Fender’s Mexican series steps up with a premium line featuring expanded tones and bold finishes Are they worth the upgrade?

Words Rob Laing

Photography Phil Barker

Fender’s refreshes and new lines come thick and fast; you need to give serious thought about buying a new Strat or Tele because the choice is now expansive; over 50 Strat and 40 Tele models – the differences between them often significant. Now there’s more; the Player Plus represents an upgrade to the hugely popular Player Series (the contemporary Mexican ‘standard’). These are not a replacement but an additional range with higher spec to help justify the price.

With hum-cancelling pickups, expanded control circuits, locking tuners, block steel saddles for improved sustain and 12-inch fingerboard radius, these specs are significant. A Mexican-made take on the Ultra or even more recent American Professional II? What is clear is just how far the Tele and Strat continue to evolve - beyond body shape, there’s nothing vintage about these models.

There’s no rosewood or ebony here, pau ferro is still the order of the day and that won’t be changing for the foreseeable. Anyone looking for classic Fender finishes will find 3-colour Sunburst and Tobacco Burst, alongside Butterscotch Blonde, Silverburst across the models that encompass the Nashville Tele and HSS Strat. But elsewhere, as has been the case with new releases in recent years, the Player Plus is making offers fresh finishes to complement the contemporary spec. We’ve chosen to home in on one here alongside a twist on an old favourite; Tequila Sunrise is certainly a conversation starter, but our Aged Candy Apple Red Tele is more of a dramatic departure than its name suggests; a classy metallic copper/red affair.