Fender Prodigy

A rare white Fender Prodigy with a Humbucker pickup at the bridge C1991. This example has had the whammy bar removed and is missing a knob on the pickup switch.

The Fender Prodigy is a discontinued model of electric guitar produced by Fender from 1991 to 1993. It is one of Fender's attempts to compete with the superstrat-style guitars produced by Ibanez, Jackson/Charvel, Carvin Corporation and Yamaha. Since the Prodigy series was discontinued after about two and half years of production without a clear reason, it is considered one of Fender's rare models because of its limited production. Fender also produced a Prodigy bass based on the Precision Bass Plus Deluxe featuring a P/J pickup layout, 2-band active circuitry and a "fine-tuner" Schaller Elite bridge assembly.

The Prodigy series featured two single coil pickups and one humbucker at bridge position. The body shape was similar to that of the Stratocaster; however, it featured an offset body, sharper body edges, and a smaller headstock. The Prodigy was relatively different from Fender's HM Stratocaster since it used Leo Fender's classic Synchronized tremolo system. The Prodigy II was introduced in 1992 with the Kahler locking tremolo & nut system instead; this model also featured Fender/Schaller tuners and black hardware.

The headstock is imprinted with "Made in U.S.A." which has led many people to believe the Prodigy had been manufactured entirely in the United States, when it had not. The Prodigy necks and bodies were cut and sanded at the Fender factory in Ensenada, Mexico, but they then were shipped to the Fender factory in Corona, California to have the finish applied and were then subsequently assembled into finished guitars with American made components and stamps. ^[1]

References

1. ↑ 50 years of Fender By Tony Bacon, Paul Day, page 100.