Fender re-enters the tuner pedal market with a high-precision strobe stompbox, aiming to compete with Peterson and Boss, and offers a more budget-friendly option than its competitors.
Fender, a renowned name in the music industry, has expanded its pedal lineup with the introduction of the Strobo-Sonic Pro tuner and Hammertone Breakup Drive and Boost pedals. These new additions aim to cater to various player needs, offering professional-grade features, expressive control, and affordability.
### The Strobo-Sonic Pro Tuner
The Strobo-Sonic Pro tuner boasts ultra-precise ±0.01 cent tuning accuracy, a significantly larger and highly visible 2.3” x 2.1” LED screen, and an auto-brightness dimming feature for stage adaptability. It offers two display modes: strobe and needle, and customizable operation with true bypass, buffered bypass, and mute modes. The road-ready aluminum enclosure, USB-C and AC adaptor power options, and its competitive price of $99 make it a strong contender in the tuner market.
### The Hammertone Breakup Drive and Boost Pedals
The Hammertone Breakup Drive and Boost pedals are designed to be key players in the affordable overdrive market. The Hammertone Breakup Drive delivers responsive, tube-like overdrive tones with a compact three-dial, three-switch design. It features two selectable clipping modes for light breakup to low-gain overdrive and an expressive touch sensitivity that cleans up with lighter picking. The Hammertone Breakup Drive also offers expansive tone control and switchable pre-gain mid boost for detailed frequency shaping.
The Hammertone Boost, on the other hand, provides exceptional flexibility and performance. It offers two boost circuits in one: a clean op-amp boost and a warm JFET boost. The centre-detented Treble and Bass EQ controls allow for tonal shaping, and the pedal can cleanly boost solos or push amps into breakup. The Hammertone Boost adds warmth and harmonic richness similar to vintage tape preamps.
### Comparison to Other Popular Pedals
The Strobo-Sonic Pro tuner competes with established tuner pedals like the Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Polytune, and Peterson StroboStomp. Its standout qualities are the ultra-precise tuning accuracy (±0.01 cent), a significantly larger and highly visible LED display with automatic brightness adjustment, and multiple operation modes, making it highly versatile for stage and studio use.
The Hammertone Breakup Drive aims to replicate the dynamics and responsiveness of tube amp overdrive, similar in intent to pedals using JFET circuits. Its selectable clipping modes and mid boost give it flexibility to cover a range of low-gain overdrive tones with expressive nuance, putting it in competition with pedals like the Ibanez Tube Screamer or similar boutique JFET overdrives. Its compact size and price point ($99.99) make it a strong option for players seeking tube-like touch sensitivity without breaking the bank.
The Hammertone Boost offers a dual-boost design uncommon in many pedals, providing both clean and warm JFET-based boosts. This lets players shape their tone more precisely than basic single-mode boosts. The EQ controls allow for tailored tonal boosts, positioning it as a versatile tool compared to simpler boost pedals that often lack tonal shaping. Its warm, harmonic-rich boost mimics vintage tape preamp characteristics, providing both transparency and character.
### Context vs High-End and Boutique Pedals
While pedals like the Caroline Wave Cannon Zero offer highly original distortion circuits with extensive controls and creative features (priced around $249), Fender’s Hammertone pedals focus on essential, expressive, and affordable components with solid versatility, targeting players looking for trusted tonal characteristics and practical usability rather than extreme effects experimentation.
The Strobo-Sonic Pro's ability to rival Peterson and Boss tuner standards with a premium display and accuracy at a competitive price point reflects Fender’s serious re-entry into tuner pedals, potentially making it the tuner pedal to beat for many gigging musicians.
The Hammertone pedals (Breakup Drive and Boost) will arrive in September this year.
- Fender has introduced the Strobo-Sonic Pro tuner, aiming to cater to players with professional-grade features, expressive control, and affordability in the guitar pedal market.
- The Hammertone Breakup Drive pedal delivers responsive, tube-like overdrive tones, positioning itself as a strong contender in the affordable overdrive market.
- The Hammertone Boost pedal offers two boost circuits in one, making it capable of shaping tone more precisely and adding warmth similar to vintage tape preamps.
- The Strobo-Sonic Pro tuner competes with established tuner pedals like the Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Polytune, and Peterson StroboStomp, offering ultra-precise tuning accuracy, a larger LED display with auto-brightness, and multiple operation modes.
- In comparison to pedals using JFET circuits, the Hammertone Breakup Drive aims to replicate the dynamics and responsiveness of tube amp overdrive, giving players flexibility to cover a range of low-gain overdrive tones with expressive nuance.
- The Hammertone Boost offers a unique dual-boost design, which is uncommon in many pedals, allowing players to tailor their tone beyond basic single-mode boosts.
- While high-end pedals, such as the Caroline Wave Cannon Zero with extensive controls and creative features, focus on extreme effects experimentation, Fender's Hammertone pedals focus on essential, expressive, and affordable components with solid versatility, targeting players seeking trusted tonal characteristics and practical usability.
