sounds

While many contemporary offsets simply borrow the outline, there’s a lot more to these original recipes when it comes to their sounds. The Jazzmaster here is almost a shock after our reference Strats and Teles. It’s definitely a Fender voice, but it’s possibly excessively bright until you dial it in a little and pull back the metallic smash of the attack. 

Pulling back the volume and tone certainly rounds things out a little and there’s some welcome depth to the attack, but it’s all underpinned by not only the seemingly shorter sustain (which adds to the plunk) but the original fingerboard radius – and those pretty small frets make things less fluid than we’re used to. 

The mix, the only hum-cancelling position on the guitar, is probably worth the experience on its own: definitely more Tele-like, but the high-end detail, not to mention a few light shimmers from the vibrato and with some added lashings of reverb, transports us back in time in quite glorious fashion.

The rhythm circuit does nod towards the instrument’s name, pulling back those highs a little more on the neck pickup only – but lounge-smooth it ain’t.

Strapping on the Jaguar, it initially feels like a toy. We pretty much kept volume and tone full up and it’s certainly got a darker voicing that’s more Gibson-esque, if you like, but we have that different sustain and a fuller neck profile in higher positions, not to mention the slippery gloss feel of the fingerboard, which widen the differences.

Here, though, the rhythm circuit really hits the old-school jazz mark, whereas on the Jazzmaster it’s still a little scooped in the midrange in comparison. 

The longer we play, the more the Jaguar works its magic, even though quick pickup changes require some dexterity and thought. If only we had that toggle switch! The extra ‘strangle’ switch is relatively subtle, too; it does clean up the low-end a little, but it seems more for occasional use than an essential feature.

Onto the Mustang, and strapping on this model is even more odd than the Jaguar because, in combination with the shorter scale, its smaller body and lighter weight enhance the toy-like feel. To be honest, though, although the pickups are far from hot, if you live in a Tele and Strat world then the voicing here is more familiar.

Selecting pickups is harder than on the Jaguar, and there’s plenty of chance you’ll accidentally mute the guitar or put the pickups out-of-phase. Still, while the sound is thinned, kick in something like an MXR Phase 90 and it’s a beautiful shimmery voice; with some blunderous fuzz or some even quite metal distortion, it has bags of attitude, too.

The more we play, the more we get used to the feel and scale length. We preferred it in that regard to the Jaguar, even though the Mustang’s vibrato is very different: a light waggle here brings fast pitch change and you really have to use it carefully unless you’re keen to alarm your audience and bandmates. 

Also, if you lose the necessary Allen key, or worse the grub screw drops out (the only way to keep the arm in place), then you’ve got a problem.

Verdict

While spending time with this trio is definitely a time-warp jive, it reminds us just how ‘out-there’ these designs were at the time of their release. Now, at this Vintera II level, for the most part they’re clearly reproduced with keen attention to detail and none of the issues that can come with buying original vintage pieces. Any mods you choose to make or ‘improved’ aftermarket parts you add won’t affect your vintage investment, either.

Which one would we shoot for? Despite the improvements that the Jaguar brought, our sample certainly isn’t light in weight and the maple ’board won’t be to everyone’s taste in either looks or playability. 

Then there’s the short scale to get used to, which, like the Mustang, does impart a rather toy-like feel to begin with. That said, its sounds are more than worth investigating. 

The full-scale Jazzmaster feels the most ‘normal’ in that regard. Even if you have no plans in place to use the ‘rhythm’ circuit, once you tame the high-end, well, there’s a reason why this guitar has eventually become quite a classic – it has a different voice and feel from your Tele and Strat.

And although the Mustang’s vibrato doesn’t have that classic smooth feel of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar, the more comfortable sounds with out-of-phase potential made this lightweight model get way more play time than we’d expected.

Specs

Fender Vintera II ’50s Jazzmaster

• PRICE: $1,249 / £1,149 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Mexico
• TYPE: Offset double-cutaway solidbody electric, bolt-on
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: Maple, late ’50s C shape, bolt-in
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• NUT: Synthetic bone
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, white dot inlays, 184mm (7.25”) radius
• FRETS: 21, vintage tall
• HARDWARE: 6-saddle vintage-style bridge with vibrato tailpiece vintage-style tuners – nickel-plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 54mm
• ELECTRICS: 2x vintage-style ’50s single-coil Jazzmaster pickups. Lead Circuit master volume, master tone and 3-way toggle pickup selector switch. Lead/Rhythm circuit slide switch. Rhythm circuit thumb-wheel controls for neck pickup volume and tone
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.78/8.32
• LEFT-HANDERS: No
• FINISHES: Desert Sand (as reviewed), Sonic Blue – gloss polyester body, gloss urethane neck

Fender Vintera II ’70s Jaguar

• PRICE: $1,499 / £1,229 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Mexico
• TYPE: Offset double-cutaway solidbody electric, bolt-on
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: Maple, late ’70s C shape, bolt-in
• SCALE LENGTH: 610mm (24”)
• NUT: Synthetic bone
• FINGERBOARD: Bound maple, black block inlays, 184mm (7.25”) radius
• FRETS: 22, vintage tall
• HARDWARE: 6-saddle vintage-style bridge with vibrato tailpiece, vintage F-stamped tuners – nickel-plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 54mm
• ELECTRICS: 2x vintage-style ’70s single-coil Jaguar pickups. Lead Circuit master volume, master tone and 3-way toggle pickup selector switch. Lead/Rhythm circuit slide switch plus individual pickup on/off slide switches and high-pass filter switch. Rhythm circuit thumb-wheel controls for neck pickup volume and tone
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 4.04/8.89
• FINISHES: Vintage White (as reviewed), Black – gloss polyester body, gloss urethane neck

Fender Vintera II ’70s Competition Mustang

• PRICE: $1,149 / £1,049 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Mexico
• TYPE: Offset double-cutaway solidbody electric, bolt-on
• BODY: Mahogany back with maple top (w/ quilt maple veneer facing) and shallow violin carve
• NECK: Maple, early ’70s C shape, bolt-in
• SCALE LENGTH: 610mm (24”)
• NUT: Synthetic bone
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, white dot inlays, 184mm (7.25”) radius
• FRETS: 22, vintage tall
• HARDWARE: 6-saddle vintage-style Mustang vibrato tailpiece, vintage F-stamped tuners – nickel-plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 55mm
• ELECTRICS: 2x vintage-style ’70s single-coil Mustang pickups. Individual pickup on/off switches, master volume and tone 
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.66/8.05
• LEFT-HANDERS: Not this model
• FINISHES: Competition Orange (as reviewed), Competition Burgundy – gloss polyester body, gloss urethane neck
• CONTACT: Fender

Though he doesn’t think of himself as such, Marc Ribot is a session ace. He’s played sideman to Tom Waits on records such as Rain Dogs (1985) and Franks Wild Years (1987), lent a hand to Elvis Costello on Spike (1989), and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on Raising Sand (2007), and even appears on the Black Keys’ Attack & Release (2008), just to name a few among the hundreds.

Most recently, Marc has injected his angular riffage and jagged yet buttery solos into Ceramic Dog’s mix, with whom he’s been recording since 2008’s Party Intellectuals. As for the latest, 2023’s Connection, released on Knockwurst Records, it’s a bit of Ribot-driven bliss, which runs the gamut of free jazz improvisation, off-the-wall, tribal rhythms, and straight-up rock and blues jams.

While traveling in a van en route to gig in Philadelphia in support of Connection, Ribot dialed in with Total Guitar to talk new music, working with Tom Waits, and the unique gear and approach that inspired it all…

Connection is a tour de force in genre exploration. How did you approach it?

“I picked up my guitar, just like yesterday! But on this record and the touring I’ve been doing so far since the summer of 2023, I’ve mainly used my [Gibson] SG. I’ve regressed to my childhood in that way. It’s like I’m back in my early teenage years.”

What spurred you to break the Gibson SG out?

“Well, you were kind of saying the record is eclectic, but to us, we felt like it sounded like a rock album. So, I wanted access to more metal and rock sounds. It’s not traditional to some, but it’s our version.”

Tell us about the title track Connection. Aside from the SG, what went into it?

“That’s a lot to ask of my poor memory! But I usually use an [Analog Man] King of Tone for some extra distortion. I ran that tune through that, and now that I think of it, Connection was recorded with my [Fender] Jaguar.”

Did any other pedals play a significant role in your signal chain?

“I also had a newer [EHX] Memory Man [Analog Delay], which I’m a big fan of. I like it as a preamp, even if the echo isn’t a very quick slapback. I’d advise people to go with the vintage ones. But they always break during gigs, so pedals can be an expensive habit. The new ones have a titanium crystal, and are more roadworthy, but the sound of the original is unmatched.”

Soldier in the Army of Love has some pretty district flourishes. How did you come up with that?

“Truthfully, I don’t have a process. I sit around, and it usually takes me days to come up with anything. I’m lazy! It’ll take me 10 hours to do one hour’s worth of practising! But I do wind up sitting with my guitar, I’ll play shit, and next thing you know we’ve got a hit record!”

As far as tone goes on, what gear choices impacted things?

“It’s more about playing really loud, and I think I tuned down to D. I tend to use heavy strings, like 0.011s. But sometimes, and this was the case in this instance, I go with light tops and heavier bottoms, and I pair it with that King of Tone pedal. And then I ran through a [Fender] Deluxe Reverb and cranked the fuck out of it!”

And how about your elongated solo on Order Of Protection?

“Order Of Protection originally had lyrics, but we decided that it was in the best interest of society to leave the lyrics out. People don’t get the concept of unreliable narrators these days, so if you say horrible, disgusting stuff, that automatically means you’re horrible and disgusting, rather than trying to draw an accurate picture of a horrible and disgusting person.

“Anyways, it wound up as an instrumental, which made the world a better place! I approached it from a rock, blues, and jazz perspective, which I guess makes sense. With the solo, I was trying to convey the same message that the lyrics would have. I’m not sure it worked, but that was the idea of it, anyway.”

How would you measure what you’re doing now compared to recording Rain Dogs with Tom Waits?

“Nothing’s changed. I still go into the studio, listen to the song, catch the vibe, hear the words, and think, ‘Okay, what kind of guitarist would be playing along with that? What does this need?’ Sometimes, I hate it, and if I do, I’ll say, ‘How can I destroy it?’ And if I can’t destroy it, I’ll think, ‘How can I make this something I wouldn’t laugh at?’”

And what’s the secret to doing what you’ve just said on those classic Tom Waits songs like Clap Hands and Jockey Full Of Bourbon?

“With Tom, he thinks – at least, when I work with him – kind of dramatically. He thinks of the guitar as a character in a play, you know? It’s the voice of one of the characters in a story he’s writing. So, if the guitar is the voice, and let’s say that voice is very dry, with no reverb, that implies someone is talking closely or maybe in your ear at a bar.

“But what if they’re yelling? Is there a band playing in that bar? If so, what are they playing? So, I had to think dramatically about those songs and on Rain Dogs. I’d think, ‘Okay, what country are we in? And what decade is it? What side of town are these people on?’ Those things influenced what pickups I used, how much reverb, for example, I used, and what sort of reverb I used.”

What was your setup like while working with on Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years?

“Poverty accounted for many of my choices back then! And God, this is terrible, but I had this old Tele, and I can’t remember the name of it. It was a knockoff, fake thing – I believe it was by ESP. But that’s the guitar I used on Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years. It was made in Japan, and it was awful but also beautiful. It was a knockoff and not a Fender, but looking back, maybe it was a strong fake Tele.”

Keith Richards also played on Rain Dogs. Did you collaborate with him during those sessions?

“No, not at all. We might have been in the studio together once, but not working together. I literally walked in one day as Keith was leaving. I met him later in life, and I’ve always been a huge fan of his playing, but no, there was no collaboration. Keith maybe did some basic tracks that I’m on for Rain Dogs, but I would have come in after to do overdubs. But there were plenty of instances where we weren’t even on the same tracks.”

How about your signal chain, specifically on Waits’ 1987 song Hang On St. Christopher?

“Back then, I’d just plug into a lot of cheap pedals and hope for the best. That hasn’t changed much, but with my EHX and Analog Man stuff, I’ve upgraded some. But I still have some things from the old days – primarily those focused on true bypass. Most of the nameplates have come off over the years, but they’ve served me well. I like dealing with things that could plausibly come through a distorted Deluxe Reverb.”

Pushing forward to your work on Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’s Raising Sand, how had your rig progressed?

“Not by much! I had my ’60s Fender Jag by then; I believe it’s a ’62. And I had gotten into the EHX stuff by then. By that time, I also had my Lehle [Mono] Volume Pedal, the one all the pedal steel players use. But the approach stayed the same because I always try to think about what sonically blends and sticks out.”

And with Robert and Alison, what stuck out most?

“With Raising Sand, it was more about what historically blends and sticks out. I had to think, ‘Is this a record like the past? Are they going for a classic Nashville sound from the ’50s?’ I wanted to ensure I referenced whatever they wanted and whoever they were trying to be. I wanted to be in the right decade, country, race, and gender, you know?”

How does shifting from a knockoff Tele to a Fender Jag to an SG alter what you do?

“There’s a lot that goes into inspiration. There’s more nuance in the Jag than the Tele, where there are slight changes in what I do with my left or right hand. That can make a big tonal difference. As for the SG, I don’t know; I guess the Jag seems to inspire less predictable and weirder tones than the SG.”

And what’s the secret to balancing being a successful session player with your solo career?

“You’d have to ask someone else about being a successful session player! Tell all the musicians out there that I’m available – that I’m the president of Overdubs ‘R’ Us! Call my manager – I’m home all week!

“But I don’t know… Session work and my stuff are entirely different animals. The studio puts time under a microscope, and you feel it on a granular level. But with my stuff – especially when I play live, it just grooves, and there are no limitations. I like it that way.”

• Connection is out now via Knockwurst Records.

Johnny Marr has long been known as “the man who would not solo”. But that’s kinda inaccurate, as Marr has soloed, sometimes in decidedly sing-song fashion, like on the Smiths’ Shoplifters of the World, for example. So maybe, Marr should be known as “the man who used crystal-clear arpeggios and interesting chord inversions rather than pulling off divebombs via big-ass amps” instead. Then again, legends via folklore aren’t born through literalism.

Anyway, as per the perpetual positive vibes slung Marr’s way, we can agree that he’s the proverbial king of the antiheroes – regardless of whether he solos. None of that has mattered to Marr, though, as he continues to craft landscape-defining indie music. But beyond that music, Marr’s life has been defined by utter devotion to all things six-string.

Marr is so intertwined with his now-massive collection of curios that he’s decided to celebrate them via Marr’s Guitars (HarperCollins, 2023), a 288-page book that reads more like a life story than an art project. To that end, Marr agrees.

“I’m glad it reads that way, because it’s basically my life story through the lens of photographing my guitars”, he says. “The original inspiration came through photo shoots with Pat Graham while he was working on a book called Instrument. I recognized his unique way of photographing guitars, which I found very beautiful. 

“Pat takes these close-up, abstract shots that show a bit of rust on the bridge or a scuff on the neck, and I was fascinated by that. I originally wanted Marr’s Guitars to be full of abstract photos, but as more guitars were photographed, it evolved.”

If you’ve been following along with Marr, you’ll know he’s almost never without his trusty Fender Jaguar. It’s understandable, as he has done some incredible things with the guitar that figuratively and literally bears his signature. 

When asked what drew him to the offset, Marr says, “The Jag, specifically my signature Jag, is a cross between a Gretsch and a Rickenbacker. And it plays like a Fender, but sonically, it’s like playing all three. It’s completely custom-made to sound like me. Like the Rickenbacker, the Jag made me play like me. 

“When I picked up Isaac Brock’s [Modest Mouse] ’63 Jag while writing Dashboard, it was life-changing. And here I am still playing the Jag. I don’t even like guitar changes in my live set.”

Putting together Marr’s Guitars has re-established Marr’s connection with many long-relegated axes in his extensive collection. “When I picked up my Epiphone Casino that I hadn’t played in 25 years, I was transported back to the last time I played it. When I grabbed my green Fender Tele I got in ’84, I remembered the clothes I wore when I got it. It’s hard to explain; guitar players will know what I’m talking about.

That “hard to explain” thing is precisely what Marr’s Guitars is about. Sure, Marr has a massive, covet-worthy collection of guitars, but if we step outside the grandeur and dig into the crux of the thing, undoubtedly, one can understand the relationship. More so than any other instrument, a guitar in hand can transport the player to a time when a literal millisecond defined a feeling.

“There’s tiny little messages you get from your brain when you put your hand on a neck,” Marr says. “You expect it to be slim, and it’s not. It’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is like a 1960 neck.’ Or you pick up a Tele, and you’re like, ‘I was expecting this to be much lighter,’ but you remember why it’s not.”

Marr smiles before adding, “And when you plug it in, you hear that sound and the nuances that make old, non-generic guitars different. The pickups are hand-wound, and human beings carved out the neck. You forget how individual guitars are and how they get that character – until you pick them up again.

“A vintage guitar isn’t rad because it’s old and cool,” he says. “It’s about the unusual things that – as soon as you grab it – make you say, ‘Okay, yeah, that’s right. I remember that about this guitar.’”

Tell me about how you came upon your Rickenbacker 330. 

“I got it when the Smiths started taking off. It was the first ‘Does this mean I’ve made it?’ thing I got. Before that, I had been playing a Gretsch [Chet Atkins] Super Axe and constantly snapping strings because I was tuned up a whole step. I was forever snapping strings, and when the band got a deal, I got the Rickenbacker to be my backup guitar,’ but that changed because it was better than my ‘main guitar.’ [Laughs]”

Did you immediately know it was special?

“I knew it would make me play a certain way about chords and arpeggios. I knew the strength of the Smiths in those early years was the chord progressions I was using, and I didn’t want to do anything that reminded me – or anyone else – of pentatonic stuff. 

“The Rickenbacker steered me in the harmonic direction of unusual arpeggios and chord changes. It was an excellent instinctive choice; I’ve had friends buy Rickenbackers, and they’re never as good as mine. It turns out that in the early ’80s, Rickenbacker made some particularly good guitars.”

Have you figured out why?

“I used to think it was the finish. But then Martin Kelly [musician, label boss] told me that John Hall took over Rickenbacker in ’84 and spent 18 months getting all the specifications improved. 

“And it’s often said that ’86 is the vintage year, but I bought mine in ’84 when John Hall took over the company, and it’s been great. I’ve always had an instinct that those few years in the ’80s were particularly good, and I was right. Those were the comeback years for Rickenbacker.”

And how about the 12-string sunburst ES-335 used during the Strangeways, Here We Come sessions?

“At that point, I liked 12-string guitars, but like almost every other player on the planet, I learned that they took some application. I had been playing a Rickenbacker, and a 12-string was a hassle for an impatient guy like me, who was now working with some impatient tech. 

“I had to get used to it, and it was a bitch keeping it in tune, especially those ’60s ones. But when I discovered the ES-335 12-string, I said, “Okay, let’s give this a go,” and it immediately clicked. It was a big guitar, but the humbuckers were dialed down and a little darker. That was the guitar I gave Bernard [Butler] from Suede, who remains the custodian of that guitar.”

Do you subscribe to the idea that we’re only temporary stewards of our guitars, as the best guitars will outlast us?

“That’s a lovely notion, and I agree with that, but that’s not why I’ve given guitars away. I gave them away because I’m close with people like Bernard, Noel [Gallagher] and [Radiohead’s] Ed [O’Brien], and I did it as a sign of respect. It was an act of sharing because I’m close to them. 

“As you can see from the book, I’ve got a lot of guitars, so it was a way of letting go and letting my friends love them. But I will say the Oasis thing with Noel was different because in the very early days, they’d only played a few shows, and no-one knew they’d be so big. I just liked Noel and wanted to help him as he was just starting. When I was starting, I got a helping hand, and I wanted to help a fellow Mancunian, Irish fellow, so I gave him the Les Paul I wrote Panic on.”

These days, you’re most often seen with your Fender Jaguar. Does it carry the same cache as some of the guitars you’ve had longer?

“Oh, there’s no competition when it comes to that. No guitar will ever come close to the Jag because I’ve played it exclusively for years. I’ve had these moments with the Jag, like doing the [James] Bond thing with Billie Eilish, the Inception thing, and playing Glastonbury. 

“When I had 60,000 people singing There Is a Light That Never Goes Out back at me… I’ll never forget that because it was so brilliant. As for the older guitars, I became famous for using those through photographs from the ’80s, and they were close to me. But nothing comes close to the journey I’ve had with the Jag.”

Is there one guitar of yours that people don’t pay enough attention to?

“One guitar that people who have followed me probably know about but maybe don’t realize is such a big deal is my ’85 Gibson Les Paul. It’s the cherry red one I got when the Smiths were about to start recording Meat Is Murder. 

“I got it to write on and used it a lot during that album. Before the Jag days, that Les Paul was on more records than any other guitar I owned. Many people think I was doing it all on the Rickenbacker in the ’80s, but a lot of the clean arpeggio stuff was done on that Les Paul.”

One oddball guitar I can recall is the nine-pickup Strat used in your Spirit, Power, and Soul video.

“Ah, yes. [Laughs] That was created by some crazy loon, who I imagine is somewhere in the north of England; they did that to a guitar. I got that Strat in the early ’90s, while I was out with a young Noel Gallagher. 

“Back then, I used to drink, and when Noel and I went to a guitar shop after a long night out, I saw that guitar, and it made total sense to me. But the thing about that guitar is it sounds terrific! There are nine on/off switches and nine out-of-phase positions. She’s a guitar tech’s nightmare, but I used it on [2022’s] Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4, and I wrote Spirit, Power, and Soul on it.”

Are there any guitars or tones you’re still chasing?

“The answer is not in buying another guitar, only because I bought one a few days ago. But I am sort of working on a sound… I’m chasing a sound I hope to use on the next record. You can have all these things, like a Uni-Vibe; I can have that, but I’ll only ever sound like Jimi Hendrix, you know? 

“As the years go by, it gets harder to do things that haven’t been done, and you end up sounding like yourself anyway. So there’s always a bit of chasing, but maybe the point of it all is adventure. I look around at all this tech, and I remind myself not to let it overtake me. I love adventure, but what I love most is the element of mystery that comes with it.”

• Marr's Guitars is out now via HarperCollins.

Fender has set its sights on establishing a new benchmark for electric guitar brilliance with its no-holds-barred 2024 Custom Shop collections: the Limited Edition, Time Machine, Postmodern, American Custom, Artisan and Vintage Custom families.

In total, six separate lineups have been announced as part of the comprehensive drop, with each arriving with a very specific design objective, from paying homage to golden era guitars to pushing the boundaries of contemporary designs.

To do so, the Big F has pulled out all the stops, dipping into its arsenal of aesthetic, functional and tonal appointments to deliver a range of luxuriously finished, meticulously relic’d, Bigsby-clad instruments that span its Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and bass guitar lineups.

“Crafted by the industry's most skilled artisans, these guitars represent the pinnacle of excellence, blending innovation with the rich heritage of Fender,” says Mike Lewis, VP of Product Development at the Fender Custom Shop,

“Each collection tells a unique story, from the timeless elegance of the Limited Edition and Time Machine models to the groundbreaking features of the Postmodern and American Custom collections to the nostalgic journey of the Vintage Custom designs.

“We're confident that this year’s collection will captivate artists, players, and collectors alike, setting a new standard for excellence in the world of custom guitars.”

Read on to find out more about the design briefs of each collection – and to marvel at some of the stellar builds on display.

Fender Postmodern

The Postmodern collection serves a fairly self-explanatory purpose: to deliver the best features of the past, coupled with a range of modern materials and innovations. This combination is said to lead to the potential for a “wider range of individual musical expression and creativity”.

For the Class of 2024, Fender has gone big on Bigsbys and f-holes, introducing two Strats and a sole Telecaster that all arrive with a single f-hole on the upper bout. The latter model has also been fitted with that aforementioned B5 vibrato.

Thanks to the Journeyman relicing, each instrument looks to have been lifted straight from the archive, though with some telling contemporary tweaks: compound radius fingerboards for the Strat, Tomatillo pickups for the Tele, and a huge range of finish options for the lot.

Other standout specs include the Tone-Saver Bleed and Greasebucket tone circuit for the Strats, and Fat ‘50s Tele wiring for the, erm, Tele. Essentially, these both give greater tonal control over each of the guitars’ pickup assembly.

Prices start from $4,975.

Fender Time Machine

The Time Machine, by comparison, forgets about modernity and doubles down on heritage, “crafting meticulous replicas using the same techniques and tooling used to create the originals all those years ago”.

Again, the collection is comprehensive, with each model arriving with the Time Machine relic process. Highlights include the 1964 Jaguar Journeyman – which features a ‘62-style C-profile neck, Custom Shop ‘62 Jaguar pickups, and period-correct matching painted headcap – as well as the Heavy Relic’d ‘57 Stratocaster.

As the name of the latter implies, this Strat is very relic’d indeed, arriving in a choice of battle-worn finishes that hope to evoke “decades of intense playing and touring”. Specs are faithful, too, with the guitar featuring Tomatillo single-coils, that Greasebucket tone circuit and a ‘57-style V neck profile.

Fender American Custom

If the Time Machine models were fully focussed on the past, the American Custom guitars look the other way, dubbed “the Fender of modern times – and then some”. Three ultra-pristine instruments make up this family, with the Telecaster arriving in a choice of Sapphire Blue Transparent or Honey Blonde colorways.

That single-cut also flashes a compound 9.5”-12” radius, a two-piece ash body and a roasted flame maple neck, fashioned to a ‘57-style Soft V profile.

As for the Strat, maple and rosewood fingerboard-equipped iterations have been issued, with both coming loaded with Dual-Mag pickups, Fat ‘50s Blender Strat wiring, vintage Custom Shop hardware, and black anodized pickguards. There are a range of finishes on offer here, too: Vintage Blonde, Aged White Blonde and Wide-Fade Chocolate Two-Color Sunburst, just to name a few.

Prices for the American Custom range start from $4,225.

Fender Vintage Custom

Only one Vintage Custom instrument has been introduced, with the 1959 Stratocaster TCP helping Fender in its quest to produce “early, almost prototypical, transitional and ‘first rev’ versions of classic Fender models before they were refined into their present day form”.

It’s an objective that makes for an especially unique Strat, with this particular model – available in Three-Color Sunburst, Faded Aged Sonic Blue or Fiesta Red – arriving with a flash-coat lacquer finish for more ‘organic’ sustain, a 7.25”-9.5” compound radius and hand-wound ‘59 single-coils.

“The Vintage Custom 1959 Stratocaster is the legendary guitar you know and love infused with '59 mojo,” says Fender. The price for this Strat is $4,175.

Fender Limited Edition

The Limited Edition collection, as the name suggests, is reserved for limited builds, which are treated to “features reserved only for certain artists and masterbuilt instruments”.

For this year, highlights include the ‘64 L-Series Strat and ‘64 “Bobbed” Tele Thinline. The former is said to capture an “especially distinctive and sought -after” Stratocaster, opting for ‘63-style C-shape neck profile, compound vintage radius fingerboard and hand-wound ‘64 single-coils.

The Tele, on the other hand, combines a few fan-favorite specs, offering a semi-hollow ash body, Wide-Range humbuckers, ‘72 Thinline wiring and a custom bridge with Custom Shop Research Special Design brass saddles.

Fender Artisan

Capping off the custom collection, the Artisan series comprises a range of custom-built masterpieces, composed from a range of exotic tonewoods and specially selected appointments. In essence, each model is “a beauty to behold – the culmination of sonic perfection, passion and purity of design – with authentic Fender spirit at the core”.

For evidence, look no further than the Maple Burl Jazz Bass and the Koa Dual P-90 Strat, both of which opt for unorthodox body woods in effort to bring an ornately elegant aesthetic and functional twist to the platform.

Head over to the Fender Custom Shop website to browse the full range.

Starting life as a budget-friendly student model, the Mustang galloped out of the classroom and straight into the hands of ’90s alt-rock heroes, cementing itself as the poster child of the grunge movement. 

Turning our attention to the latest Mustang offering from Fender, and we are greeted with a guitar that looks like it arrived here in a DeLorean. 

Fender has again nailed the ’70s aesthetic here – the vintage patina of the neck, the retro ‘F’-stamped machine heads with aged white buttons, and the period-correct black and gold decal all lead to a rather authentic-looking electric guitar indeed. 

Much like the Jaguar in the Vintera II series, this model features a 24” maple neck with C profile – although this time, it’s based on earlier examples – as well as the familiar 7.25” radius fingerboard and vintage-tall frets. 

If you’ve never had the joy of playing a short-scale Fender, we’d highly recommend seeking one out, as they are a lot of fun – and this one is no different. The shorter nature of the neck results in a much more elastic feel to the strings and once-impossible bends are now a total breeze. 

Again, like the Jag, the build quality here is top-notch. The hardware feels robust, the tremolo unit is as smooth as you like and the machine heads are perfectly responsive.

The tonal heart of this miniature offset is a set of vintage-inspired ’70s single-coil pickups and they sound fantastic.

Cheerful, snappy and full of detail, these pickups are sure to cover a lot of musical ground. Whether it’s clean chords or aggressive fuzzed-out solos, this Mustang takes it all in its stride.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,149 / £1,049
• BODY: Alder 
• BODY FINISH: Gloss Polyester 
• NECK: Maple 
• NECK SHAPE: Early ‘70s C 
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood 
• PICKUPS: Vintage-Style ‘70s Single-Coil Mustang
• CONTROLS: Master Volume, Master Tone, 2-On/Off Slide Switches 

When the original Vintera models were released in 2019, their retro charm and modern playability proved to be a hit with players, and Fender found itself with a bonafide box-office smash on its hands. So, it was only a matter of time before this popular series received a sequel. 

Featuring a new cast of suitably vintage-inspired models as well as a few returning faces, this updated lineup looks to refresh the range and continue the story for fans of the series.

Among the colourful band of characters is everything from a ’50s Stratocaster to ’60s cult classic the Bass VI and a few ’70s models sprinkled in for good measure. In fact, the electric guitar we are taking a closer look at today come from the latter decade – the ’70s Jaguar.

Now, while this particular period doesn’t get the same love as Fender’s golden age, there seems to be a newfound appreciation for this decade, with more and more players discovering that there were a few gems to be found at the height of the company’s CBS-era.

Just like the original iteration of Vintera guitars, the follow-up models blend vintage specs with contemporary production techniques to create a six-string that offers players the best of both worlds – nostalgic looks and sound with effortless modern playability. It’s worth noting the Vintera series is not trying to emulate an exact year of manufacture. Instead, this line is purely attempting to evoke the vibe of its chosen decade.

This offset guitar is offered in classic Black or Vintage White and comes loaded with period-correct Vintera II pickups, ‘F’ stamped machineheads, a retro C-shaped neck with 7.25” radius fingerboard and vintage-tall frets.

We can’t help but admire how gorgeous this Jaguar is. Its asymmetrical body is as handsome as ever in its off-white getup, while the vintage tint neck, block inlays and large headstock complete the retro aesthetic. The finishing is on point, too. This guitar is impeccably put together and very well spec’d for the price. 

That said, a rather curious spec detail is the neck profile, which may raise a few eyebrows among Jag fanatics. Due to dwindling sales, the Jaguar wouldn’t see the latter half of the decade, getting the chop in 1975. 

So, we aren’t too sure which “late-’70s” model was the inspiration. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that this guitar is a joy to hold. Pair that with the vintage-tall frets and slinky feel of a 24” scale, and you get a guitar that begs to be played.

As expected, the guitar comes equipped with vintage-style saddles and classic tremolo. While this goes a long way to helping you achieve that signature Jag sound, the strings can pop out when struck with force – so heavy-handed players be warned. 

Tonally, the Jaguar is known for its bright attack, and that’s exactly what we get. The sound is precise and defined but not brittle. Thankfully, both the Lead/Rhythm Circuit and Bass-Cut are represented in all their retro glory, so you can effortlessly achieve those reverb-soaked single-note lines.

So, whether you think of the Jaguar as the guitar that helped surf stay afloat or the axe that killed glam, there’s no denying that this crooked offset sounds like no other model and this latest offering is no different.

Sequels are a lot harder to get right than they would first appear. While every follow-up thinks of itself as The Empire Strikes Back, it’s more likely to be The Phantom Menace. All too often, the new instalment fails to capture the magic of the original, becoming a soulless cash grab that is a pale imitation of what came before. 

Luckily, that isn’t what has happened here. Fender’s Vintera II Series brilliantly builds on the previous generation, expanding the lineup with two models that are sure to become fan favourites.

The Jaguar perfectly evokes the feel and sound of the guitar from it draws its inspiration, while also benefiting from Fender’s modern building methods. From style to playability, build quality to tone, this ’70s offset offer players an affordable way to harness a little bit of vintage mojo without breaking the bank. 

Now, we can’t help but look forward to the next instalment of the Vintera story and wonder what direction the guitars will take next. Maybe this next series will be set in the ’80s and star the short-lived Katana? Yeah, probably not.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,499 / £1,229
• BODY: Alder 
• BODY FINISH: Gloss Polyester 
• NECK: Maple 
• NECK SHAPE: Early ‘70s C 
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood 
• PICKUPS: Vintage-Style ‘70s Single-Coil Mustang
• CONTROLS: Master Volume, Master Tone, 2-On/Off Slide Switches 
• CONTACT: Fender

While the Stratocaster and Telecaster might reign supreme in terms of popularity amongst Fender’s line-up of electric guitars, the Jaguar and Mustang are still much loved by a whole range of players. Introduced in 1962 and 1964 respectively, they both offer a shorter scale than most other Fender guitars, and a range of different tones; but what sets these two guitars apart? And if you’ve been considering picking one up, which is the right model for you?

Both guitars are well known for being covered in all sorts of switches and knobs. While this has no doubt confused and maybe even put some players off, it’s also a huge part of what makes them sound so unique, and has helped deliver some classic tones over the last 60 years.

Here, we’re going to pit these offset guitars against each other to compare and contrast things like tone, design, playability and more. Like with all of Fender’s other models, there have been various versions of both guitars over the years. Even today there are lots of options to pick from. To make things easier and fairer, for this feature we will be looking at vintage spec’d versions of both guitars, like the ones seen in Fender’s Vintera and Vintera II ranges.

Fender Mustang vs Jaguar: At a glance

Probably the most noticeable difference between the Jaguar and the Mustang at first glance is the body shape, with the latter being a little more compact. They’ve got different types of pickups too – they’re both single coils, but you’ll notice that the Jag’s has small metal claws around them, as we’ll look at later, and produces quite a different sound.

They both have different controls and circuits too, which again contributes towards the different tones that these guitars are capable of producing. The hardware, particularly the trem systems differ too, which gives them a different feel from one another but also has quite an impact on how they look. They do both share a 24” scale length though, which is shorter than Fender’s usual 25.5”, so you might notice a similar feel in your fretting hand. The specs below are based on the Vintera II 70s models.

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Switching systems

Both guitars utilize single coil pickups, however they’ve both definitely got their own tonal characteristics and have very different switching systems. Firstly, let’s go through what all the switches do.

On a Jaguar, you’ve got three switches placed near the lower horn. Looking at the guitar face-on, the right hand switch turns the neck pickup on/off, the middle is on/off for the bridge pickup and the left-hand switch is a ‘strangle’ switch that cuts out some of the lower frequencies across all pickups. Near the input, you’ve got master volume and master tone knobs. 

Then at the top, you’ve got a single switch and two roller knobs. When the switch is up, you’re on the lead circuit (which is what the master knobs and three switches control) - when it’s down, you’re on the Jag’s rhythm circuit. Here, only the neck pickup is engaged and, since it’s going through a different circuit, it sounds different – much darker and mellower. The two roller knobs are then tone and volume controls for this.

The Mustang has a simpler switching system. Each pickup has a three-way switch above it. When the switch is in the middle, that pickup is off. When it’s either to the left or the right, then that pickup is on. Now, it’s a three-way switch for a reason – if the switches on both pickups are in the same position then they’re both on and in phase. If the switches are in opposite directions (i.e. one is switched to the left, and the other to the right), then they’re both on, but they are out of phase. Essentially, this gives you four different tones. The two knobs near the input are master volume and tone controls.

Verdict: Draw 

Difficult to pick a winner here. They both do different things and serve the guitar that they’re on well. You can probably do slightly more with the Jag – good for those that like options; less so for those that want a simpler system! 

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Tone

The different pickups fitted in both the Fender Jaguar and Fender Mustang mean that they sound different. A Jag will usually be brighter sounding and have a hotter output, meaning you can push a tube amp to overdrive naturally more easily. It’s also got a lot of that Fender jangle that people talk about – it’s clear, defined and bright. The metal claws around the pickups help enhance the top end frequencies and also reduce hum slightly.

You’ve then got the strangle switch, which takes out some bottom end, and even some mid frequencies – this sound won’t work for everything, but it’s nice to have. The rhythm circuit is great for jazz, or anything that requires a much darker tone. Pairing this with a nice fuzz pedal can yield some really cool sounds too. 

Mustangs on the other hand sound a little warmer, almost woody sounding, and thinner. You can even get a little twang out of it – almost like a Tele. You’ve then got the honky out of phase sounds possible with the three-way switches. These might not be useful for your everyday sort of tones, but they’re handy if you want a range of different sounds at your disposal. There’s also a slightly percussive element to the attack of a Mustang – things like how the amp or pedals you’re using compress will effect this, but in many of the pickup positions, there’s something cool there.

Both guitars can sound great clean and distorted. It’s worth noting though that many of the grunge players of the ‘90s that used these guitars did modify them to feature humbuckers instead of single coils.

Verdict: Draw 

Which one is the winner will really depend on your personal taste. Both have their benefits, and both can produce a great range of sounds. For me personally, the Jag edges it - it’s a little fuller sounding, clearer and I like the brighter, hotter output.  

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Design & hardware

A big difference in the design of these two guitars is the body shape – the Mustang is noticeably smaller. For those that like a more compact instrument – particularly smaller players, or even kids, then this will be a plus. It being smaller also means it weighs a little less on average (the Jaguar also has an additional metal plate for the rhythm circuit which adds more weight), so if you’re looking for a light guitar, then the Mustang might win you over there. 

The switches on the Jaguar are a little more out of the way. Again, this can go either way – some might like that as there’s less danger of knocking them whilst playing, whereas others might want them closer to hand. On the Mustang, the switches are right by the pickups, but in the heat of the moment, playing live, they’re not the easiest to adjust quickly.

The bridge vibrato systems are different too. The Mustang has a floating tremolo unit – simply place the arm in the top-mounted hole and you’re ready to go. The arm then moves the bar which the strings are strung through so you get a nice and smooth movement which is really easy to control. Because you’re more in contact with the strings, you can get quicker movements in pitch.

The Jaguar usually has a longer arm, which changes the feel of it somewhat. The arm also pops into a small hole on the bridge plate which moves a piece underneath, which is connected to the strings. The movement is a little slower and more gradual than on the Mustang.

Winner: Jaguar 

Again, it’s a close one, and for many players the Mustang will win. The Mustang does have a lighter and smaller body which will no doubt be a draw to some. However, the slower, more gradual movement of the vibrato system on the Jaguar is a winner, as is the more practical (for me…) layout.  

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Playability

Both guitars have a shorter 24” scale length, so there isn’t much of a difference in terms of what your fretting fingers feel. The neck profile will play a big part in playability, but again, that will depend on the particular model you opt for. Some players might have different experiences, but I tend to find that a Jaguar trem holds its tuning better after use than a Mustang.

Both guitars are comfortable to play sat down as both bodies have a cut in the waist to place on your knee. Standing up, both are fine, though again – it’s worth remembering that generally, Mustangs are lighter, if weight is an issue. 

Winner: Draw 

They’re very similar, and most differences in playability will come down to the particular version you choose. Whilst the Jag vibrato system holds its tuning well, the Mustang is lighter.  

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Verdict

The Fender Jaguar and Mustang are both great guitars, and they both offer tones that you can’t get with anything else. The Jaguar definitely has a nice bright jangle to the sound, along with clarity and fullness, whereas the Mustang is a little warmer but also thinner sounding. Those honky out of phase sounds are also really interesting. 

The switching systems on both guitars are completely unique, and once you know what everything does, are actually really intuitive and easy to use. Which one is easier to navigate and use in a live scenario will depend on your playing style, but they’re both very different to a simple three-way pickup selector. 

If you’re seeking a light and more compact guitar, the Mustang is your friend here, but it’s hard to ignore how great the offset Jag looks! Both are really cool guitars though and they present a nice alternative for players seeking something different to the classic Strat and Tele models.

Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: Recommended models

Electric guitar technology progressed at a steady pace for four decades from the ‘50s through the ‘80s, but by the ‘90s many guitarists seemed ready for a break. 

The sudden shift of the dominance of “hair metal” to grunge was partially responsible for the revolution against evolution that took place, as the renewed interest in guitars and effects from the past that developed seemed to be inspired more by a desire to challenge the status quo than nostalgia. 

Another factor was the ever-increasing prices of Superstrats, rack effects and high-gain multi-channel amps, which helped cash-strapped musicians realize that many unpopular guitar models and low-tech classic stomp boxes maybe weren’t as crappy as they previously were led to believe.

Although retro spirit dominated the ‘90s, technology still progressed onward even as players were discovering the new-found joys of lipstick-tube pickups and germanium transistors.

The digital revolution was starting to gain steam, making crystal-clean multitrack recording affordable and accessible to home studios and providing credible duplications of desirable amps and effects through advanced modeling technology. And while high-gain multi-channel amps remained relatively expensive, amp designers continued to push the envelope to provide features and tones that guitarists still desired.

Retro/future arguments aside, perhaps the most exciting development for the musical instrument industry was how level the playing field had started to become. The boutique builder phenomenon gained a strong foothold that paralleled the success of independent record labels at the time, and soon even a small company with good products was able to thrive as players became more open and accepting of instruments and effects that were uncommon and unusual.

The following items represent some of the most significant trends and new products that emerged during the ‘90s. 

Guitars

Retro guitars

Although the pointy solidbody and super Strat designs that ruled the ‘80s didn’t entirely disappear, they faded into the background as traditional Les Paul, Strat and Tele designs returned to dominance during the ‘90s. 

A more stunning and unexpected development was the rise of retro “misfit” guitars that earned a level of respect they never experienced before, particularly Fender Jazzmasters, Jaguars and Mustangs as well as previously ignored “pawn shop prize” solidbodies like the Guild S-100, which were reissued, thanks to their use by grunge icons. 

The lo-tech innovations of Danelectro guitars from the ‘50s and ‘60s inspired everything from the lipstick tube pickups found on the Ibanez Talman and Charvel Surfcaster to the semi-hollow construction and phenolic laminate tops and backs of Reverend’s first models. 

Even the Danelectro brand itself came back from the dead, joining several other newly resurrected brands from the past like Gretsch and Framus.

Ernie Ball Music Man EVH/Peavey Wolfgang

Although Eddie Van Halen endorsed Kramer guitars during the ‘80s, he never played any of their production models and Kramer never offered an official Van Halen signature model. 

When Ed joined forces with Ernie Ball Music Man in the early ‘90s, he finally delivered the most highly anticipated signature model since the Les Paul. Ed was heavily involved in his Music Man signature model’s design, which included a neck that duplicated the shape of his favorite Kramer 5150 neck, a non-floating Floyd Rose and a single volume control with a “tone” knob. 

Because of Music Man’s limited production capabilities (the company made only about 6,000 Van Halen guitars from 1991-1995), Ed switched to Peavey in 1995, which offered a modified version of the Music Man EVH signature design named the Wolfgang after Ed’s son.

PRS McCarty 

In the late ‘80s, Paul Reed Smith reached out to Ted McCarty, who was president of Gibson during its electric guitar “golden era” from 1950 to 1966, seeking McCarty’s wisdom about guitar building and production, which led to a long friendship between the two. 

The PRS McCarty model introduced in 1994 represented the culmination of their collaborative know-how, combining the most desirable aspects of McCarty’s successful golden era designs with Smith’s sophisticated production techniques, attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection. 

The PRS McCarty model represented the modern evolution of the vintage dual-humbucker maple-capped mahogany body set-neck design with its refined craftsmanship and enhanced playability. It has since become a classic in its own right.

Ibanez Universe UV7 

Introduced in 1990, the Ibanez Universe was the very first mass-produced seven-string solidbody electric, but despite playing a prominent role on Steve Vai’s best-selling Passion and Warfare album, it initially struggled due to its expensive price and later due to backlash against technical guitar playing. 

However, as the ‘90s progressed, the Universe found new life in the hands of death metal guitarists like Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel and emerging nu-metal players like Munky and Head of Korn, who used it to pound out ultra-heavy rhythms.

Ibanez discontinued the Universe in 1994 around the time Korn released its debut album, but the model was resurrected in 1996 due to a massive surge in demand largely thanks to Korn’s incredible success and the instrument’s use by an increasing variety of bands like Deftones, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Meshuggah and many others.

By the end of the decade, dozens of companies offered seven-string guitars and Ibanez offered numerous different models, including a seven-string acoustic. 

Parker Fly

The Parker Fly was by far the most innovative mass-produced electric guitar introduced during the ‘90s. Although the body and neck were made of traditional tone woods, they were reinforced with a carbon fiber/fiberglass/epoxy resin composite exoskeleton that enabled an extremely slim, highly contoured body design with outstanding dynamics and sustain and acoustic-like resonance while reducing the weight to less than five pounds.

The fretboard was also made of composite material and featured 24 stainless steel tang-free frets glued to the fretboard. A combination of magnetic pickups (usually a pair of humbuckers although some models featured single coils) and optional Fishman piezo bridge delivered a wide range of electric and acoustic-electric tones. One of the Fly’s most ingenious innovations was its triple-mode vibrato system that could be set for floating, dive-only or fixed bridge operation.

Players like Adrian Belew, Amir Derakh, Reeves Gabrels and Dave Navarro embraced this radical design, but the Parker Fly never surpassed cult status and was discontinued in 2016.

Hamer DuoTone

Featuring a true hybrid electric-acoustic design that combined a spruce top and acoustic-style rosewood bridge with piezo pickups and a semi-hollow mahogany body with dual humbuckers, the Hamer DuoTone provided an ideal solution for guitarists who wanted to instantly switch between acoustic and electric sounds without switching instruments. 

Released just before the Parker Fly, the DuoTone may have stolen some of the Fly’s thunder, particularly since its more traditional design conformed more to the era’s retro focus. Like the Fly, the DuoTone had an impressive list of pro users like Stone Gossard, Ty Tabor, Jeff Tweedy and Dweezil Zappa, but it also suffered a similar fate of not catching on with the greater guitar community. 

Unplugged

Eric Clapton’s appearance on MTV Unplugged and his subsequent release of the Unplugged album, which soared to RIAA Diamond status (10 million units sold), had a profound effect on the acoustic guitar market during the ‘90s. 

Clapton’s use of a pair of vintage Martins influenced a significant spike in sales of Martin guitars, which Martin capitalized on by issuing its first Eric Clapton signature model – the 000-28EC – in 1996. 

Martin wasn’t the only acoustic guitar maker to benefit – sales of Taylor guitars also increased dramatically and even independent acoustic luthiers experienced a dramatic uptick in demand. Nirvana’s Unplugged appearance had a similar, albeit lesser, impact on the sales of lower-cost entry-level acoustic-electrics as grunge, alternative and post punk bands followed suit.

Amps

Boutique amps

The boutique amp phenomenon did not start in the ‘90s, but whereas only a handful of builders like Dumble, Mesa/Boogie, Soldano, Trainwreck and others emerged during the ‘70s and ‘80s, the number of boutique amp builders and companies exploded exponentially during the ‘90s. 

Bogner, Budda, Diezel, Dr. Z, Kendrick, Matchless, Naylor, Rivera, Tone King, Top Hat, Victoria, Voodoo, VHT and Wizard are just a handful of boutique amp companies that started or came to prominence during the decade. 

Part of this movement was a natural progression of amp techs moving beyond doing modifications when the old Fenders and Marshalls they hot-rodded became too valuable on the vintage market to modify, while others were inspired to replicate classic Fender, Marshall and Vox amps that had become scarce. 

Many boutique builders also developed innovative high-gain and multi-channel designs that significantly pushed amp technology forward. Even Fender (sort of) got into the boutique amp business, hiring designer Bruce Zinky and starting an amp custom shop that turned out the acclaimed Dual Professional, Tone Master and Vibro King models.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Randall Smith and his engineering team started designing the Dual Rectifier in the late ‘80s to satisfy the preferences of “hair metal” and hard rock players of that era and provide an alternative to the hot-rodded Marshalls and Soldano amps they preferred. 

However, by the time the first Dual Rectifiers hit the market in late 1992, grunge had effectively killed hair metal. The ironic twist was that the Dual Rectifier was immediately embraced by several grunge bands, including Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. 

During the mid- to late-‘90s, the ultra-heavy high-gain tones of the Dual Rectifier essentially defined the sound of heavy rock, alternative/punk and nu metal music of that era as it was used by numerous popular bands, including Bush, Creed, Foo Fighters, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Tool, 311 and dozens of others.

Peavey 5150

Around the same time that Eddie Van Halen was collaborating with Music Man on his first signature guitar, he also started working with Peavey on his first signature amplifier – the 5150. It took about two years for Ed and lead engineer James Brown to refine the production version of the 5150’s design before the first 5150 amps were shipped in 1992. 

A 120-watt beast driven by four 6L6 power tubes and four cascading gain stages, the 5150 delivered an entirely new definition of the “Brown sound.” Its outrageously saturated distortion made it an instant favorite of British metal producers Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap, who made the 5150 as popular in extreme and underground metal circles as the Dual Rectifier was in mainstream genres. 

Matchless DC30

Rick Perrotta and Mark Sampson started the Matchless company in 1989 and offered a variety of impressive amp models during the ‘90s. 

Developed as a more reliable alternative to a Vox AC30, the Matchless DC30 2x12 combo was actually more like a hybrid of an AC30 Top Boost (channel 1) and AC15 (channel 2), thanks to channel 2’s high-gain EF86 pentode preamp tube. Channel 2 also featured a six-position tone switch that engaged different coupling capacitors that provided a variety of different tones. 

The DC30 and its head-only counterpart the HC30 were quickly embraced by a wide variety of high-profile pros, including Jimmie Vaughan, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Dave Matthews, John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), studio legend Mike Landau and country producers and session players like Kenny Greenberg, John Jorgenson and Brent Mason.

Digital amp modeling

In 1996 Line 6 introduced the world to the wonders of digital amp modeling with the AxSys 212 combo. It was followed shortly afterwards by various Johnson Amplification (a division of DigiTech) models, including the flagship One Fifty and Two Fifty combos. 

Interestingly, the earliest digital amp modelers packaged as combo amps experienced disappointing sales figures, but when Line 6 offered the same technology in 1997 as the Amp Farm real-time TDM software plug-in for Pro Tools and in 1998 as a compact standalone processor called the POD, which sold thousands of units, guitarists eventually warmed up to digital modeling, paving the way for the various amps, processors and software available today. 

Even though digital modeling employed state-of-the-art technology, it fit in perfectly with the retro ‘90s by providing the authentic sounds of classic amps and effects for the stage and studio without the expense, bulk and upkeep of collecting the real deal.

Sovtek

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early ‘90s was bad for weapons sales, but it was good for the electric guitar industry.

Mike Matthews, the founder of Electro-Harmonix, was already involved in the manufacture and export of vacuum tubes via New Sensor’s Sovtek brand, and during the early ‘90s Sovtek expanded its efforts into making effect pedals like the Big Muff fuzz and Small Stone phase shifter and affordable guitar amp heads, reportedly built in former military factories.

The Sovtek MIG series amps were designed by Tony Bruno and consisted of a variety of models: the MIG-30, MIG-50, 50-watt Tube Midget, MIG-60, MIG-100 and high-gain MIG-100H.

Featuring a sound described as a combination between a Fender Bassman and Marshall Plexi, Sovtek MIG amps had their own distinct vibe. Priced well under $1,000, these amps provided a hell of a lot of rock for your ruble.

Pedals/Effects

Fuzz

Although guitarists never stopped using fuzz pedals since the first units appeared in the ‘60s, during the ‘80s fuzz was mostly used as a sort of “appetizer” during solos by players like Adrian Belew, David Gilmour, Eric Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

However, during the ‘90s fuzz became the full-meal deal, as players like Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Steve Taylor, Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, J. Mascis, Buzz Osborne and many others used fuzz as a main component of their guitar tones. 

Fuzz wasn’t just for grunge either, as a wide variety of bands like White Zombie, Korn, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fu Manchu and Sonic Youth also wallowed in fuzz’s filthy sounds. 

As prices for vintage fuzz stomp boxes soared, boutique pedal builders filled the void with designs based on the Big Muff, Fuzz Face, Super Fuzz and Tone Bender as well as outrageous new circuits like the Z.Vex Fuzz Factory.

Boutique pedals 

Renewed interest in the simple joys of stompbox effects led to a sudden surge of small, independent pedal companies during the ‘90s, many of which were staffed by only a handful of employees and operated out of basements or garages. 

Demand for pedals made from elusive, obsolete components increased as taste for vintage tones grew, and whereas large manufacturers couldn’t convince their accountants that building units in limited runs of a dozen, a few hundred or even thousands would be profitable, boutique builders were able to do so and thrive. 

Independent pedal companies that emerged during the ‘90s included Analog Man, Black Cat, Frantone, Fulltone, Klon, Prescription, Way Huge and Z. Vex in America, Lovetone in England, and Bixonic and Sobbat in Japan. 

Klon Centaur 

Guitarists rarely talked about things like “clean boost” or “transparent overdrive” before Bill Finnegan unleashed the legendary Klon Centaur upon the world in 1994, but after most guitarists plugged into a Centaur those elusive tonal qualities became essential. 

The Klon Centaur was really more of a sonic sweetener, providing a slight boost of “just right” midrange frequencies and overdrive that fattened up tone in the good way, similar to what a tube amp pushed to its sweet spot should do, without changing the rig’s tonal character significantly. 

Demand for the Centaur far exceeded Finnegan’s production capabilities, which eventually drove prices into the stratosphere and inspired the huge variety of Klon clones seen today.

Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

Released in 1991, the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone was an instant hit that has remained in continuous production ever since and sold more than a million units. 

Something that popular is bound to have its detractors, but the criticism usually comes from individuals who are too lazy to dive into the intricacies of the Metal Zone’s rather powerful and somewhat sensitive “tweaky” EQ section, which can dial in an incredible range of tones both sublime and sloppy. 

Thanks to ’90s users like At the Gates, Cannibal Corpse, Korn, Marty Friedman (whose rig during Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction era was photographed containing two Metal Zones) and many others, the MT-2 has rightfully earned stature as a bona fide metal icon.

DigiTech Whammy WH-1

Introduced in 1989, the first-generation DigiTech Whammy WH-1 took a while to catch on with guitarists, but when it finally did by the early and mid ’90s it seemed like almost everyone used one. 

It became an instrument unto itself in the hands of Tom Morello with Rage Against the Machine, but other prominent users who established the WH-1’s iconic status during the ’90s included Dimebag Darrell, Jonny Greenwood, both James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett with Metallica, David Gilmour, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Kevin Shields and more. 

Later versions like the Whammy II and XP-100 Whammy-Wah found favor with players like Trey Anastasio and Korn, but the glitchy quirks and gritty lo-fi tone of the WH-1 made it indispensable for initial Whammy fans like the Edge, who snatched up every available WH-1 he could find. 

Tech 21 SansAmp

The original Tech 21 SansAmp is another product that actually came out in 1989 but made significant impact throughout the ’90s. It is probably best known for its use by Kurt Cobain in his rig as an overdrive pedal, but this revolutionary all-analog amp emulator was also a not-so-secret weapon of dozens of recording engineers and producers, including Tchad Blake who used it on everything and not just guitars. 

Its ability to replicate the tonal personality of Fender, Marshall and Mesa Boogie amps made it a godsend for direct recording applications, and as a result it was employed to great effect on numerous recordings. After Tech 21 introduced additional SansAmp products, the original SansAmp was renamed the SansAmp Classic.

Recording

Digidesign Pro Tools

Digital recording technology became affordable to the masses during the ‘90s, thanks to the introduction of standalone hard disk recorders like the Fostex DMT-8, Roland VS-880, Yamaha 02R and Zoom HD8, and digital multitrack tape recorders like the Alesis ADAT. 

But the real game-changer was Digidesign’s Pro Tools, which employed software, PCI cards and AD/DA hardware to turn a computer into a digital multitrack workstation. 

The power and capabilities of Pro Tools increased rapidly throughout the ‘90s, and by 1999 when Digidesign introduced Pro Tool 24 MixPlus producers were able to complete projects from tracking through mastering entirely “in the box” using only Pro Tools. 

Digidesign also introduced the home studio-oriented Digi 001 at the end of 1999, making Pro Tools the new standard for digital recording for pros and project studios alike. 

Earlier this year, Fender director of product Allen Abbassi told us, “We’ve seen a pretty steady increase in popularity of the offsets, and it doesn’t seem to be waning”. Of course, he was referring to the company’s increasingly hip electric guitars – the Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang – but it seems the guitar firm is keen to capture some of that success in its other product lines with the launch of Offset Picks.

Made from a “durable polycarbonate material”, the new guitar picks have been bigged up to the max in their production description, with Fender enthusiastically dubbing the design “the game-changing pick you never knew you needed” and “the most versatile pick EVER!”

Aesthetically, the wonky look certainly delivers, especially in those multi-colored finishes. But the shape promises to be more than a mere gimmick to ensnare Jazzmaster diehards.

Fender reckons the offset design results in a better grip, ensuring a “precise, bright attack”. More important than the shape, however, is the pick’s contoured thumb imprint and debossed Fender logo, which is more likely to prevent pick slippage, if you ask us.

The jury’s out over whether that shape will make any difference to the way you play, and indeed, if it can live up to the marketing hyperbole. But the offset addicts among us are finding ourselves strangely drawn towards the pick’s off-kilter look.

At launch, only 0.83mm gauges will be available, but presumably more will be added should the line catch fire like the rest of Fender’s offset offerings.

Offset Picks are available in multi-color and black finishes for $8.99 per pack of six. Check out Fender.com for more info.

It might surprise you to learn that Fender’s facility in the Mexican town of Ensenada, on the Baja California peninsula, has been producing guitars for well over 30 years. And if you’ve ever wondered why they look and feel, well, a bit Japanese, there’s a very good reason.

At the time of the Mexican operation’s inception, Fender brought in its Japanese manufacturing partner, Fujigen, to train the new workforce. They came with their own machinery, production and finishing methods and, as Fender’s CEO from 2005 to 2010, Bill Mendello, later reported, “The manufacture of guitars in Mexico was more Japanese-like than it was US-like.”

Of course, since those early days there’s been a lot more intervention from Fender itself, and today Fender Mexico produces instruments that we’ve consistently praised for their innovation, build and playability. Models such as the excellent Classic Player Strat and Baja Tele have proved particularly popular, both having received significant input from the illustrious Custom Shop.

So, with that bit of backstory we are, of course, here to welcome the brand-new Mexico-made Vintera II range, comprising 10 guitars (a trio of both Strats and Teles, and a Nocaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang, though there are no ‘modified’ models this time around, as in the original series) and six bass guitars.

You may recall that the point of the Vintera series, which first appeared in 2019, is not to emulate an exact year of manufacture, as featured in the Fender American Vintage II and various Custom Shop guitars. Instead, the Vinteras evoke a general decade or era.

And so to our pair of not wholly unfamiliar guitars. Yes, it’s ‘another Strat, another Tele’, an ironic quip used by Leo Fender when naming G&L’s ASAT range, ASAT being an acronym of the phrase. Being picky, our Tele is not a Telecaster at all but a Nocaster.

This moniker was likely coined by early vintage guitar buffs to describe those instruments produced between Gretsch’s copyright infringement claim against the model’s original Broadcaster title (they had a drum kit called Broadkaster) and its renaming to Telecaster in late 1951.

Hence, the ’50s Nocaster comes in classic butterscotch with black pickguard, a one-piece maple neck, chrome Tele neck pickup and uncovered bridge single coil sitting in an ‘ashtray’-style bridge (but with no ashtray cover), plus three brass saddles. Fender calls these pickups ‘Vintage-Style ’50s’ and have been revoiced for the 2023 Vintera II model.

The body is alder not ash, the finish is poly not nitro, and the ’guard is plastic not lacquered Bakelite, but there’s no feeling of being short changed here as the guitar is beautifully put together. And since both instruments are likely to ‘street’ for below the magic grand, we’re not complaining.

The ’60s Stratocaster is also typical of its era, with a particularly nice three-tone sunburst over an alder body (a three-piece spread, like that of the Nocaster), a 21-fret maple neck with slab rosewood fingerboard (which replaces the pau ferro used on the first series of Vinteras), three ‘Vintage-Style ’60s’ pickups (again, revoiced for the new Vinteras) on a mint green pickguard, and classic vibrato bridge with Fender-stamped, bent steel saddles. 

The guitar’s controls bring this model into the modern era since the pickup selector is a five-way (which was not officially introduced until 1977), and the bridge pickup features its own tone control to tame those sometimes pesky highs, a feature common on today’s higher-end Strats.

Again, it’s beautifully put together and does indeed take you back to a time when a three-tone sunburst, rosewood-neck Strat pretty much defined its ’60s look.

Feel & Sounds

Being based on instruments from the 50s and 60s, both the Strat and Nocaster feature 21 ‘vintage tall’ and narrow frets on 184mm (7.25-inch) radius fingerboards. While this might seem slightly anachronistic in these days of flatter ’boards and larger frets, there is something homely and comfortable about the old-style feel.

The Nocaster’s chunky U-shaped neck has a pleasing hint of flaming, and while it may seem daunting due to its size, in fact it sits extremely comfortably in the palm. The Strat, on the other hand, is a medium C profile that few would find offensive. Neither guitar is overly heavy so would not tax the shoulder over the length of a gig.

Having said how well these instruments have been constructed and how nice their necks are, both did come with rather low actions. While supremely comfortable and easy to find one’s way around barre chords and fast scale runs, big bends do just start to choke off, and hitting the strings hard they rattle somewhat. 

The Strat’s pickup heights were set rather low, too, so we raised them all, mostly on the treble side. These small issues are fixed in minutes with basic hand tools, and any good guitar store should do that for you at point of purchase, too. But since everything else is so well done, such niggles do stand out. 

It’s worth pointing out, however, that these review models are pre‑release samples and we imagine that full production guitars will come with Fender Mexico’s usually exemplary setup.

Our demo amp of choice these days is the delightful Laney Lionheart L20T-112, and plugging in the Strat it’s an instantly familiar and pleasing set of tones we encounter. While all the sounds are bright and sparkly, there’s no hint of the brittle rasp that afflicts some Strats. 

Through the clean channel with a wash of reverb, every tone is crystal clear and smooth. Think Hank Marvin, Mark Knopfler, Jimi rhythm, et al. Turn on the gain and we enter Vaughan and Gallagher territory: neck pickup for Stevie Ray, and bridge with some tone rolled off for Rory. 

Dirty bridge and middle together is a favourite tone, too, and don’t ever write off a Strat’s middle position – it’s a great all‑rounder beloved of EC himself.

As so often is the case, the Nocaster is a beefier affair, especially its bridge pickup, which twangs with a hard but pleasing edge when clean, and darkens down superbly when cranked through the Laney’s drive channel. The brass saddles are sure to be helping here, too. Use the tone control to thicken things up and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a Les Paul Deluxe or Firebird.

While many poo-poo a Tele-style neck pickup, there’s so much sweet musicality in it that it really shouldn’t be ignored – a sort of ‘Strat lite’ if you will. And when paired with that gutsy bridge unit, all manner of great sounds can be coaxed from the tone and volume controls. Even 73 years on, it’s still one of the most versatile guitars out there. And as T-style guitars go, the Vintera II ’50s Nocaster acquits itself with aplomb.

Verdict

So, another Strat, another Tele. True, but as always each instrument exhibits a personality that sets it apart from the next. This reviewer has two Strats, and they couldn’t be more different.

While these guitars received criticism in the setup department, they are early samples and a few minutes with simple tools will have them playing like a dream. Going up a string gauge could even do the trick. And remember, we couldn’t fault either guitar’s overall build, and they are a very attractive take on instruments that we’ve all known and loved for decades.

We really like how the Vintera series morphs each era’s most desirable facets into a single, wholesome model that’s instantly identifiable as such. Everyone in the office that’s seen and played them has instantly bonded with one or the other of these two (and a couple loved their super-low action!). 

As for the rest of the 16-strong range, it evokes some of Fender’s coolest guitars and basses from the ’50s to the ’70s. They are priced extremely keenly, too, so get ready to take your pick.

Specs

Fender Vintera II ’60s Stratocaster

• PRICE: $1,149 / £1,049 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Mexico
• TYPE: Double-cutaway solidbody
• BODY: 3-piece alder
• NECK: Maple, bolt-on
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• NUT/WIDTH: Synthetic bone/42mm
• FINGERBOARD: Slab rosewood with faux clay dots, 184mm (7.5”) radius
• FRETS: 21, vintage tall
• HARDWARE: Chrome-plated vintage‑style vibrato bridge with bent steel saddles, vintage-style 6-a‑side tuners
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 56mm
• ELECTRICS: 3x Vintage-Style ’60s Stratocaster single coils, master volume, 2x tones (neck/middle, bridge), 5-way lever pickup selector switch
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.22/7.10
• RANGE OPTIONS: Vintera II ’50s Stratocaster with maple neck (£1,049), Vintera II ’70s Stratocaster with maple neck, maple/rosewood ’board, large headstock, bullet truss rod and tilt neck (£1,049)
• LEFT-HANDERS: Not yet
• FINISH: 3-Color Sunburst (as reviewed), Lake Placid Blue, Olympic White

Fender Vintera II ’50s Nocaster

• PRICE: $1,149 / £1,049 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Mexico
• TYPE: Single-cutaway solidbody
• BODY: 3-piece alder
• NECK: Maple, bolt-on
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• NUT/WIDTH: Synthetic bone/42mm 
• FINGERBOARD: Maple with black dots, 184mm (7.5”) radius
• FRETS: 21, vintage tall
• HARDWARE: Chrome-plated vintage‑style bridge plate/pickup housing with 3x brass saddles, vintage-style 6-a-side tuners
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 56mm
• ELECTRICS: Vintage-Style ’50s Telecaster/Nocaster neck and bridge pickups, master volume, master tone, 3-way selector switch
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.26/7.20
• RANGE OPTIONS: Vintera II ’60s Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard and mint green pickguard (£1,049), Vintera II ’70s Telecaster Deluxe with maple fingerboard and Strat-style vibrato (£1,099), Vintera II ’60s Thinline Telecaster with semi-hollow ash body and maple ’board (£1,149)
• LEFT-HANDERS: Not yet
• FINISH: Blackguard Blonde (as reviewed), 2-Color Sunburst
• CONTACT: Fender

Television guitarist Tom Verlaine is one of the musical legends that we lost in early 2023, and although he was not a household name like some of his contemporaries, his influence on the music scene and later artists was considerable. 

Verlaine’s style of writing and performing helped to pioneer the new wave and alternative rock scene in the 1970s. He had moved to New York City in the early 1970s with the dream of making his living as a poet, but ended up forming the band Television, alongside its most established line-up of guitarist Richard Lloyd, drummer Billy Ficca and bass player Fred Smith.

The band gained a cult following playing at legendary venues such as CBGBs, and their status as pioneers of the ’70s music scene was established with the release of their debut album Marquee Moon.

The album has since been hailed as one of the most important releases of the punk era, solidifying Television as a band who not only bore the attitude to be authentic, but also had the songs and the musicianship (Tom’s solo on the title track is over 100 bars long!); many of the numbers featured lengthier musical excursions than those of their peers, whose songs were usually short, sharp outbursts.

After two further albums, which gained critical acclaim but less commercial success, Television went on a long hiatus, returning in the early 1990s, largely trading on their 1970s success.

Verlaine sadly died in January 2023 at the age of 73, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Among many other musicians with whom he collaborated was former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha; he was also in discussion with Jeff Buckley with a view to working with him, prior to Buckley’s own untimely death in 1997. 

Tom Verlaine’s guitar style owed a lot to his early influences such as The Velvet Underground and The Doors, and he blended melodic lead phrases and solos along with aggressive, staccato punk-style rhythm guitar parts. The influence of his playing, singing and composing can be heard in more recent bands, such as The Killers. 

Our lesson is in the key of E minor (E natural minor: E-F#-G-A-B-C-D), and other than one C# note in the solo that hints at the E Dorian mode (E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D), there are no other notes outside of the E minor key and scale.

It is built around single notes that punctuate the chords, and diatonic harmony guitar parts using the major or minor 3rd. For example, the chords in bars 9-16 and 21-28 all have two notes played each time over the Em, C, D and G chords, outlining a harmony in 3rds. 

The solo uses the E minor scale except for the aforementioned C# note in the final section, which is a major 6th interval over an E minor chord resulting in an E Dorian-based sound. Enjoy! 

Get the tone

Amp Settings: Gain 6, Bass 5, Middle 7, Treble 7, Reverb 3

Verlaine was a fan of Fender’s Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Stratocaster. Aim for a bright but thick tone, which is characteristic in particular of the Jazzmaster’s larger single-coil pickups. Amps were often Vox AC30 and Fender, so it’s a classic ‘guitar amp pushed into overdrive’ tone we’re striving for. Verlaine’s tone was not overly effected, so a little reverb should suffice.

Television guitar lesson: Rhythm

The parts here aren’t difficult to play as it’s more about the composition and arrangement, but be aware of timing and accuracy throughout. There is slight palm muting in the E minor riff that begins the track, and then returns at other points as well. The low E note is the main one to mute slightly to improve clarity.

Television guitar lesson: Solo

This solo is quite simple but watch out for the legato pull-offs and aim for quickish (even slightly frantic) ‘indie’ style vibrato, if possible.

Fender has officially launched the Vintera II Series – a long-awaited follow-up to the Big F’s popular Vintera range of electric guitars and bass guitars.

Back in 2019, Fender debuted the Vintera Series, which was marketed as a suite of vintage-inspired instruments that paid homage to “the style, sound and swagger of the past” with an assortment of period-correct specs, all while catering to the modern player.

As such, you won’t be surprised to hear it’s a similar story for the upgraded Vintera II family, which looks to appease those Fender fans who, according to Fender’s EVP of Product Justin Noverall, “still gravitate to our most iconic offerings”.

“The Vintera II Series strikes a harmonious chord between tradition and evolution,” Norvell explains, “giving the global playing community a chance to experience an authentic ‘60s P Bass or ‘50s Jazzmaster and more, with the same modern craftsmanship and playability they expect from Fender.”

To do this, Fender has bolstered its arsenal of Mexican-made models by way of freshly crafted, vintage-spec’d Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters and Jaguars inspired by '50s, '60s and '70s models – all of which arrive with era-correct neck shapes and vintage-voiced pickups.

However, at first glance the Vintera II line seems to go above and beyond its predecessor, introducing a handful of previously unavailable guitars and models that pay homage to cult classic six-strings.

Specifically, in light of recent Beatles-related developments, the new-and-improved range brings back the Bass VI to an accessible format, as well as offering up a Kurt Cobain-esque Competition Mustang and historic Nocaster.

There's also the return of rosewood fingerboards, which replace the pau ferro equivalents on the previous Vintera lineup.

Anyway, enough preamble, let's get stuck in...

Fender Vintera II '50s Nocaster

Taking things a decade at a time, the Vintera II’s ‘50s department is headlined by the Nocaster – a recreation of the brand’s single-cut from 1951 that was stripped of its original Broadcaster name following a legal dispute with Gretsch. Since the Telecaster name wouldn’t be adopted until later in ‘51, there was a short period of time when these guitars carried only the Fender logo on the headstock.

This ultra-rare example is brought to the masses thanks to this model, which offers an alder body, ‘50s U-shape maple neck and 7.25” fingerboard radius. Other functional specs include a three-saddle bridge and vintage-style tuners.

Tones come by way of vintage-style ‘50s pickups, which deliver “all the crystal-clear chime and raw, steely twang that made Fender famous”.

Available for $1,149, the Nocaster arrives in Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst finishes.

Fender Vintera II '50s Stratocaster

Of course, a good ol’ fashioned ‘50s Strat makes the cut. Here, Black, Ocean Turquoise and Two-Color Sunburst colorways are on tap, with each variant boasting an alder body and a soft V-shape neck.

Other notable era-specific appointments include a 7.25” radius, maple neck and fingerboard, and a trio of ‘50s-style single-coils, as well as a six-screw tremolo bridge.

Fender Vintera II '50s Jazzmaster

The final ‘50s electric is a Jazzmaster. At its core, the offset features an alder body, and recruits a period-accurate late ‘50s C-shape neck and 7.25” radius. A floating tremolo system, a pair of ‘50s single-coils and all the versatile switching options of an original late-’50s Jazzmaster can also be found.

In terms of color, the $1,249 model arrives in Desert Sand or Sonic Blue.

Fender Vintera II '50s Precision Bass

For bass guitar players, a ‘50s Precision Bass has been included in the drop. At $1,499, the four-string once again concerns itself with a C-shape maple neck and alder body, as well as a split-coil pickup. Desert Sand and Black versions are available.

Fender Vintera II '60s Bass VI

The second standout six-string from the drop, the Vintera II ‘60s Bass VI takes advantage of the drastically increased interest surrounding the hybrid guitar/bass model that emerged thanks to the recent Get Back Beatles documentary.

A greater microscope on the gear used by the Fab Four led to a resurgence of Bass VI fanatics last year, and now the ultra-rare model is back on a mainstream platform for players, weighing in at a cool $1,399. Not bad, considering the real deal goes for up to $20,000 on the second hand market.

Unlike the Squier version, though, this beauty is spec’d faithfully to the original, offering a mid-'60s C-shape neck profile, a 7.25” radius and a trio of early ‘60s single-coils.

Fender Vintera II '60s Stratocaster

Another Strat, this time with the rosewood fingerboard typical of ‘60s models, as well as a more rounded C-shape neck profile. Build-wise, the usual alder body and maple neck are here, with updated ‘60s single-coils also making the cut.

Lake Placid Blue, Olympic White and Three-Color Sunburst are the finish options for this model, which weighs in at $1,149.

Fender Vintera II '60s Telecaster

Hopefully you’re not tired of the word “vintage” yet, because there’s plenty more to come: the ‘60s Telecaster features a rosewood fingerboard (again, with a 7.25” radius) that sits atop a late ‘60s C-shape maple neck. Other specs include a three-saddle bridge, ‘60s-style single-coils and vintage-style tuners. 

Fender Vintera II '60s Thinline Telecaster

The ‘60s Thinline Telecaster follows a similar formula to the above, though drafts in a semi-hollow ash body. Otherwise, its functional and tonal specs all remain the same. With a price tag of $1,299, this model arrives in Black or Three-Color Sunburst.

Fender Vintera II '60s Precision Bass and '60s Jazz Bass

Two bass guitars to cap off the Vintera II’s ‘60s collection. Both the Precision and Jazz Bass models feature alder bodies and early ‘60s neck profiles, as well as a 7.25” fingerboard radius. Of course, body shapes set these two apart, but so do the pickups: the P Bass has a sole split-coil, while the Jazz has a pair of ‘60s-style single-coils.

Price-wise, the Precision Bass is slightly more expensive at $1,499, while the Jazz Bass is available for $1,249.

Fender Vintera II '70s Competition Mustang

The final decade of the Vintera II Series isn’t short of flashy six-strings, but the ‘70s Competition Mustang just edges it for us. With its bona fide Nirvana vibe (Kurt Cobain used a Competition Mustang in the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video, which later sold for $4.5 million), the striped offset offers an alder body, maple neck and an altered ‘70s neck profile. A floating tremolo, F-stamped tuners and ‘70s-voiced single-coils cap off the spec sheet. 

Fender's Vintera II Competition Mustang carries a price tag of $1,149.

Fender Vintera II '70s Stratocaster

The third and final Vintera II Strat flaunts the oversized head that became the norm during this decade, though otherwise remains true to the precedent set by its ‘60s sibling. Sure, it’s got a thicker U-shape neck profile, but the build schematics remain the same – save the trio ‘70s single-coils.

Surf Green, Vintage White and Three-Color Sunburst are the finishes on offer for this $1,149 example.

Fender Vintera II '70s Jaguar

The Vintera II ‘70s Jaguar comes equipped with statement piece black block inlays on its black-bound, 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard, which lines up alongside a late ‘70s C-shape neck. It’s also worth noting the vintage-style floating tremolo, and the fact this $1,499 model arrives in either Black or Vintage White.

Fender Vintera II '70s Telecaster Deluxe

The last Telecaster of the Vintera II range (and, indeed, the last six-string) is a ‘70s Telecaster Deluxe – a radical take on Fender’s flagship single-cut that offers dual humbucker performance and a tremolo bridge. With a Les Paul-esque control layout, this example comes loaded with ‘70s wide-range humbuckers, a thicker U-shape neck profile and a 7.25” radius.

Fender Vintera II '70s Mustang Bass

A spiritual sibling to its six-string counterpart, the Vintera II ‘70s Mustang Bass carries the same offset vibe as the electric version, though caters to low-end lovers by way of a split-coil pickup. The Mustang Bass weighs in at $1,179.

Fender Vintera II '70s Telecaster Bass

And finally, the $1,179 Vintera II ‘70s Telecaster Bass isn’t really a Telecaster at all, but instead a double-cut that arrives with (you guessed it) a period-accurate neck profile, vintage-voiced pickups and a choice of either Vintage White or Surf Green finishes.

To find out more about all of the new Vintera II models, head over to Fender.com.

Fender Japan’s electric guitar credentials are well-known in six-string circles. Purveyor of some of the most desirable builds in recent memory, the Big F’s Japanese branch has in recent months masterminded the Elemental Series, the Traditional ‘60s Competition Stripe series, and the Japan Junior Collection, to name just a few.

That list has just been bolstered with the arrival of yet another uber-desirable instrument, the limited-edition Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH.

Alongside the prog-leaning Elemental Series Jazzmaster, this particular example is perhaps Fender Japan’s best offset to date, and looks like it would have a broader appeal among a more diverse crop of players.

A whistle-stop tour of the specs confirms this. It’s got the DNA of an orthodox Jazzmaster, but the alder body and modern-C maple neck are paired with a Gibson-style Adjusto-Matic bridge and two Modern Modified humbuckers.

Available in Black, Lake Placid Blue, Teal Green Metallic and Metallic 3-Color Sunburst, the guitar also boasts a 12” radius rosewood fingerboard with 21 frets, dot inlays, a bone nut and a Stopbar-style tailpiece.

In practice, the pickups are said to cover the standard spectrum of “natural clean sounds” to “powerful distorted” tones, and can be tamed by way of master volume and tone knobs.

The switch from a floating tremolo and single coils to a hardtail and humbucker combo (not to mention those lush colorways) will no doubt tickle the fancy of many modern players this side of the pond, but – as is the case with all Fender Japan guitars – it’s exclusively available in Asia.

Normally, we’d accept defeat on this front, but recent comments from Fender itself suggests there may in fact be a glimmer of hope for those wanting to get their hands on this MIJ offset.

Speaking to Guitarist recently, Fender’s director of product Allen Abbassi revealed the company was seeing exponential growth in the popularity of all its offsets – popularity they sought to cater to via a dual-humbucker Player Series Jazzmaster.

“We had also noticed over the years that the offsets had increased in popularity exponentially,” Abbassi said while discussing the recently updated Player range. “We have some pretty good bench strength at Fender with the models like the Jazzmasters, the Jaguars and then the Mustangs. 

“So we definitely wanted to infuse that into this series as well,” he went on. “So the choice was easy for us because we had a stable of models that were either already incredibly popular or growing in popularity.”

To that end, Abbassi said Fender unveiled an HH Jazzmaster “to offer something new and exciting to the players”.

In the face of growing offset popularity – and with a precedent of catering to such demand – could we see Fender bring this model to wider markets? Well, we certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

After all, Fender CEO Andy Mooney has previously spoken about the prospect of making Fender Japan models available to US players, coyly teasing, “What we’ve found with Fender Japan is, there are very specific customers for Fender Japan guitars.

“But for the people who love that MIJ finish, that MIJ look, they're rabid about it,” he went on. “So we're going continue to develop MIJ guitars for outside of Japan.”

Okay, it’s not quite the definitive proof we’re looking for, but it’s a positive sign nonetheless that such six-string beauties could join Fender US’s stable of guitars sometime in the near future.

To find out more about the Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH – which is available for roughly $1,045 (154,000 Japanese Yen) – head over to Fender Japan.

“The CBS era [from 1965] was a hugely experimental time for Fender because they had the financial resources to try a lot of different things. They’d already hired Roger Rossmeisl [in 1962] and Phil Kubicki [in 1964] to come onboard and develop new designs. 

“The guitar world was changing quickly and people didn’t necessarily want the same old same old. But the biggest problem they were facing was weight. From my understanding, the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States made it mandatory to use the entire tree, as companies that were harvesting wood were taking the wood furthest from the roots and leaving the rest of the limbless tree to die. 

“So that heavier wood down at the base had to be used in the process, and that prompted Fender to find ways of using less of it. Essentially, they wanted to figure out how to reduce the weight of guitars but still make them sound good. 

“Obviously, there was a lot of experimentation with Telecasters – including the ‘smuggler’ and Thinline Telecasters – but I’ve also come across experimental models like a semi-hollow Jaguar that was made like a Custom Telecaster with a bound body. But the only commercially successful design out of all those weight-relieved guitars was the Thinline Telecaster. It was the number-one-selling Fender guitar in 1968 and 1969. They sold more Thinline Telecasters than they did any other guitar.

“I don’t have the history on exactly why this prototype Stratocaster was made, but my feeling is it was put together for a trade show. I think Fender wanted to test the water with it. It has a bound rosewood neck with block inlays and a bound top and back with sides – a multi-piece construction, as opposed to a contoured solid body. There’s a block inside to support the vibrato unit. Being made of zebrawood makes it even more interesting. I think it was one of these totally experimental guitars, a complete one of one. 

“This is a cool guitar that highlights a particularly experimental time at Fender, starting in 1967 and continuing up to 1972. Around that time, they were constantly trying new things. Roger Rossmeisl’s colleague Philip Kubicki was also making a lot of decisions about what they were going to make and what they weren’t going to make. He was really heading up a lot of special projects. I was lucky enough to know him when he was making his basses.

“It was really important for me to ask him every question I could about Fender. But most of the time he didn’t really want to talk about it. At that point, he was preoccupied with his own company. But he talked about doing the LTD and Montego electric hollowbodies. I think he really believed in the vision – that Fender should be doing more hollow and semi-hollow electric models. But not everything worked out.

“Later on, Fender Japan were revisiting the more experimental designs, and they did issues of this prototype semi-hollow Strat that you see here. They’re reasonable facsimiles. But they’re not exactly the same. From the ’80s onwards, Fender Japan was finding guitars and making copies of unusual instruments.

“They did some limited runs and one-offs as well as the more standard designs. Fender Japan did so much interesting stuff, like the Paisley Red and Blue Flower Telecaster reissues, and the Rosewood Telecaster. But Fender in the USA – at the time – was more interested in moving forward with new things.

“Fender Japan was something of a test market. But I remember selling the Japanese Paisley, Flower and Rosewood Teles when they first came out. I mean, it was a really big deal. People were very excited about them, and they are actually very good guitars. 

“If CBS Fender could have figured out that they didn’t have to put a bolt-on neck on everything, I think the LTD and Montego would have been successful. The materials are some of the finest I’ve ever seen and were on par with anyone else’s. And their pickups were fantastic at the time. 

“Fender had the ability to do anything. They just couldn’t get past that one cost-cutting measure of the bolt-on neck. I think if they’d have done a set-neck LTD or Montego they would have been successful. I think they would have been able to get some notable players to use them and they would have gained some popularity. 

“They spent a tremendous amount of money developing things such as the Micro-Tilt system, but they couldn’t get to the purists. And that’s the problem: the jazz purists thought Fender guitars were toys and that’s always the way it was. Look at the Jazzmaster. Fender was just lucky enough to have a sound you couldn’t produce from a Les Paul. Otherwise, they would have failed.”  

• Vintage guitar veteran David Davidson owns Well Strung Guitars in Farmingdale, New York.

For electric guitar bridges and saddles, steel and brass are kings, and there are plenty of other options: harder and brighter-sounding materials such as stainless steel or tungsten, for example, or softer metals like aluminium, not to mention modern synthetics including that aforementioned nylon or Graph Tech’s proprietary material it uses for its String Saver saddles (and slippery nuts). 

Then, of course, there are wooden bridges (typically rosewood or another hard wood) used on jazz semis and archtops and back in the day; Danelectro and Dan Armstrong used rosewood for their one-piece bridge saddles, too. So, within a hardness range, there’s actually quite a bit of choice when it comes to bridge saddle material.

But a rubber bridge? Well, it does have some history – think about those string mutes (mechanical palm-muting, if you like) on a Fender Jaguar or Bass VI. And as with most materials there are plenty of different alloys, or in this case blends, from very soft foam rubber to a hard rubber. In certain circles, the rubber bridge guitar is becoming quite a thing. ‘Not in my bloomin’ circles!’ you might be thinking, but you won’t know until you try it. So, what should you expect?

The rubber trend seems to have been started by Reuben Cox, owner of the Old Style Guitar Shop in LA, who specialises in transforming low-dollar instruments into something new, including adding a rubber-bridge.

According to GW, his budget transformations have attracted artists from “The National to Phoebe Bridgers and Jackson Browne … [who are] mostly in pursuit of the unique and beautiful tone wrung from those rubber bridge builds. His instruments have permeated indie music, passing through the hands of the world’s biggest artists and cropping up on albums from the likes of Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift.”

Head over to YouTube to check out numerous tutorials, and if you search for a playlist on Spotify named ‘Rubber Bridge Guitars’ you might well become entranced with the short-sustaining, almost otherworldly voices these various rubber‑bridge guitars bring.

The ‘old sound’ can be further enhanced by using flat-wound strings, and because we’re talking specifically about electric here (not acoustic), a pretty high-output pickup (not a low-output PAF-alike) is suggested, presumably to compensate for the reduced energy of the rubber-damped strings.

If you’re after an even more lo-fi flavour, you could try one of those circular piezo discs wired to its own output.

Rubber Choice

The material itself has quite a backstory, but it’s important to note that we’re talking synthetic rubber here, not the natural latex that comes from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), found mainly in South America, that has been used for centuries. So would an everyday rubber eraser work for an electric guitar bridge?

Well, you can buy rubber erasers in numerous different sizes and, although the composition might vary, it’s potentially quite well suited; while it’s firm with little compression, it’s easy to shape with a sharp Stanley knife. There’s probably a good marketing angle here: get a car-obsessed rockstar to endorse a range of rubber bridges hewn from the tyres of a ’68 Chevy, for example…

Back down to earth, one seemingly popular choice is a jeweller’s bench mat. This is used to absorb the shock when striking metals and also minimises noise and vibration, so it is presumably a harder type of rubber. I order a block that’s 100mm square and 20mm deep from Amazon (pic 1).

Geometry plays an important part in how any guitar sounds and, with counter-intuitive thinking in mind, we’re probably looking for less back angle behind the bridge to whatever the anchor point is. Standard Strats or Teles probably aren’t our best stop then, although a Les Paul – or any guitar with a tune-o-matic and stud tailpiece – might work as you can raise the height of the stud tailpiece to reduce the pressure over what would be your rubber-no-matic replacement. 

A guitar with a Jazzmaster-style vibrato would work, too (probably not the vibrato bit), but the often lower string angle would suit our vague plan. If you’re thinking of this route, Waterslide Guitars actually offers a neat-looking bridge with rubber saddles for your Jazzmaster/Jaguar for around £70. 

Also, a Danelectro with that adjustable rosewood might be good, just replace the wood with a slice of rubber, and a guitar with a trapeze tailpiece is definitely on the cards as it might also suit the ‘older’ style sound we’re expecting. Choices!

Get to work

With no experience of the rubber bridge concept, it’s not clear where to start, but I really don’t want to muck up a perfectly good guitar in the pursuit of research. A cheapo Silvertone 1423 suits the old-style aesthetic and since it’s fitted with a tune-o-matic and trapeze tailpiece I can at least get the party started. 

The G string sits around 18mm from the flat top, so this might work with the dimensions of my rubber block. At this stage, I’m not thinking about 100 per cent accurate intonation; I just want to see if the basic concept is worth pursuing (pic 2).

While cutting the block isn’t difficult as such, the cloying non-slip nature of the material does require some elbow grease and patience, even with a standard small backed tenon saw that rips though wood easily (pic 3). You can then tidy it up with coarse glass paper – I’m using aluminium oxide, which is easily available from any hardware store (pic 4).

I consider adding a slight radius to the top surface (approximately 12 inches to match the fingerboard), but then realise I can easily cut the string slots to depth and/or sand a radius at a later stage as I dial in the setup. Using a piece of masking tape on either side of the bridge, I mark it with a Sharpie to give me the approximate positions of the original bridge’s intonated saddles. Before I remove the tune-o-matic, I measure the approximate position of each saddle in relation to the top E string saddle, too.

I’m working blind here as, quite frankly, I don’t know what I’m doing. For example, I mark (pic 5) and then lightly cut the string grooves (pic 6) with a small three-corner needle file on the top of the bridge before I realise that if I’m going to angle the bridge to get the basic intonation correct, those slots won’t follow the line of the strings.

To be honest, I don’t even know if I need string slots because of the nature of the rubber and the string tension. Using those measurements I took from the original tune-o-matic, I pare away the rubber at the front of the bridge under all but the top E to create my intonation compensation (pic 7). My rubber bridge isn’t exactly a looker (I hope Trev Wilkinson isn’t reading this!): it looks like an oversized top nut, but it should work. Let’s see.

I slacken strings, remove the metal tune-o-matic and its ferrules, which hold it in place, to give me a flat surface. I put the rubber bridge in place then retune and set the bridge so it sort of lines up with those Sharpie marks.

Even in this basic state, you can hear the ‘plunky’ sound concept. But the strings are a little high, especially on the treble side, so with a StewMac string height gauge and a thinner needle file (pic 8) I lower each string to around 1.8mm (0.07 inches), a bit like rough-cutting a top nut, really.

The string tension holds the bridge in place (pic 9) and the nature of the material means it doesn’t slip on the gloss poly finish. It also means if you want to further tailor your rubber creation, then it’s dead easy to slip it out and reshape or re-sand. It’s the low-tech version of Relish’s fabulous pickup-swapping concept. Well…

But this is also prototype #1. Is the rubber I’ve used too hard or too soft? Is the bridge too big and wide? Would a thinner piece of rubber affect the sound? Bearing in mind the low cost and pretty fast fabrication of this project, not to mention the easy fit, those are questions you could experiment with easily. In the meantime…

Rubber sounds

Okay, so the note sustain is considerably reduced, but, surprisingly, it’s not as dead as if you were to firmly palm-mute. It seems to push the fundamental vibration of each string and note – not dissimilar to a pizzicato technique on a violin or cello, or a muted old archtop. If you’re looking for a really old guitar sound, with years-old strings, here it is. It’s a vivid antidote to the pristine modern digital world. 

Plug into a basic pedalboard, however, and you have a very different driver: tremolo, big reverbs and long spatial delays create other-worldly soundscapes; tapped and timed delays can sound like you’re playing an electric kalimba, if such a thing exists. And if your song needs some short and sharp fuzzed riffage, you can tick that box, too.

If the rubber-bridge world isn’t for you, then this is a completely reversible mod that cost me £6, cheaper than a London pint. But along the way it also introduced me to plenty of artists that weren’t on my playlists. 

It gets you thinking that other materials might suit this lo-fi vibe, too, such as a simple softwood bridge, perhaps with a non-slip rubber base, which could just as easily be made in the same way with simple hand tools on your work table. Vive la révolution!

Royal Blood have been attracting a lot of attention in the bass world over the past decade or so. This is not just because their bassist and singer Mike Kerr is a decent player: it’s also because he’s pretty much perfected the art of the fully leaded power duo, doing for bass players what Jack White did for guitarists a few years before him. 

He and drummer Ben Thatcher have shown over three chart-topping albums – and their imminent fourth, Back to the Water Below – that a bass player can emulate the sounds made and the space filled by a guitar with ease, given the right pedalboard and a signal-splitter. 

This bass-that-also-sounds-like-a-guitar approach has worked out pretty well for Kerr, bagging his band a BRIT Award for Best British Group, NME, Q and Kerrang! awards and more, and now he’s landed the biggest prize of all – a signature Fender Jaguar.

This limited-edition Mexican-made short-scale bass makes a huge statement, tricked out in gold and orange, and yet – as we discovered, when we became the first testers to review it in mid-August – it’s more about substance than style.

Features

Fender’s Jaguar model falls somewhere between the Big F’s full-sized Precision and Jazz models and their diminutive Musicmaster basses: the Kerr bass has a medium-sized body and a short 30” scale, making it easy to pick up and sling around a stage. The materials are standard Fender fare, with an alder body, a bolt-on maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with 20 frets. 

Its hardware is gold and heavy, with the expected solid, smooth-turning tuners and a chunky bridge with a curved string bulkhead. The orange finish – nicknamed Tiger’s Blood – reminds you who this bass belongs to, as does the feline face on the neck plate and Kerr’s signature on the back of the headstock.  

Performance

Playability is front and center thanks to the C-shaped neck, which has a Jazz feel, although that’s moderated somewhat by the short scale: its rear surface is neither too sticky nor too slippery. Slaps and pops are surprisingly easy and powerful for a short-scale bass, and our review model has no sharp fret ends and a nicely gauged action. Its build quality is tangible, with the sinewy gold hardware and pickups firmly bedded in, a tight neck pocket and a flawless finish.

If the Mike Kerr Jaguar had featured standard Fender pickups instead of the glistening humbuckers we have here, we might have a) wondered what the fuss was about and b) questioned the $1,599 price point, but any doubts on that score fall away when we plug in.

The Jag is passive, with only a volume and tone to play with, plus a three-position pickup selector, so the wow factor when it comes to the electronics is down to the high-output Custom Humbucking Pickup at the bridge and the Wide Range Humbucking Bass Pickup in middle position. 

Try to play like Kerr – one-string riffs or double-stops played hard with a pick – and you’ll be rewarded. You’ll soon find punchy, hollow mids that beg for overdrive, and the two humbuckers don’t slack off when you ask for extreme lows and highs, either.

If you’re looking for a Motown tone – and why not? This is a Fender, after all – it’s right there as soon as you move to the front pickup and roll the tone off. On that subject, the tone pot offers a decent range of modulation for a passive setup, and while the purist in us does miss a mids boost, that’s really not what this bass was designed for. 

This is a great bass, and not just for rockers. It’ll give you a whole lot of tones considering its passive nature, and there’s something about its unashamed swagger and diminutive size that makes it a charismatic underdog.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,599
• MADE IN: Mexico
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: Maple, 30” scale
• NECK JOIN: Bolt-on
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, 20 frets
• PICKUPS: Fender Custom Humbucking Pickup (bridge), Fender Wide Range Humbucking Bass Pickup (middle)
• CONTROLS: Volume, Tone, Pickup Selector
• HARDWARE: Gold Fender tuners and bridge
• WEIGHT: 9 lbs / 4 kg
• CASE/GIGBAG INCLUDED? Custom gigbag
• LEFT-HAND AVAILABLE? No
• CONTACT: Fender

2023 marks 30 years of Nirvana’s In Utero, and ever since it was released guitarists have obsessed over how to best replicate Kurt Cobain’s incendiary, unsanitary electric guitar tones. But the secret behind Cobain’s tone might finally have been revealed by a YouTuber with a serious In Utero obsession.

Aaron Rash has made a series of videos about Nirvana but in this latest video, in which he concludes that the secret behind Cobain’s In Utero tone is not just in finding a vintage Fender Quad Reverb – in itself quite a feat, for the company only made them for four years or so – but finding a Quad loaded with what he describes as one of the rarest speakers in the world.

Rash admits that it might be “a little weird” that every video he makes is about Nirvana or Kurt Cobain but he promises he is not obsessed. He is not going to grow his hair out, dye it blond and wear oval-framed Christian Roth sunglasses. It is In Utero that fascinates him. Savage, untamed, wild and electric and yet somehow organic, as though Cobain exhumed those tones from the dirt.

While it would seem as though we already have everything we need to understand Cobain’s In Utero tone, and thus everything required to replicate it, it’s always out of reach. It is remarkable we have got this far, with In Utero long since immortalized in the pop-cultural firmament, that the album still holds such mystery. It’s like the Zodiac Killer of guitar tones. Rash, for his part, is our Robert Graysmith.

We know, thanks to Cobain’s guitar tech, Ernie Bailey, in conversation with Reverb in 2014, that Cobain favored his Competition Blue Mustang, a Jaguar and producer Steve Albini’s aluminum Veleno for the sessions. 

Rash is aware of this, and even built a replica of the Veleno in search of the Holy Grail. We know there was a Quad Reverb. What Rash has discovered, however, from A/Bing different Quads, is that the speakers don’t just matter – the speaker is everything.

“Fender was on this speaker train way before anybody else was,” he says. “They understood. They knew that, ‘Hey, different speaker, different tone.’ You can use the same amp head and still get a lot of different tones with different speakers.”

Which is why just getting any old Quad Reverb won’t necessarily get you the exact same tone – even accounting for the usual caveats that tone is in the fingers, a consequence of how we as individuals touch the guitar, the pressure we exert on the strings, and so forth.

As Rash tells it, Bailey turned Cobain on to the Quad Reverb and they picked one up from a listing in Tacoma, Washington. Up to ’74, Quad Reverbs packed Oxford speakers, with blue stickers on the back. Rash says there was the one year where things changed for the Quad; Fender reverted to Utah speakers, with the orange stickers on the back. And this, 30 years on, is the secret sauce.

“That’s really the missing ingredient to the sound of In Utero, this Utah speaker,” says Rash. 

To prove just how critical these speakers are on the tone – not the tone stack, not the tubes, not the guitar amp per se – Rash runs the signal from his Randall combo out through the Utah speakers, and it is uncannily accurate.

“What is really crazy about this speaker, like, I thought it was the Filter Matrix [from the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress], and it actually wasn’t,” says Rash. “It’s just these speakers. They have like a natural Filter Matrix sound built-in. They just sound like that.”

So there you have it. Forget the amp. After all, the schematics for the Quad Reverb and the Twin are the same. It’s the speakers. Maybe someone should make an IR of these Utah speakers. 

Oh, Rash is already on it, and through a Tech 21 SansAmp pedal and a home captured impulse response, it already sounds pretty good. His next step is to take the Quad to a studio, mic it like In Utero, and make “an exact digital copy” of the tone. Will it work?

Technically, yes. But as Bailey said to Reverb in 2014, in the grand scheme of things, the gear didn’t matter much to Nirvana.

“They were a rock band that used both good and bad equipment, but in the end, it was the songwriting that made them important,” he said.

You can follow Aaron Rash on YouTube, and check out his In Utero Quad Reverb speaker conclusions above.

Back in 2018, Fender introduced the Player Series aimed very squarely at guitarists and bass players taking their first steps into the environs of a major brand.

Familiar designs that had been seen in the hands of renowned artists for decades were now available to young players who wanted the classic sounds of their forebears with pro-level spec, including C-profile necks, modern 22-fret fingerboards, upgraded bridges and classic F-stamped neckplates. Another undoubted attraction was that the Player Series sat well below the $/£1k price tag and, most importantly, had that name on the headstock. 

During the ensuing five years, the Player Series has gone on to be Fender’s best-selling line, proving popular with a new generation of musicians whom the company continues to nurture and support to this day. The appeal was strong across all genres, too, with newer artists like Turnstile, Beach Bunny and Soccer Mommy leading the charge with their own brand of pop and rock. 

2023 sees the introduction of two additional colours into the range – Seafoam Green and Candy Apple Red – and so we invited Allen Abbassi, director of product, to look back over five years of the Player Series and our first question was the thinking behind the range in the first place.

Could you detail the motivation behind the Player Series when it was first introduced back in 2018?

“Prior to the launch, we had the Standard Series at this price point as Fender’s stalwart for probably over 30 years. And the Standard Series itself was a beloved series, it was very popular and it stood the test of time. So, coming around to 2018, we were thinking maybe it’s time to do an update. 

“The intent here was to replace the Standard Series with something new and fresh. We had our own vision of where we wanted to go with the Player Series, but because the Standard Series had been around for so long, we had tons of feedback from players, dealers, professionals, artists, and so on, about what they liked and didn’t like. In the end, the goal was to design instruments that have modern appointments, combined with some more traditional Fender cues.

“For example, if you look at the Strats, the Player Series went to 22 frets instead of 21. We use the modern bridge on the Strat – a two-point trem – instead of the six-screw vintage synchronised tremolo that we were using on Standard Series, combining that with an already popular modern C-shape satin back neck. 

“This made the Player Series a little more contemporary. But then we also made sure that the body contours were a little bit more dialled into the classic vintage form and we changed the logo of the series back to a spaghetti logo.

“Then, of course, the crown jewel of this series was more traditional Fender-style pickups. The Standard Series had really decent pickups, but they were ceramic magnets. 

“With the Player Series, we made a conscious decision to go to Alnico V pickups and actually we used some Alnico II and Alnico III where appropriate to the model, but we were looking for more of that classic Fender tone but with a bit of an edge, a little bit more midrange presence and a little bit more output. 

“So the Player Series offers very traditional, vintage-inspired guitars and basses but with more modern, player-centric appointments.”

How did you go about choosing which models would work best and suit the Player Series kind of vibe?

“Well, we knew that the usual suspects, the more popular models in other words, were going to stay: Strat, Tele, P-Bass, Jazz Bass. We had also noticed over the years that the offsets had increased in popularity exponentially. So we definitely knew we wanted to have a Jazzmaster and a Jaguar in there. We eventually added a Jaguar Bass and then folded in and included the Mustang in the Player Series, too. 

“We have some pretty good bench strength at Fender with the models like the Jazzmasters, the Jaguars and then the Mustangs. So we definitely wanted to infuse that into this series as well. So the choice was easy for us because we had a stable of models that were either already incredibly popular or growing in popularity. 

“We decided to stretch out a little bit and do an HS Jaguar and then an HH Jazzmaster. And that was more to offer something new and exciting to the players. We found that a lot of players in the Standard Series, and then eventually the Player Series line, were a lot of people that were getting into playing guitar or maybe getting their first real Fender so we wanted to make it new and exciting and fresh for those players as well.”

With a catalogue as vast as Fender’s, how would you position the Player Series within the range?

“The Player Series is a new guitarist’s first step into the Fender brand. Up from here is the Player Plus Series with a load of modern features and the Vintera series that reveres the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. With Player, you’re getting premium hardware. 

“The same tuners that we use on American Pro are on the Player guitars. So, as an entry into the Fender brand, you’re getting traditional woods, the upgraded hardware and then the beautifully voiced premium pickups with Alnico V magnets.”

Fender has always had a vast swatch of colours available in all its ranges, some being highly prized, some as representative of the brand. The Player Series has some more unusual colours available – how did you go about choosing the finishes for the series?

“I mean, when we came out with Player, we did all new colours, except for maybe the sunburst – you have to have a sunburst in almost every line because that’s one of the most popular colours. We were able to infuse the Player Series with a lot of new colourways like Tidepool and Buttercream, and then eventually we introduced Capri Orange and Silver in there as well.

“But we know that some of those classic vintage Fender colours are always fan-favourites and so sometimes we like to infuse some excitement into this series by removing some colours and maybe throwing in some of those more traditional colours.

“We’ve just done Candy Apple Red and Seafoam Green – those are very much traditional vintage Fender colours and they work great on the Player Series. So, usually, we like to come out of the gate for a fresh new launch with mostly all brand-new colours, but I think you can probably bet that somewhere down the line any series is going to get a little hint at the vintage stuff, colour-wise.”

We can’t ignore the instruments from Fender Japan in the overall catalogue hierarchy. They are, perhaps, more affordable than the USA output and have their own kind of uniqueness within the range. Where do you think the Player Series stands in comparison with the Japanese guitars?

“You’re right, Japanese guitars are very unique; the guitars have their own vibe, and we love that differentiation. The Japan market absorbs most of the guitars we can make at the factories, so we can’t get enough of most Japanese guitar models to ship globally. The Player Series is set somewhere right under the traditional series in Japan, as far as price point is concerned.

“In Japan, the most popular product is the stuff that’s got a more vintage flavour, like the Traditional Series and the Hybrid Series, which match modern features on vintage models, kind of a hybrid vintage/modern.”

Fender has a long-standing tradition of working closely with artists and this has been extended to the Player Series, too. What sort of feedback are you receiving from the younger players who are using the series?

“Absolutely, the series has utilised a wide range of different players. We’ve had artists like Turnstile, Cherry Glazerr or Japanese Breakfast – all those great artists have used Player. We put the instruments in their hands and we let them choose what they like. But they definitely have feedback for us and we listen to that feedback. Part of the germination of the Player Series was reacting to a lot of that feedback. 

“In the Standard Series, we had a lot of artists saying, ‘We love the Standard Series – we’d like to see some pickups that had a little bit more traditional core Fender tone.’ And so we take feedback like that and we apply it to the product development in concert with our own vision for what the instruments are. Just as Leo Fender himself did, we really love working with artists and getting their feedback.”

Many of today’s players are choosing to use pedals as part of their sound and it might be true to say that Fender’s traditional single coils sit with this in a vastly different way than the higher-output humbuckers. Also, there is a definite trend towards a more vintage tone from contemporary pickups. Has this kind of thinking formed part of the feedback you’ve been receiving from players?

“One thing I’ve learned over time is that if you like to use overdrive and a lot of effects, sometimes a lower-output pickup is better suited to handle that kind of environment. Of course, there’s a lot of players that do like more output so they can get a chunkier, heavier distortion. We do offer a lot of different types of pickup, but we never – even with our humbuckers – get to the super-hot realm of resistance on a pickup. We stayed at the medium-to-low end of the range.”

Returning to the rise and fall in popularity of the offset guitar range over the years, what do you think is the reason behind these models’ current in-vogue appeal?

“You know, it’s interesting because I think, up till now, we’ve seen a pretty steady increase in popularity of the offsets, and it doesn’t seem to be waning. Certain models, like Mustangs, usually wax and wane a little bit more than, say, Jazzmasters. For some reason, Jazzmasters seem to be the more popular offset.

“But we recently did the anniversary of the Jaguar and we did some anniversary models there. And in our new American Vintage series, we removed the Jaguar, and we heard some feedback about that, like, ‘Hey, where did the Jaguar go?’ So I think there’s been a very steady increase in popularity with the offsets and I have not seen that start to decrease at all. 

“In the decades past, people started gravitating towards vintage offsets – because if you wanted an older Fender, they were way more affordable. And I think once people started doing that, they just discovered the beauty and the variety of tones you can get out of the offset instruments like the Jazzmaster and the Jaguar.

“And the more models we offered and the more artists that started using them, and the more songs that started to be recorded using offsets, it just increased people’s interest. And that’s just been steadily increasing and I don’t see it stopping right now at all.”

• For more information on the Player Series, head to Fender.com.

Kevin Shields has shared a tip that he says enables him to keep his (extensive) Fender Jazzmaster and Jaguar collection in tune without aftermarket components, even while using the vibrato.

There are few players more closely associated with – or responsible for – the modern day popularity of Fender’s Jaguar and Jazzmaster offset electric guitar designs than the My Bloody Valentine guitarist and songwriter. 

However, it is in some ways surprising that the famously fastidious Shields has spent his career embracing a vintage model that offers, well, famously unstable tuning. 

In 2007, Mastery came along and offered a tweak on the design that resolved much of the string skipping and noise associated with the vintage vibrato systems, but this requires a retro-fit process and non-vintage componentry. 

However, in a forthcoming interview with Guitar World, Shields says he’s figured out an alternative. 

“Basically I've found a way of setting the guitar up,” reveals Shields. “Because I use the tremolo arm a lot – that puts a lot of stress on tuning. You can pick up a Jazzmaster if it's not set up correctly, and use the tremolo arm and it'll be immediately out of tune.”

Shields makes the point that the idea of a floating bridge “is that it moves” and says the secret is applying a little more pressure in order to ensure the bridge itself is moving, as opposed to the strings slipping over it.

“It is all about tilting the bridge back,” says Shields. “I tilt it back so that rather than sitting horizontal to the guitar, it's leaning backwards, so that gives a longer throw. The idea is that the strings don't glide over the bridge, but that they grab the bridge.”

Shields acknowledges that some combinations of guitars and string gauges can be harder to tweak than others (he favors a “Jazzmaster-friendly” 0.46-0.11 string set). Shields also notes that it requires you to reset the intonation of the guitar, but he says it’s the most elegant solution he’s found. 

“I first got that idea after trying all the things, like putting lead pencil on it, everything,” says the My Bloody Valentine man. “I've tried every type of tremolo, every expensive Floyd Rose… everything. In the end, I realized I wasn't going to technology myself out of this situation, it was going to be something else.”

If set up correctly – with the bridge pulled back away from the nut – Shields reckons his Jazzmasters and Jaguars “can go for an hour and it won't go out of tune”. More importantly, though, his tweak doesn’t change the feel of the instruments.

“I didn't like the feel of all those [third-party] tremolo arms,” says Shields. “It's the feel of it [the original floating vibrato] that allows me to play in a certain way. Because I don't actually hold it, it's just in the palm of my hand, where my wrist is. 

“It's the fact it's so loose, unlike a Bigsby-style. I haven't found anything on any level that replaces it in any way. It just works perfectly.”

Keep an eye on the site for our full forthcoming interview with Kevin Shields, in which he discusses his love of offsets, the current state of his pedalboard and, perhaps most importantly, his new signature pedal, the Fender Shields Blender. 

For more on Kevin Shields’ six-string innovations, check out 5 ways My Bloody Valentine changed guitar playing forever.

Heritage Auctions has unveiled the latest crop of electric guitars and acoustic guitars it’s set to place under the hammer, with the bumper collection including a handful of attention-grabbing instruments.

Chief among those awaiting auction is a 1966 Fender Jaguar signed by Kurt Cobain, as well as a 1968 Fender Rosewood Telecaster prototype that was built for Elvis Presley.

It’s the second time the latter model has cropped up on the sales circuit, having been listed on Reverb last November with an asking price of $295,000.

As was reported back then, Elvis’s Tele is said to be one of six prototypes, and a sister model to George Harrison’s well-known example, and had been used by the King of Rock and Roll intermittently for a period of few months.

However, Elvis supposedly sent the Tele back to Eddie Miller – Fender’s Nashville rep of the time – because the guitar was too heavy for him.

The guitar itself is all original, said to be in excellent condition, and arrives accompanied by a handful of letters written by Hal Blaine, Harold Bradley (former president of the Nashville Association of Musicians), and Miller himself, confirming the guitar’s authenticity – the same certificates that came with the original listing.

It’s joined at the top of the auction pile by a Cobain-signed ‘66 Jag. Cobain’s guitars are veterans of the auction circuit, and currently occupy the two top spots of the most expensive guitars sold at auction list.

At number one is the $6,010,000 Martin D-18E Cobain used for Nirvana’s immortal MTV Unplugged set, while second spot is reserved for his Smells Like Teen Spirit Mustang, which sold for $4,550,000 last year.

Given the lack of historical importance this particular Jag has, we don’t see it getting anywhere near those kinds of numbers. Still, whenever a Cobain-related guitar emerges on the market, a sizable price tag usually follows suit.

Carrying the inscription “To the Guitar Hall O Fame,” as well as Cobain’s signature, the Jaguar is said to be one of the many instruments the Nirvana frontman crossed paths with while he shopped around to replace his stage-smashed guitars.

It arrives with certificates of authenticity composed by authenticator Roger Epperson and PSA Authentication Services.

Heritage Auctions' catalog also has room for other instruments bearing the signatures of multiple guitar heroes: a 1989 Fender Stratocaster signed by both Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan can be found, as can a Gibson Sonex sporting the signatures of numerous players.

Few details are supplied for the Sonex, which carries the scrawls of Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Al Di Meola, Eric Johnson, Vivian Campbell, Warren Haynes, and many others. 

The auction – which also boasts a range of vintage Gibson Les Pauls –  is set to go live on July 24, and will close August 11.

For more information on the sale, head over to Heritage Auctions.