Summer NAMM 2017: Fender Custom Shop’s Pacific Battle guitars take flight
B-25 bomber-inspired Strat and Tele break cover
SUMMER NAMM 2017: Alongside its more conventional jaw-dropping offerings, Fender’s Custom Shop has been busy prepping the military-vibed Pacific Battle Tele and Strat for action.
Inspired by the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the Pacific Battle Strat and Tele are each built from a two-piece select ash body, complemented by a lacquer-finished transparent green stain plus tarnished brass knobs and hardware.
What’s more, the guitars’ pickguards are crafted from the actual aluminium skin of a B-25. It’s less Road Worn, more airborne.
Elsewhere, the lacquer-finished C-shaped mahogany neck is paired with a 9.5”-radius ebony fingerboard with 6105 frets.
The Tele is packing a pair of hand-wound Custom Shop Texas Special pickups, while the Strat boasts Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups, including a reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup for enhanced hum-cancellation when combined with the bridge or neck pickup.
The Pacific Battle Tele and Pacific Battle Strat are available later this year for £7,569 each, and include a custom army-green deluxe hardcase and B-25 model plane. Nice touch.
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
“These guitars have been manufactured by multiple providers”: Donald Trump’s latest merchandising scheme is a range of guitars with his name on them
“One of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles’ sound, has made history”: George Harrison’s Futurama electric sells for a record $1.27 million at auction
Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
“These guitars have been manufactured by multiple providers”: Donald Trump’s latest merchandising scheme is a range of guitars with his name on them
“One of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles’ sound, has made history”: George Harrison’s Futurama electric sells for a record $1.27 million at auction