Fender Players Series Stratocaster 

Please leave comments if you would like me to address anything on my full review

"What's the difference between a USA Strat and a Mexico Strat?...mmm...about 85 miles." --Scott Grove

After 25 years of playing, I finally bought a stratocaster player .. I have to admit that I am very excited .. The build quality is fantastic, I can hardly believe how beautiful it is put together. The sound is real.

Yeah, not all of us can afford an "American made" Strat. I'm getting a new Player Series Strat, and it is very nice. ❤️🎸🎵

I cant wait to see you compare this to a standard

I'm a Fender guy thanks for the info I love your show Phillip 🎸

And the lefty models look good as well. They actually gave them their own category box on the Fender website. Southpaws are moving up in the world.

Sounds like you had a good first impression of the Fender Players Series Stratocaster. I like the sound of those pickups. I look forward to a more thorough review after you’ve had some time with it.

Phil, those pickups sound incredible!

Great video Phillip as usual! Wore my "Know your gear" shirt out and there were three people who knew what it was in Chicago. My Luthier also knew it. Thanks again very informative as usual.

Man that Strat looks and sounds amazing Phillip!

Great demo Philip, as usually! I bought the same one today :it's a real good strat and looks lovely in this color!

At around the $700 price point it should at least come with a generic gig bag...

I saw these at Gear Fest & the Fender rep said that the new trem is much more stable & has a “much higher cost block”. The SSS model Strats were $559 for Gear Fest. 👍🏻

I like the subtle rebranding of the Player series,it now has the specs and the feel of the old American standard strat from the fender branded bridge,alnico 5 pickups,back neck plate ,satin finish etc and the pickups of the American standard have been changed to fat 50s pups.Thanks for the balanced demoing as always brilliant.

You are part of the Fender family because you probably just sold one to me. Thanks Phillip. You are the best.

I use too hate maple fret boards, now I really like them on all my guitars, and the sound is also awesome.

Ahh definitely heard about this one. Really glad to see Fender working to make an exceptional comeback in the guitar realm. I need one eventually!

Loving these new intros, Phil!

Loving the sound of the new pickups

I actually bought this guitar today, same colour as well. In my opinion the neck feels amazing to play on. Pups have an amazing sound. I couldn't be happier with it!

Absolutely wonderful Stratocaster ! Can't beat MIM Fenders on value for money ! These now have Alnico pickups 👍

The pickups sound great.

Nothing sweeter than a Shinny Red Guitar.

Always awesome to see Phil JAM a strat! Great review!

Opening like a little kid on Christmas, guitar in hand and loves the sticker. 👍

I got mine yesterday with a fender tweed case, I’m gonna put some vintage tuners and a mint green guard. And there I’ve got myself a custom shop Strat

You sound great man, love those licks you are playing so nonchalantly but so expertly. You inspire me to buy one of these things. Thanks man. Jerome from Michigan.

Incredible sound

Just ordered mine late night select top cherry finish mable fretboard black pickguard im stoked cant wait to get it

I love how you're wearing a PRS hat, a Fender shirt, and playing a Fender Strat

Wow, impressed! Great sound!

Can't wait to see what mods you do when you set it up Pickups do sound pretty good

really enjoyed this review, good job!

Love your vids. Keep on keepin’ on Brotha.

Cool Strat, it's a big improvement over the Standard Stratocaster.

Love the 50's style logo on the small headstock. The pickups have been changed and there is now a tone control for the bridge pickup. Also, that one is Sonic red, I have a Dakota Red Stratocaster and Dakota red is darker. Unfortunately, the range of colors is a bit limited this time around, I was hoping for some more choices of colors.

Wow Phil, That Strat sounds amazing!

You could tell that you "vibed" with it. I love everything but the color. Those pickups sound so much better than the old mim setup!

Thanks Philip.

If I put myself back in the early/mid-nineties, when there was an MIM Fender of some sort in nearly every jam room on the block, I would definitely be drawn to this one instead of the MIMs that were actually around back in the day. Those MIMS were plenty nice; relatively cheap, sounded good (though most of us changed out the bridge pickup), and generally bulletproof, but his one looks to be an improvement for sure. Definitely has the sound, the new vintage-style logo is a plus in my book, and Dakota Red is a great sleeper Fender color.

Good job Phil, I like these guitars !

Thx for being the most honest review guy on youtube.i was jw what was up with this series.that player hs jaguar had me curious

Nice Surfcaster behind you. I own one with a cherry quilt top. Picked up new in the mid 90s.

Respect for opening the box with a switchblade

I love that color

I knew you were going to say, "Right off the bat."!

Now I'm fucking mad.. I've been playing guitar for 16 years and since day 1 I've always wanted a Mark Knopfler red strat, but I've never been able to buy or couldn't afford his signature guitar. And Fender has since not put out any red ones like that. Not at least to my knowledge. And now when I'm finally finishing up my partscaster in a similar red.. this baby pops out for such a low price.. -_- Granted it's not Hot Rod Red but fuck it, it looks really beautiful!

Finally!! The perfect Strat for my budget!! Checkout the TIDEPOOL color, looks georgeus!

Sounds good to me

I tried one out yesterday at GC. First of all, the guitar was actually in tune. I played the HSS model and it sounded great. A decimate buy for me (unless I get a great deal on an old American Standard). This guitar has so much in common with the American Professional; you get 90% of What the MIA offers at roughly half the price.

i just got one the exact same color and fret board and its amazing

Great video bro! Guitar sounds great!

I can’t even make a tuned guitar sound that great

Love that Video demo Guitar New Fender Players Series

Thanks from Brazil. São Paulo !

Had the opportunity to try a maple neck player last week. It sounded great.

Fire it up mate! Nice playing!

Hey Phil, are you going to have a closer look at a Modern Player Series Tele by any chance? Or is it only the Strat you're reviewing?

I bought one of these jaguars. Amazing guitars

You never cease to impress. Lovely guitar, too. Tho I still prefer my 2006 MIM standard, I gotta say I tried one of these in a shop and was very impressed. The neck mostly. I think they nailed the neck.

just something you may know but didnt point out in the vid, is that the neck tone is actually now for neck and middle and what was the middle tone is now for the bridge... just letting you know in case you didnt cos you gotta know your gear ;)

Sounds amazing. Amp probably helps a little bit. But will definitely look for a set of the pu's on the second market as people pull them to 'upgrade'.

That sounds good!

Sounds fantastic

Looks fiesta Red. Love the colour

Sounds good for chhhh chugging..and bluesing..may buy one.

One 2018 Player Review showed full size CTs pots. Full foil shield on the pickguard and full paint shield in the cavity. Glad you mentioned the neck profile - I have a Pro Strat. I have a new Chinese Contemporary Squire Strat, very nice guitars for the money; if you can find/get one with a straight neck....Very Nice (Jumbo) Fret work for the $349.00 price range.

Already bought a player strat and tele....love them both. Changed the tuners to staggered locking and tusk nut.....put a SH4 in the strat bridge....Blows my American strat in the weeds...because of price. I also have 5 prs SE's single cut with good electronics, new bridges and Earvana nuts....CRAZY awesome axes Love them all! The band I'm in loves the sound of them all and the other guitarists had played all of them. Don't have a ton of money in any of them (the players are new..the rest are craiglist specials I got for nothin) and they are all great axes. By the way..I also have a Jdram Warrior Isabella I traded for....guy had no idea what he had and neither did I until I researched it...frikin $6k guitar and it's AWESOME....can't take it to gigs....would cry for a year if it got boosted....

A very nice good looking guitar sweet pick ups, great contour body shape, good balance great finished and sound of course fantastic

Don't miss the spring for the tremolo!

Hey Phil! When you do the full review could you add in the HSS configuration Pease! That would be awesome.

I am thinking to buy my first Fender lefthanded...been playing about 30years . That sounds awesome. I am looking that "fender tone".

Hi Phil! When you do your full review, I’m curious to see if the new alnico pickups are as hot as the old ceramics. They sound great so far! Maybe take a reading on your ohmmeter? I’m also curious if they routed the body for two humbuckers since there is an HSH model available. The new trem should work great with a set of locking tuners! Thanks for all you do!

The main thing I like about them is the two point trem.

Color is awesome

Fender and Paul Reed Smith - Two Great Brands!

Wao it's beautiful guitar.

Wood and laqcuer / finish quality Orientation of the maple neck (quartersawn etc)

I own a 2017 American professional telecaster butterscotch black guard .

I started making guitars, would love to have one reviewed

wow u made me change my mknd ln red strats they actually look good

Just got mine 4 days ago, basically a champagne experience for mountain dew money.

That red and white always reminds me to drake and josh

I just purchased a black on black players series. WOW. it really does feel like my American professional strat. I traded it away and regretted it. I’ve owned a number of strats and teles over the last 2 years and this one out of the box is exactly what’s missing. Pickups were great. Neck is perfect. This is a great deal feels and plays better than my American special tele

I think I might check one out don't know what color yet

Thought I heard somewhere that these have a tone control for the bridge pickup now...about time heh, heh! 🎸✌🏻

Hi Phillip, Love Your channel... I was wondering if You could review The Player"s Series Telecaster, and if You could do an A/B comparison between The Mexican Standard series and The new Player's Series. Thanks, Johnny

That bridge pickup sounds amazing. I'm usually not a fan of a strat bridge pickup and rarely ever use it because it's to thin and chimey. I can't wait for the full review.

Sounds great. Way better than the standards. I actually wish they were still 21 frets, but more people would want 22. I'm hoping they sell the pickups cheap so I can throw them in my standard.

I've played 50s, 60s, 70s 80s etc etc Strats over the many years I've been playing guitar. I wish I still owned some of the older ones simply for the ridiculous price they now command! But as to playability and tone? I currently gig with a '98 MIM and am completely happy with it...

Its probably me. But that fender has some Mojo that made my eyebrows lift. Sounded great with that amp!

You opened the box with a switchblade, that’s awesome!

I would expect the action to be a bit high. Anything out of box needs a serious setup. Yes, the pick ups have been upgraded and they sound great!

I've bought 2 brand new Fenders. A Jim Root Tele 2013 and a 2017 Profesional Strat..... I never received a sticker with either ! I got a bit of a thing for stickers XD

I'd love to see a comparison with the G&L Tribute Legacy

PHILS PACKIN A SWITCH BLADE! LOL!

Badass guitar

A few days ago I had it sent from a site, the package arrived with the word Fender, I opened it and inside I found a second package with the word Squier! I was scared to death, I thought the Squier had sent me instead of the Player, thank goodness that the Player was inside the package! However, this guitar is spectacular, for the price it has! Very comfortable action, it does not lose the tuning even with a lot of bendings, it has a faithfully Stratocaster and bright sound, it has a shielded pickguard so zero hums near the amplifier, decent potentiometers. It is really worth buying it, if you want a Stratocaster but without spending too much money!

Hey Phil, long time follower. Is the 2 point tremolo the same as on the USA models? Thanks a million for all the time you put in for the reviews!!