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Rumors of the demise of rock music are, to borrow a phrase, greatly exaggerated. “The guitar feels like it’s got a groundswell happening,” Justin Norvell, president of Fender’s Americas division, tells Rolling Stone.
Sure, he might have a horse in the race, but others share his optimistic view; a report from The Hollywood Reporter argued that rock music is “thriving in the streaming era.” This publication said as much earlier this year.
Resurgent interest in acts like Led Zeppelin is driving rock’s revival, as is a crop of new bands that are pushing the genre forward. There’s Geese, Mk.gee, and Turnstile, the latter of which Fender tapped to front the campaign for its new line of American-made guitars and bass guitars, the American Professional Classic.
“We’ve been on each other’s radar and working with them, helping them for many years,” explains Norvell of the partnership. “So it’s not ‘Hey, Turnstile, here’s a cold call, and let’s see if we can do something together.’ All of our relationships are organic, and they start with just servicing artists. We’re choosing from our list of friends.”
“We look for something that sounds the same every time, sounds exactly how you want it, but also has versatility because spaces change,” said Turnstile’s Pat McCrory in a statement.
Announced on Tuesday, the series updates many of the brand’s most iconic instruments, including the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, and Jaguar. The American Professional Classic line includes bass guitars as well, including the Jazz, Precision, and Mustang.
The line features new Coastline pickups, which are engineered for “clarity, punch, and dynamic expression,” according to the brand. The neck profile is enhanced with comfort and fluidity in mind, and the instruments are finished in classic colors.Fender also touts the instruments’ durability and versatility.
The American Professional Classic comes ahead of Fender’s 80th anniversary in 2026, so it’s no surprise that the brand is looking forward and back. “They represent a kind of melding of the present and the past,” said Norvell of the new line. “So they have some contemporary elements that make them a modern interpretation, but they hearken towards the past and the iconography of the 80 years of Fender that existed before it.”
You can check out instruments from the American Professional Classic line below.
American Professional Classic Stratocaster
$1499.99
Buy Now at fender
American Professional Classic Precision Bass
$1599.99
Buy Now at fender
American Professional Classic Hotshot Telecaster
$1549.99
Buy Now at fender
American Professional Classic Mustang
$1,599.99
Buy Now at fender
