Fender Archives - Page 14

Fender continues to bring old school to the forefront with the announcement of a “Factory Special Run” of instruments with their retro Antigua finish. Introduced in the late 1960’s, the distinct color scheme was revisited in 1977 with more of a greenish shade. The new limited edition line includes both Jazz and Precision bass models. Both basses feature an alder...

The Fender Custom Shop has expanded its Artist Series instruments with the Dusty Hill Signature Precision Bass. Available in Black and Nocaster Blonde, the bass oozes old school with a road worn finish and reverse headstock. The ZZ Top bassist helped tweak the bass, which features a custom designed Seymour Duncan pickup, a custom neck shape, and rear-routed controls. The...

Bassist John Flynn shares his 1967 Fender Mustang bass with us, along with the story behind it. Fender offers up the background on the history of the bass on their website: Mustang Bass (1966-1981, 2002-). The first truly successful Fender bass that didn’t say “Precision” or “Jazz” on the headstock was 1966’s Mustang Bass. Leo Fender began development of the...

G.A.S. alert! Davey4557’s Leo Fender and the History of the Electric Bass video is one of the most watched videos in No Treble history. Davey followed up with this, what he dubs “Fender Jazz Bass: The Movie”. He breaks down the features and history of the famed Leo Fender creation. Try not to drool… it isn’t good for your computer.

Fender has introduced the 2012 line of Pawn Shop guitars, which they claim are inspired by their eccentric creations from the ’60s and ’70s and are “guitars that never were, but should have been.” Included in that lineup is the Fender Pawn Shop Reverse Jaguar Bass, an instrument that takes their classic design and flips the body as well as...

Fender has raised the bar for 2012 by upgrading their American Standard series of instruments, including the Precision and Jazz basses. The main change is the inclusion of Fender Custom Shop pickups for each model, while other slight adjustments and a new finish also help to update the line. First up, the American Standard Precision basses now feature Fender Custom...

In our last edition of Old School, we shared Mark Anderson’s 1963 Fender Shoreline Gold Precision bass. This time, we’re showcasing Fender’s Jazz bass from the same year, and specifically Jay Fortier‘s ’63 Jazz. Fender introduced the first Jazz in March, 1960, becoming the company’s second bass model after the Precision. In 1963, Fender replaced the below-string mutes with a...

Fender’s Bass Amplification group has introduced two new Bassman heads and four new cabinets in a new Pro Series. The heads include the 300-watt Super Bassman and the 100-watt Bassman 100T. Cabinets include the new Bassman 8×10 Neo, 6×10 Neo, 4×10 Neo and 1×15 Neo. Super Bassman Dubbed the “stadium-level 300-watt tube head designed for the biggest shows and the...

Fender’s Custom Shop has announced two new bass models for 2012, including the 2012 Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro and the 1961 Closet Classic Jazz Bass. Both models are built in the U.S. by Fender’s master builders. According to Fender, the Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro combines “the best of the Precision and Jazz Bass models,” which can be partly...

Fender is kicking off 2012 with the introduction of the Fender Select Series, which they describe as it’s “new top-of-the-production-line best” instruments. The series, which includes new Precision and Jazz Bass models, presents the company’s classic designs with marked upgrades like choice tone woods, quartersawn maple necks with compound-radius fretboards, and specially voiced Select pickups. The Fender Select Precision Bass...

Fender’s Musicmaster was first introduced in 1971, and in production through 1981. As with Fender’s guitar bearing the same name, the bass was a simpler version of Fender’s Mustang Bass. The Musicmaster was Fender’s budget-priced bass at the time, made from surplus parts from other Fender models. The bodies were from the Mustang production line, and 6-pole guitar pickups were...

Fender has introduced a new instrument stand designed to end the bulkiness of traditional instrument stands. The compact stand was created to be as unobtrusive as possible by folding up in two steps and weighing just a little more than the average instrument cable. The stand’s slim design fits most basses and guitars, while rubber contact points provide a strong...