Fender Player Stratocaster Review
The Fender Player Stratocaster is Fender's Mexican-made mid-range Strat — the guitar that sits between the Squier Classic Vibe (£380) and the American Professional II (£1,300). Made in Ensenada, Mexico, it's one of the best-selling guitars in the UK.
Specs
- Body: Alder
- Neck: Maple, Modern C profile, 648mm (25.5") scale
- Fretboard: Maple or Pau Ferro (finish-dependent), 9.5" radius
- Frets: 22 medium jumbo, rolled edges
- Pickups: 3× Player Series Alnico 5 single-coil
- Controls: Master volume (with treble bleed), tone 1 (neck/mid), tone 2 (bridge)
- Bridge: 2-point tremolo
- Tuners: Standard cast/sealed
- Finish: Polyester, various colours (Polar White, 3-Color Sunburst, Capri Orange, others)
Tone
The Player Series Alnico 5 pickups are a significant improvement over previous Player/Standard Strat pickups. They're voiced for clarity and harmonic content — not the over-wound, compression-heavy pickups that cheaper Strats sometimes use.
Neck pickup: Full, warm, slightly dark. Excellent for jazz and clean tones. The tone with neck pickup, tone at 7, is a classic Strat "woman tone."
Middle pickup: Thin, quacky, classic Strat character. Position 2 (neck+mid) and position 4 (mid+bridge) in-between tones are the signature Strat sound — glassy, out-of-phase pickup cancellation.
Bridge pickup: Brighter and more aggressive. Works best with a light breakup — Texas blues, classic rock. Can sound thin in high-gain contexts (single-coil hum becomes apparent with high gain).
Playability
Neck: The Modern C profile is comfortable for most hand sizes — not as thin as a D profile, not as full as a V. 9.5" fretboard radius is the modern Fender standard — flatter than vintage Strats (7.25"), friendlier for bending without fretting out.
Fret work: Good — the rolled fingerboard edges reduce the "new guitar" sharpness at the fret ends. Factory setup is generally good.
Tremolo: 2-point modern tremolo. Smooth action, reasonable tuning stability. Blocking one of the five springs allows better pitch return.
Player Strat vs Competitors
vs Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster (£380)
The Classic Vibe is the closest Squier equivalent. Key differences:
- Player has alnico 5 pickups (more complex); Classic Vibe has alnico 5 but different voicing
- Player has rolled fret edges; Classic Vibe does not
- Player has a two-point bridge; Classic Vibe has vintage 6-point
- Player body is alder; some Classic Vibe models use poplar
Verdict: The Player is noticeably better in pickup quality and playability. The gap is worth the £170 price difference if budget allows.
vs Fender American Professional II Stratocaster (£1,300)
The American Professional II has:
- Deep C neck profile vs Player's Modern C
- V-Mod II pickups (more complex winding) vs Player Series pickups
- Better fret work and setup time at the factory
- Made in USA vs Mexico
- Treble bleed circuit on all three volumes vs Player's one
Verdict: The American Professional II is a better guitar. Whether it's £750 better is subjective — professional players typically prefer the US-made instrument. Players on a budget find the Player Strat covers 85% of the experience.
Common Upgrades
Pickup upgrade: The Player Strat's pickups are good, but many players upgrade to Seymour Duncan SSL-1 or Bare Knuckle Apache sets for more vintage character. The routing and cavity accept any standard Stratocaster pickups.
Tuner upgrade: The standard cast tuners work but are not locking. Fender Locking Tuners (£40) drop in without drilling — massive improvement in tuning stability, especially with tremolo use.
Nut replacement: Some Player Strats have slightly rough nut slots. A bone or tusq replacement nut (£25 installed by a luthier) improves tuning stability and tone.
Where the Player Strat Sits in a Genuine Upgrade Path
The Player Stratocaster's real value only becomes clear when placed against both neighbours in the Fender ecosystem. Against the Squier Classic Vibe below it, the pickup and hardware improvements are noticeable and arguably worth the £170 gap. Against the American Professional II above it, the Player covers a genuine 85% of the experience for less than half the price — a smaller relative jump than the Squier comparison suggests.
This makes the Player Strat a "stop here unless you have a specific reason not to" guitar for most players — the further upgrade to American-made only pays off for players who've identified a specific, concrete reason the Player doesn't satisfy.
Common Mistakes
Upgrading to the American Professional II without a specific dissatisfaction driving the purchase. As the comparison section notes, whether the extra £750 is "worth it" is genuinely subjective — professional players often prefer the US-made instrument, but players without a specific complaint about their Player Strat are unlikely to feel a proportional improvement.
Overlooking the tuner upgrade as a low-cost, high-impact modification. As the Common Upgrades section explains, Fender locking tuners drop in without drilling and meaningfully improve tuning stability, especially with tremolo use — a genuinely underrated upgrade relative to its low £40 cost.
Assuming the bridge pickup handles high-gain contexts as well as the neck and middle positions. As the Tone section warns, the bridge pickup can sound thin in high-gain settings as single-coil hum becomes more apparent — worth knowing before assuming the stock bridge pickup covers every genre equally well.
Choosing the Player over the Classic Vibe without playing both in person first. As the comparison notes, the Player is noticeably better in pickup quality and playability, but "noticeably better" is still a subjective judgment worth confirming with your own hands before committing to the price difference.
ToneStakr's Take
For most players, the Fender Player Stratocaster is the sensible stopping point in the Fender ecosystem — genuinely significant improvements over the Squier Classic Vibe in pickup quality and fret work, while covering the large majority of what the American Professional II offers at under half the price. Reserve the jump to American-made specifically for players who've identified a concrete limitation in the Player (typically pickup complexity or factory setup precision) rather than upgrading purely for the "Made in USA" designation itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Fender Player Stratocaster made in Mexico?
Yes — the Player Series is manufactured at Fender's factory in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Build quality is very good, and Ensenada-made Fenders carry a strong, well-established reputation among players and technicians alike.
Does the Fender Player Stratocaster come in left-handed?
Yes — a left-handed version is available across most colour options, though the range is somewhat more limited compared to the full right-handed colour lineup.
What strings does the Fender Player Stratocaster come with?
Fender USA 250L strings (.009-.042 gauge) from the factory. Many players switch to .010 gauge after purchase for a fuller tone and slightly more sustain, though the stock gauge suits players who prioritize easier bending.
Is the Modern C neck profile suitable for players coming from a vintage-style Fender neck?
Generally yes, with a brief adjustment period — the Modern C is comfortable for most hand sizes and isn't a dramatic departure from vintage profiles, though players accustomed to a specific vintage C or V shape may notice the difference initially before adapting.
Should I upgrade the Player Strat's pickups, or are they good enough to keep long-term?
The stock Player Series Alnico 5 pickups are genuinely good and many players keep them long-term without complaint. An upgrade to Seymour Duncan SSL-1 or Bare Knuckle Apache sets is worth considering specifically for players chasing more vintage-accurate character, not a necessary fix for a deficient stock pickup.
Does the 2-point tremolo on the Player Strat stay in tune as well as a locking tremolo system?
Reasonably well for most playing styles, especially with a locking tuner upgrade and proper spring blocking, but players who use the tremolo aggressively and need maximum tuning stability may still prefer a dedicated locking tremolo system found on higher-tier Stratocasters.