Fender Summer 2020 Releases

Summer NAMM 2020 may have been cancelled, but that hasn’t stopped Fender from whetting musicians’ appetites with some fabulous new gear! Here are the coolest new electric guitars, acoustics, basses, amps & pedals from the legendary American brand.

Fender’s Hottest Summer 2020 Gear!

Fender is one of the guitar industry’s leading giants. It’s therefore no surprise that they release hundreds of new products each year - to keep us gear-crazy musicians happy! Like many of their contemporaries, Fender typically unveils its latest gear at the bi-annual NAMM trade shows. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Summer NAMM show was called off. Not to worry though, as Fender has unleashed all of its coolest new gear anyway!

Fender’s Vintera series combines highly sought-after vintage feel, looks and sounds with accessible prices. As well as instruments inspired by Fender’s most iconic designs, there are a number of ‘Modified’ models – vintage vibe with tweaks for the modern player. New for 2020, Fender has unveiled limited edition "Road Worn" versions of selected Vintera guitars!

Finished in nitrocellulose lacquer – prized for its natural tonal qualities and distinct aging patterns, then hand-distressed for an authentically broken-in look – these Limited Edition Fender Road Worn Vintera instruments deliver the tone and playing comfort you’d expect from a great retro guitar.

Fender Vintera Road Worn Guitars on Andertons T.V.

Fender has worked closely with selected artists in order to bolster its 2020 guitar lineup with some exciting new signature instruments. Heavily-customised Strat, Tele and Esquire models for Fender stalwarts Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brent Mason and Brad Paisley respectively have caught a lot of limelight, but the most surprising addition is the floral-liveried, short-scale Shawn Mendes Musicmaster!

Other highlights include the striking Copper Age-coloured Jazzmaster for Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, as well as a gorgeous Cherry Red Stratocaster for Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana - featuring a versatile HSS pickup configuration, classy gold hardware and a matching headstock.

Fender marked the platinum jubilee of its first solid-body production guitar with a significant addition to its 2020 lineup. The 70th Anniversary Esquire is a charming celebratory instrument with specifications harking back to that groundbreaking electric guitar from 1950. Available in four retro colours, including White Blonde and Surf Green, this vibrant vintage-inspired instrument is sure to appeal to the most fastidious of Fender collectors.

Sporting a time-honoured Roasted Pine body, the Fender 70th Anniversary Esquire is lightweight and practical - with a period-correct nitrocellulose finish certain to age gracefully while ensuring lots of natural resonance. The ‘50 Broadcaster “U” Maple neck also provides a nostalgic feel, filling out the hand for maximum playing comfort.

Hardware on the 70th Anniversary Esquire is as close to the original as possible, with a three-saddle bridge and bone nut guaranteeing that signature Esquire twang. Fender pickup guru Tim Shaw even created a single-coil bridge pickup to capture the true essence of the original! Fender has gone to great lengths to pay tribute to its earliest flagship model.

To celebrate six decades of Jazz Bass production, Fender has released two incredible 60th Anniversary models to commemorate this musical milestone. These limited edition bass guitars tastefully pay homage to the earliest versions of the 4-string icon.

The US-made 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass comes finished in a gorgeous Arctic White Pearl colour; outfitted with several vintage appointments that include old-school bridge and pickup covers, Pure Vintage ‘62 single-coil pickups, concentric controls and a "U"-shaped neck profile.

A more affordable "Road Worn" 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass has also been released, available in 3 retro colours - Firemist Silver, Olympic White and 3-Colour Sunburst. Subtly relic'd, this Mexican-made 60th Jazz Bass has some slight spec tweaks compared to its USA counterpart - including a Mid '60s "C"-shaped neck and Medium Jumbo frets.

Fender 60th Anniversary Jazz Basses on Andertons T.V.

Fender launched the innovative Acoustasonic Telecaster in 2019. A year later, they followed this up with the Acoustasonic Stratocaster - bolstering its innovative acoustic/electric hybrid guitar lineup. And now, Fender has unveiled Exotic wood versions of the Acoustasonic Stratocaster - sporting gorgeous Cocobolo and Ziricote tops!

Black Limba has also been used to construct the necks on these premium instruments, with Black Limba back and sides for the Ziricote-topped model, and White Limba back and sides for its Cocobolo counterpart. It’s also worth mentioning that the fingerboard face dots have been removed for these Exotic versions of the Acoustasonic Strat, to show off the stunning streaky Ebony.

Still powered by the same revolutionary Fender and Fishman-designed acoustic engine, these hybrid instruments allow you to seamlessly change from convincing acoustic sounds to plugged-in electric tones; completely on-the-fly. Fundamentally, the Acoustasonic Stratocaster is designed to give electric guitarists a familiar and playable feel, yet projects extremely convincing acoustic sounds along with tones that you'd expect from a standard Strat.

Last year, Fender took a giant leap into the world of amp modelling with its Tone Master combos. Although they might look like traditional Deluxe and Twin Reverb guitar amplifiers, the Tone Masters are actually completely valve-less! Instead, they rely on their massive digital processing power to convincingly emulate the tone and response of their tube-powered counterparts.

Fender’s new limited edition Tone Master amps not only sport classy blonde tolex and oxblood grille cloths, but have some cool new features up their sleeves. Equipped with Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and new impulse responses, these cutting-edge amps also have a variety of firmware updates. This includes the removal of the virtual “bright cap” on the Deluxe, which is a very popular mod on the valve versions as it allows for a smoother overdrive when using pedals. The reverb has also been modified for greater control at lower volumes.

Fender's brand new range of acoustic amplifiers are designed to meet the needs of contemporary musicians looking for power, portability, versatility and affordability in equal measure. Able to deliver full, natural, best-in-class performance for acoustic/electric guitars and vocals - these revitalised Fender Acoustic amps are solid choices for singer-songwriters.

Boasting 8-inch cloth-surround speakers with hi-fi compression tweeters, these versatile amps also feature two channels for instrument or microphone use - thanks to their flexible combi inputs. With built-in studio-quality effects and 3-band EQ sections for each channel as well - you can precisely embellish and shape your sounds to perfection!

Bluetooth connectivity for backing track streaming and integrated 60-second loopers make these amplifiers the perfect companions for gigging musicians. While the Acoustic Junior is the most affordable option, the Fender Acoustic Junior GO is a battery-powered version of the same amp that’s ideal for busking with. The SFX-II is the king of the range, providing the most output and featuring Fender's proprietary 'Stereo Field Expansion' (SFX) technology for a three-dimensional live sound.

Fender completely revamped their pedal lineup in 2018, and at every NAMM Show since they’ve bolstered this range with some exceptional new offerings. Summer NAMM 2020 may have been cancelled, but Fender has still unleashed two new guitar pedals to join its critically-acclaimed stompbox series!

The Acoustic Preverb is essentially a 2-in-1 preamp and reverb pedal. Featuring three distinctly “voiced for acoustic guitar” reverb settings that are perfect for giving your performances some tasteful ambience, the high-fidelity preamp can get the most out of your acoustic guitar’s pickup system for a natural amplified sound.

Fender’s new Trapper Bass Distortion allows you to add some bold crunch to your low-end! The main distortion channel features a crossover-blend circuit to preserve clean low frequency information for clarity and punch, while an additional ‘solo’ distortion channel provides added gain and crunch.

Two expanded versions of Fender's best-selling pedals have joined the range - introducing the Duel Pugilist Distortion and Dual Marine Layer Reverb! While the Duel Pugilist comes equipped with more controls for greater tone-shaping potential, the Dual Marine Layer boasts updated reverb algorithms and a new sustain footswitch that's great for soundscaping!