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Fender\u2019s second app, Tone<\/a>, is far more ambitious than its predecessor. In fact, it\u2019s the first smartphone app I can recall that\u2019s launched alongside a trio of amplifiers. It\u2019s not necessary to operate them, of course, but it\u2019s certainly a big part of their appeal, opening up access to a seemingly infinite range of guitar tones in the way only a smartphone can.<\/p>\n The new range of Mustang GTs<\/a> are the company\u2019s long-promised connected amps, with WiFi and Bluetooth built in. This sort of smart functionality is inevitable, of course. It\u2019s 2017. Everything is connected. It\u2019s the internet of things, man. We\u2019re just living in it. But Fender\u2019s done a good job of integrating that functionality in a way that is legitimately useful without encroaching on the overall spirit of the product and company.<\/p>\n Fender\u2019s been more aggressive on the technology front over the past couple of years, but the company\u2019s approach has still been fairly cautious<\/a>. Last year it launched a set of in-ear monitors<\/a>, its first foray outside of its comfort zone of guitars\/amps. The company also launched Fender Tune<\/a>, its first mobile app, a fairly unambitious guitar tuner.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re Fender, you don\u2019t want to rock the boat too much when it comes to introducing new technology, and certainly delivering this sort of functionality across its line would be out of the question. Part of the company\u2019s lasting appeal has been its commitment to the technologies that help make the company guitar powerhouse in the first place.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/05\/p1011177.jpg?w=1024&h=768\")
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