Fender Player vs Player II

Fender have updated their incredibly popular Player range of guitars and basses.

Fender Player II (shop the range HERE) adds a selection of refinements, upgrades and new colours to the best-selling range.

As well as the core range of guitars and basses - Strat, Tele, P-Bass and J-Bass, there are now some new additions in the shape of Fender’s classic offset models, the Jaguar, Jazzmaster and Mustang as well as the Mustang PJ Bass.

So what’s new?

Aside from the new models included in the range, there are a host of upgrades and refinements to make the Player II better than ever.

Starting at the headstock, Player II models are fitted with Fender ClassicGear tuners, replacing the previous cast/ sealed units and offer a vintage look and feel with modern stability.

The fretboards are now either maple or rosewood, the latter replacing Pau Ferro in the outgoing model. The board also features rounded edges giving a natural, worn-in feel.

The pickups in the Player II series guitars and basses have been upgraded to Alnico V single coils or Alnico II humbuckers (depending on model) delivering a versatile range of vintage tones.

All guitars and basses in the Player II series now feature upgraded bridges with vintage-style saddles which, with the addition of aged white plastic parts, adds to the vintage vibe.

The bodies of the new guitars and basses are made from Alder for solid coloured finishes or Ash for translucent finishes. The ash bodied guitars also benefit from being chambered (semi hollow) for lighter weight and increased resonance.

Lastly, and possibly the most noticeable difference, is the new range of colours available in the Player II range. Birch Green, Coral Red, Aquatone Blue and Hialeah yellow are all new additions, whilst Transparent Cherry and White Blond finishes are now available on certain models with chambered bodies, another first for the range.