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Welcome to the November 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine. I’m sure you’ve already noticed this month’s cover guitar: a shiny new Fender Player Plus Stratocaster in Tequila Sunrise. An office poll suggests that its striking gradient finish divides the team neatly down the middle, with an equal split of lovers and haters. We wouldn’t have it any other way – there are already more than enough guitars with conservative finishes to go around, and it’s great to see Fender ruffle a few feathers with some daring new colourways. How do the new Player Plus models stack up when it comes to playability and tone? Read our review to find out.

• ORDER NOW: The November 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine

On a more sombre note, I was saddened to hear of the recent death of Roger Newell at the age of 73. A former colleague of several members of the Guitar Magazine team, Roger was best known as the bassist in Rick Wakeman’s English Rock Ensemble in the 1970s. Wielding the world’s first-ever triple-neck bass, Roger’s work with Wakeman included the multi-million selling albums Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table. Prior to that, Roger was a member of cult psychedelic pop group Rainbow Ffolly and since 1988, he featured in Marty Wilde’s band The Wildcats. Roger also served as deputy editor of Bassist magazine in the 1990s, and was a regular contributor to Guitarist magazine.

In his long career, Roger graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, all while rocking a bass rig loud enough to earn him the nickname ‘World War Three’. He was also a Shadows aficionado par excellence, an incredibly funny man and an absolute one-off, whose loss will be felt throughout the UK guitar industry and beyond. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and former bandmates.

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Known for his acclaimed range of hand-wound pickups and specialising in esoterica, Mojo Pickups founder Marc Ransley has a guitar collection that should set pulses racing among offset fans.

With the 1980s very much in vogue, Kramer’s new Custom Graphics series is a flamboyant reminder of what the bold brand stands for.

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Former Guitar.com Chief Editor Chris Vinnicombe has spent the past two decades playing the world’s greatest guitars and interviewing legendary guitarists and key industry figures. He previously worked at Guitarist Magazine, MusicRadar and Guitar Magazine, where he won the 2016 PPA Independent Publisher Award for Editor Of The Year. Chris is currently the Editor In Chief at Gibson.