FENDER PLAYER PLUS STRATOCASTER

PRICE: £939 (inc gigbag)

ORIGIN: Mexico

TYPE: Double-cutaway solidbody electric

BODY: Alder NECK: Maple, Modern ‘C’ profile, bolt-on

SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)

NUT/WIDTH: Synthetic bone/42.89mm

FINGERBOARD: Pau ferro, pearloid dot markers, 305mm (12”) radius FRETS: 22, medium jumbo

HARDWARE: Nickel/chrome-plated 2-point vibrato (with steel baseplate and die-cast block) and steel block saddles,‘F’ logo rear lock tuners

STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 52.5mm

ELECTRICS: 3x Fender Noiseless single-coil sized humbuckers, 5-position lever pickup selector switch, master volume, tone 1 (neck and middle), tone 2 (bridge) w/ pull-push which adds the neck pickup to position 1 bridge and 2 bridge and middle

WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.8/8.36

OPTIONS: None

RANGE OPTIONS: The Player Plus Stratocaster HSS (£979) adds a Wide Range-style covered full-size humbucker at bridge. The Player Stratocaster currently costs £679

LEFT-HANDERS: Not currently

FINISHES: Opal Spark (as reviewed), 3-Colour Sunburst, Olympic Pearl, Aged Candy Apple Red and Tequila Sunrise

9/10

PROS Ditto the Tele with its numerous improvements – this is a hugely usable upgraded Stratocaster

CONS The pau ferro fingerboard will look ‘wrong’ to some