Fender
Gets Roland ReadyFender
and Roland Renew Guitar Synth Alliance with a New, Low-Cost Roland-Ready Stratocaster January
29, 19981997
marked the 20th anniversary of Roland's involvement in guitar synthesis-an unparalleled
commitment that has given guitarists technologies and sound-creation abilities
that they could only dream of a decade ago. In commemoration of this 20th anniversary,
Roland Corporation introduced the popular GR-30 Guitar Synth in 1997. This compact,
floor-based guitar synth represents 20 years of guitar synth research, and has
been a strong seller worldwide thanks to its amazing sounds, flawless tracking
and musician-friendly pricing. Furthering this commitment to guitar synthesis,
this year, Roland is announcing a renewed alliance with Fender Musical Instruments,
Inc. resulting in the production of a new, low-cost Roland-Ready Stratocaster.
The perfect complement to the affordable GR-30 Guitar Synth, the Roland-Ready
Stratocaster is a Mexican-made Strat with a built-in 13-pin Roland pickup, three
Fender pickups, a resonant alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and, of
course, that legendary Fender tone. The GR-Ready Strat will ship in the second
quarter of 1998 for a tentative suggested retail price of $599. "It's great
for Fender to be able to offer guitarists an affordable, Roland-compatible Strat,"
commented Paul Youngblood, Senior Product Manager for Roland Corporation U.S.
"We've spent years refining the art of guitar synthesis, and Fender has certainly
laid the cornerstones of electric guitar design." With its 13-pin Roland pickup,
the Roland-Ready Strat will track flawlessly with not only the GR-30, but with
many late-model Roland guitar synths/processors, including the popular VG-8 V-Guitar
System, the GR-1 Guitar Synth and GR-09 Guitar Synth. Via these units, a guitarist
can draw upon an almost infinite palette of sonic possibilities. For more information, contact Roland Corporation
U.S., 7200 Dominion Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90040, 213.685.5141, www.rolandus.com.
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