Hollywood, CA (January 12, 2021) -- In true tradition, the Fender Artist Signature Series honors iconic musicians through product progression and storytelling,āÆcreating instruments inspired by the unique specifications of the worldās greatest guitarists and bassists. 2021 will see Fender and some of the worldās leading players continue to blaze trails of product innovation, with this yearās launches including:
ā Chrissie Hynde TelecasterĀ ($1,399.99 USD, Ā£1,249, ā¬1,399, $2,699 AUD, Ā„175,000 JPY) With a Telecaster guitar in hand, Chrissie Hynde formed The Pretenders in 1978 and quickly established the band as a rock and roll powerhouse. Chrissieās churning Telecaster rhythms have been the heartbeat of the bandās sound since the beginning. In 2021, Fender and Chrissie Hynde launch the Chrissie Hynde Telecaster complete with an alder body finished in Faded Ice Blue Metallic RoadWorn lacquer; vintage-style '50s single-coil Tele pickups voiced to match Chrissie's original set; a 6-stainless steel barrel saddle bridge; and much more in an incredibly faithful recreation of one of the worldās most iconic guitars, Hyndeās treasured ā65 model.An artist-requested player-friendly update on the new Chrissie Hynde Telecaster are locking tuners, which offer increased tuning stability and make string changes quicker. Available February 2021.
ā Mike McCready 1960 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster ($15,000 USD, Ā£13,399, ā¬14,999, $21,999 AUD, Ā„1,750,000 JPY) In this first-time collaboration between Fender and Pearl Jamās lead guitarist Mike McCready, the Fender Custom Shop is honored to re-create this incredible instrument in exact detail, and in doing so a long held secret about the guitarās lineage was forced to be revealed to its owner: the Strat was actually constructed in 1960, not 1959 as had long been believed. For this limited 60-piece Masterbuilt run, the Custom Shopās Vincent Van Trigt carefully disassembled the guitar in order to note and measure every detail, curve and scratch - and there are plenty of scratches, thanks to McCreadyās exuberant style! The recreation features an ultimate Relic lacquer finish on a two-piece select alder body; a flat-sawn flame maple neck with a 1960 āoval Cā profile; and a flat-lam rosewood fingerboard with 21 vintage frets. Custom Josefina hand-wound pickups matched to the originals are connected to a five-way switch and vintage wiring, including a ātreble bleedā tone capacitor. Other features include a three-ply vinyl pickguard, vintage-style synchronized tremolo with Callaham bridge block, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut, and wing string tree with metal spacer. Includes deluxe hardshell case, strap, polishing cloth, McCready case candy kit and certificate of authenticity. Available February 2021.
ā Ben Gibbard MustangĀ ($1,099 USD, Ā£979, ā¬1,099, $2,099 AUD, Ā„140,000 JPY) Ben Gibbard has been a prominent voice in indie-rock since the late ā90s as singer-songwriter for platinum-selling band Death Cab for Cutie and also The Postal Service. His melodic, personal songwriting style and the bandās powerful sound have been cited as inspirations by countless musicians since. Modified ā70s Fender Mustangs have been Gibbardās preferred touring guitar choice for years and the Ben Gibbard Mustang is a faithful recreation of his touring workhorses, with some bold enhancements. Boasting a chambered ash body design for increased resonance, a reduced weight and one-piece 22-fret modern āCā-shaped maple neck, this guitar is a comfortable and highly versatile stage performer. Includes strap locks and Fender gig bag. Available March 2021.
ā Joe Strummer CampfireĀ ($499.99 USD, Ā£429, ā¬499, $899 AUD, Ā„45,000 JPY) More than 40 years after the Clashās iconic album London Calling was released, Joe Strummer - the bandās articulate and fiery co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer - remains an incredible influence to players all over the world. The Joe Strummer Campfire guitar is inspired by the legendary campfires that he held at Glastonbury Festival and are now continued annually in the Strummerville area at the festival. Everyone was invited to join the party, with Strummer encouraging a loose assembly of people to his ācampfireā to bond by the rising flames until dawn. This small-body acoustic-electric guitar is the perfect companion for gatherings of any size and to continue Strummerās legacy of bringing people together through music. Boasting a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, the Campfire reflects Strummerās legendary aesthetic with its matte black finish, nickel hardware and star inlays. The Fender Custom Shop will also release Joe Strummer ā59 Esquire in April 2021. Details and specs will be revealed in the coming months. Available March 2021.
ā Jason Isbell Custom TelecasterĀ ($1,499.99 USD, Ā£1,249, ā¬1,439, $2,799 AUD, Ā„195,000 JPY) Instantly recognizable for his incisive lyrics, powerful voice and blistering guitar chops, Grammy-Award winning Jason Isbell has established himself firmly at the front of the Americana movement. The visually striking Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster features a Chocolate Sunburst whilst the Fender RoadWorn aging process gives it the authentic look and feel of a well-loved instrument. Meanwhile, the vintage-inspired mid-`60s āCā-shaped maple neck and 21-fret rosewood make for sparkling, fiery tones associated with his unique blend of traditional roots music and modern rock - a guitar that sounds and plays as good as it looks. The Telecaster is double-bound, a unique and premium feature at this price point. Available May 2021.
For more information:
Fender
![The Jesus Lizard Rig Rundown [2025]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/youtube.jpg?id=56479987&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
When the Jesus Lizard released their seventh studio record, Rack, last September, it ended a 26-year hiatus between recordings, and lovers of raucous, steely rock music around the world rejoiced. As guitarist Duane Denison told PGās Nick Millevoi in our feature story, the key to the albumās vitalityāand reviving the bandās brutal soundāwas simple: āPractice loud.ā
Ahead of a hotly anticipated U.K. tour celebrating the record, the band gathered at SIRās rehearsal space in Nashville to do exactly that. PGās Chris Kies stopped by to see what Denison and bassist David Wm. Sims were stuffing into their suitcases for the trip across the pond.
Brought to you by DāAddario.Higher Powers
The last time Denison invited us to his Nashville home for a Rig Rundown, he was using Electrical Guitar Company models. This time around, heās smitten with this Powers Electric Type A. Most of the guitarās features are proprietary, including the bridge, pickups, and the vibrato system. The trussed hollowbody is made from urban ash with a solid maple top, and comes with a compound radius Honduran rosewood fretboard.
Denison digs the definition and articulation in the attack of the discrete FF42 single-coil pickups, which bridge the gap between a humbuckerās hot output and a traditional single-coilās brightness. He goes through four different tunings in the current Lizard set: E standard, drop D (for āHide & Seekā), drop G (on āThumbscrewsā), and a strange tuning with flat E and D strings for āThumper.ā Coated Stringjoy Orbiters (.105ā0.50) handle the changes, as well as the Stringjoy Jumbo Jazz picks Denison uses.
Sweet Victory
Denison has switched from Blackstar amps to this 2-channel Victory VS100 Super Sheriff. Heās always preferred British amps: āAmerican guitars and English amps make the world go round,ā he says. Denison also uses a Marshall JCM900, which he appreciates for its simplicity compared to the JVM series, and its versatility compared to the JCM800.
Helix Help
Denison sets up this Line 6 Helix as a pedalboard, with tweaked versions of his favorite analog delay pedals programmed in. Among his go-to effects are reverb, slapback delay, tremolo, chorus, wah, longer delay, and what he calls a āwildcare effect,ā which comes into play for āWhat If?ā
The Best $250 Ever Spent
Sims bought this Memphis brand Jazz-style bass in 1981 for $250, and itās still his No. 1. He strings it with Rotosound RS66LDs, which he needs to change every three or four shows; once he senses the attack softening, he slaps new ones on.
Boomtown Brightness
Sims blasts his bass through this Gallien-Krueger 800RB, set for a classic midrange scoop with plenty of bite and bottom end. He prefers Ampeg 8x10 cabinets, or 2x15 speaker cabs.
Triple Combo
No fancy floor unit for Sims. Heās got a Boss ODB-3, an MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe, and an MXR Phase 90, all of which are used sparingly throughout the set.
