Looking Back: Fender's 2016 Highlights

Fender kicked off its 70th anniversary year with a host of innovative launches in January at NAMM 2016 and never looked back.

Until now.

Here, a look back at the highlights from a great year:

The American Elite Series

With over a dozen innovations and advancements spread across the line, the American Elite Series infuses the iconic Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazz Bass, Precision Bass and Dimension Bass with modern features including groundbreaking fourth generation Noiseless pickups, comfortable compound neck shapes and heels, sleek new redesigned ABS Elite Molded cases and fresh new finishes.

The Paramount Acoustics Series

Fender made a significant move in the acoustic space in 2016 with the release of the Paramount Series. Guitar World gave the PM-3 Deluxe a Gold Award and wrote in July that "the Fender Paramount Series guitars have more in common with 'Golden Era' acoustics from the Thirties in terms of look and performance plus the sonic advantages of present-day electronics."

The Edge Strat and Deluxe Amp

Fender has always worked closely with incredible artists to produce signature series and replicas of famous Fenders past and present, and 2016 was no exception. We worked with Edge from U2 on a suite of products including the Edge Strat, the Edge Deluxe Amp and an Edge strap.

The Flea Bass

This year Fender also worked with Flea, the legendary bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to produce a perfect recreation of his prized Shell Pink ’61 Jazz Bass that he received from a fan and used to record the Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium and The Getaway, as well as with the supergroup, Atoms For Peace.

The Fender Tune App

Fender's first app hit the iOS store in August. (Look for the Android launch in January!) Tune lets you tune to acoustic, electric or bass with 22 tuning options (including alternate tunings like open G or drop D) and the ability to tune automatically to standard tuning or chromatically to any note.

Fender Pro In-Ear Monitors

Fender broadened their purview in 2016 to release the brand’s first-ever line of audio hardware: Fender Pro In-Ear Monitors (IEM’s). The rollout marked Fender’s first entry into the IEM space, bringing its brand legacy, unmatched technical prowess and longstanding reputation for the highest-quality guitars and musical instruments to a bold new product category.

The Mod Shop

The Fender Mod Shop debuted in June and allowed everyone the opportunity to design their dream guitar by choosing from a wide variety of customizable options in an immersive digital studio experience.

New Offsets

In October Fender launched updated versions of offset classics including the Duo-Sonic, Duo-Sonic HS and the Mustang, Mustang 90 and Mustang Bass. Indie acts Bully, Judah and the Lion, Warpaint and Panic! at the Disco helped re-introduce the world to some of Fender's most iconic short-scale instruments.

The Bassman 800

Green Day's Mike Dirnt signed on to help Fender launch the Bassman 800 bass amp head. Combining the best of authentic Fender bass sound with modern power, the Bassman 800 Head is an easily portable powerhouse with flexible, thunderous tone.

Bassbreaker Amps

A nine-piece guitar amp series featuring new charcoal tweed design elements, the Bassbreaker amps blend Fender's classic tube sound with aggressive overtones, offering increased versatility for artists and players. Premiere Guitar singled out the Bassbreaker 45 for praise, writing that it "has the headroom of a Gothic cathedral. It excels at loud, deep, clean tones with nose-punching presence."

The Deluxe Series

Marrying timelessly elegant style and authentic Fender tone, the Deluxe Series, launched in August, features 10 innovative new models based on classic guitar and bass designs, infused with modern advancements and spec upgrades. Included in the series is the Deluxe Strat, Deluxe Strat HSS, Deluxe Roadhouse Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Deluxe Tele Thinline, Deluxe Active Precision Bass Special, Deluxe Active Jazz Bass, Deluxe Active Jazz Bass V, Deluxe Active Dimension Bass, Deluxe Active Dimension Bass V models.

The '57 Custom Pro Amp

A reimagining of the never-before-reissued tweed Pro Amp, the hand-wired ’57 Custom Pro-Amp replicates classic Fender tone with style. This sonically flexible amplifier is built around a vintage all-tube circuit with rich, sparkling clarity and creamy overdrive when turned up.