Fender has announced the arrival of a limited-edition My Chemical Romance signature model, the Mikey Way Jazz Bass.
Eagle-eyed fans might have spotted Way using the bass on tour with MCR in recent months and, to be fair, it’s hard to miss – with the standout feature being an eye-catching Silver Sparkle finish.
Then there’s an alder body, a ’70s-style C-profile neck – shaped to run from a thinner first fret position and thicken up at the 12th fret onwards – and Fender’s ’70s J Bass pickups.
The vintage vibe is continued with ’70s-style tuners and a four-saddle bridge (though here the bridge uses modern slotted saddles for tuning stability).
Finally, there are a few more custom aesthetic choices to note, namely the black block inlays on the fretboard, a black pickguard and a black headstock.
This bass is all about the finish, though, and we suspect the combination of rock-solid spec and an eye-catching – but otherwise somewhat-minimalist – look will have an appeal way beyond Way’s immediate fanbase.
The bassist also favored the sparkle finish on his former signature model, the Squier Mikey Way Mustang Bass, which debuted almost a decade ago.
In a forthcoming interview with Guitar World, Way explains the influences behind the look of his signature models.
“I’ve been obsessed with the sparkle finish as far back as I can remember,” recalls Way. “Growing up in the ‘90s, the silver flake was big in alternative music. Chris Cornell had the Gretsch Silver Jet; [Daniel Johns] from Silverchair had one; the Smashing Pumpkins… liked sparkles.
“Ace Frehley, of course, was big into flake finishes, and as a kid, you love the larger-than-life, comic book world of Kiss. [And there’s] David Bowie; the glam rock stuff. That flake finish makes me think of so many different things, but that’s why I love it so much.”
We have no word on just how limited this model will be, but a price point of $1,499 will put it within reach of a pretty wide group of players, so we can’t see it hanging around for long.
“I remember being younger and going into stores,” comments Way in his new Guitar World interview. “and seeing a flake finish and being like, ‘Oh my god, that’s an expensive-[looking guitar]; I can’t afford that, let alone play it.‘ It was almost intimidating.”
Now Way has two of them – and they both have his name on the headstock.
For more information on the limited-edition Mikey Way signature Jazz Bass, head to Fender.
