Player II Refines the Iconic Indispensable Fender Telecaster
The Player II series Telecaster combines timeless Fender tone and performance and pairs them with playability improvements from the Player II line. This Telecaster’s ash body and maple neck supply the sound of the first Telecaster models that used ash instead of alder. Some still prefer ash for its smoky bass, sweet trebles, and mature midrange, and ash more than delivers the Tele snap and bite you want. Country twang? You bet, but you can also delve into hard rock, pop, Midwest emo, blues, and a laundry list of other genres, whether old-school or current. Two single-coil Alnico V pickups support the Player II Tele’s classic resonance with punchy mix-cutting levels suitable for fiery country picking, shimmering rhythm chords, high-gain rock, and beyond. What’s more, the Player II Telecaster’s modern C-shaped maple neck is a smooth player for purists and newcomers alike. And the real star of Player II series updates? Wait until you experience the rolled-edge maple fingerboard with softer broken-in corners, which yields an instant boost in comfort right out of the box.
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Ash and maple — back to Fender’s roots
The Player II Telecaster has a revered solid maple neck and fingerboard, supplying you with bell-like note clarity and snappy touch-sensitive attack to fingerstyle or plectrum play. In keeping with contemporary tastes, the neck offers speed-friendly agility with a modern C-shaped profile suitable for virtually any player. This Player II Telecaster’s chambered ash body is a rare throwback to the first Telecasters; those guitar bodies were made of ash. They sounded similar to alder Teles, but if you listen closely, you’ll likely hear bolder sustain and thicker midrange power. Ash pairs nicely with big open chord strums, fingerpicking, leads, and even high-gain riffs.
But if ash is so good, why did Fender abandon it? It was the economics of scale that prompted a switch. Fender had to rethink its materials as the company grew. Ash trees vary in weight more than alder trees, making ash more challenging to work into a consistent, affordable guitar. Building such a guitar was a guiding principle behind the Telecaster’s creation. This Tele’s ash body is chambered to help ensure consistent weight ranges with the balance, approximate weight, and feel that Telecaster fans love. No Fender fan’s journey is complete without revisiting the original tonewood formula found on this guitar!
Player II perks
The Player II series Telecaster features small changes that, although departures from yesteryear’s Teles, tend to suit today’s players and help them reach their goals quickly, even if that goal is spending less time on guitar maintenance. The Player II Tele has a 6-saddle string-through bridge. Compared to the original Tele’s 3-barrel bridge, this pivot brings huge intonation benefits, along with better tuning stability and a moderate bump in sustain. ClassicGear tuners by Fender frame the Tele headstock just right and perform more accurately with higher ratios than vintage tuners. Lastly, rolled fingerboard edges are an incredibly high-value addition. The superior comfort can’t be stressed enough — you get the smooth, musical feel of a worn fingerboard, all without losing that attractive mint-condition look and factory-fresh performance.
Famous pickups with a twist
You’re sure to cut through the mix, thanks to the Player II series Telecaster’s Alnico V pickups. These single-coil pickups deliver classic sounds that have been with us since the dawn of the Tele, but with increased punch and output. The extra brawn of Alnico V pickups brings firepower and sizzle to chicken pickin’ and leads. But the added oomph is also suitable for driving effects pedals or for getting stadium-size tones when plugging into low-wattage combos, amp sims, and recording interfaces. Need less twang? The neck pickup smooths the cadence and body of clean jazz, country lines, and mellow riffs. Full-on amp distortion sounds great in either position, yielding tight lows and stinging highs. Aggressive twang, smoky jazz, saturated high gain — everything sounds great through these pickups.
Fender Player II Telecaster Features:
- Timeless Telecaster tones, tweaked and refined for modern playability and performance
- Ash body gives you the original Tele tonewood and stronger midrange muscle
- Player series Alnico V single-coil pickups fuel classic tone with extra output for today’s players and gear
- Modern 6-saddle string-through bridge supplies a mean bite and excellent intonation
- Maple neck with an all-encompassing Modern “C” profile
- 22-fret maple fingerboard with a 9.5-inch radius
- Rolled fingerboard edges for an instant bump in comfort and playability
- Synthetic bone nut enhances vibrational transfer through the neck
- Fender deluxe ClassicGear tuners
