Fender have introduced a new series of vintage guitars called the Pawn Shop Series. Specifically the Fender 51, Fender 72 and Mustang Special. These instruments draw inspiration from the eccentric and sometimes wildly innovative Fender creations of the mid-60s to mid-70s era that sometimes found their way to the outside world and into the more esoteric pages of Fender history. I can’t help but love the look of these guitars and I expect they will prove a popular addition to Fender’s arsenal.
The details below are taken from the press release
The Pawn Shop Fender 51 melds Fender elements from the 50s, 60s and 70s into one truly distinctive-looking, dynamic-sounding guitar. It has a Stratocaster body and a C-shaped Telecaster neck, with a single-coil Texas Special neck pickup, Fender Enforcer humbucking bridge pickup and an early-50s Precision Bass-style dual-knob chrome control plate. Other features include a maple fretboard with modern 9.5″ radius and medium jumbo frets, master volume control with push-pull coil split function to get single-coil tone from the humbucking bridge pickup, three-position rotary pickup selector knob, 70s-style hard-tail Stratocaster bridge, vintage-style tuners and strap buttons, and deluxe gig bag.
The Pawn Shop Fender 72 presents an unusual combination of classic Fender design elements, not the least of which is its semi-hollow Stratocaster body with an f hole. The result is a truly distinctive instrument with a huge sound, with other features including a U-shaped Telecaster neck, rosewood fretboard with modern 9.5″ radius and 6105 frets, Fender Wide Range humbucking neck pickup and Fender Enforcerâ„¢ humbucking bridge pickup, early-50s Precision Bass-style dual-knob chrome control plate with master volume and center-detented pickup blend controls, 70s-style hard-tail Stratocaster bridge, 70s-style Fender tuners, mint green pickguard, bullet truss rod, three-bolt neck attachment and deluxe gig bag.
The Pawn Shop Mustang Special is a classic in everything from a venerable Fender model name to its sleek amalgam of design elements and matchless tonal versatility. Its modified offset Mustang body imparts a sleek 1960s vibe, and its 24″ short-scale maple neck with a 60s-era C shape is comfortable for those accustomed to vintage-style instruments. Other features include a rosewood fretboard with modern 9.5″ radius and medium jumbo frets, dual Fender Enforcer humbucking pickups with 70s-style covers, pickup toggle switch, three-way coil selector slide switch for each humbucking pickup (enabling 18 different tonal options), mint green pickguard, 70s-style hard-tail Stratocaster bridge, vintage-style tuners and strap buttons, and deluxe gig bag.
Update: Premier Guitar have added a great video review of the Pawn Shop series guitars which you can view in HD below.
These look very nice! I have never seen a strat that is a hollow body. With the humbuckers, I bet its a great sounding guitar!