Neck Finish: Satin Urethane 5. Here’s a bit of the history behind electric guitars. When amplified, the Precision immediately offers a very direct and slightly hi-fi version of the classic P-Bass sound. • ELECTRICS Player Series Alnico V split single-coil Precision Bass pickup • BUILD Alder body, bolt-on maple modern C neck with maple 9.5” radius fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets and synthetic bone nut • SCALE LENGTH 34”/864mm The tuners move smoothly and make tuning quick and easy. It’s clear but not brittle and delivers a range of classic Telecaster tones with pleasing jangle, snap and snarl, whether your tastes lean towards Bakersfield or Dartford. • DESCRIPTION Solidbody double-cutaway electric 4-string bass. Player Stratocaster and Stratocaster Plus Top. Neck Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm) 7. • BUILD Alder body, bolt-on maple modern C neck with pau ferro 9.5” radius fingerboard, 20 medium jumbo frets and synthetic bone nut Its vocal and expressive neck pickup instantly impresses, and the other two pickup selector positions elicit the same response. Many guitars from various companies use these frets, as they tend to appeal to the widest range of players. Much more so than a Les Paul-style guitar, which always seemed very heavy and awkward to me. Fender Standard (Mexican) Stratocaster The release of the Classic Vibe series back in 2008 gave Squier a much needed boost in reputation, proving they could cut costs intelligently and maintain excellent quality control from their Chinese factory. If you are reading this and breaking out in a cold sweat at the idea of a Strat with 22 frets and a two-point vibrato then Fender already makes reasonably priced Stratocasters for you, and they can be found in the Classic Series. The model, shape, and sound quality of this guitar are very good. I play a lot of blues, country, indie, ambient, and some classic rock on it. This tremolo allows you to lower the tension on all strings, which lowers the pitch of the notes. I’ve played hundreds of shows with this guitar that include rock, jazz, blues, country, metal, ambient, and grunge. Expect to see and hear a lot more of these guitars…, The Precision’s svelte neck will suit younger players, or guitarists switching over, Fender Player Stratocaster • SCALE LENGTH 25.5”/648mm You can never go wrong with a Stratocaster. The Player Series single coils pump out all the jingle jangle you can handle. The country music superstar has a new signature Fender guitar – an Esquire with a secret weapon. • SCALE LENGTH 25.5”/648mm Now the company’s attention turns to its entry-level models as we say adios to the popular Mexican Standards and hola to the Player series…. Not to say that you’d be disappointed with an American Stratocaster. There’s no other guitar that gives you as many options to change with your tone, your musical phases, and your playing in general. To say these are products that are part of the staple diet for the grassroots gigging musician is an understatement. I’ve met Ike a few times and have two friends that were in his touring band. community app, message board, free community tool, community chat, community forum, community platform, mobile community, group app, group communication Helps strings move just the right amount to stay in tune while bending, and cut at the right height for string action to make playing easy. The dark rosewood version gives a slightly warmer tone, with a woody feel to the neck. There are probably a thousand other guitar brands that have copied this exact design. I felt the American’s frets were just a little too high and that made it a chore to play easily on the higher frets. Also available soon is a Limited Edition Player with two Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocastet single coils in Butterscotch Blonde. In the first of a series looking at the chord shapes and sequences used by the Beatles, we get inside the head of John Lennon and find a solid rhythm guitarist with an ear for original chord changes. This is a popular and comfortable neck profile for chords, leads, and all types of playing – a favorite among Stratocaster players. I’m Dan Hoang. After looking at the spec comparison, you might ask yourself why someone would buy the American Standard version when the specs are pretty similar, but the American costs over twice as much. Also available in Polar White, Buttercream, Three-Colour Sunburst (all pao ferro ’boards only) All three six-strings on test have slim Modern C shaped necks with a very flat-feeling combination of 9.5inch radius boards and medium-jumbo fretwire. Whether you’re just learning to play, or play professionally, the design of this guitar is made to fit your well and to be comfortable for as long as you want to play it. Fender certainly seems to have made a bit more of an effort with this than some of the previous incarnations. Here’s a Part 1 guide to the man jokingly dubbed Slowhand. • NECK WIDTH 42mm at nut, 51.8mm at 12th fret In our final part of our look at the stylings of the legendary Three Kings, we tackle the searing style of Freddie King. This Stratocaster has a style that has been copied since it arrived. We went through several months of shooting out pickups and probably a dozen sets until we were happy.”. I feel the level of quality on this guitar is well-above the price tag and continues to make it a great guitar and an amazing value. If you already have a Stratocaster, or maybe a few, this would be another great addition to your guitar stable, either to keep stock or to customize as you see fit. The four available colors correspond with fingerboard wood options. No bigger than a chunky stompbox, Orange’s latest Terror is a fully fledged 20-watt amplifier complete with valve preamp and (sort of) channel switching. Visit instagram.com/mizpahstudios to find out more. After a quick soldering fix and check of all existing connections, there haven’t been any other such issues in many years. However, like all of its stablemates, the Strat’s new pickups really do help it offer a more expressive and sophisticated range of voices than its Mexican Standard forebears. An awkward guitar can really get in the way when you’re learning to play, and also when you want or need to play for a long time. Get started with step-by-step lessons, expert instructors and 100s of your favorite songs. Loving it so much I bought a 98 American Standard a few years later, and I can’t imagine anything else I’d ever want in a guitar. However, Fender sells the case separately from the guitar. • WEIGHT 7.9lbs/3.6kg They use better hardware, pickups, etc. • STRING SPACING 32.5mm at nut, 58.1mm at bridge I was a major metal head when I started playing and had no interest in Strats. After having played Stratocasters almost exclusively for many years, that difference is very small. Five years on from the King Of The Blues’ death in 2015, aged 89, a new movie featuring Wendell Pierce as BB is in the works. This guitar can change however you want it to. • NECK WIDTH 41.6mm at nut, 51.4mm at 12th fret Fender literally wrote the book on electric basses, laying the foundation for musical innovation and evolution. I’ve learned a ton over the years and would love to share some tips with you! So, funk and spanky jazz/blues are easy for this guitar. I did play a Fender Player Series Strat at a local store. Fender knows the audience it’s aiming for with the Player series, and based on the performance of our review Stratocaster, it’s hit the bull’s-eye. Fender Play is the complete app for learning to play acoustic and electric guitar, bass and ukulele. Fender recently announced its new Player Series, which will replace the company's Mexican-made Standard Series.Player Series models will feature Alnico pickups and satin-finished maple necks across the lineup, as well as updated body radii, 22-fret necks, upgraded bridges, new finishes and a revised logo.New finishes for the Player Series include Sage Green, Polar White, … Even better, the Player Series Strat is available with SSS, HSS, and HSH pickup configurations. For those with small hands, younger players and guitarists moving over to bass, the neck dimensions of a 50s-style Precision can sometimes be tough to get around, but there are no such problems with the svelte Player series model – although the G-string saddle on our review sample is prone to wandering a little when the string is hit hard, it’s otherwise tough to find fault with such a simple, keenly priced workhorse bass. Just know that you are paying a premium. Following three stellar performers, the Player Stratocaster isn’t quite as easy to get excited about – our review example is a bit of a heavyweight and its two-point vibrato feels rather elastic and unsubtle compared to the beautiful shimmers offered by the Jazzmaster’s unit. I can tell you that after decades of performing, recording and some touring, a good Stratocaster is still my #1 guitar of choice. Ike is a great guitar player as well and can play any guitar he wants. The affordable Fender Player series has fast become one of the most successful lines to ever come out of the Ensenada, Mexico factory. Many players were rather disappointed with this fact. But make no mistake, the Fender Player Stratocaster is no copy. Body Material: Alder 2. Sure, if you compare the build quality between an American Strat and a Mexican Strat side by side, the American DOES come out on top. With the five-way selector, you can choose between: The Fender Stratocaster probably has the most iconic design for a guitar in the world, next to only the Gibson Les Paul. A good-sounding, solid replica of classic bone. • FINISH Sage Green Metallic gloss polyester, satin urethane on back of neck with gloss urethane headstock face. The Player Stratocaster picks up where the Standard version left off: It has a trio of new Player Series Alnico V single-coils that, according to the brand, is “designed for authentic Fender tone—with a bit of an edge.” The Fender Player Series Before I get into this Fender Redondo Player review, this is a strange situation for me to be in, especially when looking at this Fender Redondo Player acoustic-electric. Yes, you can modify the Fender Player series, yes you can file the frets, but when these guitars are clearly designed for entry level players it really defeats the point. The Player Series of Fender guitars are made in Mexico, with the American Standard (or now the American Professional), being made in the USA. Replacing the now-discontinued Standard series, the Fender Player Series honors the core Fender classics with quality construction, vintage-inspired finishes, select modern updates, and friendly price points that appeal to a range of aspiring and experienced players. • NECK WIDTH 41.9mm at nut, 51.3mm at 12th fret The type of frets on both are “Medium Jumbo”, so they should be the same but I always felt the Standard was a better playing guitar from the start. The only warning I would have is that you could very well become addicted to Strats and let your other guitars collect dust. • NECK DEPTH 21.3mm at first fret, 22.4mm at 12th fret This is a very underrated guitar, and a great guitar in its own right in many ways. Continuing our journey through the guitar styles of the legendary Three Kings, this time it’s the turn of Flying V-toting blue icon Albert. Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. This helps reduce unwanted noise from nearby electronic devices and lights. If you don’t already have one, I really feel you need to look into a Stratocaster, and this Mexican Strat is the perfect introduction to the world of Strats. • HARDWARE Standard cast/sealed tuners, six-saddle bridge with floating vibrato tailpiece, 3-ply black pickguard “Therefore, we knew we wanted to step up to a more complex alnico pickup, while also retaining some hotness and output, so we went with alnico Vs on most guitars and a few have IIs. Appealing to a wide variety of players, the sleek new Lead models kicked off a fresh creative era in Fender’s history. Very good, versatile tones from these three pickups. Although there have been some slight variations in headstock design (like any product, just to make things different from year to year), the design of this guitar has not changed since it first hit the stores in 1954. Also available in Three-Colour Sunburst, Polar White, Black (maple ’board only), Tidepool (maple ’board only), Sonic Red (pau ferro ’board only) Darrel Braun actually made a very good video breaking down the tonal differences between the American and Mexican Stratocasters. “The Standard models had slightly hot and dark ceramic bar magnet pickups that we felt didn’t really bring out all the nuance, personality and clarity that a Fender is known for, but they did perform well with higher gain sounds,” explains Norvell. The Jazzmaster’s neck is approximately the same depth as those of its stablemates but feels slightly fuller in terms of profile – it’s nicely rounded and the pick of the bunch here. It’s a proven guitar, and I’m sure you’d be happy with it. New Squiers top out at around $ Player Series Stratocaster. - YouTube I speak from experience because I constantly adjust them while I perform. All three fingerboards feature extensions to accommodate a 22nd fret, while truss-rod adjustment on Player series instruments happens at the headstock end, behind the synthetic bone nut. I love recording music and filming guitar covers and I occasionally post them on YouTube. Walk into any pub in the Western world and – assuming that it hasn’t recently been turned into an artisanal gin bar staffed by Victorian strongman lookalikes with a strict cassette-only music policy – if there’s a band playing on stage then it’s more likely than not that someone will be playing a Mexican-made Fender electric guitar. • DESCRIPTION Solidbody double-cutaway electric guitar. This is a big bonus when you rehearse or perform and don’t want the keep the line signal and noise-free as you can. However, the unwound strings’ saddles can slide laterally when used with the supplied 0.009 to 0.042 gauge strings – a heavier set would almost certainly have the tension necessary to keep this in check but as ever, the offset modders’ union recommends going the whole hog and dropping a Mastery bridge in there. Playing the hell out those clanky new strings certainly helps, and as ever a foam mute under the strings down by the bridge is the passport to woodier and more authentic 50s and 60s tones. The Tele is Fender’s oldest commercial solid-body electric guitar model. They feel low enough to not hinder your playing, yet tall enough for your fingers to grab the string when bending or using vibrato. • NECK WIDTH 41.3mm at nut, 57.6mm at 12th fret • NECK DEPTH 21.4mm at first fret, 22.4mm at 12th fret Fender has produced various flavors of their headstock logo over the years, and this 70s is always a favorite style among many players. The Fender Standard single coils that come on this guitar are well-suited for many styles of music and will give you the classic Stratocaster sound you’re looking for. This is especially true with the cover bands I’ve played in since I have to change sounds so often to accommodate multiple different bands and styles of music. Also available in Three-Colour Sunburst, Tidepool (maple ’board only), Buttercream (maple ’board only), Polar White, Sage Green Metallic (pao ferro ’board only), Sonic Red (pao ferro ’board only) Humbuckers in a Fender electric can sometimes be a disappointing compromise that stifles the natural bite and jangle of a bolt-on, leaving you with a rather blunt instrument. It’s a legit Fender Stratocaster…enough said, Ergonomic shape; comfortable neck and body, Sound quality on par with American verions, Single coil pickups aren’t suited for high gain, Thin c-shape neck might not be comfortable for those with bigger hands, Fretboard radius doesn’t allow for very low action. Clean tones are nasal, quacky and vocal – unmistakably the real deal but in the Knopfler and Rodgers camp rather than SRV or Jimi. First up in its Sonic Red livery is the Player Stratocaster. I would spend hours and hours switching between the pickups, tweaking the sound, and just enjoying the inspiration that all the tones gave me. Start your free trial. This is not uncommon with heavily-used guitars that are moved around a lot, and played for hundreds of hours, though. Enter the new Player series. Brass saddles will always be a key part of the quintessential Telecaster tone for some – and it’s worth remembering that Keef’s trusty Micawber has five of ’em! • PRICE £549 This comes really close to the original single-coil sounds. • ELECTRICS 2x Player Series Alnico V Tele single-coil pickups, 3-position blade selector switch, master volume, master tone Here are the specifications of the Squier Affinity Stratocaster as listed on the official Fender website. Although the American Professional is considered to have better-quality components, electronics, and other details, this Standard version is by no means a “lesser” guitar. The critics and the users appreciate this. I’ve learned a ton over the years and would love to share some tips with you! That said, there is a two humbucker loaded version available for those looking for a bit more grunt. The November 2020 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! My playing became more diverse because of its tones, my technique became better, my ear got better at tweaking tones, and I found myself often playing with lesser gain than I usually would because I loved the tone so much. We provide insight and opinion about gear, artists, technique and the guitar industry for all genres and skill levels. For years they wrote, recorded and performed together. There are other differences between these two guitars that you can’t always put in a chart, small things that don’t matter to many people, but that some others might like and therefore will pay extra. The frets on the Player Series Strat were the perfect shape and height. In this comprehensive review of the Fender Player Stratocaster, you’ll learn why this model is not only a great guitar but a great value for players of any level, from basic beginner to touring professional. Most of the time, you will see Ike playing this stock Player Series Stratocaster on stage, and he gets some amazing tones out of it. Replacing the now-discontinued Standard series, the Fender Player Series honors the core Fender classics with quality construction, vintage-inspired finishes, select modern updates, and friendly price points that appeal to a range of aspiring and experienced players. The Player Telecaster is no slouch either. Replacing the now-discontinued Standard series, the Fender Player Series honors the core Fender classics with quality construction, vintage-inspired finishes, select modern updates, and friendly price points that appeal to a range of aspiring and experienced players. The August 2020 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now. If you ever decide to customize this guitar, you have an unlimited number of options regarding pickups. Series: Player Body Material: Alder Body Finish: Gloss Polyester In terms of craftsmanship and attention to detail, the American models are slightly better across the board.