Fender is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty with the return of the cult classic Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster, a fuzz pedal and accessories collection.
You might often hear vintage Strat aficionados purring about some ’62 slab-board unicorn having claws as they dig in on that bridge single-coil, well, here is a Strat that really does have claws – in theory at least.
Even if she did, we’re not sure Hello Kitty is the kind of feline to use them, and the cat’s Strat is too cute to be terrorising mice or anything else for that matter.
It is available in pink or white, arrives with a Hello Kitty pickguard, a matching pink or white headstock (yes, the cat is on the peghead too), signature graphic on the back of the body, red dot inlays on its maple fingerboard, and has a single Fender-designed humbucker at the bridge position with white bobbins.
There’s a single skirted volume control and that’s that, a minimalistic rock-friendly Strat that celebrates one of pop-culture’s most famous cats’ 50th birthday. It’s finished in gloss poly, has vintage-style tuners and has an easy C profile bolt-on maple neck.
Expect this to be another typically beginner-friendly electric guitar from Squier – and a commercial home run for Fender's budget brand.
Twenty years have passed since we’ve seen a Hello Kitty Strat. It was popular then and will be even more popular now; this is the cartoon cat who took Japanese kawaii culture global. As Craig Takiguchi, COO of Sanrio, the company that owns the character, says Hello Kitty is a global ambassador for Japanese pop-culture.
“As a cultural ambassador, Hello Kitty has been influencing a variety of industries, including music for 50 years,” he says. “We’re excited to partner with Fender to give our community new, creative ways to express themselves through these iconic quality instruments and super-cute accessories.”
“Hello Kitty has a global community of devoted fans, and much like Fender, has transcended generations, culture, and geography. This partnership speaks to the joy and creativity both brands have inspired worldwide,” adds Edward ‘Bud’ Cole, president, Fender (APAC). It’s about more than just a guitar – this is about giving players a platform to express their individuality.”
The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster is priced £419/$499, and ships in a matching Hello Kitty gig bag. Remember, it is a limited edition run and is sure to be one of the most sought-after Squier guitars in years. Don't sleep on it.
The Hello Kitty Fuzz similarly offers a choice of pink or white finishes, and houses an op-amp circuit in a compact and super-rugged (and, yes, super-cute) enclosure, with top-mounted jacks.
This is a nice and simple three-knob fuzz. No need to overthink things. There are controls for Fuzz, Tone and Level, which, like the connections, are all marked in Japanese and English.
Fender promises a wide range of tones out of this little fuzz-box (the pedal, not the cat), with “wooly, splattering gain” when maxed-out, with plenty of overdriven textures along the way to to “ripping fuzz”.
The Hello Kitty fuzz can be operated by 9V battery or by 9V DC from your favourite pedalboard power supply, and it is priced £94/$99.
There are accessories, too, with a trio of guitar straps available in polyester, leather and vegan leather, all of which are adjustable, pink, and of course cute.
The Hello Kitty gig bag (£109/$139) is lined with 20mm padding and a soft touch microfibre lining to protect your instrument, has backpack straps, pockets, and comes pink or black.
There are Fender x Hello Kitty caps, hoodies, T-shirts, and more practically, a Hello Kitty guitar pick tin, which is shaped like the cat and holds 18 of Fender’s classic 351 shape plectrums.
And if you’ve bought everything else in the collection then why not complete the set with the guitar cable, too? This cable arrives in matching pink, has nickel-plated connectors and 90 per cent OFC (oxygen-free copper) spiral shielding, and is available in two lengths, 10’ and 18.6’. Cute but durable.
The Squier Hello Kitty Strat, fuzz pedal and accessories are available globally, but if you happen to be in Japan, there is an exclusive MIJ Fender Hello Kitty Strat, available online and from Fender's flagship retail store in Harajuku, Tokyo, plus an expanded range of Japan-only accessories.
For more details of the Fender x Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary collection, head over to Fender.
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