“Love at first sight”: Fender Japan drops its MIJ Hybrid II 2026 Collection – and we can’t get enough of those new finishes

Fender Japan has just dropped its MIJ Hybrid II 2026 Collection, which is headlined by some jaw-dropping finishes.

The Japanese arm of the Big F has a history of doing things differently, as the Sakura Telecaster and Starmaster prove, but while the look here is more minimalist and understated, it isn't without its charm.

These new guitars, taking in a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Jazz bass, are stunning, available in Satin Thermophile and Misty Satin variants. Choose from Matte Phantom Black, Matte Champagne Mirage, Matte AeroBlue, and Matte Inferno Red on all four models, or Pink Mist, Yellow Mist, and Blue Mist.

Based on the concept of “love at first sight,” they mix old and new, with the modern edge coming from the electronics.

They boast matte finishes and black nickel hardware, with the traditional marriage of an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard at its core. Beyond that, the electric guitars get 22 narrow-tall frets, a 9.5-inch radius for their modern C-profile necks, and vintage-styled locking tuners to boot.

Hybrid II Custom Voiced single-coil pickups are included throughout the collection for “a clear and balanced tone,” with higher output to handle modern needs. The Tele features a versatile four-way pickup switch, with the option to put the two single-coils in series for punchier output. The Jazzmaster, meanwhile, gets P-90 pickups instead.

Of course, the bridges are different across the range, with the Strat getting a vintage-styled two-point tremolo with whammy bar, the Tele a vintage-style bridge with slanted brass saddles, and a six-saddle vintage-style bridge with floating tremolo tailpiece on the Jazzmaster.

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The Jazz Bass is limited to just a four-string model, arriving with a 34" scale length, four-saddle bridge, and Hybrid II Custom Voiced Jazz Bass single-coils.

The Strat and Tele are priced at ¥176,000 (approx. $1,100) apiece, with the outlay rising to ¥185,900 (approx. $1,165) for the Jazzmaster, and ¥180,400 (approx. $1,130) for the Jazz Bass.

See Fender Japan for more.