After a month off playing, it's great to be easing back into playing with this great guitar. Let me know what you think of these Strats! Check it out here. 🛒 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/5bWQon 🛒 Fender - bit.ly/3fZiRMF 🛒 Guitar Center -guitar-center.pxf.io/kjy3YM 🛒 Thomann - bit.ly/39OL3J7 🛒 Sky Music - alnk.to/60X7qOd (affiliate links)
Sounds great and your playing was tasty mate ! Hard to believe how much Fender prices have gone up, what was it two or three years ago these were $550. US ? Anyway I enjoyed this demo !!
I have a lefty Player Strat as well. Love it. What I don't like are the pots. On mine, the drop off of volume (or tone) as you roll off is practically nothing for the first two thirds of rotation and then very dramatic once you go beyond that. I'm sure it's because they just use A-taper pots wired for lefty rotation. But then I see you roll off the volume in this demo with no problem. Did I see that right! Wonder if Fender changed this design since I picked mine up in 2020.
Recently bought myself a second hand sunburst MiM 2011 strat. What a great instrument, what a sound. I’m in love with that instrument. And man, I love your channel and how you play the blues.
The Player Series Stratocaster can be considered a premium guitar in this day and age. Similar to its American counterpart, these guitars are made well and play great! In my experience, the weight is the most noticeable difference between a MIM and a MIA Strat. If you’re in the market for a Stratocaster, save some money and get a Player Series and put that extra money you would have spent on an American Strat towards a good amp!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸😎😎😎
@@Ottophil HOW? I’m interest in getting used Am Pro II P bass and Strat from Reverb but damn including shipping and tax imma have to drop about $3k!!! Of course I’d rather try out the guitars first in person but nearest guitar store near me is a 20 min drive to a crap GC that rip off their customers.
True! I have an American Pro II and the same Player model in the video. I find myself reaching for this one most often. It's been great straight out of the box. Great guitar!
@@andersonjose6764 I owned both and it is definitely the tone. I've owned two American Pros. A Strat and Tele Deluxe. I realized I am not a fan of Tim Shaw's pickups. The American Pro has nicer electronics maybe and nice rounded necks and well dressed frets. Other than that the Player sounded more Stratty. I also owned a Player Tele and the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. The Indonesian Squier sounded more like a "Tele" so I kept the Squier and returned the Player.
I absolutely love this guitar. Plays and feels really nice. I put a hot rails in the bridge so I can get everything from Hendrix, SRV, Clapton and Iron Maiden.
I have a Player's Series Stratocaster too (GC exclusive black with black pickguard and cream plastics). I got mine for a ridiculously good price, and quite honestly, it does everything that I could want a Strat to do. Great video, as always, Shane.
It costs much but it is the Mexican we should have years and years ago, not to mention the real useful tone for the bridge ! Very high quality these days, thank you!!
Shane! you should do more slow blues reviews. Easier to hear how the notes ring and how thick the tone is when distortion doesn't hide the flaws. Great job!
I have two, one I got in 2019, and the fiesta red special run last summer. I looked at American's this summer, but after playing I decided another player series was fit the bill perfectly. It's my favorite guitar - but the Revstar is due next week - so we'll see :) Amazing solo by the way!
I own a 23 year old Mexican strat and to this day it sounds amazing. For wide verity of Tele sounds I use a Godin Winchester brown slightly more versatile than my telecaster and a PRS 245 has replaced my Les Paul. That stratocaster is all 99% of what any player would need. Especially if you could own only one guitar 🎸. Good video Shane....
Just got one, first strat ever in my 20 years of playing. Really impressed. Going to gig it in a few weeks, hoping its not too noisy 😅 but that particular band doesnt use a lot of gain so I think I’ll be alright
Also follow up been gigging it regularly it’s great for what I need. I gate the noise lightly and switch to position 2/4 if it’s particularly bad. Taking it on tour next month!
Another fab , honest review without any 'trendy' edits that i can't stand. I'd love one of these , have a Vintage v6 which i love , just wonder of the draw of the official fender is worth the extra couple of hundred. Great channel , pls don't change anything!!
Nice review. I've two Player Strats and one Am Std. All needed some work. But I felt a lot less nervous working on the Players. After all had been "tuned up" (fret work, nut, action, etc...) I reach for my Players much more often. There are a few things I like about them more. They feel better under my hand and I may have grown to like their PUPs sound a bit better. The Players sound a bit less "chimey" and that's something I think I like. On a side note, I think its time for Fender to release a Player hardtail Strat.
Man, for someone that never focuses on his own playing in his videos, you play very very good. I'm lefty and have a sunburst 1990 American Standard Strat and love it. Now I want a white one though. 🤠👍👍
Imo as far as value goes, these are easy to beat- buy a Classic Vibe. The tiny improvement you get going with a Player Series hardly justifies paying twice the price. They have better tone/volume pots, a better 5-way switch- and a thicker, heavier bridge block- that's it. You can buy a Classic Vibe, upgrade the tone and volume pots, 5-way switch, and install the same bridge block for about 500 bucks, cheaper if you buy a used one. All you're missing is the Fender logo and the resale value.
Great video Shane. I have one with pau ferro fretboard. It's honestly as good as the American ones. The neck profile is comfortable, two way tremolo feels great and tuning stability is no issue at all. I usually change the pickups on MIM Fenders but never needed to change it on this one.
Totally happy with the squier CV 70's natural.... pickups are great but I am so used to my tex-mex I had to put them on with all new wiring and electronics, blender circuit and treble bleed.
My first guitar was a candy apple red Stratocaster and it’s the one I will never sell. Played it so much that after two years, I had to have it refretted. Went stainless for longevity. If these came with stainless frets, they’d be and even better buy. I really prefer gloss necks like the one on my red Strat. Great playing btw.
I have the same guitar in sunburst with a maple neck. It's perfect as far as I'm concerned. I have played many american strats and never felt like they were worth the price jump.
@@craig.encinitasi want one that is player series. Not noventa. Or robert cray, or nile rogers. Or tom delong, or jim roots. But one i can have and afford
Couldn't agree with you more about the Mexican stratocaster, I have owned so many of them over the years and still keep several in different configuration and colors. I look at the Fender Custom Shop (played a bunch of them) but that price tag is ridiculous. The Fender Road Worn series also has been my vote if you prefer that broken-in vibe. Cheers!
Apparently, the only Stratocaster I’LL ever need is the one I already own (and have since 1992), according to my wife. 1987 MIJ 57 reissue - which my mate Paul relic’ed by dropping it on its end on a concrete floor…
I really enjoyed the video Shane and your playing is incredible. I had always wanted a Strat and about a year ago I ventured away from my tried and true ESP’s. I bought a very similar Strat to the one your playing in this video. It really turned me onto Fender’s Players series Strats. We’ll so much so that I bought a tri color sunburst about 6 months ago ( looks just like Mike McCreedy’s Strat ). Anyways I’m playing my Strat through a Fender Champion 100 ( thanks for influencing my purchase with one of reviews ) and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all these reviews and know that they truly do help people when buying their next guitar or amp. Keep jam man and looking forward to the next video.
I have played probably a dozen of these player series strats and honestly I have never played one that felt like it was quality. Everyone one I ever played had quality control issues, heavy, fret ends were sharp etc. I guess you got a good one.
It’s hard to understand you tube reviews. I’ve bought on recommendations and ended up disappointed. It may be subjective but something is off when you hear great reviews, spend lots of money, and the quality is sketch.
As much as these cost now I agree the QC could be better, but after some TLC these guitars play great. They just dont get the fret ends right on these, but the actual frets are butter smooth
It's a great guitar for a beginner like me, and for professionals. I liked my orange Fender Player Strat so much that I bought another one, polar white, and I put a mint green pickguard on it. It's become my Go-To guitar that I find myself grabbing in 9 out 10 times. Great review and fantastic cover of Tennessee Whiskey!
Great review man on a really nice guitar! So glad Fender now has the tone control connected to the bridge pick up! I did that easy modification to my 2016 MIM Strat years ago and it just completes all of the fantastic tones you can get from this workhorse of an instrument! ✌🏻🎸
I recognize that jam track! The Stapleton 62' Fender Princeton is still one of my favorite reviews of yours. Lovely playing as always, thank you for making great videos
I dig a white Strat so much, especially with a maple fingerboard. Reminds me of Hendrix and Jimmie Vaughan. 22 Frets, alnico pickups and the tone is on the bridge pickup. Definitely jonein' for one of these.
got a second hand 2011 MIM white Strat, swapped the pickups for a preloaded '69 custom shop set, made all the necessary adjustments and it's been my favourite guitar ever since. Got to play a few American Strats since, and I genuinely believe they don't rival the MIM.
I've got one of these (left-handed). Although it is a very nice guitar, there are some things that are very annoying about it (ie. plastic nut). But my biggest gripe is the wiring and electronics they've used. The pots aren't proper left-handed/reversed taper but they are regular right-handed just wired differently to make them work as left-handed ones. Unfortunately such a cheap solution results in the fact that these pots are pretty much unusable. A noticeable volume/tone change happens at the very end of the spin ratio (probably in about the last 10%). What even makes it worse is the fact that they put on right-handed knobs(!) so the numbers on them are just irrelevant (ie. when you roll the pot all the way down and the knob number will suggest that you are on 4/5 instead of 0). To make it worse, Fender doesn't even make left-handed knobs in other color than aged white. But apart from that it is a nice guitar with a decent value (especially if you buy it at discounted price, or second-hand in great condition.
I bought this guitar for my son, just as he was heading to music school. He’s also lefty! So he has limited access to a wide model of guitars. He teaches himself to play right hand guitars, so he can jam a little. But his left handed collection needed a Strat. This was a great budget option! He has the Tidal pool one. Great playing and review! ⚡️
I got myself the Player Series Strat in Buttercream last year after having a Classic Vibe Squier..I was also lucky enough to have a PLEK set up done on it..And it’s by far my fav guitar I own..Always the first one I pick up out of the rack!
Hey Shane, Congrats on 200k subscribers! That guitar looks AWESOME! And based on what you are saying about it it has what it takes to back up the look. I want one! Thanks for sharing.
I recently compared a CV with one of the performer series. There was a pretty big difference in tone. The performer had way more body etc etc, but they felt almost identical to play.
I have a player strat in buttercream and a player tele in tidepool. They both needed a setup and some fret levelling out the box, but once that was done, wow! I wouldn't "upgrade" them even if i won the lottery.
Had one used from 2018 for 390euros a bit more than 2 years ago. Plenty of QC issues. Frets,bad plastic nut,neck edges a bit sharp,string tree that was causing an annoying noise even after I've replaced it and added a second one to prevent that so I guess the neck was just a bit bad. Other than that the pickups and trem were ok. Didn't mind the issues because I've bought it as a mod platform and practically changed everything. I think it's ok as it is with a proper setup from a luthier even if I'd recommend to buy it used as a mod platform as I did. For a thousand bucks I have a killer that follows me everywhere and I'm still waiting for a strat that sound better for that amount of money. However nowadays when you watch the prices in 2023 and you don't mind the brand I think a squier CV is a much better bang for your buck. Same applies to the revstar line. Good video and awesome demo though 😉
Great video which finally inspired me to try and get one Strat of the Player series. And man what can I say? You were absolutely right with your review. Great sound, great feel and a lot of fun to play it. Thank you!
The Player Series Strat is basically what the old American Standard used to be. Funny that for some, only an American made Fender is good enough.......despite the fact that Mexican Fender instruments are absolutely the real deal made at an actual Fender facility.
Awesome Sauce! Lefty as well!. I've tried the American Strats, but I always prefer the feel of the made in Mexico for some reason. Great playing as always, Shane! ✌
Man, I just got one of these. Its an outstanding guitar. Very reasonable price for such a great quality instrument. I own a few mexican fenders and can’t speak highly enough of them. I think some people speak bad of them based on their reputation from about 25 years ago. They have improved massively and in truth I now find it hard to justify buying fender America.
Hey there, I'm now deciding between the Player, Player Plus or Vintera stratocasters. Do you have any experience with those last two guitars? I'm not able to try them before buying so I'm watching every video and reading everything there is to make a good decision. I'm now inclined to get the Vintera (standard 60s version) since I really like the slightly tinted and glossy neck and vintage specs. But it's still a tad bit more expensive than the Player and I'd like to now if there's any general quality increase. Thanks for any insights!
I have a shell pink maple neck, I want to love it! But the pickups kind of drive me nuts. They are hot and really have a lot of bass. I play a lot of classic vibes and I’m always grabbing the 50’s strat more. Idk but the quality is top notch. Great video!
I bought a B- stock players plus for the same price as a player and the upgrades are a huge bonus. Nicer- rolled satin neck/pickups/bridge/switches/pots/locking tuners
They are very close to american production strats at this point . I have several american strats and a player series . I often gravitate towards the player because it is very much like the older american standard strat that was replaced by the american pro so it is a familiar feeling instrument . I have a buttercream sss with maple fret board and it gets played alot. Nothing out there can touch these for the price.
Shane, listing your and, if can be honest this intro I think that you are be in some happy place when you play it, fantastic and lush. Salute from 🇭🇷 Croatia.
I love mine. 2022 model. It's very close to being an American Standard. And being a lefty, it's nice to be able to buy a great Strat without paying a ridiculous price. And yes, the middle pickup is very usable by itself.
I had to deck the bridge and have locking tuners and a bone nut put on mine just to keep it in tune for more than 5 seconds. After a proper setup and some fret work it's now an awesome guitar that keeps perfect tune and sounds great, but it damn sure didn't come that way from Fender. Oh, and nearly every screw hole under the pickguard plus one on the input jack plate was stripped so this guitar's body is now partially made of toothpicks. If you know, you know. 😆
I traded this in (and some change) for an American Pro II w/ a humbucker in the bridge about a year ago, and I always kick myself for not keeping this one because i really loved this strat... felt better in my hands than my American Pro II in all honesty. New one sounds better w/ my playing style but the white mex strat was just so comfortable and versatile for the price
I like the middle position on a Strat, I do use mine, but I mainly use the neck pickup. I have Bare Knuckle Irish tours in one of my Strats, and it has a Holy Diver bridge humbucker, so it can get a bit hot. I really like that Strat, it looks good, I'd love to get a maple fingerboard Strat, as both of mine have rosewood.
Not too foul. I bought one ,black ,white scratch plate,maple neck,I know it looks like a cheap tux. Very comfortable,set up almost perfect but pickups not as powerful as my much earlier made in Mexico. Not unpleasant,just different. Certainly the limit at which I felt I needed to invest to get a stratocaster experience. All the best Shane.
Excellent work and beautiful playing (again) Shane. But... How could anyone possibly live on just one Strat? Can't get my head round that particular concept... Cheers!
What is it with you Aussies and these jaw dropping improvs of Tennessee Whiskey!? I have literally just started breaking down Taj Farrant’s version on my channel (why has nobody else done it?) when along comes another masterclass!! Anyhoo, I too have a Fender Player Series - circa 2014, I put a Jesse Davey King Tone switch into it and all of a sudden I stopped buying guitars! Thanks Shane for all of your awesome videos and inspiration.
I find the Players sound 'grainier' than the standard MIM's. Anyone else notice that or fee that way? I guess you could shape the tone a bit to take that grit down a bit. I imagine most of these demos are full out volume and tone. This demo was more pleasant though. Excellent playing!
Have Player Series Lead III and Tele. Had to replace pots and switches after about a year to a year and 1/2. On the other hand, my Strat Pro 1 is still going strong after several years.
I agree with everything you have said about this guitar; I got the exact same guitar yesterday, can not put it down, and can't stop looking at it, Im having thoughts about perhaps selling my Fender American Original (Vintage white) and my Fender Pro Strat and put the money into the bank. This guitar is all I need, seriously.
Sorry to be a party-pooper, Shane, but I doubt that you randomly plucked that guitar anonymously off of the shelf and played it 'as is'. Around 2 years ago, I went to Better Music in Canberra to potentially buy a Fender Player Series Stratocaster. I had seen great reviews on YT. They were hailed as the next best thing since Fender invented the Strat. Having played guitar for almost 50 years, and having worked in the music industry for 25 years, I rightly can claim to know something about guitars. In fact, I owned a genuine 1976, made in USA, Strat that I bought new in the late 1970's...and it was crap. Apart from the big gap between neck and neck pocket where you could fit a coin into, the idiots at Fender painted over the frets. This caused pieces of paint to flake off and lodge under my finger nails causing pain and bleeding when playing. Fender owes me. I switched to Ibanez. Back to the Player Series Stratocaster. I wanted to give Fender a second chance. Better Music had something like 10 Player Series Stratocaster guitars of varying colours, with and without humbucker pickups. Every guitar that I picked up had extremely high action, the frets weren't levelled properly, they had fret sprout and they weren't polished. These guitars were no better than an equivalent, fake $250 AliExpress Strat. When I asked the guy in the music shop why they hadn't been set-up and quality checked the instruments, he looked at me as if I were an idiot and claimed that this was done in the factory. The high action may be fine for a slide guitar player but most guitarists, such as myself, don't play slide.
The Mexican made Strats have really upped their game. Recently bought a Vintera Strat, it's easily on the same level as any USA made Strat. Great pickups, great neck, excellent tuning stability. I remember back in the day you would avoid a Mexicatser at all costs, they were basically junk. Good to see they have turned it around.
At this point, every tier in the Fender lineup is good enough that I really just look at what color, shape, neck profile and pickup config I want. If I want something different out of it then I'll swap pickups. Both the California and Mexico factories make stellar instruments.
Some people say they like the Squier Classic Vibe better than the Fender Players. I haven`t tried the Player series, I do own 2 Vintera Strats and a Nashville Tele from `99 (all 3 made in Mexico) and love those. Great content, keep it up!
After checking out reviews I got a black one just this am..haven't even plugged it in yet...this is a squier affinity made in indonesia...I may have to polish frets and put a humbucker it it but doesn't even need a setup...gonna put some quality strings in it...only cost me 250 im very happy so far...
After a month off playing, it's great to be easing back into playing with this great guitar. Let me know what you think of these Strats! Check it out here.
🛒 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/5bWQon
🛒 Fender - bit.ly/3fZiRMF
🛒 Guitar Center -guitar-center.pxf.io/kjy3YM
🛒 Thomann - bit.ly/39OL3J7
🛒 Sky Music - alnk.to/60X7qOd
(affiliate links)
Good Lord...who would ever still shop at Guitar Center when SWEETWATER exists?!?!?!
Sounds great and your playing was tasty mate ! Hard to believe how much Fender prices have gone up, what was it two or three years ago these were $550. US ?
Anyway I enjoyed this demo !!
I have a lefty Player Strat as well. Love it. What I don't like are the pots. On mine, the drop off of volume (or tone) as you roll off is practically nothing for the first two thirds of rotation and then very dramatic once you go beyond that. I'm sure it's because they just use A-taper pots wired for lefty rotation. But then I see you roll off the volume in this demo with no problem. Did I see that right! Wonder if Fender changed this design since I picked mine up in 2020.
Recently bought myself a second hand sunburst MiM 2011 strat. What a great instrument, what a sound. I’m in love with that instrument. And man, I love your channel and how you play the blues.
I got one of these in surf pearl (mint green), I love it. My first guitar over $250
The Player Series Stratocaster can be considered a premium guitar in this day and age. Similar to its American counterpart, these guitars are made well and play great! In my experience, the weight is the most noticeable difference between a MIM and a MIA Strat. If you’re in the market for a Stratocaster, save some money and get a Player Series and put that extra money you would have spent on an American Strat towards a good amp!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸😎😎😎
Or look for deals. I paid 750 and 1000 for my american strats used Not much more than a player new
@@Ottophil HOW? I’m interest in getting used Am Pro II P bass and Strat from Reverb but damn including shipping and tax imma have to drop about $3k!!! Of course I’d rather try out the guitars first in person but nearest guitar store near me is a 20 min drive to a crap GC that rip off their customers.
@@joshL28I wish I had a guitar store only 20 mins away. It's over an hour for me.
I prefer the Mexican Strat over the USA. However if you want a thicker neck, the USA might be better.
@@Ottophil Yes the used market is always a great place to get a MIA Strat and pay Player series price for it!
That tone control for the bridge pickup is just brilliant. It is the pickup that needs tone control the most!
True! I have an American Pro II and the same Player model in the video. I find myself reaching for this one most often. It's been great straight out of the box. Great guitar!
I can vouche for this! I also have an Am Pro and player series. Always reaching for that player strat
Why do you prefere The player? Could you tell me? Sound, neck?
@@andersonjose6764 I owned both and it is definitely the tone. I've owned two American Pros. A Strat and Tele Deluxe. I realized I am not a fan of Tim Shaw's pickups. The American Pro has nicer electronics maybe and nice rounded necks and well dressed frets. Other than that the Player sounded more Stratty. I also owned a Player Tele and the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. The Indonesian Squier sounded more like a "Tele" so I kept the Squier and returned the Player.
Congratulations on 200K!!! Killer playing Shane. Very cool looking Strat with tone to match. Thanks for the treat.
I absolutely love this guitar. Plays and feels really nice. I put a hot rails in the bridge so I can get everything from Hendrix, SRV, Clapton and Iron Maiden.
Been thinking of getting this with a hot rail in bridge, how does it go guys?
I have a Player's Series Stratocaster too (GC exclusive black with black pickguard and cream plastics). I got mine for a ridiculously good price, and quite honestly, it does everything that I could want a Strat to do. Great video, as always, Shane.
I think the only strat (or tele, jazzmaster, etc) players REALLY ever need, are the classic vibes!
Every Classic Vibe I’ve touched has been a monumental disappointment.
@@czechplastik how so?
@@czechplastik You have monumental bad luck. Sorry, buddy...
The best tele by Fender is the Antigua. But there are teles made by other makers that as good if not better than Fender teles, like the Asat
Yes!!! Check out my red fiesta classic vibe at my Chanel
By the way, I've been a fan of this channel for years now. You always do a fantastic job! Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words and support, Eric! Thanks man.
It costs much but it is the Mexican we should have years and years ago, not to mention the real useful tone for the bridge ! Very high quality these days, thank you!!
Shane! you should do more slow blues reviews. Easier to hear how the notes ring and how thick the tone is when distortion doesn't hide the flaws. Great job!
I have two, one I got in 2019, and the fiesta red special run last summer. I looked at American's this summer, but after playing I decided another player series was fit the bill perfectly. It's my favorite guitar - but the Revstar is due next week - so we'll see :)
Amazing solo by the way!
Shane, I felt every note of your fantastic solo, to the core of my soul. Simply majestic, 😎 brother.
Uh cringe... 😷
Really tasteful playing loved it
thank you for playing actual music when testing the guitars and not just random shredding !!!
When Shane plays like this it means he's in love😍
Shane and a stratocaster sittin' in a tree, p-i-c-k-i-n-g!
Hello from Sweden🇸🇪 I love your videos! And I own a Fender Player Strat in buttercream and this guitar is a great guitar. Have a lovely day, Shane!
What a fantastic intro. You sound amazing.
I own a 23 year old Mexican strat and to this day it sounds amazing. For wide verity of Tele sounds I use a Godin Winchester brown slightly more versatile than my telecaster and a PRS 245 has replaced my Les Paul. That stratocaster is all 99% of what any player would need. Especially if you could own only one guitar 🎸. Good video Shane....
Just got one, first strat ever in my 20 years of playing. Really impressed. Going to gig it in a few weeks, hoping its not too noisy 😅 but that particular band doesnt use a lot of gain so I think I’ll be alright
Does it stay in tune, with tremolo use.
@@accentontheoff surprisingly yes
@@bobbyadamson2333 That’s good to know, thanks!
Also follow up been gigging it regularly it’s great for what I need. I gate the noise lightly and switch to position 2/4 if it’s particularly bad. Taking it on tour next month!
@@bobbyadamson2333 Cool. Did you need to do some special set up type things with the guitar.
Another fab , honest review without any 'trendy' edits that i can't stand. I'd love one of these , have a Vintage v6 which i love , just wonder of the draw of the official fender is worth the extra couple of hundred. Great channel , pls don't change anything!!
Nice review. I've two Player Strats and one Am Std. All needed some work. But I felt a lot less nervous working on the Players. After all had been "tuned up" (fret work, nut, action, etc...) I reach for my Players much more often. There are a few things I like about them more. They feel better under my hand and I may have grown to like their PUPs sound a bit better. The Players sound a bit less "chimey" and that's something I think I like. On a side note, I think its time for Fender to release a Player hardtail Strat.
Given how simple it is to hardtail yourself they probably won't bother.
Did your neck have fret sprout? Mine has it bad. Did you fix it yourself or did you have a guy do it?
@@matthewdotson2186 yes and yes.
I've owned several guitars over the last 28 years, and I'm currently playing 2 player series Strats. Punk, grunge, blues, etc....they do it all!
That intro was so good. It really touched me. Great playing!
Thanks 🙏
Man, for someone that never focuses on his own playing in his videos, you play very very good.
I'm lefty and have a sunburst 1990 American Standard Strat and love it. Now I want a white one though.
🤠👍👍
Imo as far as value goes, these are easy to beat- buy a Classic Vibe. The tiny improvement you get going with a Player Series hardly justifies paying twice the price. They have better tone/volume pots, a better 5-way switch- and a thicker, heavier bridge block- that's it. You can buy a Classic Vibe, upgrade the tone and volume pots, 5-way switch, and install the same bridge block for about 500 bucks, cheaper if you buy a used one. All you're missing is the Fender logo and the resale value.
Great video Shane. I have one with pau ferro fretboard. It's honestly as good as the American ones. The neck profile is comfortable, two way tremolo feels great and tuning stability is no issue at all. I usually change the pickups on MIM Fenders but never needed to change it on this one.
Totally happy with the squier CV 70's natural.... pickups are great but I am so used to my tex-mex I had to put them on with all new wiring and electronics, blender circuit and treble bleed.
great sound, got my tele's and 50's les pauls. this is making me want a strat. every guitar has it's place. you need them all.
Mine is a Buttercream HSS, favorite guitar I’ve ever played.
that bridge pickup sounds blazing hot i love it
My first guitar was a candy apple red Stratocaster and it’s the one I will never sell. Played it so much that after two years, I had to have it refretted. Went stainless for longevity. If these came with stainless frets, they’d be and even better buy. I really prefer gloss necks like the one on my red Strat. Great playing btw.
I have the same guitar in sunburst with a maple neck. It's perfect as far as I'm concerned. I have played many american strats and never felt like they were worth the price jump.
I’m the 1% that just wants a strat with a hard tail.
I put a Tremol-no on my player series strat, works great.
Me too !!
@@Malediction99stop telling me this. I know how to block a strat I’m sick of these solutions. I want one with a real hard tail. No springs!
@@craig.encinitasi want one that is player series. Not noventa. Or robert cray, or nile rogers. Or tom delong, or jim roots. But one i can have and afford
What's funny is I never see anyone playing a strat with the trem bar attached. Saw a string through strat on casino guitars channel and it's amazing.
That intro jam track was beautiful! Reminded me of Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton! Smashed it👌🏻
Couldn't agree with you more about the Mexican stratocaster, I have owned so many of them over the years and still keep several in different configuration and colors. I look at the Fender Custom Shop (played a bunch of them) but that price tag is ridiculous. The Fender Road Worn series also has been my vote if you prefer that broken-in vibe. Cheers!
Absolutely feel the same way about the MIM ash-body Telecasters - hard to beat the quality and sound for the price point.
Apparently, the only Stratocaster I’LL ever need is the one I already own (and have since 1992), according to my wife. 1987 MIJ 57 reissue - which my mate Paul relic’ed by dropping it on its end on a concrete floor…
I really enjoyed the video Shane and your playing is incredible. I had always wanted a Strat and about a year ago I ventured away from my tried and true ESP’s. I bought a very similar Strat to the one your playing in this video. It really turned me onto Fender’s Players series Strats. We’ll so much so that I bought a tri color sunburst about 6 months ago ( looks just like Mike McCreedy’s Strat ). Anyways I’m playing my Strat through a Fender Champion 100 ( thanks for influencing my purchase with one of reviews ) and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all these reviews and know that they truly do help people when buying their next guitar or amp. Keep jam man and looking forward to the next video.
I have played probably a dozen of these player series strats and honestly I have never played one that felt like it was quality. Everyone one I ever played had quality control issues, heavy, fret ends were sharp etc. I guess you got a good one.
It’s hard to understand you tube reviews. I’ve bought on recommendations and ended up disappointed. It may be subjective but something is off when you hear great reviews, spend lots of money, and the quality is sketch.
As much as these cost now I agree the QC could be better, but after some TLC these guitars play great. They just dont get the fret ends right on these, but the actual frets are butter smooth
It's a great guitar for a beginner like me, and for professionals. I liked my orange Fender Player Strat so much that I bought another one, polar white, and I put a mint green pickguard on it. It's become my Go-To guitar that I find myself grabbing in 9 out 10 times.
Great review and fantastic cover of Tennessee Whiskey!
Great review man on a really nice guitar! So glad Fender now has the tone control connected to the bridge pick up! I did that easy modification to my 2016 MIM Strat years ago and it just completes all of the fantastic tones you can get from this workhorse of an instrument! ✌🏻🎸
Especially since you almost *never* need two separate tone settings on the Middle and Neck pickups!
I recognize that jam track! The Stapleton 62' Fender Princeton is still one of my favorite reviews of yours. Lovely playing as always, thank you for making great videos
I have a polar white one with maple neck. It has a really nice sound especially when the selector is at 4th (neck-middle) position.
I dig a white Strat so much, especially with a maple fingerboard. Reminds me of Hendrix and Jimmie Vaughan. 22 Frets, alnico pickups and the tone is on the bridge pickup. Definitely jonein' for one of these.
I have the RH of this guy and it is my #1.
Also: those bends were amazing
got a second hand 2011 MIM white Strat, swapped the pickups for a preloaded '69 custom shop set, made all the necessary adjustments and it's been my favourite guitar ever since. Got to play a few American Strats since, and I genuinely believe they don't rival the MIM.
Good morning from the North Carolina, Shane. Always tuned in for your superb reviews.💎💎💎💎💎
I've got one of these (left-handed). Although it is a very nice guitar, there are some things that are very annoying about it (ie. plastic nut). But my biggest gripe is the wiring and electronics they've used. The pots aren't proper left-handed/reversed taper but they are regular right-handed just wired differently to make them work as left-handed ones. Unfortunately such a cheap solution results in the fact that these pots are pretty much unusable. A noticeable volume/tone change happens at the very end of the spin ratio (probably in about the last 10%). What even makes it worse is the fact that they put on right-handed knobs(!) so the numbers on them are just irrelevant (ie. when you roll the pot all the way down and the knob number will suggest that you are on 4/5 instead of 0). To make it worse, Fender doesn't even make left-handed knobs in other color than aged white. But apart from that it is a nice guitar with a decent value (especially if you buy it at discounted price, or second-hand in great condition.
I bought this guitar for my son, just as he was heading to music school. He’s also lefty! So he has limited access to a wide model of guitars. He teaches himself to play right hand guitars, so he can jam a little. But his left handed collection needed a Strat. This was a great budget option! He has the Tidal pool one. Great playing and review! ⚡️
I got myself the Player Series Strat in Buttercream last year after having a Classic Vibe Squier..I was also lucky enough to have a PLEK set up done on it..And it’s by far my fav guitar I own..Always the first one I pick up out of the rack!
How did they compare?
@@db.5811 Player Series far out ways the Classic Vibe for me 😎
@@KateSkorski That’s good to know, thank you. I’m glad your enjoying it!
That jam demo was excellent
Thanks mate
I really hope we see an update to the player series this year particularly the teles. Been waiting ages for something with colour!
I have an 1981 "the STRAT" which I love, had it for 35 years, but this player series sound brilliant.
Hey Shane, Congrats on 200k subscribers! That guitar looks AWESOME! And based on what you are saying about it it has what it takes to back up the look. I want one! Thanks for sharing.
A Classic Vibe would also fall into this category and be even better value, I have two strats and can't really tell difference in quality from my USA
I recently compared a CV with one of the performer series. There was a pretty big difference in tone. The performer had way more body etc etc, but they felt almost identical to play.
Great video, Shane. Always a pleasure to hear you play. I appreciate your fair and honest reviews. Keep it up.
I have a player strat in buttercream and a player tele in tidepool. They both needed a setup and some fret levelling out the box, but once that was done, wow! I wouldn't "upgrade" them even if i won the lottery.
Had one used from 2018 for 390euros a bit more than 2 years ago.
Plenty of QC issues.
Frets,bad plastic nut,neck edges a bit sharp,string tree that was causing an annoying noise even after I've replaced it and added a second one to prevent that so I guess the neck was just a bit bad.
Other than that the pickups and trem were ok.
Didn't mind the issues because I've bought it as a mod platform and practically changed everything.
I think it's ok as it is with a proper setup from a luthier even if I'd recommend to buy it used as a mod platform as I did.
For a thousand bucks I have a killer that follows me everywhere and I'm still waiting for a strat that sound better for that amount of money.
However nowadays when you watch the prices in 2023 and you don't mind the brand I think a squier CV is a much better bang for your buck.
Same applies to the revstar line.
Good video and awesome demo though 😉
Great video which finally inspired me to try and get one Strat of the Player series. And man what can I say? You were absolutely right with your review. Great sound, great feel and a lot of fun to play it. Thank you!
These are great guitars. I use them all the time. No mods needed. Great job Fender!!!!
I think this is one of your best intro solos. You going Etta James I’d rather be Blind, or Chris Stapleton Tennessee Whiskey for inspiration?
The Player Series Strat is basically what the old American Standard used to be. Funny that for some, only an American made Fender is good enough.......despite the fact that Mexican Fender instruments are absolutely the real deal made at an actual Fender facility.
Awesome Sauce! Lefty as well!. I've tried the American Strats, but I always prefer the feel of the made in Mexico for some reason. Great playing as always, Shane! ✌
Man, I just got one of these. Its an outstanding guitar. Very reasonable price for such a great quality instrument. I own a few mexican fenders and can’t speak highly enough of them. I think some people speak bad of them based on their reputation from about 25 years ago. They have improved massively and in truth I now find it hard to justify buying fender America.
Hey there, I'm now deciding between the Player, Player Plus or Vintera stratocasters. Do you have any experience with those last two guitars? I'm not able to try them before buying so I'm watching every video and reading everything there is to make a good decision. I'm now inclined to get the Vintera (standard 60s version) since I really like the slightly tinted and glossy neck and vintage specs. But it's still a tad bit more expensive than the Player and I'd like to now if there's any general quality increase. Thanks for any insights!
Hey
I’ve got a player plus hss. High quality guitar feels every bit as good as my American ultra.
I have a shell pink maple neck, I want to love it! But the pickups kind of drive me nuts. They are hot and really have a lot of bass. I play a lot of classic vibes and I’m always grabbing the 50’s strat more. Idk but the quality is top notch. Great video!
Try lowering the pickups if you havent already, especially the bridge pickup is extremely sensitive to small changes in height
Just received the white hss version of this today from Sweetwater. 🙂
I bought a B- stock players plus for the same price as a player and the upgrades are a huge bonus. Nicer- rolled satin neck/pickups/bridge/switches/pots/locking tuners
Nice Strat. I think I'm becoming a Tele guy, so I'll probably sell one of my two Strats. And both my Les Pauls haha!
Yes indeed.A fine guitar.I love my mine!
75th anniversary ,sunburst, maple fingerboard.
I just got the same guitar, left handed. It's a beauty! 👍
0:31 bridge & middle clean
1:12 neck vol down ovd 1:41 vol high
4:39 neck c
5:03 neck & middle c
5:29 middle c
6:00 middle & bridge c
6:17 bridge c
7:04 bridge ovd
7:19 8:01 neck ovd
7:43 middle ovd
Excellent guitar playing with great tone
The mim Strat and Tele are fantastic and a good value
They are very close to american production strats at this point . I have several american strats and a player series . I often gravitate towards the player because it is very much like the older american standard strat that was replaced by the american pro so it is a familiar feeling instrument . I have a buttercream sss with maple fret board and it gets played alot. Nothing out there can touch these for the price.
I got mine. Amazing instrument. Went with the Andy Timmons configuration on the pickups. Dimarzio cruisers and a Chopper on the bridge. 500k pots.
Shane, listing your and, if can be honest this intro I think that you are be in some happy place when you play it, fantastic and lush. Salute from 🇭🇷 Croatia.
Great demo and playing! Stay cool Mate!
I love mine. 2022 model. It's very close to being an American Standard. And being a lefty, it's nice to be able to buy a great Strat without paying a ridiculous price. And yes, the middle pickup is very usable by itself.
I had to deck the bridge and have locking tuners and a bone nut put on mine just to keep it in tune for more than 5 seconds. After a proper setup and some fret work it's now an awesome guitar that keeps perfect tune and sounds great, but it damn sure didn't come that way from Fender. Oh, and nearly every screw hole under the pickguard plus one on the input jack plate was stripped so this guitar's body is now partially made of toothpicks. If you know, you know. 😆
❤hard tail with a mahogany body rules aluminum or brass pic guard 😂 shielding go-to bridge easy install.hotrails .or noiseless pickups .with clapton preamp.or DiMarzio. Pre...shielded wire.
I traded this in (and some change) for an American Pro II w/ a humbucker in the bridge about a year ago, and I always kick myself for not keeping this one because i really loved this strat... felt better in my hands than my American Pro II in all honesty. New one sounds better w/ my playing style but the white mex strat was just so comfortable and versatile for the price
The quality control for these guitars is better than what's coming out of the fender custom shop!
At the end of the day, it's two pieces of wood connected by some strings and it does nothing on it's own. The magic is the player.
The saddles on these are always scratchy. That’s my main gripe about ‘em. Great pickups for sure.
I agree. You get used to it but I prefer the comfort of my Affinity over my MIM Stratocaster.
I like the middle position on a Strat, I do use mine, but I mainly use the neck pickup. I have Bare Knuckle Irish tours in one of my Strats, and it has a Holy Diver bridge humbucker, so it can get a bit hot. I really like that Strat, it looks good, I'd love to get a maple fingerboard Strat, as both of mine have rosewood.
what's the holy diver hb like been considering it
Just ordered one. The tone control for the bridge pickup is a real no brainer. Its the pickup most needing some controlling 😅
I wish Fender would make a Player series in Seafoam green. Still, the white and Capri orange look cool.
Not too foul. I bought one ,black ,white scratch plate,maple neck,I know it looks like a cheap tux. Very comfortable,set up almost perfect but pickups not as powerful as my much earlier made in Mexico. Not unpleasant,just different. Certainly the limit at which I felt I needed to invest to get a stratocaster experience. All the best Shane.
Excellent work and beautiful playing (again) Shane. But...
How could anyone possibly live on just one Strat? Can't get my head round that particular concept...
Cheers!
What is it with you Aussies and these jaw dropping improvs of Tennessee Whiskey!? I have literally just started breaking down Taj Farrant’s version on my channel (why has nobody else done it?) when along comes another masterclass!!
Anyhoo, I too have a Fender Player Series - circa 2014, I put a Jesse Davey King Tone switch into it and all of a sudden I stopped buying guitars!
Thanks Shane for all of your awesome videos and inspiration.
I find the Players sound 'grainier' than the standard MIM's. Anyone else notice that or fee that way? I guess you could shape the tone a bit to take that grit down a bit. I imagine most of these demos are full out volume and tone. This demo was more pleasant though. Excellent playing!
Duuuuuude that opening jam track was the business.
Have Player Series Lead III and Tele. Had to replace pots and switches after about a year to a year and 1/2. On the other hand, my Strat Pro 1 is still going strong after several years.
I agree with everything you have said about this guitar; I got the exact same guitar yesterday, can not put it down, and can't stop looking at it, Im having thoughts about perhaps selling my Fender American Original (Vintage white) and my Fender Pro Strat and put the money into the bank. This guitar is all I need, seriously.
Come here for the guitar, stayed for the playing. Bravo!
I picked up a player telecaster based off of your past review, a beautiful limited edition silverburst HH one. thanks for such a good demo.
Sorry to be a party-pooper, Shane, but I doubt that you randomly plucked that guitar anonymously off of the shelf and played it 'as is'. Around 2 years ago, I went to Better Music in Canberra to potentially buy a Fender Player Series Stratocaster. I had seen great reviews on YT. They were hailed as the next best thing since Fender invented the Strat. Having played guitar for almost 50 years, and having worked in the music industry for 25 years, I rightly can claim to know something about guitars. In fact, I owned a genuine 1976, made in USA, Strat that I bought new in the late 1970's...and it was crap. Apart from the big gap between neck and neck pocket where you could fit a coin into, the idiots at Fender painted over the frets. This caused pieces of paint to flake off and lodge under my finger nails causing pain and bleeding when playing. Fender owes me. I switched to Ibanez. Back to the Player Series Stratocaster. I wanted to give Fender a second chance. Better Music had something like 10 Player Series Stratocaster guitars of varying colours, with and without humbucker pickups. Every guitar that I picked up had extremely high action, the frets weren't levelled properly, they had fret sprout and they weren't polished. These guitars were no better than an equivalent, fake $250 AliExpress Strat. When I asked the guy in the music shop why they hadn't been set-up and quality checked the instruments, he looked at me as if I were an idiot and claimed that this was done in the factory. The high action may be fine for a slide guitar player but most guitarists, such as myself, don't play slide.
That’s my guitar right there..white with maple.
Best guitar for the money ..period!
I got the surf green with painted headstock limited èdition. I love the hell out of it.
The Mexican made Strats have really upped their game. Recently bought a Vintera Strat, it's easily on the same level as any USA made Strat. Great pickups, great neck, excellent tuning stability. I remember back in the day you would avoid a Mexicatser at all costs, they were basically junk. Good to see they have turned it around.
At this point, every tier in the Fender lineup is good enough that I really just look at what color, shape, neck profile and pickup config I want. If I want something different out of it then I'll swap pickups. Both the California and Mexico factories make stellar instruments.
Some people say they like the Squier Classic Vibe better than the Fender Players. I haven`t tried the Player series, I do own 2 Vintera Strats and a Nashville Tele from `99 (all 3 made in Mexico) and love those. Great content, keep it up!
After checking out reviews I got a black one just this am..haven't even plugged it in yet...this is a squier affinity made in indonesia...I may have to polish frets and put a humbucker it it but doesn't even need a setup...gonna put some quality strings in it...only cost me 250 im very happy so far...