The Fender Player Series – known for its reliable Mexican-made guitars which combine affordability and great tone – has announced an updated, limited run collection of electric guitars exclusive to the UK guitar store guitarguitar.
Arriving in the form of two Stratocasters and a Telecaster, Fender has swapped out the Player Series Alnico 5 pickups in favor of more boutique Custom Shop replacements and given the maple necks a stunning makeover.
Achieved through torrefaction – a fancy way of saying ”baking” the wood – the maple is treated at extremely high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment, changing its physical properties to create a lighter and stronger wood. The result is a more durable guitar neck that is more resistant to atmospheric and temperature changes.
That, and the deep caramel color of wood that is achieved through the process looks fantastic.
Aside from the roasted maple neck, the new Player Series instruments are also treated to an upgrade in the pickup department.
The two Stratocasters – available in a striking Sonic Blue and Three-Tone Sunburst – come equipped with Custom Shop Fat '50s pickups in an effort to give players a full-bodied, classic-era Strat twang.
Likewise, the Butterscotch Blonde Telecaster features Custom Shop Nocaster pickups, which emulate the classic Tele bite and grit. Both can be heard in action below.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Despite updates that seek to add the vintage feel and sound of pricier instruments, the guitars remain amongst the most affordable Fender instruments currently available, retailing at £799 (approx $1,050), around £200 more than the standard Player models.
Although exclusive to the UK guitar retailer, we hope to see a similarly striking update to the Fender Player Series in the US in the near future.
Visit guitarguitar for more info.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
“Gives you control over the relative level of the two pickups – without adding a second volume control”: Radioshop Telecaster Wiring Mod review
“I wanted the PolyPafs to be true players’ pickups”: Bare Knuckle and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood look to give PAF-style pickups a modern twist with new signature set