Fender Player II Stratocaster Lavender Haze

Born in 1954 and forever tied to the sound of modern music, the Stratocaster has always been the guitar for players chasing possibility. Our CME Exclusive Lavender Haze finish wraps that spirit in a dreamy, mid-century glow—a lavender-smoke shimmer pulled from retro appliances, lilac gardens, and summer nights on Lake Shore Drive. This Player II Stratocaster comes alive with CME “Full Dip” pickups, reimagining the classic Vintera II blueprint with sweeter highs, fuller mids, and an extra 5% of Chicago heat. Paired with Alnico 2 magnets, the “Full Dip” pickups are joined by a custom Blender Mod circuit that pushes the Strat’s versatility even further. The second tone knob blends the neck pickup into the bridge position, unlocking wiry, Tele-style textures in switch positions 1 and 2 that simply aren’t possible with standard wiring.

Player II Lavender Haze Series

The CME Exclusive Player II series debuts a brand new could-have-been-but-never-was colorway that's unabashedly inspired by mid-century appliances, classic cars, and well... golden-era electric guitars. Make way for Lavender Haze—a smokey amethyst hue with notes of sandy Lake Michigan beaches and fragrant Chicago lilac gardens. It's a color equally at home on your kitchen counter as it would be cruising down Lake Shore Drive, and more appropriately slung around your neck on stage at The Empty Bottle. 

At the heart of these instruments are Chicago Music Exchange’s all-new proprietary Fender "Full Dip" pickups. Taking their name from the time- honored way of ordering an Italian beef sandwich in the City of Big Shoulders, these pickups are sonically inspired by decades of experience listening to our customers' needs, dissecting vintage instruments, and working alongside the experts at Fender Custom Shop. “Full Dip” pickups begin with Fender's Vintera II recipe, but add two essential ingredients. First, Alnico 2 magnets tame harsh frequencies, smoothing out the EQ and allowing the notes to bloom. Second—because an Italian beef isn't complete without the giardiniera—we overwound the coils by 5% to add the necessary heat and grit to cut through any mix. To expand these palettes further, each model is equipped with a special circuit modification to unlock tonal options otherwise not available with standard wiring. Experience Player II Series instruments that could only come from a collaboration between Fender and Chicago Music Exchange.

Highlights

• Modern “C”-Shaped Neck w/ Rolled Fingerboard Edges
• 22 Medium-Jumbo Frets
• ClassicGear Tuning Machines
• Aged Plastic Parts
• 9.5”-Radius Neck with Player II Neck Tint

General

Body

Neck

Electronics

Hardware