GEAR REVIEW
FENDER PLAYER SERIES DUO-SONIC | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Alder Body
• 24” Scale
• C-shaped Maple Neck
• 9.5” Fingerboard Radius
• 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
• 2 Single Coil Duo-Sonic Pickups
• 3-way Toggle
Back in the day, I bought a 1957 Duo-Sonic from
Norman’s Rare Guitars. Although I traded the
Duo-Sonic toward a vintage Les Paul decades
ago, I’ve thought about that guitar many times
over the years. So, when our friends at Fender
offered to send the Player Series Duo-Sonic up
for review I jumped at the chance!
The Player Series Duo-Sonic is actually based
on the 1956 model. Like the guitar I owned,
the instrument I reviewed sported the same
Desert Sand finish, maple-maple neck, and
gold anodized pickguard. That, however, is
where the similarity ends. All nostalgia aside,
the Player Series Duo-Sonic totally smokes the
guitar I owned.
When possible, I try to get to know an
instrument acoustically before plugging it in.
Pickups can both hype frequencies, as well
as compensate for sonic inadequacies. From
the get-go, I was impressed with both the
playability and sonic consistency of this guitar.
My single complaint would be that the edges
of the frets could be rolled just a touch more,
but for $599 MAP, it is unreasonable to expect
a custom shop experience. The 9.5” radius is
definitely shred-worthy if need be, and just I
like my ’57, this little guitar is totally gorgeous.
Fender did a great job of capturing the essence
of the Duo-Sonic in look and feel.
The longer I played the guitar, the more I
realized that the 24” scale created a ‘capo-like’
quality that really piqued my interest about what
it would sound like when I finally plugged it in.
Before doing so, I could tell it was gonna be
great for Funk, and beyond that I wasn’t sure…
yet.
The moment I plugged it in I was immediately
impressed with the outstanding job Fender
did on the pickups, which are custom wound
for these instruments. The preset I started off
with on my Helix had a ton of gain and effects,
and this guitar took to flight immediately. That
said, I could hear something coming through
that would require a ton less gain to confirm.
A few amp models later, my suspicion was
confirmed – this little guitar is one of the best
rhythm guitars I’ve ever played. Don’t get me
wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the lead
tones, but this little guitar has a quality that is
totally unique. Typically, guitars with a distinct
voice are great for rhythm, and that’s certainly
the case here.
Something about the shorter scale adds a
level of definition that adds a capo-like clarity
74 August 2020
Subscribe for Free...