FENDER LTD ED.TOM DELONGE STRAT & STEVE LACY PEOPLE PLEASER STRAT

Fender serves up a heavy dose of pop-punk nostalgia as well as a forward-thinking take on the iconic Stratocaster

- Daryl Robertson

Fender's artist range reads like a who's who of rock royalty, and whether it's the flamboyant Jimmy Page Tele, the metalready Jim Root Jazzmaster or Kurt Cobain's southpaw Jag, there's always been something for every type of player - a fact exemplified by the Californian giant's latest releases. While on the surface, it may look like this duo of signature Strats are just simple variations on the tried and true formula from 1954, in reality, they showcase just how much can be done with this classic design - and how important an artist's vision is to their F signature instrument.

The first of these new six-strings comes courtesy of R&B superstar, Grammy-winner and songwriter extraordinaire, Steve Lacy. This eye-catching Strat perfectly combines tradition with contemporary to create a Swiss Army knife of tone that can handle any genre thrown at it.

Featuring the beloved Player Plus Noiseless single-coil pickups, a modern deep C neck, vintage-inspired narrow-tall frets and the fierce Chaos Fuzz circuit, Lacy has clearly put his own unique stamp on the legendary Strat design - but will it live up to its People Pleaser name?

Next up is arguably the most hotly anticipated guitar of the year-well, certainly among pop-punk fans - the Tom DeLonge Signature Stratocaster. Yes, that's right, the streamlined punk powerhouse is back with a vengeance. The original run was unfortunately discontinued in 2004 when DeLonge was enticed over to Gibson with his own ES-335, but luckily the re-released Strat is just as you remember it, albeit with a couple of tweaks.

Featuring the unaccompanied Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker that helped DeLonge craft his iconic sound, a solitary volume control and a slew of colourful finish options, this Strat is as simple as it gets and that's what we love about it.