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| Jimi with a Hello Kitty Strat? |
I am so happy! My life is now complete. Fender has just brought back a limited edition Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster for it's 50th Anniversary. It is the dawn of a new era!!
Though Hello Kitty may look like a kitten the character is purportedly a little girl named Kitty White or in Japanese, Kiti Howaito. She lives in a London suburb with her sister Mimmy and must be doing well as London property is expensive.
In 2005 Fender created the Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster which was marketed to preteen girls. At that time the guitar sold new for around $225.
The new limited-edition models have a suggested retail price of $579. The body is made of Okume wood, a hardwood harvested in central Africa.
But wait there is more! For an additional $125 you can purchase a Hello Kitty Fuzztone. The Hello Kitty 10-foot pink and white woven guitar cable is $37.99. The polyester Hello Kitty guitar strap is $35, a box of 18 Hello Kitty guitar picks sells for only $20, while a Fender Hello Kitty crew neck sweatshirt is $59.99 (although sadly they don’t come in my size).
For those that are not aware Hello Kitty was a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and is owned by the Japanese manufacturing company Sanrio. The character was designed to sell sandals and vinyl coin purses.
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| Hello Kitty |
She came on the scene around 1975 and became popular due to a trend called Kawaii or “cute culture”. (Silly me. I thought Kawaii was a piano.)
By 2010 Hello Kitty was a marketing sensation, with comics, music, video games, magazines, clothing, and even theme parks.
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| 2005 Squier Hello Kitty Guitar |
The original instrument’s body was made of a Agathis wood, a soft wood harvested in India. The Hello Kitty guitar had a single pickup with one volume control.
The 2005 guitar's neck was Maple with a plain headstock. This instrument had a budget hardtail adjustable bridge saddle. The originals had Hello Kitty face adorning the pink body. Fender’s original run was around 7,000 instruments.
The funny thing is a number well-known artists were seen using Hello Kitty guitars on stage. These included Dave Navarro, Slash, Courtney Love, Amy Lee, and John 5.
In 2019 the used price of a used 2005 Hello Kitty guitar almost tripled with some collectors asking $750 to $1000.
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| Limited Edition Hello Kitty |
The guitar’s C-shaped neck and fretboard are maple wood with red fret markers. The guitar has a single Fender designed Alnico pickup and the jack is placed on the instrument’s lower side.
The most popular body has a pink finish with a matching pink headstock. The Squier Hello Kitty models are also available with a pearl white and black finish. The guitar's back feature's Hello Kitty written in script.
Apparently I missed the boat on the pink model that was released in 2024. But the 2025 white and black models are readily available.
The plastic pickguard is an image of Hello Kitty’s face. The instrument comes with a matching Hello Kitty gig bag.
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| Fender Hello Kitty Products |
But wait there is more! For an additional $125 you can purchase a Hello Kitty Fuzztone. The Hello Kitty 10-foot pink and white woven guitar cable is $37.99. The polyester Hello Kitty guitar strap is $35, a box of 18 Hello Kitty guitar picks sells for only $20, while a Fender Hello Kitty crew neck sweatshirt is $59.99 (although sadly they don’t come in my size).
I am ordering mine right now!
UniqueGuitar Publications (text only) 2025
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