Toronado by Fender
The Toronado features two fender atomic humbucking pickups, rosewood fretboard, and many models include a tortoise-shell pickguard and four chrome knobs (2 volume, 2 tone). The headstock features the Fender spaghetti logo and sports vintage style Gotoh/Kluson tuners. The body shape shadows the older Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars. It has a 24-3/4" scale length; an unusual feature on a Fender guitar, this scale length is usually associated with electric guitars manufactured by Gibson.
This 2004 reissue was noticeably different from the older '98-'03 models, featuring more modern colors like Midnight Blue, Caramel Metallic, Blizzard Pearl, and Chrome Red. The Fender atomic humbucking pickups are also open-coil as opposed to the covered humbuckers featured on the earlier models. The '04 models were discontinued in 2006 and are rare due to their 2 year production span. The Fender Toronado GT HH (05-06) was crafted in Korea, sporting a mahogany body and Seymour Duncan humbuckers (a '59 at the neck position and Pearly Gates at the bridge) rather than Duncan Designed pickups. It was part of Fender's Big Block series. The guitar came in metallic finishes with a painted headstock and a racing stipe in a reverse L shape going from the left side of the body to the upper right horn. Unlike other variants of the Toronado, it has no pickguard.
Fender USA has also made the US Special and Highway One Toronado models, featuring Atomic II humbucking pickups or Black Dove P-90 style pickups. These models were available in a number of finishes, including Butterscotch Blonde, Black, Chrome Silver, Pewter Grey Metallic and Crimson Red Transparent. Later models were upgraded to feature a Fender Tech-Tonic, one piece, wrap-around bridge and black headstock. Both the US Special and Highway One Toronados were discontinued in 2004.
