Yes - it's amazing that Fender rolling the fingerboard edges is 'a huge upgrade' when Sire have been doing this since the release of their Larry Carlton range, even on the cheapest models. They also have a contoured heel on all of their models.
Yup, Fender finally is trying to get their asses up to speed and it only took like, forever. "Time is Money" and they don't waste much of that on us, their customers aka their Bread and Butter unless of course we are stupidly willing to cough up $2000+ for a still relatively mediocre guitar when Vigier guitars will give you an absolute Dream Gem for about that.
@@bladeoflucatiel My squier bullet mustang is the best guitar ive ever played, not sound wise but im gonna change the pickups, but after a good set up the playability is insane
My biggest takeaway from doing my own video is that the Player II is no longer a “budget guitar” - quality, neck, hardware, pickups - they’re all legit and don’t require upgrading to use. Of course you always could get more out of after-market pickups but they don’t feel 100% required. It’s a real instrument. And now financially it doesn’t make sense to buy a classic vibe squier and mod it. By the time you update everything you’re basically at the cost of this. Big win from Fender for us all!
It’s just their Mexican Strat now. It’s renaming what they were doing before, with a new name and promo campaign, saying this is higher quality. $750-850 new While the Pro is $1350-1439.99. Hopefully the quality control has gotten better, because nearly every foreign made Fender Strat, I’ve tried out for several years, feel and/or sound bad. Some I can feel it, and not even plug it in, because I know it’s not going to stay in tune, and/or the frets are so jagged, that I don’t even want to play it if it did .
@@CorbCorbin yeah same here. I’ve avoided entry level fenders in the past - fret sprout, dry fretboards, neck pocket cracking, etc. I’ve played a few Strats, teles and jazzmasters in this line so far and all of them have been a cut above what the player I series was, hands down. Time will tell if the quality stays up, but so far I’ve been impressed. And I’m just a random dude trying things out - no paid sponsorships or anything like that. I’ve got some custom shops and some American Fenders, so I like the brand and hope that they can keep these instruments solid because it’s really nice having an entry level that’s actually a joy to play.
Not only is it not required, but the value tradeoff of upgrading isn't as much. Where before a neck or pickup replacement would be about $100-$300 and grant a 50% increase in tone/playability/etc., now you're looking at a 5% or 10% increase max. So now buyung upgrades is gonna take an extra consideration of deciding whether you REALLY love that guitar to an extent where you're willing to invest chunks of cash just to provide a marginal performance benefit. Because now, that money could be saved to invest in a whole new guitar which would provide a lot more variety to your playing options. Of course, if you have enough guitars and fell in love with your strat's colorway/design/playability, then perhaps investing small chunks over time could be what you want. It's just it won't be night and day, and while the tone/comfort may be better, you might feel like it's nearly imperceptible and maybe even more of a sidegrade than an upgrade.
@@spawn302 more of a Gibson player. Did upgrade a Squier Sonic with about $600 in parts(I actually have a specific reason for a couple of the parts) or so, but that’s largely because I don’t get along with standard size Strats(thickness didn’t fit my body right). I am building a custom off a Player Tele body, and the one major complaint I have is that the Fender neck profile doesn’t sit well with my hand. If I bought a Player II Tele, I would have had to order a custom neck(probably around $350-$600) just to be able to play it. My ideal neck is a thin, asymmetrical neck with a 12” Straight radius in Gibson Scale, with a Tusq XL nut. Out of the guitars I own, my Epi LP Classic Worn has the best playing neck. I already do pickup swaps automatically because I have a preferred sound, always a Super Distortion derivative in the bridge, and the other pickup/s depend on the guitar, but typically ceramics or Alnico IIs.
@@bradleyolinger1691 I dunno man, I have a squier contemporary jazzmaster, made in us fender strat, strandberg, ibanez, ive never had a neck I NEEDED in order to play it. To each his own
Not sure this is a useful comparison unless you only buy from Sweetwater. That pink guitar is not am pro ii specs, am pro ii have 2 points terms, string trees, back plates, no clay dots, vmod pickups, etc. this is just a big Sweetwater commercial
they do, BUT I have an American Vintage 2 in Fiesta Red that looks AMAZING and pretty much is, but the side clay dots are damn near invisible against the rosewood. I have a hard time seeing them on a dimly lit stage, even in my studio is the light is lower its hard to see. Never realized in over 40 plus years of playing how much I depend on the side dots!! I may put some white our or something on them its actually that bad.
@@brianseneca3546 wait... the side dots are also clay coloured? yikes, i can see that becoming a problem fairly quickly. you can buy a lume kit for watchmaking depending on your situation. it's classier than dot stickers. it'll be off-white in the day, still brighter than clay dots, and then glow in darker situations. just a thought.
@@marcaustin Absolutely. They really do a great job of recreating vintage tone and adding some new dimensions as well which are perhaps more suitable to modern playing. You can really shape a wide variety of sounds. I can't imagine that I'd ever consider swapping them out on this guitar.
That Pro II sounds incredible, but for $800 bucks that Player II is a steal. I didn’t notice that much of a difference with an untrained ear. I’d swap out the nut to bone as you suggested on that Player II and maybe locking tuners as I’m a lazy string changer and that’s it. Great vid Rhett. I will say the Pro II in Olympic White via Sweetwaters site is the one I’d lock down if I was in the market for a new Start, but my wife has crushed that dream😎
For exactly this reason I changed my mind about replacing the standard tuners as well,@@blackfrancis33. When string replacement is done correctly, locking tuners don't offer that much advantage in terms of tuning stability. In fact, I had replaced standard tuners for Kluson locking ones on a semi-hollow and found little to almost zero difference. There are many other aspects of guitar setup that come before when talking about tuning accuracy and stability. When all these are understood and embraced the need for locking tuners disappears where I'm concerned.
The American having no string tree is most likely due to the American having staggered tuners. (Lowering the angle of the strings without needing a tree)
Oh I didn't see this comment earlier. Yeah, even from the close ups in this video you could see the Am Pro IIs staggered 3 long/ 3 short (non-locking apparently) tuners. Negating the need of any string trees.
The standard issue American Pro II in my possession absolutely DOES have a string tree. I'm guessing that the absence in Rhett's guitar has to do with the fact that it's a Sweetwater spec
Sonically the sound a lot closer than I would have expected. The American Pro II has a little bit more sparkle especially high up the neck during the "Shine on You, Crazy Diamond" but for the money the Player II is actually a pretty good value.
In this video audio....I can't hear the price difference between the Player ii Alnico 5s, and the Am Pro II CS Fat 60s. Yeah back to back here, the AM Pro's CS's have a bit more roundness. But put either of these guitars in a typical "garage/jam" band scenario. And I bet you couldn't hear a difference.
I have an ‘02 MIM HSS Strat. If I were to buy a new Strat today I would still go with the Player Series. From the countless videos I’ve seen comparing the levels of guitars, the Players sound just as good as the American or Custom shops. Get it set up, put some quality strings on there and just do your thing.
Underrated comment A DECENT setup, is the MOST important thing. With any electric guitar of any price range. Who the hell plays an electric guitar out-of-the-box? ...Other than youtube guitar reviewers....
@@Mexxx65 good shout - although that being said the local guitar center where I see a lot of people buy guitars (especially beginners) has a backlog of a month on setups - there are lots of players who don’t set up a new guitar either thinking they shouldn’t have to or not even knowing it’s a thing. Different brands are definitely more playable out of the box and others. For instance, a PRSI wouldn’t worry about a set up in most circumstances. It’s kind of cool to see fender just putting a little bit more care and attention into what they’re shipping out of the factory.
@@dadtimejamtime True, but I think still think its hit or miss with MIM/Fenders. A decent seutp to your specs/settings is paramount for any player of any level.
I was not even considering buying a new Strat but thanks to your live stream, I saw the Shell Pink Strat with all the additional features and bought one. Amazing guitar! On sale now for about 20% off. Thanks, Rhett and Sweetwater!
Rhett is correct about Fender Stratocasters not receiving proper quality control. I had to to exchange my 2021 Pro II five times to get a nice one. If you look inside a lot of Pro II bodies, you can see how careless they can be over at Fender.
Rhett really likes vintage guitars and rolled fingerboards. Basically a broken in feel is a top factor for him. What I find most interesting with his guitar shootouts is he tends to omit the entry level American “standard” version of instruments.
yeah, for me Rhett lost all his credibility long time ago, the guy just doesn't have good ear or taste for a good tone... he is the only youtuber I saw trash talking the Player I series
Rhett, this was my favorite playing of yours I've heard for feeling, technique, and tone. I really appreciate that you played music, as opposed to the meandering noodling one hears on the vast majority of review videos. The Player II gave the Pro a genuine run for its money, even with the stock pickups on the Player II. The upgrades on the Player II are phenomenal for the money.
Can you imagine being like "Hey Sweetwater, send me those Fenders". Dang man, you worked hard and you are living the dream for real. You have a huge studio, you have all the gear you want. What life God has blessed you with. You're a cool guy, I wouldn't mind jamming with you and having a couple glassed of Old Grandad.
100% agree about the crummy fret work on player I strats and teles. I seriously played dozens of them in guitar stores and hated every one of them. At least they were consistent. But, I also don’t love how low the player I frets are. Not really my jam. And this is from someone that gets on ok with genuine vintage fender frets. Note, I didn’t say I loved vintage frets, just that if I’m buying a new guitar, my preference is for something like the so called ‘narrow tall’ frets fender uses on a lot of other guitars. Final thought, I don’t think fender listens to their customers one bit, I think they noticed people buying less expensive T and S style guitars and then not looking back. I’m close to pulling the trigger on a non fender S body myself.
I agree with you regarding the fret work, or lack thereof, on the first Player series. I bought one used and had to file the fret edges before I could comfortably play the guitar. For the price of the original player series, it was very disappointing that Fender sold these guitars with such rough fret edges.
My Player II Strat (in Birch green like the one Rhett has) came to me from Sweetwater with the nut slots cut too shallow. I had a luthier fix that for $60.00. Sweetwater reimbursed me for that repair (I consider this a completion, not a repair) which is cool. I just don't think Fender was ever made aware and that irks me. Anyway, now this Strat plays awesome and I really love it. Cheers!
Both of them sound surprisingly really great. I think the player sounds a bit thinner and has more twang, but the pro also sounds really nice with it's fatter sound.
This is why free market competition is good kids! Definitely a response to how good the Silver Sky SE was.. probably why rosewood was brought back to the mexican line as well!!
I find it interesting how mid-range instruments compared to high-end ones in terms of sonority, high-end ones tend to have a clearer mid-range, regardless of whether they are brighter or duller, in several videos including this one I see the same difference, the Player II has some strange harmonics in the 500-800 Hz area while the Americana is cleaner, it is not an abysmal difference, but in the mix it makes things much easier.
Uhm that's the pickups. I bet he didn't even set equal height. People put they're pickups wherever and claim a difference in sound that vanishes once you use a set of calipers to adjust height. You cannot even measure it in a scientific analysis beyond the margin of error.
$1,000 might be a little low, these days, but I pretty much agree. I always thought it was rich that Gibson caught so much grief over the price of a Les Paul, while Fender got a pass for charging similar money for instruments that were engineered to be mass-produced, inexpensively.
Always fun to watch, but a fair number of details are either slightly off or inadvertently misleading. Player II kept a lot of specs from Player I, including the same pickups. Biggest changes are the return of rosewood from pau ferro (indian laurel is what you find on recent squiers), lightly rolled fingerboards, some hardware upgrades (tuners), several new colors, and apparently slightly better QC going by early reports. Meanwhile, the "American Professional II" shown here is a limited run GT11 series done by Sweetwater, which costs a couple hundred more and has completely different specs than the original American Professional II, so it's kind of a strange comparison. The GT11 is Sweetwater's attempt to port over their custom shop specs to a more affordable line. They seem like great guitars, but all the specs and hardware choices are subjective. Regular Am Pro II has a 9.5" radius "deep C" neck, compared to GT11 with an 11" radius "60s C"; Pro II has 2-point trem, GT11 has 6 point; Am Pro II has normal dots, normal maple neck, normal Fender string tree, while GT11 has clay dots, roasted maple neck, no string tree (staggered post tuners); Pro II has V-Mod II pickups, GT11 has Custom Shop 60s pickups; both have the same push/push pot to activate neck pup; GT11 comes in a handful of vintage colors on alder bodies, whereas Am Pro II has way more color options, with alder on most and roasted pine for natural and sienna transparent finishes. (Personally, I don't need the GT11 upgrades and love my pine-bodied Am Pro II.) All in all, the Player II series seems like a solid upgrade and a good value compared to the reasonably nice but overpriced Vintera II line. Am Pro II in original form or GT11 is a definite step up and still a good value, with an incredible neck, much nicer pickups, and all-around great specs and features for a modern strat.
Rhett, dude, this video is full of incorrect information. The comment section is packed with corrections! The fretboard wood, the pickups not being different . . . My Player 1 Strat came stock eith the 2 point trem and rolled saddles. And great fretwork, come to think of it. Was there a secret Player "1.5"? I agree that the Fat 60s definitely have their own Mojo. How would the Fat 60s sound in the Player 2? Exactly like the Pro 2! What could make them different!? They've done a lot right though. Vintage tuners, rolled board, rosewood, aged covers and knobs - everything that makes the look and feel of a good Strat just right.
Having worked at gibson, owning gibsons and fenders and played a lot of very different price and prestige levels of guitar; I'm completely happy with my player series fenders. I like my Indonesian guitars too but I've either upgraded electronics or I intend to do so. I think everyone who's serious about their playing should own an American made guitar; but don't feel like you have to spend a fortune to get a great guitar.
I live in the UK. Should I own a UK made guitar if I'm serious about playing guitar, or should it still be American? What about people that live in Indonesia? Are they OK with master built Indonedian guitars, or should they own foreign imported American guitars? If the answer is always American, why? What makes them better? What can be done on US soil that can't be done 3 hours south on Mexican soil (in Fender's case.)
The pink coral colored guitar had more body to the sound, more full frequency. They definitely sounded distinct from each other but it was a matter of degrees.
It's "RUclips:. The last place to listen and judge the tone of anything. Speaking of which, what about "Quack"? Which one has the best "Quack"? (I said in my best sarcastic voice). Chasing tone . Like tossing a stick for a dog. "Fetch!!"
I didn't at first. Then I listened with my ATH-M50x headphones instead of my computer speakers and it was easier to tell. I doubt that the average listener would be able to tell no matter what speakers or headphones they listened thru.
Player II has exactly the same pickups as Player I. That is a fact confirmed by the Fender dealer. And you will not find anywhere Fender say anything about "upgrading" the pickups on these models. Rosewood, fingerboard and new colors are super nice though. They are basically the same guitar a Fender American standard used to be some 15 years ago.
I don’t get the fuss about rolled edges. Just makes it easier for the string to fall off the edge during aggressive playing. I’ll take normal edges thanks.
I have a Player I Stratocaster (a secon hand one), the Buttercream color (maple fretboard), originally born with HSS that I totaly swapped (the whole pickguard and pots and so on...) with one classic SSS with Lace Sensor pickups. I've got several Vintera Series Stratocaster, and despite the fact I prefer the 7.25 radius over the 9.5, I usually use this Player I for recording. I really love the neck of that guitar. On frets, You are right: they were horrible, I had to bring to my local luthier to get rectified and set to dignity. It's the only complain I had on that Player I Series. For the price I paid (500 euros in Italy) it's an awesome guitar. I didn't check out the Player II yet but I'm eager to try the one with tonal chambers in Transparent Cherry Burst. Might be my next one...🤪
Hey Rhett! The Player 1 and Player 2 has the same pickups on the strats. The official fender website says Player Series Alnico 5 Strat® Single-Coil pickups for both player 1 and 2. And when they made a comparison they even said that they are the same. The two saddle bridge is the same too. I agree tho it looks and feels much nicer and the tuners are better as well... But yeah I think it's worth correcting and pointing out because player 1 is much cheaper now used and it makes a difference for most people... And they should know that some features stayed the same;) peace!❤
I have a "60's" Strat. It has the Custom Shop 69's in it. Two point trem. Impressive thicker neck. The guitar was laser straight and clean when I got it. The NECK on it is like a thick 1960's oval Strat neck. Plays great.
Am Pro IIs all have the push push S1 switch that adds the neck pickup. They also normally come with a 9.5" radius, not 11" unless that was a Sweetwater specification.
The 11 inch radius is a Sweetwater exclusive thing. They do it on their custom spec’d GT11 which is an incredible looking guitar in the chrome blue finish.
I’ve been waiting for this video since your livestream. Please do more of these type of comparisons. That GT11 is awesome with shell pink. I just wish they would have used nitro instead of urethane
I spent a couple years off and on wanting to find a Tele that felt good, but everything I tried short of custom shop did not make me smile and often made me bleed the fret work was so bad. Ended up with a Reverend Greg Koch signature T-Style with roasted maple neck, locking tuners, brass saddle that makes me smile every time my hands caress that neck.
Wow…..great vid Rhett! I always adjust, modify, tweak, add to, take away from, alter, trash, start over, constantly learn, fail, learn again, experiment, succeed, fail again, learn again on all of my guitars ( except on my Martin HD 35…just a few minor tweaks, added a pickup system, and that baby is being allowed to blossom on it’s own, and it is! ) That being said, I immediately noticed a huge difference in the sound of both guitars. The green one, although it sounded good, it almost seemed as if each string was competing for top billing. There was a total lack of unity in the sound. The pink one? There was still a lot of focus on the main notes being played, but there was an overall unity in the sound. It just felt warmer, smoother, and left me wanting to hear more. I totally agree with your assessment…….put some better pickups on that green guitar, and it will be something to be cherished. But now…..that push-pull pot to bring in the neck pickup……hmmmmm. Guess what I will be experimenting with tomorrow?!
I love my Player II. Love your vids, but I think you need to check your info on the Player II. There is no change to the pups on the SSS Player II, per Fender. It's also the same trem as the Player 1. I have both, and the 70th Anni Player sitting right here. The changes for this model as I understand it are only these: Rolled FB edges, Rosewood option & split shaft classic gear tuners. The necks & fretwork on all 3 of my Players is really nice. All are 2024 models, which may make a difference. The QC on my Player 1 could have been a bit better though. My Player II & 70th are flawless.
I went and checked them out when they hit the stores, and I wrote a little review for FB - I personally concluded they were a big improvement on the player I, and I have 2 player 1's. I 100% agree with 1's poor fretwork, and the neck makes the player 2. I said this makes Fender a serious player the 750 to 1000 mkt again (especially with Sire's QC really falling off based on feedback). I also said I wouldn't buy another Player, if I were buying I'd move up to MIJ. Then five days later I bought a player 2 tele. And I haven't put it down. If I were buying another strat, I would still go up series, but i do not like ashtray bridges, and the 2 really checked all the boxes. And I bought the one I'd had time to play on, so I knew what I was getting.
Mr. Shull, I think the player 2 really put the pro to shame in this video and settings, I loved the Kenny Wayne Shepherd sound you had going very unique very awesome. Don’t know if anybody else recognized it but I sure did. Close to 45 years of searching for the right sound, and I loved the sound of the player 2 , I almost think I was supposed to, we hear our own playing and sound that we want better so badly we mess it up, the truth is we get bore, tiered of listening to ourselves if this video is accurate, I wouldn’t give $10 extra for the pro. thank you for a nice video and nice chords. Enjoyed the sound.
Lovely vid but what's more interesting to me is the 24 track tape machine in the background!! Are you covering this soon. I miss your studio build related vids! I know they're not for everyone but i loved em and some updates on progress and aims would be great!
Glad to hear the Players are given more attention to detail and consumers desires as far as most of the specs. I was surprised by how noticeable the difference was between these two great guitars for their price point.
I have to say the Player II pickups sounded great through headphones. I'm sure there was more of a difference in the room, but both guitars came across really well with RUclips audio quality.
I have a Strat from 1982. One of the last ones made in the original Fullerton factory. The neck is thin and sweet! I bought it in a pawn shop, with original case, for $320.00! Considering I let an Ibanez Musician and a Guild S300 (both guitars that appreciated heavily in values) go, I'm glad I at least held on to that guitar! The 1982 Strat also appreciated heavily in value. But it's irrelevant. I love the guitar. It's mine!
Wow! This video has so much misinformation! Indian Laurel? Are you sure about that? Am Pro II has an 11" radius? Are you sure? Fat 50s are the stock pickups for the Pro II? Are you sure about that? 6 screws in the pro II bridge? ARE YOU SURE? I could go on...
I agree with you. I think Rhett didn't check the specs. The first Player had pau ferro fingerboard and no rolled edges. Player II has the same hardware, same pickups (player plus had noiseless) and options of ash and mahogany body. I don't get all the fuss about just rolled edges...
You’re right about the Indian Laurel and 6 screw bridge but I think he got sent a GT11 Stratocaster from sweetwater. He says it’s a sweetwater spec, and that one does have a flatter fretboard and does have the fat 60s pick ups.
@@submersedlalo5631 Yeah he says that at the beginning but then goes on to say that "the american pro II comes with xyz as standard" which is just not true.
I really dug into this. Fender themselves said they felt the player series alinico v were great and didn't need any change while they tried others , "we decided the player series was best with what we had on the player one"....Maybe not word for word but it's in a video fender themselves posted.
@@robertclarkguitar Fender could have easily.....dropped in some Noiselss pickups from the old Player Plus. Then that WOULD have been a worthwhile upgrade over the Player 1!!
My Player 2 Aged Chery Burst Strat arrived yesterday (Aug. 29th) from Sweetwater/ It's definitely a noticeable step up from my Squier Affinity Tele. I'll probably put a set of the Fat 60's Pickups in it and do that Push/Push mod to the tone control in the next month or so. Overall I'm quite pleased with my purchase and look forward to playing this beauty for years to come.
The pink one has a bit of a warmer sound. The green one a bit more sharp tone. Hard to tell to much from the demo. I would go with the green one in a maple neck if offered that way.
I just bought a GT11 from Sweetwater and it is head and shoulders better than the Player 2’s I’ve played. Best Fender I have ever played, even better than my Schecter Traditional Pro. I thought that would never happen since I love my Schecter.
I appreciate the fact that Fender has finally listened to their customers and added some improvements to their lowest Fender labeled line. But like one commenter below, i think they're looking over their shoulders at the improving value market competitors gaining ground in the quality of their products. Without naming any names, I recently purchased a guitar with a roasted maple neck, locking staggered tuners, bone nut, rosewood fingerboard, ball end stainless steel frets, solid mahogany body EXTREMELY good quality and more for about half the price of a Player or Player ll. The neck alone, if it had Fender on the headstock, would sell for $699. I think the Player and now the Player ll were and are still the best bang for your buck Fenders, but watch out.....the competition is gaining.
Blindfold this dude, tell him that Mexican Strat is a 4500 boutique guitar with a bone nut and 500 dollar pickups, and he would say its one of the best guitars hes ever played.
Nice shoot out! I think Fender had better listened as they're seeing lots of competition from really high quality copies of the Fender-Strat build by Japanese, Indonesian, South Korean and Chinese manufacturers. E.g. I got myself a Squier Deluxe from Indonesia, did some mild mods and today it can really stand its ground against similar models three times the original budget, except Sire's Strat series. To me, their quality in build and sound kick all competitors in that price range right out of the ball park, that's how great their products are IMHO.
Sweetwater is an awesome dealer. I bought a Les Paul Custom through them earlier this year, 2024. It was set up perfectly to my specs and shipping was quick (I'm in SoCal, SW is in Ft. Wayne, Indiana). I couldn't have asked for more even if I tried. 👌👍
The Player One Strat is excellent. Rolling a fretboard is a pretty simple task. I have 7 Fender Custom Shop guitars and my Player One is better than any of them when it comes to soloing. I have no idea what this guy is complaining about.
Neither here nor there, but that new Birch Green color is a knockout. WHEEWWWW. Stunning! Never really liked green on Strats before, even though it's a classic color, but I MUST have one of THOSE.
This is your best video yet, Rhett. I too dislike the AlNiCo 5 magnets - too harsh-sounding, whilst the AlNiCo 3s are too slow and sluggish-sounding. To my ears, the AlNiCo 2s are the just-right-sounding, ‘Goldilocks’ of magnets. 👱🏼♀🧲👌🏻
@RhettSchull, aside from the colors in this year’s Player II options, the one reason I didn’t buy a Player II is the neck itself. For whatever reason, Fender necks, and the 9.5” radius, do not suit my hands. I have that on my Sonic Strat(heavily modded otherwise). I was able to pick up a Player I Tele body only(Tidepool), and am going to get a custom neck to better fit my hand. My Epi Les Paul Classic has a great asymmetrical, thinner neck with a 12” straight radius I love, so going with a custom neck. Going to also do a P90 in the neck and Super Distortion T in the bridge with a coil tap option and individual tone/volume controls(due to the hotter pickups I want a bit more control than the standard Tele setup) using concentric pots. I think the Player/Player II series are ideal for the player that prefers to make the guitar their own.
Are you serious? Sorry, there is nothing wrong with the Player I. It is a great guitar. This video makes the impression like there is a difference like night and day. I am curious on the review of the Player III, those will be even more amazing ;)
nah, brother. I've been playing for 20 years, have custom shop a squier, and a partocaster with a Mexican neck, and I'd be able to tell just by hearing them, in most cases. Hand wound pickups can't be topped. With that being said I'd take an American pro 2 and throw custom shop pickups and be content,
And sonicaly did your discern any major difference in sound? The harder Pau Ferro feels a lot more slick like the Maple fingerboard models actually. But hey, I don't like the look.........
@@Mexxx65 the look and the feel. I didn't care for it. I prefer rosewood. Tried many guitars with that fingerboard and they didn't feel good...much like Rhett said in this same review.
Biggest thing left for me would be stainless steel frets.. I build strats just to mainly get stainless, but it's nice to be able to upgrade parts upfront too
Going into 2025, the difference between a Mexican Fender and American Fender is much, much, much smaller than the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson.
I must say, "quality control" is not really "fretwork!" I understand OF COURSE that finished frets are nicer to play AND for most people it's a bit troubling to pay several grand for your dream git and find that the manufacturer expects YOU to drop the +$100+ moola for fret finishing. QC, to me at least, has to do with the quality of the ingredients, how well they're put together, and even the design elements that affect the tool's usefulness. For example strings falling off the fretboard because nobody can figure out that if you put 6100 railroad frets on a bolt guitar AND roll the edges well AND use light strings AND use a wide, Fender-spaced bridge - yer high E and/or low E string are gonna fall off the fretboard. It's a "WELL DUH" momo that has been haunting guitarists for (?)60+ years now(?!?); The only saving grace has been using Gibson-spaced narrow bridges, because design guys, luthiers and manufacturers of all sort find the idea of MAKING THE NECK WIDE ENOUGH to be completely mind-boggling, nay, IMPOSSIBLE. There's even one of those "luthiers" making $6000+ Fender copy guitars who's famous for his scrumptiously-rolled-edge necks, and - strings falling off the edges because there's no WOOD there. Surely the mental capacity to at least just widen the FRETBOARD exists (?) Rah Rah Let's Go Team Go! etc. PLUS - rolling fretboards works a WHOLE LOT better if you do it BEFORE you install the frets! Assuming there's enough neck there in the first place which, see above, there probably, tragically, ain't. It was in the area of semi-finished fretwork where Ibanez, Yamaha & their evil minions stealthily made huge inroads into the American market - especially where it evolved and intersected with the mail-order-then-internet stores. You really had a pretty stark choice, buy a moderately-priced "import" guitar that's at least playable or a high-priced American guitar that's not - "OOPS!", quoth the Gibson.... Fender, at least, tried then succeeded at adapting; Gibson threw hissy fits at their dealers (By the time you can figure out how and who else to blame for all your problems you could've just FIXED things, ah the inscrutable corporate mind). Of late the "Plek'd" process has chawed off a mighty swath of the "setup conundrum" - but I have built, owned and dicked with enough guitars to believe: A) It can take some time to decide on string gauges and action height, every instrument has it's mood swings and more important - B) Necks REALLY do need to, and WILL, settle in through at least one round of seasonal change, your own level of use, abuse and late-night cuddling. Ideally I'd like to see a certificate and arranged shipping to get a guitar Plek'd six months in, no sense in grinding away several thousandths of an inch of fret meat you'll never get back - or - just learn how to do stuff yoseff, only YOU really know what "absolutely perfect" means FOR you and No-Thing can teach you the True Meaning of Tedium better than 88 fret corners-to-go. (Although there are some minds that just CAN'T work in a few thousandths-of-an-inch; yes two thousandths does make for a noticeable diffie; you're probably better off just getting a job that pays way too well so you can chuck giant gobs of money at everything that annoys you.)
Still not a fan of the off white pickups and selectors but really glad to see they're back to basics with the rosewood fretboards. Bending on those Indian laurel fretboards felt like playing on sandpaper. Yuck.
You can buy a push push tone pot for $15.00 or less and pay Sam $5.00 down at the filling station to install it in your existing squire bullet strat or save the money and do it yourself.
I've had an American Pro II HSS Strat for about 2 years now. I absolutely adore this guitar. It's bone stock and just dialled in perfectly for what I want. But, if the Player II existed back then... there's a very good chance I'd have gone with that and a pickup upgrade (or maybe a pre-wired pickguard from Bareknuckle) instead and saved a good $1000 CAD. They've pretty much fixed every major gripe I had about the Player series Strat at the time (fretwork, no rolled fingerboard edges, meh bridge).
Hey Rhett, the reason why no one was gripping about Fender's QC is because Fender isn't charging an arm and a leg for their products 0o and their necks one snap off out of no where 😉
Sorry for the long reply! I respect Rhett's honesty, but it feels disingenuous to say all Player series are "lesser" than other models. The real problem with the line has always been finding a great one is hard. It means playing the lottery - if you don't have high volume music store locally and the time/patience, chnaces are you settle for the one that's there. He mentioned that they have been getting better over time, and I would agree. My first Player was a year one P Bass that is frankly horrible (sold), and then a Player Mustang that wasn't much better (returned) - both had a culmination of tiny annoyances and issues that started to appear when you looked closer. Bummer! Early last year my opinion did a 180. I grabbed a variant of a Player Strat with factory upgrades, a roasted maple neck (amazing factory rounded edges and impeccable fretwork), Fat 50s pickups, and a beautiful sea foam green finish. It was during a Fender promotion, so it cost $100 CAD more than the base model. After doing some upgrades, a term/bridge, a bone nut, locking tuners, the result is an early 60s inspired, modern feeling , "players, working guitar". It rivals both of my American Strats; a 2004 HSS American Standard bought new and a 2015 American Vintage 65 bought used in 2017 that has since sold. I never loved either of those, and chose this Player over dozens of America models played over a few months span. The Player series are guitars that have a higher variance in fit, finish, and tone than someone who is willing to spend a few grand should stomach. My guess is prpduction volume, which is why the limited run version all seem to be better guitars. Some really do end up being better than others, sadly significantly less than what has been coming off the American assembly line. Glad to hear the Player II are bucking that trend, so more people get guitar they love and can afford.
I've got a player 1 plus top pau ferro and like it. Tried out a player 2 and yes the rosewood looks nice and the rolled edges are great but that's about it! The pickups are the same as on player 1 and are not an upgrade apart from the cream coloured pickup covers and knobs. As for the 2 point trem bridge and saddles are also the same as on the player 1 and are not an ugrade. However what I have noticed that the neck thickness feels consistently slimmer than that on the player 1 with pau ferro that I played in various shops and compared between the two! The other thing I noticed that the pau ferro has a little bit more snap compared to the rosewood fretboard that sounds darker, the feel between the 2 fretboards is pretty much the same if you can get past the name of the pau ferro. More expensive guitar makers use pau ferro on their guitars because of it's tone, even the SRV customshop strat has a pf fretboard.
Loved this video. The PRO definitely sounds better, the pickups are richer, more balanced and more pleasant. It feels as if perhaps you can tweak your tone slightly better for the Player but I can't imagine you'll reach the same depth of tone you get with the PRO. The PRO is much more expensive tho. This was a good video.
Hey man, great video. Thank you!!! I’d probably freak out playing that Birch Green one. I might have to try one out soon. I really appreciate your insight.🇺🇸
Well done on this comparison. That pink panther looks sick but not that drastically different for the price points. Thx for sharing and look forward to more upcoming content.
The overseas competitors finally made them step up their game.
@@daxmoore2060 100%
Yes - it's amazing that Fender rolling the fingerboard edges is 'a huge upgrade' when Sire have been doing this since the release of their Larry Carlton range, even on the cheapest models. They also have a contoured heel on all of their models.
A 100 bucks squier is as good as a MIM strat from 10 years ago.
Yup, Fender finally is trying to get their asses up to speed and it only took like, forever. "Time is Money" and they don't waste much of that on us, their customers aka their Bread and Butter unless of course we are stupidly willing to cough up $2000+ for a still relatively mediocre guitar when Vigier guitars will give you an absolute Dream Gem for about that.
@@bladeoflucatiel My squier bullet mustang is the best guitar ive ever played, not sound wise but im gonna change the pickups, but after a good set up the playability is insane
My biggest takeaway from doing my own video is that the Player II is no longer a “budget guitar” - quality, neck, hardware, pickups - they’re all legit and don’t require upgrading to use. Of course you always could get more out of after-market pickups but they don’t feel 100% required. It’s a real instrument. And now financially it doesn’t make sense to buy a classic vibe squier and mod it. By the time you update everything you’re basically at the cost of this. Big win from Fender for us all!
It’s just their Mexican Strat now.
It’s renaming what they were doing before, with a new name and promo campaign, saying this is higher quality.
$750-850 new
While the Pro is $1350-1439.99.
Hopefully the quality control has gotten better, because nearly every foreign made Fender Strat, I’ve tried out for several years, feel and/or sound bad.
Some I can feel it, and not even plug it in, because I know it’s not going to stay in tune, and/or the frets are so jagged, that I don’t even want to play it if it did .
@@CorbCorbin yeah same here. I’ve avoided entry level fenders in the past - fret sprout, dry fretboards, neck pocket cracking, etc. I’ve played a few Strats, teles and jazzmasters in this line so far and all of them have been a cut above what the player I series was, hands down. Time will tell if the quality stays up, but so far I’ve been impressed. And I’m just a random dude trying things out - no paid sponsorships or anything like that. I’ve got some custom shops and some American Fenders, so I like the brand and hope that they can keep these instruments solid because it’s really nice having an entry level that’s actually a joy to play.
Not only is it not required, but the value tradeoff of upgrading isn't as much. Where before a neck or pickup replacement would be about $100-$300 and grant a 50% increase in tone/playability/etc., now you're looking at a 5% or 10% increase max.
So now buyung upgrades is gonna take an extra consideration of deciding whether you REALLY love that guitar to an extent where you're willing to invest chunks of cash just to provide a marginal performance benefit. Because now, that money could be saved to invest in a whole new guitar which would provide a lot more variety to your playing options. Of course, if you have enough guitars and fell in love with your strat's colorway/design/playability, then perhaps investing small chunks over time could be what you want. It's just it won't be night and day, and while the tone/comfort may be better, you might feel like it's nearly imperceptible and maybe even more of a sidegrade than an upgrade.
@@spawn302 more of a Gibson player. Did upgrade a Squier Sonic with about $600 in parts(I actually have a specific reason for a couple of the parts) or so, but that’s largely because I don’t get along with standard size Strats(thickness didn’t fit my body right). I am building a custom off a Player Tele body, and the one major complaint I have is that the Fender neck profile doesn’t sit well with my hand. If I bought a Player II Tele, I would have had to order a custom neck(probably around $350-$600) just to be able to play it. My ideal neck is a thin, asymmetrical neck with a 12” Straight radius in Gibson Scale, with a Tusq XL nut. Out of the guitars I own, my Epi LP Classic Worn has the best playing neck. I already do pickup swaps automatically because I have a preferred sound, always a Super Distortion derivative in the bridge, and the other pickup/s depend on the guitar, but typically ceramics or Alnico IIs.
@@bradleyolinger1691 I dunno man, I have a squier contemporary jazzmaster, made in us fender strat, strandberg, ibanez, ive never had a neck I NEEDED in order to play it. To each his own
Not sure this is a useful comparison unless you only buy from Sweetwater. That pink guitar is not am pro ii specs, am pro ii have 2 points terms, string trees, back plates, no clay dots, vmod pickups, etc. this is just a big Sweetwater commercial
don't forget it has the upgraded synchronized 6 screws tremolo. It's better because it's upgraded xD
i dunno why, but the clay dot inlays on the pink one is really aesthetically pleasing.
That's why they do it!
they do, BUT I have an American Vintage 2 in Fiesta Red that looks AMAZING and pretty much is, but the side clay dots are damn near invisible against the rosewood. I have a hard time seeing them on a dimly lit stage, even in my studio is the light is lower its hard to see. Never realized in over 40 plus years of playing how much I depend on the side dots!! I may put some white our or something on them its actually that bad.
@@brianseneca3546 wait... the side dots are also clay coloured? yikes, i can see that becoming a problem fairly quickly.
you can buy a lume kit for watchmaking depending on your situation. it's classier than dot stickers. it'll be off-white in the day, still brighter than clay dots, and then glow in darker situations. just a thought.
As an owner of an American Pro II Strat, I must point out that the standard spec for this model has V-Mod II pickups and a 9.5 inch radius.
are you happy with the pickups ?
@@marcaustin Absolutely. They really do a great job of recreating vintage tone and adding some new dimensions as well which are perhaps more suitable to modern playing. You can really shape a wide variety of sounds. I can't imagine that I'd ever consider swapping them out on this guitar.
Same, mine is a late 23 model in 2 tone burst with v mod pups and 9.5 radius
and a 2 point bridge rather than the 6 point bridge
Yes indeed and on also has a string tree
That Pro II sounds incredible, but for $800 bucks that Player II is a steal. I didn’t notice that much of a difference with an untrained ear. I’d swap out the nut to bone as you suggested on that Player II and maybe locking tuners as I’m a lazy string changer and that’s it.
Great vid Rhett.
I will say the Pro II in Olympic White via Sweetwaters site is the one I’d lock down if I was in the market for a new Start, but my wife has crushed that dream😎
You know those vintage style tuners they have on the player 2 are actually a dream to change strings with. Not much advantage getting locking tuners
@@blackfrancis33
True true, I just suck at string changing😎
fair point
For exactly this reason I changed my mind about replacing the standard tuners as well,@@blackfrancis33. When string replacement is done correctly, locking tuners don't offer that much advantage in terms of tuning stability. In fact, I had replaced standard tuners for Kluson locking ones on a semi-hollow and found little to almost zero difference. There are many other aspects of guitar setup that come before when talking about tuning accuracy and stability. When all these are understood and embraced the need for locking tuners disappears where I'm concerned.
The American having no string tree is most likely due to the American having staggered tuners. (Lowering the angle of the strings without needing a tree)
Oh I didn't see this comment earlier. Yeah, even from the close ups in this video you could see the Am Pro IIs staggered 3 long/ 3 short (non-locking apparently) tuners. Negating the need of any string trees.
Both my American Pro II’s have string trees.
I see now that the American Strat is Sweetwater specs. I don’t have the Fat 60’s pu’s either.
I love that feature! 🎸
The standard issue American Pro II in my possession absolutely DOES have a string tree. I'm guessing that the absence in Rhett's guitar has to do with the fact that it's a Sweetwater spec
Rhett has no idea what he's talking about... it's hilarious to watch him say things with such confidence...
I’m sure your constructive criticism will go a long way to helping him improve things 🙄
Sonically the sound a lot closer than I would have expected. The American Pro II has a little bit more sparkle especially high up the neck during the "Shine on You, Crazy Diamond" but for the money the Player II is actually a pretty good value.
In this video audio....I can't hear the price difference between the Player ii Alnico 5s, and the Am Pro II CS Fat 60s. Yeah back to back here, the AM Pro's CS's have a bit more roundness. But put either of these guitars in a typical "garage/jam" band scenario. And I bet you couldn't hear a difference.
@@Mexxx65 The push push wiring configuration on the Pro 2 sets it apart
@@harrymanilow I have the same pickup selector switch on my MIM Roadhouse Deluxe strat.
@@Mexxx65 that’s cool but that’s not the player 2 retail out the store.
The Player Series is a great guitat
The American Pro II strat has the Fender Short-Post tuners that make a better break angle and no need for a string tree.
I have an ‘02 MIM HSS Strat. If I were to buy a new Strat today I would still go with the Player Series. From the countless videos I’ve seen comparing the levels of guitars, the Players sound just as good as the American or Custom shops. Get it set up, put some quality strings on there and just do your thing.
Underrated comment
A DECENT setup, is the MOST important thing. With any electric guitar of any price range. Who the hell plays an electric guitar out-of-the-box? ...Other than youtube guitar reviewers....
@@Mexxx65 good shout - although that being said the local guitar center where I see a lot of people buy guitars (especially beginners) has a backlog of a month on setups - there are lots of players who don’t set up a new guitar either thinking they shouldn’t have to or not even knowing it’s a thing. Different brands are definitely more playable out of the box and others. For instance, a PRSI wouldn’t worry about a set up in most circumstances. It’s kind of cool to see fender just putting a little bit more care and attention into what they’re shipping out of the factory.
@@dadtimejamtime True, but I think still think its hit or miss with MIM/Fenders. A decent seutp to your specs/settings is paramount for any player of any level.
@@retiredguyadventures6211 what kind of fretboard is your HSS strat?
I was not even considering buying a new Strat but thanks to your live stream, I saw the Shell Pink Strat with all the additional features and bought one. Amazing guitar! On sale now for about 20% off. Thanks, Rhett and Sweetwater!
I believe the tremolo on the player and player ii are the same.
exactly, I'm pretty sure too
The consistency, midrange, focus and attack of the sound of the Pro II is worth the extra $. When you hit a recording studio often, it pays off well.
Just change the pickups.
Rhett is correct about Fender Stratocasters not receiving proper quality control. I had to to exchange my 2021 Pro II five times to get a nice one. If you look inside a lot of Pro II bodies, you can see how careless they can be over at Fender.
It’s the staggered tuners, my dude. 5:41
my dude, oh my dude.
Sweetwater has the American Pro II with HSC for about $1600 and 36 mo/zero financing Labor Day weekend. Very attractive offer.
Rhett really likes vintage guitars and rolled fingerboards. Basically a broken in feel is a top factor for him. What I find most interesting with his guitar shootouts is he tends to omit the entry level American “standard” version of instruments.
Underrated comment.
yeah, for me Rhett lost all his credibility long time ago, the guy just doesn't have good ear or taste for a good tone... he is the only youtuber I saw trash talking the Player I series
@@blackstormer95strictly sound wise player I was a good guitar, it felt like shit on the hands though and pau ferro was horrid dry and scratchy
Isn’t the American Pro line equivalent to the old American Standard line? That’s what he’s shown here.
@blackstormer95 yeah, a lot of his videos feel like he's being a contrarian just for the sake of it.
Rhett, this was my favorite playing of yours I've heard for feeling, technique, and tone. I really appreciate that you played music, as opposed to the meandering noodling one hears on the vast majority of review videos. The Player II gave the Pro a genuine run for its money, even with the stock pickups on the Player II. The upgrades on the Player II are phenomenal for the money.
Can you imagine being like "Hey Sweetwater, send me those Fenders". Dang man, you worked hard and you are living the dream for real. You have a huge studio, you have all the gear you want. What life God has blessed you with. You're a cool guy, I wouldn't mind jamming with you and having a couple glassed of Old Grandad.
100% agree about the crummy fret work on player I strats and teles. I seriously played dozens of them in guitar stores and hated every one of them. At least they were consistent. But, I also don’t love how low the player I frets are. Not really my jam. And this is from someone that gets on ok with genuine vintage fender frets. Note, I didn’t say I loved vintage frets, just that if I’m buying a new guitar, my preference is for something like the so called ‘narrow tall’ frets fender uses on a lot of other guitars. Final thought, I don’t think fender listens to their customers one bit, I think they noticed people buying less expensive T and S style guitars and then not looking back. I’m close to pulling the trigger on a non fender S body myself.
Those subtle tweaks on the Sweetwater spec Strat are awesome little upgrades over the stock amproii. That's a really awesome guitar.
I agree with you regarding the fret work, or lack thereof, on the first Player series. I bought one used and had to file the fret edges before I could comfortably play the guitar. For the price of the original player series, it was very disappointing that Fender sold these guitars with such rough fret edges.
My Player II Strat (in Birch green like the one Rhett has) came to me from Sweetwater with the nut slots cut too shallow. I had a luthier fix that for $60.00. Sweetwater reimbursed me for that repair (I consider this a completion, not a repair) which is cool. I just don't think Fender was ever made aware and that irks me. Anyway, now this Strat plays awesome and I really love it. Cheers!
This is unfortunately way to common with fender
@@Project25_01Same with my Player 1 Strat and Tele both
Both of them sound surprisingly really great. I think the player sounds a bit thinner and has more twang, but the pro also sounds really nice with it's fatter sound.
For sure, thats mainly down to pickups and probably the bridge choice.
Yeah! Thinner, more twang and, I’ll say, more clarity. That’s the type of strat sound I like. The American Pro sounds muffled to my ears.
This is why free market competition is good kids! Definitely a response to how good the Silver Sky SE was.. probably why rosewood was brought back to the mexican line as well!!
I find it interesting how mid-range instruments compared to high-end ones in terms of sonority, high-end ones tend to have a clearer mid-range, regardless of whether they are brighter or duller, in several videos including this one I see the same difference, the Player II has some strange harmonics in the 500-800 Hz area while the Americana is cleaner, it is not an abysmal difference, but in the mix it makes things much easier.
Uhm that's the pickups. I bet he didn't even set equal height. People put they're pickups wherever and claim a difference in sound that vanishes once you use a set of calipers to adjust height. You cannot even measure it in a scientific analysis beyond the margin of error.
Good old Rhett tryin’ to sell us something. 😂
Whatever fender sells for over 1.5k should be a 750 bucks guitar.
There's no reason anyone should spend more than a thousand bucks on a fender, wtf
$1,000 might be a little low, these days, but I pretty much agree. I always thought it was rich that Gibson caught so much grief over the price of a Les Paul, while Fender got a pass for charging similar money for instruments that were engineered to be mass-produced, inexpensively.
Always fun to watch, but a fair number of details are either slightly off or inadvertently misleading. Player II kept a lot of specs from Player I, including the same pickups. Biggest changes are the return of rosewood from pau ferro (indian laurel is what you find on recent squiers), lightly rolled fingerboards, some hardware upgrades (tuners), several new colors, and apparently slightly better QC going by early reports. Meanwhile, the "American Professional II" shown here is a limited run GT11 series done by Sweetwater, which costs a couple hundred more and has completely different specs than the original American Professional II, so it's kind of a strange comparison. The GT11 is Sweetwater's attempt to port over their custom shop specs to a more affordable line. They seem like great guitars, but all the specs and hardware choices are subjective. Regular Am Pro II has a 9.5" radius "deep C" neck, compared to GT11 with an 11" radius "60s C"; Pro II has 2-point trem, GT11 has 6 point; Am Pro II has normal dots, normal maple neck, normal Fender string tree, while GT11 has clay dots, roasted maple neck, no string tree (staggered post tuners); Pro II has V-Mod II pickups, GT11 has Custom Shop 60s pickups; both have the same push/push pot to activate neck pup; GT11 comes in a handful of vintage colors on alder bodies, whereas Am Pro II has way more color options, with alder on most and roasted pine for natural and sienna transparent finishes. (Personally, I don't need the GT11 upgrades and love my pine-bodied Am Pro II.) All in all, the Player II series seems like a solid upgrade and a good value compared to the reasonably nice but overpriced Vintera II line. Am Pro II in original form or GT11 is a definite step up and still a good value, with an incredible neck, much nicer pickups, and all-around great specs and features for a modern strat.
Rhett, dude, this video is full of incorrect information. The comment section is packed with corrections! The fretboard wood, the pickups not being different . . .
My Player 1 Strat came stock eith the 2 point trem and rolled saddles. And great fretwork, come to think of it. Was there a secret Player "1.5"?
I agree that the Fat 60s definitely have their own Mojo. How would the Fat 60s sound in the Player 2? Exactly like the Pro 2! What could make them different!?
They've done a lot right though. Vintage tuners, rolled board, rosewood, aged covers and knobs - everything that makes the look and feel of a good Strat just right.
That PRS amp is gorgeous and the tone is absolutely stellar. Incredible.
Having worked at gibson, owning gibsons and fenders and played a lot of very different price and prestige levels of guitar; I'm completely happy with my player series fenders. I like my Indonesian guitars too but I've either upgraded electronics or I intend to do so. I think everyone who's serious about their playing should own an American made guitar; but don't feel like you have to spend a fortune to get a great guitar.
I live in the UK. Should I own a UK made guitar if I'm serious about playing guitar, or should it still be American? What about people that live in Indonesia? Are they OK with master built Indonedian guitars, or should they own foreign imported American guitars? If the answer is always American, why? What makes them better? What can be done on US soil that can't be done 3 hours south on Mexican soil (in Fender's case.)
@doctorfuzzzdirtbox the important question here is, "do you have a loicense for that guitar?"
Thanks Rhett! This was a really good comparison video and a good representation of the Player II Stratocaster in general... Keep up the good work!
Am I the only one who hears virtually no significant difference in tone between these two?
Nope...
The pink coral colored guitar had more body to the sound, more full frequency. They definitely sounded distinct from each other but it was a matter of degrees.
The Pro II seems to have a little more warmth/depth/focus to the tone.
It's "RUclips:. The last place to listen and judge the tone of anything. Speaking of which, what about "Quack"? Which one has the best "Quack"? (I said in my best sarcastic voice).
Chasing tone . Like tossing a stick for a dog. "Fetch!!"
I didn't at first. Then I listened with my ATH-M50x headphones instead of my computer speakers and it was easier to tell. I doubt that the average listener would be able to tell no matter what speakers or headphones they listened thru.
Player II has exactly the same pickups as Player I. That is a fact confirmed by the Fender dealer. And you will not find anywhere Fender say anything about "upgrading" the pickups on these models. Rosewood, fingerboard and new colors are super nice though. They are basically the same guitar a Fender American standard used to be some 15 years ago.
The player 1 series had alnico 2 pickups and now they have alnico 5 pickups btw bro keeps editing peoples comments thinks he knows everything
@@noahhaworth3697 sonically they are 98% the same thing
Geeze calm down no one made you the gatekeeper@@retiredguyadventures6211
@@noahhaworth3697Editing other people's comments?
I don’t get the fuss about rolled edges. Just makes it easier for the string to fall off the edge during aggressive playing. I’ll take normal edges thanks.
I have a Player I Stratocaster (a secon hand one), the Buttercream color (maple fretboard), originally born with HSS that I totaly swapped (the whole pickguard and pots and so on...) with one classic SSS with Lace Sensor pickups. I've got several Vintera Series Stratocaster, and despite the fact I prefer the 7.25 radius over the 9.5, I usually use this Player I for recording. I really love the neck of that guitar. On frets, You are right: they were horrible, I had to bring to my local luthier to get rectified and set to dignity. It's the only complain I had on that Player I Series. For the price I paid (500 euros in Italy) it's an awesome guitar. I didn't check out the Player II yet but I'm eager to try the one with tonal chambers in Transparent Cherry Burst. Might be my next one...🤪
Got one & hate it more everyday-going up on reverb soon
What don’t you like about your Player 2 Strat?
???
@@jasonswitzer1748 He didn't specify which "it" he hates.
The pickups are the same as player I according to Fender. They just tweaked the Humbucker on the HSS model
Hey Rhett! The Player 1 and Player 2 has the same pickups on the strats. The official fender website says Player Series Alnico 5 Strat® Single-Coil pickups for both player 1 and 2. And when they made a comparison they even said that they are the same. The two saddle bridge is the same too. I agree tho it looks and feels much nicer and the tuners are better as well... But yeah I think it's worth correcting and pointing out because player 1 is much cheaper now used and it makes a difference for most people... And they should know that some features stayed the same;) peace!❤
I have a "60's" Strat. It has the Custom Shop 69's in it. Two point trem. Impressive thicker neck. The guitar was laser straight and clean when I got it. The NECK on it is like a thick 1960's oval Strat neck. Plays great.
Am Pro IIs all have the push push S1 switch that adds the neck pickup. They also normally come with a 9.5" radius, not 11" unless that was a Sweetwater specification.
The 11 inch radius is a Sweetwater exclusive thing. They do it on their custom spec’d GT11 which is an incredible looking guitar in the chrome blue finish.
the 6 point bridge and fat 60s CS pickups are also unique Sweetwater specs and a stock Pro 2 has the VMod 2 pickups and a 2 point bridge.
Fantastic choice playing Shine On… That’s what a Stratocaster should sound like! Great demo comparison! All the sounds!
4:31 you can have identical Strats from the same line and they will both sound different acoustically without an amp.
I would love to see a video expanding on why you like the fat strat pickups and not the alnico 5... or even on what makes a good pickup in general
I’ve been waiting for this video since your livestream. Please do more of these type of comparisons. That GT11 is awesome with shell pink. I just wish they would have used nitro instead of urethane
I spent a couple years off and on wanting to find a Tele that felt good, but everything I tried short of custom shop did not make me smile and often made me bleed the fret work was so bad. Ended up with a Reverend Greg Koch signature T-Style with roasted maple neck, locking tuners, brass saddle that makes me smile every time my hands caress that neck.
Wow…..great vid Rhett! I always adjust, modify, tweak, add to, take away from, alter, trash, start over, constantly learn, fail, learn again, experiment, succeed, fail again, learn again on all of my guitars ( except on my Martin HD 35…just a few minor tweaks, added a pickup system, and that baby is being allowed to blossom on it’s own, and it is! ) That being said, I immediately noticed a huge difference in the sound of both guitars. The green one, although it sounded good, it almost seemed as if each string was competing for top billing. There was a total lack of unity in the sound. The pink one? There was still a lot of focus on the main notes being played, but there was an overall unity in the sound. It just felt warmer, smoother, and left me wanting to hear more. I totally agree with your assessment…….put some better pickups on that green guitar, and it will be something to be cherished. But now…..that push-pull pot to bring in the neck pickup……hmmmmm. Guess what I will be experimenting with tomorrow?!
I love my Player II. Love your vids, but I think you need to check your info on the Player II. There is no change to the pups on the SSS Player II, per Fender. It's also the same trem as the Player 1. I have both, and the 70th Anni Player sitting right here. The changes for this model as I understand it are only these: Rolled FB edges, Rosewood option & split shaft classic gear tuners. The necks & fretwork on all 3 of my Players is really nice. All are 2024 models, which may make a difference. The QC on my Player 1 could have been a bit better though. My Player II & 70th are flawless.
I went and checked them out when they hit the stores, and I wrote a little review for FB - I personally concluded they were a big improvement on the player I, and I have 2 player 1's. I 100% agree with 1's poor fretwork, and the neck makes the player 2. I said this makes Fender a serious player the 750 to 1000 mkt again (especially with Sire's QC really falling off based on feedback). I also said I wouldn't buy another Player, if I were buying I'd move up to MIJ. Then five days later I bought a player 2 tele. And I haven't put it down. If I were buying another strat, I would still go up series, but i do not like ashtray bridges, and the 2 really checked all the boxes. And I bought the one I'd had time to play on, so I knew what I was getting.
You should try a couple of the Harley Benton guitars. I have several but the 335 knock off is unbelievable for the price.
Guitars are nice , but I see that Roley Sub on his wrist is the real winner . He's a man of taste
Mr. Shull, I think the player 2 really put the pro to shame in this video and settings, I loved the Kenny Wayne Shepherd sound you had going very unique very awesome. Don’t know if anybody else recognized it but I sure did. Close to 45 years of searching for the right sound, and I loved the sound of the player 2 , I almost think I was supposed to, we hear our own playing and sound that we want better so badly we mess it up, the truth is we get bore, tiered of listening to ourselves if this video is accurate, I wouldn’t give $10 extra for the pro. thank you for a nice video and nice chords. Enjoyed the sound.
Fender did not switch from „Indian Laurel“ back to rosewood, it was „Pau Ferro“ which almost had an ugly colour.
And imho it is the same Tremolo as on the first Player Series.
Lovely vid but what's more interesting to me is the 24 track tape machine in the background!! Are you covering this soon. I miss your studio build related vids! I know they're not for everyone but i loved em and some updates on progress and aims would be great!
Glad to hear the Players are given more attention to detail and consumers desires as far as most of the specs.
I was surprised by how noticeable the difference was between these two great guitars for their price point.
@@retiredguyadventures6211 Someone shares their experience and observation and you call em' a "know it all" ?
Cmon lighten up it's not healthy.
I have to say the Player II pickups sounded great through headphones. I'm sure there was more of a difference in the room, but both guitars came across really well with RUclips audio quality.
I have a Strat from 1982. One of the last ones made in the original Fullerton factory. The neck is thin and sweet! I bought it in a pawn shop, with original case, for $320.00! Considering I let an Ibanez Musician and a Guild S300 (both guitars that appreciated heavily in values) go, I'm glad I at least held on to that guitar! The 1982 Strat also appreciated heavily in value. But it's irrelevant. I love the guitar. It's mine!
its like melted butter over my ears... such a classic sound... the Player 2 aint so bad either
Wow! This video has so much misinformation! Indian Laurel? Are you sure about that? Am Pro II has an 11" radius? Are you sure? Fat 50s are the stock pickups for the Pro II? Are you sure about that? 6 screws in the pro II bridge? ARE YOU SURE? I could go on...
I agree with you. I think Rhett didn't check the specs. The first Player had pau ferro fingerboard and no rolled edges. Player II has the same hardware, same pickups (player plus had noiseless) and options of ash and mahogany body. I don't get all the fuss about just rolled edges...
@@ErnestoGennariNetorolled edges make a lot more comfortable neck feel.
@@NewHopeAudio Yeah, I know and have two guitars with rolled edges. Since I don't embrace the neck so it's not something I care about.
You’re right about the Indian Laurel and 6 screw bridge but I think he got sent a GT11 Stratocaster from sweetwater. He says it’s a sweetwater spec, and that one does have a flatter fretboard and does have the fat 60s pick ups.
@@submersedlalo5631 Yeah he says that at the beginning but then goes on to say that "the american pro II comes with xyz as standard" which is just not true.
No, i had hoped so but, The pickups are identical to the player One.
I really dug into this. Fender themselves said they felt the player series alinico v were great and didn't need any change while they tried others , "we decided the player series was best with what we had on the player one"....Maybe not word for word but it's in a video fender themselves posted.
@@robertclarkguitar Fender could have easily.....dropped in some Noiselss pickups from the old Player Plus. Then that WOULD have been a worthwhile upgrade over the Player 1!!
@@Mexxx65 no way, noiseless pickups sound like shite
My Player 2 Aged Chery Burst Strat arrived yesterday (Aug. 29th) from Sweetwater/ It's definitely a noticeable step up from my Squier Affinity Tele. I'll probably put a set of the Fat 60's Pickups in it and do that Push/Push mod to the tone control in the next month or so. Overall I'm quite pleased with my purchase and look forward to playing this beauty for years to come.
Im going to pick up a used G&l legacy strat this paycheck.I keep hearing the quality control is really good.
Using Sweetwater helps also because they do a great job inspecting and QC
The pink one has a bit of a warmer sound. The green one a bit more sharp tone. Hard to tell to much from the demo. I would go with the green one in a maple neck if offered that way.
You got the lighting figured out in this video, looks great
For the clean comparison, I liked the Player II way more. I think the Pro II sounds a little too muffled.
Same.
only thing ive done to any of my MIM strats for up grades is bigger block and better pups other then that they're just fine with a basic fret tuneup
I have a Player II and I absolutely love it! The nut wasn’t cut well, but other than that, pretty wonderful. Great tone and plays beautifully.
I just bought a GT11 from Sweetwater and it is head and shoulders better than the Player 2’s I’ve played. Best Fender I have ever played, even better than my Schecter Traditional Pro. I thought that would never happen since I love my Schecter.
I appreciate the fact that Fender has finally listened to their customers and added some improvements to their lowest Fender labeled line. But like one commenter below, i think they're looking over their shoulders at the improving value market competitors gaining ground in the quality of their products. Without naming any names, I recently purchased a guitar with a roasted maple neck, locking staggered tuners, bone nut, rosewood fingerboard, ball end stainless steel frets, solid mahogany body EXTREMELY good quality and more for about half the price of a Player or Player ll. The neck alone, if it had Fender on the headstock, would sell for $699. I think the Player and now the Player ll were and are still the best bang for your buck Fenders, but watch out.....the competition is gaining.
Still putting the volume knob in the wrong place!!
Blindfold this dude, tell him that Mexican Strat is a 4500 boutique guitar with a bone nut and 500 dollar pickups, and he would say its one of the best guitars hes ever played.
Nice shoot out! I think Fender had better listened as they're seeing lots of competition from really high quality copies of the Fender-Strat build by Japanese, Indonesian, South Korean and Chinese manufacturers. E.g. I got myself a Squier Deluxe from Indonesia, did some mild mods and today it can really stand its ground against similar models three times the original budget, except Sire's Strat series. To me, their quality in build and sound kick all competitors in that price range right out of the ball park, that's how great their products are IMHO.
Sweetwater is an awesome dealer. I bought a Les Paul Custom through them earlier this year, 2024. It was set up perfectly to my specs and shipping was quick (I'm in SoCal, SW is in Ft. Wayne, Indiana). I couldn't have asked for more even if I tried. 👌👍
Wow! The Pro II sounds unbelievable! I really don’t think they are that close in tone, but that’s just me.
The Player One Strat is excellent. Rolling a fretboard is a pretty simple task. I have 7 Fender Custom Shop guitars and my Player One is better than any of them when it comes to soloing. I have no idea what this guy is complaining about.
Neither here nor there, but that new Birch Green color is a knockout. WHEEWWWW. Stunning! Never really liked green on Strats before, even though it's a classic color, but I MUST have one of THOSE.
This is your best video yet, Rhett. I too dislike the AlNiCo 5 magnets - too harsh-sounding, whilst the AlNiCo 3s are too slow and sluggish-sounding. To my ears, the AlNiCo 2s are the just-right-sounding, ‘Goldilocks’ of magnets.
👱🏼♀🧲👌🏻
@RhettSchull, aside from the colors in this year’s Player II options, the one reason I didn’t buy a Player II is the neck itself. For whatever reason, Fender necks, and the 9.5” radius, do not suit my hands. I have that on my Sonic Strat(heavily modded otherwise). I was able to pick up a Player I Tele body only(Tidepool), and am going to get a custom neck to better fit my hand. My Epi Les Paul Classic has a great asymmetrical, thinner neck with a 12” straight radius I love, so going with a custom neck. Going to also do a P90 in the neck and Super Distortion T in the bridge with a coil tap option and individual tone/volume controls(due to the hotter pickups I want a bit more control than the standard Tele setup) using concentric pots. I think the Player/Player II series are ideal for the player that prefers to make the guitar their own.
Are you serious? Sorry, there is nothing wrong with the Player I. It is a great guitar. This video makes the impression like there is a difference like night and day. I am curious on the review of the Player III, those will be even more amazing ;)
Yes hes serious. If its not a 4500 dollar boutique, its trash. If he did a blind fold teat, he wouldnt be able to tell the difference.
@@morganghetti Not just a boutique guitar, but it has to look like it's been dragged thru a rock quarry as well!
nah, brother. I've been playing for 20 years, have custom shop a squier, and a partocaster with a Mexican neck, and I'd be able to tell just by hearing them, in most cases. Hand wound pickups can't be topped. With that being said I'd take an American pro 2 and throw custom shop pickups and be content,
@@nj1255 that is what we are talking about.
@@henrikboekenkroeger620 that was supposed to be a reply to morghangetti, but I guess the @ disappeared for some reason.
I'm glad this line dropped the Pau Ferro! All the ones that I have played felt dry and I didn't like the look of them.
😂 that's why you oil the necks. And I've played on both, they feel the same but look a little different. That's about it
Oil the neck? And why should I be oiling the neck anyway? Why shouldn't the neck just work all the time without having to mess with it like that?
@@Joe-mz6dcit’s wood…it requires maintenance and conditioning
And sonicaly did your discern any major difference in sound? The harder Pau Ferro feels a lot more slick like the Maple fingerboard models actually. But hey, I don't like the look.........
@@Mexxx65 the look and the feel. I didn't care for it. I prefer rosewood. Tried many guitars with that fingerboard and they didn't feel good...much like Rhett said in this same review.
Good review, very helpful and informative!
Biggest thing left for me would be stainless steel frets.. I build strats just to mainly get stainless, but it's nice to be able to upgrade parts upfront too
Great video! Would love to see a comparison of the standard American Pro II vs the Player II.
I actually like the greater high frequency presence in the Player II pickups. (At least in this recording.)
Going into 2025, the difference between a Mexican Fender and American Fender is much, much, much smaller than the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson.
The fact that epiphone has multiple guitars 1200 says otherwise. They both are playing the market like crazy
I must say, "quality control" is not really "fretwork!" I understand OF COURSE that finished frets are nicer to play AND for most people it's a bit troubling to pay several grand for your dream git and find that the manufacturer expects YOU to drop the +$100+ moola for fret finishing. QC, to me at least, has to do with the quality of the ingredients, how well they're put together, and even the design elements that affect the tool's usefulness. For example strings falling off the fretboard because nobody can figure out that if you put 6100 railroad frets on a bolt guitar AND roll the edges well AND use light strings AND use a wide, Fender-spaced bridge - yer high E and/or low E string are gonna fall off the fretboard. It's a "WELL DUH" momo that has been haunting guitarists for (?)60+ years now(?!?); The only saving grace has been using Gibson-spaced narrow bridges, because design guys, luthiers and manufacturers of all sort find the idea of MAKING THE NECK WIDE ENOUGH to be completely mind-boggling, nay, IMPOSSIBLE. There's even one of those "luthiers" making $6000+ Fender copy guitars who's famous for his scrumptiously-rolled-edge necks, and - strings falling off the edges because there's no WOOD there. Surely the mental capacity to at least just widen the FRETBOARD exists (?) Rah Rah Let's Go Team Go! etc. PLUS - rolling fretboards works a WHOLE LOT better if you do it BEFORE you install the frets! Assuming there's enough neck there in the first place which, see above, there probably, tragically, ain't.
It was in the area of semi-finished fretwork where Ibanez, Yamaha & their evil minions stealthily made huge inroads into the American market - especially where it evolved and intersected with the mail-order-then-internet stores. You really had a pretty stark choice, buy a moderately-priced "import" guitar that's at least playable or a high-priced American guitar that's not - "OOPS!", quoth the Gibson.... Fender, at least, tried then succeeded at adapting; Gibson threw hissy fits at their dealers (By the time you can figure out how and who else to blame for all your problems you could've just FIXED things, ah the inscrutable corporate mind).
Of late the "Plek'd" process has chawed off a mighty swath of the "setup conundrum" - but I have built, owned and dicked with enough guitars to believe:
A) It can take some time to decide on string gauges and action height, every instrument has it's mood swings and more important -
B) Necks REALLY do need to, and WILL, settle in through at least one round of seasonal change, your own level of use, abuse and late-night cuddling. Ideally I'd like to see a certificate and arranged shipping to get a guitar Plek'd six months in, no sense in grinding away several thousandths of an inch of fret meat you'll never get back - or - just learn how to do stuff yoseff, only YOU really know what "absolutely perfect" means FOR you and No-Thing can teach you the True Meaning of Tedium better than 88 fret corners-to-go. (Although there are some minds that just CAN'T work in a few thousandths-of-an-inch; yes two thousandths does make for a noticeable diffie; you're probably better off just getting a job that pays way too well so you can chuck giant gobs of money at everything that annoys you.)
Still not a fan of the off white pickups and selectors but really glad to see they're back to basics with the rosewood fretboards. Bending on those Indian laurel fretboards felt like playing on sandpaper. Yuck.
The push push tone knob IS SO COOL AND I WANT ONE
No, you don't. Why do you think they're cool?
@@f3uibeghardt522 if I have to explain that then there is no point of explaining it.
You can buy a push push tone pot for $15.00 or less and pay Sam $5.00 down at the filling station to install it in your existing squire bullet strat or save the money and do it yourself.
I've had an American Pro II HSS Strat for about 2 years now. I absolutely adore this guitar. It's bone stock and just dialled in perfectly for what I want. But, if the Player II existed back then... there's a very good chance I'd have gone with that and a pickup upgrade (or maybe a pre-wired pickguard from Bareknuckle) instead and saved a good $1000 CAD. They've pretty much fixed every major gripe I had about the Player series Strat at the time (fretwork, no rolled fingerboard edges, meh bridge).
Hey Rhett, the reason why no one was gripping about Fender's QC is because Fender isn't charging an arm and a leg for their products 0o and their necks one snap off out of no where 😉
Sorry for the long reply!
I respect Rhett's honesty, but it feels disingenuous to say all Player series are "lesser" than other models. The real problem with the line has always been finding a great one is hard. It means playing the lottery - if you don't have high volume music store locally and the time/patience, chnaces are you settle for the one that's there.
He mentioned that they have been getting better over time, and I would agree. My first Player was a year one P Bass that is frankly horrible (sold), and then a Player Mustang that wasn't much better (returned) - both had a culmination of tiny annoyances and issues that started to appear when you looked closer. Bummer!
Early last year my opinion did a 180. I grabbed a variant of a Player Strat with factory upgrades, a roasted maple neck (amazing factory rounded edges and impeccable fretwork), Fat 50s pickups, and a beautiful sea foam green finish. It was during a Fender promotion, so it cost $100 CAD more than the base model. After doing some upgrades, a term/bridge, a bone nut, locking tuners, the result is an early 60s inspired, modern feeling , "players, working guitar".
It rivals both of my American Strats; a 2004 HSS American Standard bought new and a 2015 American Vintage 65 bought used in 2017 that has since sold. I never loved either of those, and chose this Player over dozens of America models played over a few months span.
The Player series are guitars that have a higher variance in fit, finish, and tone than someone who is willing to spend a few grand should stomach. My guess is prpduction volume, which is why the limited run version all seem to be better guitars. Some really do end up being better than others, sadly significantly less than what has been coming off the American assembly line.
Glad to hear the Player II are bucking that trend, so more people get guitar they love and can afford.
Don't forget to mention that The Am Pro II you have in your hand is a Sweetwater exclusive!
5:55 when I walked into the Fender Flagship store in Tokyo this week. This song was playing. Shine On Ypu Crazy Fender
I've got a player 1 plus top pau ferro and like it. Tried out a player 2 and yes the rosewood looks nice and the rolled edges are great but that's about it!
The pickups are the same as on player 1 and are not an upgrade apart from the cream coloured pickup covers and knobs. As for the 2 point trem bridge and saddles are also the same as on the player 1 and are not an ugrade.
However what I have noticed that the neck thickness feels consistently slimmer than that on the player 1 with pau ferro that I played in various shops and compared between the two! The other thing I noticed that the pau ferro has a little bit more snap compared to the rosewood fretboard that sounds darker, the feel between the 2 fretboards is pretty much the same if you can get past the name of the pau ferro. More expensive guitar makers use pau ferro on their guitars because of it's tone, even the SRV customshop strat has a pf fretboard.
Loved this video. The PRO definitely sounds better, the pickups are richer, more balanced and more pleasant. It feels as if perhaps you can tweak your tone slightly better for the Player but I can't imagine you'll reach the same depth of tone you get with the PRO. The PRO is much more expensive tho. This was a good video.
Hey man, great video. Thank you!!! I’d probably freak out playing that Birch Green one. I might have to try one out soon. I really appreciate your insight.🇺🇸
Well done on this comparison. That pink panther looks sick but not that drastically different for the price points. Thx for sharing and look forward to more upcoming content.