“They want their fans to join them on that journey”: Fender is changing the way it approaches signature guitars – and it’s starting with a Japanese pop-rock band named after the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Fender Japan Chilli Beans. signature models.

In 1988, Fender launched its first-ever signature models for guitar heroes Yngwie Malmsteen and Eric Clapton. A lot has changed in the almost four decades since, including guitar gear tastes, retail and the place of the instrument in popular culture.

More than any other guitar company, Fender has been forthright in its attempts to diversify its artist roster and keep the guitar firmly in the wider public’s eye – the likes of Bruno Mars, Raphael Saadiq, H.E.R., Tash Sultana and Steve Lacy have all secured signature models in recent years.