Fender Cyclone
Encyclopedia
The Fender Cyclone and Fender Cyclone II were a series of electric guitar
s made by Fender. Introduced in late 1997, the Cyclone body is similarly styled to the Mustang
but with a significantly different specification. The body of the Cyclone is a quarter of an inch thicker than the body of a Mustang
and is made of poplar
, whereas contemporary Mustang
reissues were made of basswood.
In July 2002, the Cyclone II was introduced as the successor to the Fender Cyclone and featured cosmetic changes such as the Mustang
racing stripe as well as 3 vintage single-coil pickups and switching borrowed from the Fender Jaguar
.
the range included the original Cyclone, the Cyclone HH with two humbuckers, and the Fender Cyclone II with three MIA Jaguar
pickups controlled by on-off switches in place of the selector switch.
As of January 2007, all Cyclone variants had been discontinued by Fender.
of 24.75 inches, the same as a Gibson Les Paul
but an unusual intermediate size for Fender, and a Stratocaster style synchronized tremolo
.
The original Cyclone used an Atomic humbucking pickup in the bridge, a Tex-Mex pickup in the neck position and a conventional 3-way toggle switch.
single-coils and a modern 2-point synchronized vibrato with stainless steel saddles. The Custom Cyclone had similar features, but used two Gold Lace Sensor
pickups with black covers and a custom vintage 2-point tremolo bridge with bent solid steel saddles. Both guitars were made at the Fender Custom Shop
. These American-made Cyclones were gone at the end of 2001.
racing stripe as well as pickups and switching borrowed from the Fender Jaguar
. Notably, the guitar employs three pickups angled in a similar fashion to the Fender Telecaster
bridge pickup rather than the standard two straight pickups of a Jaguar. It also features a Fender Jazzmaster headstock, similar to a 1970s Strat headstock
. It also features vintage tuning heads, as well as vintage, nickel
string saddles, which were found on 1950s model Strats. It was available in a choice of two colours, candy-apple red, and Fender's Daphne Blue, both with the white racing stripe found on the Mustang
.
The Cyclone II has a scale
of 24.75 inches, a Stratocaster style synchronized tremolo
and an on/off switch for each pickup. While it is different in design to the Stratocaster, it has seven pickup selections, including bridge pickup with neck pickup or even all three pickups, not available on a standard Stratocaster. This enables the guitarist to have the mixed sound of the more 'twangy' bridge pickup, mixed with the smootheness of the neck pickup. It received good reviews, mostly because of its unusually versatile sound and good looks.
, a Fender Santa Ana and a Fender Atomic II in the bridge and neck positions. Introduced in 2003, it was discontinued, like the other Cyclone models, in 2007.
Featuring an offset waist alder body and a 24.75"-scale maple neck with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, the Cyclone HH also included a vintage-style synchronized tremolo, a three-position toggle switch, master volume and tone controls, as well as chrome-plated hardware.
The Cyclone HH was available in Black, Pewter, Daphne Blue and Orange.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s made by Fender. Introduced in late 1997, the Cyclone body is similarly styled to the Mustang
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
but with a significantly different specification. The body of the Cyclone is a quarter of an inch thicker than the body of a Mustang
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
and is made of poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
, whereas contemporary Mustang
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
reissues were made of basswood.
In July 2002, the Cyclone II was introduced as the successor to the Fender Cyclone and featured cosmetic changes such as the Mustang
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
racing stripe as well as 3 vintage single-coil pickups and switching borrowed from the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
.
the range included the original Cyclone, the Cyclone HH with two humbuckers, and the Fender Cyclone II with three MIA Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
pickups controlled by on-off switches in place of the selector switch.
As of January 2007, all Cyclone variants had been discontinued by Fender.
Cyclone
The Cyclone has a scaleScale length
*Length scale, - a significant concept in physics used to define the order of magnitude of a system*Scale height, - a specific parameter in physics denoting the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of e...
of 24.75 inches, the same as a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
but an unusual intermediate size for Fender, and a Stratocaster style synchronized tremolo
Tremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
.
The original Cyclone used an Atomic humbucking pickup in the bridge, a Tex-Mex pickup in the neck position and a conventional 3-way toggle switch.
US Cyclone
The Cyclone was also promoted as a USA-made guitar for a brief time in 2000. The US Cyclone featured two dual-coil ceramic Vintage NoiselessVintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
single-coils and a modern 2-point synchronized vibrato with stainless steel saddles. The Custom Cyclone had similar features, but used two Gold Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups with black covers and a custom vintage 2-point tremolo bridge with bent solid steel saddles. Both guitars were made at the Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
. These American-made Cyclones were gone at the end of 2001.
Cyclone II
Introduced as the successor to the Cyclone in July 2002, the Cyclone II features changes such as the MustangFender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
racing stripe as well as pickups and switching borrowed from the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
. Notably, the guitar employs three pickups angled in a similar fashion to the Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
bridge pickup rather than the standard two straight pickups of a Jaguar. It also features a Fender Jazzmaster headstock, similar to a 1970s Strat headstock
Headstock
Headstock or peghead is a part of guitar or similar stringed instrument. The main function of a headstock is holding the instrument's strings. Strings go from the bridge past the nut and are usually fixed on machine heads on headstock...
. It also features vintage tuning heads, as well as vintage, nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
string saddles, which were found on 1950s model Strats. It was available in a choice of two colours, candy-apple red, and Fender's Daphne Blue, both with the white racing stripe found on the Mustang
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
.
The Cyclone II has a scale
Scale length
*Length scale, - a significant concept in physics used to define the order of magnitude of a system*Scale height, - a specific parameter in physics denoting the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of e...
of 24.75 inches, a Stratocaster style synchronized tremolo
Tremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
and an on/off switch for each pickup. While it is different in design to the Stratocaster, it has seven pickup selections, including bridge pickup with neck pickup or even all three pickups, not available on a standard Stratocaster. This enables the guitarist to have the mixed sound of the more 'twangy' bridge pickup, mixed with the smootheness of the neck pickup. It received good reviews, mostly because of its unusually versatile sound and good looks.
Cyclone HH
The Cyclone HH had the same features and specifications as the original Cyclone, except for the addition of a 3-ply black pickguard and a pair of humbucking pickupsHumbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
, a Fender Santa Ana and a Fender Atomic II in the bridge and neck positions. Introduced in 2003, it was discontinued, like the other Cyclone models, in 2007.
Featuring an offset waist alder body and a 24.75"-scale maple neck with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, the Cyclone HH also included a vintage-style synchronized tremolo, a three-position toggle switch, master volume and tone controls, as well as chrome-plated hardware.
The Cyclone HH was available in Black, Pewter, Daphne Blue and Orange.