Fender Archives - Page 4

Fender Japan has unveiled a new line of instruments called the Heritage Series that recreates features from the company’s past. The series was developed with Mark Kendrick, an original founding master builder of the Fender Custom Shop.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation will be getting a new change in ownership. A press release from Fender announced that longtime investor Servco Pacific, Inc. will be securing a majority stake in a purchase agreement with TPG Growth.

After teasing it for several days, Fender has unveiled the American Ultra Series, which they call their “most advanced” line of basses. The series is defined by new Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups, newly-designed body contours, and faster playing necks.

Fender has introduced two new colors to their Player Series: Silver and Capri Orange. The new hues apply to the entire mid-priced, made-in-Mexico line including the Fender Player Precision, Player Jazz Bass, and the Player Jaguar Bass.

The late Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott is being honored with a new limited edition signature bass from the Fender Custom Shop. Crafted by Master Builder John Cruz, the bass “painstakingly” recreates Lynott’s original bass in precise detail.

Fender launched nine new models to its Squier Classic Vibe series at the Summer NAMM Show. That includes four new basses: the Classic Vibe ’50s Precision, the Classic Vibe ’70s Precision, the Classic Vibe ’60s Mustang, and the Classic Vibe Jaguar.

Fender has added a new line of instruments called the Vintera series. The lineup includes vintage-style guitars and basses made in Ensenada, Baja California in Mexico that draw their features from the company’s first three decades.

Fender has unveiled a new limited edition Lightweight Ash American Professional line of instruments. The series includes a Strat, a Telecaster, and, most importantly, a Jazz Bass. Each model is built with a lightweight ash body while retaining most features from their American Professional counterpart.

Fender has more or less stuck to their two original bass models: the Precision and the Jazz. Following up on an in-depth look at the history of the Precision, Chicago Music Exchange’s Marc Stranger-Najjar digs into the evolution of the Jazz bass starting with its inception in 1960.

Fender unveiled six new effects pedals featuring original designed circuits at the 2019 Winter NAMM Show. Notable among the new stompboxes is the Downtown Express, which marks the company’s first official bass effects pedal.

Among the new releases Fender previewed at the 2019 Winter NAMM Show was the Rarities Series, which they called “an upscale, boutique series of 9 models crafted in Corona, California.” One of those nine instruments is the Rarities Flame Ash Top Jazz Bass.

Fender expanded their Rumble series of bass amplifiers this year with a new combo called the Rumble LT25 as well as the Rumble 800 Head. Each unit was debuted at the 2019 Winter NAMM Show and will be hitting the market in March.