Amongst a number of innovations, Fender has issued Vintage Hot Rod versions of both the ´57 and ´62 Strat. The idea is to provide classic styling and feel with a number of modern features to suit all players. For example the ‘57 features a DiMarzio Tone Zone in the bridge to go with two SCN single coils, while the ´62 features a trio of US Vintage single-coils with a reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle unit and our favourite Fender colour of all time: Sherwood green.
Both also offer an ultra-thin nitrocellulose finish and a flatter fingerboard radius, and neatly fill the gap between production models and models from the lauded Custom Shop.
Also benefiting from a rethink is one of Fender´s best selling signature Strats, the Yngwie Malmsteen model. New features are subtle but have been introduced to mimic Malmsteen´s own number one guitar more closely. The three-way switch and trio of DiMarzio pickups remains in place, but the new version will also offer a bullet truss rod nut and machine screw neck mounting.
More from Fender here.
“It’s kind of scary to go through these…like, ‘Oh I’m going to take that back!’”: Albert Hammond Jr of the Strokes is (reluctantly) selling a heap of his stage-played gear on Reverb, including a Guild acoustic from the Yours To Keep tour
“There’s three of us playing guitar in Foo Fighters… A lot of tone details can get lost, which is what drew me to the Cleaver – that P-90 cut”: Chris Shiflett on how he found his weapon of choice with his Fender Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
“It’s kind of scary to go through these…like, ‘Oh I’m going to take that back!’”: Albert Hammond Jr of the Strokes is (reluctantly) selling a heap of his stage-played gear on Reverb, including a Guild acoustic from the Yours To Keep tour
“There’s three of us playing guitar in Foo Fighters… A lot of tone details can get lost, which is what drew me to the Cleaver – that P-90 cut”: Chris Shiflett on how he found his weapon of choice with his Fender Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
