First released to the public five years ago, Fender’s Player Series instruments recently surpassed 500,000 units sold. Upon reaching such a significant milestone, Tammy Van Donk, EVP of Sales at FMIC, spoke with MMR about what features make these guitars and basses so appealing to end-users, what specific models are top-sellers for the brand, and the many high-profile artists who have embraced the Player Series.
Fender recently shared that, with over a half-million units sold, the Player Series is the company’s best-selling line of electric guitars and basses. What features of the line do you feel contribute to the wide appeal?
When the Player Series was first introduced in 2018, it ignited a demographic shift within the industry, attracting a diverse, passionate, and inclusive new universe of guitar and bass players.
These players love the pickups, which give the guitars and basses a legendary vintage tone, as well as modern “C” neck profiles to support easy playability. They also have traditional body radii handcrafted with players in mind for improved comfort, 22-fret necks for extended range, and upgraded bridges for improved performance and easier setup. The most important things are the new colors which are seafoam green and candy apple red. I have been so impressed with the attention our product team has given to every detail of the Player Series.
The series also brings a bit of a “badge of honor” as it’s considered the first official step into Fender’s electric guitar product line. Players feel like they have “made it” into the Fender brand and we are happy to have them!
The recent news begs the question: prior to this announcement, what had been Fender’s top-selling electric guitar line?
Prior to this, it was the Standard Series, which the Player Series evolved from.
For those who follow Fender closely, many took the launch of the Player Series in 2018 as a simple “rebranding” of the pre-existing, popular Mexican Standards. What about the Player Series sets those guitars apart from their Mexican Standard predecessors?
With the launch of the Player Series, we wanted to set a new benchmark of quality at a velocity price tier. I really want to emphasize the attention to detail our product team gave to every aspect of this series. As a result, there are several things that set it apart from its predecessors including:
- Player Series pickups have very different construction than Standard Series pickups. All Player Series pickups use Alnico magnets to give it a crystalline, bright, touch sensitive Fender tone. These are much more “classic” Fender sounding, but with more focused mid-range and output. In comparison, the Standard Series had ceramic magnet pickups.
- Player Series guitar models have some modern features like 22 fret necks (Standard had 21), and 2-point tremolos with a tone for the bridge pickup on the Strats (Standard had vintage-style trem with no bridge tone).
- We dialed in more traditional body radii and contours on the Player Series, as well as changed to a traditional Fender spaghetti logo on the headstock decals.
- All Player Series instruments come with neck plates stamped with a Fender “F” logo.
Standard Series neck plates were blank. And of course, we can’t forget about the 5 new colors we’ve introduced!
What’s your perception of the musician drawn to Player Series models: those looking for an entry price-point to the Fender brand, players looking for a “step-up” guitar who are graduating from a beginner’s/student instrument, serious gigging guitarists and bassists seeking a reliable back-up, modders who want a solid base to begin their journey with?
The Player Series is for guitarists who are ready to take the next step in their musical journey with Fender’s iconic models. It can be a player looking for an entry into the Fender brand, a musician who’s looking to go on tour, or an intermediate player upgrading their first guitar – whether their dreams lie on a big stage, in a garage band or beyond.
Player Series stands out for players not only for its price point accessibility, while still providing premium sound and style, but also for its playability and durability.
You will never regret buying a Player Series guitar!
Speaking of gigging guitarists who have embraced Player Series models, a number of high-profile artists have been drawn to the line. Can you talk about some of those well-known players and how important association with high-profile musicians has been to the success of the Player Series?
The Player Series is played by so many incredible artists across different genres including Turnstile, Cherry Glazerr, Saya Gray, Japanese Breakfast, Beach Bunny, Soccer Mommy, and White Reaper. Fender Next 2023 artists are also joining the mix as our 2023 Player Series campaign artists, Cafuné, Jean Dawson, Cecilia Castleman and Luna Li!
Currently what are the most sought-after Player Series models?
Since 2018, the most sought after Player Series model has been and continues to be the Player Stratocaster in Polar White. After that, the second most popular is the Player Tele in Butterscotch Blonde. Both are pretty hard to resist!
Fender’s reach, and that of the Player Series, is global. What countries and regions, in particular, have taken a shine to the Player Series?
We work hand in hand with our trusted global dealer base of more than 2,500 retailers across 100 countries worldwide. This includes the U.S., Canada, Latin America, UK, all over Europe, and APAC regions.
In one week alone, the Player Series campaign reached 1.3M impressions across our owned social channels globally on Instagram, Instagram Stories, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter – from the U.S. to the UK, APAC, and Latin America.
Any recent or upcoming product introductions or news relating to the Player Series that you’d like to share with MMR’s readers?
This year we’re also really excited about the artists supporting our 2023 Player Series campaign. Fender Next 2023 artists Cafuné, Jean Dawson, Cecilia Castleman, and Luna Li, who kicked off the campaign in a launch compilation film, as well as “Tales of Regret,” a social dedicated series that will include featured artists talking through their best and worst purchases. In addition, the Grammy-nominated, powerhouse trio of sisters, HAIM, will star in a video this spring, and be included in the “Tales of Regret” series. Singer, songwriter, actor, and guitarist Dominic Fike will also support later this summer with his very own episode in the coveted serialized series “Fender Sessions,” which highlights artists from around the world via a mix of live song performances, techniques, and a conversation about their personal journey.
