This is my review of the Fender Player Series Stratocaster (2022/2023 model). The Fender Player Series Stratocaster is a very underrated instrument from the Fender line. Not only do these play great, but they also sound fantastic. This video is not sponsored.
Direct links to the Fender Player Series Stratocaster (best prices)
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Video Chapters
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00:00 - Fender Player Series & Video Disclaimer (loaner)
00:30 - Jam Track
02:56 - Guitar Overview
03:21 - Frets
03:37 - Pickups
03:52 - Tremolo & Controls
04:13 - Real Amplifier & Microphone Setup
04:24 - Clean Tones
06:25 - Tone Control (Bridge Pickup)
06:53 - Overdrive Tones
07:58 - Volume Control Dynamics
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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!
Congratulations on 200K!!! Killer playing Shane. Very cool looking Strat with tone to match. Thanks for the treat.
That tone control for the bridge pickup is just brilliant. It is the pickup that needs tone control the most!
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.
thank you for playing actual music when testing the guitars and not just random shredding !!!
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!!
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!
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!
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’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.
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 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.
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.
Great video, Shane. Always a pleasure to hear you play. I appreciate your fair and honest reviews. Keep it up.
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!!
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 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
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!
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.
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.
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.
Beautiful playing
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?
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.
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!
I really hope we see an update to the player series this year particularly the teles. Been waiting ages for something with colour!
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!
Beautiful guitar, nice playing Shane !
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!
Hey Shane. What a great video and review. You demo-ed everything I'd want to see, and answered all of my questions. Very thorough, and clear. Too many review videos have strumming and noodling, and it's impossible to hear how each note sounds, or the attack of the guitar. This was great. I do have one question though. The song you played near the beginning with the backing track- was that a rif on Tennessee Whiskey, or a different song? Thanks Shane.
fantastic playing! Well done on the 200k!
Great guitar I got one in Buttercream. Amazing playing you’re making that thing sing!
Really nice playing, thank you. Greets
What a fantastic intro. You sound amazing.
That intro was so good. It really touched me. Great playing!
Thanks 🙏
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.
Good morning from the North Carolina, Shane. Always tuned in for your superb reviews.💎💎💎💎💎
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....
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.
Liked the demo Shane and the drum track worked particularly well.
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 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! ⚡️
Thanks again Shane on another great review. I don't have a Strat but I have to agree about the Player series. I have a Player Series Tele and it sounds like a Tele should. The Bridge PU has the right sound, but for me the Neck PU on mine is so so usable. Cheers
Just ordered one. The tone control for the bridge pickup is a real no brainer. Its the pickup most needing some controlling 😅
I have the RH of this guy and it is my #1. Also: those bends were amazing
Superb demo Shane. Beautiful playing ❤️
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! ✌
Yes indeed.A fine guitar.I love my mine! 75th anniversary ,sunburst, maple fingerboard.
Great no nonsense review. Would be good to hear your thoughts on the Players Plus strat, the one with the noiseless pickups.
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
I have an 1981 "the STRAT" which I love, had it for 35 years, but this player series sound brilliant.
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. 🤠👍👍
i´ve bought a player series myself and i really like your tone. i have a boss katana and i seem to not getting close to a tone like this. i would love to get that nice strat tone like you have. i am thinking to get myself a classic tube amp and hoping to get this classic strat tone i am in love with. OH and btw: your playing in the beginning gave me goosebumps. i hope i will ever get to that point of playing lol! keep the great videos coming! i love it!!
Lovely playing Shane. Great tone from a great value for money guitar. Cool 😎
That intro jam track was beautiful! Reminded me of Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton! Smashed it👌🏻
I got the player strat blue burst flame. Absolutely love it!
Excellent guitar playing with great tone The mim Strat and Tele are fantastic and a good value
Great playing! I have one of the, I think slightly older, Classic Player Series 60s Strats, and it's outstanding. They were mostly light blue, but mine's red. I'm sure the US ones are splendid, but I find those noiseless pickups a bit generic-sounding. Really liked the opening piece tonight.
Oh my Lord, so beautiful !!!! I wish I could learn how to play like you !!!
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.
Fantastic playing and nice review, Shane. Thanks!
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.
Great composition at the beginning Shane.
Duuuuuude that opening jam track was the business.
I got mine. Amazing instrument. Went with the Andy Timmons configuration on the pickups. Dimarzio cruisers and a Chopper on the bridge. 500k pots.
love the intro song, sounds exactly like Tennesee Whisky by Chris Stapelton. And you did a great job with the layers of the guitar parts.
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
Got the HSS version of the Player strat in aged cherry a couple of years ago and love it!
Great review. I feel the same about my Player Tele.
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
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 😉
I've got 2 limited edition player series, one strat and one tele (my profile pic), and I love'em both. The roasted maple necks are ridiculously smooth to play.
These are great guitars. I use them all the time. No mods needed. Great job Fender!!!!
that bridge pickup sounds blazing hot i love it
Stunning playing as always Shane!!
Mine is a Buttercream HSS, favorite guitar I’ve ever played.
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!
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.
Great demo and playing! Stay cool Mate!
You're take on tennesse whiskey? It was great playing, loved it
I bought this guitar same color too! Its been a lot of fun so far!!
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 got this one (but back from 2019), i only gave her some locking tuners as upgrade)
Beautiful playing and guitar.
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 seriously love your jams!!
I got the surf green with painted headstock limited èdition. I love the hell out of it.
Some tasty playing there, I recognised a dip into mark knopfler with a bit of artistic licence, but at 8:27 there's a six second lick from when I used to get guitar techniques in the 90s that was in it. Can't remember what it is for the life of me, I wasn't that into blues at the time, but I always liked that lick.
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!
Great playing Shawn, you got the feeling a guitar player needs for to take off!!!
That jam demo was excellent
Thanks mate
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 love the middle pickup in a strat!
That guitar sounds beautiful in your hands. Cheers!
Have got to say if you can stretch to the player plus get it - fantastic bit of kit - fab video as always 🏴
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.
Player Series is awesome. I have a Player Lead II with two of the Player Strat SC pickups and the thin neck, I'd prefer a bit thicker neck. I swapped the bridge pup for a Seymour Duncan Twangbanger to get a little closer to a Tele bridge pup tone. The Lead II is great if you rarely use the Strat's middle pup, plus it has out of phase switching for extra tones.
Very good guitar.I have a Player hss butter cream, and I'm very satisfied! The player series are very good!
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