The Latest Breaking News from Fender

“Gives you control over the relative level of the two pickups – without adding a second volume control”: Radioshop Telecaster Wiring Mod review

‘Modern’ Telecaster wiring, as it is so often called, is now 57 years old. But Radioshop Pickups has come up with a new spin, and we are very much here for it

Guitar World · Nov 1, 2024

“Right up there with the most iconic Fenders of all time… A ton of work went into this one”: The Fender Custom Shop unveils $20,000 replica of John Frusciante’s 1962 Strat, forensically replicating every ding and dent of the RHCP guitarist’s original

Masterbuilt by Paul Waller, featuring pickups hand-wound by Abigail Ybarra and an Ilitch Electronics onboard hum-cancelling system, Frusciante’s Stratocaster is the Custom Shop at the height of its powers

MusicRadar · Oct 31, 2024

“I’ve had many other Strats – I’ve never found one better than that”: John Frusciante’s first-ever Fender signature guitar is here – and it’s a $20k Custom Shop replica of his iconic 1962 Stratocaster

Fender Master Builder Paul Waller has painstakingly recreated the Red Hot Chili Peppers icon’s legendary sunburst Strat, which features all the relic’d cosmetics and electronics upgrades of the original

Guitar World · Oct 31, 2024

“When the Strat went, I couldn’t believe it. We went in to make our first album and the pickup went. I had to use the backup I kept on the side…” Tony Iommi was a Fender Stratocaster player before fate intervened – and he had to reach for his Gibson SG

Iommi went to the studio intent on recording Black Sabbath's debut album with his heavily modded Strat. Things didn't quite go according to plan...

Guitar World · Oct 29, 2024

“It was the best Fender-style neck I’d seen outside of the Custom Shop. This was the neck I’d been trying to get made all these years”: How Chapman Guitars reinvented itself with a new factory, fresh ideas and the help of industry guru Trevor Wilkinson

Teaming up with Harmony Musical Instruments in India to make their guitars, Rob Chapman's brand is ushering in a new era – and it has Trevor Wilkinson on-call as consultant

Guitar World · Oct 29, 2024

“This is the most appealing combination of sounds I’ve heard on an Acoustasonic Player model to date – but there are still caveats”: Fender FINNEAS Acoustasonic Player Telecaster review

The first Acoustasonic signature model debuts onboard chorus and a new combination of sounds with it – but can it win new guitarists to Fender's hybrid guitar?

Guitar World · Oct 28, 2024

“Over and over I would say, ‘It ain’t hitting me in the gut!’ All it took was one note... We went through 80 sets of pickups”: Eddie Van Halen details the years of onstage trials and workshop tribulations that shaped the EVH Wolfgang guitar

Back in 2009, GW sat down with a rejuvenated and re-energized Eddie Van Halen to get the full, twisty backstory of the signature model he referred to as “the culmination of 35 years of experimenting with guitars”

Guitar World · Oct 27, 2024

“A heavy, luxurious appearance”: Fender Japan doubles down on its newfound affinity for sandblasting by putting an irresistible spin on its blackout Hybrid II models

Fender's experimental branch introduced some sandblasted Hybrid II instruments earlier this year – but they've been trumped by these stealthy designs, which all flaunt that unusual finishing technique

Guitar World · Oct 25, 2024

“This was the very first electric blues track I ever felt a strong connection to”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Eric Clapton’s Stratocaster years

The blues guitar superstar and a vintage Strat from his Nerdville collection share a lesson that will make your Strat sing whether it’s a Custom Shop or a Squier

Guitar World · Oct 25, 2024

“World-class... It just feels like a vintage classic that never was”: Daniels Gravitas review

A fascinating reimagining of Gibson’s Firebird, the Gravitas sticks with vintage vibe and mojo. Oh, and that sound…

Guitar World · Oct 25, 2024