Fender might sell a wide range of guitar cables and we can see no sign that it is in any hurry to stop any time soon, but that said, it has just launched a guitar wireless system that might just convince us to decommission ours.
The Telepath Wireless System is a $199 solution for cord-free performances – and the Big F promises none of the kinds of signal interference issues that made Spinal Tap’s airforce base gig such a comic nightmare.
Designed to work with acoustic electric guitars, electric guitars and bass guitars, it sidesteps the 2.4GHz bandwidth used by many extant wireless systems, pivoting to the less-crowded 5.8GHz frequency band.
The idea is you get “full- frequency wireless audio with sparkling clarity across any stage” – Fender’s words – with fuss-free setup. That’s the next question: how difficult is it to get this thing up and running?
Fender says Telepath will pair automatically. Plug the transmitter into the 1/4” output of your instrument, plug your receiver into the 1/4” input of wherever you want that signal to go, turn the thing on, press link, and it will automatically connect within seconds.
And unless Taylor Swift has booked you for the remainder of her Eras Tour dates, or you’ve got a mind to go a wandering in and out of the venue like Buddy Guy, it has a very decent range – 70 feet would surely do most of us.
The Telepath Wireless System has a switch to alternate between active and passive modes, and its connector should fit most instruments. It supports multi-unit pairing, so you can swatch instruments quickly. And with 4ms of latency, Fender says it should preserve the natural feel and response when playing.
Fender’s executive vice president of product, Justin Norvell, says Telepath “demonstrates that Fender is still at the cutting edge of development and craftsmanship, as it was in 1954”.
The Telepath Wireless Systems runs on a rechargeable battery that should give you up to eight hours of playing time – and it takes two hours to charge fully. Pretty neat. It is priced £169 / $199, and it is available now. Head over to Fender for more details.
In other Fender news, the brand has just unveiled a limited edition American Performer Timber Series, making its Telecaster and Stratocaster in lesser-spotted tonewood options of sugar pine, sassafras, and spruce. You can read more about the Fender American Performer Timber Series here.
