PLAYER PLUS

Whether you’re watching the likes stack up on Instagram or looking forward to your next pub gig, there can be little doubt that, for most real-world guitarists, Fender’s Mexico-made instruments are situated firmly in the Goldilocks zone. The ‘right’ name on the headstock goes a long way, of course, especially when pricing is competitive and feature sets seem to get better and better with each and every new iteration. 2018 saw the most affordable Fenders in the company catalogue – the Mexico-made Standards – overhauled and rebranded as the Player Series. It’s safe to say this was a success; Fender has sold more than 400,000 Player Series instruments to date. Now, in 2021, it’s the turn of the Deluxe Series, reimagined here as an eye-catching new line: Player Plus.

Although news of the Player Plus range was leaked by an online retailer back in July, the instruments launched officially in mid-September. Newly voiced Noiseless pickups and rolled fingerboard edges are among the headline upgrades, while the gradient finishes on offer are doubtless designed to stand out on TikTok and Instagram, where a new generation of guitarists has emerged in recent years, many of them gravitating towards the lighter and funkier