Fender has launched two new guitar models featuring the debut of the Fender Silent System, which is designed to eliminate unwanted electrical hum from single-coil pickups.Fender’s Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster and Telecaster are the first new models to feature the Silent System, delivering classic, unadulterated single-coil tone with virtually no 60-cycle hum. More details on those instruments are included below. But first, the burning question: What is this hum-cancelling system all about? Offering a solution to the 80-year-old problem of pickup hum, the Fender Silent System isn’t simply another “noiseless” pickup. Rather, it’s a passive, battery-free system built into the instrument itself. Designed to nix single-coil hum from almost any installed pickup, it gives players more control over their guitar sound without compromising on tone.The system employs a “dummy coil” nestled snugly in a special rout carved into the guitar body’s cavity. The coil is connected to the guitar’s internal circuitry—the pickup selector, volume/tone pots, and the pickups themselves. The system is invisible once covered by the pickguard; even when viewing the guitar up close, there’s no sign of the hum-canceling technology working inside. Fender’s Silent System is certainly not the first dummy-coil system designed to eliminate 60-cycle hum. This type of technology traces its origins back to the 1950s. But it’s Fender’s most ambitious—and heavily researched—foray into creating a single-coil-equipped guitar that delivers classic tone without the hum. Premier Guitar asked Steven Casado, Senior Design Engineer at Fender, for more details about the development of the Silent System. Casado’s career stretches back to high school, when he began building pickups in his parents’ garage at 16 years old. During his tenure at Seymour Duncan, prior to joining Fender, he worked on pickups, pedals, and the company’s PowerStage amp designs. Since coming to Fender in 2018, Casado has been a key contributor to the company’s Panorama tremolo system and Quadra Tap humbucker, as well as custom signature pickups for artists like Jimmy Page, Eric Johnson, Michael Landau, Kingfish, Susan Tedeschi, and Mike Campbell.The following Q&A with Casado provides a peek into the Silent System’s developmental story.Premier Guitar: How does the Silent System differ from previous hum-canceling systems that rely on dummy-coil technology?Steven Casado: The operating principle of the Fender Silent System is the same as most other dummy-coil-based noise-cancelling systems. Whether it’s humbuckers, stacks, rails, or dummy coils, they all use the same basic method to cancel the noise: a second coil wired and wound a specific way in relation to the primary coil. Clearly, there are a number of ways to approach the challenge—and the form our system takes is unique from all the others. While the Fender Silent System does fit in the dummy-coil category, it’s been optimized well beyond just throwing a plastic Strat bobbin inside the guitar, like in the old days. This coil is wider than any pickup we make, and deeper than any of the noise reducing pickguard/backplate solutions. The extra width and depth allow for the use of a larger gauge magnet wire, which is key to preserving high-end response. Protecting the natural frequency response of Fender pickups was at the heart of this project, and the Fender Silent System does it better than all the others we tested.It’s not just the total size, but the shape that’s different as well. The shape of the final coil is as wide as can fit under all our standard pickguards. A wider coil is more efficient at sensing noise. Think of it as a bucket in the rain; the wider the bucket, the more rain you can catch at one time.How long was it in development?The research for this project started back in 2021. The thought was, since we make the whole guitar, why would we limit the size of our noiseless pickups to just the traditional pickup route? That started us down a path of exploring the possibilities of a noise cancelling system freed from those space constraints. In addition, we had all the existing noise reduction systems in the lab to carefully test and compare noise reduction limits and high-end loss.Does Fender have a term they prefer to use for the dummy coil?"Dummy coil" is technically correct but doesn't tell the whole story. Fender has used dummy coils in guitars before—for decades we used Strat pickups for hum reduction in Custom Shop and even some Corona factory-built instruments. We’ve looked at all the systems. A recycled Stratocaster pickup wasn’t the answer. We started from scratch, looked at everything that was known, researched what wasn’t, and evolved the form. We tested different shapes, sizes, and winds rigorously, on the bench and in the sound-room, to make it smaller, lighter, and more transparent. In the end, the R&D and Product teams held hands and committed to preserving as much of high end of the pickups as possible with the least amount of hum, whatever form it takes. And the Fender Silent System does just that.Does the coil need to be specifically “tuned” to the pickups? Will it work effectively with other aftermarket pickups?The Silent System will work effectively with all Fender and aftermarket single-coil pickups, and does not need to be tuned. The only extra step to take when swapping pickups is to make sure the system is in phase with your new set. Essentially, if you’re hearing excess noise after a pickup swap, then you should remove the silent coil, flip it over, and re-install it. No soldering required.Does Fender plan on implementing the Silent System in more instruments in the future?Yes, we’re discussing future possibilities.See the demo video here: youtube.com/watchThe Silent System debuts in Fender’s American Professional Classic range, which blends a vintage vibe with the capabilities of a modern instrument—making it a favorite among working players. For this reason, the Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster and Telecaster models are well-suited for introducing the tech refresh offered by the Silent System. Even though the system requires special routing, it’s invisible when covered by standard Strat and Tele pickguards, retaining a traditional look while offering advanced electronics under the hood.Fender’s new Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster brandishes vintage-inspired Coastline ’57 Stratocaster pickups that deliver depth, punch, and sparkle, and the all-new Fender Silent System eliminates 60-cycle hum. It features a sleek Modern “C” neck and Fender staggered ClassicGear tuners for traditional looks and precise tuning stability. It’s available in Candy Apple Red and Olympic White with a maple fingerboard, and 3-Color Sunburst and Daphne Blue with a rosewood fingerboard. All necks feature 22 medium jumbo frets and a 9.5” fretboard radius.The Limited Edition American Professional Classic Telecaster features vintage-inspired Coastline ’63 Telecaster pickups along with the new Silent System. It also boasts a Modern “C” neck and Fender staggered ClassicGear tuners, and is available in Sonic Blue and Candy Apple Red with a rosewood fingerboard, and Vintage Blonde and 3-Color Sunburst with a maple fingerboard. All necks featuring 22 medium jumbo frets and 9.5” fretboard radius.The Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster is street priced at $1,599.99 USD, £1,649 GBP, €1,949 EUR, $2799.00 AUD, and ¥258,500 JPY. The Limited Edition American Professional Classic Telecaster is street priced at $1,599.99 USD, £1,649 GBP, €1,949 EUR, $2799.00 AUD, and ¥258,500 JPY. Fender Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster and Telecaster Fender has launched two new guitar models featuring the debut of the Fender Silent System, which is designed to eliminate unwanted electrical hum from single-coil pickups. Buy now

Cort Guitars officially unveils the KX500 Baritone, a specialized addition to the coveted KX Series. Engineered specifically for players who use low tunings, the instrument addresses the familiar challenges of string tension and note definition associated with dropped registers. By combining a long-scale architecture with premium electronics and hardware, Cort provides a focused solution for heavy music performance that keeps responsiveness and control.The foundation of the KX500 Baritone is an okoume body, selected for its lightweight properties and ability to deliver a warm, resonant tone with a clear low-end response that keeps heavy sounds tight. The body is topped with an English Walnut veneer, providing a striking grain pattern and a distinctive visual character. To complement the tonal properties of the wood, the instrument is finished in a Matte Natural Black Burst (NBB), using an open-pore application that keeps the organic feel of the materials. Playability is made easy by a 28.03-inch (712mm) scale length, positioned to provide best string tension for drop tunings while staying transparent to the player. The bolt-on neck features a 5-piece construction of roasted maple and walnut, offering enhanced durability and resonance alongside a comfortable "D" shape profile. A Macassar Ebony fingerboard with a 15.75-inch radius houses 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, chosen for their smooth feel and long-lasting performance under heavy use. Fretboard navigation is aided by Teardrop position inlays and luminous side dots for visibility in dark stage environments. The instrument is equipped with a matched Seymour Duncan Sentient and Nazgûl humbucker set, specifically voiced for modern high-gain performance ranging from clean passages to full output. This HH configuration is managed by a streamlined control layout consisting of a single volume knob, a 3-way toggle switch, and tone pot (push/pull for coil-split). These electronics allow for diverse tonal shaping while ensuring the clarity required for complex, low-tuned arrangements.Reliability and sustain are further supported by a hardware package featuring a new Cort hardtail bridge. This bridge uses a string-thru-body construction to improve resonance across the instrument. At the headstock, Cort Locking Tuners provide tuning stability and ease efficient string changes, while a Graph Tech Black TUSQ nut ensures consistent string vibration. The guitar comes factory-equipped with D'Addario EXL157 strings (.014-.068) and features all-black hardware to match its aggressive aesthetic. The KX500 Baritone is a commitment to purposeful design for the modern metal and progressive guitarist. For more information on specifications and global availability, please visit the official Cort Guitars website at www.cortguitars.com. Street Price: $929.99 USD

Question: What's the first—or hardest—guitar solo you ever learned?Pete Evick, guitarist, the Bret Michaels Band; producerA: I started playing at such an early age, and tackling some crazy stuff for a 13-year-old with a phonograph, not YouTube. So the hardest solo would have been Randy Rhoads’ lead on “Over the Mountain,” from Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman. But it’s relative to the time and tools—as an adult I’ve gone back and learned all my favorite Steve Vai licks, but I did it with the help of modern technology and over 40 years of experience, so it didn’t seem nearly as hard or frustrating. Saying all of that, I still think the hardest thing to execute is Jake E. Lee’s outro solo on Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon.” Getting that clean and at the right speed is an exercise every guitar player, from any genre, should force themselves to do. It's a full workout for both hands.Obsession: I’ve been producing music for an awesome guy that goes by the name Timules. It’s this really different, amazing spoken-word-type stuff. Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), who’s a mind-blowing player, Eric Brittingham from Cinderella, and I have all been making this music with him, and it’s just super different and unique.Tony Houston, reader; guitarist, the Primetime Blues BandA: In 1971, when I was 21 years old and just starting to learn guitar, I struggled with finding the key of songs and understanding how solos were constructed, despite knowing some basic theory, string names, and scales. That year, I read a lesson in Guitar Player magazine where the author tabbed out George Harrison's solo on “Let It Be.” He explained how he found the key and detailed his process of recording the song from vinyl to a cassette deck so he could rewind it and practice.That single lesson completely transformed my approach to the instrument. Within a week, I began learning songs on my own, and I am still learning them today.Obsession: I have two current obsessions: I’m back to learning to play better slide guitar. I recently found a Maestro resonator guitar at a yard sale for $25 and am currently perfecting my touch. Back in ’70, I was very fortunate to see the Allman Brothers Band perform in a very small venue, Pappaliski's, here in Dayton, Ohio. I knew about Duane Allman from “Layla,” and wondered how he achieved that guitar sound. I had just started learning guitar, too, and was captivated by his tone. I was gobsmacked to see him live using a small bottle, sliding it up and down his guitar neck.My other obsession is perfecting the art of making focaccia.John Bohlinger, columnist; host, Rig RundownA: My dad bought Dire Straits’ debut album for me in 1979, shortly after it came out. The “Sultans of Swing” solo became my Mount Everest. Something happens to your brain, spirit, and personality when you put a lot of effort into something that seems impossible at first. The exercise trained my ears, taught me that melodies lie in the chords more than the scales, and gave me confidence that I could actually be a guitar player. Forty-seven years later, I still don’t sound nearly as good as a 28-year-old Mark Knopfler did the day he recorded it.Obsession: I’m still way into chord voicings. The way Wes Montgomery could pull such amazing melodies out of those color tones in his chords blows my mind.