2019 has thus far been a big year for Fender. Coming hot off of the release of the new Acoustisonic model, and a fresh lineup of Fender effects Pedals, Fender kept the new product train rolling with the announcement of two new lines of electric guitars; the Alternate Reality Series and the Rarities series. 

Bending time and space, and  blending striking visual style with versatile tonal options, the  Alternate Reality Series by Fender introduces new models that are  contemporary and unique, yet instantly memorable in that classic Fender  style. The Alternate Reality Series is comprised of models like the Meteora, the Powercaster, and the Sixty-Six, all available right here at the Chicago Music Exchange.

Motion  meets balance with a touch of elegance with the Meteora HH, which  sports a sleek body shape that carries on our tradition of arresting  aesthetic design. The sound is as propulsive as its visually stimulating  lines—it wants to roar on stage, thanks to the two fat-sounding Player  Series humbucking pickups. With its retro-modern offset body shape, the  Meteora HH has guts and grace and is distinctively Fender.
 

Powered by a duet of powerful Players Series humbucking pickups with  chrome covers, this guitar can kick out anything you need from sparkling  cleans to growling grit. The push-pull tone control lets you split the  pickups, giving you classic Fender single-coil tones. We put another  cool trick in too; a push-push switch on the pickguard swaps the volume  controls, so you can easily do volume swells using either pickup. The  elegant 25.5”-scale maple neck sports a “Modern C”-shaped profile, along  with a 12”-radius fingerboard for speedy playability, 22 medium-jumbo  frets and a synthetic bone nut. An alder body and Adjusto-matic™ bridge  with string-through-body holes complete the package with elegantly  functional style.

Classic  Fender sound meets unique visual style in the Sixty-Six, which makes a  bold statement with its down-sized Jazz Bass® body. The flexible HSS  pickup configuration can crank out anything you ask from fat leads to  funky rhythm tones. Combining vintage-inspired appointments with modern,  player-oriented features, it’s packed with a ton of useful, unique  sounds. Made for the stage, this instrument delivers the sound and feel  we’re famous for, and then some.
 

Engineered for classic Fender tone, with a bit of an edge for modern  guitarists, the fat-sounding Player Series humbucking bridge pickup is  joined by a pair of snarling Player Series single-coil Tele® pickups in  the middle and neck positions. The traditional five-way switch gets you  all the tones you need from the unique pickup set. The six-saddle  vintage-style synchronized tremolo keeps everything in tune while  providing a dash of vintage aesthetics. Comfortable for almost any  playing style, the neck sports a “Modern C”-shaped profile, along with a  9.5”-radius fingerboard and 22 medium-jumbo frets for a comfortable  playing feel.
 

With its down-sized Jazz Bass body, flexible-sounding pickups and  one-of-a-kind visual style, the Sixty-Six is an instrument that’s as  unique as you. Includes deluxe gig bag.

The  freshly-designed Powercaster was built from the ground up for  high-octane musical fun and the ultimate in tonal versatility. Mixing  the giant sound of an Atomic™ humbucking pickup with the articulate  voice of a single-coil soapbar pickup, this guitar’s tone has a bit of  an edge to it—perfect for slashing through a dense mix. A roasted maple  neck and sweeping pickguard adds some visual flair to this unique  instrument.
 

The secret to this guitar’s slashing tone is the pickup  configuration. Unusual for a Fender guitar, we combined the girth of a  humbucking bridge pickup with the edgy punch of a single-coil soapbar  neck pickup. The “Modern C”-shaped neck is crafted from roasted maple,  which makes it strong and resonant, as well as giving it an alluring  look. The 9.5”-radius fingerboard is fast-playing and 22 medium-jumbo  frets offer a familiar playing feel while extending the guitar’s range.  The 24.75” scale length gives the Powercaster a unique feel and voice,  and the strings are easier to bend thanks to the reduced tension of the  shorter scale. For rock-solid tuning stability we added an Adjusto-matic  bridge and sealed tuning machines.
 

With its offset body, unique pickup configuration and roasted maple  neck, the Powercaster is just the thing to add some muscle to your  music. Includes deluxe gig bag.

The Powercaster combines the body of a Jazzmaster with an Atomic Humbucker pickup in the bridge and a single-coil soapbar pickup in the neck to create a powerhouse of a guitar that is capable of thrashing out robust, biting low and mid-range tones, with sparkling top end. 

Specifications: 

- Alder body

- Modern "C" Roasted Maple neck

- Pau Ferro 9.5" radius fingerboard

- 6-saddle Vintage-Style Adjustso Matic bridge w/ Anchored Tailpiece

- Atomic Humbucking bridge pickup

- MP-90 Soapbar neck pickup

- Deluxe Gig Bag

Take a  Jazz Bass, shrink it down,  pack it full of tone-tweaking options and you have the Sixty-Six. The HSS pickup configuration will feel familiar to strat players, but the Player Series Humbucker and two Tele-style single coils will sound unlike anything you've heard before. 

Specifications:

- Ash body

- Modern "C" Maple neck

- 9.5" radius Maple fingerboard

- 6-saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo system

- Player Series Alnico 2 Humbucking bridge pickups

- Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single-Coil middle and neck pickups

- Deluxe Gig Bag included

First introduced in 1965, the brand new Alternate Reality Electric XII sports newly designed split-coil pickups and pickup selector switch which will get you that sought-after Fender 12 string ring that has been commanding high prices on the vintage market.

Specifications: 

- Alder body

- Modern "C" Maple neck

- 9.5" radius Pau Ferro fingerboard

- Fully Adjustable 12-Saddle Hardtail bridge

- Split-Coil Electric XII pickups

- Deluxe Gig Bag included 

The Tenor Tele joins the unique category of tenor electric guitars, while being entirely unique to the category itself.  custom-designed 4-string alnico pickups give this picker the classic twang of a Tele, but offers players entirely new tonal  opportunities thanks to its tenor timbre. 

Specifications: 

- Alder body

- "U" Shape Maple neck

- 9.5" radius Maple fingerboard

- 4-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body w/ Individually Adjustable Saddles

- Tene Tele Alnico V Bridge & Neck pickups

- Deluxe Gig Bag included

Introduced last year as part of Fender's Parallel Universe series, the new Alternate Reality series Meteora HH sports dual Humbucker pickups with a push-pull tone control for even more tone-tweaking options. 

Specifications:

- Alder body

- Modern "C" Maple neck

- 12" radius Pau Ferro fingerboard

- Adjusto-Matic bridge w/ Strings-Through-Body

- Player Series Alnico 2 Humbucking pickups

- Deluxe Gig Bag included

The  Rarities Flame Maple Top Stratocaster features a two-piece alder body  with a flame maple Golden Brown top and a solid rosewood neck capped  with a flame maple fingerboard. The Pure Vintage 65 Strat pickups add a  classic voice to the more modern, custom DoubleTap™ bridge pickup which  offers both a sweet humbucking voice and—via an S-1™ switch—a dynamic  single-coil sound.
 

The “Modern C”-shaped solid rosewood neck with flame maple  fingerboard provides both depth and snap while the 9.5”-14”  compound-radius fingerboard and narrow-tall frets make bending easy.  Other features include black pearloid dot inlays, two-point synchronized  tremolo with bent-steel saddles and pop-in arm, staggered-height tuning  machines and special Limited Edition neck plate. Includes a brown  vintage-style hardshell case.

The  Rarities Red Mahogany Top Telecaster features a two-piece, grain-filled  ash body with a figured red mahogany top and a one-piece maple neck.  The Custom Shop vintage-style Tele® bridge pickup is matched to a Custom  Shop Twisted Tele neck pickup for a rousing good time.
 

The “Deep C”-shaped, one-piece maple neck provides classic Tele twang  while the 9.5”-radius fingerboard and narrow-tall frets make bending  easy. Other features include gold hardware, matching tortoiseshell  pickguard and binding, vintage-style bridge with compensated brass  saddles, black pearloid dot inlays, treble bleed circuit and a special  Limited Edition neck plate. Includes a brown vintage-style hardshell  case.

Specifications:

- 2-piece Roasted Alder body w/ Quilted Maple top

- Pure Vintage '65 Strat pickups

- Solid Rosewood neck

- 9.5" radius, Vintage Tall frets, '60's "C" shape neck

- Gold anodized pickguard

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

-Natural finish

Specifications: 

- 2-piece Ash body w/ Black Bound top

- Pure Vintage '64 Tele neck pickup

- Custom Shop '51 Nocaster bridge pickup

- Quarter sawn1-piece European Maple neck

- Lacquer finish in Blue Cloud

- American Pro Tele bridge w/ 3 brass compensated saddles

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

Specifications: 

- 2-piece Roasted Alder body w/ Flame Maple veneer

- Pure Vintage '65 Strat pickups

- Vintage Overwound Doubletap Humbucking bridge pickup

- S-1 for Doubletap function

- Solid Rosewood neck

- 9.5" radius, Vintage Tall frets, '60's "C" shape neck

- Gold anodized pickguard

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

- Violin Burst finish

Specifications: 

- 2-piece Ash body w/ bound and figured Red Mahogany top

- Custom Shop pickups - Vintage Style Telecaster bridge pickup & Twisted Telecaster neck pickup 

- 9.5" radius, Narrow Tall frets, Deep "C" shape neck

- Gold hardware

- Pearloid button tuners

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

- Natural finish

Specifications: 

- 2-piece Alder body w/ Flame Ash top

- Pure Vintage '64 Jazz Bass pickups

- Bound Dark Ebony fingerboard

- Lacquer finish in Plasma Red Burst

- '60's "C" shape neck

- Deluxe blonde case w/ orange interior 

Specifications:

- 2-piece Natural Ash w/ Flame Koa top

- Shaw designed Humbucker w/ Filtertron cover bridge pickup

- Hot Pure Vintage '59 single coil neck and middle pickups

- Quarter sawn1-piece European Maple neck

- Lacquer finish in Natural

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

Specifications:

- Chambered body: Flame Maple top over 2-piece Roasted Alder neck

- Shaw Hot '50's Style Tele bridge pickup

- Shawbucker 1T Humbucking neck pickup

- 9.5" radius, Narrow Tall frets, Modern "C" shape neck

- Lacquer finish in Natural

-Vintage-style Tele 3-saddle bridge w/ compensated steel saddles

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

Specifications:

- 2-piece Alder body with Flame Ash top

- Custom Shop '54 Strat pickups

- One-piece Birdseye Maple neck

- 9.5" radius, Narrow Tall frets, '60's "C" shape neck

- Lacquer finish

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

- Plasma Red Burst finish

Specifications:

- 2-piece Roasted Alder body w/ Figrued Flame Maple top

- Custom Doubletap Humbucking bridge pickup

-S-1 switch activates Doubletap function

- Pure Vintage '65 middle and neck pickups

- Rosewood neck w/ Flame Maple fingerboard

- Compund 9.5"-14" radius, Narrow Tall frets

- Modern "C" shape neck

- Deluxe brown case w/ gold interior

- Golden Brown finish