T H E GA S STATION 86 TOTAL GUITAR DECEMBER 2021 TGR352.gear_test.
THE TG TEST Words Rob Laing Photography Phil Barker FENDER PLAYER TELECASTER AND STRATOCASTER PLUS Fender’s Mexican series steps up with a premium line featuring expanded tones and bold finishes Are they worth the upgrade? 87 F ender’s refreshes and new lines come thick and fast; you need to give serious thought about buying a new Strat or Tele because the choice is now expansive; over 50 Strat and 40 Tele models – the differences between them often significant.
T H E GA S STATION T 88 here’s no rosewood or ebony here, pau ferro is still the order of the day and that won’t be changing for the foreseeable. Anyone looking for classic Fender finishes will find 3-colour Sunburst and Tobacco Burst, alongside Butterscotch Blonde, Silverburst across the models that encompass the Nashville Tele and HSS Strat. But elsewhere, as has been the case with new releases in recent years, the Player Plus is making offers fresh finishes to complement the contemporary spec.
THE TG TEST £939 FENDER PLAYER TELECASTER PLUS AT A GLANCE £939 FENDER PLAYER STRATOCASTER PLUS AT A GLANCE BODY Alder NECK Maple, ‘Modern-C’ SCALE 648mm [25.5”] FINGERBOARD Maple FRETS 22, medium jumbo BODY Alder NECK Maple, ‘Modern-C’ SCALE 648mm [25.
T H E GA S STATION FINAL VERDICT Which of our Player Plusses is best for you? B oth the Ultra and American Pro II Series have helped to usher in the expanded idea of Fender’s classic models; where features such as enhanced circuits and Noiseless pickups aren’t special edition features but becoming... Dare we say it, cornerstones? That’s really something for a brand that has to tread carefully between updates and tradition.
