Fender Katana

Overview

The Fender Katana is a short-lived 1980s electric guitar produced by Fender Japan during roughly 1985 and 1986. Its angular body — a sharp, arrow-like silhouette quite different from Fender’s traditional offset and single-cutaway designs — and high-output pickups were designed to bring Fender into the hard-rock and metal market then dominated by Jackson, Charvel, and Kramer.

Origin & History

By the mid-1980s, Fender had watched a whole generation of hard-rock players abandon the Stratocaster for pointier, higher-output designs. The Katana was one of several 1980s experiments by Fender — alongside the Fender HM Strat and the Performer — to reclaim ground in that segment. Production was centred at Fender Japan, and the model was offered for only a brief window before being discontinued. Its limited production run and distinctive look have made it a niche collector’s item.

How It’s Played

The Katana plays like a superstrat of its era. A thin, angular body and a flat-radius fingerboard favour fast lead playing. High-output humbucking pickups deliver the saturated, sustained voice then associated with hard rock. The body shape, while visually distinctive, is awkward for seated playing.

Cultural Significance

The Katana is emblematic of Fender’s 1980s identity crisis and its attempts to reinvent itself for a shifting rock market. While commercially unsuccessful, it represents a genuinely distinct page in Fender’s visual history.

Related Instruments

• Fender HM Strat – contemporaneous Fender metal model
• Fender Performer – another 1980s Fender experiment
• Fender Prodigy – Fender’s later hard-rock model
• Jackson Soloist – the superstrats Fender was chasing
• Ibanez Universe – another 1980s superstrat benchmark

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the Katana made in the USA?
No — it was built at Fender Japan.

Is it still made?
No. Production ended in 1986 and the model has not been reissued.