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.
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.
