Plug in and crank it up

Fender Musical Instruments introduced another addition to their Artist Model guitars, the Tom Delonge Stratocaster. As a driving force behind the band Blink 182, Tom has brought a unique sound to the forefront of popular music with a no-nonsense approach that has encouraged thousands of would-be musicians to pick up a guitar and learn to play. "When you look at Tom's guitar and his playing style with Blink 182, they're really straight forward," says Richard McDonald, vice president of marketing for Fender electric guitars.  "He's helped show a lot of people that you don't need to be a maestro to make good music, and he's reminded even more that you can still have fun doing it." In working with Fender's Custom Shop on his personal guitars, Tom came up with a very basic, classic design that would provide him with the growling tone and sustain needed for a band like Blink 182, yet with a twist.  The result was a stripped-down Stratocaster with a single Seymour-Duncan Invader humbucking pickup in the bridge position and only one control knob:  Volume! The new production model is the same - it's all Tom. In addition to the single pickup configuration, the Tom Delonge model features a string-through-body hardtail and bridge. The body is non-veneered alder, and it has a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. There's also the same vintage feel that Tom prefers on his own guitars, with the large '70s Fender headstock and a choice of four finish options: Graffiti Yellow; Daphne Blue; Surf Green; or Black.  A white perloid pickguard and vintage tuners complete the classic look. "This is a very fun guitar," adds McDonald.  "I can't tell you how many requests we've gotten to make this, so it goes to show that Tom has really turned people on to just plugging in a guitar and cranking it up." The new Tom Delonge model Stratocaster will be made at Fender's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.