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Fender has given its Player II instrument series a refresh by introducing some new colour options and a choice of fretboard and body materials on select guitars.

The Player II series was launched in 2024, building upon its original Player series that was unveiled in 2018. It replaced the Standard Series as “the new foundational offering and first official step into Fender’s electric guitar product lines”, as explained by Fender itself.

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The guitars included in the refresh are the Player II Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster, Telecaster Left-Handed, Telecaster HH, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, and a Mustang. Three basses also complete the line up: a Player II Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, and Mustang Bass PJ.

The new colours joining the Player II Series include Rallye Orange and Cactus Grey, along with a Birch Green which is only available in the form of a Player II Jaguar. The models are all priced between £669.00 and £919.00, and offer Modern C neck profiles and medium jumbo frets.

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Tone is mostly powered by Player Series Alnico V Single-Coil pickups across this refreshed range, though there are some exceptions on the basses and other select guitars: the Telecaster HH of course being one of them, offering Player Series Alnico II humbuckers, and the Stratocaster HSS, fitted with Player Series Alnico V Single-Coil Strat pickups and a Player Series Alnico II humbucker.

Players also get a choice of body material (alder, chambered ash or chambered mahogany) on the Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, and the Telecaster, with the rest offering alder as standard. All models have either rosewood or maple fingerboards.

To find out more and view the full Player II Series, head over to Fender.

Credit: Fender

The post Feast your eyes on these lush new colours for Fender’s Player II Series: Rallye Orange and Cactus Gray appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Two years back Lenny Kravitz sent the internet into a frenzy when he shared a workout video of him dressed in his classic attire combo of combat boots, a mesh vest, sunglasses and leather pants.

Now 62, it seems Kravitz isn’t ditching the leather trousers when exercising anytime soon, and he’s now explained why he does it. Not just about looking cool, his peculiar choice of workout clothing is tied to his performance stamina – sort of like how Beyoncé sings while on a treadmill.

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Speaking to Men’s Health, he explains, “I perform onstage in leather, denim, whatever, so those are the pants I wear to train. It also means I can fit in a workout anytime, anywhere.

“I can gauge everything by how I’m in my pants,” he adds. “Like, if my pants are a little tight, I know I’m getting outta’ shape. My friend Denzel Washington gave me this phrase, ‘The pants don’t lie, the pants don’t lie.’”

Thank God for today! Grateful. Never been better. There are no shortcuts so seize your day. It is all possible. Love! pic.twitter.com/BHqQ63oNOt

— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) April 9, 2024

In more recent Kravitz news, he spoke to Guitar World earlier this year about why he remains unconvinced by digital emulations and guitar gear tech advances.

Asked whether he could recreate the sound of his classic albums using modern gear, Kravitz replied: “It ain’t the same, man. It really isn’t the same. I A/B test everything, and while technology has come a long way and some things are very close, they’re just not close enough.

“Plus, there is the effect of the accumulation of one thing on top of the other, one old piece combined with something else vintage,” he says. “It begins to build up a sound that modern equipment can’t reproduce. Just look at old guitars – the age of the wood, you know? That’s something almost indefinable.”

The post Lenny Kravitz says there’s an entirely logical reason why he works out at the gym in leather trousers: “I can fit in a workout anytime, anywhere” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Collectors pay attention: PRS has announced a new extremely limited-edition model, the Birds of a Feather Custom 24, limited to only 350 worldwide.

Anyone even slightly into guitars knows the classic bird inlays that decorate PRS guitars. But this one features a special flock of birds across the length of the fretboard that’s sure to make any serious collector consider getting the wallet out…

This specific fretboard inlay design – dubbed “Birds of a Feather” – is actually now 10 years old, and before this drop, was only available on PRS’s ultra-high-end private stock guitars. It was first designed by Paul Miles, who is now PRS’s Director of Manufacturing and head of Private Stock. On the new Birds of a Feather Custom 24, the flock of birds creates an exquisite transition from ebony to maple.

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Three colour options are available as part of the release: Blood Red, Charcoal Microburst and Honey Gold. All three have another bird etched into their headstock, too.

Credit: PRS

“Very often, Private Stock is an incubator for what we can do on Core. This helps our production line grow and learn new techniques that we would usually save for custom builds,” says Paul Miles. “We have passed down colours, processes, and inlay to offer more options for dealers who are looking for custom work, making the Core series a branch of the Private Stock shop.”

“I wanted to design an inlay that was simple and easy to read from across the room or on a stage but was also uniquely PRS,” he goes on. “I have always been fascinated with inlay work and PRS has afforded me the opportunity to see the evolution from hand cut shell to intricate CNC work. For me, this was a new way of looking at inlay design, using the woods to create movement and space.”

Credit: PRS

Beyond the Birds of a Feather design, the custom model implements the same specs as other PRS Custom 24 models: a figured maple top, mahogany back, 25” scale length, and PRS DMO pickups. Elsewhere, the PRS Phase III locking tuners and the Gen III tremolo maintain tuning even for the most flamboyant players.

Of course, PRS is no stranger to dealing out custom models. This past June, the company produced a real-life version of the guitar from the popular Japanese anime, Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty. Only 690 units of that guitar were available. Then last year, PRS made a custom model for Dragonforce guitarist Herman Li. 200 lucky buyers got their hands on that one.

For more information, head to PRS Guitars.

The post Collectors alert: the stunning Birds of a Feather inlay was previously only available on PRS Private Stock guitars – now you can get it on a Custom 24 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

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