Fender Player Plus Stratocaster Review

The Strat I've Always Wanted

This is my third one in recent years, but this is now THE ONE. Love the Modern "C" Player Plus neck...smooth and feels great. The noiseless pickups sound like classic strat to me (without the hum). The upgraded bridge on this Player Plus just feels better, especially on the palm. Locking tuners are a fantastic addition. An added treat is the Push-pull Tone knob to get a couple extra… read more very distinct sounds. I had seen three different colors of the Player Plus in person and that creamy sparkling pearl is just amazing, especially against the tortoise pickguard. I'm thrilled with this one! Much thanks to Sales Engineer Will Newbill for the great assistance!

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Like eating freshly made buttered toast.

This guitar...it's not so much a "thing" you write a review about as it is an "experience". I have played guitar for 31 years this year and I would say I have spent the majority of it playing cheaper guitars. This is definitely the most expensive guitar I have ever bought by a long shot. I'll do my best to make an analogy of my experience. If you spent 31 years of your life driving… read more an average car around but you perfected it and tweaked it and made that average thing work wonders, that's where I am at with those $300-600 guitars. Now imagine you are handed the keys to an F-1 Racecar. You know what to do with it, you know how to drive it, but it's so much more "car" than you have ever been used to. You don't have to hit the gas so hard, you don't have to take turns like you used to. Everything is maxed out and performs at peak precision so well that all of your skills get turned on their head because you aren't doing the majority of the work you are used to any longer. This guitar is playing me as much as I am playing it. I am able to relax now and allow my skills to let themselves breathe instead of having to overcompensate for lesser hardware. The sounds it allows to come forth, the feel of the neck, the color (a little bit more of the vintage yellowing feel to it than even the pictures really show which is extremely lovely) the body, they are all a 5/5 with a chef's kiss behind it. The people of Sweetwater did a wonderful job packaging everything very well and safely, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, the product came 1000% as advertised. Looking forward to a long and healthy relationship with them.

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I am beyond thrilled with this axe

This is the best value on a guitar I have ever gotten in my many decades as a guitarist and tone chaser (well, along with the Epiphone Les Paul Custom I also purchased from Sweetwater). I would put it up against any American Strat. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it sounds fantastic, is whisper quiet thanks to the Fender noiseless pickups, and it stays in tune (unlike my… read more Gibson Les Paul LOL!) The playability of the neck and fingerboard is like butter. Where this guitar really shines is through my pedals. The clean or slightly overdriven sound through my Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and Strymon Flint Reverb is HOLY GRAIL -so lush, full, and chiming (unlike the thin sound you so often hear with Strats when they are played clean). It sounds ferocious through my Friedman BE OD, which is my fave overdrive/distortion pedal since my original Rat, and heavenly through my Canyon Delay. A shout out to Aaron, my Sales Engineer for being so easy, gracious, and professional to work with.

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Did I just get lucky?

I have owned many Fender Strat's in my life, Custom Shop, American Standard's, Squires etc., but never a Fender "Made in Mexico". To be honest the color scheme is what grabbed me. Also, the fact this guitar has a 12-degree fingerboard. This guitar looks great, and it plays fantastic. The noiseless pickups are super quiet and very articulate. This guitar stays in tune even with the… read more whammy bar and the Sweetwater setup is fantastic. So, tell me, did I get lucky? or are all these Player Plus Strat's this good?

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Sweeeeeeeeet!!!!

Just got this beautiful guitar and can't put it down it feels great in my hands, and sounds like a chorus of angels. I am sooo happy with my new purchase! There is nothing I need to do to it to make it better! Thank you Nick Nevins for helping out you are the best! Get this guitar you won't regret doing it.

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Wow looks great sounds great

I must admit it was the look that caught my eye at first. Then I started looking at the specs I love a blonde neck and an Alder body. From a prior experience with a MIM telecaster I was so impressed with the body in the neck I did change out the pick ups to the fender GEN four noiseless pick ups and now I just could not part with it the sound is beyond great. So I went ahead and… read more bought this thinking I might have to change out the pick ups they sound pretty darn good to me much better than the prior MIM pick ups. The neck and the body are perfect on this new Strattcaster and of course it was set up perfectly by Sweetwater. I'm not a gig bag guy so I bought a gator case that's just awesome for the money. It is a bit heavy for a Strat but I think that's the alter body which I prefer so no problem there. I would say if you're looking at one just buy it the price is right the product is fantastic. Which brings me to my guy at Sweetwater who is Drew he has helped me immensely over the years. His knowledge is off the chart because he is a player. Just a sidenote but he knows foot pedals fantastic I think he is actually played through everyone he sure has help me there. So there you have it a really good product and the best place to buy it

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Awesome strat

I love the finish but this strat plays awesome it has everything I was looking for maple fretboard locking tuners push/pull pot the only disappointment for me was the satin finish on the fretboard .wish it had been gloss finish don't mind satin on the back .just my personal preference I've always been a tele or les paul guy I was missing out on a great guitar sad to say I've been… read more playing 40 years this is my first stratocaster I absolutely love this guitar my favorite colors are red orange and yellow I think they made it just for me.if your looking at this strat just get it the quality was top notch .

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I can't stop staring at it—and it sounds fantastic.

The photos don't do this guitar justice. The Olympic Pearl finish is absolutely stunning in person. Every time I walk into the room I have to pause and admire it. The noiseless pickups are indeed noiseless and have that classic Strat sparkle. I feel they add a touch of twang on certain notes, similar to a Tele, but that may just be the strings that came with the guitar (I haven't… read more put on new ones yet). I deducted a half-star because while it does play buttery-smooth, I'm not as much of a fan of the 12" radius fretboard compared to the 9.5" found in the Player and American Strats (I tried a Player in Tidepool blue before switching to this model). I'm not sure why Fender chose to put the 12" on this model alone. Not a dealbreaker though, like I said, it still plays wonderfully!

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Huge upgrade to player series

I have a 2020 MIM player series and a 2021 American professional 2 series and this player plus is quickly becoming my favorite! The upgraded pickups sound so clean. I'm a huge fan of the larger radius fretboard as well.

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