Last spring, Fender tipped its hat to Final Fantasy, one of the most successful video games series of all time, with the Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster.
Now, the stunning, one-of-a-kind Stratocaster – previously available only in Japan – has been given a full stateside release.
Designed in collaboration with Final Fantasy developers Square Enix, the electric guitar features an alder body dressed entirely in black, with translucent sections of blue and purple “crystals” designed to mirror the games' Crystals of Darkness and Light.
It boasts a Modern C-shaped maple neck sporting a 25.5", 9.5" radius select rosewood fretboard adorned with 21 narrow tall frets. Where things get much more interesting, though, is at the 12th fret, where you'll find a custom Final Fantasy “meteor” inlay.
Sounds come by way of a trio of V-Mod Single-Coil Strat pickups, that can – aside from the usual pair of tone knobs, master volume knob and five-way blade pickup switch – be adjusted by a “limit break switch.”
A limit break switch, you ask? Well, this is a push-pull tone pot that – in a manner designed to pay tribute to the Final Fantasy games' high-power combat moves – runs the bridge and middle pickups in series for thicker, more humbucker-esque tones.
Elsewhere, the Strat boasts a six-saddle, vintage-style synchronized tremolo, a synthetic black bone nut and vintage-style tuners. All hardware is finished in
black nickel.
Other signature touches include a neck plate bearing the Final Fantasy XIV logo, and an included Fender x FFXIV vintage-style hardshell case.
As if all that wasn't enough, Fender has also released – in tandem with the Strat – an accompanying Final Fantasy XIV Crystal Shard guitar pick set. Built with crystal cuts on the sides and back for optimal grip, the pick set features five colors inspired by FFXIV's expansion packs.
The Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster is available now for $3,499, with the Crystal Shard pick set ringing up at $39.
For more info on both items, visit Fender.
