Fender Player Stratocaster

DECEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
the tg test
99
I
t’s hard to believe that the Fender Stratocaster
is offi cially an old-age pensioner. Yes, it was
64 years ago that Leo Fender and his team
unveiled the follow up to the Telecaster. The
Strat was the result of feedback from Fender
customers. In direct contrast to the two-
pickup, hardtail, slab-bodied Tele, the
punters wanted something with three
pickups, a well-designed vibrato unit and a more
comfortable contoured chassis.
The Stratocaster has been in constant production
since 1954 and it made its presence felt in just about
every music genre. It’s the guitar that links Buddy
Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Simon
Neil of Biff y Clyro. It’s also the most imitated guitar of
all time. Practically every guitar manufacturer has
been, ahem, infl uenced by its key features.
Now, in this group test, the latest incarnation of
those original ’54 guitars, the Mexico-made Fender
Player Stratocaster, rubs shoulders with three similarly
spec’d contenders. Like the Player Stratocaster, the
Indonesia-born G&L Tribute Legacy and China-
sourced Sterling By Music Man CT50 Cutlass are
descendants of guitars designed by Leo Fender.
Meanwhile, the Indonesia-made Chapman ML-1
Traditional sprung forth from the hirsute noggin of
Brit guitarist and djent’s outfi tter, Rob Chapman.
Let’s plug in…
TGR313.gear_test.indd 99 11/8/18 5:17 PM