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What’s all this, then? More parallel universe stuff? Alternative reality?
You’re way off. The new Lead Series II and III guitars are more like a blast from the past. The original twin single-coil-fuelled Lead II was launched back in 1979. The double humbucker-loaded Lead III made its debut in 1982, the same year the range was dropped from the Fender catalogue. A single-’bucker Lead I model also existed between ’79 and ’82. Fender has chosen not to renew its licence for this reboot…
What’s the story?
It’s no secret that Fender wasn’t producing its best instruments in the 70s. Heavy woods, toffee-apple-thick poly finishes and poorly fitting parts all came as standard in the era of space hoppers and flares. Smelling blood in the water, the Japanese guitar industry had a field day. The biggest threat to Fender were the more affordable and better made Tokai ‘Springy Sound’ and ‘BreezySound’ Strat and Tele replicas.
Enter the Lead Series?
Exactly. Fender figured that the best line of attack was a more affordable American-made range. During the Lead Series’ three-year run, the II model was endorsed and played by Dixie Dregs (and future Deep Purple) guitarist Steve Morse and some bloke called Eric Clapton. In fact, Eric’s red Lead II was the first guitar donated to the Hard Rock Cafe. It currently resides on the wall of the restaurant chain’s London branch.
How do the new models compare with the originals?
The new II and III are built in Mexico. Original features that have survived in the new guitars include a scaled-down alder chassis, a fixed bridge with Telecasterstyle through-body stringing, and 70s-era F-stamped tuners. The US-made ancestors came with a slim 40.64mm (1.60-inch) nut width, a vintage 184mm (7.25-inch) fingerboard radius and 21 medium frets. The new Lead II and III gloss finished ‘Modern C’ profile necks are spec’d with a slighter wider 42mm (1.650-inch) nut, 241mm (9.5-inch) radius and 22 medium jumbo frets. Scale length on both guitars is your classic 648mm (25.5-inch) Fender measurement.
What’s going on with those toggle switches then?
Both guitars feature a three-way pickup selector toggle. The additional switch on the Lead II shifts the guitar into an out-of-phase mode with both pups in cahoots. The other switch on the Lead III splits the front and back ’buckers for single-coil sounds.
What about the eye candy adorning the guitars?
The Lead II is available in Black and retina-singeing Neon Green with a maple fingerboard, and a Crimson Red Trans with a pau ferro ’board. The III comes in a pretty
Sienna Sunburst finish with a maple ’board. If you prefer a slice of pau ferro beneath your fingertips, your finish options are Olympic White and Purple Metallic.
It’s good to see Fender revive some lesser known classics…
If that’s your thing, check out the Limited Edition reissue of the ’88 to ’92 HM Strat (£1,139). It comes in Flash Pink and Frozen Yellow with a maple fingerboard. The Bright White and Ice Blue finishes come with a rosewood ’board. HM stands for Heavy Metal, natch, and this guitar features a slim neck with a 638mm (25.1-inch) scale length and a seriously flat 432mm (17-inch) fingerboard radius. While original HMs came with a Kahler whammy, the new model is shipped with a Floyd Rose. The throwback headstock logo looks like it was graffitied by the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In fact, the HM Strat couldn’t be more 80s if David Hasselhoff used one to demolish the Berlin Wall. [EM]