Fender has shown a new version of its 12-string Villager at this year’s Summer NAMM show, which opened in Nashville, Tennessee this week. The guitar was one of the stars of Fender’s stand which also included a new acoustic bass, left-handed acoustic guitars and new colours for some of Fender’s ukuleles.
Joining the California Series are four new models: the Villager 12-String Guitar, Kingman Bass Guitar, left-handed Newporter and left-handed Redondo Player guitars. Following suit, the California Coast Series Ukuleles has expanded to offer three new colours to the Venice and Zuma models: ‘…specifically as a celebration of Fender’s Southern California roots’.
The Villager 12-String (RRP £435) has a modern twist on the historic Villager headstock body shape with a gloss black finish, cutaway Newporter shape and Fishman electronics. The left-handed Redondo Player (RRP £320) features a slope-shouldered Redondo body and comes with a gloss metallic top, back and sides, as well as a matching painted 6-in-line headstock and crème binding, give it a shot of electrifying attitude.
The Newporter Player in left-handed form (RRP £320.00) also sports a painted gloss metallic solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, matching painted 6-in-line headstock and crème binding.
Players looking for an acoustic bass will no doubt welcome to the Kingman (RRP £519). Decked out in an electric-inspired style and reinvigorated with a new body shape that’s modelled after the Newporter guitar style, the Kingman features a gloss black finish, mahogany Jazz Bass neck and convenient cutaway for easy access to the upper reaches of the fingerboard.
Finally, new California Coast Series Ukuleles colours include: Venice Soprano (RRP £52.00)
in three new colours: Surf Green, Daphne Blue, and Shell Pink. Meanwhile the Zuma Classic (RRP £115.00) comes in Burgundy Mist, Candy Apple Red and Lake Placid Blue – while maintaining its natural wood back and sides.
