Roland and Fender team up for new V-Guitar

Manufacturers Roland and Fender have teamed up for a new V-Guitar to offer players a traditional design with state-of-the-art digital music technology.
The VG Stratocaster G-5 was unveiled at the recent NAMM industry event in Las Vegas and it follows on from the success of the VG Stratocaster the brands launched together back in 2007.
This time, Roland brings its COSM modelling to Fender’s classic Stratocaster guitar to give players instant alternate tunings and a selection of electric, acoustic and 12-string guitar models.
It has been designed for guitar players to use one instrument to play any musical style or perform in any situation.
Tone technology developed by Roland the VG-99 V-Guitar System and GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer, has been embedded into the model to give a more versatile playing experience.
Other features include a GK-3 Divided Pickup with a built-in library of modelled pickup tones and ‘ideal-performance’ pickups including humbucker with ultra-wide tone and a single coil with full, bold tone.
Twenty sounds are included on board, including the sound of a Fender Telecaster, and a Tuning Control knob allows players to use alternate tunings like open G, baritone and digital reverb (when on the acoustic model).
Fender’s part to play is the body of the instrument, which features a 22-fret maple neck, three American Strat single-coil pickups, synchronized tremolo bridge and American inline tuners and chrome hardware.
As well as the G-5 VG Stratocaster, Fender and Roland have launched a GC-1 GK-Ready Stratocaster, which will be released in April. It is compatible with 13-pin output guitar equipment like the GR-55 and VG-99 for alternate tunings.
Again, it is embedded into an authentic Fender Stratocaster, which has a 22-fret neck with medium jumbo frets and American inline tuning keys.
Both models are available in black with maple fingerboard or Fender’s iconic ‘Sunburst’ with a rosewood fingerboard.