American manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, Fender has announced a limited-edition Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster guitar, available from 2022. The themed guitar comes from an official collaboration between Fender and Square Enix, in celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary.
In an official statement from the company, Fender said their new creation “captures the originality, style and excitement” of one of the world’s most popular online role-playing video games. The limited-edition Stratocaster will also be made available to play in FFXIV through patch 5.55.
“This incredibly unique Stratocaster is dressed in all black with a body that features translucent sections of blue and purple ‘crystals’ designed to mirror Crystals of Darkness and Light, key thematic elements of the game.”
Fender’s new creation features a 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboard and maple neck, with a special “limit break” switch. The guitar's three V-Mod Strat single coils feature a “limit break” option, inspired by Final Fantasy's combat moves. The switch is named after a special ability of the same name and takes the form of a push-push tone pot that puts the bridge and middle pickups in series for meatier tones.
The design of Fender’s new Stratocaster was inspired by Final Fantasy XIV and features its iconic logo next to theirs. A special meteor symbol has been inlaid in the 12th fret and a vintage-style hard-shell case will also be included.
An in-game job named Bard has been included in the Final Fantasy XIV’s 5.55 update patch, allowing special skills to be used by players while the instrument is equipped. In addition, the musical instrument playing system will be upgraded to include pick-sliding and muting, and an Aetherolectric guitar item will allow plates to furnish their in-game home.
Pre-orders for the Final Fantasy XIV Fender Stratocaster start in Japan on May 25 of this year, and in America, EMEA, and Australia in ‘late 2021’ to ship for 2022.
The Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster will be available for pre-order starting May 25th in Japan, and late 2021 in the rest of the world. For Japanese customers, the guitars should arrive in Autumn 2021 and early 2022 for customers in the rest of the world. However, this one-of-a-kind, limited-edition Stratocaster is going to cost a cool $3,499 (€2,877.58). More information about the guitar is available on their website.
