Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announces the launch of My Bloody Valentine frontman, Kevin Shields, signature pedal, the Limited Edition Fender Shields Blender – Fender’s first-ever signature fuzz pedal.
Kevin Shields’ groundbreaking sound and his legendary pedalboard configurations have left an indelible mark on the music industry. Shields’ unique blend of distortion and feedback inspired countless musicians to experiment with new sonic textures. Now, four decades after My Bloody Valentine’s formation, Kevin Shields’ iconic sound has been captured in a new wild-but-versatile multi-fuzz octave pedal.
An innovator and pivotal influence on effect-laden guitar tones, Shields awakened iconic sonic walls of fuzz like the world had never heard as he defined the tone of alternative rock in the ‘80s and ‘90s inspiring the ‘shoegaze’ genre and beyond. His tool of choice for fuzz laden chaos: an original Fender Blender effect pedal, prized for its dynamic response and gripping fuzz splatter. Now, through over four years of co-development, Fender and Shields have resurrected this mythical 1970’s fuzz and injected a subversive feature set, creating the all-new Limited Edition Shields Blender Pedal.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” said Kevin Shields. “I’ve been using it a lot recently in the studio, and it’s been great, I’m looking forward to hearing how other people use it. It’s kind of pretty extreme but also very interesting when it’s set up in a subtle way.”
The new Shields Blender pedal is a two-channel beast featuring a hand-copied version of the original Blender circuit (of which Shields is a longtime user and fan) in channel one and a powerful octave blender in channel two. It also feature a footswitchable, reactive voltage sag circuit controlled by picking dynamics built to emulate a tube amp pushed to its limit. For those looking to get the lo-fi/hi-fi sound found on some of the band’s most iconic records like Loveless and m b v, explore the Shields Blender.
This special edition pedal is final assembled in the USA and comes accompanies with a limited print art box, a limited print hand signed collectors booklet telling the story of how this amazing collaboration came to be and a plaque bearing Shields’ signature.
“It is an absolute honor to collaborate with the legendary Kevin Shields on Fender’s inaugural signature fuzz pedal. Kevin’s unparalleled musicianship and visionary approach to guitar tones have redefined the boundaries of sonic exploration,” said Stan Cotey, Vice President of R&D at FMIC. “His creative genius and passion for pushing the limits perfectly align with Fender’s commitment to innovation and delivering exceptional musical experiences. Together, we embark on an extraordinary journey, crafting a pedal that captures the essence of Kevin’s groundbreaking sound with vintage-inspired fuzz, octave-up and sub-octave options, combined with a truly unique sag circuit to harness controlled chaos like not other fuzz pedal – the most revolutionary fuzz design that we have ever developed, and specifically for Kevin’s musical vision.”
Limited-Edition Shields Blender Pedal ($499.99 USD, £449.00 GBP, €549.00 EUR, $749.00 AUD, ¥ 77,000 JPY)
The limited-edition Fender Shields Blender marks Fender’s first ever signature fuzz pedal. A truly historic collaboration between Fender and My Bloody Valentine’s front man and effect pedal genus, Kevin Shields, this special edition pedal is final assembled in the USA and comes accompanied with a limited edition print art box, a limited print hand signed collector’s booklet telling the story of how this amazing collaboration came to be and a plaque bearing Shield’s signature.