fender
Latest
Fender brings its guitar tuner app to Android devices
Fender kicked off its digital push back in August with the release of the Tune app for iOS. Now the guitar maker is bringing that piece of mobile software to Android devices. Fender Tune is now available from Google Play, delivering a convenient option for tuning your guitar or bass without having to back an extra piece of tech. Sure, there are already a number of apps that do this, but the company takes tuning one step further.
12 gifts for music nerds
Nerds come in many forms. Some build stuff, some like video games, and others sweat the tiny details of audio fidelity or salivate over vintage drum machines. That latter group can be difficult to shop for if you're not initiated in the ways of the music nerd. But don't worry. Whether the obsessive audio freak in your life is more into making music or listening to it, we've got you covered. For those that love composing sweet beats, there's the TR-09 -- a pretty solid remake of the classic 909 drum machine that was essential to creating '80s and '90s house and techno. There are also pocket synths for musicians on the go, like the Pocket Operator line from Teenage Engineering. For those who get their kicks more from listening than creating, there are subscription services like VNYL that deliver fresh pressed records to your door. You'll also need a solid turntable like Music Hall's MMF-2.3 to listen to them on, of course. And, if your favorite audiophile also happens to be an iPhone owner there's an obvious stocking stuffer: Belkin's Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar. This brings back the headphone jack and lets you charge the phone at the same time! For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Fender's guitar apps will sync wirelessly with its new amp
Fender revealed its plans for a suite of guitar apps back in August, but some of the software will also pair with one of the company's upcoming amps. According to Bloomberg, Fender has a new guitar amplifier in the works for 2017 that will connect to its apps wirelessly via Bluetooth. So far, the company's digital initiative has only released the Tune iOS app, but there are more options coming soon.
Fender's FXA2 in-ear monitors sound great onstage and off
When you think "Fender," your brain conjures up images of guitars, of long-haired tattooed musicians exploding into ear-piercing solos. It's an appropriate assessment -- the Stratocaster (or one of its many clones) is usually the first instrument of aspiring rock gods. What you don't think about are earbuds. But after a recent acquisition, the guitar maker is hoping to change that with its line of in-ear monitors.
Fender is working on guitar apps for beginners and pros alike
Mobile apps that help you keep your guitar in tune are nothing new, but now a big name in the instrument game is getting in on the action. Today Fender announced its Tune app for iOS, offering yet another option for tuning your guitar or bass with your trusty handset. The software is part of the iconic guitar maker's quest to provide tools to players at all skill levels through its Fender Digital subsidiary. The tuner app is the first product to launch from the effort.
Fender's Mod Shop lets you customize a new guitar on the web
Typically, ordering a custom guitar not only means spending more money, but it usually means an extended wait as well. Fender has a solution for both of those issues, taking a cue from the likes Motorola and other companies that have offered customers the ability to tweak the design of a product or device before ordering. With the Mod Shop, Fender will let you put the finishing touches on a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass or Jazz Bass so that the instrument matches your sense of style exactly.
Fender is making headphones the way it builds guitars
When an established brand enters a new product category, skepticism begins to creep in. It's fairly common for a company to license its name to a third party to make gadgets, and that was indeed my first thought when I learned Fender was making headphones. Fortunately, that's not the case here. The company's approaching its new in-ear monitors and $99 buds the same way it does guitars: by making them in-house, with strong attention to detail.
Fender now offers musicians guitar gear and headphones
If you're looking for some affordable in-ear monitors and a new guitar, Fender's got you covered. The company joined fellow guitar maker Gibson in a product category we all should've seen coming: headphones. More specifically, Fender now has a range of wired in-ear monitors with five models ranging from $99 up to $500. For the tech inside, the company turned to headphone maker Aurisonics. In fact, Fender bought the small company that mostly catered to pro musicians and audiophiles last year.
Cardboard Fender Stratocaster shreds without being shredded
The Signal Snowboard crew is known for its unorthodox snowboard projects. Now the team has partnered with Ernest Packaging and Fender's custom shop to create a playable cardboard Stratocaster. Except for its corrugated body and neck, the guitar is outfitted with the usual pickups, electronics, frets and knobs found on traditional wood guitar. The end result is something you can see through while shredding.
Fender Squier Stratocaster USB guitar available exclusively at Apple Store
Apple and Fender are working together to bring a USB version of the Squier Stratocaster guitar to Apple users. The Stratocaster is available for US$199 and is sold exclusively through the Apple store. The guitar is chock full of features that'll appeal to both the traditional and the digital musician. The guitar includes an analog output so you can use it with an amp and a stereo headphone jack for private playing. It also has a mini-USB connector that offers bi-directional audio streaming and lets you pipe your music directly to your Mac or iOS device without the need for additional hardware. The USB Stratocaster works with Mac OS X 10.7 or later and iOS devices with a 30-pin adapter, which include the iPhone 4/4S, the iPod touch third and fourth generation and the iPad 1/2. It'll also work with Lightning-equipped devices like the iPhone 5 when paired with a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter. [Via 9to5 Mac]
Fender unveils Squier USB Stratocaster that talks to iOS, lends cred to iPad jam sessions (video)
There's no shortage of instruments and peripherals to make GarageBand sing on iOS gear. Anyone jonesing for well-known instruments has had few options, however, which makes Fender's launch of a USB-capable Squier Stratocaster something of a watershed moment. While it can plug into any quarter-inch jack or a computer's full USB port, the extremely familiar electric guitar will strum its notes directly into any older iPad, iPhone or iPod touch through a pre-supplied 30-pin cable; yes, you'll need a pricey adapter to rock out on an iPad mini. All the familiar controls and outputs you'd anticipate are present, including a 3.5mm headphone jack for some quiet practice in the den. Fender's $200 price puts the USB Squier well within reach of mobile musicians -- we just wish other guitar makers would follow suit.
New Rock Band 3 bundles from Mad Catz include 5 free DLC songs
Rock Band 3 is still alive and kicking, despite everything happening behind-the-scenes, and in an effort to rekindle the world's love for rhythm games and plastic instruments, Mad Catz Interactive has released 5 new instrument bundles for the Xbox 360. Each bundle includes the game, a DLC code for 5 different Red Hot Chili Peppers songs, and your choice of Fender Mustang Pro-Guitar ($150), normal Stratocaster controller($70), or normal Precision Bass controller ($80, available in three designer colors). Absent from these bundles, as you may have noticed, are the microphone and drum kit controllers known and loved by annoying college roommates the world over; a void the used market will undoubtably step in to fill.
Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster video review: Going to town in a Lincoln
Though the cornucopia of Pro Guitar tutorials available on last year's Rock Band 3 possessed multitudes of promise, the absence of a solidly-built, authentic guitar controller squandered away my hopes of learning to more proficiently rock in the real world by taking lessons in a fake one. I've sustained myself over the past four months on the possibility that the MIDI-enabled Squier Stratocaster controller would capitalize on these possibilities. After spending a few hours with the axe, I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. Check out the video after the jump for the full scoop on the Rock Band 3 Squier, presented in a bold, groundbreaking audio-visual format. (How else could you be impressed by all my mad shredding skills, and my capacity for producing sweet, crunchy riffs?)
AmpliTube Fender for iPhone & iPad set for imminent release
We've just had word from our guy at IK Multimedia that AmpliTube Fender for iPhone and iPad is pending approval at Apple and soon to be available on the iOS App Store. The AmpliTube Fender app is just like the AmpliTube 2 app, but it's all about Fender tone, which has been critically tested and approved by the tone gurus over at Fender. The app is derived from the award-winning desktop version of AmpliTube Fender. The app comes packed with five Fender amp models (the '65 Deluxe Reverb, the Super-Sonic, the '65 Twin Reverb, the '59 Bassman LTD and the Pro Junior) and six Fender Stompbox models (Fender Tape Echo, Compressor, the Fender Blender, Fender Phaser, Overdrive and Noise Filter). The AmpliTube Fender app for iPhone and iPad costs $14.99 / €11.99 and, as previously stated, packs all the recording, practice and play features found in the iOS version of AmpliTube 2. Got AmpliTube 2 already? You can buy the Fender amplifier and stomp box models as bundled or individual in-app purchases for $4.99 / €3.99 per amp, $2.99 / €2.39 per stomp box. Of course, the software works in conjunction with the iRig adapter that enables you to plug your electric guitar into your iPhone / iPad. We're looking forward to taking a closer at AmpliTube Fender soon.
myTouch 3G Fender Edition (and 3.5mm jack model) get Froyo 2.2 update
Good news for budding rock stars -- T-Mobile's other myTouch 3G device, the Fender Edition and myTouch 3G with the 3.5mm jack, are apparently slated to get their Android 2.2 update today. New features include a fully integrated Exchange client with calendar support, GAL (Global Address List) search, remote wipe, and enhanced security. Another tweak being offered is the contact Faves Gallery, a diddy which lets you browse your top 20 contacts to see all your texts, calls, emails and the like, and Gmail app enhancements including inline image viewing and colored labels. The original myTouch 3G was serviced way back in October of last year, so we'd wager that there are a pretty good collection of folks who'll benefit from this. So with that, we'll leave you all to the refreshing you invariably started by the time you hit the first few words in this post. Good luck -- and let us know how you make out, won't you?
VW teases new Passat with Fender audio system to make driving more like rocking out (video)
Ever wish you could bring the palpation-inducing bass, disorienting mids, and ear-rupturing highs of a concert with you whenever you drive? That your ears would still be ringing the morning after cruising home from the grocery store? That's the idea behind the Fender premium car audio system, which will be taking center stage in Volkswagen's new sub-$20k Passat -- which, by the way, is built at a new plant in Chattanooga, TN. The in-car audio system is the result of a partnership with Panasonic that was announced way back in 2007. VW hasn't quite fully unveiled the car in the flesh to the world yet (that's coming tomorrow), but it did see fit to host an event teasing the car, issuing a press release that states the system will "bring the raw emotion of live music to the driving experience." We've tried to capture that experience in the video below, which makes us very excited for the company's latest sedan indeed. %Gallery-113583%
Best Buy nabs exclusive Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster
If you're in the market for a new Rock Band axe, it looks like you'll be heading to Best Buy very, very soon. That's right, the Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster is seemingly a BB exclusive. The $280 peripheral, which requires the MIDI PRO-Adapter to function, will hit shelves on March 1st. Until then, we'll just have to be happy with the Mustang Pro.
Squier Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 set to tour March 1st for $280
We've been waiting on this one for quite awhile... and well, we've got awhile longer. Fender has come clean with the price and release date of its Squier-branded Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 will hit the road on March 1st for just a penny shy of $280. The six-stringed warrior -- which also serves as a MIDI controller and a real instrument -- has far and away been our favorite method of playing the rhythm game's new pro guitar mode, and though the button-laden Mustang is available now for just over half the price, it really doesn't compare to the real thing here. Even the January 1st pre-order seems a ways off -- guess we'll be brushing up on our keytar skills in the meantime.
Fender's Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster guitar rocks out March 1, 2011
Fender has finally announced when its Squier Stratocaster guitar, the one built and licensed for Rock Band 3, will be available and, more importantly, how much it will cost prospective rockers. The guitar is expected to be released on March 1, 2011 for $280 (with pre-orders beginning January 1). The Strat certainly isn't cheap, but it's competitively priced in the world of electric guitars. It is an actual guitar, after all, as opposed to the 102-button Mustang controller from Mad Catz, and the Squier is expected to provide a greater level of realism to RB3's Pro Mode. In addition to teaching players some real rock chops, Fender's guitar can also be plugged into an amp and, like the Mustang, serves as a fully functional MIDI instrument. It's worth reiterating that Mad Catz's $40 MIDI PRO-Adapter is required to use the Squier with RB3. And it should also be noted that the Squier can't be used to play the game's standard modes, meaning you'll have to resort to a good ol' plastic guitar if you want to rock along with the classic multicolored gems. %Poll-55190% [Thanks Nick!]
Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar review
Next week's Rock Band 3 launch marks a giant step for the franchise, with the pro mode edging its gameplay closer to actual musicianship. The keyboards and drums are easier transitions to make, given what's essentially one-to-one mapping for notes and logical input solutions. But what about a guitar, arguably the genre's flagship instrument? We've seen and tried two solutions to the pro guitar input conundrum: the Squier Stratocaster, an actual guitar that's still not ready for primetime, and the Mad Catz Fender Mustang, a 102-button replica more reminiscent of peripheral than instrument. Still, with a mid-November release date, the latter's likely to be your only official option for pro guitar rocking this holiday. So, how does it fare? Read on to find out! P.S. For all your other Rock Band 3 queries, check out Joystiq's exhaustive review! %Gallery-105735%
