Together, they co-wrote and produced Christina Aguilera's Bound to You, which earned a Best Original Song nomination at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards. He also received a Grammy Award for his contribution to Adele's 25, which won Album of the Year in 2017.

When Bass Player last caught up with Dixon in March 2021, he attributed his success as a session player to an ability to leave his musical ego at the door.

“As a bass player, it’s rarely about you. You’re there to do what’s right for the artist and the material. It’s like being an actor, knowing how to play that role.”

Having arrived in London with just his mainstay Fender Jazz Bass, Dixon now has a studio’s worth of vintage gear, including a Silvertone, and a Harmony H2.

“I’ve always wanted to have a selection of basses to be able to recreate different sounds from records or players I love. I always say, ‘Look, you’re a musician and this is your craft, it’s what you do! You need to have good instruments to do your job.’ That’s always been my justification anyway!

“I’ve been lucky to be in the right place at the right time and I’ve been able to snag some great basses at reasonable prices. So it’s just kind of happened.”

Going back to his main bass, a 1969 Fender Jazz … “The original owner was a schoolteacher and it had been under her bed for 15 years in its case!”

“I’d started out on some cheaper Japanese-made basses, but was going out in Sydney and hearing other gigs and knowing that my sound wasn’t anywhere near as nice as some of the other players.

“I was really into Bootsy Collins when he was playing with James Brown and the sound of his Jazz Bass on those recordings was just awesome. I was lucky enough to have a friend who worked in a bass guitar store in Sydney – this was 1994 – and he found this bass guitar for me.

“It’s so versatile. You can make it sound like a P-Bass if you want, or really zingy. It responds to different playing styles. It sounds great with flatwounds too – like on this track called Little Black Sandals.

“There’s just something about that bass: it can sound really modern and clean and new, but at the same time it can sound like what it actually is, an instrument that’s been around since the late ’60s.”

Despite the Precision Bass having earned iconic status, Dixon believes the Jazz Bass remains the go-to choice for generations of recording bassists.

“Sometimes I get the impression that a Jazz Bass isn’t as cool as a Precision and that it’s sneered at a little, but it’s such a versatile instrument and there’s a lot more of them on record than people think.

“I’m pretty sure it’s what McCartney played on almost all The White Album, and there’s Joe Osborn who played on all those great records. He did all of his playing with a Jazz with the back pickup and tone control rolled off – that was his sound.

“I played my ‘69 on Sia’s Clap Your Hands and Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae.

“It’s funny because it’s the one bass I keep coming back to all the time. I’ll have periods away from it, and it might not always be the most appropriate bass for a track recording-wise, but I always find myself playing it again.”

That said, there are sessions where only a P-Bass will get the job done. In those moments, Dixon reaches for a pre-CBS 1960 Precision.

‘It’s beat to death but has that amazing played-in feeling that only beat-to-death Fenders can seem to get – especially the worn-down back of the neck. It’s not a pristine collector’s guitar, but it’s perfect for life on the road. It’s also blessed with the thick slab rosewood fretboard which Fender used from 1959 till mid 1962.”

Other firm favourites in Dixon’s collection include a 1969 Fender Mustang, a 1967 Silvertone Dolphin Bass and his 1964 Harmony H22.

“That’s a fantastic bass. There’s some ridiculous statistic that in the ’60s the company behind Harmony made more guitars than Fender and Gibson combined. They were made to be sold in supermarkets and department stores, and when you pick them up they kind of feel like that.

“Compared to a Fender or a Gibson from that period, they feel a bit flimsy and really light, but it’s great to have something that’s not your typical Fender or Music Man tone, something really different.

“I used it on tracks like Ludlow Street by Suzanne Vega and Sing Me To Sleep by Fran Healy.

“The Silvertone brand was used by the Sears chain for their line of instruments, amps and hi-fis from the 1930s through to the early ’70s. Harmony, Kay, National, Teisco and Danelectro all made instruments for Sears, which would be then badged ‘Silvertone.’

“My one was made by Danelectro and its semi-hollow masonite body, wood saddled bridge and lipstick pickup give it a really honky, resonant tone. It’s also short-scale and I’ve got reasonably light strings on there, making the tension quite slack, so it’s great fun to play.”

Is it a hot take to suggest the Mustang is Fender’s most underrated guitar? Often overlooked in the release schedule over its larger-bodied offset siblings, the Jazzmaster and Jaguar, the Mustang is nevetheless a crucial design for Fender. Like the Jaguar, it’s a short scale, but a smaller-bodied single-cut.

Designed as a student guitar by Leo Fender and introduced in 1964, its potential for younger beginner players is still significant as a result of the compact dimensions and easier bends from the shorter 24" scale compared to the Strat, Tele and Jazzmaster's 25.5". The Squier Bullet and now Sonic series Mustang models have been a testament to that continuing appeal, but for me, the Mustang isn’t just an excellent 'beginner guitar' option; it’s my favourite Fender.

Both my main guitars are hardtail Fender Player Mustang models, and the dimensions of Leo's design just feel right for me. To be honest, I wish I'd come around to it sooner.

I’ve modded my own guitars’ specs to my own taste around that core appeal – the modular nature of Fenders is always good for that. But when I saw the Vintera III Mustang update on the review slate it was a great chance to get back to a real Mustang that echoes a golden era ‘60s spec. A time long before Kurt Cobain's patronage gave the Mustang a much-deserved reappraisal.

Still, the model remains strangely under the radar even within Fender's own walls – I'm somewhat surprised to report at the time of writing this review that with Performer models phased out, the company doesn't currently have a US-made Mustang in its production model catalogue. Isn't that odd?

So the pressure is on for the Vintera III to deliver, but what’s notable about this iteration that the previous iterations didn’t quite grasp?

In short, it’s truer to the inspiration. Vintera III models are now honing in on specific eras within the decade they take inspiration from – and that means specs reflective of that. And for a mid-‘60s slant on the Mustang, we’re at the very genesis of the model that was launched in August 1964… mostly.

We’re moving beyond just the standard Mustang 24-inch scale and vintage 7.25” radius and vintage-tall frets here with ‘mid-’60s’ pickups and neck profile, and even true-to-era Fender decals added on top of the headstock lacquer. The rosewood fingerboard gains the unmistakable vintage vibe of clay fret dots too. This being a Mustang, there’s much more going on elsewhere too.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,249.99 | £1,029 | €1,199
• Made: Ensenada, Mexico
• Type: Six-string solid-body single-cut electric guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, Mid '60s C-shape, gloss urethane
• Fingerboard: Laminated rosewood
• Scale length: 24" / 610mm
• Nut/width: 42mm / bone
• Frets: 22, Vintage Tall
• Hardware: Vintage-style tuners with vintage white buttons, six-saddle vintage-style Mustang tremolo, four-ply tortoisehell pickguard
• Electrics: Vintage-Style Mid '60s Single-Coil Mustang bridge and neck single-coil pickups, master tone and volume controls, two on/off slide switches (one for each pickup)
• Weight of test model: 7lb/3.17kg
• Left-handed options: N/A
• Finishes: Dakota Red, Sonic Blue, Olympic White (as reviewed)
• Cases: Padded gig bag
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

I personally think we have the choice finish of the three here. The options reflect the initial trio available at the Mustang's original launch with Sonic Blue now replacing the 1964 Daphne Blue, alongside Dakota Red and Olympic White. While purists may argue the pickguard should be a lighter, brighter red for vintage authenticity, I really like the darker burgundy tortoiseshell shades here. If anything, it looks a little more lived-in and well… vintage.

While the originals were first offered by Fender in two scale length options with 22.5" (like the existing Duo Sonic and Musicmaster student models) and the Jaguar's 24" – with the latter soon winning out as the popular choice. The Fender logo here is the transitional type from that time, in the gold with black outline style. And while the decal being stuck over the finish may look jarring to some, it is vintage correct. As are the off-white plastic tuner buttons.

The bridge cover from 1964 is absent here, a '60s idiosyncracy with Fender models there's little demand for now, but aftermarket spares can cater for. The nut is bone – a step up from the Vintera II's synthetic example. Again, true to the vintage era.

The fingerboard is round-laminated rosewood rather than slab here. This allows for the radius to be followed at the top and bottom, rather than just the slab's top. There's less mass of rosewood with laminate, which means – in theory – that this Mustang might sound brighter than a Vintera II equivalent. But you know the score with electric guitars – there are so many variables at play elsewhere, it's difficult to prove in this kind of testing situation.

I am immediately drawn to the dark rosewood and clay dots – it has all the vintage vibe I'd hope for, but it really needs a feed of lemon oil. While this isn't uncommon for guitars coming out of storage and varying conditions of humidity before they reach us for testing, the frets looking like they need a polish is less forgivable. It's taking the closet classic fantasy a bit far.

Still, that coffee dark fretboard really does make my Player II Mustang's rosewood look disappointingly caramel by comparison. Lovely stuff.

The dot placement draws from the '64 pre-CBS era but, more noticeably, the headstock does not – it's the larger late '65 shape . So the 'mid '60s' period is very much reflected here, rather than a specific year. This may not to everyone's taste, but Fender certainly isn't misleading anyone with the name.

At 7lbs, this test model is definitely bang on an ideal alder Mustang weight for me – my own Player II is half a pound lighter but that's without a floating tremolo system. However, looking at the stock Sweetwater has at the time of writing, this example is one of the lightest, though there's not much in it.

Apart from the frets and a tremolo issue I'll talk about next, fit and finish are sound. Would I have liked to see a nitro finish for a truer vintage reflection and much more desirable aging over time? Absolutely, and it would have bumped the price up a bit for sure, but I'm a little frustrated that nitrocellulose is only being rolled out on relic'd Road Worn Mexican-made models right now. However, this is Olympic White is very well delivered and is in the right territory of some vintage examples I've spotted.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

There are a lot of opinions about what a 7.25" radius neck is good, and not good for when it comes to guitar playing. John Mayer entered the chat recently to stir the pot with some sound reasoning, but the fact is, our tastes, styles and hand sizes are all so different. So, I personally don't go in for sweeping statements when it comes to radius and suitability for certain styles of playing.

I do, however, have a period of adjustment whenever I go from my usual 9.5" Mustang modern C necks to this kind of vintage spec. The last time was for the Mike McCready Strat review for our sister site MusicRadar, and I really came around to the charms of a rounder radius. I certainly didn't find bending an issue with it.

The action is higher than I'd like on this test guitar at 1.8mm clearance from the low E and, more surprisingly, 1.85mm from the high E. After checking the truss rod relief and finding all is well (thankfully too, as this is vintage spec with the truss nut at the bass of the neck requiring neck removal), I decide to tweak the string action more to my liking.

Unlike my own Player Mustangs with block steel saddles, the six-barrel examples here aren't individually adjustable in height. It's a case of bass and treble bridge height adjustment with one of the three included allen/hex keys and a quick process even with a cautious approach of small changes. Because of the rounder 7.25" radius I'm careful not to go as low as I would with my 9.5" Fender necks and soon find a pleasing compromise.

Unsurprisingly, those frets feel a little scratchy at first but soon play in, and there's no getting around the fact that a short scale and this radius will be too cramped for some players. But equally, it will be a great fit for many, and a Goldilocks scenario for some smaller-statured players with smaller hands. At the end of the day, this is a vintage spec and of course, other options are available.

I prefer bending on a 9.5" radius, but I found myself coming up with more arpeggiated parts with this Mustang because of the ease of more complicated shapes. It feels like a deeper, more rounded C than modern Mustang necks I've played (at the first and 12th fret I measure the depth at 21.3mm and 23.4mm on the Vinter III vs 20.8 and 22.4mm with my calipers on my Player II's Modern C carve), but the lighter 9-gauge strings it ships with definitely help it feel friendly. Most experienced players will want to move to 10s on a short scale like this, or even 11s.

My testing with Vintera III Mustang covered a really strange period of weather in the United Kingdom – from 15 degrees up to the hottest June day on record here at 36 degrees. While my Player Mustangs with their hardtail bridges and fairly springy tensions with 10-gauge strings were surprisingly solid through it all, this Vintera was a challenge. And that's with light tremolo use - though that kind of more subtle wobble is what this type of tremolo is really meant for unless you want to be tuning every between every song, or even solo .

A safe bet would be that the floating tremolo needs calibrating. Not uncommon and often part of the deal with this design – and the 'cigar bar' for the tremolo leaning back, as you can see in the pic above, suggests that is the case. The strings tremolo plate needs to be removed for access to do this. But it has to be done to fully enjoy the sensitivity and thrills of the tremolo here without gritting your teeth in tuning anxiety every time.

It's worth mentioning that the floating design here requires a hex key to fit, adjust and remove the tremolo arm from the cigar bar every time – so keep a spare handy!

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★★

The obligatory Mustang controls recap is needed here – the pickups are selected and turned off with a pair of three-way switches above them. In the middle the pickups are turned off (no sound), when either is switched left or right they are activated. Switch them both to the left or right together and they're in phase, switch one to the left and one to the right (it doesn't matter which as long as they're both opposites) and they're out of phase.

This out-of-phase position is the least desirable of the options for me. But it's not undesirable either. The low-end drop and reduced output does have some lo-fi charm and useful application for strumming. Especially when contrasted with the other positions.

The Mustang is not a short-scale Strat in tone, it's distinct – in a good way too. And it's just as much an iconic Fender sound for me as its more popular siblings. I'm going to go all-out and say the in-phase position is my favourite 'middle' position on any Fender, and my experience here only highlights that further.

Mustang single-coil pickup polepieces are usually flat, not the staggered heights of a Strats and the Tele's bridge. The result is a finer balance between the strings, certainly to my ears, and it brings detail to chords I find immensely satisfying. I've also found it makes for a great pairing with the addition of a P-90-sized Firebird bridge pickup in one of my Mexican Player models. However, I should note for all you potential modders out there that unlike the Player models, this Vintera III is only routed for single-coil-sized pickups.

For a change, I start on the neck pickup and soon start sighing - there's an added dimension here that my own Player II's neck pickup doesn't have. And I really like that pickup. The round, focused response I love is there, but it's sharper and livelier. I'm an instant fan, the strings ring out for chords so fully, and throwing a touch of plate reverb and some light harmonic tremolo is such an inspiring sound, I think it could convert Mustang newcomers.

It's not the instantly identifiable strat spank, but a very interesting alternative that's more adaptable to my ears. It bodes well for further investigation.

I've found bridge pickups on some Mustangs to be quite gnarly affairs, requiring bespoke dialling on the tone control, and sometimes the amp, to get the best out of them. While I chose to swap out the bridge pickups on both by own Player Mustangs for Sunbear Soapbird P-90-size Firebird humbuckers, what I find with the Vintera III gives me some pause.

The twang and snap I expect has that fullness again and yes, I do reach for the tone control to dial the top off things a little, but I find a voice that's meatier under overdrive than I expected through a clean Princeton and then a Neural Plexi model with my trusty little Wampler Tumnus. The volume control proves super responsive with these setups, revealing a guitar that would be a vibrant tool in a power trio, or a dynamic foil alongside a second, humbucker guitar player.

It's not really a surprise to find the highlight is the 'middle' in-phase position here. A shimmering sound for strumming chords that really laps up light modulation – a Boss CE-2 and Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over intro and Johnny Marr's Smith arpeggios are addictive stuff here! It's a sublime and expressive experience for Knopfler-esque fingerstyle too, responding sensitively.

As I mentioned earlier, the out-of-phase option is a wiry, lo-fi and lower-output voice in comparison. Though hanging back in a mix or as a contrast in an intro or passages before kicking back into one of the other three voices, it could find useful favor.

Verdict

There's a lot to like about the latest addition to Fender's more affordable vintage-spec'd range, a reminder of why it remains my favourite Fender model. The third-generation additions make it distinct and perhaps the most focused Vintera Mustang we'll see unless the company decides to hone in on specific years for the next iteration.

A couple of setup issues with this test model notwithstanding, this is a persuasive showcase of Fender's dark horse model if you want vintage spec without the eyewatering price tag.

GuitarWorld verdict: This is a great place to go for an authentically full-fat Mustang experience – and the new Mid '60s pickups are a big part of the appeal here, alongside the evocative looks and feel of Fender's golden era.

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Now The Cribs have shared a story about a “talismanic” guitar trade that Marr proposed during the time he joined the British indie rockers – from 2008 to 2011, spawning the album Ignore the Ignorant – recalling Marr’s ‘joke’ attempt to swap Ryan Jarman's tasty ’70s Mustang for his nine-pickup Stratocaster.

“Me and Johnny were supposed to do a guitar swap when we first started working together, because I had this white ’70s Mustang,” Jarman tells Guitar World in an upcoming interview.

“It was my main guitar at the time, and he really liked the album that was on, The New Fellas. He kept saying, ‘We should do a guitar swap!’ And also, it was like a talismanic kind of thing, as he was joining the band.

“Eventually, I was like, ‘Let's do it!’ Then, the next time we'd be at his house, I'd be like, ‘Come on then Johnny, what guitar you gonna give me [for the trade]?’

“He had an amazing guitar collection... and he would always show me this really horrible Stratocaster that had nine pickups on it… this stupid guitar that was in his studio. It became a joke that every time I would bring up swapping the guitars, he would be like, ‘I've got it for you here!’”

As for whether the swap did actually happen, well, let's just say that Jarman never ended-up with a nine-pickup Strat.

“It was one of those things where it was joked about so often that you started to think, 'Is this actually what the swap's going to be?’” recalls bassist Luke Jarman. “[But] I think he likes that guitar now. That black Strat with all the pickups!”

Indeed, Marr memorably put the guitar to use in his video for Spirit Power and Soul.

“It weighed an absolute ton,” recalls Ryan. “I remember the first time he showed me... we were stoned in his studio – when I first started going up there, after we decided we were going to write songs together. We would just sit in his studio all night. It was really fun – and he'd be showing me, like, ‘Who in their right mind built this?’”

Guitar World’s interview with the Cribs will be published in the coming days.

And, speaking of vintage guitars, Jarman recently recounted how one of his other Mustangs miraculously ended up in the hands of contemporary British indie powerhouses The 1975 and Beabadoobee nearly two decades after it was stolen.

The Cribs have their fair share of rock ’n’ roll stories. Spearheaded by the Jarman brothers – bassist Gary, guitarist Ryan, and drummer Ross – the UK indie-rock band first came to public consciousness in the early to mid-aughts.

They ended up collaborating with the likes of Sonic Youth’s Lee Renaldo, had Johnny Marr join the group for a brief stint, and with new album Selling A Vibe, are currently in a chart battle with breakout star Olivia Dean for the UK number one spot.

And, like many other touring rock bands, they also have a stolen guitar story. Theirs, however, is particularly wild – and it unites three iconic indie rock bands.

“For Ryan's 18th or 19th birthday – he’d saved up some money, but then he also got some more money put to it – he got a ’78 Sunburst Mustang, which was really cool,” recalls Gary Jarman in a new interview with Guitar World.

“For some reason, it had this birdseye maple [headstock]. It looked really cool. It was still cheap. It was £600 quid or whatever, in the late ’90s. It was a really nice guitar, and we used it on all the early Cribs stuff.”

Unfortunately, the guitar was stolen in the early 2000s, but almost 20 years later, the Jarman brothers crossed paths with that formative Mustang in the most bizarre circumstances.

Gary continues, “It got nicked after a show in Leeds, at the Cockpit, and went missing for years. It was in 2002 – it got stolen – and then in 2020, during the pandemic, I was reading an interview online and there, in the background [of the photo], was the Mustang on the wall. I was like, ‘That looks like Ryan's Mustang!’”

The Jarman brothers recognized it immediately: it had a figured maple neck/headstock and also a little bit of the pickguard missing, just like Ryan's.

“I was like, ‘Ry, is this your guitar?’ 18 years down the line!” he continues. “He's like, ‘Yeah, it looks like it.’ The interview was with the owner of the Dirty Hit [Jamie Oborne], which was The 1975's label. I knew The 1975's A&R guy, so I contacted him. I was like, ‘Hey, can you put us in touch with this dude? I think that's Ryan's Mustang.’

“So then we started matching photographs to it, and it looked exactly the same,” adds Ryan. “Eventually, we heard from Matty Healy. He was like, ‘Yeah, it was my guitar for a bit!’”

The story doesn’t end there, however. After the police pieced together the forensic evidence and Fender confirmed it was the same guitar, the two contacted the Dirty Hit head honcho, only to learn that he no longer has the guitar.

“He had given it to one of their other artists, Beabadoobee, and it then was like Beabadoobee’s main guitar,” explains Gary. “So it was Ry’s guitar, then it went missing for 20 years, then it was with Matty Healy in The 1975, then it went to Beabadoobee! And I don't know where it is now, but we're still trying to get it back!”

And, in case you're wondering why Ryan is still adamant on getting it back after all these years, he explains, “That is one of the only guitars that's ever meant anything to me. It was the guitar that I used in The Cribs before we became a professional band, and it sounded great.”

Guitar World's full interview with The Cribs will be published in the coming weeks.

Speaking of stolen guitars, Lita Ford recently revealed how, after her prized B.C. Rich Mockingbird was stolen, she ended up crossing paths with it when she was auditioning guitar players.

Compiled over decades by the late billionaire businessman and owner/CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, the Jim Irsay Collection has achieved a mythical status, as it includes some of the most famous acoustic and electric guitars to ever exist.

“Jim Irsay was an incredible collector with an eye for rare treasures tied to the most important moments in our collective history,” explains Christie's Americas President, Julien Pradels.

“It is a privilege to offer this renowned collection at Christie's, giving collectors and visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view, be inspired by, and bid on these objects.”

The first live sale is set to feature around 50 lots, comprising some of the most sought-after treasures in the collection

Highlights include David Gilmour's “Black Strat,” Kurt Cobain's Smells Like Teen Spirit 1966 Fender Mustang, Jerry Garcia's “Tiger” guitar, John Lennon's 1963 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120, George Harrison's stage-played Gibson SG, and Eric Clapton's MTV Unplugged 1939 Martin 000-42.

The once-in-a-generation auction will kick off with almost 400 items, tracing pivotal moments in music, film, sports, pop culture, and, of course, guitar, history, over four auctions from March 3 to March 18 – alongside a free, public exhibition at Christie's New York from March 6 to March 12.

For more information, head to Christie's.

Yet for all her experience as a sidewoman, it’s now as a bandleader in her own right that she looks set to make her most personal musical statement to date.

“I love playing bass with other artists,” says Magellan. “It just felt like it was time for me to also commit to my own music.”

Recognised for her versatility and groove, it’s Magellan’s more lyrical approach that comes to the fore on her new solo EP Damage. Featuring a few of the talents from her session career, but with an emphasis on collective creativity and a shared musical experience – not as a showcase for blazing bass skills – Magellan has tapped into her strengths as a modern groove master.

“The bass guitar drives everything, but it’s not the main focus for me when I’m writing songs or leading a band. Then I think it pays to be more strategic, because it’s an instrument that glues everything together.”

What inspired the new EP?

It's really a combination of my life experiences and everyone who’s ever inspired me. All of my baggage is connected to my music.

What's been the biggest learning curve?

I was used to being booked for a gig, learning the material, preparing for a tour, or coming up with a bassline for a session, but as a solo artist there are different things to think about.

When I played my debut show at the Baked Potato I barely had time to focus on my bass playing. I was thinking about leading the band, and talking to the audience, but I don’t say that as a negative thing. My brain was just wired to do things in a certain way, and I love challenging myself.

Another big lesson was learning how to ask for help and letting other people be a part of the process.

How often do you practice?

It depends. I do so much work on a computer nowadays that I don't practice as much as I used to. I make sure I spend at least one hour each day in my studio, even if it’s just sitting down with my bass or coming up with a new idea.

What do you remember about filming at EastWest Studios?

It was an amazing experience, but still challenging. I’d put myself in a situation where I had to plan and direct the entire session. I guess that’s when I really understood what it meant to be a solo artist.

I also got to play with some amazing musicians. That’s Taylor Graves playing on Misunderstood. He also recorded on the EP, but for the live session it felt even better.

His solo was an amazing moment. And there was also Art Menezes on guitar, Curtis Crump, Laila Annelle, and Robert ‘Sput’ Searight. To watch these guys walk into the studio to play on my songs was just crazy.

Are you the type of person who spends hours going for that perfect take?

There's really no such a thing as the perfect take. There might be a take where you feel the magic happens, and all the technical aspects align, but there's always something you could do differently. I was just lucky to get to work with amazing people for that session.

What bass gear did you use for the EastWest session?

I played my Mustang bass on two of the songs. That bass has Seymour Duncan pickups and Ernie Ball flatwound strings. I also used my Music Man StingRay for Drive Complaining. It’s one of their new short-scale basses.

Did you experiment with any effects pedals?

For the melody of Misunderstood, the bass plays the hook, but I put it through a bunch of effects. I don’t even know how to explain that approach yet, but it just felt like the right thing to do!

I wanted to create a bass sound for more melodic lines, so I experimented with different combinations until I found the sound I used for Misunderstood, Funk Karma, and Damage.

I’ve been using my Phase 90 a lot. I love how trippy it is, and it still sits well in the mix. I also love my Vintage Microtubes by Darkglass Electronics, my EBS Octaver and my Boss OC-2.

Is there a similar dynamic in your approach to session work and what you’re doing now?

The foundation is the same. The need for discipline and versatility, and the focus on serving the music never changes. The difference now is that I get to follow my instincts a lot more, and shape the whole vibe instead of just being a part of it.

What were some of the highlights from your session career?

I got the gig with Adam Lambert when I moved to L.A. We’ve played some incredible shows at places like Wembley Stadium, and Brian May was in the audience when we played the Royal Albert Hall.

I’ve also worked with Larry Braggs from Tower of Power, and Monte Moir from The Time. I produced Artur Menezes latest EP, I’ve been on the The Late Late Show With James Corden, and I was the resident bassist for Adnight Show when I was in Brazil. There have been so many gigs!

You used a 5-string bass with Adam Lambert, but on Damage you stuck purely to a 4-string. Why?

For all of my session work I would usually play a 5-string, just for the extended range, but for my own shows I prefer a 4-string. Playing a 5-string bass is a different world, but I feel way more funky with just four strings.

Who is your favourite bass player?

Larry Graham is a huge inspiration. I love how experimental and ahead of his time he was.

If you could pass on one bit of advice to aspiring bassists, what would it be?

Maybe it’s my Brazilian background, but I would advise any bass player to practice playing as many different styles of music as possible. You’ve got to be able to adapt and be flexible, which is something I’ve always worked on.

• Damage is out now.

Headlined by Blink-182, Weezer, and Green Day, the Chicago festival was, for rock fans of a certain age, a jaw-dropping nostalgia fest. But the fast-rising British noisemakers weren't going to let those at the top of the bill have all the fun at Douglass Park.

“It is with great honor, I’d like to welcome on stage Jack White the First,” vocalist Joe Talbot had bellowed before the carnage ensued.

Video footage shows White and Kiernan in aptly riotous form, with squealing guitars and angular licks galore – not to mention a dollop or two of Whammy pedal wails. It's glorious pandemonium on stage, with the band clearly savoring the chance to trade off with one of their (ahem) idols.

The band haven’t said much following the performance – it speaks for itself, in truth. But IDLES’ other guitarist, Mark Bowen, posted a picture of White on stage with the group with the caption, “IFKYK.”

Lately, White has been running amok with his signature Telecaster – a model that’s found its way into the hands of Kirk Hammett and Vernon Reid, and his favorite new guitarist – but it’s the Mustang that gets a run out here.

Kiernan only got the guitar after a score of IDLES' preferred Fenders were stolen in the band's early days. That got the band an invite to Fender HQ, where, after a key modification, the Mustang stole his heart. It has since become one of his main axes, and it has the wounds to prove it.

“This was the first guitar I bought for IDLES, and it's been there ever since, and I've smashed it up, reglued it, snapped it... I love growing with it,” he told Andertons earlier this year.

Speaking to Guitarist in 2024, Kiernan dismissed digital amp modelers as “wack” as he dissected the band’s love of “violent, dark tones” and the often hodgepodge electric guitars they use to achieve them.

The band’s guitar tandem was selected to be the poster boys for Fender’s new Player II Modified series as their rise to the top of the contemporary rock pile continues.

Meanwhile, White has shown off the crazy guitar/bass hybrid built for him by Eddie Van Halen's go-to master builder, and we've never seen anything quite like it.

He's also on the hunt for a guitar he regrets letting go of as a teenager, and recently issued a plea to his fans to help him track it down.

That direction is epitomized in their latest studio album, 2024’s Tangk, as well as the film score for Darren Aronofsky’s dark comedy crime thriller, Caught Stealing.

As for Kiernan, he’s been inextricably linked to guitar modding – and his shell pink Fender Mustang – since the early days of the band. In fact, Fender recently anointed him – alongside co-guitarist Mark Bowen – as a poster boy for the Player II Modified series, the legacy brand's range of classic guitars with a pre-modded twist.

And like every band story ever, Kiernan got his now go-to six-string after a stolen-guitar saga.

“Bowen and I had some guitars stolen early, early, early days of Idles, and Fender heard about it because we were trying to find them,” Kiernan tells Lee Anderton on Anderton's YouTube channel.

“And David [Mulqueen, Artist Marketing] at Fender said, ‘Come in and try some things.’ And I tried this [referring to his pink Mustang], and then, because it was a rosewood neck – I don't like rosewood necks, there's no logic to it whatsoever – I asked whether or not it could be done with a maple.

“He sorted it out, and I bought this. This was the first guitar I bought for IDLES and it's been there ever since, and I've smashed it up, reglued it, snapped it... I love growing with it!”

When asked whether simple guitars prompt him to grow technically, Kiernan reflects, “No. The only reason for this is, when I was young, I think the first guitar I bought myself was a Tom DeLonge Strat. And it had one pickup.”

He continues, “I just loved the idea that there was no faff. And then, when we were touring, I had my Tele I got from my friend Luke, which is an American [Tele], but jumping about, hitting things, getting in the crowd, tone knob changing, the pickup selector sliding around…

“And then I'd start taping things down, and then that would wear off and move again. I thought, ‘I don't use them, right?’ So I removed them [and] so for years, I was ripping stuff out of the guitar that wasn't necessary.

“It isn't until, the last two years – three years, four years, whatever – when [I was like] ‘You do need some of those things.’ So they've started to creep back in.”

Last year, IDLES' radical guitar duo dissected their “violent, dark tones,” what they learned from Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, and why they think digital modelers are “wack.”

As the name suggests, the collection focuses on retro recreations of Fender favorites, fusing the firm’s traditional instrument-making methods and aesthetics with the tip-top craftsmanship and modern design tweaks its Japanese arm is known for.

Each of Fender’s most notable body shapes gets a look in, with the mainstay Stratocaster and Telecaster designs flanked by a Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, and a one-two of Precision and Jazz Bass models.

The builds all share the same core ingredients, with basswood bodies given a gloss polyester finish and paired with a rosewood fingerboard-capped U-shaped maple neck. They also share the same 9.5” radius fretboards while all the pickups on offer are vintage-voiced.

The guitars are built with a 25.5" scale length, save for the Mustang, which is a stunted 24" construction, and the bass guitars are both 34" to ensure rumbling low end aplenty.

Vintage-style tuners are also commonplace across the guitars, with the basses getting open-gear tuners instead.

But the big headline with this drop is concerned with the aesthetics. From blacked-out sandblasted models and bold gradients, to the revival of the ever-divisive Antingua colorway and what might be 2025's most breathtaking electric guitar in the Sakura Telecaster, Fender Japan has claimed a place in many guitarist's hearts for its unbridled breadth of cosmetic choice. Here, it is more than living up to its reputation.

There are White Pearl and Black Pearl finishes available for all the models, with those colors the only choices for the Mustang and Precision Bass. They offer classy gold hardware and color-matched pickups and pickguards, but the pirate-y-sounding Black Pearl finish has already proved a winner and is sold out on the Fender website.

Players may have better luck elsewhere, such as the Competition Black colorway, which offers diagonal go-faster stripes on Three-Color Sunburst or Aged Natural bodies. The design harkens back to one that proved hugely popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Stardust Pink and Blue offer slightly more subtle looks but are no less gorgeous. The Blue, in particular, serves a magical ice vibe that sees Fender Japan continuing to prove, with serious aplomb, that its paint game is unmatched.

It's also no surprise to see the Jazzmaster and Jaguar playing such a front-and-center role in the line considering Fender Japan's offset creations are conquering the world riff by riff – and it's a trend that's greatly impacting the metal guitar game, too. And to see them with Competition stripes – something that is rather rare for regular US builds – is a very nice touch indeed.

All the electric guitars, minus the Jazzmaster and the Precision Bass, are priced at ¥154,000 (approx. $1,056). The offset rises to ¥165,000 (approx. $1,130), while the Jazz will set you back ¥159,500 (approx. $1,093)

Head to Fender to learn more.

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.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Play And Trade Guitars

Jeremy Sheppard

60 Cycle Hum

There's a palpable fervor surrounding a band on the brink of major success. Since the release of 2023’s six-track EP, You're Welcome, which established the Brighton-based noise-punks as the outspoken duo the UK's alternative scene so desperately needed, Lunny and Macieira have become one of the most theatrical and talked-about live acts around.​

The pair wield their Fender Mustangs almost as extensions of this theatricality – a choice Lunny explains was a no-brainer, considering the model’s tolerance for the rigors of heavy touring paired with heavy shows.

“Mustangs are just sick. They’re not too heavy. They’re quite a compact body. You can throw them around. You can jump around with them, and they can take quite a beating,” Lunny explains.

“You're literally chucking yourselves around. You can rely on it to be okay. Also, the tone you get off Mustangs is really nice – it's scratchy and trashy enough, but not as much as a Stratocaster, where I feel like it loses a bit of the body.”

“I think me and Phoebe are just intrinsically Mustang girlies!” quips Macieira.

And speaking of chucking guitars around, Lunny credits L7 as the band that opened her eyes to this kismet.

“It was L7 playing on [British talkshow] The Word. The guitarist just gets up on the amp and everyone's like, smashing shit up, going crazy, and they just pull their pants down and just start shredding. And I was like, ‘I want to do that.’”

Lunny found her partner in crime in the form of power bassist (and friend) Macieira. “When Lilly joined, everything sort of fell into place,” asserts Lunny.

“I played piano when I was a bit younger, never really had any proper lessons, and I tried to get along with guitar, but it just wasn't for me,” Macieira explains of her bass origins. “I used to work for Fender, and we had instruments strewn around in the office, and there was a bass behind me, and this was just before lockdown.

“I was listening to a lot of Pixies and Sonic Youth at the time, so I started to learn Break My Body by Pixies on bass.”

Macieira borrowed her bass from work, and after lockdown kicked in, she unexpectedly ended up with it for two years – during which time she started depping for Lambrini Girls. The rest, as they say, is history.

The learn-it-as-we-go mentality permeates Lambrini Girls' ethos as a band – and, by extension, their upcoming album, Who Let The Dogs Out, whose recording sessions Lunny helpfully summarizes: “We wrote 10 really fucking sick songs at Oxford on a farm when we were drunk.”

Recording with Gilla Band's noise bassist and producer Dan Fox further honed the songs – while still keeping Lambrini Girls' nonchalant spirit alive.

“I think for pedals and stuff used on guitar, it was more just an embellishment. I used my Mustang pretty much for the entirety of it. I could just twang away, but Lilly, she had a wall of fucking amps!” says Lunny.

The “wall of amps” consisted of three amps and a DI, plus, at times, even a bass synth underneath.

“One of them is my amp, which I use live and holds a lot of power. It's only a 4x10 Rumble Stage 800, which is a modeling amp, but it sounds fucking amazing.

“I know that there's a lot of purists out there who like valve amps blah blah blah. Like, if an amp sounds good, it sounds good, it doesn't matter how you get there," Macieira adds passionately.

As the two gear up for their debut album release in a few weeks and an already packed 2025, Lunny and Macieira admit it all still feels a bit surreal.

“We did this shoot with Sleater-Kinney for Kerrang! We went for drinks afterwards, and were there for a good few hours. It was quite mental because we could see similarities between them and me and Lilly,” says Lunny.

“We also had a few good conversations with Amy [Taylor] on that Amyl [and the Sniffers] tour,” remembers Macieira. “We were talking about femininity in the alternative scene. Punk and hardcore are supposed to be very inclusive, and even though it's been very male-dominated, it's also where a lot of women really bloomed.

“But still, there seems to be a certain sort of distaste towards hyper-femininity in those genres, or in those scenes in general, which I think we've all personally experienced: me, Phoebe and Amy.”

As their audience has come to expect, Lunny and Macieira don’t shy away from uncomfortable conversations – in this case, the realities of the industry and being in a band in 2024, laying out the long hours, minimal pay, lack of boundaries, and mental ramifications of it all.

“We wouldn't be able to be in Lambrini Girls if we hadn't sacrificed pretty much everything,” asserts Macieira.

“What me and Lilly are learning only just now is that we do need to set boundaries for ourselves, because otherwise, you're just flip-flopping all over the fucking place,” Lunny says.

“It's such a unique and special position to be in and to go to places that you never thought you'd be able to go or meet people or have friends all over fucking Europe and America. And, you know, get to play massive stages. It's amazing, but it's also making sure that you're able to be able to be present in those moments.”

• Who Let The Dogs Out is out on January 10 via City Slang.

Now, 99.99999999999% of us don't happen to own a football team, so owning a piece of actual Cobain-used gear is not within our reach. The next best thing, we reckon, is Fender's excellent Vintera II '70s Competition Mustang, the price of which has been slashed by $150 for Cyber Monday by Fender itself.

The styling – unsurprisingly, given that it's the '70s Competition Mustang – is quite retro, with a period-correct black and gold decal and retro ‘F’-stamped machine heads with aged white buttons, to name but two details. There's far more to this guitar, though, than its Cobain association and nostalgic looks.

“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,” wrote Guitar World's Daryl Robertson in his five-star review of the model. “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.”

Though the guitar's grunge roots might lead one to believe that its quality is similarly, well, grungey, Robertson notes, “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 vintage-style '70s pickups, meanwhile, “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.”

Now, we don't have a ‘best guitars for grunge’ guide, but if we did, this would be at, or damn close to, the top. Marked down to $999 this Cyber Monday, this is a killer choice not only for grunge, but garage-rock, punk, surf-rock, and more.

Now, this particular Mustang – its retro touches especially – isn't for everyone. If that's the case, not to worry – there are plenty more Fender Cyber Monday deals to explore, not to mention the eye-watering bounty of all the Cyber Monday guitar deals we've managed to compile.

Shop more Cyber Monday guitar deals

• Amazon: Guitar gear deals
• Fender store: 50% off guitars
• Guitar Center: Up to 50% off
• Musician's Friend: Up to 60% off sale
• Positive Grid: Save on Spark
• Sweetwater: Save up to 80% on gear
• Waves: Plugins just $19.99

Much like Rory Gallagher before him, Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O'Connell is carrying the mantle for Irish guitarists who have made a significant mark on the international music scene.

Gallagher's legacy has deep roots in Ireland, inspiring generations of musicians like O'Connell – who, fittingly, has shared his thoughts on the Irish guitar legend and paid homage by playing some of the prized guitars that are up for auction on October 17, including Gallagher's iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster.

“It feels a bit intimidating, to be honest. It's so personal. It's like looking at an old couple,” says O'Connell when he's handed the Strat. “You know, it's been through everything. It shows how fragile important things are, you know, but also how you don't have to be too cautious with things that are fragile.”

“It feels a bit wrong, in a way, to play it. But at the same time, I don't think anyone that has a guitar that they love would want the guitar to never be played after their death.”

O'Connell goes on to explain that he actually owns a Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher signature Strat, which was painstakingly modeled on the 1961 Strat. While Fontaines D.C. were on tour, he happened to pass by Chicago Music Exchange, where he spotted one of these relatively rare models.

“I just asked, ‘Can I play it? I haven't seen one of these.’ And I just plugged it in. I played it. They did a really good job with those replicas, you know. The sound is amazing – I fell in love with it.” In fact, O'Connell liked it so much that it's now one of his main guitars, as he switches between this one and his red ’60s Mustang.

In addition to the 1961 Fender Strat, O'Connell also tries out Gallagher's 1963 Epiphone Coronet, with its custom green finish and single P-90 pickup which Gallagher was a massive fan of; his 1959 Silvertone, which featured prominently on the classics A Million Miles Away and Cradle Rock; and his 1968 Martin D-35, the main acoustic guitar he used throughout his entire career.

In recent news about the Rory Gallagher auction, Joe Bonamassa has publicly confirmed that he never intended to bid on the 1961 Strat – which has found itself at the center of a grassroots campaign to keep the guitar in Ireland.

These days you’re far more likely to find me using my Spark Mini or HX Stomp at home, because they’re the pragmatic choice for modern living - read: not annoying for your partner, neighbors, or anyone within a half-mile radius. 

As a relatively recent convert to devices like headphone amps for guitar, it's undeniable that they are an excellent choice for the practicing guitar player and, whisper it, nowadays you really can’t tell that much difference in tone from the real deal. Today’s subject, the Fender Mustang Micro Plus, looks to build on the success of the original, and make a great case for becoming your practice amp of choice.

Paired with your favorite guitar amp headphones, the Mustang Micro Plus offers up a huge selection of amps and effects, with plenty of features in a teeny-tiny package you can take anywhere. There’s a lot of competition that has emerged since the original Mustang Micro was released, especially with the likes of the Boss Katana Go, so let’s see if it retains its crown.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: Features

The Fender Mustang Micro Plus ups the ante on its predecessor with a huge selection of tones, packing 25 amp and effect simulations into its tiny black housing. 100 preset slots mean you can now save custom tones, significantly expanding the flexibility versus the original. 

There’s now a small screen on the front of the fascia, doing away with the inscrutable color coding system from the previous model. It also allows for a simple chromatic tuner to be displayed, making the Mustang Micro Plus an even more complete practice solution. Below the display, the large volume knob has retained its place for controlling the level of the unit.

The controls are roughly similar, with plus and minus buttons for preset, EQ, and modify options that let you change tones, adjust the EQ, and alter particular effect parameters. The tap tempo button doubles as a way to engage the tuner if you hold it down, and on the opposite side you’ve got a power switch and a button to save your presets. Above the power button, a flashing light lets you know how much battery the unit has left via a traffic light system.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: The app

Along with a nifty screen and preset function, the Mustang Micro Plus now has companion app capabilities that make tone tweaking much easier. Using a beta version of the Fender Tone app I was able to tweak tones in depth, adjusting all the parameters of the pedals and amps with ease. The performance of the app was impressively smooth and responsive too, even though it was a test version. It looks fantastic, with the amps and effects rendered in super high resolution.

The app operates with your phone in horizontal mode, which definitely helps with the visibility of the whole signal chain. The preset view lets you see everything on one screen, with a simple tap allowing you to dive into more detail on the particular pedal or amp while swiping up or down changes your preset. You can also switch presets by using the buttons on the physical unit and it will respond in kind.

The app allows you to set the USB volume level, which can be handy if you’re recording with your phone or laptop, and also lets you change what the modify button does. You can assign this to any effect parameter from the pedals in your signal chain, although interestingly it doesn’t let you assign it to the amp parameters.

Although I wasn’t able to try it due to the Mustang Micro Plus being unreleased while
I tested it, there are also downloadable tones available when you tap the cloud icon in the list view. They’re sorted by factory, featured, popular, genres, and recent, so will no doubt be populated with user and perhaps artist-generated tones once it comes to release day.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: Usability

Using the headphone amp with just the buttons is certainly doable if you’re not the sort to want your smartphone interrupting your practice too. It’s simple to switch presets while you’re playing thanks to the hinged input that lets you maneuver the unit to wherever you like. That said, it does take a bit of practice remembering where the buttons are and when I first got it more often than not I’d tweak the EQ instead of hitting the intended preset button.

The EQ gives you access to a selection of presets that cut or boost the lows, mids, or highs. It’s nice to have but to be honest I found myself keeping the presets original setting most of the time, as I found the cuts to be a little too harsh for my taste. The modify button allows you to adjust a particular effect parameter, which could be delay time, delay feedback, reverb level, amongst many others. Once you’re done tweaking just hold the save button then press again to confirm.

The ability to dial in a tone via the buttons is a nice option in a pinch, but to be honest you’ll be much better served using the app, especially as not all the presets will sound great with your guitar of choice - more on which in the sounds section of this review.

One of my favorite ways to use the original Mustang Micro was plugged into my phone to record off-the-cuff ideas and the occasional video of my own playing for social media when I’m feeling brave. It works just as well on my Pixel phone as the last model, replacing your phone microphone when you plug it in via USB-C. I’ve had mixed results trying this with other devices, but the Mustang Micro delivers excellent sound quality, making it super easy to record guitar videos if that’s your bag.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: Sounds

Getting started with the preset tones I was instantly impressed with the offering. It’s noticeably improved from its predecessor, with a lot more depth to the distorted tones which were a little weak on the original. As I've found with a lot of modeling amps, its the cleaner tones where it really shines, and the Twin tones in particular are fantastic.

As you’re playing with headphones the effects really shine too. The reverbs are luscious, adding a real sense of space to your guitar tone, whilst there are some superb stereo delay effects available. Everything is really nice and crisp, and there’s a myriad of inspiring presets for you to build upon that cover everything from post-rock to metal to country and blues.

I did notice that it was getting overwhelmed whenever I used something too bass-heavy with the volume cranked to the max. The neck pickup of my Tele was enough to push it into some nasty noise-making on certain presets, likewise when I tried my baritone guitar which is tuned to drop G#. It’s only noticeable on certain presets, but it is a little annoying once you discover it. The bass cut EQ can remedy this somewhat, but then it ends up taking away quite a bit of the heaviness which for me kills the overall sound.

Turning the volume down remedies this, and it's only a small niggle amongst a huge selection of fantastic-sounding amp and effects models. For such a small unit it delivers fantastically well, and that app compatibility does away with one of the major shortcomings of the original Mustang Micro, giving you more flexibility of tone and if you prefer, engaging with it via your phone instead of the physical buttons.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: Final verdict

A few niggles aside, the Fender Mustang Micro Plus is very much the upgrade that was needed for one of the most popular headphone amps for guitar. The addition of a small screen, app compatibility, and the ability to save presets makes it a worthwhile practice companion that costs relatively little.

Some will bemoan the lack of a quick way to switch presets, which can hinder you when trying to play along with certain songs. Despite this, I think it’s a fantastic option for playing at home or on the go, with ease of use and fantastic guitar tone at the core of the offering.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus review: Specs

• Price: $149.99/£149/€169
• Amp models: 25
• Effects models: 25
• Controls: Preset, EQ, modify, tap/tuner, on/off switch, save, volume knob
• Connectivity: 1/8-inch headphones, USB-C
• Contact: Fender

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.

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.

Jones is a deeply serious fellow when asked about the nuts and bolts of his trade, but one who dissolves into laughter when recalling the more ‘unorthodox’ of his former employers (we're looking at you, M. Davis). 

Born in Chicago in 1961, Jones made his bones with the aforementioned Miles at the age of only 21. After two albums with the ‘mercurial’ jazz icon, he joined Sting's all-star band for the Dream Of The Blue Turtles album in 1985, subsequently playing with Herbie Hancock, Madonna, Eric Clapton, the Headhunters, Peter Gabriel, and many more stellar artists.

Jones's full-time gig since 1993, however, has been with the Rolling Stones, taking Bill Wyman's place when the longtime bassist stepped aside. Note that this interview took place in June 2020, before the pandemic was announced, but even so, what a musician, and what a privilege.

Is a Stones tour a physically demanding exercise?

“Not physically, no. It's pretty cushy as far as touring goes. They don't do a lot of gigs, they don't do gigs back to back, and the travel and the hotels are all very nicely organized, so it's not a tough tour in that regard. 

“There are certain things that are difficult, like being away from home and trying to eat right and stuff like that, but I've figured out my way to do that. I make a dash for a good health-food store when I get to a town, and get a few supplies, and I'm learning more about what works for me. So, no, it's not difficult.”

What bass guitars do you take out with the Stones?

“I take a number of them out. For songs from the early 60s going into the 70s, I use some chambered instruments. I use a Fritz Brothers bass. They did a copy of the old Kay electric bass that's chambered – so it's hollow but it doesn't have any holes. It has a single lipstick-type pickup and it's really great for the early stuff, if you use a pick to get that kind of edgy, almost mod bass sound.” 

“I also use a Fender Mustang, which is funny because I grew up playing one of those, when I was very young. I ran into one in a shop that was the exact same color as the one I played when I was a kid, and it was in really great shape, so I asked them to hold it for me because it was literally the bass of my childhood. I started playing it on some of the Stones' stuff and it sounded incredible.”

Where does the Mustang tone fit in?

“That's for songs like Start Me Up and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, and it sounds great, played with flatwound strings and a pick. People are now starting to get hip to the fact that short-scale basses have a very distinctive sound, I guess because of the string tension. What else am I using? I have a new Gretsch Thunder Jet bass, and I use a Music Man Stingray on the two or three Stones songs where a fretless is needed.”

You're also running a guitar company, Jones Musical Instruments.

“I'm really at the early stages, you know. I've got a Precision-style bass, which is called the Chatham bass, because I grew up in an area in the south side of Chicago called West Chatham, and a Jazz bass I call my Gresham bass, after a neighbourhood that's just near where I grew up. I play the Chatham bass on Miss You and in the little area in that song where I feature. I also use Laklands on a few tunes. I think that's about it for now.”

When you joined the Stones in 1993, did you play Bill Wyman's bass parts as he had recorded them, or did you add your own spin?

“You know, an interesting thing happened there. Before the audition, I went out and bought a bunch of Stones Greatest Hits records and started trying to figure out some basslines. That really showed me, even before the audition, that there was no way I was really gonna be able to learn these basslines verbatim. 

“But there are certain things that Bill and whoever was playing bass – Keith was on a bunch of it, Ronnie's on some of it – did, that really are parts of songs. I try to cover those things, but I can't think of any song that I really try to play exactly like Bill played, you know.”

Do the other Stones have strong views about that?

“At one rehearsal, I figured out what Bill had played on Respectable, and I started playing it, and Mick was like ‘Where are you going?’ I said, ‘This is what Bill played on the song’ and he said ‘No, don't play that. Play what you hear.’ 

“So neither I nor they are that precious about that stuff. The first time I rehearsed with them, I asked Keith, ‘Hey man, did you play bass on this song?’ and he said ‘Yeah.’ I said ‘So what's the bassline?’ and he was like, I don't know, man. You're the bass player, you tell me what the bassline is!’

“So they're pretty cool about letting me do what I want. I still want to play the essence of the song. If there's something in the essence of the bassline that needs to be played to make the song what it is, they seem pretty trusting of me that I'll find those things. The rest they leave to me, basically.”

Some parts are very recognizable – the giant slide at the end of 19th Nervous Breakdown, for example.

“Oh yeah! That's a lot of fun to play, and that's why I use all the different instruments. The Fritz Brothers bass is great for getting that mids tone on She's So Cold. I use that for anything that sounds that way on record from that period. 

“If you listen to what Bill was playing in 1985, then you're talking about roundwound strings, maybe on a Steinberger, so I try to choose the right bass. If it's a more modern sound, then I'll use one of the Jones instruments.”

What amp do you take out with the Stones?

“I use the Stones' old 1970s Ampeg SVT head as well as going back and forth with some newer SVTs, and I always use two SVT cabs. In addition to that, I've been using QSC gear, some of their K.2 series-the 18" subwoofer, and the K.12.2 cabs. Also, I got onto a couple of the Jonas Hellborg preamps that he did for Warwick a number of years ago: I've been using that to run in front of the QSC gear.” 

Jonas is a guru of bass amplification.

“Yes, he's very well versed in that stuff. When I went over there, he told me that he had acquired a Neve board a few years before and had it shipped to his home in Sweden. After he got it he realized that no-one knew how to repair it, so he basically learned how to repair it himself. His preamp comes from some of the knowledge that he gained from that, because it does sound very warm and natural, like a Neve channel.” 

“Anyway, the QSC gear is there for me to have a little bit more horsepower on stage, and the SVT is what is being recorded and what is basically going out from the bass, along with a direct signal, out to the front of house.”

It's a classic bass tone.

“The sound of an SVT for rock’n'roll – it's hard to beat that. That stuff has been part of the Stones repertoire for years. I've been using them almost 20 years now. When Dave Natale came on board as the soundman, he said that he'd found it to be a really great sound for rock'n'roll. The guys then said ‘We have an old SVT’, and they have great people who keep them working really good. They have a tube guy who looks at all the tube gear on stage and keeps it working great. So it's been either that or a newer head in terms of amplification.”

You don't have to carry your own amp, I assume.

“Not with them, no. I still work with some people who don't tour quite as luxuriously as the Stones do, so I'm not all the way out of that. I think my carrying gear days are mostly behind me, hopefully.”

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.

But there's a reason we keep Frehley on speed-dial: the guy has truly seen and done it all.

So when we quizzed him on his greatest gear hits and misses, we knew there would be gold buried in them there conversations. And gold Frehley most certainly delivered…

What was the first serious guitar you bought with your own money?

“My dad got me a piece of crap, and then I got a Hagstrom, which had much better action, but I didn’t like the pickup; it didn’t have the power of a humbucker because it had single-coil pickups. After that, I got a Telecaster, but that didn’t last too long.

“Then I got a Mustang that I modified and put a humbucker in. I got a Marshall, and that was the sound I’d been looking for. Once we [Kiss signed our record deal with Casablanca Records, I got a Honeyburst Les Paul and a Marshall stack – and we were off to the races.”

What was the last guitar you bought, and why?

“It was a Gibson Les Paul. It’s a very slight blue metallic, almost like my nail polish [laughs]. I picked up that guitar on Reverb and it sounds fabulous. I recorded with that on my new record, [10,000 Volts]. When you get something good – I mean, like a good Les Paul – all set up correctly, and into a Marshall amp, it’s a no-brainer. You don’t have to use any special effects if you have the technique, so I rarely use special effects.”

What’s the most incredible find or bargain you’ve had when buying a guitar?

“I bought a 1952 Telecaster in the original case, which was like cardboard with the tags. It was in completely mint condition. I remember talking to the guy I got it from, and he said he got it from a woman whose son went off to war.

“Unfortunately, he never came back, so she had it under his bed and didn’t know what it was worth. Today, that guitar… Well, I sold it for a lot of money, but it today would probably be worth anywhere from $350,000 or more.”

Have you ever sold a guitar that you intensely regret letting go?

“Supposedly, the ’59 Les Paul I bought before recording my [1978] solo album is now up to $350,000 or more. That was the biggest regret.

“It was after I quit Kiss; I was still getting fucked up and I wanted to go to Atlantic City because I love to gamble. So I booked the helicopter on the West Side [of New York City], where they have those helipads, and I stopped at Richie Friedman’s We Buy [Guitars] and sold it. But I had got it from his brother across the street, who had a small store and had it in the window.

“A lot of the varnish had faded; I played it and instantly fell in love with it. He charged me four grand for it. It’s amazing how guitars appreciate.

“You know, when I sign any guitar I buy, it doubles or triples in price. So I can always make money on any guitar I’ve bought that I want to sell. Just because I got too many, I have more than 120 guitars here and I just want to get rid of some of them. When I was on the Alice Cooper tour [in 2022], I was going crazy hitting pawn shops; I must have bought 35 guitars!”

To that end, what’s the strongest case of buyer’s remorse you’ve ever had when buying a guitar?

“Right now, all my guitar cases are in my attic. I have an 8,000sqft house with a huge attic, and all my cases are up there. I keep the boxes for the important outboard gear, speakers and stuff that I have in my recording studio. I’ve got my guitars all over the house: in my office, down in my studio, up in my bedroom, hanging on the walls. I don’t regret any of them and can always make money on them if I sign one.”

When was the last time you stopped to look in a guitar shop or browsed online, and what were you looking at?

“I’m really not looking at buying anything. I probably have 20 acoustics, and eight of those 20 are 12-strings. I’ve got Les Pauls, Strats and Telecasters; they just decorate the walls of my studio. I walk into pawn shops and, depending on where you are, the best ones tend to be down south. A lot of people there don’t know what they’re worth.

“I bought a Keith Richards model, you know, with the humbucker, for like 300 bucks. It’s probably worth at least a grand. And then, if I sign that, I could sell it for two thousand. But I really liked the guitar, so I’m probably going to keep that one. I also bought a Danelectro guitar inside the case with the amp, like the ones they had at Sears. I found one of those. It’s always the coolest guitars you look out for when you’re a collector.”

Would you rather have a great guitar and a cheap amp or a great amp and a cheap guitar?

“The guitar is what makes the sound, so you can take a cheap amp, use overdrive and make it sound decent. You can also use a fuzz box or a sustaining pedal, so you can always make a shitty amp sound halfway decent. But you gotta have the guitar; that’s the nucleus.”

If you could only use humbuckers or single coils for the rest of your career, which would you choose and why?

“Humbuckers give you more output. If you put them on a voltmeter, they definitely put out more voltage, which, when amplified, will give you a louder, more powerful, more distorted sound. In conjunction with the preamp on a Marshall or any other amp that has a preamp, that will also give you distortion and sustain. It’s just about getting the right amp. And if you tweak it properly, it can get you where you want to go. 

“My sound isn’t very complicated. But I do like single coils. I’ve learned over the years that if you record a rhythm track with a Les Paul, you can make it nice and thick, then double it with a Fender Strat or a Telecaster. You end up with an even thicker track because the harmonic range of a single coil is a lot different than a humbucker.”

Ace’s go-to rig

“You know, my rig hasn’t changed much since the ’70s with Kiss. I don’t really use pedals; I never really did, save for a few times here and there. But really, you know, my sound has always been, and kinda really still is, my Les Paul plugged into a cranked Marshall.

“I have a Fender Tweed and guitars all over my studio, and I’ll use different guitars on my records for layering, but live, I’m all about my Les Paul. I plug that into my Marshall with no effects; I’d trip over them if I had them on stage [laughs].”

The brand has earned plaudits for its highly affordable instrument range in recent years, and once again the firm is looking to blend low prices with respectable specs with its latest four- and five-string offerings. 

“These six core models are designed to meet the diverse needs of modern bassists,” says Harley Benton, “offering a combination of exceptional performance, stunning aesthetics, and versatile tones.” 

Each model pairs an alder body with a caramelized Canadian hard rock maple neck. All except the shorter scale MV-4MSB – which has 19-frets and an offset design – offer 20-fret laurel fingerboards with pearloid block inlays and glow-in-the-dark side dots.

In fact, many of the same specs are present across the series. The key changes between the models come via the pickups, string count, and aesthetics.

The Jazz Bass-style MV-4JB ($207) and MV-5JB ($225) are two-of-a-kind, offering the same specs across four- and five-string builds. Those aforementioned features combine with dual alnico 5 single-coils to cover a “wide spectrum of tones, from funk to heavy riffing”. 

The MV-4PJ ($207) and MV-5PJ ($225) models, meanwhile, are Precision Bass in nature, and deliver a single-coil at the bridge and a split-coil in the middle position. 

The series is rounded out by two more four-string models. The MV-4P ($207) focuses on simplicity, promising a “clear and round bottom-end” via a lone bridge pickup.  

The MV-4MSB ($207), meanwhile, serves up a 30” scale length and a Mustang Bass-style design. There’s an AJB-B alnico 5 single-coil at the bridge and an APB alnico 5 single-coil at the neck. 

Each four-string model in the series comes with a wide choice of finishes, including Shell Pink, Seafoam Green, Daphne Blue, Burgundy Mist, and Black. Choices are a little more sparse for the five-string models, with Shell Pink and Seafoam finishes removed. There are also a few lefty models available.

Harley Benton's gear range is vast but never forces players to break the bank. In recent times, it's added a surprisingly classy-looking $200 resonator guitar, a $270 travel-friendly smart guitar, and a series of tube amps starting at $138 to its roster. 

Head to Harley Benton for more information about the MV bass range.  

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. 

Not quite a Mustang, not quite a Duo-Sonic, the Cyclone first arrived in 1997, and was in production up until around 2006. Originally made in Mexico before a short US run, it had a poplar, rather than basswood, body, which weighed in slightly thicker than usual Mustang proportions.

Notably, it also had an unusual 24.75” scale length – an unconventional appointment for a Fender – which is the same as a Gibson Les Paul, as well as an HS configuration and vintage-style, Stratocaster tremolo bridge.

The last time the Cyclone name was bandied about was back in 2020, when Squier rebooted the model as part of its Paranormal series. Such is the nature of the Paranormal range, though, those iterations weren’t wholly faithful to the original spec.

But now Fender Japan – as Fender Japan always does – has absolutely pulled it out the bag, bringing back the quirky cult classic six-string in a suite of smart colorways to boot. And we could not be happier.

We’re all usually in awe of FJ releases, but, as a team with its fair share of Japanese offset enthusiasts, the Cyclone hits differently. Not only does it look absolutely delicious, FJ has also managed to upgrade the spec sheet, making this release so much more than just a pretty instrument.

As for specifics, there are five colorways on tap – Lake Placid Blue, Fiesta Red, White Blonde, 3-Color Sunburst and Butterscotch Blonde – with each offering an alder body, modern C maple neck and a 9.5” radius fingerboard made from either rosewood or maple.

22 medium jumbo frets, a bone nut and that aforementioned 24.75” scale length also make the cut, with tones coming via purpose-built MIJ Cyclone humbuckers and single coils.

As per the standard Mustang-style control set, there is a three-way selector switch, and master volume and tone controls.

So, on paper, it’s a pretty tidy Fender, but to look at, it’s the complete picture. Unfortunately, it’s an FJ model, so imports aside it’s going to be very, very tricky to get your hands on. 

A real shame indeed, especially considering they’re rather nicely priced at 140,800 Japanese Yen – approximately $895.

Head over to Fender Japan to find out more.

It's not the first time Fender Japan has leafed through the history books to find inspiration. In the past, it has revived the International Color Series, the bonkers Fender '51, the Super-Sonic, and even the Katana bass.

The electric guitar was originally sourced by @red_stick_guitarandamp on Instagram, who saw it on Craigslist. YouTuber Levon Campbell, who runs the Not A Luthier channel, then got hold of the six-string to pull off a miraculous restoration. 

Campbell describes the guitar as being “washed out of its shallow Louisiana grave, ravaged by floods and fires” – a total “abomination” of a guitar.  

The Mustang's list of injuries was long and steep. Its single-coils had been melted, its neck charred, shrunken, and “dry as a bone”, while the headstock was showing signs that an ambrosia beetle had born a hole into it, causing a fungus to stain the wood.  

Further still, there were mere “remnants” of a pickguard and its Dakota Red paint job, and a meager seven frets of its fingerboard left. Only a couple of its side dots managing to “hang on” to a guitar that was inflicted with “significant chip damage” remained. 

However, while the guitar’s heart-breaking state left Campbell asking, “What on earth could do this?” the results of his operation are simply sensational. For that, he has two minor miracles to thank.

“Turns out, absolutely every component of this guitar that didn't melt away or fall off is here, accounted for, original, and complete,” says Campbell. “The most surprising aspect of the rebuild is the fact that the pickups are still functioning perfectly.” 

So, after a thorough cleaning, Campbell was able to reinstall most of the original parts, while crafting a bespoke fingerboard and pickguard for the newly anointed 'Methstang'. 

Its new fretboard has been built from scratch, with a tailored-to-fit nut and black inlays adding a great aesthetic to the instrument. 

Campbell also had to drill “very large holes” to mount the still-functional molten pickups. The Mustang's original tailpiece was saved, with only a new whammy bar, some switches and a handful of other new parts needed to finish the job. 

The final result still bears the scars of its neglected past but turns them into a point of pride and charm, with its charred pickups adding a 'dont-try-this-at-home' smokiness to its tone, and its acrylic pickguard reflecting the savaged wood underneath. 

For another jaw-dropping guitar revival, check out this first-year Gibson Les Paul Junior, which was recently brought back to life against all odds. 

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.

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

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

When imagining the classic rock band lineup, it’s impossible not to think about the bass guitar. It’s synonymous with the genre, and for good reason. The electric bass guitar arrived at the dawn of rock 'n’ roll and has been integral ever since – and we've hand-selected what we believe are the bass guitars for rock right now so you can get in on the action.  

Not all bass guitars are optimized for rock though, with some more suited to jazz, funk, or metal. However, there are two clear things that the best bass guitars for rock should do: provide definition to cut through a busy mix that's often dominated by electric guitars and produce enough low end to totally fill a room. Now, there is a little more nuance to it than that, but if a bass can do those two things, it’s well on the way to becoming a perfect rock bass guitar.

For those who are just starting out in the world of bass guitars and are looking for a companion on their journey to the land of rock ‘n’ roll, or for those searching for the very best rock bass at any price point, the instruments on our list will help you find the best bass guitar for rock.

Quick list

Best rock bass overall

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Fender could have let things slip after more than 70 years of the Precision Bass, but it most certainly hasn’t. Among the latest in Fender’s American-manufactured precision basses, the American Professional II has kept the recipe largely the same since it first rocked and rolled in the ’50s, but it's been refined wherever possible.

Fender’s V-Mod II split-coil pickup encapsulates classic P-Bass tones with the kind of clarity and punch you need for rock playing, and the sustain from the HiMass bridge helps its player exude musicality.

The playability of this bass is where it stands above the rest, with the ‘63 P Bass neck profile – the holy grail of bass necks – partnered with modern touches such as the sculpted neck heel, making it truly effortless to play. It simply doesn’t get better than this, from Fender’s standard range, for playing rock music.

Best with humbuckers

There are a handful of truly iconic rock bass guitars, and the StingRay is among them. Holding the mantle of the first bass guitar to feature an on-board active EQ, the StingRay took rock bass to a new level of flexibility, becoming the choice of the creative and virtuoso. This is in no small part due to its exceptional playability, which has endured to this day.

The MusicMan neodymium humbucker is one of the greatest pickups in rock bass history and its latest iteration has been tuned to give even more output, which means you can do just about anything on this bass, from crushing hard-rock gain to blues-derived smooth rock.

When you get to this price point, it’s the attention to detail that really sets a bass apart, and with features like the roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets, and rolled fret edges, this bass sits firmly amongst the best that money can buy.

Best short-scale bass

Short-scale basses such as the Mustang have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly for those who have come from an electric-guitar-first background, as the scale length feels a bit closer to a standard electric guitar. The Player Mustang’s scale might be short, but it isn’t short on tone.

The Mustang Bass has a really unique character, almost like a small, angry dog, which has a bite as bad as its bark. With surprising low end that is sensational for subby sounds and a distinctive and characterful hollowness in its middle position, it’s a great shout to throw drive pedals in front of and get some particularly dirty rock tones.

You can grab the Player Mustang in a number of different pickup configurations, but for us, the PJ version – featuring one Precision pickup and one Jazz pickup – is the perfect combination for rock music and makes this pint-sized bass a jack of all trades. Just beware of the heavy neck and head, which you may find sagging towards the floor.

Best for vintage tones

The Rickenbacker 4003 is an iconic instrument that has featured on countless records due to its unmistakably thick and resonant low end, which alone makes it worth every single penny – and quite a few will be needed because this doesn’t come cheap.

Independent tone and volume controls, with a 3-way switch for the pair of Rickenbacker single-coil pickups, mean you have superb control over your sound, allowing you to roll the tone knob back and achieve laid-back grooves or crank everything up to ten and rip walls down.

The party trick? It has to be the ‘Rick-O-Sound’ stereo output, allowing you to take the output from each pickup to separate amps. Plug the bridge into something a bit more bitey and the neck into a warmer amp with a big cabinet – an Ampeg SVT and an 8x10 cab would be our suggestion – and you can create some truly insane blended tones. It’s a luxury instrument at a luxury price but should be considered by those who can afford it.

Best for beginners

Despite the Affinity J Bass coming in at a modest price point and lacking in frills, its classic Fender look means it still dazzles, and if you were to have a graph of its sound quality versus price measured against comparably priced basses, it’d be off the charts. As can be expected of a Fender-family Jazz bass, its impressive versatility makes it a great instrument for a player looking for something that can do it all. For guitar players looking for an affordable bass to lay down some demos with, look no further.

The satin neck is surprisingly nice for an instrument of this price and makes it super easy to play for beginners, and even aficionados will struggle to set it apart from instruments double or triple the price. It’s the guitar I learned to play bass on and I’ve thrown it around plenty of gigs, yet it continues to surprise me just how excellent a rock bass guitar it is.

If you’re a particularly small player, or buying this for somebody younger, bear in mind that this is a full scale instrument with a pretty big body – you may want to look at short scale alternatives, such as Squier’s extremely affordable Sonic Bronco Bass.

Best under $1,000

The Thunderbird may well be Gibson’s most iconic bass instrument ever and has been a mainstay in their catalog since launch, however they also come with a hefty Gibson price tag. As is so often the case, Epiphone have come to the rescue of those looking to get their hands on one of Gibson’s legendary shapes at a fraction of the price. And Epiphone’s Thunderbird doesn’t just look as special as Gibson’s, it sounds pretty close too. Dual humbuckers produce outrageous tones with bags of output that will happily drive an amp into overdrive when pushed.

Whilst other Epiphone Thunderbirds can be found on the new and used market for less, the ’60s is our pick of the bunch, with design cues that replicate the original versions of the Thunderbird, including adjustable tune-o-matic bridge and dual tone headstock, making it play and sound just as good as it looks.

Its classic shape is an area that can be its downfall, with the heavy neck and huge headstock meaning it tends to want to dive towards the floor, though this can be compensated against with a robust strap. You’ll also struggle to pick up a good cheap case for it, and given it’s a thing of beauty, you’ll want to invest in a hard case, which will set you back $100+.

Best Fender alternative

Sire has earned a name for itself for crafting bass guitars with classic looks and great tone, at a near-unbeatable price point. They’re also great for accessibility, catering for both 4 and 5-string players, as well as those who are left-handed, all of which are available on their brilliant P5R model.

Marcus Miller is best known for his jazz and funk bass playing, but don’t think for a second that his name being attached to this bass means it isn’t just as suitable for playing rock. The P5R doesn’t just look very similar to a classic P Bass, it sounds like one too, with the ‘Marcus Vintage-Precision Revolution Pickup’ delivering excellent attack and clarity that jumps out through a congested frequency spectrum.

At this price point, the temptation of a tried-and-tested Squier may be a little too strong for many, but with details such as rolled fretboard edges, real bone nut, roasted maple neck and an all-steel bridge, the Sire P5R sits above anything in Squier’s bass range for feel and playability.

Best for modern tones

Warwick is synonymous with producing high-end, modern bass guitars that are loaded with active electronics and are found on stage in the hands of wildly technical players. Its Chinese-made RockBass line offers similarly high standards at an attainable price point.

The Corvette Classic is distinguishable by its midrange growl, something that really suits playing rock music. This is courtesy of the active MEC J/J pickups, that provide plenty of punch and supreme clarity, cutting through a mix with ease. If you’re concerned about active electronics in your bass, the Corvette will quell those worries, with Warwick’s patented ‘easy access electronics compartment’ making managing battery changes straightforward.

For fans of classic bass looks, this probably won’t be a shape for you, but if you’re looking for something a bit different, the flamed maple veneer is a thing of beauty and an option not found on many ‘traditional’ rock basses.

Best on a budget

The second iteration of Orange’s O-Bass retains the affordability of its predecessor, and from the outside you’d be forgiven for thinking nothing much had changed at all, barring the headstock now being black. However, Orange has invested in better woods (African okoumé for the body and purpleheart for the fretboard) which make this a far better balanced instrument – something the original model really struggled with, as it was very neck heavy.

Harking back to the original Fender P Bass, with a slab body and one single pickup – though this has a custom wound split humbucker – the O-Bass is a perfect instrument for those who want something that really grinds, and its unique pickup positioning gives it a distinctive tone and a chunky high register.

Whilst it may be no-frills from a construction standpoint – the hardware being the main area you feel this – it looks the part and catches people’s eyes on stage. It’s also impressively affordable. If you want to stand out from the crowd, this is a great alternative to a Squier Precision Bass.

Best for guitarists

Whether you consider the Classic Vibe Bass VI a true bass guitar or not is up to you, but you’ll find it in the ‘Bass’ section at any music store, so we’re including it here. The Bass VI is a 6-string instrument that is tuned a whole octave down from a traditional electric guitar, so don’t confuse it for a baritone – it offers low-end tones, but with playability closer to a standard electric guitar.

The addition of two extra high strings means it works really well for higher-register playing, particularly with overdrive and distortion pedals, that can take you into realms of filth that you would struggle to achieve on a conventional bass, though if you’re not careful it can get pretty muddy, pretty quickly, down at the lower end of the neck.

If you’re looking to get chugging sub-bass low end, this won’t hit the spot, but for experimental rock bassists, this is a really unique option that opens up so many tonal possibilities you would struggle to replicate on a ‘normal’ bass guitar. Equally, for those who perform solo or in a two-piece with a drummer, this is a great option to bridge the gap between electric and bass – split your output into a bass amp and a guitar amp with plenty of drive and this thing wails!

Buying advice

Fingers? Picking? Or slappin’ da bass?

To this day, bass players will argue about the best way of playing the bass – fingers or pick, or slap? The fact is that a good bass should be able to be played any way you like, even if you are changing playing style mid-song. We recommend always getting a good set-up and restring on your instrument after purchasing it so you know it is optimized for your style.

If you’re a Flea disciple and have a tendency to break into slapping bass solos midway through a rock epic, you may want to lower the action a bit, which will make the slaps much cleaner and won’t leave your slapping hand bruised to bits, however you may experience a bit of fret buzz.

Still not sure? We explore the pros and cons of playing with fingers or pick in this feature.

P vs J basses

P and J. One letter ‘B’ away from a tasty sandwich? Or the two most iconic letters in rock bass history? In this instance, we want to discuss the latter.

P, standing for ‘Precision’, and J, standing for ‘Jazz’, are two styles of bass developed by Fender in the ’50s and ’60s, that established the electric bass guitar as a core part of popular music. The P Bass first arrived in 1951 and changed the entire bass – and rock music – world irrevocably. Originally a slab-bodied, single (split) pickup workhorse, with a unique (at the time) 34” scale-length, the P Bass was a monumental change from the basses that preceded it, which were typically uprights. Much of this design has remained largely the same, with minor revisions made throughout the 1950s, during which time the P Bass became the quintessential sound of rock‘n’roll’s low end.

After enjoying a period of growth in popularity during the ’50s for its P Bass, in 1960 Fender decided to add another bass guitar to its roster – the Jazz Bass. Seen by some as a more premium instrument, the J Bass featured two pickups, which made it more tonally flexible, whilst its Jazzmaster-style body also caught the eye. Fortunately, the J Bass didn’t come in and blow the P Bass out of the water, both grew together as did the rock genre, with players favoring one over the other based on their individual needs.

The P Bass has an unmistakable, tight-attack, that really cuts through a rock mix. Its overwound split pickup is perfect for those looking to add a little hair to their sound, as it tends to run hotter than J Basses. This makes it great for funk music, as well as rock.

The J Bass can be tamed, and rolling back the tone and volume can give you thick, warm, almost double-bass tones that are more suited to its namesake, jazz, as well as soul and R&B. Having two pickups, however, means you can blend-in both to create really well defined notes, which has seen even the heaviest rockers experiment with J Basses.

So which is better for rock music? Either! They both have unique characteristics, and while a J Bass may have slightly more versatility with its two pickups, the P Bass is one of the forefathers of rock‘n’roll and its tonal range is perfect for rock music. They both have ridiculous credentials and both have featured across countless rock records. Frankly, deciding between the two is more than a little tough… even Fender knows that, which is why PJ bass instruments – featuring the best of both – are such popular fixtures in their catalog. So you don’t have to choose!

How we choose

Okay, we are very aware that bass guitars are very subjective - and things get even more complicated when you start digging into genre-specific basses. That said, no matter our personal preference, there are a few key criteria that a bass guitar must meet for us to consider recommending it as one of the best bass guitars for rock.  

We choose to test products based on a company’s popularity and reputation, as well as our own experiences and expertise. 

For us, a bass must deliver on build quality, playability and tone - and for rock music, we need the assertive tone that'll ensure the bass is heard over the noise of the pounding drums and loud guitar. 

Read more about how we find the best bass guitars for our buyer’s guides and exactly how we test each instrument. 

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He started where we all did, as a player. For Norvell, though, that hobby has turned into a responsibility: one that sees him tasked with holding up the legacy of Fender’s historic and commercial position as the world’s number one guitar firm.

As EVP of Product, he reports directly to FMIC CEO Andy Mooney and is therefore the de facto guardian of the list of stars written in the brain of every guitarist: the Strat, the Tele, the Mustang, the Jazzmaster, the Fender Deluxe, the Twin, the Bassman – the list runs on and on.

Having begun life at Fender in a customer service role in 1996, Norvell worked his way up to running the Squier line in 2005 and eventually, took over all Fender product, in 2018.

From the lavish recreation of the Mike McCready Strat, through to the (as he explains below) somewhat fraught development and launch of the firm’s game-changing Tone Master Pro modeling amp last year and even its burgeoning effects line – none of it happens without Norvell’s say so.

As such, his decisions have the ability to make or break the central pillar of the awe-inspiringly vast Fender Musical Instruments Corporation – a business worth somewhere between $2-3 billion dollars. 

It’s going well – and, 70 years on from the launch of the Strat, the Fender of 2024 remains in rude health, but it’s not been without challenge. Since 2020 alone, Fender has weathered the vast peaks and troughs of the pandemic playing boom, navigated the worst supply chain crisis since WWII and undertaken it’s biggest and most complex product launch yet, with the arrival of the aforementioned Tone Master Pro.

On top of all of that, we are, collectively, at a huge crossroads in technology and music-making approaches, too. When a player owning an amp is no longer a given and, nor for that matter, is jamming with other people – or even a human writing music. 

So how is Fender dealing with all of the above? And what does Norvell think will happen next? 

We’ve got more than a few questions for him. So step up for a guided tour around the mind of one of the guitar industry’s biggest decision-makers – from the Tone Master Pro’s development and what is next for the lauded modeler, to the trouble with tubes, price rises and why, even as Fender celebrates the Strat’s 70th anniversary, the longevity of the world’s most iconic electric guitar is not necessarily “a given”...

You've been with Fender for almost 30 years. When it comes to deciding the guitars and products that actually make it into production at Fender, how has that changed in your time at the company?

“I would say the aperture has widened and we're more cognizant of pacing and timing... I've been at Fender 28 years and it was a much narrower berth [when I started]. We were mostly doing Strats and Teles. I think there was one Jazzmaster in the lineup, no Mustang at the time and amps were all tube amps. 

“Looking at the makeup of our amp department is probably the most analogous way [to illustrate how] things have changed. Now it's not even, ‘Oh, do we do a digital amp? Do we do an analog amp?’ 

“The way that people play now, the [whole] idea of an amp – and even the idea of being in a garage band and getting together and playing – for a lot of people, that's probably not the norm anymore. It's more people in front of a laptop sending stuff back and forth.” 

GarageBand on the laptop…

“Even at the highly professional level. And so, now it’s thinking about use cases and evolving. You can keep that Deluxe Reverb tone, but it gets delivered differently – in a way that's more [suited to] the usage of a player. 

“It’s like how people say that when rail travel ended, and air travel came in, the rail companies could have owned all the airlines if they thought they were in the transportation business – but they were in the ‘rail business’, so they were thinking smaller.

“So, yes, we make Stratocasters, we make Telecasters, we make these iconic things, but we're really about serving musicians – and form factors change, delivery systems change. 

“We're not overly precious and that's one of the things that helps retain relevance as you go forward. You don’t want just a ream of people playing Buddy Holly and that's what a Fender is for. Buddy Holly's fantastic, but it needs to be this thing that keeps moving.”

Tackling the Tone Master Pro

This brings us on to the headline product for Fender of the last year, the Tone Master Pro modeler. It was in development (and kept secret) for years. How did it come together – and how did you feel in the weeks running up to the launch? 

“It was probably four or five [years in the making]. It started when we did the first Tone Master amps and digitized the tube amp [with the Twin]… There was a lot of trepidation there, even back in those days, of like, ‘How is this gonna be received?’ 

“These are sacred, holy items and I think breaking through that and being well-received gave us a boost of confidence. We knew that the bedrock of our tones [on the TM Pro] would be these iconic amps. 

“We’re uniquely positioned because a lot of the products in this world are tech companies, basically. The vehicle is the product, whether it's Kemper, Helix, or any of them – those are tech companies, and then they fill it with the sounds of amps. 

“But we are one of the amp companies and we have those people in our midst – and they are next door to the person that's doing the [digital] wireframe. When we come up with a sound, we can A/B it against the real thing right there – and have the analog engineer and the digital engineer next to each other. So we knew that was a distinct advantage of ours.”

What did you want to do different with the Tone Master Pro?

“We definitely didn't want to just enter that market and be a ‘me too’ product or just be like, ‘And now here's Fender’. One of the things that we wanted to do was democratize it. 

“The idea of a Fender amp, especially a black panel or tweed, is ‘it's five knobs and the truth’. It's not a ton of dip switches and knobs. It's intuitive and user-friendly. And our goal was not to ‘take out’ the other [modeling] companies. It was really to expand that market.

“Because there is a sect of players that are highly technical and they get all into it. And then there's this other massive audience that looks at that and goes, ‘That looks really cool. But it's intimidating and it's probably too complicated for me.’ 

“We were like, ‘Could we bring Fender simplicity to this and open up the market, so that it grows the whole thing?’ So I think that was a big charge of ours. 

“But yeah, I mean, in the weeks up to it, of course, we [were nervous]. It's probably the biggest product we've ever done. It was so dense, it was so deep. And it got redone a bunch of times over those four years.” 

What kind of setbacks did you face in developing the Tone Master Pro?

“It wasn't just four years of straight development. We used AKM [digital to analog converter chips] for our codecs, then the AKM factory caught fire in Asia and they stopped making them; so we had to switch something else.

“Then, in the chip shortages of the pandemic, we had to switch a couple of different things and relay our boards. There was a lot of it. It was almost like an action film, you had to be like completely, ‘Okay, now what?’ when we were having to navigate this course. 

“But in the end [it’s worth it because], it's a platform, not a product. I have great tube amps that I love – but you get a tube amp, and that's what it is. Maybe the cabinet dries out, maybe the speaker plays in and gets sweeter. But it is what it is. And it's going to do that forever. 

“The Tone Master Pro will continue to have firmware updates and add features. If you bought one this year, in two years, your product will get better and it will do more – and that's super-exciting.”

Expanding the Tone Master 

What can we expect from the Tone Master Pro updates down the line? I know there's talk of an app at some point. 

“Yeah. I mean, if you just look at a very base level, there's different delivery systems [in terms of the physical unit]: is there an expanded one? Is there a smaller footprint version? Is there a native version? You know, all of these things. You end up with a modular beast. 

“And then, of course, there's more voices, more sounds, more tones, all that stuff, but then there's a list that's sheets and sheets long of new things that can continue to be added. So, right now, we're kind of battling through prioritizing what those things are going to be.

“We're also starting to hear, now that they're out there in the wild, what players want. And so really, we want to make this community and we want to crowdsource what's important to people, instead of just giving them what we think. Whether that’s being able to do rooms and stuff like that, and, you know, a bunch of different things…”

The Tone Master Pro also marked the first time that EVH Gear agreed to license a digital model of its amps. What were those conversations like?

“It was important to us. EVH's tones are always the most sought after on anything that approximates [that time]. Whether it's the ‘brown sound’ or other, later sounds, like the 5150s. And that, we felt, would be something that as a benchmark, people could really go, ‘OK. They did the work.’

“It was a very big thing, and I think it opens a door for EVH [Gear] as a brand, to kind of step into the digital realm and I think that that's something that's very interesting, but of course, the camp is very protective, and has extremely high standards. So it's gotta be great. It's not just like, ‘Hey, we're friends. Put my name on this.’ That's not how it works. So it was a definite back and forth, a lot of listening and styling and tweaking.”

“[But the effort upfront has been worth it]. I think that's been an awesome thing, whether it's Satriani on The Howard Stern Show or just seeing this pop up fast [elsewhere]. It's not having to do six months or a year in someone's home environment till they feel confident with it.

“They don't have to spend six months programming it arduously in some dark room. Literally, people would get one, and in 48 hours they were using it and had dialed in the sounds they needed. So I think that that's huge.”

It's telling, as well, that some of those players are tube devotees and this is the first time that they've really taken out a modeler. It’s a crossover point.

“I think it's like when I talked about different vehicles or vessels. It's not binary now: it's not, ‘You play this or you play tube amps.’ It's, ‘What works for this use case, or in this environment?’

“Like, ‘I'm going to do this short run of dates that are fly dates, and I'm going to take this thing with me. But when I do my major thing, I'm going to use my tube amps. Or if I'm demoing, I use this thing, because I can quickly dial stuff up and USB-C out of the back, right into my DAW.’

“The expectation is not that it replaces everything for everyone with an iron fist. It's really just another tool, you know, and a very versatile one. But however it ends up being used, it's awesome. 

“All of us [have been experimenting]. One of the main guys who designed it, Max Gutnik, played his first gig with it and even his wife was like, ‘Are you gonna bring your amp?’ Like, just in case, or as an A/B box – and he was like, ‘No, I'm just going and I'm gonna do it!’ 

“I did my first gig with it and, initially, when I played it, I was like, ‘It feels weird to not have the amps and everything there.’ But it was awesome. And it was so easy that it’s probably all I'm ever gonna do [from now].”

When Fender first showed us the TM Pro, one of the things that caused the biggest stir in the room was the amp-styled FRFR speaker. It seemed so obvious, once we'd seen it, but we were left thinking, ‘Why on Earth hasn’t a big firm made a full-range speaker that looks like a guitar cab before?’

“Yeah, guitar is interesting. There's a lot of – ‘traditionalism’ is too negative a term. That sounds closed off – but there's a reverence for the iconic stuff. And just because it's a full-range, full-frequency speaker, it doesn't mean it has to look like a PA. 

“To us, it just made a lot of sense. And we definitely thought of it as not only pairing with a Tone Master Pro – this is obviously a viable category [in its own right] and it's obviously something that people are using.

“It made sense, too [from a design perspective] – it makes you feel less unmoored, when you're dipping into this technological realm. Like, I used two of them when I was playing and even though your tones are dialed in on the unit, in different rooms or with a couple guitar players, you just want to go over to the thing and not have to be tapping screens and changing your patches, when you could just cut a couple of frequencies, or boost something. It makes it feel like you're still playing analog amps.

“So it’s looks, it’s performance and how we use it. And, while we just did the Tone Master Pro, one of the most successful things we’ve done in guitars in the last couple of years was the American Vintage II. So there's this combination [where] people could play the most dense, techy rig, but they're still gonna play a ’51 Tele reissue through it.” 

Just finally on the Tone Master/FRFR speaker front. Is a tweed cabinet option in the pipeline? 

“Definitely. That's definitely on the list and in the conversations, for sure. And I think that we’re not done on the amplifier side of the Tone Master – we’re gonna continue to do [head/combo format] amps, including tweeds, on that platform, as well. So yes.”

Wars, tariffs and... tube amps

The next question is what this means for Fender’s tube amp plans. It seems safe to assume tube builds will continue to feature in the upper echelons of Fender's lines. But what does the future hold for the mass-market tube amp? 

“I think that the tube amp, the best thing I could equate it to is vinyl against streaming. For purity of form, it is the original thing – and the way that it responds and works and everything. But we're also getting into a lot of lower volume environments. So the [time] where a stack or a half-stack was the norm [is over]... 

“But we're gonna make tube amps as long as there are tubes – and that includes NOS tubes, or whatever are available. The supply of tubes is really going to be the thing that drives it.

“It is our origin story. Even before we get to guitars, amps were our first thing and we're committed to them as long as we can make them. But it's continuing to get niche-y, because it's just for the upper echelon – the cognoscenti. 

“There was, at one point, no substitute for a tube amp but as digital gets better and better that part is kind of out [of the argument]. Now it's really about the experience of a tube amp. 

“Your iPhone tells you what time it is, but there are people that love a mechanical watch. You don't need that. You can tell time a million ways, but you like a watch and you like what it represents and you like all the craftsmanship. That's where tube amps are, I think.”

Can you outline your experience in trying to get hold of tubes in the past few years?

“For sure. There's really like three or four places that make tubes. There's Eastern Europe, there's Russia, there's China – and, actually, the Western Electric Company is starting to make them [as a considerably pricer US-made alternative - Ed]. So there could be people that start to make them. 

“We have our supply pretty dialed. However, yeah, it is increasingly challenging and it depends on the global supply chain. When we had concerns during the supply chain [crisis], it would be like the factory could make tubes, but the glass comes from Germany, and they couldn't get the glass – and that's goes back up the tree to the silicon that makes the glass.

“When things were really disrupted, it was really problematic, because there could be one small thing that was preventing us from getting anything. And that's tough. Or you’d get a ton of preamp tubes and no power tubes.

“So balancing that's really hard, but the industry has kind of settled. I don't think there's enough volume [or demand] for four more factories to start making tubes. They're really hard to make, it's not a clean process and you can't make them everywhere, you know?

“So tariffs, wars, all of those things in those areas are problematic. We get most of ours from Slovakia. But when we think five years out: ‘What will the state of tubes be?’ has been on that list for the last 25 years… keeping us up at night.”

From pandemic to premium offshore

Relatedly, I want to discuss changing prices in the guitar market. Last year, Fender’s CFO revealed the firm had $100 million in retail sales canceled in 2022, which it successfully navigated to have its second-best year on record. Where did that hit hardest? Was it that post-Covid drop in entry-level guitar demand?

“Yes. The pandemic was a boon across the whole thing [in terms of sales]. But, overall, it was really focused on the low-end. [At the start] no-one was shipping and, if you had a guitar, it was sold.

“And then everyone started shipping and so literally, if you're a store, [you’ve suddenly got] 18-wheelers backing up from the factory with a truck full, like, 'Hey, these are the guitars you asked for...’ And it's like, ‘I didn't need all of them all at once!’, you know? 

“So that was problematic. Then, into 2022 and ’23, you get the middle [tier demand] soften a little bit and the high-end's strong and the low end rebalanced itself. It's a tide that kind of goes in and out and it ebbs and flows.

“The inflation thing is hyper-real. And I know that there's commentary about our prices over the years. [But equally] it's amazing how inexpensive guitars continue to be compared to other things that are crafted the way they are. 

“If anyone took an inflation calculator and ran what a ’54 Strat was with a case, in ’54 it would be double the price of an American Professional. So even though there have been recent price increases, keeping guitars affordable and in the hands of people has been a massive priority and challenge of ours.

“There's just been a period where, really, we were able to not increase things for many years and people get used to that. And then at some point, it's wood, it's metal, it's labor – wanting to pay the people who build our guitars more – and all of these things come together, and create that environment. But I would say, across the board, as far as looking at it over time, we're in a really good spot.”

One of the big trends that really became apparent last year was this idea of the ‘premium offshore’ build. Fender has been, in some ways, ahead of the curve on this. You've had the Ensenada facility in Mexico for decades, plus Fender Japan. Why do you think we’ve seen this rise in high-spec foreign builds?

“At its simplest level… people have just, over time, improved. [There’s been] continuous improvement of the process of the craftsmanship, using similar machinery. Good wood and a CNC machine – and the right finishing and setup – has democratized some of that. 

“The country of origin is important, especially with certain manufacturers, like us, where it's the soul of [it] – ‘The American-made Fender’ in California hits you in the soul as much as it hits you in the build. But I think that there's an advantage in an owned factory, where you can control your own improvements and things that are specific to your style of build. 

“So there's an in between. Like us having Mexico. We have people that go from [California]. Master Builders will drive the three hours down there and they can impart all kinds of wisdom and keep moving that ball forward. 

“If I think of a Mexico guitar from 1987 and the Mike McCready [Strat], it is completely light years away… So I think that just opens the aperture: premium offshore stuff just gives people another choice.”

70 years of the Stratocaster – and a healthy paranoia

I can't let you go without talking about the 70th anniversary of the Strat. How is Fender thinking about that as 2024 rolls out?

“Well, we never ran into an anniversary we didn't like! But the thing that I like about an anniversary is it is not just the history lesson and the harking back, it's the opportunity to revisit this form. Most things, 70 years on, look way different and the idea that this unspoiled design endures and retains relevance is super interesting. 

“Why is a Strat killer? Because you can play country, punk, metal, funk, blues, whatever on a Stratocaster. You sound like a Stratocaster. But you sound like yourself. You can hear Stevie Ray Vaughan, you can hear David Gilmour, you can hear any amount of people. And you'd be like, ‘I know who that is, but I also know it's on a Strat.’ That transparency and that beauty [means] it continues to be a relevant tool.

“And we’re not just making the same Strat that we used to – I mean, we do in the Vintage Series – but an Ultra Luxe is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the same as a ’54 Strat. 

“So there’s all kinds of stuff that’s coming out that throughout the year that will kind of tap on [the Strat format]: a really state-of-the-art Strat, a really vintage-focused Strat and different elements within that design language – celebrating Antigua in the ’70s, to a ’54 Strat, to new, crazy finishes at our highest level that we haven't done before. All of the different permutations that a Strat can take, but still be this thing.

“It’s the most popular, most copied, most identifiable, most versatile-sounding and looking instrument and it's had so many lives. It’s gone in and out of vogue. No-one was looking at the Strat when Yngwie picked one up in ’86, you know? Everybody had left the Strat behind after Hendrix.

“It’s just this thing that just continues to reinvent [itself] and get rediscovered. I think that’s awesome and it’s a great metaphor or analogy for guitar playing and the industry as a whole.”

Finally, it's the Strat – for all the reasons you said – but, just like the railroads you mentioned, history is full of businesses that mistakenly thought there would be ever-lasting demand for their products. Is the Strat’s longevity just a given in Fender’s discussions at this point? 

“No! No, it’s important [to say]: I have under my desk in the office the C.B.S. letters – the metal letters from the building from the ’70s – that were on the Fender factory. We don't take anything for granted. That's what I think drives us. 

“We could just be doing vintage reissues and be focused that way. But we're always talking to new artists, new players, like, ‘What do you like? What do you not like? How do you use it? What doesn’t work? What does work?’

“It is a very delicate dance. The term we use is ‘coloring inside the lines’. Because you don't want to upend the design and the things that people love about it. So how do you evolve it? Sometimes if you just move the volume knob, like a little closer or farther away, people will cry blasphemy! 

“So we are always cognizant of everything that's great about the Strat, but we don't take anything for granted in terms of it just being a given. And that's what gets us out of bed every morning: how do we continue to iterate on this platform that we're so honored and lucky to work on? 

“The heavy work is how do you avoid being in the next coffee table book where it's like, ‘And then these years arrived and things went that way…’ That's the paranoia that keeps us healthy!

“But [the Strat] is just a great tool that works. I wasn't alive [when it was created] – none of us can claim a hand in the invention of it – but we can claim a hand in the continued stewardship of it.”

To browse the full extent of the extensive current catalog overseen by Norvell, head to Fender.

Sharing the build’s details on its Instagram account, the Nashville-based luthier has called it “a right down the middle 24” scale Mustang” build save for that standout acrylic body, which also contains subtle metallic flakes. 

Aside from the attention-grabbing lucite core, the guitar also features Fralin Split Blade pickups, which are hum-free alternatives to classic single oils. It lifts its Mastery bridge and tremolo from the classic Fender Mustang design, and complements it with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard.

Fender-style control knobs are on hand for volume and tone tweaking, while a three-way switch and the guitar’s top-mounted input can be found on its bound, nitrate pickguard, which gives the guitar a unique splash of color. 

The Mustang-inspired model was crafted to Soccer Mommy's specifications, and built ahead of her European tour this summer. 

On Soccer Mommy’s Instagram post showcasing the uber-desirable build, her followers were quick to question the guitar’s weight. Lucite guitars such as this aren’t known for their back and shoulder-friendliness, after all, and its makers have revealed it weighs approximately 10lbs.

For context, a Les Paul typically weighs between 9-11lbs, whilst a Fender Mustang weighs around 7-8lbs.

“I was seriously excited to take this one over the finish line,” says Scale Model Guitars founder, Dave Johnson. “It’s pretty much a right down the middle 24” scale Mustang with a three-way switch on the bottom horn, but the way Sophie spec’d it out is just stunning. 

“That bound nitrate guard looks incredible on clear lucite, this particular material also has metallic flakes that will sparkle under lights. This one plays with an effortless glide and these pickups have all the chime. What a fun build, thanks again, Sophie!” 

Born in Zürich, Switzerland, Sophie Allison was two years old when her family moved to Nashville. The multi-instrumentalist formed indie rock outfit Soccer Mommy in 2015, with 2016 demo album, Orchid Tapes earning her a record deal with Fat Possum, through which she has released three LPs.  

Allison has typically made a wide range of Fender and Novo offsets the weapons of choice for her wistfully jangly compositions, but now she has a guitar that is resolutely her own to deploy at forthcoming shows.

It certainly puts a fresh spin on a body shape championed by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Adrian Belew.

Scale Model Guitars, founded by revered guitar repairman-turned-luthier Dave Johnson builds custom guitars in Nashville. In recent years, lucite builds have become a key part of the brand’s repertoire, with Mustang-style and angular shapes among its recent creations. 

Visit the company's Instagram account to explore the rest of the Scale Model Guitars collection.

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 

Designed by British luthier and hardware specialist Alan Entwistle, the new Revo guitars feature various permutations of Entwistle’s low-noise single-coil, mini- and full-size double-coils, and soap bar pickups. 

The builds are further complemented by Wilkinson hardware and Entwistle’s ATN pickup switching system, which helps dish out a veritable feast of sonic possibilities.

In Vintage’s own words, the Revo series is defined by “retro lines and hybrid designs” dreamt up by Entwistle, who first started building guitars in his parent's garage in 1962.  

Standing out from the pack are a host of wild offset designs, which offer a unique spin on Fender's enduring Mustang and Jazzmaster templates à la the Squier Paranormal series.

But more on those later. First up is the Trio – a Tele-shaped build that benefits from Entwistle’s wiring wizardry. It gets its name from the trio of proprietary P-90-inspired pickups. Teaming up with a pair of three-way pickup selector blades, there are seven different permutations to play with.

That wiring is fitted onto a double-bound okoume body and maple neck, whose adjoined fingerboard features 22 frets. The sonic versatility that the suite of pickups delivers, then, should make it suitable for a generous range of tones.

There’s a sensitive retro-style and offset vibrato for “shimmers, dips and scoops”  – which sound like mascots for a kid-friendly cereal brand. Wilkinson EZ-Lok tuners, a precision-cut GraphTech nut and roller bridge are fitted to help keep the tuning in check.

Available finishes include Honeyburst, Green/Yellowburst and Arctic White finishes, which each feature chrome hardware and white pearl pickguards. It comes at a reasonable RRP of £449 (approx $635). 

Now, about those offsets we mentioned. The Integra and Surfmaster models are designed to channel offset-bodied goodness with their individualized electronics. 

The Integra evokes a ‘70s vibe with a satin-finished seven-piece body, which comprises ash, mahogany and maple. There's also a 22 fret jatoba fingerboard. The guitar is iced with a black pickguard to match its black block inlays. Interestingly, too, it offers a set neck-through build. 

Its two Entwistle coil-tapped humbuckers again benefit from the ATN system. There are two top hat-styled knobs for volume and tone and a dial that looks like it was prized from a Vox Satchurator distortion for switching between pickup configurations.

Its features are rounded off with a reversed headstock and precision-cut GraphTech nut, Wilkinson tuners and bridge. Color-wise, it is available in Natural, Green/Yellowburst and Amberburst finishes, and RRPs at £599 (approx $765).

There are three Surfmasters in the Revo series, made up of the 12, Quad and Twin. The Quad and Twin models share a similar spec of maple necks and 22-fret bound fingerboards with pearl block inlays.

Like the Trio, they offer an offset vibrato with an accurate return-to-pitch intonation set-up, which sees the Wilkinson EZ-Lok tuners, precision cut Graphtech nut and roller bridge come into their own.

The Quad features – shock, horror – four Entwistle RTS3 Astrosonic pickups. These can be individually turned on and off via switches for 15 pickup combinations. 

When teamed up with the ATN system, this number rises to a staggering 75, which is both a tone snob’s dream and an indecisive guitar player’s nightmare. Available in black, metallic white and Firenza red finishes, it RRPs at £549 (approx $600).

On the Twin, things are a little less crazy, as it sports a pair of Entwistle low-noise humbuckers. Its color options include Trans Orange, Greenburst and Arctic White finishes. Also, the Twin weighs in a little cheaper than the Quad at £499 (approx $635).  

The 12, meanwhile (because Vintage has pushed the boat out with the names with this series), is a 12-string model. It features a bound, chambered body and maple neck with 21 fret bound jatoba fingerboard.

Lurking with intent beneath the strings are Entwistle ETS3 Astrosonic pickups, which are controlled by a three-way selector. With a straight string-pull from the six-aside Wilkinson tuners and precision-cut GraphTech nut, 12-string bridge and tail-piece, tuning for this sans-whammy guitar should remain reliably stable.

Choose between Candy Apple Red, Revoglo and the ominous-sounding Boulevard Black for its finish. Adding one to your collection will cost £529 (approx $674). 

Vintage’s Colt model comes with three different Entwistle Artec and Astrosonic pickup configurations via SS, HS and HS models. These Mustang-bodied, 22 fret jatoba fingerboard guitars are specifically designed to be viable for players of all styles.

Whilst they all offer retro-style vibratos with the same nuts and machine heads combination, the SS and HH comprise maple necks, dotted inlays and buttons to engage/disengage each pickup individually. The HS differentiates itself with a three-way selector and pearl block inlays.  

The SS Twin comes in Venture Green, Bayview Blue and Vintage White, costing £399 (approx $430). You'll need £449 (approx $570) for the HH Hardtail, which you can get in Black with a jatoba fingerboard, and Green or Blue with a maple fingerboard.

Finally, the HS Duo offers a Black finish with maple fingerboard. If you'd prefer a rosewood fingerboard, there are Blue Burst and Boulevard Black finishes. It costs £419 (approx $535).

If you fancy a Strat-shaped Vintage, peep the Deluxe. In terms of specs, it offers a solid okoume body, maple neck and, as is the common theme here, a jatoba fingerboard with 22 frets, in this case, emblazoned with block inlays. 

There are on/off pickup switches and Entwistle circuitry that dishes out a variable bass and treble bleed system, operated via its two tone controls.

It's completed with the same GraphTech precision-cut nut and EZ Lok machine heads, and a WVS vibrator for all your whammy needs. Costing £579 (approx $737), finishes on offer include Arctic White, Greenburst and Cappuccino.

The new Revo range is exhaustive, as the JHS-owned brand sets out to deliver a multifaceted range of guitars that look old school, but perform with enough aplomb to challenge modern competitors.

To learn more about the range, including the models not mentioned here, visit Vintage.

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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