Fender Player Stratocaster Guitar Review (Hands-On & In-Depth)

This Fender Player Stratocaster review takes a look at one of the moderately priced Fender Stratocaster guitars. This instrument offers players a lot of value.

I’ve been playing guitar for many years. I worked in a music store as well as a warehouse checking guitars for quality. I’ve tried many different Fender instruments, and the Fender Player Series is a standout.

This is an excellent guitar that you can get for under $1,000. It’s one of the better lower-cost offerings from Fender, and it’s an instrument that you can grow with. Let’s have a look at the Fender Player Series Stratocaster.

Fender Player Stratocaster Review: About the Fender Player Stratocaster

This article will address the standard Fender model with three single-coil pickups. You can get other pickup configurations, such as one with a humbucker or two single-coils.

The model sits between the lower-cost Squier Fender guitars and the higher-end models. It’s an excellent bargain for under $1,000. It’s designed for the average player that wants a high-quality guitar for a lower price.

To put it in perspective, I own a high-end Fender Stratocaster. It cost a lot more than the Fender Player Series. It’s difficult for me to distinguish between the tones of the two instruments.

If I were to hear both of them side-by-side, it would take me quite a while to determine which guitar was being played. You get a lot of value when you purchase a Fender Player Series guitar.

Body

The body of the guitar is made from alder wood. It provides excellent sustain and resonance. A lot of Fender guitars are made with alder. The body is a standard Fender Stratocaster size.

The body of this instrument is lightweight, so it’s perfect for sitting down to play or standing up. There’s not much back strain when you play a Fender Stratocaster if you compare it to other instruments.

Neck

The neck on the guitar is made from maple. You can get a morado fretboard or a maple fretboard. This all comes down to your personal preferences.

You shouldn’t have any problem navigating the fretboard because Fender necks are easy to play. They’re usually quite smooth without any imperfections or problems with the frets.

Pickups

This guitar features three Player Series single-coil pickups. They give you standard Fender Stratocaster single-coil sounds. The pickups are excellent for blues, moderate rock, country, jazz, and similar styles.

If you prefer heavy metal or more aggressive guitar styles, you can also get a Fender Player Series Stratocaster with two single-coils and a humbucker pickup.

See more: Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups Buyer’s Guide

Other Parts

The instrument features a standard Fender tremolo system, which comes with a tremolo arm. The guitar has one volume knob and two tone controls along with a five-way pickup selector switch.

It comes with die cast machine heads and two strap buttons. On the front of the instrument, you’ll find the input jack. The fretboard features standard Fender position markers, and the Fender logo is found on the headstock.

Pros & Cons

Fender Player Stratocaster Review: My Experience with the Fender Player Stratocaster

In the music store where I taught guitar, I got to play quite a few Fender guitars, including guitars from the Fender Player Series. It’s an excellent guitar for any beginner to advanced player that has a moderate budget.

You get the same great Fender feel and tone that you expect, but at a lower price point. This guitar is easy to play and sounds great right out of the box.

If you’ve been looking at Fender guitars before and can’t decide, I feel that the Fender Player Series is a great choice for almost anyone. This is a guitar you’ll enjoy playing for many years.

Fender Player Stratocaster Review: The Sound

This instrument is capable of producing a wide range of different tones. It comes with three single-coil Player Series Alnico 5 pickups. These pickups give the guitar a lot of expressive capabilities. It excels at blues, country, rock, and other styles.

You can also get this instrument with other pickup configurations, such as a humbucker and two single coils. This is the ideal option if you want to play more hard rock or metal styles.

The regular three single-coil models sound the best if you play the guitar through a clean channel or use a moderate amount of distortion. The pickups may feed back a little bit if you use too much distortion or high gain settings.

Fender Player Stratocaster Neck

This guitar has a 22 fret neck with medium jumbo frets. The scale length is 25.5″, and the fretboard radius is 9.5″. The neck itself is C-shape and made from maple. It comes with either a maple or morado fretboard.

I found the neck on the model to be quite playable. It produces smooth-sounding chords, and it’s easy to move up and down the neck to play barre chords. You’ll also find it easy to solo up and down the fretboard with lots of room.

Electronics

This guitar comes standard with regular Fender electronics. This includes a five-way pickup selector switch, one volume control, and two tone controls. It gives you the same options as a regular Fender Strat.

Tremolo

This instrument has a standard two-point synchronized tremolo that comes with many Fender Stratocasters. This is a floating-style tremolo that comes with an arm. It’s perfect for dive-bombs and whammy bar tricks.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some frequently asked questions that people ask about the Fender Player Series Stratocaster. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to purchase this model.

Is the Fender Player Series Right for Me?

This Fender model is an excellent choice for most players. This is because you get a Fender Stratocaster that sounds great but costs a lot less. It sounds great through most amps, and it’s perfect for multiple guitar styles.

There’s no reason to spend more on a Fender Stratocaster if you don’t want to. The Player Series gives you everything that you could want in a Fender guitar. I was quite happy with the sounds I got out of this instrument.

If you like the sound of a Fender guitar and have never owned one before, this is a great introduction to the lineup. The sounds the instrument produces are exceptional for its price range, and the guitar is easy to play.

Does the Fender Player Series Stratocaster Have Drawbacks?

This guitar really doesn’t have a whole lot of drawbacks. It’s a well-built instrument, and you can get it for a great price. It may not have some of the higher-end pickups that more expensive Fender guitars have, but it’s still a great option.

These guitars usually sound great right out of the box, although they may need a little bit of a setup before they’re playable for your needs. You can take it to a guitar technician to have the action, pickup height, and the intonation properly set.

How Can I Make My Guitar Sound Better?

While the guitar has excellent pickups, they might not be the ideal option for your individual guitar style. You may want to change the pickups to make your guitar sound a bit more to your liking.

You should use a good quality guitar cable to improve the signal. The guitar will sound better if you use a quality amplifier. The gear that you use with your guitar can help improve the tone.

Another thing you can do to improve the sound is to ensure that you’re using fresh strings. When you get it out of the box, the guitar has probably been sitting there for a long time, so change the strings.

When playing this guitar through an amplifier, dial back the high-gain settings. The single coils will sound better at a moderate gain. If you want higher distortion settings, use a model that has a humbucking pickup.

Can I Play Fast on the Fender Player Series?

You can play a lot of fast guitar on the Fender Player Series Guitar, although I wouldn’t call it an instrument that’s built for hard rock or metal styles. The Stratocaster really isn’t an instrument for this type of music.

Although plenty of players have used the Stratocaster to play faster guitar styles, it’s generally better for moderate rock, blues, and similar styles. You won’t find this guitar ideal for advanced speed.

Fender Player Stratocaster Warranty

The warranty on your guitar will depend on where you purchase it from. If you buy online, please check with the retailer to see what type of warranty they offer. You can also speak to Fender about your guitar warranty.

Where to Buy the Fender Player Stratocaster

There are several places where you can pick up a Fender Player Stratocaster. I’ve listed the most popular ones below. These are my main recommendations as to where you can purchase one of these guitars.

Amazon

Amazon is one of the better online retailers that sell musical instruments as well as other products. They have a large selection, fast shipping, good customer service, and you can leave reviews on your purchases.

Order Online

Sweetwater and Guitar Center are two other locations where you can purchase musical instruments. These locations have an excellent selection, good customer service, fast shipping, and reasonable rates.

Your Local Store

Your local music store may also have a Fender Player Stratocaster in stock. Please keep in mind that not every location will carry this guitar, so you may have to special order it.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading my Fender Player Stratocaster review. This is an excellent guitar suitable for beginners through advanced players. The guitar is easy to play, looks great, and gives you that authentic Fender tone you seek.

Please comment, like, and share this article. I look forward to talking to you about Fender guitars and music in general. I hope you enjoy playing your new Fender Player Stratocaster.