**** TONE COMPARISON **** 5th Position : Player Plus - 17:18 | Ultra - 15:01 4th Position : Player Plus - 17:41 | Ultra - 15:24 3rd Position : Player Plus - 17:55 | Ultra - 15:38 2nd Position : Player Plus - 18:17 | Ultra - 16:00 2nd Position (switch Pulled/Pressed: all 3 pickups) : Player Plus - 18:32 | Ultra - 16:14 1st Position (Switch Pulled/Pressed: Neck and Bridge) : Player Plus - 18:49 | Ultra - 16:39 1st Position : Player Plus - 19:09 | Ultra - 16:47
Great comparison fellas! I have a green HSS Player Plus and love it WAAAAAY more than I thought I would as I've been playing mainly teles since the age of the dinosaurs. The neck is just incredible and feels SO good. Have a subscription!
bought the bel-air blue, i didnt know what premium was before this guitar lol. decided MIM fenders are damn near identical sounding and couldnt beat the store discount i got.
After trying both guitars at my local guitar center, the ultra just felt so much better in my hands. I also ever so slightly like the ultra noiseless pickups a little better. They just sound a little more melodic to me. That's not to say that the player noiseless pickups aren't an amazing. They're absolutely a great deal for how they sound. Unfortunately, they didn't have the ultra strat in Texas tea so I had to order one online and now I'm waiting lol. Thanks for the demo guys.
Loved this video! I totally agree that the player plus line is punching above it’s weight class. I hope you guys do a telecaster version of this video also, no pressure but that would be cool 🙏✌️
@@harrodsongs Anderton’s did a great one recently. A blindfold episode comparing the American Ultra with Player Plus, and the teles are included. Rob thought on both occasions that the player plus strat and tele were the ultras! I bought the player plus tele! And it’s so true, it feels like one of the best production models you can find from Fender and does not feel like your typical Mexican although Mexican Fenders have been great for decades. But the player plus is kinda ridiculously good. I practice on my player plus tele every day, I’ve forgotten it’s a Mexican it feels like an equal with my custom shop strat honestly. Feels like Fender did this by accident, that a much cheaper model rivals the top of their line 😸. I feel as if I grabbed one before Fender have realized and corrected this mistake or something ✌️
@@harrodsongs I ended up going for the regular tele instead of the Nashville personally because well I have a strat but I fell in love with the in series humbuckery tone you get from the pull of the tone knob on the regular version. But it’s a win either way, the pickups are super nice on these models. The neck pickup is a nice telecaster neck pickup, really nails that chewy tele neck pickup sound I love even if it is noiseless. I thought I’d want to change the pickups but I don’t think I will. Player plus is easily the best bang for your buck in my humble opinion ✌️
just bought a player plus HSS in cosmic jade for my wife, had it pleked from sweetwater and it is a epic guitar, first strat i ever bought and cant say i regret it at all.
I've been debating on getting an ultra but I also need a jazz bass. Do you think it's worth it to spend 2000 on the ultra strat or buy the player plus strat and the player plus jbass for the same price?
@@ISaudio you really need to try them. In these situations I normally advise you to get the guitar you really want. Otherwise you'll end up still thinking about the Ultra. Save up for the Bass.
@@czechplastik you’re absolutely right. Had to get rid of my elite strat after some neck problems but loved the way it sounded and played. Gonna get the ultra and save for an ultra jbass as well. Cheers
@@ISaudio I've done something similar before. I ended up still lusting after the more expensive guitar and ended up buying it eventually. Could have saved a bunch of money just buying it the first time! Good luck with the Ultra.
Excellent demo with beautiful music, I have to admit that I found both sounding great, very little difference in how they sound and probably the decision might be taken on some extra features, colours and budget. I wish Fender had a hardtail option, I don't use (like) trems and I favour hardtail guitars.
I put trem totaly against the body and put all spring creating strong tension. So it is almost hardtail, but still on rare occasions I can use trembar to create subtle vibrato on chords.
I already own a Player Plus and it's that good that I ordered a second one though I also have top of the line US-strats. Compared to my Elite strat there isn't anything justifying 1000€ more to expend.
I would purchase the player plus right away if only the fiesta red guitar came with a rosewood fingerboard, great demo thankyou, this guy can play ! 🙂👍🇬🇧
I wasn't even looking, just listening and I had to look when heard some particularly scrumptious tone from your playing. To my surprise it was the Player Plus.
On the Player Plus Strat version, you can replace the knobs with fender aged white “soft touch” knobs like the ones that came out on the Elites around 2017 (although one was an S1 push push). That may help with the grip on the push pull. Fender should have considered this in the design…a 50 cent knob rather than a 25 cent knob. Great comparison and demo, btw.
I am fortunate enough to own a cobra blue American Ultra strat and it is a great guitar. However, the Player Plus series looks like a huge win to me. More compelling, to me at least than say the PRS SE models that I have seen. Thinking about the Player Plus Tele since the American Ultra Tele's have been out of stock forever, or so it seems.
I was deciding between a Gibson standard 2019 in blueberry and a Fender Ultra in Cobra Blue. Found the Gibson for a super low price so went that route, now trying to get a fender ultra also
A made in Korea PRS SE, is next level, compared to a Player Plus. Then again if you don't like the PRS design and scale length, you're not gonna like any PRS!
Both are impressive, for the money the player plus is a true winner. I have a 3 tone burst, pau-ferro player tele and so far i love it. I just threw on some fender locking tuners and it's even better. great video and great playing/demo. thanks from Alberta Canada wild rose country. I also have 91 stratplus i bought it new and it has been fantastic, just got the frets replaced and it plays like new.
On my phone speakers the difference was negligible. But when I switched to headphones I can hear that the ultra strat has a more balanced tone across the strings and easier to EQ in a mix. A bit more definition and brighter.
@@supersonicsroots i sold the guitar - took a long time to sell and didn’t get a great price for it all things considered as it was a decent guitar all-in - the pups were on the sterile side and a bit harsh
I would hope so !! I got a fender ultra strat Texas tea last week and it’s maple. I have a Mexican player series from 2 years ago and it’s also maple. Although when comparing them the ultras maple looks better in regards to coating (darker). The player plus maple is probably not that different from player series tbh
honestly difficult to tell as never let the notes chime out not ring out - PP sounded great for the price point but i’m gonna eager the ultra likely feels like velvet; i own an hss pp and that neck is amazing however i also own a compound radius tele deluxe and that compound radius is likely to win in overall satisfaction for how good it is compared to any fixed radius
@@jonnyz5772 I recently tried the ultra tele neck.. that D neck profile was amazing and much more natural feeling to me than the American professional deep C neck
@@arisl2370 I agree 100% - the high end USA Fenders do have great necks while not saying at all the mim pp neck is bad; I just really see the USA ones have that extra velvet to them. 👌
Great comparison video, and fantastic playing. That Plus is one of the prettiest guitars I've ever seen, and to my ears, sounds at least as good as the Deluxe. I don't think there's a better value for the money on any electric guitar, of any brand or model, than the Player Series Strats and Teles, and particularly the Player Plus guitars. Yes, $1000 is far from chump change, but there are some features on the Plus that you would ordinarily expect to get only on high end guitars (such as the Ultra or Vintage Series) Fender knocked it out of the park on this one!
in person the difference is pretty large. Over youtube with less than studio quality recording, the difference is fairly minor. Also both use noiseless pickups so they will sound more similar than say player plus vs professional II
@@eurly93 You make a fair point. I would think the Ultra should both sound and play better than the Player Plus, given the significant price differential. However, the similarity in tone underscores how much of a factor the pickups are in a guitar's tone.
I looked at both, and decided that 1/2 the price for the same logo was a no brainer. The player plus is an excellent guitar. In fact I wonder how much fender is costing in lost American sales? I had the money for an American, but thought £800 is better in my pocket.
Exactly my thoughts - I own US strats twice the price and the Player Plus is just as good. Maybe the pickups lack a little dynamic compared to the Texas Specials but other than that they are more than I ever expected from MIM strats.
In a future sale, at most, the ultra would be priced at the price of the player plus. In other words, the purchase of an expensive guitar, or other expensive equipment, could be seen as a rental. later, if there is a sale, a large part of the money will be collected.
the Ultra has relevant advantages over the Pro ii. Once home with the Ultra, I will always remember positively the spectacular neck and the fact that this guitar makes much less noise than the Pro II. As for the sound, it is so good that without a direct comparison with a Pro II type guitar next to it the difference is not even remembered. If I had had it with a Pro II all the time I would remember the Ultra's neck and the hum noise.
I own a player plus and it’s a nice guitar. Never tried the ultra before purchasing. Just played an ultra, it played a lot better than the player plus imho. Like way better. Could have been the one I have vs that ultra being very well made, but it was a big difference. Enough of a difference that I may trade for the ultra.
Funny thing, I both own a Player Plus Stratocaster and an Elite Telecaster... I think they play and feel exactly the same, both great feeling necks. The only difference is the 12" radius of the Player Plus, the Elite has a compound radius. Both feel great though, just a very subtle difference. It's also in our heads I think, a guitar with a price tag twice as high should feel and sound better, right? That's not always the case, I think the Player Plus nails it.
I’ve just bought a Olympic pearl player plus . It’s a beautiful guitar . 12 inch radius is very nice . The colours in the player plus are awful I think , apart from the sunburst and Olympic pearl . Personally I’ve herd guys make a squire sound phenomenal so I believe paying considerably more for a USA fender is really only nice to say you own one .
So I purchased the cobra blue ultra. It was a great guitar but I really couldn’t justify the price when I went back and played an Olympic white player plus. It was half the price. So I returned the ultra and now own the player plus. It really does play well. The push/pull pot is quite difficult to pull up and you have to shove a pick under it but all in all, the plus is a great deal. Only downside I’m seeing is that it’s resell value wouldn’t be as good since it’s MIM and not American.
the MX20 MX21 and MX22 serial number mims of any special run or model other than a standard are definitely holding their used prices as the market is seeing them as far superior to the old mim standard series
Truth be told, I have an HSS Player Plus and thinking about getting an American is just an afterthought. I’ve been tempted to get a Gibson, but nothing feels as good or better than my Player Plus other the a Standard or above.
I work at Music and Arts. We recieved a Player Plus Strat with no tremolo bar, no bridge spring, sprouted frets and gouges in the back. We have no choice but to discount it. Huge, huge fail.
As someone who finds the flatter Epiphone necks really comfortable, the player plus stuff has me curious just on the neck alone; the rest of the specs are just a cherry on top.
Don't agree on the Ultra won't disappoint. I bought one and sold it (Texas Tea, actually traded it) within a month. Loved the looks but not the feel of the neck or tone compared to others. A number of other players seem to feel the same. I'm now leaning to getting either a pro 2, 60s JV or player plus. I like the necks in all of them better and the pickups over the ultra. More vintage. The ultra is trying to be more modern which in my opinion strays from why you by them. If you like it thats fine but not for me.
I couldn't hear much of a difference between the two initially. I think the plus had deeper base notes. That being said i like the Tequila Sunrise alot better than the blue. I own an Orange squire Tele. I really want a Fender strat. It would be redundant to buy a fender Tele. I want the tremolo bar. I tried a fender strat with a fender delux reverb and it was an angelic experience.
I have always wanted a Strat. But as I reach for the Strat, I'll see a Tele. I'll buy the Tele and get a Strat next time. Next time a Gibson jumps in my hand, or an Ibanez. Finally bought one online and it was delivered to the house. Aztec Gold anniversary model. Apparently, I didn't properly inform my wife at the time of the purchase. I got mad and sent it back. A few days later she says "so where's your new guitar? That was a real pretty color. Does it sound pretty too?" Yeah, that really happened. So now I have been looking at the American Ultra Stratocaster Texas Tea. For a while now. I crawled out of bed, 16 days of battling that stupid virus, and yes it was bad but I had a clear vision now. I was buying a Stratocaster. An American Ultra Stratocaster Maple Neck Texas Tea! Now that I've watched this video it's looking like I've been Strat blocked yet again! This time though, blocked by another Strat.
So I need one. The plus I mean. That will be strat 3. I have one American Std and one MIM. I actually embarrassed to say I like the MIM more. Anyway I never thought I’d go for an Hiss. Or HSS. So I was gonna go for the blue one. But I like the orange one better and I want the maple. So my idea is get the orange one and order an Hiss loaded pick guard from Dylan Talks Tone. Any thoughts or opinions on this? Thanks
@@AlamoMusic So Finally grab the telecaster over Strat. And also finally managed to learn your song from your video xD ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-futDVHlB6Gw.html Very cool to play, thanks again !
Hi guys. I need your help to make my decision. I want to buy the Ultra Strat but I can not decide between HSS and SSS. I want the versatility of the HSS but I like the idea of vintage setuop in the SSS. These days the stocks, in Europe, are not so great and it is difficult to test them side by side. Can you do a proper comparison between Ultra HSS and SSS? Thanks!
Personally I think the gen numbers are all the same technology, but just different voicings. I could be wrong, but I doubt they spent too much money repeating what DiMarzio has been doing since Yngwie hooked up with them. And of course, Yngwie's stacked hummers are all from Fender these days.
Holy crap …immediately the plus ,to my ears ,sounded so great …better by far than the ultra …I know I’m probably in the smallest minority but I’m sold ! And they make a few player pluses in lefty too!
La única diferencia es que la ultra tiene los graves un poco más acentuados. A mi parecer conviene más la plus, casi el mismo sonido por mucho menos $$$
I was really no more appreciating strats, didn't like the big neck they used to have. Then I have tested an old 30 years japan made fender strat, and it was a new reveal. Still not my favorites guitars, but strat sound is unique, you need one ^^ Then I have tested both Ultra and Player Plus. Let say, Ultra neck is awesome, player plus is quite good. Let say player plus is more classic, et ultra is very modern. For the rest, we can't say ultra is twice better than the player plus for twice the price... The main 2 things missing on the player plus for me are : push/push option instead of the push-pull, and a trebble bleed like on ultra and American pro 2. I have it on my Ibanez PIA and this is now a feature I want on all my guitars (except lespaul/sg maybe) So to conclude : if you are a strat fan and modern player, go for the ultra. If you need a strat and not as your favorite guitar, go for the player plus, you will have 1000 bucks remaining for a very nice Amp ;) Last question : @AlamoMusicCenter what is the song you play? I am still thinking about having a tele or strat player plus with the third pick up and your song is good to play for testing clean sound fender :) Thanks for this review!
@@kennytseguitar8574 I actually own a schecter reaper, and neck is even thiner compared to the Fender Ultra so it wasn't too thin for me. But I like thin neck too. It really depends of your preferences !
You are very correct at approximately 20:02 I have a 76 Gold Top and it weighs almost 10lbs. ! It's not like a chambered LP at all. There's nothing like it.
Don't really go for noiseless so it would be interesting to see if a loaded USA scratch plate (fat 50's for example) would drop straight into the Mexican body.
The ultra has much more articulation. Still has quack it’s still bright it’s definitely more modern. You can hear everything. Got go with the Ultra here. If you like vintage buy vintage.
Uhhhhh... The Player sounds way better, fuller and with z..zzsinging sustain you can notice at the very beginning of his demonstration after the Ultra demo is finished.. A few years ago you would have clearly heard the difference, but in the other way! Nowadays machines and CNC builds make guitars between 800 and 2000 bucks the same in their core.. .. The difference is in the pickups/electronics and vibrato block/tuners..Don't think they select wood anymore.. Look at the new American Vintage II lineup.. They all weigh over 8 lbs! That's very annoying for 2300 or 2500 bucks guitars! Some don't care for weight, that's ok, but it's a sign that light seasoned wood that has been very well dried is no longer being used for "high quality" (read "outrageously expensive") guitars Maybe a little time to work on the frets.. A good set up at the luthiers and 300 bucks in quality hardware/pickups and you get where the Ultra is... Sold nowadays at 2300€.. Big names ARE stealing are money nowadays.. You pay for the name on the headstock.. No doubt
This actually is a no brainer.... I mean, it comes down to a slightly almost unnoticeable difference in the pickups, but in a full band, it's gone.. the feel of the neck will be exactly the same, at least with maple it will. When it comes to these guitars, it's a choice of personal preference and the available colors. Not quality, because this Plus sounds awesome and feels high-end in every way. And if you don't like the noiseless pickups? Just throw in some fat 50's or whatever suits you. It will still be a lot cheaper that the Ultra or even the Pro II fir that matter. Market value has gone up for Mexican Fenders as well. So I would not worry too much about that.. that's why O decided to buy a new (and the specific Olympic Pearl finish). A 10 or 15 year old mim Strat goes for 500-600 euro's these days here, so when I pay an extra 100-200 I could buy a brand new regular Player. And these are a lot better than the Mexican standards (Alnico vs ceramic pickups, tone control on the bridge pup, 2-pont trem) Like the great George Jones sang it: We all.got choices, since the day we were born.
I have the regular Player strat and even that plays better than all the old American standards I used to own. Only thing I'll eventually upgrade are the pickups.
@@funkster007 Yes, sometimes that can be the case. In all honesty, this is a different comparison because it's a Player Plus Mexican Fender and not a standard one. I have both a Player Plus Strat and a regular Mexican (75th Anniversary) Telecaster, and also an American Elite series Telecaster. They're all different and all great guitars. But the necks on the Player Plus and Elite are a lot better in feel and playability to be honest. The pickups are too, but that's a minor difference and easy customization. My regular 75th Anniversary Tele has a poor sounding neck pickup (muddy, dark, dull) so I'm gonna put in a set of Fender Custom Shop Pure Vintage 64 pickups to upgrade them. The neck is not as smooth and had no rolled edges like the Player Plus and Elite. But that's no real problem, you get used to that. Neck profiles and radius I different on all three of my Fenders, it's a personal thing but I like all three and again, you get used to that real fast. But overall, when it comes down to everything combined... in all honesty I prefer my American Elite the most. Because of the great sounding Gen4 noiseless pickups, the smooth compound radius neck, the feel and looks. But that doesn't mean that Mexican Fenders are any less or inferior of course. The Elite (or mow called Ultra) is a very different guitar than the American Standard was, much more aimed at the modern player, with locking tuners, compound neck, noiseless pickups... nothing traditional. But I love it. I've had also 2 American Standards and I didn't think they're better guitars than the current Mexican Player series. These Mexican Fenders are getting better and better, so if I'd had to buy my first Fender on a bit of a budget, I'd buy a used Player, no doubt!
@@supersonicsroots Good points. Fenders in general really have varied throughout the years, especially the pickups and necks. That's also accounting for the handful of countries manufacturing them. Attempting to try to categorize them all, we'd go insane. Lol
That ultra strat sounds soft rounded with chime that dont pinch your ears , thats why its so expensive. That player plus strat sounded harsh. Too tinny
I’ve owned an ultra and an American Pro II and I prefer the pickups of these. I loved everything about the ultra (best neck I ever played and beautiful finish), but I found the pickups to take off too much high end. My favorite tone actually was the single coil sound of the hss as they added gain to it so it wouldn’t drop volume. I tired and played a player plus and to my ears it had more high end. I can’t say they sounded “better”, but definitely had more high end. There is no question of the value of the player plus strat as that is a lot of guitar for the price. Plus, if I ever wanted to swap out pickups, it’s still affordable to do so.
