The Shape of Things to Come: The All New Player II Series Offsets

LEFT-OF-THE-DIAL LEGENDS

From the Jazzmaster to the Mustang, our offsets took time to catch on. But in the decades since Leo Fender unveiled his first model, the guitars have become beacons for trailblazing artists who see some of their own rebellious spirit in the unconventional designs.

“Watching Sonic Youth and Nirvana play these guitars just drew me to them,” said DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith of his favorite Jaguar. “We’re always looking for ways to change or be different and explore. The archetypal weirdness and history – and the artists who’ve used it – does draw a certain person.”

It was artists like Kurt Cobain and Thurston Moore who spotted offsets in pawn shops and classified ads in the 80s and 90s and gave them new life on records Leo could never have dreamed of. “Nobody was playing Jazzmasters on the scene at that time,” Thurston Moore told Guitar.com. “Lee [Ranaldo] pointed at a Jazzmaster and went, ‘That’s the kind of guitar [Television’s] Tom Verlaine uses.’ That was a selling point right there.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Leo introduced Fender’s first offset, the Jazzmaster, in 1958. As the name suggests, it was his attempt at wooing jazz players away from the standard hollow bodies that dominated the genre. But the model never caught on with its intended audience. Instead, the Jazzmaster fell into the hands of surf bands like The Ventures, who loved its cool look and biting sound. It wasn’t until the late 70s when artists like Tom Verlaine of Television – likely in search of something more affordable and under-the-radar than a Strat or Tele – dusted one off and made it an emblem of the underground. Kurt Cobain and Thurston Moore followed, along with Elvis Costello, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.

The Jaguar carved a similar path. Introduced in 1962 and billed as Fender’s first high-end model, it gained some traction toward the end of the surf rock heyday but didn’t find its roar until the punk explosion of the 70s. The Jag featured a shorter scale than other models in the lineup, which many credit with giving it a faster, easier playing feel. It had features galore – a distinct offset body, separate bridge and floating tremolo like the Jazzmaster, plus more controls – and chrome – than any Fender that came before. It’s since been adopted by everyone from Kurt Cobain and Johnny Marr to Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile and DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith.

A couple years later, Fender introduced the small-but-mighty student model Mustang, followed by its four-string counterpart, the Mustang Bass. The Mustang wasn’t our first foray into student guitars – first came the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic – but it was the first offset in the series. Not only did the Mustang offer a cool new look, but it was also the first student model with a vibrato system, which opened up endless creative possibilities. Like the Jazzmaster and Jaguar before it, the Mustang was a late bloomer, really hitting its stride in the 80s and 90s, when artists like Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn of Blur, Bilinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine and, of course, Kurt Cobain – who once declared the Mustang his favorite guitar in the world – unlocked its full sonic potential.

A FRESH TAKE ON OUR CULT CLASSICS

The Player II Series features vital versions of our legendary offsets – along with thoughtful upgrades like smooth rolled edges and rosewood fingerboards that will appeal to both new players and longtime fans.

First order of business is an upgraded bridge with Mustang saddles on the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. The saddles are pre-radiused to follow the curvature of the fretboard, so a player doesn’t have to adjust them up and down individually. “It’s particularly helpful for players new to the model or who simply don’t have the time or desire to do their own setups,” explains Patrick Harberd, Senior Product Development Manager. “From using the tremolo to keeping things in tune, it’s smoother and simpler – an all-around improvement of the functionality of the instrument.”

Another key differentiator on the Jazzmaster is the pickups. Instead of humbuckers, which were used on the previous Player Series, the model now features more traditional single coils – which Harberd describes as “a little hotter, with a little more output than a vintage-style Jazzmaster pickup, but still delivering those beautiful highs – crystalline and clear – in combination with the traditional Jazzmaster tremolo.”

Those familiar with the original Player Series will also note the continued absence of the rhythm circuit on the Jaguar and Jazzmaster. “It’s a hot topic,” Harberd says. “The reason we made the decision was twofold: it makes the guitar more accessible, and if this is somebody’s first model and they’re trying to figure things out, it simplifies the instrument. It’s something most players just don’t use in the modern era.”

It’s a change Thurston Moore might appreciate. As he explained to Guitar.com, “We began to modify [Jazzmasters] when we realized we were hitting these unnecessary switches. We were like, ‘Man, all we need is a toggle switch between the two pickups and a volume knob. We’ll keep the tone knob on its brightest end.’ That’s it.”

“At the end of the day, people want something they can pick up, plug in and play,” Harberd adds. And that’s exactly what you get with the Player II Series. Paired with new vintage colors from the vaults – including Aquatone Blue, Coral Red, Birch Green and Hialeah Yellow – the Player II Series offers a fresh take on four cult classics.

Check out the full Player II Series lineup here.

Watch DIIV perform their new single “Frog in Boiling Water” on the Player II Jaguar and hear Zachary Cole Smith share why he’s always been drawn to the Jag.