Fender Player II: the Second Generation of Bestsellers
Yesterday, Fender officially unveiled the next evolution of its best-selling guitars and basses – the Player II series. This latest collection comes six years after the launch of the Player I series, which not only caught the attention of many aspiring musicians at relatively friendly prices but was also able to satisfy the demands of more experienced players. The Fender Player II, manufactured by the Mexican branch Ensenada includes a total of twelve models – Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Mustang, Jaguar, Precision and Jazz Bass.
The newcomers take the concept of the original Player series to the next level while adopting all the essentials that contributed to the popularity of that product collection, such as maple necks with a comfortable Modern-C profile, fretboards with a 9.5-inch radius and medium jumbo frets. So what's new with the Fender Player II series?
Rosewood fretboards: players can now once again choose between the basic maple and rosewood fretboard options, which feature rounded edges to enhance playing comfort.
Upgraded hardware: instruments now feature stylish ClassicGear tuning machines and redesigned bridges and steel-stone tremolos, which not only bring greater tuning stability but also more precise resonance and longer sustain.
New offset pickups: Fender has prepared different types of Revoiced pickups for the series, which capture each model's typical tone (and look). Single-coils and humbuckers use Alnico II or V magnets, providing a musical sound with transparent expression and nice highs.
Chambered body options: in addition to alder bodies, the Player II Series now offers versions with ash or mahogany bodies fitted with resonant cavities on selected instruments.
Special colours: in addition to other finishes, new finishes can be selected in Coral Red, Aquatone Blue, Hialeah Yellow and Birch Green, all inspired by American vintage cars from the 1950s and 1960s, Fender's early days when the legendary Leo Fender led the company.
Overview of the Fender Player II 2024 Collection
Stratocasters
Fender Player II Stratocaster SSS
Fender Player II HSS Stratocaster
Fender Player II LH Stratocaster
Telecasters
Fender Player II Telecaster SS
Fender Player II HH Telecaster
Fender Player II LH Telecaster
Offsets
Fender Player II Jazzmaster
Fender Player II Jaguar
Fender Player II Mustang
Basses
Fender Player II Precision Bass
Fender Player II Jazz Bass
Fender Player II Mustang Bass PJ
Some of the Fender Player II guitars and basses should be in European stores within a few weeks, with the Telecaster HH, Mustang, Jazzmaster and Jaguar versions likely to hit the market in August and the left-handed Stratocaster/Telecaster LH variants likely to be in distribution two months later. Prices start at about 800 dollars.
If you have found an error or typo in the article, please let us know by e-mail info@insounder.org.
