Hollywood, CA (July 9, 2018) -- Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announced the 2018 Fender Custom Shop Mid-Year Collection and Jimmie Vaughan Signature Stratocaster debuting at Summer NAMM in Nashville, Tenn. The collection features four highly-collectible, limited-edition models with various finish options and features – all showcasing the innovative spirit of the legendary Fender Custom Shop and its builders.
The Jimmie Vaughan Signature Stratocaster, priced at $4,800.00, is representative of how Vaughan currently prepares his guitar for stage use. Throughout the design process, the Fender Custom Shop and Vaughan worked together to create new custom hand-wound JLV pickups, JLV modified #2 wiring and carefully selected colors – Aged Olympic White, Wide-Fade 2-Color Sunburst and Aged Aztec Gold. What resulted was a ‘50s-style Strat featuring a select alder body with a lush Closet Classic lacquer finish. The one-piece rift sawn maple neck has a custom “C” back shape with a 9.5-inch radius and 21 Jescar 57110 jumbo frets. A single-ply Eggshell pickguard, Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo and vintage-style tuning machines complete the package.
“We’ve had a Jimmie Vaughan artist signature model in our regular line for many years, but we thought it was time to do one in the Fender Custom Shop with updated and elevated features,” said Mike Lewis, VP, Product Development – Fender Custom Shop. “The Mid-Year Collection is yet another representation of the limitless artistry and craftsmanship arising from the Dream Factory. We’re always inventing and pushing toward innovation at the Fender Custom Shop, and our semi-annual collections are where new ideas and capabilities are born.”
A testament to the Custom Shop’s constant quest for innovation, the 2018 Mid-Year Collection takes roasted wood bodies and necks, Paisley designs and popular Artisan offerings to the next level. Each model pushes the limits of guitar building to spark inspiration for future custom guitars.
2018 Mid-Year Collection Custom-built models making their debut at Summer NAMM, include:
- 2018 LTD Artisan Maple Burl Thinline Tele - $4,850.00
- 2018 Limited Edition ‘51 HS Tele Relic - $4,050.00
- 2018 Limited Edition ‘60 Roasted Strat Heavy Relic - $4,700.00
- 2018 Limited Edition ‘68 Paisley Strat Relic - $4,500.00
2018 Fender Custom Shop Mid-Year Collection:
2018 LTD Artisan Maple Burl Thinline Tele
Elegant exotic figuring and classic Fender tone combine in the Artisan Maple Burl Tele Thinline, a stunning instrument with astounding aesthetic appointments. The rich-sounding two-piece Fiji mahogany body is topped by a 4A Flame Maple Burl top that swirls with texture that’s unique to each guitar. Crafted from 3A Birdseye maple, the “ ‘63 C”-shaped neck is ideal for any playing style, and the 9.5”-radius African blackwood fingerboard sports 21 player-friendly 6105 frets. The hand-wound ‘51 Loaded Nocaster bridge pickup is matched with a hand-wound ‘51 Open Loaded Nocaster neck pickup and Fat ‘50s wiring for fat Fender Tele tone that snarls and sings. Tortoiseshell binding and herringbone purfling on the top complete the package. Other features include 3-way switch, 1-ply Tortoiseshell pickguard, ‘58-‘63 Tele bridge with RSD brass saddles, vintage-style tuning machines with rare Tortoiseshell buttons, bone nut and wing string tree. Offered in Aged Natural, this model includes a strap, deluxe hardshell case and Certificate of Authenticity.
2018 Limited Edition ‘51 HS Tele Relic
Combining authentic Fender feel with a favorite player’s modification, the Limited Edition ‘51 HS Tele Relic adds fat, high output sound to the traditional twang of a Tele. The hand-wound ‘50-‘51 “Crushed” Blackguard single-coil bridge pickup is joined by a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover SH-55 humbucking neck pickup for a one-two punch of tone. We customized a dual-stack HS Tele wiring to create the perfect sonic balance between the two, incorporating 250k/500k potentiometers on the volume and tone controls to ensure compatibility. The two-piece off-center ash body wears a Relic flashcoat lacquer finish, giving it the look and feel of a well-loved instrument that’s seen many a stage and tour bus. Sporting a dark tinted Relic flashcoat lacquer finish, the riftsawn maple neck sports a “10/56 V”-shaped profile that’s ideal for all playing styles. For ultimate comfort and playability, the Fender Custom Shop topped the neck with a 7.25”-9.5” compound-radius fingerboard and 21 50085 medium-vintage frets. The vintage-style Nocaster bridge features compensated brass saddles for authentic Fender tone and superior intonation. Other features include a 3-way pickup switch, single-ply Black phenolic pickguard, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut and round string tree. Offered in Aged Nocaster Blonde and Wide-Fade 2-Color Sunburst, these models include a deluxe hardshell case, strap and a Certificate of Authenticity.
2018 Limited Edition ‘60 Roasted Strat Heavy Relic
Inspired by a classic 1960 Stratocaster and tweaked for modern players, the Limited Edition ‘60 Roasted Strat Heavy Relic begs to be picked up and played. We started with a roasted alder body and ultra-stable quartersawn maple neck with a “ ‘60 Oval C”-shaped profile, ideal for almost any playing style. Then we roasted the wood, making it more resonant for enhanced sustain, and adding a delectable chocolate- like aesthetic. The heavy Relic lacquer finish gives it the look and comfortable playing feel of a well-loved instrument that’s been in service for decades. Hot-rodded with a trio of hand-wound Ancho Poblano single-coil pickups—including a RWRP middle pickup to reduce hum— and Vintage Modified #2 wiring, this Strat sings with spicy, balanced tone that can make your music come alive in new ways. The 12”-radius rosewood fingerboard features extra-rolled edges and wears 21 57110 super-jumbo frets for sublime playing feel. Other features include a nitro Tortoiseshell pickguard, 5-way pickup switch, American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut and wing string tree with a metal spacer. Offered in Aged Vintage White, Faded Aged Fiesta Red and Aged Black, these models include a deluxe hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.
2018 Limited Edition ‘68 Paisley Strat Relic
A standout classic, the ‘68 Paisley instruments feature a bold, psychedelic-inspired aesthetic straight from the “flower power” era. The Limited Edition ‘68 Paisley Strat Relic is an homage to these storied instruments, combining vintage-cool style with modern playability and tone. The two-piece alder body wears a Relic lacquer finish that will wear in a distinctly personal way. The lightly tinted riftsawn maple neck sports a urethane finish and medium-tinted lacquer headstock face—just like the originals. The “C”-shaped profile is comfortable for any playing style and the 9.5”-radius round-lam maple fingerboard hosts 21 6105 frets. The 3-ply, paisley covered Parchment pickguard hosts a trio of hand-wound single-coil pickups for authentic Fender tone: a Texas Special bridge pickup, RWRP Fat ‘50’s middle pickup to reduce hum and a ’69 neck pickup, all tied together with Vintage Modified #2 wiring. Other features include an American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut and wing string tree with a nylon spacer. Offered in Pink Paisley and Black Paisley, these models include a deluxe hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.
Fender Custom Shop models will be available for purchase at local authorized dealers and on can be previewed at www.fendercustomshop.com throughout 2018 and beyond.
For more information:
Fender
Diamond Pedals Dark Cloud
True to the Diamond design ethos of our dBBD’s hybrid analog architecture, Dark Cloud unlocks a new frontier in delay technology which was once deemed unobtainable by standard BBD circuit.
Powered by an embedded system, the Dark Cloud seamlessly blends input and output signals, crafting Tape, Harmonic, and Reverse delays with the organic warmth of analog companding and the meticulous precision of digital control.
Where analog warmth meets digital precision, the Dark Cloud redefines delay effects to create a pedal like no other
“I‘m so excited about this new venture with the Jackson family. This is a historic collaboration - as I am the first female in the history of Jackson with a signature guitar and the first female African American signature Jackson artist. I feel so honored to have now joined such an elite group of players that are a part of this club. Many who have inspired me along this journey to get here. It’s truly humbling.” says Diamond.
Diamond Rowe is the co-founder and lead guitarist for the metal/hard rock band Tetrarch. Since co-founding the band in high school, Tetrarch has become one of the most talked about up-and-coming bands in the world - with several press outlets such as Metal Hammer, Kerrang, Revolver, Guitar World and many others boldly naming Diamond Rowe the world’s next guitar hero. Tetrarch has connected with many fans while performing on some of the world's biggest stages garnering spots alongside several of the heavy music world’s biggest names such as Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Lamb of God, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Sevendust, Rob Zombie, Trivium, and many many others. The Jackson Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe DR12MG EVTN6 is based on Jackson’s single-cut Monarkh platform and is a premium guitar designed for progressive metal players seeking precision and accuracy.
Crafted in partnership with Diamond, this model boasts a 25.5 “ scale, Monarkh-styled nyatoh body draped with a gorgeous poplar burl top, three-piece nyatoh set-neck with graphite reinforcement, and 12˝ radius bound ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets. The black chrome-covered active EMG® 81/85 humbucking bridge and neck pickups, three-way toggle switch, single volume control, and tone control provide a range of tonal options. The Evertune® bridge ensures excellent tuning stability, while the Dark Rose finish with a new custom 3+3 color-matched Jackson headstock and black hardware looks simply stunning.
To showcase the Pro Plus Signature Diamond Rowe DR12MG EVTN6, Diamond shares her journey as a guitarist, delving into the inspiration behind her unique design specifications and the influential artists who shaped her sound within a captivating demo video. This video prominently features powerful performances of Tetrarch’s latest release, “Live Not Fantasize,” and “I’m Not Right” showcasing the DR12MG EVTN6’s unparalleled tonal versatility and performance capabilities.
MSRP $1699.99
For more information, please visit jacksonguitars.com.
Tetrarch's Diamond Rowe Unveils Her New Signature Pro Series DR12MG EVTN6 | Jackson Guitars - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.Jackson Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe Electric Guitar - Dark Rose
Cory Wong—a funky player with his own signature-model Strat wiring.
Guitarist, songwriter, and producer Cory Wong is renowned for his solo work, his band Fearless Flyers (with Mark Lettieri, Joe Dart, and Nate Smith), and collaborations with artists such as Vulfpeck, Jon Batiste, and Dave Koz. His playing style is deeply rooted in funk rhythm guitar, with a heavy dose of rock and jazz. Well-known for playing a Stratocaster, his signature model was released in 2021, and it’s a unique offering. If you want to build your personal Cory Wong Strat, here is your shopping list, starting with the primary structure:
• Alder body, scaled down to slightly smaller than a regular Stratocaster, with Fender American Ultra body contours
• Maple neck with a rosewood fretboard with rolled edges, modern Fender American Ultra D neck profile, slightly larger headstock, 25.5" scale, 10" to 14" compound radius, 22 medium jumbo frets
• Locking tuners with all short posts, a bone nut, and two roller string trees
• Vintage-style 6-screw synchronized tremolo
• Hair tie around the tremolo springs (which mutes them to enhance the rhythm tone)
• .010–.046 strings (nickel-plated steel)
“While these are all interesting features, resulting in a very comfortable guitar, you don’t need to copy every detail to transform one of your Stratocasters into a Cory Wong-style Strat.”
For the physical build, as you can see, Wong and Fender created a real signature instrument to his specs and wishes. While these are all interesting features, resulting in a very comfortable guitar, you don’t need to copy every detail to transform one of your Stratocasters into a Cory Wong-style Strat. My personal favorite of these is the hair tie for muting the tremolo springs. A lot of my funk-playing customers are doing similar things on their Strats to get a dry sound, and they’re using all kinds of funny things in there, like foam, rubber bands, and pieces of cotton, as well as hair ties.
Now, let’s have a look at the electronics:
• Seymour Duncan Cory Wong Clean Machine SSS pickup set
• Standard 5-way pickup-selector switch with classic Strat switching matrix
• 250k master volume pot with a 90/10 audio taper and Fender treble-bleed circuit PCB
• 250k tone pot with a 90/10 audio taper and Fender Greasebucket tone control PCB for only the neck pickup
• 250k audio push-push tone pot with Fender Greasebucket tone control PCB for only the bridge pickup; the push-push switch overrides the 5-way switch and defaults to middle + neck pickup (in parallel) as a preset
• Middle pickup is without tone control
Let’s break this down piece-by-piece to decode it:
Pickups
The pickup set is a custom SSS set from the Seymour Duncan company with the following specs:
• Overwound hum-canceling stacked bridge pickup with a 3-conductor wire and shield in permanent hum-canceling mode (red wire taped off), bevelled alnico 5 magnets, approximately 14.5k-ohm DCR
• Overwound middle single-coil, RWRP, beveled alnico 4 magnets, approximately 7.1k-ohm DCR
• Overwound neck single-coil, bevelled alnico 4 magnets, approx. 7.0k-ohm DCR
The pickups are voiced for clear highs, which perfectly suits Wong’s funky playing style and tone. While a lot of pickup companies will have pickups in that ballpark, it will be difficult to put together a full set that really works as intended. The Duncans in the Cory Wong Strat are available as a balanced set, so if you want to get as close as possible, I think this is your best bet.
5-Way Pickup Selector Switch
Nothing special here, just the standard 5-way switch with two switching stages that is wired like a classic Stratocaster:
bridge
bridge + middle in parallel
middle
middle + neck in parallel
neck
The upper tone pot is assigned to the neck pickup, while the lower tone pot is connected to the bridge pickup, leaving the middle pickup without tone control.
Master volume pot and treble-bleed circuit.
The 250k master volume pot is a standard CTS pot with a 90/10 audio taper found in all U.S.-made Fender guitars. The volume pot has the treble-bleed circuit from the Fender American Pro series, but uses a ready-to-solder PCB from Fender instead of individual electronic parts. The PCB is available from Fender individually (part #7711092000), but I have some thoughts about it. While using a PCB makes a lot of sense for mass production, it has some downsides for us mortal human beings:
• Soldering on PCBs requires some training and also special soldering tools.
• The PCB is quite expensive, while the individual electronic parts are only a few cents.
• The PCB uses ultra-tiny surface-mount parts, so it’s very difficult to repair or mod it to your personal taste.
I don’t think we need a PCB for adding a treble-bleed circuit, so let’s do this project using conventional electronic parts. The treble-bleed PCB contains a 1200 pF capacitor with a 150k-ohm resistor in parallel, plus another 20k-ohm resistor in series. Using individual parts, it looks like this:
Courtesy of single-coil.com
In general, a treble-bleed circuit will help you to combat the “volume vs. tone problem” when using passive single-coil pickups. When you turn down the volume (even just a bit), the high end or treble loss is not proportionate. In other words, a small cut in volume creates a far greater loss in your guitar’s treble response. Using a treble-bleed circuit is an easy way to get rid of this problem, as long as it is calculated carefully.
ONLINE ONLY: If you want to find out more about treble bleed circuits please have a look here: https://www.premierguitar.com/diy/mod-garage/treble-bleed-mod
Next month, we will continue with part two of the Cory Wong Stratocaster wiring, bringing it all together, so stay tuned!
Until then ... keep on modding!