SUMMER NAMM 2017: Alongside its more conventional jaw-dropping offerings, Fender’s Custom Shop has been busy prepping the military-vibed Pacific Battle Tele and Strat for action.
Inspired by the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the Pacific Battle Strat and Tele are each built from a two-piece select ash body, complemented by a lacquer-finished transparent green stain plus tarnished brass knobs and hardware.
What’s more, the guitars’ pickguards are crafted from the actual aluminium skin of a B-25. It’s less Road Worn, more airborne.
Elsewhere, the lacquer-finished C-shaped mahogany neck is paired with a 9.5”-radius ebony fingerboard with 6105 frets.
The Tele is packing a pair of hand-wound Custom Shop Texas Special pickups, while the Strat boasts Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups, including a reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup for enhanced hum-cancellation when combined with the bridge or neck pickup.
The Pacific Battle Tele and Pacific Battle Strat are available later this year for £7,569 each, and include a custom army-green deluxe hardcase and B-25 model plane. Nice touch.
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