Tom DeLonge has quite literally sprinkled stardust on his latest gear launch, unveiling 10 one-of-a-kind Meteorite Fender Starcasters that include pieces of the cosmos.

Released by DeLonge's gear and media brand, To The Stars, the Ad Astra 10 guitars arrive as the company's rarest, most unique and expensive instruments yet, with each model clocking in at $3,500 apiece.

They celebrate the firm’s 10th anniversary, bringing the guitarists’ two biggest passions – music and space – together.

Inspired by his cosmically created Custom Shop Starcaster, which featured meteorite dust in its finish, the Ad Astra 10 initiative puts the Starcaster through “an extensive transformation by master craftsman and longtime punk-rock skate veteran Brian Thrasher”.

Following the Custom Shop guitar's lead, each body gets a retro-inspired custom colorway, with 10 different hand-crushed meteorites trapped under a clear coat. They look (ahem) out of this world.

Extraterrestrial materials include samples from the Moon, Mars, the historic Chelyabinsk superbolide (a really bright meteor), and specimens traced to Asteroid 4 Vesta.

Elsewhere on the guitars, there’s also a red acrylic TTS knob, and a cartoon hand-drawn and signed by DeLonge. They all feature different colorways as well. No two guitars are the same.

Each electric guitar also comes with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity, a digital image of DeLonge doing his scribbling, and a physical fragment of the meteorite material used in the guitar’s finish.

“I’ve always believed music connects us to something bigger – and these guitars literally came from outer space,” says DeLonge. “They’re playful, they’re punk, and they each have their own weird little soul. I’m excited for people to hold something this special.”

The guitars launched on Friday, priced at $3,500, following the release of his two-in-one Adventure Box pedal, which sold out in double-quick time, the relaunch of his Fender Padre Strat, and the wide release of his made-in-Indonesia Starcaster last year.

See To The Stars for more. Please note they are only available for shipping within the US.

Tom Delonge has just released a limited edition pedal, the Adventure Box – a two-in-one compressor and delay pedal that “puts the tones you've been listening to for 20 years right at your feet.”

The pop-punk hero has been amassing a wealth of standout gear of late, from his much-anticipated Fender Starcaster to the revival of a rare prototype that predates his first signature guitar. This pedal, releasing under his firm, To The Stars, maintains his momentum.

So, what is the Adventure Box? Well, it’s been conceived by DeLonge, his long-time recording engineer, Aaron Rubin, and brought to life by Utility Belt FX for authentic Angels & Airwaves sonic flavors.

The compressor is based on a “classic, squishy two-knob circuit” but is specifically voiced for humbucker guitars. A Blend dial has also been added in, tweaking the template to preserve the transients and tone of the unaffected signal.

On the other side, the analog-voiced digital delay strives for clarity and warmth. Rolling back the Feedback dial results in a classic doubling effect, cranking it unleashes “interstellar guitar solos.” Both effects can be operated independently and simultaneously.

The key quirk here is its Order Switch, which allows players to “reverse the signal flow for non-traditional and unique tones.” Its mini-switch can be found at the top of the pedal's face

Each side of the pedal offers three controls, with Mix, Delay, and Feedback dictating the character of its analog delay, and Level, Comp, and the aforementioned Blend, sculpting its compression. Each effect has a dedicated footswitch, and the in/outs are top-mounted with the 9V plug sitting in between.

The all-new pedal arrives with a card featuring six settings to replicate classic blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves tracks, including The Adventure and Adam’s Song. The insert is hand-numbered and signed by DeLonge.

The twofer stompbox is limited to just 250 units, holding a price tag of $499. Pre-orders are now open.

See To The Stars for more.

DeLonge's Starcaster has been getting rave reviews, but one GW writer found it wasn't just a nostalgia piece as it fixed a score of issues that have plagued Fender's “most unpopular guitar.”

Meanwhile, Blink bassist Mark Hoppus also joined Fender and celebrated with a signature release. Months later, he was slinging his Fender on stage with both DeLonge and the man who temporarily replaced him in the band at a one-off charity show.

Blink-182 drummer and pop punk production whizz Travis Barker is the latest subject of Reverb's ongoing My Career Through Gear video series, and while chatting with the online retailer, has revealed that he is come to rely on a bass gifted to him by none other than Green Day’s Mike Dirnt in almost every session he’s produced.

Barker built his Waiting Studio to provide a one-stop shop for all of the band's needs; they can record albums, rehearse for tours, shoot videos, play basketball, and ride BMXs all under one roof.

But the fun isn't just for his band: everyone from Willow, Machine Gun Kelly, and Avril Lavigne has recorded with Barker, and there's one bass guitar that is used on virtually every track he works on, despite the fact it’s not been seen much for over 20 years.

“It’s called the star bass,” he says, admitting that it has “a pretty generic name”. But comes from far less generic circumstances.

As Barker explains in Reverb’s clip, it dates back to Blink-182’s 2002 Pop Disaster tour, which they co-headlined with Green Day, supported by the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Simple Plan.

“Me, Mike [Dirnt, bass], and Billy Joe [Amstrong, guitar] from Green Day would jam all the time,” Barker relays.

“At the end of the tour Mike was like, ‘Dude, I want to give you this bass!’ It was so cool. Who knew it was going to be something that's used every day in the studio?

“I gave him a snare drum in return. Anything – besides pretty much a Blink album because Mark has so many basses that he's really in love with – was recorded with this bass.”

So what makes the bass so special?

“We've only changed the strings one time and we go to it ‘case it's kind of dead-sounding, in a great way,” he reveals. “It doesn't poke through too much, it's not too bright.”

One of Tom DeLonge's signature Gibson ES-335 models, with its striking brown and cream colorway, is his go-to recording guitar – although it like has its strings changed at least a little more often.

“I’ve had it [since] forever, since when these came [in 2006], out he gave me it. I've used it on a bunch of stuff,” he smiles. It doesn’t look like he’s been gifted one of DeLonge’s standout Fender Starcaster guitars, though. Perhaps he’ll have to wait until Christmas...

Over in the Blink gear camp, last year Tom DeLonge revived a super-rare prototype that predates the original Fender Tom DeLonge signature Stratocaster.

While on the bass front, there has been some Fender love for Mark Hoppus too, who has combined Jaguar, Precision, and Jazz Bass parts on his new Fender signature model.

Blink-182 reunited with Matt Skiba last Thursday (February 13) during an LA Wildfires benefit show, which saw the band's former guitarist/vocalist perform alongside Tom DeLonge for the first time.

Skiba filled in DeLonge’s spot in blink-182 for a few years after 2015 while the Starcaster-wielding guitarist focused on other projects. After Skiba's recruitment, Bored To Death was the band’s first single sans DeLonge.

Skiba, best known elsewhere as the frontman of Alkaline Trio, was a key player in the creation of the song, which has remained part of the band’s live setlist since DeLonge rejoined in 2022.

Fittingly, blink-182 ushered in the reprisal of the band’s classic lineup as Skiba, DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker performed Bored To Death during the gig.

There's clearly no bad blood between Skiba and the man he replaced – and was then replaced by – as they locked in together, before DeLonge put his guitar down to place an arm around his peer mid-performance. The pair embraced at the end of the song, before DeLonge joked that there was “so much sexual tension” in the air.

“The moment everyone came to the @hollywoodpalladium to see: Matt Skiba playing Bored to Death with Tom DeLonge,” one attendee wrote on Instagram. “In 2016, the song was the first single that Blink 182 released featuring Alkaline Trio singer/songwriter Skiba, following the indefinite departure of founding guitarist DeLonge.

“The biggest pop from the crowd tonight was from the moment they hugged after the song.”

Skiba had said he was “truly happy” to see the band’s classic line-up return, even if it came at his expense, adding that he was “truly grateful” for his time in the band.

All money raised from the show will go towards the Pasadena Humane Society, California Fire Department, LAFD Foundation, and ARC Firefighter Fund at the Hollywood Palladium.

“Los Angeles this is a show meant for you,” bass player and vocalist Mark Hoppus said during the show. “Give it up for the firefighters, first responders, the volunteers, and everyone who’s been working so hard to put this city back together – we love you all.”

The LA Wildfires have affected countless musicians, with Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Primus’ Larry LeLonde among those to have lost their homes during the disaster.

Gibson, Fender, Guitar Center, and Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer are among those to have launched initiatives for players affected by the fires, or made donations to various charities, while a host of other benefit shows have made headlines.

There was a female-fronted Nirvana reunion, with St. Vincent and Joan Jett two of the four frontwomen starring, and a John Mayer and Dave Mathews duo performance.

Fender has officially announced a new ‘Padre’ version of Tom DeLonge’s sought-after signature Strat years after the elusive original was first built.

It continues Fender’s current theme of blink-182 revival electric guitars, having brought back DeLonge’s ultra-minimalist signature Strat last summer.

Now the collaborative partnership has gone one step further to bring back the Padre, which predates the OG TD Strat. As the story goes, Fender’s Custom Shop had built the pop-punk icon several prototypes before his signature guitar proper, and among them was an especially eye-catching brown and orange model.

Now, that elusive Padre variant, arguably the most iconic of those prototypes, is getting a limited-edition run “for the first time ever”. Only 300 will be made exclusively for DeLonge’s To The Stars enterprise.

Yours for $1,749.99 – if you’re quick enough – it features a ’69 Strat neck with a modern C-profile for a nifty blend of old and new.

Its 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboard has 21 medium jumbo frets, with other appointments coming in the form of Fender deluxe locking tuners and locking strap buttons to keep guitar straps secure.

The guitar pairs a black Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge with a single volume control for no-nonsense electronics and “all the tones you need”.

Each of the 300 guitars boasts stamped and serialized neck plates. They all come with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity, and a hardshell guitar case inspired by the orange-clad beauty that carries DeLonge’s six-string from show to show.

DeLonge’s signature Strat got a (nearly) all-black makeover late last year, while the Indonesian-made version of his Starcaster, which broke cover in April, represents one of 2024’s most anticipated releases.

The bar has been set high for the Padre, after DeLonge’s standard Strat was described as a “powerful, straightforward tool for pounding away on heavily distorted power chords” in GW’s comprehensive review of the axe.

The Fender TSS Padre Stratocaster is available to pre-order now and costs $1,749.99.

It’s been 25 years since Blink-182 rocketed to global success with third album, Enema Of The State. Somewhere between the poo jokes, zany bants and persistent nudity, Tom DeLonge also managed to forge a path as a hugely influential guitar hero to a generation.

As is often the case, the key to his success is simplicity – hooky riffs, full of melody and harmony, and he’s consistently played them on guitars with a similar ethos. Last year, Fender reissued DeLonge’s sought-after Stratocaster: a single-pickup take on the Strat finished in retro colours.

But to fully understand his latest model, we need to rewind a couple of decades to his ‘grown-up’ transition to a Gibson ES-333. Subsequently issued as an Epiphone version in 2008, before being discontinued five years ago, the stage is now set for DeLonge’s latest signature guitar – the Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster.

The Starcaster was Fender’s answer to bigger-bodied semi-acoustics, first introduced in the mid-’70s and finding favour with a host of players from Leo Nocentelli of New Orleans funkateers The Meters through to Martin Gore of synth-goths Depeche Mode.

Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood kept the Starcaster alive in the ’90s, and more recently, the guitar with one of the most unwieldy headstocks in rock has most often been attributed to The Killers’ Dave Keuning.

Fender released the Modern Player Starcaster in 2013, with Squier-branded Classic Vibe and Contemporary versions following in the years since.

Which brings us to now. DeLonge’s iteration of the Starcaster hails from Indonesia, clocking in at just under the price of his Mexican-made Strat. It maintains the familiarity of the offset, semi-hollow body, but nearly everything else is up for grabs.

Starting with that headstock. Gone is the wavy, scrolling, bevelled shape; in its place is a much more understated Strat ’stock, which makes us a lot less nervous about bumping into things while we review it. Which is just as well, because the C-shaped neck is a thing of beauty: dark, roasted maple under a coat of glossy lacquer that wouldn’t look out of place on the dashboard of your grandad’s Jag.

But here, its deep, walnut-ish vibe is met with a rosewood fingerboard, together contrasting with the matte Surf Green finish of our review model beautifully. To the back, there’s a set of Fender locking tuners for speedy string changes and (hopefully) rock-solid tuning tension, while at the other end sits a Fender Adjusto-Matic bridge and tailpiece.

Given DeLonge’s previous form, it should come as no surprise that this guitar is fitted with a single humbucker in the bridge position – a Seymour Duncan SH-5, known for its medium-output, all-rounder performance for everything from blues to hard rock and metal.

In turn, it’s wired to a solitary volume control which is also equipped with a treble-bleed circuit in order to preserve your high-end when the volume knob is rolled down.

Electronically, that’s it; there’s no tone control, no switching (because there’s no alternative position to select), and the humbucker remains in its full dual-coil state.

On paper, it’s quite the departure from the quirky guitar of the ’70s, but as a signature model, we view that as a good thing. Finish-wise, it looks great, spare a couple of slightly untidy bits of paintwork around the neck and unbound f-holes.

The setup is low, but surprisingly, buzz-free, and those frets come highly polished for a silky glide when bending strings. This is furthered by the fact that the neck features a 12” radius, stopping our notes from choking out. It’s all very much ‘Strat’-feeling, rather than aping a classic semi-acoustic neck feel.

Tonally, it’s something to behold. With only one pickup, we were expecting it to be a one-trick pony, and while we can’t say that it’s going to do everything, it does have a surprising amount of mileage. That’s largely thanks to the treble-bleed circuit.

Played clean, we get a solid pluck out of our notes, and while reducing the volume softens this slightly, the clarity is still there due to the fact that the treble frequencies aren’t filtered out. Under gain, this guitar has bite. Powerchords come out with aggression followed by a meaty chunk, and Tom’s signature arpeggiated riffs chime through clearly with a little crunch.

There’s always a conundrum with signature models, in that they need to reflect the artist whose name they bare, and in that sense can’t be criticised for being ‘niche’. This model nails the brief, and does so with excellent sound quality and playability.

It’s not a jack-of-many-trades model in the way that Epiphone’s DG-335 is, and nor does it claim to be. It’s a bare-bones rock guitar designed for energetic playing, and if you’re from the school of ‘plug in, turn up’, without getting fussy with your controls, you’re going to love it.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,299 / £1,149
• BODY: Laminated maple
• NECK: Roasted maple, lacquered
• SCALE: 25.5”
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood
• FRETS: 22
• PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan SH-5 (ceramic)
• CONTROLS: Volume (with treble-bleed circuit)
• HARDWARE: Fender locking tuners, adjusto-matic bridge, chrome
• FINISH: Surf Green (pictured), Shoreline Gold, Olympic White, Shell Pink
• CONTACT: Fender

I was part of the generation that took their first steps on electric guitar by learning blink-182 songs.

All the Small Things taught me power chords. What’s My Age Again? was my first frustrating encounter with string skipping. I learned the catalog front to back – M+M’s’ whip-fast pull-offs and Carousel’s frenetic scale runs – before, 20 years ago, blink-182 became one of the first bands I ever saw live… although by that stage DeLonge had switched to his new beau, a signature Gibson ES-333.

And that’s why writing about Tom DeLonge’s return to Fender in late 2022 gave me such a heady rush of nostalgia. This was the hero of my foundational guitar-playing years, returning to the company whose instruments accompanied him for blink’s biggest moments.

More exciting still was the fact that DeLonge hadn’t just revisited his signature Strat of yesteryear for his homecoming. Instead, he’d sought to reinvent one of Fender’s most unloved instruments, the Starcaster, with his own take on the design finally landing earlier this week for a cool $1,199.

When it was first released in 1976, the Starcaster was Fender’s attempt to take a slice of the semi-hollowbody guitar market – which was, at the time, considered very much Gibson’s domain.

Yet the model’s appearance was out of keeping with the altogether classier ES-335, and guitarists didn’t take to the offset maple body and black fin headstock. There were other specs that deviated from convention, too: the hardtail bridge, CBS-era three-bolt neck joint and five closely spaced control knobs, including a master volume. It was a step too far for traditionalists, and the guitar was discontinued after just four years.

In the decades since, the Starcaster has achieved cult status at the hands of Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and The Killers’ Dave Keuning. Limited production runs of the instrument have come and gone, and Squier still makes a trio of distinctive Starcaster models. But, as I discovered upon getting my hands on an early review model, none of these are as successful as DeLonge’s take.

DeLonge and winding road

DeLonge may have agreed to the Starcaster shape purely because of its name – as if UFOs ever don’t factor into his decision-making – but it does neatly marry the best parts of his two previous signature guitars.

So, you get the semi-hollow body – offset for extra cool points – paired with bolt-on Fender playability, and a single bridge humbucker: Seymour Duncan’s overwound PAF-inspired SH-5 Custom.

There are some aesthetic considerations, too, with the Adjusto-Matic bridge and tailpiece offering a classier appearance, while the oversized ’70s-style Fender headstock will be a relief to naysayers of the Starcaster’s OG black fin, topped off by a very welcome set of locking tuners.

Perhaps most importantly, it all looks right. While previous models have been decent guitars, this is the first time a Starcaster has felt desirable. It helps that DeLonge picked out four delectable satin finishes for the model: Surf Green, Shell Pink, Shoreline Gold and Olympic White.

Having long harbored hopes for the flagship pink, I was a little disappointed when I pulled my review model out of the box: Shoreline Gold. Dammit (heh). But the white binding does make it pop in person. It’s spoiled only slightly by the out-of-place white control knob.

Its modern C-shaped neck is the kind of roasted maple appendage that wouldn’t feel out of place on your average Strat, especially paired with the 12”-radius rosewood fingerboard. Compared with the neck on the other big semi-hollow du jour, Epiphone’s long-awaited Dave Grohl DG-335, it’s a slinkier playing experience that rewards faster left-hand acrobatics than this model has any right to host. However, like the Grohl model, the neck is gloss-finished, which feels a little incongruous here given the sleekness of the body’s satin.

While I fully expected to be inspired to launch straight into the blink back catalog, the contemporary neck shape and feel had me playing like, well, me – which mostly means lots of legato noodling and moody drone notes. This isn’t always the case with a lot of guitars I pick up for review: give me a Strat, and I’m in dangerously Hendrixian territory. A Les Paul will always conjure Page first. A 335 is situated in blues or big-chord town. This felt like more of a blank canvas.

That lonely Seymour Duncan pickup lets you paint with your own palette, too – especially compared with the TD Strat’s gratuitously high-output Invader. With a vintage hot output, distorted palm-muting is immensely satisfying, but the inclusion of a treble bleed circuit – which prevents the tone from darkening when the volume knob is wound down – aids its flexibility (even if the knob itself is positioned a little too far out of the way for easy volume swells).

This guitar could cope in any hard-rock scenario you can throw at it – you need only look to Wolfgang Van Halen to hear what a semi-hollow is capable of in heavier settings. Granted, there’s not quite the ‘grab-a-sandwich-and-come-back’ sustain of a set-neck, but the bolt-on joint yields a lighter, punchier tone that’s a big plus for recording, particularly if your bass player likes their tone on the treblier end of the EQ spectrum (we’re looking at you, Mark Hoppus).

To the Stars

Tom DeLonge was wise to keep his signature off his Starcaster’s headstock – there’s only that custom neckplate and rear-headstock graphic to signify his association. Combined with the guitar’s inarguably impressive Indonesian build – coming out of the same factory as Squier’s current-production Starcasters – it points not only towards a new future for the Starcaster, but Fender’s signature line in general.

It’s indicative of the new concept of ‘premium offshore’ – a topic my esteemed colleague Matt Parker has written about at length – as evidenced by this year’s most hyped Fender being produced in Indonesia, and the hottest Epiphone being manufactured in China. As build quality across the world goes up, the location of manufacture matters less to consumers – and the success of this model will be a fascinating test case.

This is a significant release in other ways, too: Tom DeLonge’s reimagining of the Starcaster has finally given Fender’s also-ran semi-hollow its own identity. Unlike the shape’s original ’60s launch, the TD Starcaster isn’t trying to steal away market share – it certainly doesn’t look like the semi-hollows of yore. Instead, it taps neatly into the ongoing offset guitar boom – and those pastel finishes could not be more on trend.

Given the year-and-a-half of fervor surrounding the model, it could even lead to a Starcaster renaissance. Just imagine a dual-humbucker version without the DeLonge branding – the semi-hollow for guitarists who don’t like semi-hollows. The semi-hollow for offset fanatics. And with Fender’s Indonesian factory ramping up production for this signature model, it would be a logical next step.

Whatever happens, the Tom DeLonge Starcaster’s potential reach extends far beyond Blink-182 fans. It’s a streamlined, unashamedly modern electric guitar – and DeLonge’s decision to throw out the traditional spec rulebook is key to its success.

As the guitarist muses in Fender’s promo video for the new model, “This guitar shows my evolution as a player but also has the hallmarks of where I came from and what I’m about.” And those sentiments apply to the Starcaster as a whole – I guess this is growing up…

• For more information on the Tom DeLonge Starcaster, head to Fender.com.

Fender has announced the arrival of the Tom DeLonge signature Starcaster, coming – as predicted by fans – right on cue after the Blink-182 guitarist dropped an Instagram teaser post last week.

As GW speculated at the time, the single pickup semi-hollow electric guitar is indeed Indonesian-made, and features a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 humbucker, a single volume control, over-sized ’70s-style Fender headstock and black hardware.

Fender has also confirmed the inclusion of DeLonge’s favored treble bleed circuit, which is incorporated to the master volume control and, as the firm describes, “preserves the guitar's natural high-end, ensuring sparkly cleans and chime-y edge-of-breakup tones” as the volume is rolled off.

The neck has a modern C profile, then there’s a 12” radius rosewood fingerboard (with dot inlays), Fender locking tuners and an adjustable bridge with a stop tailpiece. DeLonge has chosen to keep his name off the headstock, but there is a small graphic on the rear and his name is on the neck plate.

Finish options include Surf Green, Shell Pink, Shoreline Gold and Olympic White – all of which are satin.

The Blink man’s original signature Stratocaster was released in 2002 and built a cult following for its utilitarian, single-pickup take on Fender’s iconic electric. A later move to Gibson saw DeLonge offer a similarly stripped-down reimagining of the ES-333 outline. 

His third signature design brings in elements of both of its predecessors – the Strat’s stripped-back electronics, and the Gibson’s semi-hollow body and classic humbucker.

“I love this guitar, I really do. It’s the coolest guitar ever made,” enthuses DeLonge. “Firstly, it is called a Starcaster. That’s the most important thing. It goes to space and expands your mind.

“This guitar shows my evolution as a player but also has the hallmarks of where I came from and what I'm about.”

The model also represents the latest step in Fender – and the wider industry’s – shift towards premium offshore builds. At $1,199, the price would once have been unthinkable for an Indonesian build, but this is a high-spec model and Fender has seen fit to place its own logo on it, despite its origins from a facility more commonly associated with Squier builds.

Jimmy Eat World guitarist Jim Adkins’ signature Fender Telecaster Thinline was relaunched as an Indonesian production, with a price point of $1,099 last year, and there have been other limited edition Fenders from the facility, so the precedent is there. 

However, if previous DeLonge signatures are anything to go by, the Starcaster will comfortably outsell those.

It’s also notable that the price point places it in direct competition with that other big semi-hollow signature model of recent months, Epiphone’s Chinese-made Dave Grohl signature DG-335 ($1,299) .

“At its simplest level… people have just, over time, improved,” Fender’s EVP of Product, Justin Norvell explained when Guitar World asked about the continued shift to ‘premium offshore’ models earlier this year.

“[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.”

For more information on the Tom DeLonge signature Starcaster, head to Fender.

Tom DeLonge has sign-posted the seemingly imminent arrival of his new signature guitar, the Fender Tom DeLonge signature Starcaster. 

The Blink-182 guitarist took to Instagram to share a new shot of himself looking down the neck of what looks a lot like a dot-necked Starcaster model, alongside the legend “10,9,8,7…” 

The inlays are significant because his previous Fender Custom Shop builds have featured custom Blink-182 logo inlays, created by the careful hand of one of the firm’s leading luthiers, Ron Thorn.

Obviously, a production-line signature model will be produced in much vaster numbers and the complicated inlays appear to have been sacrificed in the name of economy.

It’s probably a savvy move, both in terms of price point (along with its likely origins as an offshore build) and in terms of widening its appeal beyond non-Blink fans, too.

Rumors are now abounding of an April 16 launch date and the guitar being produced in the firm's Indonesian facility.

It’s definitely a Fender logo on that headstock, but the current Squier Starcaster models – the only ones in the Fender family’s line-up at present – are Indonesian-made and the black hardware (found on many Indonesian builds) also makes us think there might be something in this rumor.

What’s more, Fender previously badged its Chinese-made Modern Player Starcasters with its own logo (rather than Squier) and Jimmy Eat World guitarist Jim Adkins’ signature Fender JA-90 Telecaster Thinline is also now produced in Indonesia.

The overarching concept of the build seems to be about hitting a sweet spot between DeLonge’s initial Fender signature model, the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster (reissued last year) and his later Gibson build, the Tom DeLonge ES-330.

We’re fairly sure of the specs at this point. Having peered over the Custom Shop model, we reckon it will pair an overwound PAF-style Seymour Duncan SH-5 humbucker and semi-hollow construction, with the oversized ’70s Strat headstock and single volume control of his first Fender signature.

The Custom Shop build also features a Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge and Grover tuners, though we’d question whether we’ll see that level of branded hardware on the production-line model.

As for the date, well April 16 would tally with DeLonge’s countdown, so we guess all will be revealed then.

While we wait to find out, we suggest occupying yourself with DeLonge’s previous Custom Shop one-offs, which, er, really put the ‘Star’ in Starcaster – including a Roswell-inspired build and a guitar that incorporates actual meteorite dust into the finish.

For more information on the Tom DeLonge Starcaster, keep an eye on Fender.

Fender reprised the much-loved Tom DeLonge signature Stratocaster back in July, offering the electric guitar in four finishes. Now the blink-182 guitarist has taken to Instagram to announce a super-limited offering of a fifth finish, created as a Black Friday exclusive for his brand ToTheStars.

The TTS model boasts what appears to be a satin-style black body, black scratchplate, black Seymour Duncan Invader pickup, black hardtail block bridge with block saddles, black output jack and black tuners. 

The blackout theme is offset by a distinctive red Knurled Flat-Top volume control, which pops nicely against the shining black scratchplate. 

The maple neck (finished in satin urethane) keeps its clear finish as does the over-sized ’70s headstock. Some Instagram comments have suggested Fender has missed a trick in not offering a matching headstock, but there’s a certain charm in the contrast of the black tuners on the maple. 

Overall, the effect is somewhat evocative of the breed of metal’d-up Fenders first sparked by the arrival of the Jim Root signature Telecaster back in 2007, with one Instsagram commenter dubbing it the “Jim Root 182”.

Though the full details have been kept under wraps thus far, we’re assuming that the tweaks are purely cosmetic, and therefore that it also comes with the usual treble bleed circuit on the volume control. 

While we’ve seen a raft of products that stretch the definition of ‘limited edition’ somewhat in recent years, this one is going to be a genuine rarity, with just 300 guitars being produced.

As such, you’ll need to be on your A-game to secure one, with orders going live at 9am PST on Friday November 24 over on DeLonge’s ToTheStars site. 

There’s no word on price yet, but the reissued Tom DeLonge Stratocaster costs $1,299. 

As some commented at the time of the reissue, that is arguably a lot for a stripped-down Mexican-made Strat, but with the original commanding prices upwards of $2,000 on the used market, Fender had some room to demand a premium – and seems to have done just that.

At the time of the reissue, DeLonge paid tribute to his first signature guitar and the straightforward design that – more than 20 years on – has gained something of a cult following.

“I try to write music that is accessible and easy to play and enjoy, so that people can come along for the ride,” DeLonge said. 

“This simplicity really inspired this new signature Stratocaster. It just has one knob and one pickup, which just makes it easy to turn it up, play and sound great, especially important when you’re in front of a crowd and already have plenty to think about… we’ve created something that really stands the test of time – like I strive to do with my music.”

Finally, if you're in the market for a new Fender guitar (black, or otherwise), check out our roundup of this year’s best Fender Black Friday deals.

Fender’s artist range reads like a who’s who of rock royalty, and whether it’s the flamboyant Jimmy Page Tele, the metal-ready Jim Root Jazzmaster or Kurt Cobain’s southpaw Jag, there’s always been something for every type of player – a fact exemplified by the Californian giant’s latest releases.

And this one is arguably the most hotly anticipated guitar of the year – well, certainly among pop-punk fans – the Tom DeLonge Signature Stratocaster. The streamlined punk powerhouse is back with a vengeance. 

The Blink-182 guitarist’s original run was discontinued in 2004 when DeLonge was enticed over to Gibson with his own ES-333, but luckily the re-released Strat is just as you remember it, albeit with a couple of tweaks.

Featuring the unaccompanied Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker that helped DeLonge craft his trademark sound, a solitary volume control and a slew of colourful finish options, this Strat is as simple as it gets, and that’s what we love about it. 

It feels like a lifetime since the original run of DeLonge Strats hit the scene, but that doesn’t mean their popularity has faded. Instead, they’ve developed a cult following, with second-hand prices reaching new heights once it was announced Tom had reunited with his former Blink-182 bandmates.

Naturally, the rumour mill started turning immediately, with speculation of a signature Starcaster in the works and, eventually, the return of the stripped-back Strat.

In stark contrast to signature models like the recent fuzz-equipped Steve Lacy Strat, DeLonge has forgone all extras in favour of the bare essentials – a single pickup and volume control, as well as a hardtail construction.

Just like the original, the new 2023 model boasts a solo Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker, which is precisely what’s needed for hard-hitting punk rock. The tone is aggressive, defiant – and dammit, we love it. 

That’s not to say that Tom’s basic Strat is entirely devoid of features, though. The lone master control is equipped with a treble bleed circuit which helps preserve the high-end when you roll off the volume – ideal for when you want to get a little cleaner. 

The neck here is wide, flat and super-comfortable, and the addition of a slab rosewood fingerboard is a nice touch. The modern medium jumbo frets lend themselves perfectly to lead work, with bends ringing out as clear as a bell. 

Okay, so Fender isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, and nor do they need to. For us, this pared-back Strat is the ultimate pop-punk machine, with stunning finish options, superb build quality and a tone to die for.

The DeLonge is a finely-tuned instrument that is designed with one thing in mind, and it absolutely nails it. From the treble bleed circuit to its oversized headstock and array of finish options, we love the care and attention that has gone into this signature axe – because, as we know, all the small things matter. 

Specs

• PRICE: $/£1,299
• BODY: Alder 
• NECK: Maple, Modern C profile
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood
• FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 9.5”
• FRETS: Medium Jumbo 
• PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan Invader 
• CONTROLS: Master Volume with Treble Bleed 
• FINISH OPTIONS: Surf Green, Daphne Blue, Black, Graffiti Yellow
• CONTACT: Fender

After weeks of keen anticipation and speculation, Fender has finally brought back Tom DeLonge’s cult classic Stratocaster signature – which has been revived in four gorgeous colorways.

Fans first caught wind of a potential return for the heralded single-humbucker Strat earlier this month, when the Blink-182 guitarist posted a series of snaps that all but confirmed the guitar was on its way.

Such rumors were finally put to bed yesterday (July 24), when Fender officially announced a limited-edition run of DeLonge’s no-nonsense workhorse signature guitar.

And, while Fender divulged it would arrive with a neat neck back plate to differentiate it from the original iteration, it didn’t mention four colorways would also be available: Daphne Blue, Sea Foam Green, Black and the Jeff Beck-pioneered Graffiti Yellow.

As we had already speculated, DeLonge’s latest signature Strat stays true to its original blueprint, utilizing a lone Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker – wired to a sole volume control, naturally – for tones.

It’s also worth noting the volume pot also offers a treble bleed circuit, which aims to preserve the guitar’s natural high-end, while delivering edge-of-breakup tones.

Other returning DeLonge quirks include the oversized ‘70s-style headstock, pearloid pickguard and hardtail bridge, with the previously mentioned customized neck plate flashing some neat alien-themed artwork.

A deeper dive into the specs unearths a C-profile maple neck, as well as a 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboard, which in turn accommodates medium jumbo frets. Other appointments include vintage-style tuners.

“I try to write music that is accessible and easy to play and enjoy, so that people can come along for the ride,” DeLonge reflected. “This simplicity really inspired this new signature Stratocaster. It just has one knob and one pickup, which just makes it easy to turn it up, play and sound great, especially important when you’re in front of a crowd and already have plenty to think about. 

“On top of that, the bright colors give it a timeless, California feel that stands out on any stage,” he went on. “Together with Fender, a brand that is deeply rooted in my musical identity, we’ve created something that really stands the test of time – like I strive to do with my music.”

Since the original DeLonge Strat got discontinued back in 2004, prices for the sought-after six-string have steadily increased over the years, with some used models going for upwards of $2,000.

This limited-edition re-run, meanwhile, is more affordable, weighing in at $1,299.

Accompanying the single pup Strat is a DeLonge-themed accessories capsule, which comprises To The Stars-themed strap, guitar cable and guitar picks. These are available for $32, up to $34 and $8, respectively.

Head over to Fender to find out more.

Earlier this month, Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge posted a series of photos with what looked suspiciously like a new version of his sought-after signature Stratocaster, sending the rumor mill into overdrive. Now, we can confirm the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is definitely making a comeback – and it will be available very soon indeed.

A new video posted to both DeLonge and Fender’s social media accounts depicts the guitarist holding a gleaming new version of his signature Stratocaster, as he speaks to camera, “Doing something super-special with Fender and the Stratocaster – stay tuned for more information”.

Fender’s accompanying caption is more forthright: “You heard @tomdelonge: the Strat is coming BACK! Head to the link in bio for a first look and sign up for a chance to win your own Tom Delonge Stratocaster.”

Heading to said link reveals the sought-after Strat will be back soon – so soon, in fact, it’s available from tomorrow (July 25) as a limited-edition release. Fender is inviting keen DeLonge followers to sign up to its mailing list to get the lowdown and be in with a chance of winning one.

The webpage also reveals one neat difference between the original model and the reissue: a ‘tom’ neckplate, with a lil’ alien dude as the ‘o’ (check it out at the top of the page). The original simply read ‘Tom DeLonge’ in block capitals.

Discontinued in 2004 when DeLonge jumped ship to Gibson, the TD Stratocaster has since become something of a cult classic, with used prices soaring to $2,000 on Reverb.

The guitar’s no-nonsense spec includes a single Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker, hardtail bridge and oversized ’70s Strat headstock, and it looks as the new model stays true to that keep-it-simple-stupid configuration.

We’re hoping the reissue paves the way for a full release of DeLonge’s single-pickup Starcaster design, which has been his main guitar since returning to the Blink-182 fold.

For now, pop back tomorrow and we’ll bring you the full lowdown on the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster’s triumphant return…

Since Tom DeLonge returned to the Fender fold back in December, all eyes have been on the company releasing a production version of the new highly customized Starcaster design that has accompanied the guitarist on Blink-182’s mammoth world tour. And while that could still be in the pipeline, we’re wondering if there’s another collaboration coming.

Yesterday (July 13), DeLonge shared a photo of himself holding his signature Fender Stratocaster – a guitar that has been out of production for nearly 20 years – accompanied by a sunglasses emoji.

The Daphne Blue model in his hands is remarkably clean – a little too clean for a guitar produced between 1999 to 2004, unless it’s new old stock. And the fact the guitar is color-coordinated to DeLonge’s backwards cap… Well, it certainly smells of a professional photoshoot.

Given DeLonge has been relying on Starcasters for Blink-182’s entire run and has rarely, if ever, been photographed with his old Strats since he left Fender for Gibson in 2003, the photo has already got fans salivating.

Excited cries of “it’s back!” and “shut up and take my money!” dominate the comments section, and a quick scan of used prices reveals why.

Famed for its no-nonsense setup – comprising a single Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker, hardtail bridge and oversized ’70s Strat headstock – the made-in-Mexico model was first launched around the $500 mark in 1999 (one of GW’s own writers bought his for the princely sum of £577), and current used examples now sell for around $2,000, according to Reverb.

Indeed, the DeLonge Stratocaster’s cult status has grown in the decades since it was discontinued, more recently giving rise to a budget single-humbucker Squier Sonic Stratocaster and even a PRS Silver Sky mod dubbed the John DeLonge.

It would be a smart move on Fender’s part to revive the model – although given the cheapest made-in-Mexico Strat is currently $849, we’d imagine a price tag around the $1,000 mark (which would still weigh in at half the price of current used examples).

A Stratocaster reissue would be a nice way to tee up a signature Starcaster release down the line, too – even if a production model is unlikely to feature actual meteorite dust in its finish.

That’s all the info we have to go on so far, but we’ll bring you any further developments on new Tom DeLonge models as they happen.

Just when we thought Tom DeLonge’s new custom Fender Starcasters couldn’t get any more extraterrestrial, luthier Brian Thrasher has gone and unveiled a dazzling version of the semi-hollow electric guitar featuring actual meteorite dust.

In a new Instagram post, Thrasher – who has been behind all of the UFO-keen Blink-182 guitarist’s custom semi-hollows thus far – has shared photos of the mind-blowing build, revealing, “We mixed actual ‘star dust’ aka meteorite dust into the finish. Probably a first in guitars.”

“I collect meteorites and saved the dust when facing them,” he continued. “The dust has Lunar, Martian and Carbonaceous meteorites. The sides and back were torched like a meteor coming through the atmosphere.”

It’s a jaw-dropping finish, and one we’re unlikely to see replicated anytime soon. That said, we would bet serious money on a Tom DeLonge Starcaster becoming a full-time production model, given Fender’s official Instagram account also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the guitar – the first time DeLonge’s new signatures have appeared on the account.

Intriguingly, in a post from DeLonge himself, he reveals that the design was originally drawn up for his old Gibson ES-333, before Fender brought it to life on the Starcaster.

After more than two decades with Gibson, DeLonge announced his return to Fender guitars in December 2022, revealing a fleet of single-humbucker Starcasters, which have since been bolstered by several custom designs, including a Roswell flying saucer newsprint finish.

The guitars are all spec’d with an oversized ’70s Strat headstock, Seymour Duncan SH-5 overwound PAF-style humbucker and Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge, while Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Ron Thorn is behind the Blink-182 smiley inlays.

Eight custom designs will be produced, along with the initial run of Shoreline Gold, Flat White, Shell Pink and Surf Green-finished guitars, resulting in 12 in total.

The semi-hollow made its official debut at Blink-182’s surprise Coachella set last month, and is set to feature throughout the band’s headline US dates, starting tomorrow (May 4) in St. Paul, Minneapolis.

Blink-182 made their long-awaited reunited return to the live stage with a surprise set at Coachella on Friday (April 14) – and with it Tom DeLonge’s first outing with his new reunion-era custom Fender Starcaster electric guitars.

Setting the tone with foul-mouthed fan favorite Family Reunion, DeLonge took to the stage brandishing what appears to be his main Starcaster for the reunion: a Shell Pink model covered in stickers representing his punk-rock heroes, including Descendents, Fugazi and T.S.O.L.

Judging from an Instagram story shared by Fender luthier Brian Thrasher, DeLonge’s guitar rack featured six Starcasters in total – including unstickered Shell Pink, Shoreline Gold and Seafoam Green versions, plus two custom designs – some of which saw outings for detuned material from Blink-182’s 2003 self-titled album, while the Sam Larson-decorated UFO/Blink-182 smiley model got use during What’s My Age Again? and new single Edging.

The band’s setlist for the show, which was only announced late last week, focused on Blink-182’s ‘fun’ era, drawing heavily from pop-punk landmarks Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, and ignoring 2011’s first reunion record, Neighborhoods, entirely.

In many instances, the trio sound tighter than at the tail end of their initial tenure – and certainly when compared with their last reunion in the early 2010s. The tempos are less frantic, and DeLonge’s vocals more consistent – it helps to hear a little more gain on the classic distorted moments, too.

Fueling that gain is the Starcaster’s Seymour Duncan SH-5 humbucker, an overwound take on the PAF, which appears alongside the guitar’s other standout features: an oversized ’70s Stratocaster headstock, single Strat-style volume control and those distinctive Blink-182 smiley inlays, installed by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Ron Thorn.

Other specs include a Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge, glow-in-the-dark side dots, Ernie Ball 11-52 strings and Grover tuners.

Since the initial unveiling of DeLonge’s Starcaster design back in December, 12 custom graphic versions have been in the works, led by Thrasher in the Fender Custom Shop. A wild Roswell flying saucer-themed model was revealed last month, but has yet to make a live appearance.

Tom DeLonge’s previous Fender signature Stratocaster was discontinued in 2004, but the instrument remains popular: used examples command up to $2,000, while the new Squier Sonic series features a Stratocaster with a sole humbucker, seemingly in tribute to the Blink-182 guitarist. And let’s not forget the John DeLonge – a viral guitar build that combined John Mayer’s PRS Silver Sky and DeLonge’s single-pickup Strat.

With all that in mind, not to mention the positive reviews of the Coachella performance and the ongoing hype surrounding Blink’s reunion, the smart money is on Fender making the Starcaster a production-line signature guitar.

Fortunately, Fender EVP Justin Norvell has indicated an official Tom DeLonge Starcaster is a ‘watch this space’ development (per MusicRadar), so Blink-182 fans’ fervour could translate into the guitar eventually hitting stores.

Blink-182 were due to be on their South America and Mexico reunion tour throughout March and April, but the trek was delayed due to Travis Barker’s (now clearly fully healed) finger surgery, which allowed them to perform their surprise set at Coachella. The band begin their US dates proper on May 4 in St. Paul, Minneapolis.

A German punk guitarist has combined two iconic signature guitars by modding John Mayer’s PRS SE Silver Sky with the circuitry of the Fender Tom Delonge signature Stratocaster. He calls it – what else? – the ‘John DeLonge’.

The instrument was conceived and built by Jannik Köhler, guitarist and frontman for Stuttgart, Germany pop-punkers The Journey Back. Köhler is a longtime fan of the original Fender Artist Series Tom DeLonge Strat – a hardtail, single-humbucker take on the Stratocaster – that debuted in 1999, and has owned a Graffiti Yellow model since 2015. 

“I always loved the looks, simplicity and flashy color of it and thought it would be just the right thing for the music I play,” says Köhler, recalling his first encounter with the Tom DeLonge Strat.

“I then discovered afterwards that it’s quite sought after and hard to get a hold of now, especially in Germany. After a while, I ordered one from Chicago Music Exchange – all the way to Germany – and kept it ever since.”

Köhler knew he liked PRS guitars and had even previously modded a single-pickup Single Cut, in tribute to Dave Baksh from Sum 41 (pictured above). Melding John Mayer’s Strat-inspired Silver Sky with Tom DeLonge’s signature model seemed like a logical next step.

“When they first announced the Silver Sky I said to myself: if there will ever be an SE version, I’ll combine the Tom DeLonge Strat and Silver Sky,” he recalls. “After they finally announced it, I just went for it. Now that I see how many people liked it, it seems that it was a great idea!”

The build was “pretty simple”, he says, befitting the ultimate utilitarian guitar that inspired it.

“I ordered a few custom Silver Sky pickguards with only one pickup and volume route through a german custom seller,” says Köhler. “But ended up using the pearl one to stick with the original TD look.

“The most difficult part was probably routing the body to fit a humbucker in the bridge position. I routed it with a pretty unconventional tool – as you can see in the pictures – so it took a while, but it was the best I had.”

Once the routing was sorted, Köhler blocked off the Silver Sky’s stock tremolo to emulate the hardtail found on the original Tom DeLonge Strat.

“I'm not a fan of [tremolo systems] for live use, in general,” notes the guitarist. “They always mess with tuning stability and make quick string changes to drop C more or less impossible.”

Finally, Köhler copied the wiring from his Tom DeLonge Strat. His only detour from the original circuit was a push-pull volume control, enabling him to split the coils of the distinctive Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker.

“This was something I always wanted to try to see how it sounds,” says Köhler. “But I couldn’t bring myself to do it to my original Fender, given the crazy prices they go for these days.”

Speaking of prices, Köhler estimates the full cost of the project to have come in under €900 (approx. $955), with the pre-owned SE Silver Sky having accounted for €650 (approx. $690) of that.

“After playing it in its original form for quite a while before modding it, it took some getting used to,” reflects the guitarist. “But it works just like I intended it to. Sound-wise, it gets very close to the original given the electronics are more or less 90 percent identical.

“The addition of the coil-split was also great. I didn’t think I’d get such nice clean sounds out of the very high-output Invader, even when splitting it.”

Köhler says his original Tom DeLonge Strat has a slightly different feel, as you’d expect. “The Fender has one of the best neck profiles on any guitar I’ve ever played,” he adds. “But the Silver Sky neck works very well with the whole concept – and it adds that 22nd fret to the Fender that I always missed.”

No doubt some Mayer devotees will be horrified to see a Silver Sky torn up, but Köhler says he’s pretty relaxed about it. He notes it’s an easy switch to put the original pickguard back in and the ‘John DeLonge’ has already become one of his main touring guitars.

Overall, he reckons the SE Silver Sky is a pretty effective base for mods.

“It’s is a very nice guitar in general, with great potential,” says Köhler. “But even if you don’t go as extreme with the mods and keep it in SSS configuration, I’d suggest swapping the tuners for the USA locking ones and swap the plastic knobs for something a bit more durable. All three cracked on my SE after only a few months of owning/playing it.”

Köhler’s still puzzling out his next step on the mod front, but says he has a few ideas. “I’m tempted to refinish it in yellow, like my Fender in the future,” he says. “Or maybe even try it on the USA Silver Sky!”

While we wait to see the results of his next experiment, you can check out Köhler’s band, The Journey Back, over on Spotify and Instagram.

At the tail end of 2022, Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge delighted fans with the news that he’d returned to Fender for the pop-punk icons’ reunion, spec’ing up a radically different single-pickup take on the semi-hollow Starcaster design. Now, new social media posts reveal he has made the model even more his own.

In a new Instagram snap from DeLonge, he showcases a fresh graphic finish for the model, which recreates a 1947 newspaper article from the Roswell Daily Record, complete with the text ‘Flying Saucer’ and ‘Roswell’ on the headstock.

The article, headlined ‘RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region’ gave birth to one of the quintessential UFO legends – you can get a closer look over on Wired.com.

Besides his musical endeavors, DeLonge is actively involved in UFO research, and knows, well, too much – as he told Guitar World: “The US government is super-active when it comes to UFOs – they have been since the mid-’40s, maybe even a few years earlier… As far as videos, data and evidence, there is so much you wouldn’t be able to understand.”

OK, that’s the finish backstory out of the way; let’s get onto the guitar. Fender luthier Brian Thrasher – who was also behind the initial run of Shoreline Gold, Flat White, Shell Pink and Surf Green-finished guitars – has revealed the latest ‘Roswell’ model is the first of eight new custom designs. Whether they’ll all be UFO-themed remains to be seen, but Thrasher notes on his own Instagram post, “These are starting to get fun and we’ve had a bit of creative freedom on a few of them.”

Thrasher also reveals a few more of the guitar’s specifications in the comments. That single humbucker is a Seymour Duncan SH-5 overwound PAF-a-like, while a Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge anchors a set of Ernie Ball 11-52 electric guitar strings.

Otherwise, these look to be spec’d as per DeLonge’s initial batch, with an oversized ’70s Strat headstock and single volume control.

The custom Blink-182 smiley inlays were previously laid by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Ron Thorn, so it’s safe to assume he’s returning for this run of eight custom designs.

Before you ask, there’s still no confirmation of a signature guitar production run, but given the fan fervor surrounding these guitars, we wouldn’t be surprised to see models hitting shelves within the next year or two.

Blink-182’s South America and Mexico tour dates were due to get underway this month, but were delayed by drummer Travis Barker’s recent finger surgery. All of which means the first outing for the reunited band – and DeLonge’s new Starcaster – looks set to take place on May in St. Paul, Minneapolis. We can’t wait to see what finishes he has in store…

After two decades with Gibson, Tom DeLonge looks to be returning to Fender as he unveils a radical new Starcaster electric guitar from the California guitar giant.

In a new post on Instagram, DeLonge shared a picture of a sticker-plastered single-pickup Starcaster semi-hollow design, heralding it as “blink-182 guitar 2.0” and a work in progress.

The Starcaster is a kind of middle ground between DeLonge’s previous Gibson ES-333 and Fender Stratocaster models, so makes perfect sense for the pop-punk hero’s next signature guitar.

Further digging around Instagram reveals a wealth of information further to DeLonge’s initial post. Blink engineer Aaron Rubin, who worked on the new guitars, posted his own photo of DeLonge, which shows the guitar in four finishes – we’re guessing Shoreline Gold, Flat White, Shell Pink and Surf Green – and reveals the headstock is of the oversized ’70s Strat variety as opposed to the traditional Starcaster design.

Comments on Rubin’s post also confirm that rather than the Seymour Duncan Invader found in DeLonge’s signature Strat, the Starcaster will feature a Duncan Custom pickup – we’d wager this will be in some way inspired by the Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucker that featured on the guitarist’s ES-333.

Luthier Brian Thrasher was behind much of the build, and offers a closer look at the guitar’s four finishes in his own post, as well as a comprehensive tour of the guitar’s assembly in an Instagram story posted on December 9.

Of particular note is a close-up look at the custom Blink-182 smiley face logo inlays, which were installed by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Ron Thorn.

Other features on the new guitar include glow-in-the-dark stage dots, a single volume control, Adjusto-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece and – unusually for Fender – Grover tuners.

There’s no confirmation on whether these guitars will be available as a production-line signature model, but Thrasher certainly hopes so. Either way, we’ll see the Starcasters make their live debut during Blink-182’s upcoming reunion world tour, which kicks off on March 11 in Tijuana, Mexico.

The Tom DeLonge Stratocaster was produced by Fender from 1999 to 2004. The guitarist was first seen playing a Gibson ES-333 with side-project Box Car Racer in 2002, and signed on as a Gibson signature artist the following year. The Tom DeLonge ES-333 was discontinued in 2012.

Last week, after months of speculation, Blink-182 officially announced their reunion with Tom DeLonge, and dropped Edging, their first song as a trio in 10 years.

Shortly after the announcement, DeLonge penned a statement on social media thanking Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba for playing guitar with Blink in his absence.

“I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band alive and thriving in my absence,” he wrote. “I think you are enormously talented (I still love to listen to your band to this day).

“You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed.”

He continued: “Emotions between the three of us in Blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day. So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

And it seems there’s no animosity from Skiba’s side, either. In a new statement on social media, the guitarist congratulates his “homies” Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker on their “triumphant” reunion.

“I’m sure there’s a joke in here about releases and happy endings I’m missing but I am truly grateful for my time with Blink and I am truly happy you guys are a band and a family again. Thanks to the band and all the Blink fans for having me.”

Matt Skiba played with Blink-182 for seven years since 2015 when DeLonge departed due to contention within the band, and recorded two albums with Hoppus and Barker: California (2016) and Nine (2019).

But despite the conflict they once shared, DeLonge reached out last year when Hoppus was diagnosed with cancer. 

“When he came out with cancer, it was like nothing else mattered,” he told Guitar World. “I just wanted to be there, human-to-human.”

“I just wanted to be there as a friend, honestly, like a brother. Yeah, we’ve argued over the years and stuff, but right now who the fuck cares about any of that? All I want to do is ask him, ‘What do you need and how can I help your journey right now?’”

Blink-182’s forthcoming global tour will commence in March 2023 and run until February 2024, with legs in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America. Support will come from Turnstile, Rise Against, The Story So Far and Wallows.

The band will also release a new album next year, though its title and release date are yet to be confirmed.

After months of rumors, Blink-182’s classic lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker have announced their reunion, heralding the news with new music and a mammoth global tour.

The band will hit North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America, beginning March 2023 and running through February 2024, with support acts including Turnstile, Rise Against, The Story So Far and Wallows.

A new single, Edging, drops this Friday (October 14), with a new album set to follow next year. It marks the first new music from the band since 2011’s Neighborhoods.

You can hear a snippet of the new track in Blink’s typically tongue-in-cheek teaser, which is potentially NSFW, depending on your colleagues’ sense of humor.

Blink-182’s last reunion ended acrimoniously in 2015 following friction with DeLonge, and two albums with his replacement, Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, followed: 2016’s California and 2019’s Nine.

The course of Blink’s career changed once again when DeLonge reconnected with Hoppus last year, following the bass player’s cancer diagnosis.

“Mark and I have a long history,” DeLonge told Guitar World in 2021. “When he came out with cancer, it was like nothing else mattered. I just wanted to be there, human-to-human.

“I just wanted to be there as a friend, honestly, like a brother. Yeah, we’ve argued over the years and stuff, but right now who the fuck cares about any of that? All I want to do is ask him, ‘What do you need and how can I help your journey right now?’”

Tickets for Blink-182’s reunion shows go on sale Monday, October 17 at 10am at blink182.com. The extensive full run of shows is listed below.

Latin America (+ with support from Wallows)

• March 11 – Tijuana, MX – Imperial GNP (Festival)
• March 14 – Lima, Peru – Estadio San Marcos+
• March 17-19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lollapalooza Argentina (Festival)
• March 17-19 – Santiago, Chile – Lollapalooza Chile (Festival)
• March 21-22 – Asuncion, Paraguay – Venue TBA
• March 23-26 – Bogotá, Colombia – Estereo Picnic (Festival)
• March 24-26 – São Paulo, Brazil – Lollapalooza Brasil (Festival)
• March 28 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes+
• April 1-2 – Monterrey, MX – Venue TBA

North America (* with support from Turnstile)

• May 4 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center*
• May 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center*
• May 9 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena*
• May 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*
• May 12 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre*
• May 16 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse*
• May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena*
• May 19 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
• May 20 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena*
• May 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden*
• May 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
• May 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center*
• May 26 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Arena*
• May 27 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium*
• Jun 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center*
• Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Banc of California Stadium*
• Jun 20 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena*
• Jun 22 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center*
• Jun 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
• Jun 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
• Jun 27 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
• Jun 29 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place*
• Jun 30 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome*
• Jul 3 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena*
• Jul 5 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center*
• Jul 7 – Austin, TX – Moody Center*
• Jul 8 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center*
• Jul 10 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena*
• Jul 11 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena*
• Jul 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena*
• Jul 14 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center*
• Jul 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

Europe (with support from The Story So Far)

• Sep 2 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro^
• Sep 4 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena^
• Sep 5 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena^
• Sep 8 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis^
• Sep 9 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena^
• Sep 12 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena^
• Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena^
• Sep 14 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum^
• Sep 16 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena^
• Sep 17 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena^
• Sep 19 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena^
• Sep 20 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle^
• Oct 2– Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena^
• Oct 3 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Centre^
• Oct 4 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi^
• Oct 6 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena^
• Oct 8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome^
• Oct 9 – Paris, France – Accor Arena^
• Oct 11 – London, UK – The O2^
• Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena^
• Oct 15 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena^
• Oct 21 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival

2024 Australia/New Zealand (! with support from Rise Against)

• Feb 9 – Perth, Western Australia – RAC Arena!
• Feb 11 – Adelaide, South Australia – Entertainment Centre!
• Feb 13 – Melbourne, Victoria – Rod Laver Arena!
• Feb 16 – Sydney, New South Wales – Qudos Bank Arena!
• Feb 19 – Brisbane, Queensland – Entertainment Centre!
• Feb 23 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena!
• Feb 26 – Christchurch, NZ – Christchurch Arena!

Mark Hoppus has dispelled rumors that Tom DeLonge is rejoining Blink-182.

Said rumors began circulating when DeLonge earlier this week posted a ‘90s-era photo of Blink-182 on Instagram – with him alongside his then-bandmates Hoppus and Travis Barker – and updated his bio to read: “I make music [in] Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves.”

To further give credence to the rumors of a reunion of Blink’s classic lineup, Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba – who has played with Blink since 2015 – said on Instagram last month that he was unsure whether he was still a member of the band.

Responding to a fan who commented on one of his posts: “You guys think he is still in Blink? No Blink content here and the Blink guys don’t post pictures [with] Matt,” Skiba wrote, “Your guess is as good as mine. Regardless, I am very proud of and thankful for my time with Blink-182. We shall see…”

But now, Mark Hoppus has addressed the rumors on his Discord server, writing: “There is no news to share. There is no announcement. Today is thirty years of Blink-182!”

He continues: “If and when Blink has any announcement about anything, you will hear it from the official Blink-182 outlets. Not teased on a radio station like, ‘Tune in for a major announcement… Tom tagged Mark in a photo from two decades ago.”

He adds that Blink-182 “will tour again and when it’s booked and confirmed we’ll announce it.”

So while Hoppus hasn’t definitively stated that a Hoppus/DeLonge/Barker Blink reunion will never happen, it’s safe to assume that it isn’t on the cards, at least for now.

Back in 2019, DeLonge told Rolling Stone [per Blabbermouth] that he believes “there will be a time, absolutely, that we play together”.

“We all love each other and care about each other,” he said. “We don’t always see eye to eye. I think people see the differences in our art. I love seeing how they’ve evolved and what they’re doing. I think when people look at Angels & Airwaves and what I’m doing, they can tell the differences.

“And sometimes it’s hard when you’re all trying to paint the same painting. And every once in a while, I like to see what the painting will be if I do it a different way. Off to the side. I think there’s a healthy respect for everyone to be able to paint their own paintings.”

Tom DeLonge departed pop-punk icons Blink-182 in 2015 in order to spend more time with his family, focus on his other band Angels & Airwaves, and “to change the world” for his kids.

But clues on the guitarist’s Instagram page strongly suggest that he’s made a return to the band.

The first is a new post published on July 31, which shows a ‘90s-era Blink-182 photo – with DeLonge alongside his then-bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker. With this, and the fact his Instagram bio now reads: “I make music [in] Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves”, we’d say the evidence is strong that a reunion of some kind might be on the cards.

DeLonge’s bio is notable as he doesn’t list his previous projects including Box Car Racer – his side project with Travis Barker – suggesting the band names featured are only those he’s currently active with.

To further build the case of an imminent Blink-182 reunion, Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba – who has served with Blink since 2015, appearing on 2016’s California and 2019’s Nine – wrote on Instagram last month that he wasn’t sure whether he was still part of the band.

In response to a fan who commented on one of his posts: “You guys think he is still in Blink? No Blink content here and the Blink guys don’t post pictures [with] Matt,” Skiba replied, “Your guess is as good as mine. Regardless, I am very proud of and thankful for my time with Blink-182. We shall see…”

DeLonge’s return is also hinted at by the band’s upcoming Funko Pop! collaboration celebrating their 30th anniversary – which features the guitarist as one of three collectible figures.

And in 2019, DeLonge told Kerrang! that reuniting with his former bandmates would never be off the table.

“Trust me – I love Blink and it’s given me everything in my life,” he said. “And, you know, I plan on doing it in the future.”

When Guitar World puts it to Tom DeLonge that the new Angels & Airwaves record, titled Lifeforms and set for release later this month, is easily their most sonically and tonally expansive music to date, he seems genuinely pleased and nods back in wholehearted agreement.

“Thank you so much,” he smiles, talking to us from his car while parked under a palm tree on a warm summer’s day. “We were really trying, you know. It was a big collaboration and a long effort to get here, but I think we have a really diverse palette on this album. I’m excited for people to hear it… it’s a very different album for our band. All I’m really after right now is sounding more unpredictable!”

Before exploring the music heard on their sixth full-length, we take a moment to point out how excited fans were to see him reunite with ex-bandmate Mark Hoppus on his After School Radio podcast. 

The Blink-182 singer/bassist had revealed he was undergoing treatment for cancer back in June and surprised listeners with the special guest for his podcast’s 50th episode, in which the pair discussed UFOs, dick jokes and everything in between… 

“Mark and I have a long history,” explains DeLonge. “When he came out with cancer, it was like nothing else mattered. I just wanted to be there, human-to-human. The cool thing is that it looks like the chemo is totally working, which is fucking awesome. Not like working a little bit, it’s literally eradicating this cancer from his body. 

“It’s the best scenario, but it’s still crazy hard for him because it’s chemotherapy – which we all know is difficult from TV or having people we care about going through it. 

“So he’s not celebrating. He’s trying to finish up his treatments and he has good days and bad days. I just wanted to be there as a friend, honestly, like a brother. Yeah, we’ve argued over the years and stuff, but right now who the fuck cares about any of that? All I want to do is ask him, ‘What do you need and how can I help your journey right now?’”

It’s great that you’ve reconnected. So, back to Lifeforms, what kind of guitar gear are we hearing on the album?

“It’s so funny these days because everything’s in the computer now. I used to write songs on the acoustic guitar and then teach that to the band members – this is going back to the Blink days – and then you’d all learn it together in a room. And then you’d go into the studio, where they would have analog tape recording, and you’d have to know the songs really well. You’d have to go play them in an assembly line as quick and fast as you can. 

“But nowadays it’s all in the computer. We move really fast when we’re doing the demo songwriting process. Over time, you start to bend it and tweak it. I never really know what’s being dialed in these days. 

“I used to say, ‘I need this to be a Vox mixed with a Marshall’ or ‘we need to use this particular delay pedal!’ or some shit, but now it’s always different and unique. David [Kennedy, guitars/synths] will then hand it over to Ilan [Rubin, drums] who will take some of that stuff, change it up and do something different.”

And naturally, it ended up being a really collaborative writing process?

“Yeah! Once we decide on what the song’s going to be like, we’ll jump in and start recording new tracks. And I’m not sure of what our co-producer Aaron [Rubin], Ilan’s brother, is choosing at that point, because he’s re-amping certain things.

“Then before we go out on tour, Aaron will start preparing the sounds on Axe-Fx for when we play live… and I don’t even know what he’s choosing on that thing to match the tones on the record. It’s a hard discussion because it’s so different to what I’m used to, but we just kinda landed in this process. 

“Normally when we write the songs, I know I’m after a British punk tone, something that’s cleaner and big-sounding with more clarity, usually a Vox or Hiwatt or an Orange.

“We used my hollowbody guitar a lot, the Gibson ES-333 with the humbucker. But by the time I hand the music over to Ilan, fuck! Knowing him, it’s probably old Les Pauls and weird stuff – well, Les Pauls aren’t weird, but I just mean shit I don’t use. 

“It’s always about the tool that fits the job. I think these discussions are going to stop… we’re going to slowly stop talking about particular pieces of gear because so much is in the computer. It’s like, ‘Fuck man, this thing’s infinite!’

You also had a signature Strat back in the day – with just one humbucker, a Seymour Duncan Invader, in the bridge. Do you still keep one around?

“I have one in the studio. We’ve never really grabbed it for recording because that Invader pickup is perfect for a young punk-rock guitar player that only knows three chords. It’s just really distorted… and great for turning up all the gain and making a bunch of noise. It can hide the fact you’re not playing too well! 

“But to record with it is the worst, because it’s just a bunch of low frequencies and a bunch of really high frequencies with nothing in the middle, which is where all of the guitar notes are supposed to live. It’s not the best guitar for tone, but it’s an amazing pickup and guitar to use for simpler stuff.”

The second track on the new album, Euphoria, has some near-metallic weight in places...

“I always thought Metallica needed more balls [laughs]. So I put this song out to try and help them get some new ideas. All of their songs are so fluffy, like Master Of Puppets and shit. This was my way of showing them how it’s done.

“It’s funny, I do actually really like Metallica, like most people. But I don’t listen to much metal at all, or any to be honest – I grew up really into punk rock. In that scene there are a few different branches off that tree and one of them is hardcore, which is basically a punk’s version of speed metal with different values injected into it. 

“After hardcore had been around for a while, it split off into other things and there was this post-hardcore movement with heavy fast screamy songs that would then slow down into half-time. I always really loved that stuff. A lot of it had screamy vocals but not all of it...”

And which were your favorite bands? 

“I loved bands like Fugazi, Quicksand and CIV – the singer of the Gorilla Biscuits who did a project under his own name – they were playing this amazing style of music that hadn’t been exploited that much. It was really heavy but also melodic and clever, and people would really respond to it when they hear it. 

“Me and David fucked around a lot with that style in a band called Box Car Racer. That was us showing people what we were into… and we still are into, there’s just not that many bands that do it. 

“I remember when we released Euphoria as a single, it really galvanized people around this sound – really heavy riffs alongside things that were really melodic. You don’t hear it that often. Usually when people play heavy, it’s a lot screamier and darker. I think it’s really interesting to mix pop-punk sensibilities with post-hardcore. Sorry if that’s a long answer to describe one song!”

Spellbound, on the other hand, feels more like something Depeche Mode might come up with...

“It’s cool you say that… I really try to create music that reflects what I’m a fan of. I grew up with new wave and punk rock – that was my life. A lot of new wave bands were punk bands that got their first keyboard. 

“New Order didn’t know what they were doing. If you listen to their songs, it’s like one finger on the keyboard at a time! And I love that. It’s punk, like the Ramones on synthesizer. A lot of that stuff came from punks getting into electronics… at least the good new wave bands that I was into, and I only liked the good ones. 

“Depeche Mode are a huge, huge influence on me. They’re a top-five band, up there with The Cure. And this song was me trying to figure out how to celebrate that fandom. They’re fucking incredible. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to create organic, from-scratch synth tones with layered chord progressions and still have that arena-rock sensibility. It was so dark and twisted but dance-y.” 

Though they’re not thought of as a guitar band, Martin Gore has always found interesting ways to mix guitars into electronic sounds...

“People might think it’s just electronic dance music, but they’re forgetting you still have to go into the studio and open up the computer to a blank screen. You have nothing. And try to write Blasphemous Rumours or one of those big hits! It’s not easy. They were doing that shit in the '80s and they’re still doing it now. 

“The only other band that I think is that good at creating synth stuff is Nine Inch Nails. Or maybe at times Radiohead, but I don’t like their songs that much... I like some a lot but not all of it. 

“Spellbound is all about my love for Depeche Mode, for sure. I could walk through most songs and tell you exactly what I’m celebrating and where. I’m doing this for me, hoping people like it. But really I’m just a fan, sat there wondering, ‘What it would sound like if we wrote a song like The Who?’”

You've written a fair few anthems over the years. What do you think your biggest hits have in common when it comes to songwriting, keys or arrangement?

“That’s a good question. I guess it boils down to me knowing everyone loves dick jokes. It’s a weakness and a burden [laughs]. Seriously though, I’d say it all comes down to cadence and simplicity. It’s all about the melody for me, whether that’s on a guitar or vocal line. 

“It’s always about the rhythm. Shakespeare always had that rhythm. You’d read a Shakespeare play – or listen to somebody read it, because I didn’t fuckin’ read it – but you’d hear that cadence in the writing. He doth come over and stab me and he stabs me as he doth come over! It kinda goes and flows and rhymes, almost like he’s rapping. That’s the genius of Shakespeare...”

We weren’t expecting this conversation to go there, to be perfectly honest!

“I only know this because one of the books I put out was with a Shakespeare professor – he’s at the University of North Carolina and we talk from time to time. I started to gain more of an understanding. Like, you can get a doctorate in Shakespeare now because it’s that fuckin’ gnarly… whatever that guy did was gnarly! 

“What I’m trying to do is live in that world where the words I say and riffs I play have that simple cadence and simplicity, rolling off the tongue or frets. I think that’s the one thing I’m always trying to do. 

“I might sing something and think my pattern is three notes too many, and suddenly my sentences in the chorus will feel rhythmic, tribal and easy to understand. It’s all about nursery rhymes for me. 

“I always feel like there’s a way of making things interesting without taking away the simplicity – I guess that’s why our songs are getting more diverse. So the one thing all my biggest songs share in common is that process of simplification. And taking my time! You might think something is so fucking cool but nine months later you might feel annoyed by it.”

So you find keeping some distance between the writing stage and release helps, just to be triple-sure it’s up to scratch?

“Some people don’t wait long enough. They’ll record in three months and they’re done, then six months later they hate whatever riff they wrote. It might have had too many notes or didn’t need to come in a second time or whatever, and it would have been so much better. That’s why I take longer to record – those kinds of awakenings seem to happen a year later.

“Making a movie is the same: you keep editing and editing and after months you’ve shortened all the scenes down to just the most important words and scenes to push the story forward. It’s way more impactful if it’s simple and not done in vain. I don’t live by this rule all the time – every once in a while I like a long intro! [laughs]”

A lot of guitarists might think pop-punk isn’t really all that challenging – though it would be fair to say the majority of them haven’t tried picking at full speed for two hours straight like you have at points in your career...

“Playing fast is not easy. Especially doing it good and doing it for hours. You want to know the secret? It’s all about masturbating. That’s the only one way to do it and if you don’t masturbate, you can’t play punk rock [laughs]. 

“I grew up as a fan of the Descendents and their records are still so relevant today, so fast and so riffy. I’d play along to that stuff and try to get better. Thank god for the click track, because we used to not have them in Blink and Travis would go into mark 200. I just could not keep up – it was insane. 

“Working with a click track is easier because it tells everyone not to go faster than that little click in their ear because my arm can’t go any faster and will fall off.

“It’s funny, Ilan is an infinitely better guitar player than I am. He just shreds: he can play any Beatles, Zeppelin or Queen song. But he came to a Blink show some years ago and was laughing to me afterwards saying, ‘Fuck man, you’re really good at that fast picking stuff!’ 

“I think for the first time I got a little respect from him about my guitar playing, because I could do the one thing he couldn’t, which is strum really fuckin’ fast. He grew up playing more soulful shit like Zeppelin, and I could never play that stuff. It was his way of saying, ‘You got me on that thing!’ and I was stoked, thinking to myself, ‘Got you, motherfucker!’”

You’ve been very busy outside of music with various books and films, plus your UFO research organization, To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science. We noticed that the UFO footage you leaked in 2017 ended up getting confirmed and released by the Pentagon two years later. How much more is out there? 

“Oh man, there’s a lot. This whole album and the movie we’re putting out, called Monsters of California, jumps into a lot of this stuff. We want to put things out there for people to chew on and digest. The US government is super-active when it comes to UFOs – they have been since the mid-'40s, maybe even a few years earlier. 

“They keep it really quiet while they try to figure out all the issues that come along with it. As far as videos, data and evidence, there is so much you wouldn’t be able to understand. People wouldn’t be able to grasp it. And what we had was just from one little program out of the trillions they spend every year. 

“They spend about $700 billion on defense every year in the US, but that’s not really all the money, because a lot of it they don’t put out the numbers for. Think of how much money is getting spent there – and in so many different institutions, from Homeland Security to the Army and Air Force. 

“They all have their own sensors, people and pilots. There’s also satellite and geo-spatial agencies who map the typography of the earth. And all of them are catching shit all the time.” 

That, um, sounds ominous, to say the least...

“Where we got our videos from, the ones we put out – well, they had 26. And that was one very small branch of a bigger tree. Some of the videos have UFOs 10 feet away from the F/A-18, tracking them for 20 minutes and it’s all on camera! The UFO’s going 600 miles an hour, the pilot’s freaking out screaming and this thing is just scanning the plane for a whole 20 minutes. 

“We almost got that one out, but there were some higher-ups at the Pentagon who were really pissed when they found out these were getting declassified [laughs]. Yeah… there’s a lot more out there, for sure!”

• Angels & Airwaves' Lifeforms is out on September 24 via Rise Records. The band tour the US from September 29 – see Bandsintown for full dates.

ArtReach has announced its upcoming Guitar Art auction – an event that will see the sale of 32 wild electric guitars, acoustic guitars and bass guitars custom-crafted by an array of renowned musicians and artists.

Comprising a number of familiar models –  including Fender Stratocasters, Jazzmasters and Telecasters, as well as Jackson and Gretsch guitars – the lineup boasts an assortment of one-of-a-kind axes that will be auctioned off in aid of the ArtReach's mission to promote art education.

Tom DeLonge and Jason Mraz spearhead the musicians department, with the Blink-182 six-stringer treating his “To the Stars” Gretsch Electromatic Rat Rod to an off-the-chains body art, featuring hand-drawn sketches and scrawls.

Mraz, on the other, hand opted for a more cosmic theme, with his “Use Your Super Powers For Good” Fender CD-60 Dreadnought sporting an out-of-this-world constellation-inspired pattern and emphatic, motivational text.

Of course, this merely scratches the surface. There are still 30 other axes making up the roster, with artist Don Masse’s “Zigs and Zags” Tele and Yesica Corral’s bombastic “Under your eyes” Jackson Dinky 7-string standing out as notable highlights.

Other models worth an honorable mention include Bailey Olson’s super-floral “The Sound of San Diego Strat”, Carolyn Johnson’s wavy “Scared Sounds” Jackson Dinky and Brent Hollingworth’s nautical “Ocean Emanation” Fender Redondo Player acoustic.

A helping of basses are also available, headed up by the gorgeously composed “Through Her Eyes” Squier Jazz Bass composed by Galina Marcus, which features an intricate portrait of the Indian god, Shiva.

Each artist involved in the project went to town on their respective guitar-based canvases, before the new-look components were intricately pieced back together by Californian luthier shop James Hood Guitar Repair.

The process ensures that, not only do these fancy-looking models look the part, but they also still operate as fully functional instruments. 

Bidding for some of the models will begin at the modest sum of $500, and proceeds will go directly towards supporting ArtReach’s initiative to provide free and low-cost art programs for young people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to visual arts opportunities.

The auction commenced on Wednesday (September 1) and will run until October 30. As an added bonus, the catalog will be shown off in its entirety at San Diego's Mission Fed ArtWalk in the Piazza della Famiglia on October 2 and 3.

To browse the collection or place a bid, head over to ArtReach.

Tom DeLonge has become the latest guitarist to partner with Reverb.com for an online store of their used gear.

The Official Tom DeLonge Reverb Shop is set to launch March 24, featuring a wealth of equipment used on various Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves albums and tours, including guitar amps, pedals, keyboards and synthesizers.

The 100-plus-item store includes Marshall JMP-1 and Mesa/Boogie TriAxis preamps – both of which were used by DeLonge for nearly 15 years, and were relied heavily upon by Blink-182 producer Jerry Finn.

“A lot of these still have the original settings for the songs they were used on,” DeLonge says.

Other items include seven MXR EVH-117 Flanger pedals and five Fulltone Full-Drive 2 Mosfet overdrive pedals – used when DeLonge switched to a Vox AC30 and Fender Twin amp rig during Blink-182's 2009 tour – and over a dozen tour-used road cases.

Other non-guitar-related items featured on the store include several synthesizers – one of which still has Angels & Airwaves presets – and two Roland Fantom X6 workstation keyboards that were used on every Angels & Airwaves recording and tour up until 2011.

“Over the years I’ve collected so much music gear used on different albums and tours, that now I am overflowing with this stuff,” DeLonge says. “I need space for the next Angels & Airwaves run so that we can rehearse, do our stretching, hug and kiss each other, and all that other shit we have to do. 

“I want to pass this stuff on, and I’m thankful to be partnering with Reverb to do this. This gear has done so much for me and gave me a chance to bring my art to so many people. 

“I really hope it can be used by somebody with the same aspirations I once held as a young musician. These are the kinds of tools that can take a musician from a bedroom, to a garage, and to the stage.”

For more information on the Official Tom DeLonge Reverb Shop – and to be notified when it goes live – head to Reverb.com.

Ernie Ball recently premiered the latest episode of String Theory, starring Tom DeLonge, which you can watch above.

A web series created by Ernie Ball, String Theory explores the sonic origins of influential and innovative musicians. In the episode, DeLonge discusses early inspirations, his creative process, how he gets his signature tone with Ernie Ball electric guitar strings, and much more. 

Here are five facts revealed in the episode.

1. DeLonge’s guitar style was developed in large part from being the only guitar player in Blink-182 (2:00): “I try to incorporate riffs that have resonating notes and things that are happening behind the riff because I wanted it to sound like a rhythm guitar.” 

2. Angels & Airwaves might sound much different from Blink-182, but DeLonge’s playing hasn’t changed much (3:06): “When I created Angels & Airwaves, I didn’t change the style of guitar I was playing. Literally I played the same way but I was adding effects to it that made those riffs sound different. Because I all I wanted was something that sounded like it was echoing over a large place. So I put echoes on everything.”

3. The songs, however, have (3:40): “The songs have changed because guitar isn’t always the only featured thing in it. Like I’ll listen to Sigur Ros and I’ll say that’s a cool world. That song lives in a world, and what the drums are doing and what the synthesizers are doing and what the vocals are doing creates this kind of planet and I want to create a song like that planet."

4. He puts being a musician into two categories (4:57): “You create the art, and the second category is you communicate the art. And they’re both difficult to do because creating the art is a year-long process in the studio and the big kind of win at the end is when you get to play it. The second part of it is, okay, now you’ve gotta go communicate it. Now you’ve gotta get onstage and play it. You have to show people how you mean it. Like if you just go up there and look at the floor and play it then that’s telling people that’s how you feel about your own song. I think it’s a big deal to go out there and give it everything you’ve got.”

5. He really, really likes space (10:53): When I did the space thing I think people were like, ‘Okay that’s his thing, He’s into space, he’s going to make a space-punk band.’ But then I left to go create a real aerospace company and I think people were like, ‘Wow, he really does like space!’ ”

For the latest on Ernie Ball, visit ernieball.com.

If you've been following the news over the past week, you might have heard about the uncovering of a certain government program, one seemingly straight out of a Hollywood script.

Politico and The New York Times simultaneously published extensive reports detailing the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program, a secret Pentagon project with the stated purpose of looking into the national security implications of reports of unidentified flying objects, known popularly as UFOs.

The program—which was begun by former Nevada Senator Harry Reid and given bi-partisan blessing by former Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye and former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens—was confirmed by the Pentagon to have existed between 2007 and "in the 2012 time frame."

The initiative was run by a career intelligence officer by the name of Luis Elizondo, who raised a few eyebrows when he resigned from the government in October, claiming that the project was not being taken seriously. Upon his return to the private sector, Elizondo took up employment with a company called To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences. The co-founder of this company? Former Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge.

DeLonge, who left Blink-182 in 2015, has long been noted for his interest in all things extraterrestrial. An interview—from sometime in the early oughts, and recently uncovered by Billboard—shows DeLonge passionately discussing a friend who supposedly spent years talking to government employees who had UFO encounters. He also shows the (unidentified) interviewer his personal collection of videotaped UFO testimonies.

In a February 2015 interview with Papermag, DeLonge seemed to imply that he had made contact with aliens himself.

Now, the connection between him and the Pentagon isn't merely a case of "Six Degrees of former Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge." To The Stars says it has "mobilized a team of the most experienced, connected and passionately curious minds from the US intelligence community, including the CIA and Department of Defense, that have been operating under the shadows of top-secrecy for decades."

These team members, the mission statement posits, "All share a common thread of frustration and determination to disrupt the status quo, wanting to use their expertise and credibility to bring transformative science and engineering out of the shadows and collaborate with global citizens to apply that knowledge in a way that benefits humanity."

A bit of a step up from asking "is it cool if I hold your hand?," eh?

Both the Politico and New York Times reports went on to cite To The Stars' analysis of one of the report's most attention-grabbing finds, a video—released by the Department of Defense and taken from the cockpit of a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet—that shows an unidentified flying object.

DeLonge, for his part, remained focused on the future upon the publication of the reports and the video.

“All the things (people have) heard about and seen are the first step of 20," DeLonge told The New York Daily News. “There's a lot more shit coming.”

Ernie Ball: The Pursuit of Tone, a fascinating new AT&T original documentary series, has featured a lineup of iconic rock and roll songwriters and guitarists including Buddy Guy, Mike Ness, Billy Duffy and Hunter Hayes.

As we already mentioned, Tom DeLonge was announced as the focus of the series’ next episode – and we’ve got an exclusive preview video to give you a taste for what’s in store.

In the clip below, Delonge discusses the sonic evolution from his Fender guitar heard on Blink-182’s early recordings, to the custom Gibson ES-335 he uses today.

The full episode, which airs Friday, taps into a topical story with DeLonge – one of alt rock and punk's most interesting and polarizing voices – and he in turn opens up about his career. A wide variety of topics are covered, including stories behind DeLonge’s early influences in the San Diego skate scene, to his evolution from Blink-182 to Box Car Racer and Angels & Airwaves, as well as his expansion to new forms of media including novels, feature film and animation.

You can watch Ernie Ball: The Pursuit of Tone featuring Tom DeLonge this Friday, August 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on DirecTV channel 239 / AT&T U-Verse channel 114.

Find out more about the series at ernieball.com/thepursuitoftone.

DeLonge's custom Gibson ES-335:

Ernie Ball: The Pursuit of Tone, a fascinating new AT&T original documentary series, has featured a lineup of iconic rock and roll songwriters and guitarists including Buddy Guy, Mike Ness, Billy Duffy and Hunter Hayes.

Tom DeLonge was recently announced as the focus of the series’ next episode, and you can watch the trailer below to get a preview of what’s in store.

Recognized as one of alternative rock’s most influential guitarists and songwriters, DeLonge is an award-winning musician, producer and director, best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the platinum-selling bands Blink-182, Box Car Racer and Angels & Airwaves.

Over more than two decades and 25 million albums, DeLonge’s guitar tone and riff-driven style has become one of the genre’s most identifiable, combining melodic and intricate riffs and roaring overdrive with ambient soundscapes and soaring delays to craft explosive anthemic soundtracks that are undeniably the sound of California punk and alternative rock.

Watch Ernie Ball: The Pursuit of Tone featuring Tom DeLonge August 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on DirecTV channel 239 / AT&T U-Verse channel 114.

Tom DeLonge embraces the realm of infinite possibilities and becomes master of his domain on Angels and Airwaves’ ambitious new album, I-Empire.

“I’m a pretty creative fellah,” says Angels and Airwaves leader Tom DeLonge. “I hope people keep underestimating me so I can continue to do some good shit.”

It’s a strange kind of boast, both confident and self-deprecating at the same time. Certainly, no one would underestimate DeLonge’s ability to write hit songs, at least not anyone who was around to witness the rise of DeLonge’s former band, Blink-182, to late-Nineties pop-punk supremacy and multi-Platinum status. But the Blink legacy carries with it an image of perpetual goofball adolescence. And DeLonge has been trying to shake that off ever since the 2005 launch of Airwaves and Angels’ debut album, We Don’t Need to Whisper.

Tom DeLonge MkII is a visionary, a wide-eyed idealist with a view of infinite human potential that embraces politics, spirituality, science and technology. The Airwaves and Angels sound is every bit as ambitious and epic, and that sound reaches its most expansive expression yet on the new A&A album, I-Empire (Geffen). It’s a dazzling digital edifice built of ringing, whooshing and whirling guitars manned by DeLonge and coguitarist David Kennedy, who soar above a massive, rock-solid foundation laid down by drummer Atom Willard and new bassist Matt Wachter.

“I definitely always have the whole sonic spectrum filled up,” DeLonge says. “We’ll record the rhythm guitars and I’ll say, ‘Something needs to happen on the high end.’ So we might put on a chiming guitar or a bell-like synth sound. We always try to make sure that every little pocket of the sonic spectrum is filled up with something. A lot of times it’s guitar, because I’m a guitar player.”

What hasn’t changed since the days of Blink is DeLonge’s winning way with pop choruses and hooks. I-Empire’s gloriously melodic, anthemic refrains are peppered with those plaintive catches that melt the hearts of punk rock girls while they appeal to the boys’ sensitive side. DeLonge’s panoramic aural and philosophical outlook is deftly encapsulated in I-Empire’s first single, the relentlessly upbeat “Everything’s Magic.” That song, and indeed all of I-Empire, was recorded in DeLonge’s hometown of San Diego, California.

“This time we moved into a rehearsal studio and made it into a recording studio,” he says. “It had 18-foot-high walls that we covered with images of starscapes and black holes. So this time it was like we actually were in space. We had an extremely galactic vibe.”

So please join Guitar World now for a far-out journey to the center of Tom DeLonge’s mind.

GUITAR WORLD You’ve said that you see this new album as a continuation of the first one.

TOM DELONGE Definitely. When I created the band, we had all these high ideals and motivations for what we were doing. We felt that if we did something with a deep philosophical context to it, it would mean more to us and the listener. So it’s all about the idea that if you can see yourself infinitely, you can affect change in the world. The first album tried to communicate that. And this second album is about enacting that change and personifying that idea within your own life. That’s what the title I-Empire means. The cover artwork is a guy on a bike juxtaposed with this endless highway. He’s moving on this machine and he’s claiming the territory, the world, for his own. It’s his own personal empire that exists inside him and inside all of us.

GW What were your influences for the concepts behind these albums?

DELONGE I’m a political buff. I read a lot of books on policy. I also read a lot of New Age books and spiritualism: the workings of the universe, which it seems a lot of people are interested in these days. And I’m enamored of science fiction movies, like the old Stanley Kubrick film [2001: A Space Odyssey]. A movie just came out called Sunshine. It was directed by the same guy [Danny Boyle] who did Trainspotting, and it feels like what 2001 must have felt like when it first came out in 1968. Amazing movie. Basically, [Sunshine] says that space is truly infinite, so there’s infinite possibility. That’s what’s so cool about science fiction: you can create anything you want that’s happening out in the far reaches of space and it probably is happening somewhere, because space is infinite. Everything could be happening; everything is happening. That’s the beauty of understanding the physics of the universe. “Infinite” means there is no beginning and no end, and we know space is like that. So that means everything that is possible is happening right now. I really like those ideas. They keep me moving when things get tough.

GW Lyrically, the song “Secret Crowds” seems to be the centerpiece of the album—the song that lays out the big thematic issues.

DELONGE Absolutely. Thank you for saying that. Everyone should notice that early on. [quoting lyric:] “If I had my own world I would build you an empire.” That sums up the whole thing. The song is epic and aloft with romanticism at the same time. Because if you were to have your own world, you’d build much of it for someone you care about. So that song is a force to be reckoned with sonically: gigantic guitars, marching band snare drums and some beautiful melodies.

GW That is such a powerful idea: what we think of as reality is just a projection of our internal state of awareness, of consciousness, of mind.

DELONGE That’s totally it. And I think it’s the most uncool thing to sing about! But that’s what’s so punk about it. That’s what makes it so fucking cool. Because what punk band is going to come out singing about spirituality? Not many. You won’t make many friends. It’s like, “Whoa, dude, you got some balls.”

GW So if the two albums are linked, were any songs on the new album written back at the time of the first album?

DELONGE “Star of Bethlehem” and “True Love,” which are attached in this big, eight-minute, European kind of synthesized composition, were written last year, right after we finished the first record. But none of the other songs were. We might have had a chorus here or a riff there, but basically the entire album was written in the past six months.

GW Some of the songs sound like they’re based around percussion loops. Was that sometimes a starting point for you?

DELONGE Absolutely, yeah. That’s how we do things. We might put some rocks in a shoebox, shake them around and make a loop out of that. Or we’ll drop some chains on the floor or beat on the side of steel cans and create a rhythm out of that. Or we might do the same thing with a guitar or synthesizer. We just start with a noise, any kind of noise. But it never starts with jamming over a guitar riff. I ended that on the last record we did. This album was all about creating a loop or vibe that sent us off in one particular direction.

GW Were you working in Logic? Pro Tools?

DELONGE We have Pro Tools HD in the studio and we use Logic for live stuff. Pro Tools HD is the most fantastic tool in the world. I can’t believe all the bullshit I was handed so long ago that analog’s better. The digital world is such a beautiful world of possibility. There are so many options to experience or communicate your creative thought. You can dig into any tiny point of time and just work and work on it to make it unique.

GW Are you still doing a lot of guitar work yourself in the studio?

DELONGE That was largely so on the first record because it was put together with the band members coming in halfway through the process. But this record was super, super collaborative. I wrote the songs in the sense of writing the melodies and chord progressions: the major ingredients. But I definitely didn’t write the bass lines or drum parts or make all the arrangements myself. I am the producer in the sense that I’m the captain of the ship, but I can’t run the whole ship by myself.

GW What were your main guitars and amps for this project?

DELONGE You know, I have all these guitars and amps that I’ve bought. But it always comes down to the one guitar I have from Gibson, my signature model ES-333. And I use a Vox AC30 and Fender Twin in stereo; I’ve tried other things but I always end up with those two. There’s no better sound, I guess—although I do have a 1x12 Orange combo amp. I don’t know the model but it’s fucking awesome. It’s like their version of the AC30. I’ve used that a few times, too.

GW Some of the guitar tracks sound like they were processed through a synth filter envelope device. I hear something like that on the intro to “Rite of Spring,” for example.

DELONGE We probably used the Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth guitar pedal on that part. We used a lot of pedals, including a lot of MXR phasers and flangers. The delay of choice on everything is the Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, and we usually compress everything through a Line 6 Constrictor. So we absolutely use pedals everywhere. We shape the pockets with those. You get a good guitar tone, but then you throw a pedal on there to fit it into the frequencies of the song—to make it speak in the track. We sculpt sounds like crazy.

GW The flanging is nice on “Love Like Rockets.”

DELONGE I tried everything in the world to find a good flanger. I was convinced there was no good flanger. If I turn on a flanger, I wanna fucking hear it. I don’t want to hear it just kind of changing around in the background; I want to hear it really sweeping through the sound, like on an old Cure record. And finally I found the pedal that does it: the MXR EVH Eddie Van Halen flanger, which is fucking awesome. We got that halfway through the recording. So now I’ve got my flange in my toolbox.

GW There’s something very “science fiction” about flanging.

DELONGE Yeah, which is especially good for Angels and Airwaves. Everything we do is science fiction. On “Love Like Rockets,” the song you just mentioned, there are astronauts talking and [former U.S. president] Eisenhower making a speech about peace on earth. That whole song compares the first launch of the Apollo to the first kiss of a girl. It’s got this really epic, sweeping flange going around. It should feel like you’re going on the Disneyland Space Mountain ride.

GW I was wondering what those spoken-word samples were in the beginning.

DELONGE It was Eisenhower making the first speech transmitted from space, bouncing off the first [communications] satellite. He said, “Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you via a satellite circling in outer space. I’m bringing you America’s wish for peace on earth.”

GW Good old Ike.

DELONGE I know. Good old Ike. Whatever happened to those days?

GW What kind of guitar stuff was David playing on the record?

DELONGE The same gear as me. We use the same set of tools. I think the days of having so much gear and being a fucking gearhead is grandpa’s way. We don’t want to run too many things through the signal path. We want a clean signal that’s reliable and consistent. Even live, it’s one TC Electronic unit that compresses, delays and flanges. We also run Palmer Speaker Simulators that enable us to use the P.A. speakers as our guitar speaker cabinets. You see guitar cabinets onstage, but we’re plugging from the [guitar] power amps straight into the P.A. And as soon as you do that, you instantly get 6dB louder and you can hear all the flanging and stereo delay echoing left and right in the P.A. So we’re very much into using as few tools as we can but having the right ones.

GW It seems like you got more heavily into keyboards on I-Empire, too.

DELONGE Definitely. I’m a huge fan of the Roland Fantom [workstation keyboard], and we also have a new Yamaha synth that’s pretty awesome. As soon as you add a synth pad to something, it feels like the song is lifting off the ground.

GW Does Roger Manning [keyboardist with Moog Cookbook, Jellyfish and Imperial Drag] play on I-Empire, as he has on your prior discs?

DELONGE Yeah, he played on just about every song. I do my keyboard thing with two fingers, then he comes in and plays with all 10 fingers and it sounds better.

GW So Matt Wachter has come on as Angels and Airwaves’ new bass player and Ryan Sinn is out?

DELONGE That’s right. Ryan was an amazing dude and bass player but he was more of a goth-punk kid. We’re more pop-punk/modern rock kids. And Matt grew up with the same punk rock bands we did, in the exact same area of town, so it made all the sense in the world. Plus, he came from 30 Seconds to Mars, a great band that understands cinema. That’s where we’re at, too. Matt came in about a third of the way through making the album, and it put my band into overdrive. For one, the guy is a classically trained pianist. His bass parts are flawless because his timing is so impeccable. Plus, he’s a graphic artist and edits all of our short films. So he’s way beyond anything I could have hoped for.

GW Had you begun tracking with Ryan?

DELONGE No. At the point Ryan was in, we were still getting the foundations for the songs. So he didn’t do any tracking.

GW Speaking of growing up with punk rock, is “Rite of Spring” an autobiographical song?

DELONGE Completely. The inspiration came from watching a U2 video called “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.” Bono wrote this song about his father passing away. In the video he’s walking around his old town in Ireland and he goes to the house where he grew up. He’s laying on a bed in the bedroom where he grew up. He went there, knocked on the people’s door and said, “Hello, I grew up here. I’m Bono. I’m doing a music video.” How more honest can you be? To tell the truth, my song isn’t as good as his. But sonically I laid a foundation that I thought would sound like old New Order or Joy Division and wrote a really honest take on growing up, trying to make it with a guitar and a skateboard and getting kicked out of high school. What I do know is that 90 percent of the suburbanites who hear this will relate to it, because it’s a very normal story these days.

GW You really do seem to be channeling Bono a lot on this album.

DELONGE Yeah, I got a little bit of that “yo-oh-oh” vocal move going.

GW I counted it on at least three songs: “True Love,” “Lifeline” and “Rite of Spring.” And you’ve got the “Sunday Bloody Sunday” military snare drum paradiddles in “True Love,” not to mention all the chiming, Edge-influenced guitar work.

DELONGE I know. I’m guilty! What do you want me to say, man? It would be less honest for me not to acknowledge my influences, to try and hide them. But you know who my favorite frontman in the world is? David Gahan from Depeche Mode. But my favorite singer/songwriter kind of guy is definitely Bono. My coolest one is maybe Sting. I like them all for different reasons. But U2 to me are the Beatles for this generation: they have as many hits as the Beatles did, and they were just as super adventurous, but with modern technology. I’m really inspired by them as far as having a modern band approach to songwriting and stylistic diversity. The Cure were pretty essential, too, but they were more one specific kind of sound, as were Depeche Mode and the Police. But U2 have songs that are like the Cure, the Police, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash. And that’s how I approach it. Our next record will have stuff like the Beatles on it. I’m pushing Angels and Airwaves to be as ambitious as they can.

GW Were you pleased with the reception the first Angels and Airwaves album received?

DELONGE Oh yeah. I had more critical acclaim on that than anything I’d ever done. People in the rock world grow up with different influences. There are classic rock people, metalheads and punkers. But I’m a modern rock kid. I grew up with punk rock, new wave and mod kind of music. My point is that Angels and Airwaves very much sums up a modern rock view of music over the past 34 years. You’ll hear punk rock bands like the Descendents, NOFX and Bad Religion in there, but also Peter Gabriel, the Cure, the Who, New Order… It’s all in there. If you grew up listening to your modern rock station in town, you’ll probably love Angels and Airwaves. We’re bringing all those sounds into one modern package for the new kid.

GW In the past you’ve been politically engaged, another thing you share with Bono. You’ve worked for John Kerry and done things to promote alternative energy. Are you doing anything like that currently?

DELONGE Yes. I’m in the middle of launching a giant rock tour next year that will involved Angels and Airwaves with the top 25 technology companies in the world. It will basically show all of the modern world under one roof, and it will demonstrate that the future is now, and that it can be whatever you want to make it. That whole tour is going to be launched symbiotically, with a technology that should help out the music industry in an amazing way, giving bands the ability to create their own economy without the use of record labels, television and all those kind of things that can’t help us as much as they used to.

GW Can you go into more detail?

DELONGE Not now. I have no fucking clue if I can pull off this off, but I’m working on it.

GW In terms of public perception, do you think you’ve been able to put Blink-182 behind you?

DELONGE I think so. I know a lot of kids are still pissed that the group is finished. But I think that, for the most part, critics and the like are pretty excited. I’m confident that this band is good. I know what I put into both bands, and I’m really excited about proving my point. There’s so much art and passion in this. And I know it’s the best songwriting I’ve ever done.