Futuristic and Familiar: Inside the Fender Parallel Universe Meteora

Throughout 2018, the Parallel Universe Collection has unveiled several innovative and impressive guitars that combined the DNA of Fender's classic models.

There was the mischievous Troublemaker Tele, the regal Whiteguard Strat and the mind-bending Jazz-Tele combo, just to name a few.

Now, there is another instrument entering the Parallel Universe that has baffled one of the most brilliant guitarists out there today: Jim Root. Named the Meteora, this guitar is a completely new body shape from Fender boasting features that harken back to Fender's (ahem) roots.

"I'm so used to playing my (signature)models, which is not like a traditional Tele, but this feels like a weird Jazzmaster with a Tele setup," said the Slipknot and Stone Sour axeman. "It's like space-age, but retro. It's got an art-deco vibe. But it feels really well-balanced. I would play this live!"

Up until this point, the Meteora only existed in the dreams of Fender designer Josh Hurst.

Hurst had toyed with the thought of the Meteora around in his head since 2011, but he fell in love with creating guitars as a child.

"I remember my dad sitting around the kitchen table with his buddies and they always said, 'I have this million-dollar idea,'" he said. "As a kid, I'm listening from a distance and I'm like, 'Why aren't they doing anything with these million-dollar ideas. I need to design this stuff!'

"My initial goal was to become an inventor, but during the process, I discovered the guitar. I think everybody wants to become a guitar player at some point in their life, so I veered in that direction."

Over the years, Hurst did his research, diving into guitar books and magazines to see what was already on the market and to see where he could set himself apart.

With the Meteora, he wanted to make something that was revolutionary while also recalling Fender's rich history.

Perhaps the most extreme design in this collection, the Meteora is a completely new offset body, with sleek and balanced lines evocative of a Jazzmaster that pair well with the American Vintage "Mid='60s C"-shaped Jazzmaster neck.

And the sound is just as arresting, as the Meteora boasts a Custom Shop vintage-style bridge pickup and Custom Shop Twisted Tele neck pickup. In addition, its American Professional Telecaster bridge sports three compensated brass barrel saddles for accurate intonation and vintage-informed tones.

All of it comes together in a Butterscotch Blonde package with a black pickguard, recalling the Telecaster's 1952 roots. "To introduce something so unique to Fender, you have to introduce it in a familiar package," Hurst said. "The familiar package just happens to be a Telecaster configuration.

"My design ethic leads me towards more futuristic shapes, more angular shapes. With this particular guitar, I had quite a few iterations. But once I finally settled on one, I took it from the piece of paper and started processing it in the computer. I wanted to make something that was unbelievably traditional and very familiar to Fender, and then make something that was crazy futuristic to say, 'This is where it could lead.'"

Hurst knows that the Meteora is set to turn some heads once more people get a good look at its space-age flair. But he also believes that its undeniably Fender-centric aspects will make it a worthy addition to anyone's collection.

"My goal is that I hope this guitar becomes a new platform for Fender. It's almost as if it's a Fender-style shape evolved," he said.

"It's definitely unique. It's going to ruffle some feathers. It looks familiar to our product line, but it's different enough that it's going to get some attention."

Check out the entire Parallel Universe Collection.