Fender Player Plus Stratocaster vs. Fender Player Series Stratocaster | Is It Worth It?

Today we're taking a deeper look into the new Player Plus Series from Fender and comparing it to the much beloved Player Series. With these two Stratocasters, Chris and Cooper run down all of the specs and then put the pickups through their paces. Stay tuned for more Player Plus comparisons as we work through the line!
0:00 Intro/Specs
12:44 Player Stratocaster Demo
14:45 Player Plus Stratocaster Demo
17:29 Wrapping Up
SHOP PLAYER PLUS: bit.ly/3CWFyXQ
BECOME AN INSIDER: / alamomusic
Shop Guitars - www.alamomusic.com/guitars/
Guitar Buyers Guide → bit.ly/2kssXsR
Interested in a different guitar? Talk to an expert here → bit.ly/findmyguitar
__________________________________________________________________
KZbin: Pianos and Keyboards - bit.ly/YTpianos
♪ Contact us: www.alamomusic.com/contact
♩ Call toll-free: [phone]
♬ Connect:
Twitter → / alamomusic
Instagram → / alamomusic
Facebook → / alamoguitar

[@mikec3454]

I think the Player Strat is incredible bang for buck. However, I walked into my local shop today and bought a Player Plus on the spot. I just loved how dynamic it was and responsive to how you attacked the strings. I was playing without a pick, lots of blues and fell in love. Got the Sunburst with maple and it’s a real looker. The locking tuners are better than any tuners I’ve had on the several USA Strats I had. I think the gig bag and tuners alone are worth the price difference personally. Helps that the store has the old price tag on it too, not realizing Fender increased the price. Saved me $200!

[@mstave]

For me, fwiw - it’s much easier to compare much shorter demos position X vs position X, then X+1 vs X+1, etc rather than trying to remember what the beginning of the guitar A demo sounded like 5 mins ago while listening to the beginning of the guitar B demo. That said, thank you very much for the great public service y’all provide with videos like this.

[@petermarkovic8837]

You two guys do the best guitar reviews on KZbin, IMHO. Keep up the good work :) and Cooper, love your guitar playing :)

[@jt37218]

Thanks for the comparison and nice playing. I sold my Player Strat on ebay and bought the Player Plus without any in shop trial due to covid lock down. Man , I hate the noiseless pick up, especially the neck position and position 4. 😑 , so mid range centric , somewhat compressed and lacking some chime. I went searching for the Neck/pos 4 Alnico 5 sound of my old Player. Eventually i swapped the Neck pick up to a Dimarzio Area 58 and now I could enjoy the Neck/ 4 again which is my home base. Don't mind the 12" radius flat finger board and , i like the rolled edges and lock in tuner. The sound was sideways/backwards step for me.

[@rick00770]

I got the player series plus top, HSS with humbucker , sienna sunburst at guitar center here in Ga. I had been playing a epi les Paul 92, just wanted a second guitar , the strat caught my eye. It's great. Maple neck. Subscribed.

[@LUISALVARADO123]

The player model is the best bang for your buck. The noiseless pickups are great only if you want a lot distortion, but nothing compares to a true single alnico pickup if you like playing clean and enjoy the fender clean sounds. Great videos..u guys are awesome 😎

[@manuedwards6959]

I actually think the front scoop in PRS guitars is equally as usuable as the back scoop on the ultra having put my hands on both. It slims that area down and gives that access. Many players tend to reach over the fretboard that high up.

[@conorfurlong]

Great video. I love all the different options Fender is now making available to players, more choice is always good. Player, Player Plus, Vintera - all great guitars. Vintera is my preference in that price range.

[@padawan9127]

Pity about the truss rod access on the vinteras though

[@Oats57]

The features on the player plus are great, but I like the sounds of the player pick ups better than the player plus.

[@macuse2008]

Indeed noiseless aren't the best sound

[@ronmoore1219]

Cooper, you say sometimes you’re a moron. My last name is Moore and first name is Ron. In the Army, they always called morning roll call with last name first and first name last. Yep. Another great comparison. I think the Player Plus is offers some differences I’d pay the money for. Great job again boys.

[@JunkBondTrader]

that is absolutely hilarious. Funny how your parents either didn't catch that, or maybe it was a sick joke lol. Its like being named Ramus Igno.

[@guitargrandpa282]

As the owner of an American Ultra Strat (which I love) I have to say that I would be sorely tempted to buy the Player Plus Tele instead of the Ultra, particularly since the Ultra has been in very short supply for most of this year.

[@chrisbee9164]

Great review. Im hopefully going to go for the plus model. And YOUR demo at the end was by far the clearest to hear the difference. I felt the plus sounded purer for some reason. Why do some people hate noiselese pickups? Also, what radius is best for someone with medium pudgy hands and medium to short fingers (especially the pinky)? Thanks

[@brianshank1419]

Is the neck on the Player Plus the same shape and radius as the neck on an Ultra? Thank you.

[@sunjamm222]

From the UKBeen left handed I found a Player series strat. But after a year and couple changes of strings, it was not holding tune for long. So took it to a guitar speicalist who found a couple problems. Fixed all he could see and sorted the play. I would say now for the price of the guitar and work it still beats not buying a Player Plus.

[@gothops154]

I have an old Mexican standard with the stickers still on and it says a gig bag (and some other goodies like tremolo arm) was included in the price. A few weeks ago I bought a Player from Guitar Center and it comes with nothing. Not the trem arm, not the gig bag, not even any paperwork. Not sure what happened or if that’s just how GC operates

[@NikkenMagboy]

Can we also compare the player plus to the ampro 2?

[@SWarren958]

Please provide a link to the Player Plus Telecaster video.

[@balmain2496]

Player Plus blows it out of the water. Noiseless pickups, locking tuners, push pull coils, rolled frets already make the difference.

[@k2dave1969]

I have one of the first Mexican Fender stratocasters that was the second run out of the factory....it was designed and built in USA but finished in mexico and yes in LAKE PLACID BLUE......I modded it with fender locking tuners and a freeway switch and quite frankly that guitar rocks......none of the fender options do completely what the freeway switch does....Bank A is normal Fender 5 way sounds but bank B in position one is the bridge pickup and the middle pickup in series like a humbucker increasing the output and doing await with the single coil hum , B2 is the neck and bridle in parallel, B3 is all three, B4 is bridge and neck in series, B5 is neck and middle in series like a humbucker with greatly reduced single coil hum......great option......

[@harpsinclairmusic]

Dude same!

[@idontcare994]

You guys are so great!!! And the comments are very helpful here too! But did you try the Hss models or other ones in this video??? Its truly hard for me lol coz i much prefer the colors of the Plus (the sunburst with the Black middle) then the regular player (with white in the middle) but i do prefer the sound of the regular player - its THE classic strat sound !!! Its my first strat and i want that classic sound !!!!!! For a richer, hotter sound id rather get a gretsch some day. Would really love to know if both those guitars were HSS? Thank you !!!!

[@idontcare994]

If not, they also make the player hss in that suburst+black (instead of white) in the model that has the Floyd Rose. But that model is very charged aesthetically, with extra saddles, its not too great

[@Miguel_Madureira]

Great vids! Pau Ferro is from Brazil. 😉

[@dowaliby1]

I know a lot of people think the noiseless pickups lack character and don't sound as good as the traditional single coils, but hearing them side-by-side in this video, I was far more impressed with the noiseless. I was pleasantly surprised. To me, they sounded livelier, fatter, and more musical, with a more pleasing tone overall than the regular Player. Also, taking into consideration the listener, that hum from single coils can be awful and overshadow everything else, and turn off the people you're playing for. People do notice the hum/noise.

[@Astro_touches_children]

My player plus is hss with noiseless singles and although we were running through different amps my buddy and I did a comparison and the difference wasn't very much. It's still basically the strat sound we're used to.

[@idontcare994]

@@Astro_touches_children hey very helpful comment! I prefer the color (sunburst+black) of the plus but THE classic strat sound of the regular player. I dont know if the guys in the video were trying out both models in hss or not. You said the difference isnt very much, but is its still there right ?

[@jasonswitzer1748]

The Player Plus sounds much warmer to me. That’s not a bad thing at all… it’s just a different sound than the traditional Strat. Honestly, I’m it sure I have a preference because they both sound good… they’re just different. I guess if push came to shove, I’d go with the regular Player because if I get a Strat, I want it to sound like I expect a Strat to sound like. But both are great options.

[@bluwng]

Saddles are not the thing hurting you when you palm mute, it’s the screws. I paid $4 for short screws or you can pay like $8 for block saddles

[@allisonholmesmusic97]

I’d much rather have the 9.5” radius fretboard. I used to have a Gibson with a 12” radius and never bonded with it. I’m a huge fan of Fender but the Player Plus don’t do anything for me

[@user-wf6kd3dq4y]

When are they getting round to the sonic demonstration?

[@Hotelguitarplayer]

I have a player plus top, absolutely love it. Like the new player plus except for the noiseless pickups, to me just lack character. But that is a preference thing. Still great guitars!

[@Jonwsm]

A player plus top isn't a player plus. It's a player with a plus top and has none of the player plus improvements.

[@Hotelguitarplayer]

@@Jonwsm yes it doesn't have the rolled fingerboard, and the push/pull pots and the locking tuners. So your right it's not exactly like the player plus. I meant it's a similar s type guitar is all. But still happy about not having those noiseless dead sounding pickups! Lol

[@MegaMr28]

@@Hotelguitarplayer player plus has the 12 radius while the player top plus is 9.5

[@Jonwsm]

@@Hotelguitarplayer Those pickups sound amazing.

[@somikmusic]

All Sounds great. But i love my roadhouse deluxe stratocaster..

[@Blues-man.]

Player + for sure, that fellow is a great musician.

[@michaelogden5093]

I'd like to see a value comparison between a Fender Player + and a Aaron Franklin brisket.

[@lordofthelints]

How about a comparison between the hss strat versions, player vs player plus?

[@chickeee]

Well the player plus has split coil H and locking tuners

[@lnugent1000]

My player series came with a bag. Not from fender from the dealer I bought from.

[@Bidwellz9]

got a bel air blue for 800 brand new lol. needless to say i was happy. bought a hard case for it because i hate gig bags lol

[@shaneroberts9466]

Nearly every review of the new player plus strat complains of the push/pull challenge. I've had to replace knobs before simply because I couldn't grip the push/pull. So Fender went with traditional knobs on the plus strat that are functionally difficult. They could have provided a better option for splitting. I recently picked up a new 2021 player tele plus top (flamed) and added fender locking tuners for under $600. Noiseless pups are fine but stock player pups are still fine. Its simply a matter of personal requirements. IMO the new plus series seems over priced but comes with gigbag in addition to the locking tuners and noiseless pups. Is close. In general the player plus is worthy but the non plus player is a better deal for just the guitar alone if you dont have the extra money to spend.

[@mattm2827]

You’re forgetting the rolled fretboard. It puts the player plus over the top.

[@earlmace]

Player Plus Tele for sure. I have a Player Series Strat and love it. It produces all the clean tones and minor dis tones I will ever need. Fender is duh 💣

[@DDE_ADDICT]

Pau ferro is a Rosewood also known as Bahia Rosewood

[@modernbeans2637]

The fender player plus plus top could also be the fender player double plus top or if you go by initials the fender triple p top! Chaos theory math right there!

[@Liquormans]

Nice playing. I like the players series sound better

[@emperor_sunshine]

I love Fake Plastic Blue it's my favorite song. Or that other one.

[@DimitraB.]

i like this blue colour !!!!!!

[@robdonell9915]

@9:05, “So the G string won’t fall out of the nut…”. 🤣🤣

[@lucjanssen8]

Great guitars. Not into the PF fretboards though. Maple or rosewood for me.

[@craigthomson3621]

...or Ebony.

[@morenamcguire7133]

Got a newer Player nice pickups ,got older standard strat that resonates better with six screw bridge and thicker sound,,,,,,

[@SeanAllocca]

It makes me smile to know that Cooper will read this comment and I hope he smiles because of it.

[@AlamoMusic]

:)

[@sublyme2157]

Not sure why people frown on Pau Ferro. When it was still a relatively unknown option, Mike Lipe built me a guitar with a Pau Ferro fretboard because he loved the stuff. If one of our generation's best luthiers likes it, it's good enough for me :)

[@aqualung1466]

Wow, STD player sounds way better to my ears - is it the noiseless?

[@darshandowari3112]

I liked the tones on the player plus more

[@roberthealy1814]

I have a lot of gigbags because I have all of my guitars in a hard case.

[@karlsonmackay1453]

#PLAYER just spoke to me

[@texhaines9957]

Not really an electric guitar person and question below (where to start). Cooper needs an HO model Railroad set to see the difference around an oval of 15, 18, 24, and 30 inch radius oval. N Scale would have the 9, 12, and 16 inch radius curves.

[@terrius1432]

If not an electric guitar person then why start?

[@texhaines9957]

Sounds like I would prefer the Plus between these two but maybe a Les Paul shape without the weight. Thanks Cooper and Chris.

[@texhaines9957]

@@terrius1432 because where I play may change. Currently the hospitals and nursing homes don't like "foreign" (to their system) things plugged in. Think of it this way: if someone's respirator or heart pump went irregular while your equipment is plugged in, that equipment would be blamed. That's partly why lights (LED and Fluorescent) have their own circuit and filters so the ballasts do not mess with the power systems. There may come a time when I need amplification, so thinking about it now.

[@nedludd3641]

If you're an acoustic player and are considering buying an electric. What's best to start with: Strat or Tele or Les Paul or what?

[@ArtOfShredYT]

There isn't necessarily a "best" but Les Pauls are heavy and a lot of people find them uncomfortable to play. (They sound great, though!) If I had to choose between just those three to recommend I'd go with a Strat, although I'm personally more of a Tele fan.

[@nedludd3641]

@@ArtOfShredYT - Thanks, why a Strat?

[@SeanAllocca]

I started playing 10 months ago and started with a Strat because I always wanted one and I thought Tele's looked ugly. I now have three Telecasters for the simple reason I LOVE the tone of the middle position on the Tele. I highly recommend the Squier Classic Vibe series for a player looking to getting into electrics without breaking the bank, I also have an Affinity series Tele and for $250 you can't go wrong with that one but the fit and finish is not as good as the CV but still good.

[@nedludd3641]

@@SeanAllocca - Bless you, really helpful :)

[@SeanAllocca]

@@nedludd3641 The Affinity at $250 is such a GREAT deal, the only thing I did to improve mine was I felt the neck was not as smooth and satin finished as I like but did not expect much from a 250 guitar. I got a Scotch Bright pad (600 grit) and lightly sanded the neck for a few minutes and it then felt great. (taped off the body by the neck joint just in case I slipped with the pad.) The setup out of the box from Fender was really good. I lowered the action a bit as well. I miss the guitar as I am in Europe and it's back in the States for me to play when I am there.

[@stevedavis8329]

if you just replaced the tuners, it would be about 70 bucks. the tuners are 49.99 retail, and then it's 10 minutes of work.

[@xRickAstleyx]

what about the rolled fretboard and higher end pickups tho? different radius too

[@stevedavis8329]

@@xRickAstleyx I was just commenting on the price mentioned for locking tuners. They’re nice, but not a huge upgrade. I’ve got a player series tele. It does not have a rolled fretboard. I believe the player plus does.

[@tigs6941]

I have a 12" radius on my strat 😅

[@thegram9207]

They actually have the plus left hand. Now make the tele plus left hand, thank you.

[@venturaVlogger]

Player plus strat got more rounded tone

[@lewismedeiroscustodio8630]

Plus was the perfect guitar.. until they messed the radius -.-

[@jaywells5283]

$200 for a tuner change?!?! Try $60., and twenty minuets!

[@TheDistortionist]

And upgraded pickups, electronics, tremolo, rolled fingerboard, and gig bag. I’m rocking a Player but after installing locking tuners and noiseless pickups I’m way past $1,000 (got it used though).

[@Dave-nh8iv]

Bent steel saddles suck. Traditional means old not better. Fender fanboys say otherwise. The crappy Fender trem is the first upgrade to do, followed by locking staggered tuners, no string trees and a TUSQ nut. Then you have a decent guitar.

[@JunkBondTrader]

it's a player plus $450 lol. Feels like a c ash grab cos lots of people were buying players over Americans

[@statmagic]

You guys should really try to keep these to five minutes or less. Also that dude has great hair.

[@archivedmanny]

Personally i like their lengthy reviews. They’re great background noise and they are pretty informative for people who wanna spend money wisely.

[@cmonsterz]

Double plus good. 1984. Just saying.

[@fordhammie]

This is is alot like, the iPhone vs the iPhone plus 😂

[@jordanpratt3821]

Nope,the noiseless just don't sound proper.

[@joshuareiniererice8802]

Im early, hi 🙋

[@voiceofexperience]

Block saddles crap all over bent saddles. End of story.