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
StewMac Sun Fuzz Pedal Kit, With White Enclosure
Capture the legendary tones of 1960s germanium fuzz with the Sun Fuzz Pedal Kit. This build-it-yourself kit delivers the hand-wired warm, dynamic response and touch-sensitive feel that shaped the sound of early rock and psychedelia. Perfect for players chasing vintage tones or crafting their own signature fuzz, the Sun Fuzz offers a rewarding build and endless inspiration.
On Thatās the Price of Loving Me, āWeāre Not Finished Yetā is a love letter to Warehamās 1968 Gibson ES-335.
The singer-songwriter, 61, has crafted many such momentsāmost famously during the late ā80s and early ā90s, helping cement the dream-pop genre with cult-favorites Galaxie 500. Take the tenor saxophone, by Ralph Carney, that elevates the back half of āDecomposing Treesā from 1989ās On Fire, or the Mellotron-like atmosphere that bubbles up during āSpookā on This Is Our Music from 1990āboth of which, notably, were recorded with journeyman producer Kramer, whoās part of Warehamās rich sonic universe once again with the songwriterās new solo album, Thatās the Price of Loving Me.
Following This Is Our Music, the final Galaxie 500 album, Wareham and Kramer went their separate ways. The former founded the long-running indie-rock band Luna, formed the duo Dean & Britta with now-wife Britta Phillips, worked on film scores, and released a handful of solo projects. Kramer, meanwhile, grew into a hero of experimental music, playing with and producing everyone from John Zorn to Daniel Johnston. They stayed in touch, even as they drifted apart geographically, and always talked about working together againābut it took the weight of mortality to make it happen.
ā[Kramer has] been saying for years, āItās crazy we havenāt made a record together,āā says Wareham over Zoom, his shimmering silver hair flanked in the frame by a wall-hung cherry red Gibson SG and a poster of Rainer Werner Fassbinderās 1975 drama Faustrecht der Freiheit. āHe was living in Florida, and I was living elsewhere and doing other things. But I did lose a couple of friends over the pandemic, and it did occur to me, you canāt just say, āIāll get to itā forever. Not to be morbid, but weāre not gonna be here forever. Weāre not getting any younger, are we?ā
Dean Wareham's Gear
Wareham was a member of the early indie dream-pop trio Galaxie 500. After their split, he formed indie rock stalwarts Luna as well as Dean & Britta, with wife and Luna bandmate Britta Phillips.
Photo by Laura Moreau
Guitars
Amps
- Lazy J 20
- Mesa/Boogie California Tweed
Effects
- EAE Hypersleep reverb
- EAE Sending analog delay
- Dr Scientist Frazz Dazzler fuzz
- Danelectro Back Talk
- Joe Parker Raydeen overdrive
Strings, Picks, and Accessories
- Curtis Mangan nickel wounds (.010ā.046)
- Dunlop Nylon .88 mm picks
- Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS12
In 2020, Dean & Britta recorded a covers album, Quarantine Tapesāthe perfect opportunity, amid the agony of lockdown, to finally get Kramer involved. The producer mixed their hazy version of the Seekersā āThe Carnival Is Over,ā which planted the seeds for a bigger collaboration on Thatās the Price of Loving Me. At first, though, Wareham didnāt have any songs, so he gave himself a hard deadline by booking some time at L.A. studio Lucyās Meat Market.
āWhat is it in a song that makes people cry? What is it that moves you? Itās something unexpected.ā
āI donāt write songs every dayāsometimes I donāt write songs for a whole year or something,ā he says with a laugh. āThe only thing that gets me to do it is booking studio time. Then I have to write some songs because itāll be embarrassing if I show up with nothing.ā
The space itselfādecked out with a jaw-dropping amount of vintage guitars and amplifiers and keyboardsāhelped animate his sleepy-eyed and gently psychedelic songs. āI thought I had a few nice instruments,ā Wareham says, ābut I showed up, like, āOh, your Les Paulās from 1955? I think Iāll play this one. Your Martin is from the ā40s?āā Speed and spontaneity were essential: They worked six full days, with Kramer guiding him to capture every performance without overthinking it.
Warehamās latest was produced by Kramer, a former member of Shockabilly, Bongwater, and the Butthole Surfers who owns the legendary underground label Shimmy-Disc. He produced all three Galaxie 500 LPs.
ā[Thatās] how I worked with Kramer back in the day too,ā he recalls. āMaybe it kinda spoiled meāhe was always like, āYep, thatās it. Next!ā I got lazy about going back and redoing things. Weād make the decision and move on: keep that drum track and bass track. Maybe Britta [bass, backing vocals] would change a few things. Sometimes youāre with people who think every single thing should be replaced and made perfect, and you donāt actually have to do that. When it came time for me to overdub a guitar solo or something, Kramer would just allow me two takes generally: āDo it again a little differently. Thatās it. Thatās good.āā
āI thought I had a few nice instruments, but I showed up, like, āOh, your Les Paulās from 1955? I think Iāll play this one.āā
The material itself allowed for such malleability, with ringing chord progressions and gentle melodies often influenced by the musicians who happened to be gathered around him that day. āYou Were the Ones I Had to Betrayā has the baroque-pop sweetness of late-ā60s Beatles, partly due to the sawing cellos of L.A. session player Gabe Noel, who also added some boomy bass harmonica to the climax. āItās an instrument youād mostly associate with the Beach Boys, I guess,ā Wareham says. āIt kinda sounds like a saxophone or something.ā
Wareham, his 335, and Mesa/Boogie California Tweed at a recent Luna show, with bassist Britta Phillips in the background.
Photo by Mario Heller
Itās easy to get wrapped up in the warm hug of these arrangements, but itās also worth highlighting Warehamās lyricsāwhether itās the clever but subtle acrostic poetry of āThe Mystery Guestā (āIād never done that before, and itās not that hard to do actually. Sometimes itās just to give yourself a strange assignment to get yourself thinking in a different wayā) or the hilarity of āWeāre Not Finished Yet,ā which scans as carnal but is actually a love letter to his semi-recently acquired 1968 Gibson ES-335.
āSometimes itās just to give yourself a strange assignment to get yourself thinking in a different way.ā
āI read this poem about a guy polishing an antique wooden cabinet or something,ā Wareham explains. āI thought, āThatās funnyāitās vaguely sexual, how heās like rubbing this thing.ā I thought it would be funny if I wrote a song not about a piece of furniture but about the guitarāthe experience of buying this. The lyrics in there: āI waxed you; I rubbed you; I reamed you.ā It all sounds like a dirty song, but itās like, āNo, I had to get the peg holes reamed!ā It works kind of as a love song, but thatās what itās really about.ā
Which brings us back to that idea of the unexpected. The most beautiful touches on Loving Me, crafted with his olā producer pal, are the ones that appear out of nowhereālike the blossoming guitar overdubs of āNew World Julieā and āDear Pretty Baby.ā Kramer, he says, liked to ārun two or three guitar tracks at once, where it becomes a symphony of guitars.ā
These surprises, indeed, are the moments that stick with you.
YouTube It
Lunaās four-song performance on KEXP showcases Dean Warehamās sparse, low-key indie rock vibe as well as his simple and sweet guitar embellishments.
