(upbeat guitar riff)
- Hey, it's John Dreyer, it's 2020,
which means a whole new year
of Fender Parallel Universe models to showcase.
Now, if you're not familiar with the Parallel Universe line,
it's a limited edition line that features hybrid pairings
of Fender's most notable guitars and basses.
And we're gonna take a look at the first model right now.
This is the Parallel Universe Volume II Jazz Strat.
And, as the name implies,
it combines the sleek and comfortable contours
of a Stratocaster body with the neck pickups and bridge
from a Jazzmaster.
The color on this one is Mystic Surf Green Lacquer.
It looks great, it feels really, really awesome,
and it sounds even better.
So let's get right into it.
So, before we go any further,
let's talk about some tones.
For the intro performance,
I was using the Jazz Strat
with a couple of Fender pedals
that I have here on the floor,
going into the '68 Custom Vibrolux amplifier.
Now, on the tracks that I was playing along with,
also in the intro, that also features the Jazz Strat.
All right, so let's get into some more tones
from the guitar, before we get into the full spec rundown.
I'm gonna switch the pedals off,
we're going straight into the amp, which is still set clean.
I'll run you through all three positions
of the pickup selector, which is bridge, bridge and neck,
and then the neck, and then we'll get into the specs.
(soft guitar riff)
All right, so here's a rundown of the features
in what makes this guitar so very cool.
We can start with the body.
Again we have the Mystic Surf Green Lacquer Finish.
Now, with the lacquer, it allows the body to breath,
and then it will age over time, quickly or slowly,
depending on how aggressive or light that you play.
For the pickups, we have
two Fender Pure Vintage '65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster Pickups.
These pickups are period correct with clean and clear
vintage style tone, with that undeniable Jazzmaster texture.
Now, they sound great with some overdrive,
they sound great clean, or anywhere in between.
For the controls, we have a master volume,
and a master tone.
Now, on the master volume, under the pickguard,
on the pot, we've installed a Treble Bleed Circuit.
So, what that allows you to do, is to turn the volume down,
and not lose any of the clarity or high end.
So, the way your guitar sounds with the volume
all the way up, as you turn the volume down,
you'll retain that top and clarity,
and it won't get muddy.
So let me demo that, so you can hear what that sounds like.
(upbeat guitar riff)
And then we have a three-way toggle switch,
to select either the bridge, bridge and neck,
or the neck pickup alone.
Now, the bridge itself features brass Mustang saddles
that keep the strings where they belong,
and a screw-in Trem arm on the vibrato.
And then you can't forget about
the custom Decoboom Streamline ivory pickguard,
with the green flake pinstripping,
which is very, very cool.
And the aluminum radio knobs are a nice touch,
so check those out. Pretty cool.
So over to the neck, we have a medium C-shaped neck profile.
This one has a 9.5" fingerboard radius,
which is slightly flatter than a vintage radius,
but helps keep the notes from choking out
when you're bending higher up on the fretboard.
We have 22 medium jumbo frets for a nice feel,
we have these really cool block inlays on the fretboard,
and then, of course, the matching headstock
with vintage style machine heads.
A couple of other cool features I wanted to mention
are the Parallel Universe engraved neck plate on the guitar,
as well as the matching Surf Green hard shell case.
All right, so let's add some pedals back in,
and hear what it can do with a little more grease,
maybe some overdrive, some delay, as well as some reverb.
Let's see what that sounds like.
(distorted, grungy guitar music)
All right, so thanks for stopping by to check out
the Fender Parallel Universe Volume II Jazz Strat.
So much vibe with this one,
all the features work so well together.
The mix of the Stratocaster and the Jazzmaster.
If you have any other questions,
please head over to fender.com to look up this guitar
and get all the specs,
and then stay tuned here for more videos.
We'll see you!
(upbeat guitar music)