For those who’ve spent any time within the presence of Ariel Posen taking part in guitar – whether or not on-line or within the flesh – you’ll know that he is without doubt one of the most expressive and spellbinding guitar gamers on the scene proper now.

It was totally becoming then that the Canadian guitarist teamed up with Fender Customized Store to create a restricted version signature instrument. However Posen’s signature Strat has definitely turned heads – even amongst those that aren’t followers of the 39-year-old – not simply because it’s drop useless attractive, as a result of that’s a given for the Customized Store, however as a result of it was a really distinctive and unconventional tackle a Strat.

So as an alternative of the basic recipe of three single coils and a synchronized tremolo, Posen opted to spec his guitar with a pair of P-90s, a hardtail bridge and even the knob structure was streamlined – with only a single grasp quantity and tone for each pickups.

“I’ve been digging the two-pickup arrange on a Strat-style guitar for a very long time,” Posen explains of his choice. “I discovered after years and years of taking part in Strats, I believe I simply don’t join with the three single coils as a lot. I discover I don’t play like myself as a lot.”

Normally the default for a two-pickup guitar is to rock with humbuckers, however Posen’s expertise taking part in a Jazzmaster offered him on the advantage of two single coils.

“I didn’t need to do two humbuckers as I actually like low-output pickups,” Posen provides. “I knew I liked the sound of a Jazzmaster neck pickup (and the neck pickup in my Strat is wired to the spec of my precise JM). So after we began speaking concerning the bridge pickup, the suggestion of P-90s got here up and historically, I wasn’t all the time gravitating in the direction of them, however determined to strive it once more and instantly linked with it. The best way it complimented the JM-derived pickup was lovely and I felt like my sound was proper there instantly!”

The pickups themselves are distinctive to this guitar too, and had been created for Ariel by Fender’s pickup guru Tim Shaw.

“Tim was superb to work with,” Ariel gushes. “I stated what I didn’t like, and stated what I liked, and he form of gave me an ‘something is feasible’ perspective. A number of calls backwards and forwards to debate. It’s arduous to explain sound with phrases, however we managed to do it and when the primary set was prepared within the prototype, it was simply ‘it’.”

One For The Street

The prototype Ariel mentions is a guitar that Ariel has been seen rather a lot with during the last couple of years – it was right here that each one the necessary stuff of the ultimate guitar was examined and refined.

“That was the prototype for the signature,” he confirms. “I had been messing round with some Strats, throwing completely different configurations of pickups in them. Every time I might discuss to my good friend at Fender, I’d speak about my experimenting and finally they simply stated, ‘What if we simply did a mannequin?’ That stored the experimentation going.

“It took about two and a half years from initially chatting – these items take some time! So yeah, the Customized Store Strat you’re referring to was the primary official prototype. We kinda nailed it proper on the primary strive, minus some beauty stuff. However the core components and the sound was there first strive.”

The beauty stuff he mentions had been fairly minor, however all of them add up. “The Lake Placid Blue on the primary was slightly ‘too’ blue,” he admits. “I additionally determined to not go matching headstock. That was primarily based on the look of my Jazzmaster, and whereas it seems to be nice on that, I simply by no means linked with the look of it the identical method on the Strat! A lot happier with what I ended up going with.”

For those who’ve seen Ariel at reveals in recent times you’ll discover that he has a factor for blue guitars, along with his Jazzmaster, he additionally owns a blue Mule Mulecaster…

“I do like blue!” he chuckles. “For those who’re gonna do a signature mannequin, it ought to signify your aesthetic. My different Strat that the neck of this guitar relies on is an attractive sunburst with a heavy relic however I really feel prefer it’s the most typical wanting end on a guitar, particularly a Strat. I simply needed to lean into what was true to myself and genuine. I additionally assume it seems to be good!”

Onerous Strains

Maybe the opposite largest departure from the standard Strat recipe on Ariel’s signature is the shortage of vibrato – a call that’s been borne out from arduous classes discovered on the street.

“I really like vibrato-equipped guitars; nevertheless, as a touring musician and somebody who’s within the studio rather a lot, or different larger strain conditions, I didn’t need to lean on a guitar that had a floating system of any variety,” he explains. “I used to like having the whammy on a Strat however each time I’d break a string, the guitar turns into unusable. In the course of a present, you’re form of caught. It was a call out of necessity, and possibly that is loopy, however I really feel like there’s slightly extra resonance within the sound of the guitar the place it’s hard-tailed. Possibly I made that up, however I’ve simply been digging that arrange extra on Strat the previous couple of years!”

One other factor that you just gained’t discover wherever on Ariel’s signature Strat is… effectively… a signature… “Truthfully, I didn’t even talk about it,” he explains of the shortage of his title wherever on the guitar. “It’s not an enormous deal to me. They might have put it on if I requested! The guitar is exclusive and folks will know that it’s my mannequin, but additionally, I’d love for folks to need to use it as a software and never simply play it as a result of it’s or isn’t a signature mannequin of somebody!”

That’s to not say that Ariel is taking this second in his profession calmly nevertheless, removed from it – he understands what a second it’s for any guitar participant to have a signature Fender guitar.

“I can’t say it was one thing I deliberate on doing,” he admits. “Positive, it’s a dream, however not one thing I used to be actively chasing with anybody. In reality, I by no means assumed I’d have this chance, so when it got here up, I used to be simply as stunned as anybody else can be.

“I really consider that it’s a actually nice and strong instrument, and a very contemporary tackle one thing that has been performed the identical method so many occasions earlier than. I can’t say sufficient how grateful I’m – I undoubtedly don’t take the chance with no consideration. It’s not one thing that everybody will get to do and I’m extremely grateful to have the ability to expertise it! A milestone certainly.”

Discover out extra concerning the Ariel Posen Strat at fender.com

Josh is the Commissioning Editor of Guitar.com. He is answerable for planning a lot of the evaluations and options you see on the location – and writing a good chunk of them, too. Josh has been on employees at Guitar.com since 2019, having beforehand labored at Guitar Journal, Guitarist and Whole Guitar. He has an endless fascination with offsets of all styles and sizes, and rearranging his pedalboard for no actual sensible cause.