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127th AES Convention Coverage (New York, NY Oct. 9-12)
Summer NAMM 2000
PRESS RELEASE
Fender's American Series Guitars & Basses
July 22, 2000
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Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is very proud to announce the next step in the evolution of its flagship line of electric guitars and basses, the all-new and much anticipated American Series. This new line replaces Fender’s American Standard Series, which has set the Fender benchmark of quality since its introduction in 1987. The evolution to the American Series is the culmination of years of input from numerous musicians, and the continual refining of Fender’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Corona, California. The new American Series are, simply put, better sounding, better playing guitars and basses. Innovation is the basis by which Fender was founded in 1946, and innovation is the reason that Fender has remained the leader in the guitar industry and a favorite among musicians since that year. The late Leo Fender continually strived to make a better sounding, better playing instrument, as evidenced in the many faces of his creations over the years. Features on the original 1954 Stratocaster such as body wood, neck shape, pickups and headstock graphics, had evolved many times in just its first ten years - all in the pursuit of quality and innovation. The new American Series is the latest step in that evolutionary process. "The American Standard line has been the cornerstone of Fender since 1987," says Mike Lewis, Vice President of Electric Guitars. "They’re absolutely wonderful instruments, and we’ve always dreamed of being at a point in manufacturing where we could take them to the next level. Since opening the Corona facility over two years ago, we have continually refined and improved our instruments, and we are now at that level." Adds Lewis, "Think of this not as a discontinuation, but as an evolution. Leo always looked to professional musicians for ideas and improvements, and that’s why Fender guitars have always been a musician’s choice. The new American Series is the result of what musicians, both enthusiasts and professionals, have been asking us for over the years. Basically, our customers spoke and we listened." All four of Fender’s core models, the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass, will be included in the new American Series. When designing the specifications for the new line, Fender’s Research & Development team placed an emphasis on three factors: tone, playability and value. In terms of musician’s "wants", this meant that the overall feel of these new guitars should combine both modern and vintage manufacturing techniques with a sense historical aesthetic accuracy. For tone, many musicians have long requested that two specifications be standard on American-made Fender models: non-veneered bodies and an HSH pickup rout for Stratocasters. With improved consistency in manufacturing, all four of the core models will now feature either an ash or alder body without the thin veneer found on select American Standard guitars, allowing a more complete resonation from the solid body wood of the guitar or bass. Where the American Standard Strats were produced with a "swimming pool" rout to accommodate after market pickup modifications, the American Series Strats“ will feature an HSH rout. Similar to the effect of a non-veneered body, the HSH pickup rout (humbucking/single/humbucking) on the Stratocasters increases the total amount of wood that actually can resonate, producing a more complex tone. With the HSH rout, players can still modify pickups to the most often see after-market configurations without re-routing or cutting into their guitar’s body. To take that one step further, the new American Series Stratocasters will include Hot-Rodded models that feature these different configurations (American Strat Texas Special, American Fat Strat Texas Special and American Double Fat Strat). The American Series Strats now feature staggered machine heads that require one less string tree on the headstock. With this, a lesser tension is put on the strings that allows their natural tone to ring through. Staggered pickup magnets set to optimal heights for each string are also a standard feature which was previously achieved with a custom set-up after purchase. All four of the core models will also feature updated necks with a more comfortable and playable feel. Once the necks have been cut, the remaining work is done by hand, including the fret work and hand sanding. The new American Series guitars and basses will now include hand-rolled edges to give the neck a feel similar to that of a guitar that has been properly broken in. In addition, the new American Series Stratocasters and Telecasters will feature a neck shape only found previously on Fender American Deluxe models. Special attention has been paid to the historical aesthetics of the new line as well. Vintage Telecaster enthusiasts will notice the sharper body radius like that of a 1952 Tele, while bass players will find the body radius of the P-Bass“ and J-Bass“ to be more rounded. Vintage Stratocaster buffs will note that the upper horn has been sharpened to accurately reflect that of the earliest models. American Series Strats will also feature the headstock shape and "Original Contour Body" decal found on original Stratocasters, but found on only a handful of the American Standard Series ever made. From the beginning, Leo Fender looked to make his instruments affordable to every musician. That ethic remains today. The guitars and basses in this new line are not the more expensive Custom Shop guitars, nor are they the less expensive imports. They are the result of over 50 years of innovation and standards of excellence. They are the basic American-made Fenders that are within the reach of all musicians, and they are the cornerstone of the entire Fender line. They are the new American Series. WHAT’S NEW ABOUT THEM?
For more information, visit their web site at http://www.fender.com/.
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