Fender Player Telecaster HH Pau Ferro Silver
The Fender Player Series is effectively the replacement of their Mexican-made Standard range. The same basic formula applies; legendary Fender design, classic wood combinations and instantly recognisable tone, but at a wallet-friendly price point. But with the Player Series, Fender have made a number of tweaks to take these instruments up a notch, aimed squarely at an ever-changing and increasingly demanding market. Expect timeless Fender sound and feel, but with modern playability and workhorse reliability to boot!
In keeping with decades of tradition, Fender have opted for an Alder body for the Player Series Telecaster. Known for being simultaneously lightweight and tonally resonant, it's balanced in every sense of the word. Its sound is often described as rich, with some emphasis on upper-midrange brightness, and its weight and density means it's pretty easy to thrash around in a frenzy of creative expression - we've all been there!
Then there's the other classic Tele tonewood: Maple. Known for its density, varied grain pattern and snappy tone, it perfectly complements the Alder used for the body. The addition of Maple ensures plenty of twangy tonal response, perfect for accentuating lead and clean parts regardless of your musical style. Pau Ferro is used for the fretboard, delivering a tone somwhere in between Rosewood and Ebony, but with the best qualities of both. Silky smooth playability, a snappy but resonant tone, and an attractive caramel grain that varies from one instrument to the next.
In contrast, the use of gloss polyester coating on the body means that your guitar's finish will remain vivid and untainted for quite some time. Fender began using gloss polyester finishes back in the '70s, and it quickly become popular because of its durability. It lasts longer, it's more resistant to scratches, and some even say it allows your pickups to sing a little louder - all we know is it looks great!
Fender have loaded the Player Series Tele HH with - yep, you guessed it - two humbuckers. In a pretty sizeable break from Tele tradition, this allows you to strike the perfect balance between sparkling Tele treble and full-bodied riffage with ease. The Alnico II magnet configuration tames the top-end, instead emphasising the warm low-midrange, ultimately delivering a perfectly balanced tonal quality. Fender have also provided a push-pull tone pot for coil split action, so you can swerve into full-blown Tele spank when desired. As Telecasters go, this one's pretty darn versatile!
The bridge isn't quite the classic Tele configuration; rather than the old-school 3-saddle design, the 6-saddle design with bent steel saddles offers greater tuning stability and arguably better resonance in the body. Though it plays a small part, it ultimately contributes to an instrument that's designed to be played night after night and consistently deliver.
Top it off with Standard Cast Fender tuners, a 3-ply scratchplate and classic knurled flat-top controls, all in a glorious chrome finish, and you've got an instrument that can take anything you throw at it - a Fender Telecaster through and through!
This product has not been reviewed yet.
