Fender has given its Player II range of electric guitars a high-end metal makeover with the release of two UK retailer-exclusive, limited-edition FSR models, which have been badged “Player II Advanced”.
The flagship Player II line arrived last year as a successor to the infinitely popular Player line and, until the arrival of the Standard series at NAMM 2025, served as the cheapest entry point for those looking to acquire a Fender instrument.
Naturally, a bunch of upgrades were introduced – rosewood fretboards, rolled fingerboard edges, new finishes and more – but the Player II Advanced run (in true FSR style) takes things a step further, reimagining the no-nonsense workhorse Stratocaster and Telecaster variants as do-it-all metal and rock machines.
The biggest additions to the FSR (Fender Special Run) Player II Advanced spec sheet, it has to be said, can be found in the electronic and hardware departments.
Both come packing with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, with the Strat offering a hardtail bridge design – an uncommon but highly sought-after feature among modern players that is rarely granted to the Stratocaster template.
They also both offer ebony fingerboards, the Strat has an oversized 1970s-style headstocks – which further deviates from the Player II lineage – and there's a pair of hot-rodded pickup configurations that give the Strat an HSS design and the Tele a mean dual-humbucker alternative.
For the Strat, a Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 bridge l’bucker is paired with two Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 single-coils. Some equally high-spec appointments include a 12” fingerboard radius, modern C neck profile, a black hardtail string-through-body bridge and locking tuners.
The Tele, meanwhile, delivers JB TB-4 and l’59 SH-1N humbuckers, a six-saddle hardtail bridge, and the same playability features including a 12” fingerboard radius, locking tuners, and 22 jumbo frets.
As for finishes and availability, both the Player II Advanced Strat and Tele are currently exclusively available from UK retailers Andertons and GuitarGuitar. While Andertons stocks the Strat in Satin Daphne Blue and the Tele in Satin Ferrari Yellow and Black, GuitarGuitar has an Arctic White Strat and Black Tele to its name.
Whether these will make their way over to the States remains to be seen, but owing to their spec sheets, we can’t imagine demand for the Player II Advanced would be in short supply.
“I really like them,” says Lee Anderton in a demo video. “I like the bigger headstock, great pickup selection. Excellent choice, Fender.”
As for prices, they weigh in at £949 apiece (approximately $1,230).
Head over to Andertons and GuitarGuitar for more info.
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