Fender Player Stratocaster (With Floyd Rose)

Fender Player Stratocaster (With Floyd Rose)
Today it's the Fender Player Series Stratocaster HSS with a Floyd. This guitar was actually lent to me by a very nice person. Is the guitar very nice as well? Let's find out.
Check out my Patreon page for music, lessons, and exclusives: / elmojk
For official website (with lessons, and FREE music), visit elmojk.com
Check out my music on Bandcamp: elmojk.bandcam...
Support the channel: www.buymeacoff...
Find me on Spotify: spoti.fi/2VnLgMs
Facebook: / elmojk
Tiktok: / elmojkarjalainen
Instagram: / elmojkarjalainen
Twitter: / elmokarjalainen
The gear I most often use (the links are affiliate links): redir.love/tho...
Budget gear I recommend (things I've reviewed and really liked): redir.love/tho...
(Not so) budget gear I recommend: redir.love/tho...

[@MrPolevaulter]

Check out some cheap alternatives: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6SooWCvhbmFjdE

[@greekfreak1980]

If you want a Floyd equipped Superstrat from Fender, get a Charvel Pro Mod instead. They're a around the same price, but they come stock with brand name pickups ( usually Duncans or DiMarzios) and have a Korean 1000 Series OFR , not that crappy Special model.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Fair enough.

[@tiagoramalhais5493]

Yes, I also went the charvel route, better value, very good guitars.

[@KD-nb3mp]

Depends... i personally hate charvel necks. I also think the fender quality is better overall. I got a fender with the floyd and a duncan custom in the bridge and i couldnt be happier. I also own a pro mod charvel which i dont like at all.

[@Tom_the_great]

Both Floyd’s are junk so it’s a wash.

[@Tom_the_great]

Gonna get one with a maple neck and put an original Floyd with a single pickup plate and super distortion in the bridge

[@paniccoffee]

A year later, but I just want to thank you for actually demonstrating the tremolo.👍

[@tweakrr99]

The Floyd Rose has been pretty polarizing since the beginning. Generally a love/hate relationship. Love it when it's setup and working well.

[@RackhirTheRed]

Player Stratocasters are very nice guitars. I'm sure all this one needs is a proper setup and it would stay in tune just fine. With that said I absolutely agree with you and Sire is the way to go these days. Keep up the good work sir. It's very much appreciated.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@MrWesWeston]

I'd say you are spot on. No need for a fender, the quality of other brands has caught up.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yeah, some of the cheap stuff is really good these days.

[@milankotevski1663]

The Floyd Rose on my ESP never goes out of tune. It's like having an Evertune. I've never had a guitar stay in perfect tune for long periods of time before.

[@christophersheeler4380]

Nice guitar and nice playing. The color reminds me of the Fender Jazz basses that were very popular in the early 1970s

[@ICSVortex-DCS]

First 8 minutes i was thinking when this guy will touch a floyd handle 😂

[@thetanman2233]

I remember when Mexican Strats retailed for 400 bucks and could be had for 250 used. The good ole days! Lol

[@MrPolevaulter]

😀

[@gasparepellecchia]

♥️

[@Fantasma-ql8gu]

Lucky you, in my country this guitar costs almost 10 minimum wages.

[@eamonmcdermott4032]

I've got a MIM strat. I think it's a terrific guitar. Not sure I like the string 'forest' just after the string clamps on this particular model. Excellent playing, as ever. Thanks very much EJK.

[@TheDarkmore]

What do you mean? The string bar is needed to tune the guitar properly, it is a must on a straight headstock. If you do not like the looks I can understand that.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@eamonmcdermott4032]

@@TheDarkmore Yes, my apologies. Just ignorance on my part.

[@gigmandrew8975]

I always have a good day after watching one of your videos. The world needs more of your sense of humor.😅

[@stephanematis]

100%

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thank you very much 😊

[@niclasboman4996]

@@MrPolevaulterHåller me dig ang Floyd R på Strata gillar jag ej heller ,,en annan sak vad tycker du om Steel blocks eller Brass upgrades 🤔

[@MrPolevaulter]

@@niclasboman4996 Ingen aning 🤣

[@niclasboman4996]

@@MrPolevaulter Soumi lirar bra 🏒gratulerar 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@GabrielNacu]

Good stuff Elmo ; those Mexican made Fender strats were always my go to as a teen (very easy to recommend at the price back then), but i have to agree with you in regards to comparing it to the Sire or similar brands in today's economy - they dont necessarily justify the same price anymore. Id highly recommend anyone to get a 2nd hand Mex Fender from the 90s/2000s, pay less, get it setup, mod it a bit and away you go!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yeah, me too.

[@kirkplissken8454]

I echo other commentators when it comes to getting a Charvel over Fender (I have two San Dimas, 2014 and 2016), there's much more value and quality there and you're getting a Floyd Rose 1000 rather than a sub-par special...it's absurd that Fender has a budget Floyd on a $900 plus guitar.

[@Guitar-Geek]

What an exclusive strat on your review, very nice one. Kiitos!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@Brykk]

Unless i just fall into a deal on fender, ill stick with squiers. Better value per dollar, imo. Ive got an old squier affinity that i beat on pretty regularly and its still great. Had to dress the fret ends, but it holds a tune well (6 screw trem) and has a great sound and action. Got the action set to 1.5mm with no buzz, on a rosewood fretboard, and this thing just keeps chugging along. Its a 2005 so the pickups need to be changed, but for a $50 guitar, how can you go wrong?

[@ernieb3626]

so glad you said that at the end about the sire. Im watching the video and looking for a black pick guard for my s3 lol, I always apreciate and trust your opinion. thanks Elmo

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers :)

[@RickMichaelis63]

Thanks for the review Elmo!🙏✌️

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@robertvarner8195]

Great video! I always wanted a Fender Stratocaster with a Floyd Rose but I already have 8 guitars with a Floyd Rose so I guess I'll wait a while before I get one, maybe wait for a really good deal on one.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Fair enough.

[@michaelw6277]

I’ve decided on an S style guitar for my second, and likely “keeper” guitar and my issue with Sire is 75% superficial… it’s the (lack of) color options and 25% that I just can’t find them in any brick and mortar stores. I can go into any music store and hold a Fender, which feels “right” in my hands, like it was made for me, but even finding a PRS SE Silver Sky has been more or less impossible. The other advantage with the Fender is how incredibly easy it is to find them deeply discounted. About six months ago there was a company selling brand new Lake Placid Blue Strats with maple fingerboards for $525 shipped. Right this minute I can snag one from a company that labels their guitars as “Used - Mint” but has a reputation for sending brand new, unopened boxed guitars for $625, shipped. So even though I know there are, potentially, nicer guitars than the Fender out there, if I can’t get my hands on one and I don’t like the color options I’m just going to get what I know I like… which is a Strat in Tidepool or Lake Placid Blue. (my heart wants Candy Apple Red but that color doesn’t match the feeling of the music I like to play, something that’s strangely important to me)

[@michaelw6277]

@sci_ent_ificsui_neg9236 it’s not my fault that there aren’t a lot of stores that stocks G&L, Sire, etc. I don’t want to spend $500+ on an instrument I can’t put my hands on before pulling out the wallet. I would be very much happy to have a look at and buy any of these other brands, but the “have a look at” part is difficult when I can’t find one to look at. On top of that a Fender Player series guitar is so reasonably priced that I struggle to see it as a “snob” guitar.

[@ColinHammond94]

​@sci_ent_ificsui_neg9236I want a stratocaster one with HSS pickups would you recommend squire ??

[@djizzah]

i played professionally with a nineties mij hss with a floyd rose swapped the pickups to my taste but very very well made instrument which never let me down and never went out of tune, outstanding budget guitar which i sold and regret

[@martinclayton7260]

I was going to buy one of those, I love Fender guitars, and I mainly use them now. But I bought a Charvel instead, it's a fantastic guitar, and it has Seymour Duncan pickups in it, but I found that the bridge JB is a bit dark, so I'm thinking of changing it for a Damarzio Tone Zone, which I know I like!? I must admit that Strat sounds good to me.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cool!

[@rabbamonkey]

I always wanted a Fender Strat with a FR being a massive Richie Sambora fan and I think it looks good aesthetically but, dealing with a FR if you’re not a guitar tech and if most of your playing doesn’t involve dive bombs, is a pain in the bum.

[@genarotapia6388]

Great video as always. Cheers from México!. 👍

[@MrPolevaulter]

Gracias!

[@thehellsurfers]

Thanks Elmo!

[@sniperforce34]

First step to really upgrading these player series, is to replace the zinc saddles on the Floyd special, and also replace the saddle screws and string screws with SS ones, and a must is replacing the sustain block with a fat brass or titanium fat block, and also replacing the bridge pickup with a quality pickup as I replaced with a Carvin M22-SD, which truly made this guitar come out and alive with a vengeance performing even better than an American made strat

[@keesketsers5866]

Or you just buy a Charvel, made by the same company for the same money which already has all those mods + Seymour Duncan pickups.

[@sniperforce34]

@@keesketsers5866 yeh I know this... Charvel and Jackson are owned by the Fender company. But if you buy even a Charvel, you get a Floyd 1000, NOT an FR-100, and if you set it up to your specs, it what you want, NOT WHAT YOU GET FROM THE FACTORY, I've been build and setting up guitars for a long while, when I get a guitar, i fix it to how I want it, not how the factory has it

[@adrianreyes4702]

Thank you!

[@mattsikes919]

I'll be honest, and I know full well that I'm committing blasphemy, but after watching this video and rewatching the review you did of the Sire s3, I think that there's no way that I'd pick up another Fender. I liked the tone of the Sire better through your rig than the fender. I'm not currently in the market for another guitar but if I was I would probably buy a Sire. Great video, as always.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@Nizodizo]

So i gussing the Floyd Rose is for doing alot and deep tremolo bends (way into tremolo stuff). Never had a problem with Fender two point bridge. In fact the Fender one is the one I like.

[@MrPolevaulter]

I actually also prefer a regular Fender or two point Fender (or Wilkinson).

[@brandonvealey4960]

Great video, awesome playing! I haven't tried a Sire yet but I really like the way those player series strats feel, I had a Charvel and felt like the neck was to thin for me personally. The modern c neck shape Fender has feels very nice in my hands, awesome playing and video🤘

[@tymanngruter1808]

Better try an Wilkinson locking trem, all your divebombs come back tuned! And when a string brakes your guitar whil stay in tune! Looks better also!

[@karmad3269]

I own the ancestor of this one with a 95 mexico FR strat....dunno about this one, but mine rocks. Mine had original FR

[@rodrigobelinchon2982]

I love cheap guitars. But still, there is something really special about saving money to buy a Fender , a Gibson. You get the same tool that your favourite guitar god used to craft your favourite albums. That raises the bar , you can´t hide or complain anymore. You have the same tool. You have to become a master of your craft. Having said that , I love this guy from Siberia who does crazy stuff with a Squier.

[@stephanematis]

Fender seriously needs to rethink what pricing matches expectations, but they do own Charvel and Jackson to address the Floyd loving crowd more. A Dave Murray signature makes more sense IMO if staying with Fender. I only have a single Floyd equipped guitar in my collection, an LTD M-1 Custom '87 in dark blue for nostalgia reasons.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Yeah, Floyds are fun, but still I tend to steer clear of them.

[@babekazimi]

Hi Elmo bro, finally you made video about my favorite guitar ( my dream)❤

[@MrPolevaulter]

Glad to be of help.

[@babekazimi]

@@MrPolevaulter ❤️🎸🎸😊

[@germanCrowbar]

The player series has become too expensive. When it was released, you paid from 550 euros, now you pay from 750 euros. I prefer cort guitars..

[@davidkelter8379]

Absolutely right. Especially since covid, they've gone up about $250.00.

[@jasujokelainen5073]

Yes.

[@germanCrowbar]

@@davidkelter8379 Ja, die sind mittlerweile zu teuer. Für den selben Preis gibt es aber gute Alternativen von FGN, die werden in Japan hergestellt.

[@germanCrowbar]

@@jasujokelainen5073 It's way too expensive, I'm done with my dream of wanting to own a fender strat. My new guitar will be a FGN odyssey std made in japan for almost the same price.

[@germanCrowbar]

@@jasujokelainen5073 It's way too expensive now, I'm done with my dream of wanting to owning a fender strat. My new guitar will be an fgn odyssey std from japan for almost the same money.

[@DannyMck]

So I owned this, traded it in for a regular old Player strat and took the money hit on the FR. Lesson learned, mistakes made. Never getting a FR again, just too much of a headache if the string breaks or pops out or if I want to adjust tunings. Thing sounded great though.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Fair enough.

[@davidperezgonzalez1839]

I was searching a fender mim Japan and when read the specs the Floyd was a floyd special, the cheapest of all, for a guitar of 1300 euro it's a joke. You have Jackson Japanese for 1600 with an original Floyd. I prefer the Charlvels or schecter Jackson. And I love strats and it's aesthetics way better.

[@roimodeste]

90's Fender strat Sambora MIM was well above with her original Floyd Rose 2 and her DiMarzio Custom Paf Pro and her very dark rosewood fingerboard.

[@wozchoppar8387]

I have the tidepool FL strat, I replaced the ok but cheap feeling FL special with my original 1980s FL. You can take it to hell and back and it will stay in perfect tune.

[@dean828]

Behold - the Finnish Fender Fury of Elmo Karjalainen! Say that fast 3 times...

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haha 🤣

[@roimodeste]

I regret having sold my Fender strat Sambora signature mexico ( 1994?) several years ago, which is much higher than this Player serie because it is equipped with an excellent DiMarzio Custom Paf Pro (one of the best humbuckers I've had) and a real Floyd Rose ( original 2) as well as a pretty dark rosewood touch. This Player is way too expensive with its fragile Floyd Rose special and horrible Pau Ferro fingerboard. I have this same Floyd Rose Special on my Kramer Pacer series (€300) and I blocked it with a "tremolo stopper" in "down action only" because in the floating position this Floyd Rose is not efficient, the metal is soft and the knives wear out quickly it's not made to play like Steve Vai for a long time without being out of tune. Fender could have at least offered a Floyd Rose 1000 as on the Charvel made in Mexico at a fairly close price.

[@BladeRunnerJP11]

what is the difference with the floyd rose compared to the traditional bridge??

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Big brand names can sell themselves so they do. You will always be able to find the same features and quality for a lower price without the name.

[@Barbarapape]

A Fender Strat with a Floyd Rose, i tried one and the first thing that just didn't feel right was the neck, then it failed to stay intune even with subtle use of the trem. If you want a guitar that does a Floyd style of trem correctly you need to look elsewhere. Try an Ibanez or a Schecter, the neck will be far more comfortable and if you pick the right model the trem will return to tune as it should. Just avoid any guitar that has a Floyd "Special" these are dire and tend to be fitted to low end samples. Fender may have made the first Strats, but they are out of their depth with Super Strats.

[@lewisruffalo2221]

Did you start using a Strat when you learned to play? I also enjoy your Ibanez reviews, and I think maybe a player is partial to the instrument brand they learned to play on. I learned on an Ibanez, liked the low action on the strings the fast neck, the easy access to higher frets. When I first tried a Strat many many years later, the body was so light in weight it felt like a toy, and the plastic covering holding the pickups added to that feel for me. I thought to myself -- "Yngwie exclusively plays this cheap toy?"

[@MrPolevaulter]

I learned on an East German "Lead Star" 😀

[@lewisruffalo2221]

@@MrPolevaulter Iron Curtain Strat copy?? 😁😁

[@TheDarkmore]

​@@MrPolevaulter Hey, me too, on a Lead Star 5, with just a bridge humbucker, I miss those days.

[@shane011471]

If the nut is locked (and not slipping mind you) would the tunning issues not have to be in the bridge itself?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Probably yeah.

[@marvinesfabersa401]

Johnson Linda White Eric Moore David

[@MasWardoyo23]

Woww 😃

[@pjdod1966]

What is your preferred material for the nut? And do you recommend a specific lubre or just graphite pencil?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Don't really have preferences on that point.

[@metalhead_1996]

Cort guitars have a fifth the price of that though, I think the Cort G250FR 🙂

[@MrPolevaulter]

Indeed.

[@ottolofstrom3896]

I have had this guitar for about a year now, and I blocked the bridge dive only, but I'm still having problem with the strings going flat. Any idea how to solve it?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Take it to a luthier.

[@93greenstrat]

As a self-admitted Fender fanboy, I agree that there are less expensive alternatives to a Fender. But am I going to allow reason and objectivity to stop me from buying a Fender? ...........maybe (or not). 😂😂😂

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@juancarlosgranados4425]

Elmo, do you think a Sire 7 is better than a Sire 3. I don't really notice the big dfferences.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haven't tried the S7

[@KT-cz7rm]

I was just offered one for $500 + $40 shipping.

[@shanewalton8888]

Elmo! Are you more of a 22 fret or a 24-fret kind of guy?

[@MrPolevaulter]

21 😀

[@shanewalton8888]

@@MrPolevaulter 21? But doesn't Lord Yngwie always say "more is more"?

[@MrPolevaulter]

@@shanewalton8888 🤣

[@danielgranadosvalencia2193]

Do you think Is worth if i can get one for around 600 USD?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Probably

[@matthiasdoffek3282]

I would miss Jumbo Frets

[@jamus1217]

Fender or Charvel 🤔

[@kicikocani1]

any mexican fender is great no matter what pickups or tremolo bar has 😂

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

Where was Floyd Rose? Did he miss the gig? 😁

[@daniellarson3068]

There are other names I wonder about. How about this Harley Benton character? Was he really a hard drinking Texan who used to play in rowdy Texas Honky Tonks eventually to play alongside Elvis Presley and Dewey Cox? Elmo plays well - Maybe some big music company will put out a guitar with his name on it. Good closeups in this review.

[@Gloriousman28]

Dont buy floyded guitar if you are newbie thats gonna be a headache when out of shape

[@johnnorth9355]

I hate Floyd Rose - the ugliest attachment any guitar can have even more so than a Bigsby - so what could be a very nice guitar is immediately spoilt.

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@johnpike5836]

That metal bar behind the nut is Fender's lame attempt to simulate The Gibson Style "Break Angle's Purpose. To physically Draw the string "Across AND THEN DOWN onto the nut. (instead of the basic Straight across. The Former (across and then down) drives the vibration(s) into the neck. The uniqueness found in the Gibson (glued into the body neck) is how the cords and plucked notes actually Feel in the finger board hand. The "Bolt On Neck"?? and you'll see the newest addition "The Adjustment Screw" at the heel?? Why Not just build a guitar That Has It All?

[@joachimlindback]

Kitos

[@MrPolevaulter]

Kiitos :)

[@jaywells5283]

Great stuff! Wonderful playing as always, till you started the Bon Jovi! More like bon blowme! Hahaha I have always hated that song! Give me anything else by richie Sambora, but that is the quintessential drunken white girl song! “Whoa we’re halfway there…..” no your not bitch! Your all the way there in drunks town, and those are the only lyrics of that entire song you know! Hahahaha!! Love you Elmo, HATE ‘livin on a prayer’!!!!

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

"...drunken white girl song.." Bwahahahaha. So true! 🤣 I always thought that of Bon Jovi just never knew how to explain it. Thanks Jay. 👍

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haha :D Cheers!

[@mindthemac]

Can’t agree more! Nowadays its a roulette to fine a Fender MIM thai dies the job , 97% of the MIM production are lemons

[@JohnWiku]

If you want a "Fender" strat with Floyd, get a Charvel or a Jackson 😂😂

[@GearGasms]

I was literally just saying the same thing. Shredder friendly radius and no ugly Pao Ferro

[@JohnWiku]

@@GearGasms there's a bit more changes that make a guitar "shredder" friendly, agreed! But Pau Ferro can look beautiful, it's just that fretboard needs a rub of cedar or lemon oil and it will look lush! Not rosewood lush but much better than that for sure!

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@castleanthrax1833]

If you want a Fender, you have to buy a Fender. Just because Jackson or Charvel are owned by Fender, that doesn't change the name on the headstock. I'm not arguing the quality, just stating a fact. Only a Fender says Fender.

[@JohnWiku]

@@castleanthrax1833 and that's not saying much these days, isn't it? You want a proper "Fender"? Get a G&L !!!

[@BoogieMan568]

What gauge strings have you on here? 09-42 in Standard E?

[@As90899]

You dont know whats good is