The Fender Player Series has long been a favorite of beginners and pros alike – and thankfully, the latest iteration, the aptly named Player II, is every bit as good. Updated, revised, and now sporting a few choice upgrades taken from the Player Plus range, the Player II looks to offer even more value than the previous version.
With the arrival of Black Friday, we started to see the very first discounts applied to the Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster, as Fender.com shaved $240 off both.
Those deals sold out fast, but fortunately, there's still a bargain to be had over at Musician's Friend, which has slashed $200 off the Player II Stratocaster in a rather fetching British Racing Green finish.
This limited-edition Strat features a contemporary C neck profile with a smooth satin urethane finish, a familiar 9.5”-radius slab rosewood fingerboard, and 22 medium jumbo frets. The tonal heart is a set of Player Series Alnico V single-coil pickups, and the spec sheet is rounded out with ClassicGear tuning machines.
This deal is certain to sell out, and will probably be the last Player II offer we'll see this year, so if you're in the market for Fender's latest Strat, this is your best chance to grab a bargain.
If you're on the fence about swapping out your current Player instrument for the new Player II, we've put together three compelling arguments as to why you should consider upgrading this Cyber Monday…
1. A unique finish option
The first thing we have to mention is the debonair British Racing Green finish. Despite being offered in a whopping 11 colorways, from Transparent Cherry Burst to Birch Green, Coral Red, Aquatone Blue, and Hialeah Yellow, British Racing Green may be our favorite.
There is something about the deep hue of the finish that complements the iconic silhouette of this iconic electric guitar. Currently, this paint job isn't available on any other models, so if you want it, you need to purchase this limited-edition Player II Stratocaster.
2. Rolled fingerboard edges
Seeking a guitar with that played-in feel? Well, Fender has exactly what you are looking for, with the addition of a rolled fingerboard edge for all Player II models.
Often seen as a premium spec detail found on high-end instruments, this simple yet effective feature provides unrivaled fretting hand comfort and ultimately results in a much better playing guitar.
If you've never tried a guitar with rolled edges before, we implore you to seek one out and give it a try – but be warned, it's difficult to go back to a standard neck once you've felt the difference.
3. Slab rosewood
Rosewood has returned! For many years, rosewood was not seen in the Mexican line of Fender guitars; instead, it was replaced with pau ferro – a South American tonewood. Now, we'd argue that there is nothing really wrong with Pau Ferro. It was durable, sustainable, and, for all intents and purposes, did a very similar job to rosewood.
That said, many guitarists didn't like its lighter aesthetic, and some even thought rosewood sounded better - but we'll leave that one up to you. New for the Player II models, Fender has switched back to "slab rosewood" fingerboards, and it has been welcomed back with open arms by many guitar players.
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