Summer NAMM 2018: Fender introduces new Flea and Albert Hammond Jr signature models

SUMMER NAMM 2018: Fender has announced a pair of new signature models for Flea and Albert Hammond Jr, plus new finishes for its beloved Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Marr models.

Flea’s Jazz Bass Active channels the contemporary bass the Red Hot Chili Pepper plays on stage, while Albert Hammond Jr’s Stratocaster replicates the Strokes guitarist’s custom pickup switching.

The Hendrix Strat, meanwhile, earns itself an Ultra Violet finish - Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018, no less - while Johnny Marr’s much-lauded Jaguar is now available in Lake Placid Blue. Drool.

Here’s the full scoop from Fender…

Flea Jazz Bass Active - £1,599.00 (launching October 2018)

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PRESS RELEASE: The Flea Jazz Bass Active sports a satin finish with matching headstock. The custom-shaped Jazz Bass body and a hot Fender humbucking pickup with an Aguilar OBP-1 18-volt preamp allows this bass to crank out massive output, perfect for pounding a stadium with the power of funk.

The brainchild of Flea and Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Jason Smith, also a Flea/Red Hot Chili Peppers fan and bass player himself—this is the bass Flea plays live in concert.

Albert Hammond Jr. Stratocaster - £839.00 (launching October 2018)

PRESS RELEASE: The Albert Hammond Jr. Stratocaster is a 1985 reissue of a ‘72 Strat® with a unique touch.

It features replicated Hammond Jr. customised pickups switching: pickup switch position four activates the neck and bridge pickups in tandem, while positions one and three are reversed from the traditional layout.

Hammond Jr.’s signature graces the back of the large ‘70s-style headstock, while other ‘70s-inspired features include bullet truss rod nut, 3- bolt “F”-stamped neck plate with period-correct Micro-Tilt™ adjustment and a ‘70s-era logo.

Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster - £799.00 (launching Autumn 2018)

NB. We're waiting on an image of that luxurious Pantone Colour of the Year finish… Watch this space!

PRESS RELEASE: Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster gives players the same fiery tone and playing feel. Full of incendiary vintage tone and classic style, this extraordinary instrument features signature touches and unique appointments based on his distinctive “flipped-over” guitars.

A trio of unsurpassed American Vintage ‘65 single-coil pickups includes a reverse-slant bridge pickup, producing uniquely inspiring tone with tight, warm sound and enhanced upper harmonics and definition. The highly versatile 9.5”-radius “C”-shaped maple neck with medium jumbo frets offers a flatter playing surface.

The Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster is offered in 3 Colour Sunburst and Ultra Violet (limited edition in 2018) - Pantone’s “Colour of the Year” for 2018.

Johnny Marr Jaguar - £2,069.00 (launching Summer 2018)

PRESS RELEASE: The Johnny Marr Jaguar is based on Marr’s modified 1965 Jaguar. Originally launched in 2012, the Johnny Marr Jaguar—one of Fender’s more successful signature models—is getting a limited run in a new ‘60s vintage-era colour: Lake Placid Blue, which coincides with the release of his new album, Call The Comet.

Dual custom-wound Bare Knuckle® Johnny Marr single-coil pickups crank out incisive tone that’s just the thing for slashing through a sonically dense mix.

Also featured are a four-position blade pickup, thicker tone and higher output, dual upper-horn slide switches, and a 7.25”-radius rosewood fingerboard with 22 vintage-style frets.