Evening all,
I've had a quick search but can't see any recent discussions.
I'm in the market for a Fender, my first 'decent' guitar. And after playing a Strat and a Tele today at the shop I felt like the Strat played more comfortably, even though i prefer the looks of the Tele.
I've therefore now moved onto researching which version is best to get. I'm looking at the Player series as my budget, and i'm after a maple fretboard version.
Looking on the Fender website my options are the traditional SSS, HSS or HSH. I've looked into comparisons between each but to be honest i'm still undecided on what's best for me.
I'm a casual at home player and play mostly blues, a little bit of rock and the usual classic rock riffs.
Has anyone got any experience of playing the Player series with the above setups, and might have any feedback on what they thought?
Thanks,
Jack
Comments
For the full classic Strat sound I'd go with the SSS configuration, as long as you have something else that can cover humbucker tones if your going for the more classic rock kinda sounds. SSS also just looks so 'right' IMO.
But if it's to be your only guitar I'd go with SSH for sure. If I had to be forced to live with one guitar only forever more, I would choose a SSH Strat (or clone there-of). They're proper Swiss Army Knife guitars.
It's a big field to cover with strats, given your musical tastes I'd stick with either the SSS or HSS configs. You'll be surprised how much girth good single coils can give you though and they will rip through more so than humbuckers. I would highly recommend the Fender Roadhouse series, which go for around the £600 - £700 mark.
I've yet to sit down with the player series but I have had many a MIM series guitar which were all pretty fantastic. With the player series being an extension to the former MIM series many alterations have been made as has there been many improvements. I'd say head to your local store and find the one that just sits right with you.
Hope this gives some insight and helps you
-Sam
I've got a 'cheap' Vintage SG that's HH, so i certainly have the humbucker side of things covered. SSS sounds like the way to go in that case.
I sat and played a SSS Player series, which was really slick and smooth along the fretboard, and played amazingly. But then i only have a cheap guitar to compare it to. Maybe i ought to go and sit and play a Player series Vs the Roadhouse series, or other £600-£700 strats to work out which series to go for now then.
Thanks again both!
I.e. It's worth giving up the Strat bridge if it's the only way to get the (imo essential) humbucker bridge but the Strat bridge is very good to have if you don't have to compromise.
But then buying 2 strats is a tempting proposition too...
the classic series has a thicker neck though don’t they?
If you're settled on SSS I would definitely try and track down a used Classic Player 50s or 60s Strat (not the Classic Series). Should easily be able to get a good one in your budget range, and they're the best bang for buck in the entire Fender range IMO. Mine felt as good as USA Standard, and had Custom Shop pickups, all for less than £500!
Its not a purists strat but it does a lot and plays very well, and is somewhat uncommon and definitely well used.
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/140288/for-sale-trade-295-fender-strat-hot-rod-reissue-hrr-60s-mij-90-91-floyd-rose-extras#latest
Comes with spare pickguard and unique control set up which was useful to me but YMMV.
At the moment I'm looking for:
* Hamer Watson, SS2, Vintage S, T62.
* Music Man Luke 1, Luke II
Please drop me a message.
I’ll have to pop back to the shop and see if they’ve got a Classic player I could try and see if I can compare it to the new player series.
Its given more scope to search so that’s definitely helpful. I’ll jeeo an eye out for a classic player with maple fretboard.
For the princely sum of £225 I bought a Made in Mexico standard(?) from around 2000. Not the colour I wanted or the maple fretboard l, but SSS, 2 minutes up the road, with a Fender Bullet Reverb amp thrown in.
Upon closer inspection once home it probably isn’t in as good condition as when I checked it over, with the top e string saddle a little wonky and more pressingly the nut around the bottom E string being fairly badly chipped. So I’ll need to get those sorted. But the way I’m looking st it is that I’ve saved myself £300 what I may have spent on a brand new Player series.
And hopefully I could sell this on and break even if I have to. Fingers crossed I didn’t over spent too much.
Images to follow.
Take a look at the classic players. You’ll get one second hand for the same price as a new guitar and they’re massively superior in my view. If you can deal with rosewood, the 60s version is a great guitar with cs 69 pickups, 12” radius and bigger frets than vintage. The 50s is also decent but personally I was never much of a fan of the pickups, but ymmv etc