Fender has lifted the curtain on its long-awaited Player II range – an upgraded collection of electric guitars and bass guitars that takes the firm’s wildly popular Player family to new heights.
The flagship Player lineup arrived in 2018, and has become one of the most beloved guitar lineups of the 21st century. Indeed, over the past six years, it has developed into Fender’s best-selling range of all time.
That’s all been for good reason. These represent the most affordable Fender guitars, and are positioned as a bridge between entry-level Squiers and pricier Vintera II/American Performer families.
In Fender’s own words, the Mexican-made range is “designed for musicians ready to take the next step in their creative journey”, though appeals to aspiring and seasoned players alike for its ability to deliver genuine Fender-made guitars for a reasonable price.
Now the Player family has been rebooted in the form of the all-new Player II, which introduces never-before-seen body options, previously unreleased finishes, and some sought-after spec upgrades at the request of players.
Where to start? Well, first up, it’s worth noting what models are included. Stratocaster, HSS Stratocaster, Telecaster, Telecaster HH, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang electrics – with left-handed versions of the first three – have been unveiled. As for basses, there is a Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, and Mustang Bass.
The main update here undoubtedly concerns the fretboard. Across the collection, rosewood has finally been restored to the lineup, and replaces the pau ferro ‘boards that were drafted in on older Player guitars.
Now, this alone will no doubt be enough to appease many players, given there was considerable disappointment when Fender first made the switch to pau ferro for its Player models a few years back.
The ‘boards have been further bolstered by rolled fretboard edges – which help provide a smoother canvas to navigate – that have been used to offer “a broken-in feel”.
Further functional updates include what Fender has called “upgraded hardware”. Across the range, some of these include improved Mustang saddles and ClassicGear tuners.
Elsewhere, Fender has also introduced chambered body options for its Stratocaster and Telecaster models for the first time. Available in ash or mahogany, these new designs promise to be lighter in weight, and, on paper, provide a more resonant tonal warmth.
The standard Strat and Tele, though, still look as though they'll be arguably the cornerstone of the refurbished range.
GuitarWorld's Matt McCracken has already taken both for a spin during a deep-dive Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster review, and described them as “two stone-cold classics that provide effortless playability and iconic guitar tones at a pretty reasonable price”.
Last up on the list of ‘what’s new’ is an updated collection of never-released vintage colorways inspired by ‘50s and ‘60s car colors, which have been pulled from the archives. These include Coral Red, Aquatone Blue, Hialeah Yellow and Birch Green.
So, a pretty comprehensive list of updates, but the Player II range is clearly keen on continuing the Player precedent that proved so wildly popular in the first place, as the rest of the spec sheets show.
There are a bunch of models to explore in the Player II range, but the headlines are as follows: alder is used for the bodies (except for those chambered guitars), maple is used for the modern-C profile necks, and 22-fret, 9.5”-radius fingerboards are available in either maple or rosewood.
Player Series pickups in a variety of configurations are in charge of tones, with each particular model arriving with its own tried-and-trusted control circuit.
“The Player II Series is not just an upgrade, it's a detailed re-imagining of our core silhouettes, highlighting our dedication to quality and the continuous refinement of our instruments,” comments Fender’s Justin Norvell.
“We listened to the feedback from musicians around the world and incorporated their insights to refine and innovate our instruments.”
It makes for arguably Fender’s most significant range refresh of recent years, and the accompanying launch video – which features Julien Baker, DIIV, Wallows and April Kae covering the Kinks' All Day and All of the Night – seems to suggest the firm feels the same way.
Now, how exactly have all those updates affected the cost?
The new Player II Strat starts from $799, whereas its predecessor is listed for $679. It’s the exact same story for the Tele and Mustang, while the Jazzmaster and Jaguar have found their prices rise from $709 to $829.
And, as expected, the chambered Player II models – which will arrive in September – are slightly more expensive, with prices rising to $899.
To find out more about the Player II range, head over to Fender.
