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
Fender’s American Vintage II Series
It’s a little difficult to separate fact from fiction given these guitars aren’t easy to get your hands on. Fender Telecasters manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s sell for upwards of $20,000. But old is about to become new again. Fender’s American Vintage II series features 12 year-specific electric guitar and bass models from over two decades, spanning 1951 to 1977, that replicate most specs on their original counterparts, but are produced with modern technologies that ensure uniform build and feel.
Chronologically, the series begins and ends, fittingly, with the Telecaster—starting with the butterscotch blonde, blackguard 1951 Telecaster (built with an ash body, one-piece U-shaped maple neck, and 7.25" radius fretboard) and ending with the 1977 Telecaster Custom, which features a C-shaped neck, a CuNiFe magnet-based Wide Range humbucker in the neck position, and a single-coil at the bridge. The rest of the series spans the highlights of Fender’s repertoire: the 1954 Precision Bass, 1957 Stratocaster in ash or alder, 1960 Precision Bass, 1961 Stratocaster, 1963 Telecaster, 1966 Jazz Bass, 1966 Jazzmaster, 1972 Tele Thinline, 1973 Strat, and 1975 Telecaster Deluxe. The 1951 Telecaster, 1957 Strat, 1961 Strat, and 1966 Jazz Bass will also be offered as left-handed models. Street prices run from $2,099 to $2,399.
Fender '72 American Vintage II Telecaster Thinline Demo | First Look
Spec’d To Please
Every guitar in the series sports the era’s 7.25" radius fretboard, a mostly abandoned spec found on Custom Shop instruments—Mexico-made Vintera models, and Fender’s Artist Series guitars like the Jimmy Page, Jason Isbell, and Albert Hammond Jr. models. Most modern Fenders feature a 9.5" radius, while radii on Gibsons reach upwards of 12". Videos experimenting with the 7.25" radius’ playability pull in tens of thousands of viewers, suggesting both a modern fascination with and a lack of exposure to the radius among some younger and less experienced players.
T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne picks an American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster in Dakota red.
Bringing back the polarizing 7.25" radius across the entire series is a gamble, and it’s been nearly five years since Fender released year-specific models. But Fender executive vice president Justin Norvell says that two years ago when the Fender brain trust was conceptualizing the American Vintage II line, they decided the time was right to “go back to the well.”
“We’ve been doing the same [models], the same years, over and over again for 30 years,” says Norvell. “We really wanted to change the line and expand it into some new things that we hadn’t done before and pick some different years that we thought were cool.”
“It takes a lot of doing to go back in time and sort of uncover the secret-sauce recipes.”—Steve Thomas, Fender
To decide on which years to produce, Fender drew from what Norvell calls a “huge cauldron of information” from Custom Shop master builders to collectors with vintage models to former employees from the 1950s and 1960s. The hands-on manufacturing of Fender’s golden years meant guitars produced within the same year would have marked differences in design and finish. So, the team had to procure multiple versions of the same year’s guitar to decide which models to replicate. Norvell says some purists would advocate for the “cleanest, most down-the-middle kind of variant,” while others would push for more esoteric and rare versions. Norvell says that ultimately, the team picked the models that they felt best represented “the throughline of history on our platforms.”
Simple and agile, the Fender Precision Bass—here in its new American Vintage II ’54 incarnation—earned its reputation in the hands of Bill Black, James Jamerson, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and other foundational players.
Norvell says the American Vintage II series was developed, in part, in response to calls to reproduce vintage guitars. Just like with classic cars, he says, people are passionate about year-specific guitars. Plus, American Vintage II fits perfectly with the pandemic-stoked yearning for bygone times. “For some people, these specific years are representative of experiences they had when they were first playing guitar, or a favorite artist that played guitars from these eras,” says Norvell. “These are touchstones for those stories, and that makes them very desirable.”
Cracking Codes
Fender’s electric guitar research and design team, led by director Steve Thomas, dug through the company’s archive of original drawings and designs—dating all the way back to Leo Fender’s original shop in Fullerton, California. They found detailed notes, including some documenting body woods that changed mid-year on certain models. Halfway through 1956, for example, Stratocaster bodies switched from ash to alder. That meant the American Vintage II 1957 Stratocaster needed to be alder, too. That, in turn, meant ensuring enough alder was on hand to fulfill production needs.
Among the series’ Stratocaster recreations is this 1973-style instrument, with an ash body, maple C-profile neck, rosewood fretboard, and the company’s Pure Vintage single-coils.
Thomas and his team discovered another piece of the production puzzle when researching how pickups for that same 1957 Strat were made. “We realized that if we incorporated a little bit more pinch control on the winders, we could more effectively mimic the way pickups would have been hand-wound in the ’50s,” says Thomas. “It takes a lot of doing to go back in time and sort of uncover the secret-sauce recipes.”
Thomas proudly calls the guitars “some of the best instruments we’ve ever made here in the Fender plant,” pointing to the level of detail put into design features, including more delicate lacquer finishes which take longer to cure and dry, and vintage-correct tweed cases for some guitars. New pickups were incorporated in the series, like a reworking of Seth Lover’s famed CuNiFe Wide Range humbuckers, which were discontinued around 1981. Even more minute details, like the width of 12th fret dots and the material used for them, were labored over. Three different models in the line feature clay dot inlays at unique, year-specific spacings.
Ironically, modern CNC manufacturing now makes these design quirks consistent features in mass-produced instruments. While the hand-crafted guitars from the ’50s and ’60s varied a lot from instrument to instrument. “Everything needs to be located perfectly, and it wasn’t necessarily back in the day,” says Norvell. “Now, it can be.”
Don’t Look Back
With this new series so firmly planted in the rose-tinted past, Fender does run the risk of netting only vintage-obsessed players. But Norvell says the team, despite being sticklers for period-correct detail, sought to strike a balance between vintage specs, practicality, and playability. The 1957 Stratocaster, for example, has a 5-way switch rather than the original’s 3-way switch. Norvell also asserts that the “ergonomic” old-school radius feels great when chording. “It might not be [right for] a shred machine, but it feels great and effortless.”
The 1966 Jazz Bass is also represented, shown here in a left-handed version.
Norvell also pushes back on the notion that Fender is playing it safe by indulging nostalgia and leaning on their past successes. He says that while the vintage models are some of the most desirable on the market, the team “purposely did not stick to the safe bets,” citing unusual year models like the 1954 P Bass and the 1973 Stratocaster.
There’s a good reason why anything that hails back to “the good ol’ days” hits home with every generation. We’re constantly plagued by a belief that what came before is better than what we’ve got now. But with the American Vintage II series, Fender makes the case that guitars from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s can very easily be a relevant part of the 2020s.
