Fender Player Telecaster

BODY: Alder
NECK: Maple
SCALE: 648mm
(25.5")
FINGERBOARD: Pau
ferro
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: 3x Player
Series Alnico V Strat
single coils
CONTROLS: 1x
volume, neck/middle
tone, bridge tone,
5-way pickup
selector switch
HARDWARE: 2-Point
Synchronized
Tremolo, synthetic
bone nut
LEF T-HANDED: Yes
FINISH:
Buttercream
(reviewed), Polar
White, 3-Colour
Sunburst, Black,
Tidepool, Sage Green
Metallic, Sonic Red
CONTACT: Fender
EMEA 01342 331700
fender.com
AT A GLANCE
AUGUST 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
THE TG TEST
101
W
hen it comes to its pride
and joy, Fender really
goes to town, and the
Player Strat is no
exception. Like the Tele,
a pau ferro ’board is available for an
additional £10, while the 22nd fret
comes for free, but there are also HSS,
HSH pickup confi gurations, as well as
the fl ame maple-topped Plus Top and
HSS Plus Top, which – appropriately
enough – top out the range at £719. All
of them pack an updated two-point
vibrato design, plus three new Alnico V
single coils.
Our traditionally spec’d review
model is in the new Buttercream fi nish
– the jury’s out over whether it looks
like a more saturated Vintage Blonde or
freshly dolloped custard, but we’ve
warmed to it. Like the Tele, the satin
neck provides a slick playing
experience, while there’s little to fault
with the build quality other than some
slightly jerky tuners.
There’s a hugely usable set of tones
across the fi ve-way selector, which
recall Fender’s fat Texas Hot single
coils and respond beautifully to gain,
and treble loss is minimal when rolling
back the volume knob. The bridge
pickup, which can be weedy on
mid-priced Strats, is rich yet cutting
– and if it’s still too spiky, the
pleasingly responsive tone knob will
enable a fairly precise treble cut. That
may not sound like much, but it’s
actually a big deal, as the two tone
knobs are wired thusly: tone 1 handles
neck and middle, while tone 2 adjusts
the bridge. It’s an incredibly useful
arrangement, and one you won’t fi nd
on vintage Strats, which off ered no
control over the bridge pup. And while
the neck single coil is lacking a little
presence, it positively shines in
combination with the middle for some
serious quack attack.
Then there’s that new two-point
vibrato, which is one of the smoothest-
operating systems we’ve encountered
at this price point, with no problems
returning to pitch. The familiar ‘loose
arm in the socket’ problem still rears
its head, but it’s nothing a bit of tape
around the thread can’t fi x. By their
very nature, Strats will always pay
homage to the past, but this
particular edition packs tones that
span the decades and bring the format
bang up to date.
FENDER PLAYER
STRATOCASTER
Smooth as Buttercream
£549
THERE’S A HUGELY USABLE
SET OF TONES ACROSS THE
STRAT’S FIVE-WAY SELECTOR
There is little to fault
on the build quality
of the Fender Player
Stratocaster
TGR308.gear_test.indd 101 6/21/18 12:30 PM