Fender came to Summer NAMM 2019 with a bunch of new products and wanted to share a quick glimpse at them on this video. While Fender made several updates to their Artist Signature Series, the Vintera Series came to replace and upgrade the Classic Series, the Player Series is now offered in a few new colors and Squier brought the Affinity Series, Contemporary and Classic Vibe Starcaster. On another note, Fender came with a punch by having a separate booth for all of their new accessories. From new pedals to an innovative stretch strap and even new picks and strings, Fender seems to be putting a lot of attention to consumables lately.
Here is a quick rundown on each of their new products:
Vintera Series
Fender celebrates its history with the Vintera Series by bringing features and specs of guitars from the 50s, 60s, and 70s such as neck shapes and color finishes but using new pickups with decade-specific tones. Models include the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, and Mustang as well as the Precision, Jazz and Mustang Bass.
Player Series Colors
The only update on the Fender Player series was the addition of the smoky Silver and bright Capri Orange finishes to the already available Buttercream and Tidepool.
American Acoustasonic Exotics Series
After its release at the 2019 Winter NAMM show, the Fender American Acoustasonic is now available in Rare Koa, Ziricote and Cocobolo woods through the Exotic Series. The pickup on this guitar was designed by Fender and Fishman and includes what Fender refers to as a Stringed Instrument Resonance System which is supposed to give you the ability to meld the best sound of an acoustic and an electric guitar.
Artist Signature Series
Austin’s very own Britt Daniel got a Telecaster Thinline which comes on a semi-hollow ash body with Amarillo Gold lacquer finish, Fender Custom Shop pickups with an S-1 switch and a “Deep C” shaped neck with a 9.5″ radius fingerboard. Lincoln Brewster also got his own signature guitar which is a Stratocaster with an ash body with an Aztec Gold finish, DiMarzio Area 58 neck and middle pickups along with a DiMarzio Area 61 on the bridge pickup. Brewsters’ Start comes with a “Soft V” shaped neck.
Tone Master Amp Series
In a bold move, Fender released the Tone Master Amp Series which includes the Twin Reverb and the Deluxe Reverb in solid-state versions. While there was some discussion around tube vs digital, these amps definitely sound remarkably well and are much lighter than their tube counterparts. Both amps include Custom Jensen Neo speakers, onboard tremolo and reverb, rear panel features, a 5-way power attenuator switch and are constructed in a solid pine cabinet.
New Effects Pedals
Fender has been focusing a lot on its accessories and it shows. For the 2019 edition of Summer NAMM, Fender released six new pedal effects that include the following: the Pour Over Envelope Filter, the Smolder Acoustic Overdrive, the Compugilist Compressor/Distortion, the Trapper Fuzz, the MGT-LA Tube Distortion, and the Reflecting Pool Delay/Reverb. Fender’s pedals have a minimalist design which I appreciate greatly along with lighted knobs and are completely operated by an adaptor which is more reliable than a 9-volt battery.
Squier Starcaster
In the past years, Squier has been providing beginner and budget-minded guitar players with higher quality instruments. The Starcaster was first introduced in the 70s by offering a versatile sound and a great look. This year, Squier release the Contemporary Active Starcaster, the Affinity Series Starcaster and the Classic Vibe Starcaster. All models include an offset semi-hollow body and the difference between each model are the humbucking pickup types and the finishes.
Fender Accessories
As a manufacturer of accessories, I was drawn to the different offerings displayed on the stand-alone Fender Accessories booth. From a new line of picks to a brand new string line, Fender came prepared to offer dealers the best of their latest inventions. The accessory that I was mostly drawn to was a strap with a stretchy material with the tweed look that we all know and love. Fender calls these straps “weightless” and is meant to reduce weight on your instrument while still securing your axe.