Fender Player Stratocaster WORTH IT? Full Demo

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Fender Player Stratocaster FULL DEMO
John gives top takeaways from playing and pulling apart the best selling Fender Player Stratocaster. What is the GOOD and the BAD? What will be the final score? Stay tuned for the full performance, and also check out our Fender Player Strat vs. PRS Silver Sky Comparison:
DROP A COMMENT: What STRAT will you buy next?
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
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On the Bench Specs
DI Cleans
Pickup Run-Through
Performance Demo
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Pedals - EH Big Muff, Ibanez Tube Screamer
Review
Final Score
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PLAY AND TRADE GUITARS // PLAY IT and TRADE IT.

[@PlayandTradeGuitars]

CLICK TO BUY - Fender Player Stratocaster: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/item--FEN0144503?siid=262476 GUITAR GIVEAWAY Martin D-28: 1) SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications 2) Enter on GLEAM: gleam.io/competitions/QySws-martin-d28-giveaway Browse ALL GEAR: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398 CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP SIGN UP: kzbin.info/door/9IULQ7EHJoserChf09I_4wjoin

[@philsequeira3180]

I like the fact that the Player series allows for tone control with the bridge pickup. But I already have several MIM’s and if I was going to buy a new S-type, it would be the SE Silver Sky for all the reasons you mentioned. Modding Fenders however is much easier…

[@yvngclaude]

I just watched your video and I am blown away! Your creativity and passion really shine through in your work, and it's clear that you put a lot of effort into making it the best it can be. Keep pushing yourself to new levels and never stop pursuing your dreams

[@mfry1970]

Bought a player series in 2022 and I absolutely love it. I’ve found with a proper trem/bridge setup I’ve had no issues with tuning stability. Fender has a great video with a pro shop tech going through proper setup step by step was invaluable. Love my MIM strat.

[@decaenofficial]

Link?

[@ramencurry6672]

I could be wrong but he may be exaggerating “problems” that can be fixed to look like an expert to help his channel

[@PirateJazzAJ]

Agreed. I don't have to re-tune for full gigs at times. It's an absolutely amazing guitar for that.

[@souta_official_music2023]

I’ve bought a player strat in Japan,it’s only 380usd,60000yen,😊

[@vinedelux3987]

@@souta_official_music2023 so cheaper than anywhere else

[@87camro]

Few years ago When they were 649$ I bought one got it in Black Friday for 580$ brand new it was worth it but now 849 or 899 there r other alternatives out there which r great for less…..player series WAS the affordable fender… the set up was OK but the sharp fret ends really wasn’t cool, especially on a 900$ fender

[@rick00770]

I am thinking of getting one. Great video, and review. I tried one of the player plus hss, played good. Quality seems good. I just like the fender twang. Stock pickups sounded good. Subscribed. Your channel is great for us guitar fanatics. I had the sienna sunburst color strat player plus. It looked fantastic.played great too.

[@chrishammonds72]

Love my player series strat and its the best strat ive owned so far. The maple neck and satin finish is my favourite and the fret ends are finished well. The pickups sound really good to me and the bridge and tuners are good quality. Had mine a few years and havent had to do anything to it.

[@leonborden9883]

The reason to buy this guitar is the alnico V pickups. Not ceramic, not noiseless, it just sounds exactly like a strat should. Maybe the alder body also helps. Sweetwater set it up, so didn't have the same issue you had there, though I still made some adjustments. Nut was cut perfectly. Fit and finish was perfect. It's also well shielded. I don't know why they ship these without the little spring for the tremolo bar, which is what you need.

[@MrTPF1]

I thought it sounded great, if you like the single coil sound. They always sound shrill to me. I bought an American Strat in black and maple a few years ago. I replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan stacked humbucker, and I blocked the trem. The thing sounds AMAZING, and the tuning stability is excellent. Also, my tone control works in position one.

[@richardelg4412]

I got one with maple fretboard and every thing is perfect on it. That guitar feels like a very expensive instrument and looks beautiful. I couldn't be happier.❤

[@marcusmofield5815]

This helps tremendously with my decision on a strat. I don’t have a lot money to spend and I don’t want a squire. This has the Fender name and everything I need as a living room jammer. Not selling concert tickets anytime soon so this will do. Thanks for posting!

[@PlayandTradeGuitars]

Glad we could help! We hope you’ll consider using our purchase link when you’re ready to pull the trigger! Thanks for your feedback - happy jamming 🤘 www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/prodsearch?q=fender+stratocaster&key=q&form=search

[@billhannum4117]

I have several U.S. made strats. I also have a player series with a maple board mine didn't have trem issues but I lube the nut and it's strung properly. I find it to be a really good guitar for the money . Fit and finish was excellent fret work is good . I'm my opinion the best upgrade would be the trem block and bridge saddles but at that point ya may as well get a pro2 trem with a pop in arm . The other up grade would be the string tree . All in all though it's a solid guitar for the money but I do agree that at the 800 Pl u s price point it should have a decent gig bag at least

[@DrJeebles]

Nice one, guys. Very thorough and informative, as always. I feel you have gotten a very nice grip on your format.

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

You guys have such outstanding honest reviews! I want to thank you for being sincere and keeping it real. I have never been fan of Pau Ferro wood. I have a Player Series Telecaster with a Maple Neck and it is absolutely fantastic. I'm not a Strat guy! But I would try Strat with a Maple Neck. I play a lot of Classic Hard, i.e., AC/DC, Beatles, Sabbath, Green Day, that kind of music. I have been never been able to find a Strat that sound cool for hard rock. The bridge pickups have always been too thin for me. I would like a strat that has sound of a Humbucker or a Tele bridge pickup. I wish you could compare a Strat with a Maple neck and Rosewood neck. Thank you. Keep rockin' guys.

[@littlejohn725]

I've just bought a white, maple neck player series Strat and it is fantastic. The smooth playability of the neck, the genuine Strat tones and just the sheer look of it at a fairly reasonable price (in the UK here I paid £679) makes it maybe the only Strat you need. It's got a real Hendrix Little Wing tone. Yummy guitar!

[@beestrongbc]

🙏🏾👑🙏🏾 This was One of the Best Fender Player Demo that I Seen So far. I Can Really Hear the True Sound of this Guitar. So Thank you for That. ✌🏾🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@Nonexistent.187]

A tree is a tree. Pau Ferro is not inferior to Rosewood. I prefer Pau ferro. I learned the hard way from my experience with both. Everyone online has their preferences, I have mine. Stevie Ray Vaughan played Pau ferro. Learn for yourself what you like. Not what anyone says online.

[@r.honeycutt8660]

Great review. I purchased a Fender MIM last year new in box HSS version with maple veneer and Pau ?Ferro neck. Set up was pretty good out of box but ends of frets needed a little TLC which I did and rounded them nicely. Neck was very comfortable with one exception. Wish Fender would do a little bit of conturing the neck body attachment to reduce the thickness for going to upper frets. My trem stays in tune very well and I fixed tremolo arm issue by putting a small spring into the arm hole and this made big improvement. Overall pretty happy with sound playability and overall quality but for a guitar in $900.00 range should be pretty good. I think Fender needs to look at their competition as you can get a lot of guitar for $900.00 with stainless frets, roasted necks, special electronics, gig bag locking tuners and either bone or graftech nuts and less than $900.00 but made overseas.

[@NoMadWK]

Set up is mandatory. You're dislikes about these were spot on situations for mine. Great educational and well rounded video cheers!

[@TREVORJB101]

Picked up a used HSH Strat in February for $450..not my typical pickup configuration, but no complaints with the guitar itself! 🤘

[@melvinsfan]

Maybe you should do a review of the maple fretboard version? Also, you should be mentioning the fact that the bridge pick up is wired to the bottom tone control, which is something really nice that the players series offers.

[@the_gitman5978]

I found that if I started screwing in the tremolo arm from a different position, it tightened up the same way, which allowed it to become tight in playing position. Also, some plumber's tape on the threads cured the problem too. Springs are also readily available for the bridge that work as well.

[@PlayandTradeGuitars]

Thanks I appreciate the tips! Sounds like the spring is key from what I've been reading now

[@MikeJBlues]

Great guitars, I have 2 plus top models, replaced everything, pots, pickups, tuners. Love them now .

[@ranaranjo]

If you purchase the maple fretboard version, and purchase from a provider that sends it with good setup like Sweetwater does, the score should ramp up quite a bit. I like my maple Fender Player Strat, just changed the nut to Graphtech.

[@angusorvid8840]

Damn, that's some kickass guitar playing. Nice tone too.

[@timelanguid4813]

I got a an inca silver one fsr, maple neck. Pickups sound really good. I found some ash under the body lacquer which is a bit annoying and some fret ends were rough. Quality control messed up here but I got it for £600 so that's probably why it was in the sale. Neck is smooth and I put some Fender locking tuners on so tuning is amazing now. Not totally happy with 9s strings but getting used to them. I have set it up really well with low action and great intonation so can't complain and won't need another strat now as this ticks all the boxes.

[@fredericadda]

The price of the Player series went up so high it's no longer a good deal.

[@eamonmccann6944]

What price would be a good deal? Just wondering

[@brucehayes7251]

I bought mine just over a year ago and paid $900 Australian,now they are listed over $1300 so I agree. It's a good guitar but I'm glad I bought it when I did

[@nitroxylictv]

@@eamonmccann6944 the original player price, $649. Now intermediate guitarists and poor guitarists like me cant get a decent guitar. The quality didnt change, Fender just got greedy

[@yetigoosecreature8682]

Agreed. I got my Strat early last year (2022) for £485 GBP (600 USD), but this year (2023) the same model is £699 GBP (860 USD). It was barely worth it's old price.

[@bababoey.]

That's why you get a used one that's in really good condition for like around $600 or $700. Tons of them on reverb, that's where I got mine, good as new.

[@Jim_Cox]

I think a G&L Tribute Legacy would be a much better choice for a few hundred less dollars.

[@Jim_Cox]

@Leia I've had excellent luck with Tributes. Never tried a Placentia. The only Tribute I had with problems was a Jazz Bass and a fret leveling took care of any issue it had. I paid $200 for it used.

[@CKS64]

Better choices.

[@bryanolsen6007]

As a note, these also come with a Roasted Maple neck, I bought one in December. I did end up locking down the trem.

[@michaelp8856]

nice honest review - always helpful - thank you!

[@tubingforever]

Got one a year ago. The guitar I play the most!

[@CopacabanaDisc]

really awesome review!

[@232Gecko]

Got a limited edition small-batch player guitar brand new at $650, been loving it! Ebony fretboard, just put locking tuners and strap locks, it’s killer 👌

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

Are these great guitars if you can find em used for 400? Absolutely. Worth 850 new? I’m not sure.

[@djhoneylove5710]

I got one, in the box, for a discount of $150 because GC were having a sale on surf pearl Player strats with maple necks. I love surf pearl with a maple neck!! Pau Ferro vs rosewood was never an issue. As far as setup is concerned, I never expected a great setup on a mim strat. I expected a slight bow and overly high string action and in I was not disappointed. After adjusting the neck and string tension and height it turned into a lovely guitar.

[@lindol76]

Just bought one yesterday and I’m very happy with it. I had it setup before bringing it home.

[@pg123ab]

All manufacturers have been cranking up guitars and the QC for Fender really went down. I got one from CME (the special edition CME shell pink)and it was perfectly set up.

[@shootsnscores-cja]

Bought a MIM Player strat a couple of years ago and I agree with absolutely everything that was stated in the video. Very solid and accurate review IMO! What steered me to the Player strat over the Classic Vibe was the satin neck on the Player.

[@allghilliedup21]

Yep I have a CV Strat and the finish on the back of the neck is meh for me. Not a fan of the Indian laurel fretboard on mine; it looks like it’s dried out and old but it’s not. Bleh.

[@Magik1369]

Great review. I love Pau Ferro. It sounds and feels excellent. Tonally, it is between maple and rosewood....sounds close to Ebony.

[@sandraspears6389]

I have always like the feel of a Fender strat. The satin neck makes it easy to work up and down the neck with out feeling sticky., even when you sweat. The body contours and light weight make the guitar easy to handle sitting or standing to play. I love the vintage white with the white pickguard. Yes, for the price there are other choices but they are not FENDERS. (if that's important to you)

[@itsalwayssomething7490]

Fender has too many loyalists that allow Fender to cheap out on things, because it says Fender on the headstock. There is no reason to have a brick sized heel anymore. No reason why the neck pickup cannot be less ear rapey, especially because it isn't used by many players, so why not make it usable.? No reason to not have the trem bar be plopped in with a set screw to hold it in place. No reason to have a cheap looking neck with cheap wood. If other companies can give you more for the same price, you know that Fender is making you pay for the brand name, not the amenities you get for the same price with other brands. It's the "yeah, but it isn't a Fender" is why Fender can charge an extra $500-700, without giving you anything more than a name.

[@melvinsfan]

@@itsalwayssomething7490 Neck pickup not used by many players? You should check your facts before talking, it would really benefit you.

[@sathira_anuk5179]

​@@itsalwayssomething7490 I agree with most points but MIM necks are looks really good, not anywhere near to looking cheap

[@itsalwayssomething7490]

@@melvinsfanThere are no "facts" when it comes to the preferences of players, it's subjective. But, as subjective opinions go, I never use the 5th position on my Fender, and anytime I've ever heard people criticizing the Fender, it comes down to the neck pick-up being very ice picky. And when many KZbinrs were doing A/B comparisons between the Silver Sky and a Fender, every person mentions how much more usable the neck pickup is on the PRS. I'm sure many people use the neck pick-up on a Fender, but many don't. So, you aren't wrong, but you're also not right. No need to be condescending. You got like that because you are the person I described in my comment.

[@melvinsfan]

@@itsalwayssomething7490 Hey man whatever helps you sleep at night.

[@sicilianmammalian]

I bought a player strat and a player jazz bass last year I love them its hard to play anything else after that satin neck

[@masterguitar8280]

I bought one of these two years ago. Maybe mine is extraordinary? It was close to the quality I had back in the 80's with the '62 reissue. It rivals my `89 Les Paul Standard for playing time, pretty much 45% of my time is with either guitar. I rated this guitar as a "must buy". Wondering if you just ended up with a second, like the Les Paul you tried last month (the retry you had was better quality). Trick to the Player series? Turn both tone pots down to about 7. It's got a nice, rich tone that screams!

[@Dram1984]

That pau ferro looks terrible. Almost as light as the maple board.

[@lone-wolf-1]

Had a used bought guitar with a very dry pao ferro fretboard- with a little oil (actually oiled sparely 3 in a row), the color changed to almost light rosewood. And feels so nice👍🏼

[@surfinjim]

From a color point of view I think it looks like bamboo, which I like a lot 😃

[@muchobaratodop]

Maple? Don't be ridiculous 🤣

[@onlyusernameleft2]

The pau ferro on mine is gorgeous. The grain lines are evenly colored and they run almost perfectly parallel down the fingerboard.

[@jordanpratt3821]

​@@muchobaratodophe's not being that ridiculous.

[@nalukeko]

I love the 2008 Alnico 5 pickups. Not sure these are the same any more. Anyone know?

[@dogtownoon9791]

The traditonal knob and electronic is what did it for me , gotta go maple 🍁

[@deathspoon4202]

I bought a sunburst strat player series, and I absolutely love it.

[@itsonlyme9938]

It sounded pretty good to my ears listening through my lap top and headphones. I found new one for sale a very good price and paid for it and waiting delivery. I have a Blacktop strat made Mexico which is fitted with 2 Gibson style humbuckers and five way switch and the 3 the pot configuration. and pal ferro and Mahogany body its a quality construction for the price point but the volume pot is playing up and the 5 way switch, may be some switch cleaner might do the trick, I can solder so that's no problem there. if I need to replace parts. It plays very well which made me want to buy a classic strat. I wonder is there any advantage to buying a more expensive USA strat and wonder what difference are in the pickups ? Is the strat 1 piece alder body as the Blacktop strat is 3 piece mahogany body ?.

[@musicmotorskate7540]

The value in the player series is seen when you compare to the American professional series. The current American professional series starts at $1699, so that makes the player series sort of a bargain.

[@johnnymarcy4904]

I'm pretty sure I remember Pau ferro as a fender custom shop option years ago

[@Lateral032]

I upgraded to the player series from the squire contemporary special. It was worth it. The quality instrument does justify the price. But get the MAPLE!!

[@hoganshideout]

Really nice playing! I have a Player Strat and the trem (which I have floating) is rock solid. It's purely a setup issue. The nut needs to be slotted correctly and lubricated and the string tree really needs to be changed (I installed a graphtech string tree and this made a pretty big difference). I can work the trem like Brad Gillis now with zero tuning issues. There are a few videos on my channel if anyone is interested.

[@bondalero0074]

I got the Fender Strat tones I yearned for from my Fender “Player” Series Strat and my “Must Have” features were single coil pick-ups on a Black w/white pick guard with a Maple Neck I also call “Blackie”! I already had a brand new Fender Hard case in my closet. Now I’m in the market for a classic Fender Tube amp to put the icing on the cake! I have played my Ibanez RG 570/550 “Religiously” since 89’ with Peavey Amps now looking for that tone that most know about!#Fender#Strat#🎸🔥🤘🏻

[@ericreganiguess1703]

Just bought a 2021 Player Strat in Surf Pearl to match my Player Tele in the same color. Absolutely love them both but especially so with the Strat. It's my first SSS Strat. I have a HSS and just gifted another HSS to my brother-in-law. I feel like this new SSS Strat rounds out my collection. Only thing that I want to do now is to slowly upgrade a few guitars to nicer iterations... Like upgrading my Epi Dot Studio to an ES-335 at some point. Absolutely love the Player Strats and Teles I have and feel no need to "upgrade" to American Professional versions.

[@bernardm3066]

With pau ferro it is a matter of opinion, you are either ok with it or not. For me it is not that bad if you can get a piece that looks a bit darker and the maple/alder version is as classic as it gets. Honestly i really tried to justify an AM Pro II but in Europe with 3x the price it costs too much for the improvements imo. Frets are a bit sharp but not that bad and if you can work on them a bit you could round them pretty decently. Pickups don't need change unless you are going for something specific.

[@svetoslavslavov7215]

I have a hss player strat and I'm very impressed!

[@jea783]

At 2:21 . You can install the little spring made by Fender to put into the tremolo hole . So you can have the tension you need for the trem arm. It becomes very stiff even if there is many turns left to screw . .

[@michaelaiello9525]

This is exactly what I need. Is that called a “tremolo arm spring” or something else?

[@za4310]

Ive played a few. I think the "modern specs" aside from the truss rod being adjustable at the headstock are pretty big steps backwards. The necks in particular feel really small and the two point trem is inferior to a synchronized trem. They can be smoother sounding if balanced but they dont sound like a strat trem, and the blades get worn down easily and then dont return to the same point every time. A syncro trem rocks back and forth against the body and has a distinct tone. The pickups in most modern fenders are voiced really warm and smooth, and in general it's easier to get a good sound from removing treble with tone knobs than trying to boost it. With the strat fender basically invented the wheel, and their improvements since 54 have been really hit or miss.

[@jasonclark9963]

These are amazing guitars

[@michaelw6277]

Did you lubricate the nut, saddles, and forward trem posts when you recognized the tuning stability issues? Also have to agree about the pau ferro, it just doesn’t look good being that light shade of brown. I understand that there are some ethical issues with rosewood, but the demand is such that you’d think that someone would just buy some land to grow and sell to guitar manufacturers. It’s not like Fender is trying to build furniture or anything, you don’t even need them to grow to full maturity to get a dozen fretboards out of one.

[@Philter-Coffee]

For anyone having issues with a pau ferro board on the player series (its the only one i can attest to) i have a recommendation. Fender makes a fretboard conditioner which goes unnoticed, but is different from lemon oil/mineral oil. It has some beeswax in, which a) makes the colour darkening stick around rather than drying out quickly, and b) makes the board feel much much nicer. Not dry and scratchy like out the box. Its made enough of a difference that for me, pau ferro went from a negative all round to something i am happy to get again. I would think that the old school "feed 'n' wax" would have the same change. Also a product called "montys instrument food" is awsome but a pricey option i have recently started using. Just some suggestions as they where game changers for me.

[@spookygoose3929]

Thanks

[@davidrapant6398]

So I've had one of these for a year. Here is what it will need to even be playable. A bone nut installed and locking tuners and that's just to keep it in tune long enough to get through a song. I'd also change to string trees with rolling trees. So here is the actual deal. I spent if i remember right around $700 dollars for the SSH. It played OK for awhile. I had to wrap a piece of tape around the screws of the whammy bar so it would not be swinging in the wind all the time and I also replaced the spring under the bar. I do a lot of bending and I really don't use the bar much so I expect it to stay in tune. well now the tuners definitely need to be replaced. The B string started to buzz and i did everything before realizing its the plastic nut. It worked its way into the plastic deeper and I "fixed it by putting a dab of super glue in it. That's a temporary fix. Listen people. At this price range you should be getting a way better instrument. Fender needs to do some soul searching. Your buying a name and a legacy. I recently bought a Jackson JS series which is one of their cheaper models made in China. Honest truth, The neck is WAY better. Came out of the box setup great, stays in tune and I paid $350 for it via Jackson on Amazon. That one is a Kelly without a bar. It plays so good i figured i just got lucky. Pickups are Jackson and honestly they sound great, way better than the Fender. I liked it so much I decided to get a Dinky X series that i saw on sale at Musicians Friend for $300. The X series is one grade higher than the JS series. I just got that yesterday and after i tuned it up and locked it down it plays awesome. No buzzing and again setup great right out to the box. Jackson has a warranty card that gives the measurements of the string heights and the string gauges it comes with. Sure enough I measured it and it was on the money. Both of these guitars have necks that are out of this world and compound radius. I'm not trying to bash Fender but come on I paid twice as much for a guitar I'm going to have to spend way more money on just to get it in the same class as these Jacksons. Yes the Jacksons have plastic nuts. I wish guitar companies would stop that nonsense because they are garbage. I plan to get the work done on the Fender and drop the David Gilmore pre wired pick ups in it. I like the maple neck on the Fender but dang man its twice as much!!! I hear Gibson also has serious quality control problems. Again.....buying a name. I'm done with that. Jackson has a new customer. The quality control seems to be on point. Sorry for the rant i just got pissed dealing with my Fender and ordered the locking tuners. I'm going to have to have a tech do the nut because that's beyond what i want to try to do.

[@thecentralscrutinizerr]

FIRST OF ALL: Get rid of the bridge and get a Wilkensen bridge. You can thank me later. SECOND OF ALL: Get a set of Custom Shop Fat 50s and throw into it. I just bought a whole loaded pickguard of Custom Shop Fat 50s used off of Reverb for $200 delivered. THIRD OF ALL - there is no third, unless you want to replace the control switches, pots, etc. Up to you, just do some research on tone capacitors. Easy install and only like $3.00 to buy. You do these two mods and you can put that Strat up against any Strat and bang for the buck, you'll win every time. Just make sure that when you switch the bridge, you get the correct string spacing. I know what I'm talking about. I'm 57 and have been playing guitar since I was 5, so I've got a little experience with guitars. Right now, I'm building my own scalloped Yngwie Strat. It's not an exact copy of his, but I don't need an exact copy of his, although I am using the SD Fury pups.

[@bretspangler8717]

It makes more sense to me to buy the parts and build your own, Fender has licensed all their components, no real reason to deal with them at all now, then you can get a nice neck, and some decent pickups.

[@shawnroberts2396]

First off, tremendous playing man! I just a candy apple red/maple player. Exact issues oughta the box! Big bow in the neck, high action. I did a set up, much better, and this is not a Charvel speedster, it's a nice sounding strat! Dig this guitar, and love the pickups. Stunning finish too. Yes, they should at least come in a gig bag.......kinda cheaped out for this price.

[@rabbamonkey]

I bought the maple neck HSS version of this as b stock for under £500. I like it a lot especially the neck profile and finish. However it is quite heavy and it does need a good set up. The main downside for me were the pickups, they just sound too harsh and thin for me even after tweaking the heights etc.

[@nalukeko]

Not a fan of Pao Ferro boards for their light color. Indian Laurel looks and feels ok as an alternative for me.

[@MrNickdennis]

You need a trem arm spring. I had the same issue. Its like $5 for a pack of 10 little springs

[@benlarson8263]

Disclaimer, I’ve owned all 3 guitars I’m going to talk about. Fender is in a tricky spot with these guitars. On face value, the Silver Sky SE provides WAY more value (imo) for that $849 price point… quality control, factory setup, fret edges.. + super nice gig bag! The other reason I say they’re in a tricky spot is because squier really gives fender a run of their money with the import line… these “player” series guitars are the same $599 MIM guitars we’ve had all along. They just rebranded the “standard” series and added new colors to keep up with inflation… if you’re gonna shell out $800+ for a fender, go for the player plus to get the rounded fret edges, locking tuners, noiseless pickups, and upgraded electronics. If you want to mod, go squier. If you want a traditional s style guitar without any bells/whistles, go with the silver sky se! Thanks for reading my review that nobody asked for. 😂

[@CustomTele52RI]

You can buy a spring to put in the hole into which the trem screws that keeps it from free-rotating - that's what I did on my '63 Danocaster double cut, which is (sorry) a MUCH better guitar than *anything* Fender can make nowadays, including in their Custom Shop. I even had to change out the pickups on my Custom Shop Thin Skin '52 Tele before I could really enjoy it properly. YMMV!

[@jcrgtattoo333]

I have a polar white player strat with maple board, and a 2013 American standard, sunburst with rosewood, I’ve been doing my own setups for over 25 years now, but I’ve got the player setup close to the American standard, and I have a Seymour Duncan jb jr. im gonna try in the bridge position., the middle and neck pickup’s sound great through my rig., the pao ferro version is definitely not for me.

[@abebabo4315]

I have a player strat the Buttercream color 2020 edition. My volume doesn't kick in until 3-4 on the knobs. Is this normal, or do I have a defective pot

[@smacker360]

It's really difficult to rate a guitar type by just playing one guitar. I have a player series and love it. I played many different ones before I settled and they were all different. Some sucked, some were OK and a few were great.

[@Nizodizo]

Amazingly it sounds like a good guitar. Oh and by the way the trem wants a spring that Fender offers cheap.

[@f3uibeghardt522]

You're telling me this guitar doesn't even come with a spring in the tremolo bar cavity?

[@user-yz6yr6on7c]

When you moved the trem arm it looked like there ws no spring in the trem arm pocket. Because I never had that problem. I know people lose the spring when they take the sticker off the trem arm hole

[@Cadwallon85]

I picked up my player series in..2019 I think, it's a 2018 build HSS config. I like the neck (went with maple as I didn't like the pau ferro look), but I've found the pickups to be just "ok", and I've found the bridge humbucker in particular to be a bit disappointing - to the ear it sounds like the neck pickup actually has very similar output. I decked my bridge as well to keep the tuning more stable. Overall, for around the $1000AUD point in 2019, I think it's pretty good, but I'll definitely be swapping out these pickups for Lollars or similar at some point.

[@leftyjack]

Wouldn't have bought a Fender Player over a Silver Sky SE due to the Rosewood board, but then they made FSR's with Ebony boards 😮 Now that Rosewood is a luxury wood, you'll find lower price point guitars with Ebony now 🙌

[@smokinjoe4709]

Did you leave the spring out of the tremolo bar?

[@michaeldelisle3100]

The Sire Larry Carlton S7 is a superior guitar for less money than the Player.

[@barstia7847]

I have a Sire Marcus Miller v3 bass (the les expensive) and it sounds and look amazing

[@callingchristiano]

Yes but the main problem is the head ... so ugly. And for me it's very important to love your guitar's look.

[@zebfox011]

The reason the tremolo bar wouldn't stay for you is because you have to order the spring from fender that goes in the hole then adjusts the tension for the bar as you screw in the bar.

[@gummel82]

Are you serious?

[@zebfox011]

@@gummel82 yep sure am. Been a strat guy for years

[@gummel82]

@@zebfox011 Wow.. that's ridiculous that you have to order the spring separately

[@jdv12]

Mine goes out of tune everytime I make a bend or even worse when I try to use the trem bar. It’s annoying.

[@thomasbarr5940]

Get maple neck lol ..I agree with very little on the negative aspects and my set up out the box was great🤔and had no issue with trem arm....the rest are just immitations🎸💯

[@elephantcemetery]

What about g & l guitars for alternatives?

[@jjulch]

Curious to see a Heritage H150 with a Gibson pickguard…

[@wweHBKfan11]

Bought it a few years a ago when it was a bargain. Beautiful guitar especially if you find it under 600.

[@McFly-guitars-n-stuff]

You got a good one. I set up guitars including lots of players. NOT ONE has had all thier frets installed all the way. The fret rocker really gets a workout! We are talking in access of 12 not seated completely frets. All have wobbly crappy trem arms. Without a complete setup they......suck.

[@troyf8865]

Would the maple fingerboard version be worth it then for $699?

[@jameswilson6374]

Looks to me like the fingerboard needs a good treatment of lemon oil or something like a wood conditioner. I own a MIM that is 20 years old with the same fingerboard that doesn't look that bad, and I have gigged with that strat and played it almost daily since I bought it new. That particular model looks like it was stored in a hot warehouse too long Unfurtunately! Love Fender guitars!

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

The good- Great sound and great playability. Used price bargains to be had! The Bad- 2 point bridge looks weird, Pau Ferro is horrible substitute for rosewood, high price new. It’s basically what was once the USA Standard now being made in Mexico. The USA had block saddles.

[@Dram1984]

Not for $850-$900. There are better guitars at that price point.

[@93greenstrat]

IMO, Fender is competing against itself. If they make the Player Series "too good", it will undoubtedly cannibalize some sales from the American Pro Ii. But then you have outside competition from the PRS SE Silver Sky. One of the biggest things that this guitar has going for it is the fact that it's a genuine "Fender Stratocaster ". Fender can do a couple of things here: offer rosewood, throw in a decent gig bag, and a upgraded to a bone nut. It's not like it's a terrible guitar or anything, but for the price you can do better.

[@93greenstrat]

......or they can lower the price (which is probably least likely to happen).

[@khumgangte9246]

Even Sire S3 is better than this and it cost half the price.

[@sathira_anuk5179]

​@@khumgangte9246 nah😅

[@ThelittledirtyMcNasty1683]

Yo fender not giving cases or even gig bags is the absolute craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. Every instrument comes in a case just think about it for a second. I don’t care if it’s a flute or a saxophone or a tuba. Every instrument deserves a case to keep it in! Stock!

[@jimwguitar3002]

46.7k!!! I’m getting closer to maybe winning that Gibson!

[@PlayandTradeGuitars]

Yes getting really close, Thanks!!

[@AdADglgmutShevanel]

I wonder if I played a bad one at Guitar Center, because I played a Player Plus Strat, and it sounded bad. It also had sharp fret ends that were sticking out. But the tag showed that it was brand new for $909.

[@Jacob22941]

B stock

[@egroegmcdonald9870]

Thomann's Harley Benton line of S & T guitars is a much better guitar on a value to dollar basis. If ego can get past the lack of the big brand name on the headstock

[@curtjohansen5742]

I BOUGHT ONE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, POLAR WHITE IN HSS CONFIG WITH A MAPLE NECK AND IT WAS 729.00 THE 849.00 IN SSS SEEMS REALLY HIGH. ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A GIG BAG AND THAT FUNKY IN A BAD WAY LOOKING NECK.

[@nigellacey559]

Pau ferro is what it is and should be judged as such. It's nice in its own way.

[@kcsvantasticvoyages9729]

Personally, I like way this neck feels. But, I have pretty big hands. It sounds good, looks good, and is a Fender. I guess I got lucky, mine is a little have but has mojo. I tend to think you should play a bunch of them to get that right sounding and/or feeling one! They do seem to vary I noticed, meaning some sound better than the others. Thanks, good review. PS prefer maple ones as well.

[@WendyCherbonYob3n]

i love fender so much!!...

[@djhoneylove5710]

I think it deserves a B+ at least with the superior maple neck. If I had crap PF necks on my Player Strats I would have rated them 76 as well. Cheap rosewood isn't great either and can have a tendency to pit.

[@TheJeffcurran]

I wasn't hearing a classic Strat tone. Especially the neck pup.

[@yorudan91]

I should have bought one 10 years ago when they were $500 bucks😐