Fender’s new Pokémon Stratocaster and Telecaster feature built-in effects that make your guitar sound like an 8-bit videogame
Fender and The Pokémon Company have announced two limited made in Japan electric guitars to mark the 30th anniversary of Pokémon: a “Red Version” Stratocaster and a “Green Version” Telecaster, each featuring an onboard ‘8-bit sound system’.
In practice, this seems to be an onboard heavily gated fuzz that is activated with a discreet press of a button on the volume knob, but the effect is rather effective in practice, as the below demo video illustrates, creating tones that are reminiscent of the original GameBoy soundtrack.
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The guitars take their visual cues from the original Pokémon Red and Green games, which launched in Japan in 1996 (and were later released as Red and Blue internationally), with GameBoy-accurate pixel-art graphics across the body. In a nice nod to the chunky 8-bit graphics of the original, the classic Strat and Tele pickguards have been given a blocky edge, and both show a fluorescent-like effect when viewed from different angles.
Both guitars also include a custom neck plate engraved with an exclusive 30th anniversary pixel-art logo, an illustrated certificate of authenticity, a dedicated hard case and a collectible pick tin containing 11 picks, ten with Pokémon pixel-art designs and one commemorating the anniversary.
The catch is that these Made In Japan limited editions cost ¥396,000 (around $2,600) and will only be available in Japan, sold via a lottery-based sales programme on Pokémon Center Online. Applications open at 12:00pm JST on November 19 2026 and close at 4:59pm JST on November 24. Lottery results will be announced on the site at a later date.
Shipping is available within Japan only and is expected in late December 2026. For other regions, Fender and Pokémon Center say to check their respective official websites, however, no international pricing or availability has been confirmed.
The collaboration marks two anniversaries at once. Pokémon Red Version and Green Version first arrived in Japan in 1996 and Fender, founded in 1946, is in its 80th year. The guitars are announced by Pokémon Center Co Ltd, the company behind the official Pokémon stores and Fender Music Corporation Japan.
“For 80 years, Fender has helped generations express themselves through music, while Pokémon has inspired creativity and imagination around the world,” said Giorgio Guerrini, President of Fender Asia Pacific. He described bringing the two brands together as “a natural celebration of that shared spirit.”
Fender has been on one with Japan-centric pop-culture collabs in recent years. Earlier this year the brand launched both Pac-Man and Godzilla tie-in guitars, while a few years back they also did a Monster Hunter team-up, and relaunched the iconic Hello Kitty guitar with an entire range of tie-in products.
Find out more at Pokemon Center Online.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
