The hot alnico Player humbuckers pickups offer just what we expect from the Lead III; great clean tones, and aggressive but far-from-overbearing when you crank the gain. 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. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Fender Lead II and III Review. 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. Standard humbucker mode 3. Disponible en finitions Purple Metallic, mais aussi en versions classiques Olympic White et Sienna Sunburst. 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. You will receive a verification email shortly. We will send you an email to reset your password. Pricing subject to change. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, No question, it holds its own. It feels well-balanced whether played standing or seated. According to Fender, these are slightly overwound to provide some extra punch and pizzazz to your sound. The scale length is nonetheless a Strat/Fender standard 25.5". Fender brings back the Lead III with classic features and a variety of finishes! 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. The hardtail bridge transfers vibration through the body, contributing to the experience of playing this guitar. There was the single-humbucker model, the Lead I. 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. It's slim profile is great for fast runs and wild bends, but also feels natural for chording. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. 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. It's a fun, lightweight, and eye catching guitar that comes at a pretty friendly price tag. There's an alder body, a bolt-on modern C-profile neck and a neat six-saddle hard-tail bridge. Little wonder it went out of style. $599.99 Retail at the time of this post. But here we go again, talking about the Stratocaster – Leo Fender's most-celebrated design – in a review about the Fender Lead III. All rights reserved. Sign up in minutes and receive instant approval. Style and versatility in a simple and comfortable package is what the Lead III is all about. Neck Pickup, when bridge or middle pickup engaged 2. Fender Player Series Review. Please refresh the page and try again. You'll have tons of sustain to work with; something the Lead series has become known for. Yesterday and Today album, or Queen’s Innuendo, or Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door.It might not be your favorite thing they’ve ever done, but it’s really good and holds up far better after all these years than we might have thought back in the day. Get exclusive New Arrival, Sale & Giveaway info! Posted on Feb 27, 2020 by Walter Bryant Fender brings back the Lead III with classic features and a variety of finishes! That said, somehow it never acquired cult status, and when we pick it up today it is like looking at a totally new model. The past two years have seen Fender reinvent its American Standard series as American Professional and American Vintage as American Original. Available on checkout. There's plenty of sizzle, and a good deal of crunch. The Fender Player Lead III model is available in Purple Metallic, Olympic White, and Sienna Sunburst. Looks great, feels great, and it brings us back in time for a moment. Rated 5.0 / 5 by 5 customers! It's bright, super-playable, and something different. 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. Fender Player Lead III review A lost Fender double-cut from the '70s makes its return £599; $599.99; By MusicRadar 01 April 2020 Bath Clapton played one. Plug the Lead III into just about anything, and you won't have be challenged to achieve a great sound. 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. Who is the best acoustic guitarist of 2020? They’re now part of Fender’s ever-growing Mexican series pickups and tuners, plus the modern C neck profile. 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. Facebook. It's a fun, lightweight, and eye catching guitar that comes at a pretty friendly price tag. BA1 1UA. MusicRadar Verdict: Sure there is some Strat in its DNA but the Fender Lead III deserves to be played to and heard before it is believed. © Email. 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. A remake of the original Lead Series that was produced from 1979 until 1982, Fender unveiled only the II and III versions, the dual single coil and dual humbucker designs. The Lead III has a neat six-saddle hardtail bridge. Fender Player Lead III Review! CLA EchoSphere: Waves’ free Black Friday VST plugin is a slap delay and plate reverb from Chris Lord-Alge, 2. Maybe it just needs more people to try it. Contact us at 844-687-4296 or sales@themusiczoo.com. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Read Sweetwater customer reviews for Fender Player Lead III Electric Guitar - Olympic White Reviews. The Fender Lead was produced between 1979 and 1982 and underwent a series of evolutions. What made the original 1970s Fender Lead go the way of the dodo? La Player Lead III, un hommage au modèle original produit uniquement en 1982, comprend un jeu de puissants micros humbucker Player à aimants Alnico, deux commutateurs pour choisir les micros et splitter les bobines, et un manche au profil en ”C” moderne avec des frettes medium-jumbo. It's bright, super-playable, and something different. The feel is similar, though the pau ferro comes up a bit lighter to the eye. 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. The Modern “C” neck is super-comfortable. It could be changing tastes or marketing missteps, but whatever it was it wasn't because the Lead sucked. The Fender Lead series is a little bit like the Beatles’ U.S. It feels good to hold a note and bend it. You'll get a ton of sustain with this axe. Scroll below to see some hi-res photos of the classic model from Fender! You also get dual-toggle switches for pickup selection and coil-splits, giving you a wide-range of tonal options on the fly. Bono had a Lead II. Telegram. Maybe it needed a better name? 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. Visit our corporate site. The modern C is a great shape for today's player. In a nutshell, these pickups are excellent. The Lead III's switching allows you to mix and match humbucker and singlecoil tones. Share. 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.