Review: Fender Player II Telecaster

Introduced in 1991, Fenders Standard line built in Ensenada Mexico has been championed amongst working musicians worldwide. In turn, Fender have been gradually implementing a range of upgrades to their Mexican Standard line of instruments over the years often abbreviated to MIM. 

In 2018, this lineage saw a crescendo as Fender introduced what we now know as the Player series of guitars and basses. The Player series introduced a variety of upgrades previously reserved for American Fender models. Including 22 frets, alnico pickups and improved tremolo systems on Stratocaster models. However, due to restrictions placed on the use of Rosewood by CITES in mid-2017, Fender opted to use Pau Ferro as a replacement on all guitars and basses that were spec’d with Rosewood fretboards. 

The Player series became a resounding success, however, Fender were regularly faced with the same query from their target market. 

“When will we see the return of rosewood?”

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This wasn’t to gesture towards anything being wrong with Pau Ferro “previously a premium option reserved for high-end instruments”. It more so signified a desire from Fender’s player base to get back to a more traditional spec on production line Fender guitars. 

Fast forward six years to the present and Fender sent a surge of excitement across the industry after announcing the new Player II series last month. With perhaps the most notable feature of these new guitars being the return of Rosewood fretboards across the new line.

For review, Fender has supplied us with a new Player II Telecaster, of which my initial impressions are stellar. I simply cannot help but be captivated by the guitar’s beautiful Aquatone Blue finish.

This time around Fender has opted to bestow a plethora of colours derived from classic 60’s auto catalogues across the line. All of which bring a great vintage aesthetic to a series that is otherwise spec’d to appeal primarily to contemporary players.

Speaking of contemporary, just like the previous Player line Fender have opted to include a 9.5” radius on this Telecaster along with 22 medium jumbo frets. 

These features combined with the Tele’s Modern “C” neck carve and satin finish provide a fantastic playing experience that will be sure to appease players of all skill levels and hand sizes. 

Whole step bends are at no risk of fretting out on this radius, and I am pleased to report that the frets themselves are finished very well. No rough spots, or sharp ends to be found here, only further enhancing the playing experience of the Fender Player II Telecaster straight out of the box. 

This specific guitar boasts a lovely dark Rosewood fretboard with a grain that will please even the most discerning of Fender aficionados. A bonus is the slightly rolled fretboard edges, an upgrade that wasn’t present on the spec sheet of the original Player Series guitars. 

In traditional Fender fashion, the body of the Player II is comprised of Alder wood. This combined with the atypical Tele string through-body and bridge plate makes for a very resonant instrument. Additionally, the body of the Fender Player II Telecaster is finished in a nice Gloss Polyester. This ensures that the aforementioned Aquatone Blue finish will look just as beautiful in 20 years as it does right now.  The neck on this specific review model sits in the pocket snugly with no apparent gaps on either side, it is also worth mentioning that string alignment is perfect ensuring that care has gone into the build of this Tele from the ground up.

In terms of electronics, Fender have spe ‘d the Player II Telecaster with a brand new Player Series Alnico 5 Tele bridge pickup, opting to pair this model with a Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single Coil in the neck position. The bridge pickup provides all of the twang, spank, and attitude that one would expect from a Tele bridge pickup. This is a much more authentic Fender experience than the Ceramic models that were offered on the past Standard Series guitars. Similarly, the neck pickup delivers. Many would consider the signature sound and heart of a Tele to be the sound of its bridge pickup. And while I find this notion to be agreeable, I feel that the neck position on these guitars has always been somewhat underrated.  Alas, both pickups balance well with each other and the traditional control layout of master volume, master tone, and a three-way switch all work in unison to provide a genuine Tele experience on all levels. 

Again gesturing towards the contemporary, Fender have decided to spec the Player II Telecaster with a 6 saddle String-Thru Body Tele Bridge with Steel Block Saddles. 

While not being the traditional 3 saddle design that many would associate with the Fender Telecaster, I actually find this arrangement to be far more preferable as it leads to easier and more accurate intonation and a hassle-free setup process. 

A 3-ply parchment pickguard, Fender Classic Gear Tuners, Knurled Flat Top Knobs and a Stamped F neck plate round out the hardware package on instant classic that is the Player II Telecaster. All of them perform to the standard that any working player would expect them to.

Tuning is stable and efficient thanks to the Classic Gear tuners, and all controls feel both substantial and easy to move. No cheap-feeling switches or pots on this Tele, which means more time playing and less time messing about with the soldering iron down the line!

All in all, Fender has done a great job of revitalizing an already successful product line. On paper it may look like not a ton has changed between the first and second reiterations of the Player series guitars. However, all these subtle changes add up making the new Fender Player II Telecaster a hell of a bang-for-buck for any gigging player.

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