Full disclosure; we see or hear the word Shawbucker and we perk up. They're wonderfully articulate Alnico 2 humbuckers. So the prospect of a US Shawbucker in an HSS Player Plus Strat has gear acquisition syndrome kicking in for us.
There's more to this Fender Special Run model than that, as it also features the excellent Pure Vintage '65 pickups for some Strat Spank with those defined Shawbucker tones. There's also a push-pull tone pot to split the Shawbucker, and alongside a 2-point tremolo this guitar can cover a huge array of sounds.
The Player Plus model is a more expensive proposition than standard Players at £999 but you get some premium touches like rolled fingerboard edges (and this has a 12-inch radius) for tactile playing comfort and deluxe locking tuners alongside those USA pickups. The roasted maple neck is also an, um, plus here and those cost £329 on their own.
We love Charcoal Frost as a finish, and we're glad to see this finish trickle from outside the Fender Custom Shop now and again. Plus this model's red/black tortoiseshell tremolo plate even matches the scratchplate – these things matter!
See and hear this Andertons exclusive model in action above, and check out the full Andertons limited edition FSR range.
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