Fender announces Modern Player Series

Fender has today announced a new series of guitars and basses at the more affordable end of their product range.

The Modern Player Series mixes some traditional Fender designs with a few more-esoteric touches, notably including the revival of the Marauder body shape, last seen in the 1960s. Check out the press release below for more details.

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PRESS RELEASE: Throughout its history, Fender has always made a special point of welcoming new players to the family by offering entry-level instruments of remarkable style and substance (such as the Duo-Sonic, Mustang and Musicmaster models), with great sound, classic looks, solid performance and eminent affordability.

The new Modern Player series continues that great "my-first-Fender" tradition, with thoroughly modern features and several distinctively unconventional new takes on our most revered instruments - all with outstandingly attainable value.

The Modern Player series holds a few surprises in store, too - including the long-awaited return of an acclaimed Fender bass guitar model not seen since the 1970s (back now in potently hot-rodded fashion), an unrelentingly lean-and-mean version of the venerable Jaguar guitar, the resurrection of a fabled and seldom-heard Fender name from the 1960s for a scorching new guitar model, an utterly volcanic new Jazz Bass with dual humbucking pickups, and a powerful new take on the acclaimed modern-era Jaguar Bass - back in the ring with a versatile new pickup combination and streamlined control configuration.

Eight new instruments

There are eight instruments in the series; five guitars and three basses. They are the Modern Player Stratocaster HSS, Modern Player Telecaster Plus HSS, Modern Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe, Modern Player Jaguar, Modern Player Marauder, Modern Player Telecaster Bass, Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Jaguar Bass.

Modern Player Marauder

In addition to heralding the return of a fabled and seldom-heard Fender name from the 1960s, the Modern Player Marauder is one of the most distinctive new guitars in the family, uniquely marked by a new body style, Modern Player Jazzmaster neck pickup and volcanic-sounding three-coil Fender Triplebucker bridge pickup.

Other features include a koto body, C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 22 jumbo frets, five-way pickup switching with lower horn blade selector switch, four-ply aged white pearloid pickguard, Jazz Bass-style control knobs, vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. The Modern Player Marauder comes in Black and Lake Placid Blue.

Modern Player Stratocaster

The Modern Player Stratocaster HSS offers the tonal versatility of two Modern Player single-coil pickups and a full-throated Modern Player humbucking pickup at the bridge, with the addition of the second tone knob serving as a push-pull coil-split switch for the bridge pickup.

Other features include an alder body, C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 22 jumbo frets, five-way pickup switching, three-ply pickguard, vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's available in Olympic White and Silverburst.

Modern Player Telecasters

The Modern Player Telecaster Plus HSS is that rare bird among Telecasters - a triple-pickup model - further distinguished by a pine body and mini-toggle coil-split switch for the Modern Player humbucking bridge pickup.

Other features include C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 22 jumbo frets, Modern Player single-coil Telecaster neck pickup and Modern Player Stratocaster middle pickup, five-way pickup switching, three-ply pickguard, knurled "chrome-dome" control knobs, vintage-style Stratocaster string-through-body six-saddle hard-tail bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It comes in Honey Burst and Charcoal Transparent.

The Modern Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe casts an already distinctive classic Telecaster model in a whole new light with a full-throated pair of single-coil Modern Player MP-90 pickups.

Other features include a mahogany body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 22 medium jumbo frets, three-way toggle pickup switching, three-ply pickguard (parchment on Sunburst model; black-white-black on other models), four skirted amp knobs (two volume, two tone), vintage-style Stratocaster string-through-body six-saddle hard-tail bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's available in Three-color Sunburst, Black Transparent and Vintage White.

Modern Player Jaguar

The Modern Player Jaguar is a lean, mean and stripped-down version of the classic Fender model, with a full-throated pair of single-coil Modern Player MP-90 pickups on a sans-pickguard mahogany body.

Other features include a C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 21 medium jumbo frets, three-way toggle pickup switching, Jazz Bass-style control knobs, vintage-style Adjusto-Matic bridge with anchored tailpiece, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's available in Two-colour Chocolate Burst, Red Transparent and Black Transparent.

Modern Player Tele Bass

A classic Fender bass design returns with an unusual new twist delivering utterly seismic sound. The Telecaster Bass is back at last in the smart new form of the Modern Player Telecaster Bass, which boasts not one but two massive humbucking pickups.

Features include an alder body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 medium jumbo frets, dual Modern Player Wide Range humbucking Precision Bass pickups, three-ply parchment (Sunburst model) or single-ply black (Butterscotch Blonde model) pickguard, three knurled "chrome-dome" control knobs (neck volume, bridge volume, master tone), vintage-style bridge with four brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's back in Two-colour Sunburst and Butterscotch Blonde.

Modern Player Jazz Bass

The Modern Player Jazz Bass is a volcanic new take on the time-honoured Jazz Bass thanks to its dual Modern Player humbucking Jazz Bass pickups. Other features include an alder body, C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 jumbo frets, three-ply pickguard, vintage-style four-saddle bridge with brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It comes in Three-color Sunburst, Olympic White and Black Transparent.

Modern Player Jaguar Bass

Finally, the acclaimed Fender Jaguar Bass is back in the sleek form the Modern Player Jaguar Bass, which presents a lean, mean and stripped-down version of the model with a powerful P/J configuration - a Modern Player Precision Bass middle pickup and Modern Player Jazz Bass bridge pickup - and streamlined control layout.

Features include a koto body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 jumbo frets, three-ply parchment pickguard, three Jazz Bass control knobs (middle volume, bridge volume, master tone), vintage-style four-saddle bridge with brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. The Modern Player Jaguar Bass is available in Black.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

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The Modern Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe casts an already distinctive classic Telecaster model in a whole new light with a full-throated pair of single-coil Modern Player MP-90 pickups.

Other features include a mahogany body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 22 medium jumbo frets, three-way toggle pickup switching, three-ply pickguard (parchment on Sunburst model; black-white-black on other models), four skirted amp knobs (two volume, two tone), vintage-style Stratocaster string-through-body six-saddle hard-tail bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's available in Three-color Sunburst, Black Transparent and Vintage White.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

The Modern Player Telecaster Plus HSS is that rare bird among Telecasters - a triple-pickup model - further distinguished by a pine body and mini-toggle coil-split switch for the Modern Player humbucking bridge pickup.

Other features include C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 22 jumbo frets, Modern Player single-coil Telecaster neck pickup and Modern Player Stratocaster middle pickup, five-way pickup switching, three-ply pickguard, knurled "chrome-dome" control knobs, vintage-style Stratocaster string-through-body six-saddle hard-tail bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It comes in Honey Burst and Charcoal Transparent.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

A classic Fender bass design returns with an unusual new twist delivering utterly seismic sound. The Telecaster Bass is back at last in the smart new form of the Modern Player Telecaster Bass, which boasts not one but two massive humbucking pickups.

Features include an alder body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 medium jumbo frets, dual Modern Player Wide Range humbucking Precision Bass pickups, three-ply parchment (Sunburst model) or single-ply black (Butterscotch Blonde model) pickguard, three knurled "chrome-dome" control knobs (neck volume, bridge volume, master tone), vintage-style bridge with four brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's back in Two-colour Sunburst and Butterscotch Blonde.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

The Modern Player Jazz Bass is a volcanic new take on the time-honoured Jazz Bass thanks to its dual Modern Player humbucking Jazz Bass pickups. Other features include an alder body, C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 jumbo frets, three-ply pickguard, vintage-style four-saddle bridge with brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It comes in Three-color Sunburst, Olympic White and Black Transparent.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

The Modern Player Jaguar is a lean, mean and stripped-down version of the classic Fender model, with a full-throated pair of single-coil Modern Player MP-90 pickups on a sans-pickguard mahogany body.

Other features include a C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 21 medium jumbo frets, three-way toggle pickup switching, Jazz Bass-style control knobs, vintage-style Adjusto-Matic bridge with anchored tailpiece, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. It's available in Two-colour Chocolate Burst, Red Transparent and Black Transparent.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

Finally, the acclaimed Fender Jaguar Bass is back in the sleek form the Modern Player Jaguar Bass, which presents a lean, mean and stripped-down version of the model with a powerful P/J configuration - a Modern Player Precision Bass middle pickup and Modern Player Jazz Bass bridge pickup - and streamlined control layout.

Features include a koto body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5-inch radius and 20 jumbo frets, three-ply parchment pickguard, three Jazz Bass control knobs (middle volume, bridge volume, master tone), vintage-style four-saddle bridge with brass saddles, open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome hardware. The Modern Player Jaguar Bass is available in Black.

All guitars have an RRP of £442.80 except the Modern Player Jazz Bass and Modern Player Tele Bass which have RRPs of £526.80

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Fender.

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter