The Fender Performer is one of the strangest-looking guitars ever to wear the Fender name. It came from Fender Japan’s mid-1980s Boxer Series, a short-lived line built on sharp, experimental ideas, and every odd detail has a reason behind it.
Fender Performer Quick Facts
- Maker: Fender Japan, Boxer Series (mid-1980s)
- Frets: 24, the reason for the unusual body shape
- Headstock: arrow style
- Electronics: bar-magnet pickups made for the model, plus a coil-tap switch
- Also made: a Performer Bass
The Boxer Series: Fender Japan’s Daring Experiment
In the mid-1980s, Fender Japan released the Boxer Series, a lineup built on sharp, experimental ideas for the peak of the hard rock and heavy metal boom. Instead of vintage-style specs, it went in a much more modern direction. The Performer was part of it.
The catalog shows how wide the Boxer range was, from the ¥55,000 PB-551 bass up to the ¥130,000 ST-756 and ST-755. Those flagship Strats came with the new SYSTEM III locking tremolo and SF02 pickups made by Schaller in West Germany, and the same catalog sold the cheaper Squier line alongside.
It was a pretty daring series, but it came to an end after only about three years. For where the Boxer Series fits in the wider story, see Squier History.
Fender Performer Specs: Why It Looks So Strange
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Unusual body shape | Adjusts the guitar’s balance to support 24 frets |
| Arrow-style headstock | A sharp, pointed design |
| Bar-magnet pickups | Developed specifically for this model |
| Coil-tap switch | Lets you switch the pickups to a single-coil sound |
So the shape isn’t just for looks: once you add 24 frets, the balance changes, and the body was reshaped to compensate.
What the Catalog Says About the Performer
The catalog calls the Performer an “innovative new form” with pickups using bar magnets, “a first for Fender.” Its spec sheet lists both Performer models:
| PF-555 (guitar) | FB-555 (bass) | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Basswood | Basswood |
| Neck | One-piece maple, natural color | One-piece maple, natural color |
| Fingerboard | Rosewood, 24 frets | Rosewood, 24 frets |
| Pickups | PF02 bar-magnet double coils (front, rear) | FB01 bar-magnet double coils (front, rear) |
| Controls | 1 volume, 1 TBX | 2 volumes, 1 TBX |
| Switching | 3-way lever + coil-tap mini switch | 3-way toggle |
| Price | ¥80,000 | ¥80,000 |
The Performer Bass and the Boxer Bass Lineup
There was also a bass version of the Performer. I have never seen one in person, but the neck looks really narrow.
The Boxer bass lineup also included the PJ-555 (¥60,000 in the catalog), made famous by Duff McKagan, along with Precision and PJ basses with the same bold, experimental style.
For more on Fender Japan guitars from this era, see Fender Japan Serial Numbers, which explains how to date one by its serial.
FAQ
What is the Fender Performer?
A strangely shaped Fender Japan guitar from the mid-1980s Boxer Series, with 24 frets, an arrow-style headstock, bar-magnet pickups developed for the model and a coil-tap switch.
Why does the Fender Performer have such an unusual shape?
The body shape comes from adjusting the guitar’s balance to support 24 frets.
What was the Fender Japan Boxer Series?
A mid-1980s Fender Japan line built on sharp, experimental ideas for the hard rock and heavy metal boom. It ended after only about three years.
Was there a Fender Performer bass?
Yes. The Performer also came in a bass version, and the Boxer bass lineup included the PJ555, made famous by Duff McKagan, plus Precision and PJ basses.
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