Given that I own and operate a technology website, you might think that consumer tech is my life. While I do enjoy what I do, I love playing with gadgets and new tech. Music (especially guitar) is much more important to me than technology. I have been fortunate enough to indulge that passion by reviewing guitars like the Fender Player Plus Meteora.
Estimated reading time: 0 minutes
Fender has been kind enough to send their guitars over for testing and evaluation, and these reviews are by far my favorite. The Fender Player Plus Meteora has unique styling and aesthetic. It produces some fantastic sounds. But this dude is heavy. That’s not all bad; some guitar players love a heavier guitar. So let’s jump into my review of the Fender Player Plus Meteora six-string guitar.
Specifications
The Fender Player Plus Meteora has the following features and specifications:
- Body Material: Alder
- Body Finish: Gloss Polyester
- Body Color: Belair Blue (Also available in Cosmic Jade, Silverburst, and 3-Color Sunburst)
- Body Shape: Meteora
- Neck Material: Maple
- Neck Finish: Satin Urethane with Gloss Urethane Headstock Face
- Neck Shape: Modern C
- Scale Length: 25.5″ (64.77 mm)
- Fingerboard Material: Pau Ferro
- Fingerboard Radius: 12″ (305 mm)
- Number of Frets: 22
- Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
- Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
- Nut Width: 1.685″ (42.8 mm)
- Inlays: White Pearloid Dot
- Side Dots: White
- Truss Rod: Single Action, Head Adjust
- Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
- Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge And Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
- Auxiliary Switching: S-1 Switch on Volume (For Coil Split)
- Pickup Configuration: Humbucker/Humbucker
- Bridge Pickup: Fireball® Humbucking
- Neck Pickup: Fireball® Humbucking
- Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Brushed Steel Block Saddles
- Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
- Tuning Machines: Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts)
- Pickguard: 3-ply Mint Green
- Control Knobs: Knurled Flat-Top
- Switch Tip: Aged White
- Strings: Fender® USA 250LR Nickel Plated Steel (.009-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250404
- Gig Bag: Deluxe Gig Bag Included
What’s In The Box
- Fender Player Plus Meteora
- Fender Deluxe Gig Bag
- Adjustment Tools
- Tremolo Bar
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
When it comes to guitar design, I would call myself a traditionalist, at least when it comes to body shapes. I like the Strat shape, Tele shape, Les Paul shape, and Super Strat shapes. So when I saw the Fender Player Plus Meteora, I didn’t think I would like it much.
The shape reminds me of the Fender Jaguar, a guitar I have never liked, but unlike the Jaguar, I found this shape pleasing to the eye. Starting at the guitar’s top, the headstock is classic Fender with the logo done in silver flanked by wisps and Meteora. The string tree is Fender’s American Standard, a nice upgrade from the ones you find on Squires or lower-end Fenders.
The back of the Fender Player Plus Meteora headstock has the serial number starting with MX, which signifies the guitar was made in Mexico. The chrome tuning machines are Fender’s locking tuners; nice to see here. The maple neck is smooth and comes with Fender’s skunk stripe.
The fretboard is Pau Ferro, not my favorite as I find Pau Ferro to be a dry wood that can bind my movement. The medium jumbo frets are comfortable, and the fretwork is excellent, no sharp fret ends.
The back of the body has a Strat-style cavity cover in mint green covering the tremolo claw and springs. The tremolo block is a good size, and the neck plate has the “F” logo and Player Plus. The neck plate is a typical Fender 4-bolt pattern.
Around the front of the Fender Player Plus Meteora is a mint green pickguard that looks nice combined with the Belair Blue color. Speaking of the color, Belair Blue fades from white to light blue to deep blue. It is a nice-looking color and the best-looking color on this guitar.
The pickup rings switch tip and tremolo arm tip are all outfitted in antique white. I would have liked to see these in the same white color the body has. The tremolo is a 2-point Fender system, and it works smoothly, although I don’t use tremolo much as I prefer to bend and create vibrato with my fingers. The saddles are steel, though; another nice upgrade.
The Fender Player Plus Meteora knurled knobs are classic Telecaster style knobs that are easy to manipulate and use. The top knob has the S-1 push switch, which taps the Fireball Humbuckers to single-coil mode. The Fireball humbuckers have chrome covers with the Fender logo etched. The pickup posts are visible and staggered, three top and three bottom.
My biggest negative of the Fender Player Plus Meteora design is its weight and balance. This guitar is bottom-heavy and reminds me of a Les Paul. I prefer a balanced weight when I have a guitar strapped to me. I don’t like neck or bottom dive, and the Meteora has the latter. Of course, this is subjective, and many guitar players will love the weight and feel of the Meteora.
Overall, the Fender Player Plus Meteora design is beautiful. The materials and craftsmanship are excellent, and it feels nice in hand. My only major gripe is the weight and balance.
Out Of Box Setup
Setups are super subjective, and I’m positive that every guitar player will find fault no matter how well set up a guitar comes from the factory. The Fender Player Plus Meteora mostly came setup very good.
The fretwork is excellent, the fret ends feel amazing, the fretboard was clean and oiled, and everything that was supposed to be in order was. Knobs, tremolo, and all moving parts feel high quality, and there were no issues. The fretboard is Pau Ferro, which I’m not a fan of, but…the fretboard edges are rolled, which is excellent!
The action, however, the action was slightly high. At least higher than I prefer. It’s not so high that the guitar is unplayable, not at all; it’s just higher than I like.
Overall, the setup was excellent except for the action. But this isn’t anything that can’t be adjusted and made right. You can lower the action yourself or take it to a luthier and have it done for around $40.
Sound/Playability
The Fender Player Plus Meteora is a very playable guitar. The fretwork and rolled fretboard edges make it very easy to play. The modern C-neck is comfortable and familiar. The body has a belly comfort cut and an arm comfort cut. These make the playability more comfortable.
Again, my only complaint is the weight. Strapped on, the Fender Player Plus Meteora can become a chore to hold over long periods. However, it is a very comfortable guitar to play sitting down as you can nestle it on your lap nicely.
As for sound, the Fireball humbuckers produce warm and enveloping tones giving you that Les Paul-type tone. The 3-way switch gives you neck, neck/bridge, and bridge options. At the same time, the S-1 switch splits the coils giving you those Strat tones as well. So there are a lot of tonal possibilities here.
Overall, the playability is excellent; it would be better if the weight weren’t an issue for me. Tonal range and sound are outstanding, and there are many options for a wide range of sounds.
Fender Player Plus Meteora Gallery
Price/Value
The Fender Player Plus Meteora price is north of $1K sitting at US$1,149. There is a ton of value here, given that the materials used are excellent. You’re also getting a fantastic 2-point tremolo with steel saddles, rolled fretboard edges, and enormous tonal possibilities. I wish Fender had included a hard case instead of a gig bag. That would have solidified the value.
Wrap Up
The Fender Player Plus Meteora, like any other guitar, isn’t for everyone. For me, the weight is the issue. But it sounds really nice, and it looks terrific. I can forgive the weight somewhat because it plays well and looks good.
In some of our articles and especially in our reviews, you will find Amazon or other affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Any other purchases you make through these links often result in a small amount being earned for the site and/or our writers. Techaeris often covers brand press releases. Doing this does not constitute an endorsement of any product or service by Techaeris. We provide the press release information for our audience to be informed and make their own decision on a purchase or not. Only our reviews are an endorsement or lack thereof. For more information, you can read our full disclaimer.
Last Updated on January 11, 2023.
