Fender Player Series Guitars

The latest line of guitars from Fender sees them take their Mexican offering to another level with the Player Series. The Mex range has been given a facelift that wasn’t necessarily needed but is certainly welcomed with open arms.

The Fender Mexican range has long been one of the mainstays in the Fender catalogue because they offer such great guitars at such an affordable price. The value for money is undeniable! The Fender Player Series has been announced to take up the mantle as the new ‘golden boy’ in the Fender range offering you a pro-level instrument that’s been made in the famous Fender Ensenada factory.

Fender Player Guitars on Andertons T.V.

Fender Player Basses on Andertons T.V.

Key Features

• Satin finished necks – Satin necks are incredibly popular because they’re just so comfortable to hold and play. No more sticky, sweaty gloss necks; the Satin finish will just let you fly up and down the fretboard with ease.
• Improved Pickups – The pickups across the range have been re-designed and improved providing you with that distinct Fender tone that you’ve come to know and love. These new pickups simultaneously achieve Fender’s legendary chime and clarity without sacrificing power and have been designed to handle overdrive better than ever.
• New Finishes – Any new Fender release will see the launch of some brand new finishes (and some with a classic edge) to feast our eyes on. Some cool new colours in the range include Tidepool, Buttercream, and Sage Green. You’ll also notice the use of parchment boards instead of sheer white on some models which gives them a distinctly classy look.
• Two-point Trem on Strats – The two-point bridge offers a smoother action for a more expressive vibrato as well as better tuning stability. This is a major upgrade that will be loved by purists and amateurs alike.
• 22-Frets on Guitars – Previously, Fender Mex models only had 21 frets like the guitars of old. This has been done away with and you have the extra fret to give you that extra squeal and note should you need it for your big guitar solo.

Pau Ferro Fretboards

Fender have made the move from using Rosewood on a lot of their models to feature Pau Ferro instead. The reason for this is a CITES Rosewood restriction that came into play a few years ago. You can read more about that by clicking here.

The woods look very similar (though Pau Ferro might be a bit lighter in colour) but most importantly, have very similar tonal properties. These are the models to go for if you’re after a warmer, more rounded tone.

OR, If you prefer your Fender to have a bit more snap, then the Maple board option is still available.

The Fender Player Series Strats are set to be real winners in the range. They’ve got pro appointments at very reasonable prices and you’ll be seeing these on stages all around the world soon!

These Strats are made for the purist and modern innovator alike. You’ve got the classic SSS configuration for those single coil tones.

You’ve also got the choice of getting a guitar with a humbucker in the bridge – the HSS Superstrat configuration is super powerful because of how versatile it is.

Or if you prefer more firepower, then you might want the HSH model which has a humbucker in both bridge and neck position with a single coil in the middle to balance out and add clarity to those ‘in-between’ positions.

The Fender Strat Plustop models are the same as the Standard but with a flame Maple top for those that love their guitar to look a little bit more outlandish. Everyone loves a bit of flamed Maple and these compliment the look of a Strat perfectly.

If you’re a Southpaw, then you’ll be glad to know that Fender haven’t forgotten about you and have plenty of Strats available for you too.

The Teles are much like the Strats in that they’ve only had some minor upgrades and tweaks but these will make a huge difference to the overall feel and sound of these instruments.

The re-designed pickups have been designed for handling those overdrive and distortion tones and the satin necks make these feel like a breeze to play.

Also included in the line-up are the HH teles which give you a bit more firepower at your disposal.

This means that if you play rock or metal but want that typical Fender attack and bite, you can still easily achieve this. And lo and behold, there are left-handed models aplenty so even Southpaws can get involved in the Fender Player Series hype.

Probably one of the coolest additions to the Fender Player Series is the H/S Fender Jaguar. It’s got the raw power of a humbucker in the bridge and a single coil in the neck for those jangly, chimey tones and of course it’s got the standard Jag scale length of 24”.

The Jazzmasters are also incredibly cool additions to the Player Series and will give you that single coil Jazzmaster tone that you know and love. What makes these particularly great is the fact that the pickups on both models have been designed to handle gain really well. Perfect for alternative rock, ambient textural sounds and more. Fender Offset body shape guitars have all got a distinct sound and feel and these new Player Series models simply add to that ethos.

Not only do they sound amazing but feel great to play too. You won’t have to wrestle with a gloss neck and you’ll look cooler than ever before with the finishes featured on these guitars.

The P Bass needs very little introduction and thankfully Fender haven’t tried to re-invent the wheel. Instead, they’ve delivered a solid, rocking P Bass that gives you everything you’d want and expect from a bass of this calibre. It’s got a powerful split single coil pickup and stunning to play neck. Other than that, you can expect a very solid P bass that’ll give you those fat, rounded tones every time you plug it in.

Use it with a pick or with your fingers for different sounds and you’ll see just how versatile the humble P bass can be.

In much the same vein as the P bass, the Jazz bass - or J bass for short - delivers stunning quality and tone without veering from a well-worked formula. Funnily enough, the Jazz bass is rarely used for Jazz and actually excels at a number of different styles. You can get the most from the newly designed pickups when playing either fingerstyle or with a pick as they respond in different ways depending on how you attack the strings.

You can also choose between a 4-string and 5-string model as well as leftie models for the Southpaws.

The Jag Basses

One of the most exciting guitars in the Fender Player Series is definitely the Jaguar bass. Much like the guitar, the Jag bass is shorter scale than its compatriots making it easier to play and easier to use for players that might have smaller hands.

It’s got the best of both P Bass and Jazz bass worlds with a single coil in the bridge position (similar to a Jazz bass) and a P Bass pickup in the neck position.

It’s sleek, smooth and comfortable to play because of its body curves giving you authentic Fender style and sound.