Fender plans Blacktop series guitars
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-09-14)
Fender has been doing some stealth marketing lately, allowing news of new products to leak without formal press releases. The latest word in online forums is that Fender now plans the Blacktop series of four iconic guitars, each with humbucking pickups.
Despite its name, the Blacktop series will be offered in a variety of colors and guitars are expected to have a street price of around $450 USD. Look for these to be available in September 2010, but as og 9/14, there was is official listing on the Fender website.
As pictured from left to right:
Jaguar: The Jaguar also features an alder body, maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard, two Hot Vintage Alnico pickups and a 9.5-radius fretboard and 22 Medium Jumbo frets. A 3-position pickup switch allows full humbucking operation of the pickups either singly or together. The bridge is a Fender Adjusto-Matic with an anchored tailpiece. Colors are Silver or Black, with either a black or mint green pickguard.
Jazzmaster: Like the Blacktop Jaguar, the Jazzmaster features an alder body, maple neck and a rosewood fretboard with 21 Medium Jumbo frets. However, the bridge pickup is a Duncan Designed humbucker and the neck pickup is a Jazzmaster single-coil controlled by a3-position switch. The bridge is Fender's Adjust-O-Matic with a tremolo lock button. Colors are 3-color Sunburst and Black, with either a black or mint green pickguard.
Stratocaster: The Blacktop Strat features an alder body, maple neck, and either a rosewood or maple fretboard with 22 frets, but the real shocker is the use of two Hot Vintage Alnico humbucking pickups. The pickups are controlled via a 5-position selector switch, allowing pleyers to choose bridge pickup only, both pickups using the inner coils, the outer coil of the neck pickup, or neck only. Fretboard Radius is 9.5 and has 22 Medium Jumbo frets. Colors are Black, Candy Apple Red and Sonic Blue with either a black or mint green pickguard.
Telecaster HH: The Telecaster features an alder body, maple neck and a rosewood or maple fretboard. Pikcup configuration is again HH with Hot Vintaage Alnico PUPS controlled by a 3-posotion switch. Colors are Black, Candy Apple Red and Silver, with only a black pickguard offered.
