This time it's for the Fender fetishists.Corr! Phwoarrr!! Ain't she a beauty? Pass the kleenex, missus!
Now, I don't usually go a bundle on Fenders but there are times when you just have to bow down to a firm that have been slightly averse to deviating from their own tried and tested designs that came to light 50+ years ago. The reason for this is simple; these designs ain't broken, so they don't need fixing. They are basic and workmanlike guitars with a distinctive sound that has helped establish the Fender company as an international household name as well as shaping the sound of contemporary music for the past half-a-decade. Buddy Holly, The Shadows, Eric Clapton and even Stray Photon have been known to use this brand almost exclusively.
Now it's time for the science bit (pay attention). When it comes to electric guitars, players tend to be either Fender or Gibson inclined. There are many reasons for this. I tend to favour "Gibbons" out of the two brands because the latter tends to focus on manufacturing guitars with two humbucking pick-ups and set-in necks. The combination of this part and type of construction go a long way in how the sound is shaped. From this, you'll get a thicker sound with longer sustain, suitable for butch and manly types of music such as punk and heavy metal. Where as with most Fender instruments, they employ single coil pick-ups and bolt on necks, and this gives a thinner and brighter sound which is favoured by girlie bands such as The Smiths, Dire Straits and other soft northern bands like The Housemartins, The Beautiful South and Kingmaker.
But let's enlighten ourselves on the revelation coming forth from the pictures within this post. The guitar in question is a Fender Jaguar Limited Edition HH (the 'HH' stands for 'Humbucker Humbucker'). It has a bolt-on neck unfortunately, which can be troublesome when you bang the palm of your hand on the heel when you're playing those super fast macho metal solos - you wouldn't have that trouble with a set-neck / neck-thru type construction. But apart from that, this is a guitar that actually looks the part in a sturdy and industrial way. Black and chrome, sexy, no messing, it's drop-dead cool. I want one. I may even sell one of my other guitars to fund it. There is also a bass version of this guitar with active pick-ups. I want one of those too. But at the moment they only come in red and black. I'd prefer one in a light natural colour, because all basses look better with a natural wood finish. There's an awful lot of things that I want but don't really need though, and this is probably one of them. It puts me off having to buy something in this country that costs virtually 50% less in the US of A. Not that I'm a tight bastard, you understand. It's just that I hate being ripped off. The chancellor of the exchequer is to blame for that, they set the rate of import tax. This guitar is a Japanese model but it still costs twice as less in the States. Where is the justice in that? After all, we're only trying to help sustain the noble art of guitar manufacturing.
UPDATE: Due to a few posts by other bloggers that are spreading the word of defunct band The Monochrome Set, I thought I'd post this early picture of the band, taken in 1978. From left to right: Lester Square, John Haney, Charlie Harper, Bid. The Monochrome Set was formed in late 1977. An early demo was recorded with Charlie, but there is no recollection as to whether he played any gigs.
