© The Lead III has a neat six-saddle hardtail bridge. Style and versatility in a simple and comfortable package is what the Lead III is all about. Bath There was a problem. The Fender Lead was produced between 1979 and 1982 and underwent a series of evolutions. The Alnico II humbuckers are more vintage than super-hot but they've got plenty of fire to them when you light up your gain stage. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. Get exclusive New Arrival, Sale & Giveaway info! Avant de découvrir en détails ces 2 nouvelles guitares Fender Player Lead II et Fender Player Lead III qui ont été présentées au Winter NAMM 2020 à Anaheim, revenons tout d'abord sur l'histoire de cette série fabriquée initialement en Californie entre 1979 et 1982. As for the sonics, well those Fender electrics with thin alder bodies do come in with plenty top-end, and this is no different. If you're in the market for an affordable axe with a classic look and feel, and great versatility; look no further than the Fender Lead III. Another selling point: after all, if the lack of a singlecoil tone was something that made you demur, surely the coil-tap would have you running to the cashier with the Lead III under your arm. Fender created the Lead III for a variety of players, and it shows even with it's return 40 years later! Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. There was the Lead II, which housed two singlecoils and a phase switch. The Lead II and III are returning but the I has been left out of the reunion. Facebook. NAMM 2020: St Vincent, Bono, Eric Clapton and Steve Morse are just a handful of names that have been associated with the Fender Lead series over the years, its history stretching all the way back to 1979.The unique-looking double-cutaways will be making their return this year, in the form of these Player Lead II and Player Lead III reissues. Share. This model packs all of the same feel of the Lead III with pristine cleans, and a classic look! What made the original 1970s Fender Lead go the way of the dodo? Standard humbucker mode 3. Fender Player Series Review. The hardtail bridge transfers vibration through the body, contributing to the experience of playing this guitar. There's a give to the string tension that makes it just so malleable. It feels good to hold a note and bend it. You'll get a ton of sustain with this axe. The Fender Player Lead III model is available in Purple Metallic, Olympic White, and Sienna Sunburst. The past two years have seen Fender reinvent its American Standard series as American Professional and American Vintage as American Original. Scroll below to see some hi-res photos of the classic model from Fender! Neck Pickup, when bridge or middle pickup engaged 2. Rated 5.0 / 5 by 5 customers! But here we go again, talking about the Stratocaster – Leo Fender's most-celebrated design – in a review about the Fender Lead III. Buyers' guides to all the best music gear, Arturia responds to Behringer’s KeyStep MIDI keyboard lookalike Swing: “This is not fair competition”, The 12 best audio interfaces 2020: top audio interfaces for music-making and production, Free music samples: download loops, hits and multis from SampleRadar, The best DAWs 2020: the best digital audio workstations for PC and Mac, Bidding starts at $1 million, as Eric Clapton's 1954 Fender Stratocaster ”Slowhand” is up for auction. The scale length is nonetheless a Strat/Fender standard 25.5". It feels well-balanced whether played standing or seated. Twitter. And then there was the Lead III, a double-humbucker model that surely tapped into the pop-cultural zeitgeist – after all, this was the era of Van Halen's ascent. The Fender Lead series is a little bit like the Beatles’ U.S. Fender created the Lead III for a variety of players, and it shows even with it's return 40 years later! It could be changing tastes or marketing missteps, but whatever it was it wasn't because the Lead sucked. There was the single-humbucker model, the Lead I. Please refresh the page and try again. The Lead III does away with the oversized pickup housing and utilises a more conventional pair of Alnico 2 Player Series humbuckers for its sonic arsenal. The Lead III's switching allows you to mix and match humbucker and singlecoil tones. The finish is cool, too. Selecting both pickups then tapping them brings forth a Strat-esque voice, a good bit of punch that cleans up nicely when you take the volume down. While the coil-splitting feature sees an inevitable drop in output when switching from the humbucking position, having a little singlecoil quack to play with is always a good thing. No question, it holds its own. The modern C is a great shape for today's player. Why do some electric guitars just fall through the cracks? While not being badged as a strict ‘reissue’, the two Leads for 2020 do stay authentic to some degree. There's an alder body, a bolt-on modern C-profile neck and a neat six-saddle hard-tail bridge. Looks great, feels great, and it brings us back in time for a moment. Fender Player Lead III Review! The simplicity of the Lead III is something we find particularly appealing. Fender created the Lead III for a variety of players, and it shows even with it's return 40 years later! Style and versatility in a simple and comfortable package is what the Lead III is all about. Style and versatility in a simple and comfortable package is what the Lead III is all about. Posted on Feb 27, 2020 by Walter Bryant Fender brings back the Lead III with classic features and a variety of finishes! In a nutshell, these pickups are excellent. Turbo-charged electrics was what the world wanted. Who is the best acoustic guitarist of 2020? It's a fun, lightweight, and eye catching guitar that comes at a pretty friendly price tag. Fender created the Lead III for a variety of players, and it shows even with it's return 40 years later! CLA EchoSphere: Waves’ free Black Friday VST plugin is a slap delay and plate reverb from Chris Lord-Alge, 2. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. You will receive a verification email shortly. And of today's roster of high-profile players, St Vincent has a heavily modded Lead. 23rd July 2018. A look at the fretboard is a sign of the times; thanks to CITES, Fender guitars at this price point carry pau ferro instead of rosewood 'boards. Contact us at 844-687-4296 or sales@themusiczoo.com. 6-Saddle String-through Body Hardtail with Block Saddles, 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone, 3-way toggle pickup switch, 2005 Martin JC Buddy Guy Acoustic-Electric Natural, Fender Custom Shop Globe Grain Elevator Stratocaster Masterbuilt Yuriy Shishkov, Gibson Memphis ES-335 Figured Natural 2017. It's a fun, lightweight, and eye catching guitar that comes at a pretty friendly price tag. The double-cut body makes the Lead III feel compact and manageable. Disponible en finitions Purple Metallic, mais aussi en versions classiques Olympic White et Sienna Sunburst. Fender Player Lead III Review! Pricing subject to change. Read Sweetwater customer reviews for Fender Player Lead III Electric Guitar - Olympic White Reviews. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Receive news and offers from our other brands? You might find thinner necks on Ibanez or Jackson's lineup but the Lead III is definitely shreddable. Fender has largely played things straight with its latest not-exactly-classic reissues, keeping the core specs of the Lead II and Lead III models much as they were 38 years ago. You'll have tons of sustain to work with; something the Lead series has become known for. BA1 1UA. Available on checkout. The neck is superb. Little wonder it went out of style. Style and versatility in a simple and comfortable package is what the Lead III is all about. Now the company’s attention turns to its entry-level models as we say adios to the popular Mexican Standards and hola to the Player series… Guitar.com. The neck heel is a little clunky but nothing too off-putting. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices. If you're in the market for an affordable axe with a classic look and feel, and great versatility; look no further than the Fender Lead III. Fender Lead II and III Review. It's slim profile is great for fast runs and wild bends, but also feels natural for chording.