Fender Japan reimagines the hits with the Active Modern series – let’s hope the US branch is taking notes

Fender Japan is continuing to set the pace for the Big F when it comes to innovation by rolling out its new Active Modern collection.

Covering two Stratocasters, a Telecaster, and a Modern Jazz Bass, the quartet introduces some choice aesthetic, functional and electronic features that would certainly be welcome additions to the US lineup.

Key among the updates is a new Turbo Tone Boost. Activated by a push/push volume knob, it smartly simulates the effect of increasing the number of windings on a single-coil. There's also a new five-bolt neck plate and neck heel design, which looks like a refinement of the American Ultra II style and a neat way to grant further access to the upper frets.

Further still, the Stratocasters and Telecasters feature body binding – a novelty especially for Strats, and a rarity among Fender's regular collection. Here's hoping some similarly styled six-strings make their way to the US lineup.

Then we have the the all-new SILENCOIL. On paper, it looks to be the same, if not incredibly similar, to the patent-pending Silent System found Pro Classic Silent series announced last month.

In practice, the SILENCOIL promises to retain the original tone of the single-coil while also ensuring noiseless operation. Expect the “delicate nuances and clear attack inherent in single coil pickups,” with some extra wiring wizardry that sends a connection from the pickup’s ground side to cancel out only the hum noise picked up by the coils.

This results, Fender Japan says, in “a clear and three-dimensional sound”. The independence of the SILENCOIL means that its noiseless benefits will be injected into new pickups, should the stock ones be replaced down the line.

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The DNA of the guitars remains defiantly Fender, with an alder body-maple neck tonewood combination at their core. The three electrics serve up rosewood fingerboards with 22 frets and abalone dot inlays, while the bass stands out with a Bluewood board. It also gets 22 frets, with a 34” scale length.

The Strats are available in SSS and HSS formats, with Two-Color Sunburst, Feather Gray, and Black finishes on offer for both. The SSS model throws in Sapphire Blue Transparent, and both cost ¥275,000 apiece. The Tele is priced the same, but drafts in a Vintage Natural look.

The bass, available in Sapphire Blue Transparent, Vintage Natural, Feather Gray, and Black, is priced at ¥275,000.

“Combining the precise craftsmanship unique to Made in Japan with modern functionality, this series inherits the traditional Fender sound while being a modern guitar for players seeking more freedom and expressive playing,” says Fender Japan.

The Fender Japan Limited Active Modern Series is available now but, as ever, is limited to a Japan-only release.

See Fender Japan for more.

Fender has been in the mood for pickup experimentation recently, with one of its 75th Anniversary Teles delivering its first-ever rail pickup.

フェンダーの日本製シリーズ『Made in Japan Limited Active Modern』 - YouTube

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