Fender American Professional II Strat WORTH IT?
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- Опубликовано: 12 дек 2022
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Fender American Professional II Stratocaster FULL DEMO
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Oh, i love playing Stratocaster-guitars, and i love to choose guitars who are better than Fenders, especially better than Fender USA! My first Stratocaster was an end-80ies ,,Fender American Standard Stratocaster“, and it was my worst guitar ever, and i´ve had a second Fender Strat, a mexican-Version, called ,,Fender Standard Stratocaster“ and this guitar have had a Poplar-body and sounded like soft shit. And so I learned that either Fender is cheating us because they deliver poor quality and workmanship or overpriced guitars with wet, poorly stored and less vibrating woods, and trying to compensate for this with overloaded, or fat-sounding, pickups, and that is the reason for the myths of the real, old vintage Strats, because back then they tended to use woods that were stored and had better vibratability were used. Or, and this is certainly true, the production volume is so high that the company is no longer able to get wood of the same quality for the entire production, and then the really good, well-vibrating guitars come from the current production not to Germany - I am in Germany, a country that the USA keeps under military occupation to this day, so we Germans are like modern slaves of the USA Occupation Force, the USA controls Germany to this day and abuses us Germans as a source of money ! At the beginning of the 90s I got my hands on my first ESP-S-400 series Strat, now there are four, but this first one had 42 slanted annual rings and had such a great attack and cracky, bony, twangy and wiry-sound by dry-playing, and this guitar has beaten every Fender USA Custom Shop Strat by far in comparisons, let alone the production models from Fender and also a real, vintage Fender 1963 Strat. Around 2006, based on my good experiences with ESP, I bought an "ESP Vintage Plus" Strat, with the best, densest wood, superbly crafted and with a flattened neck-body transition (SSS variant), this Vintage Plus was once again on point Overtones and sustain are a step better, they easily beat the MusicMans and Suhrs and cost 1100 euros new at the time! Then in 2014 i came across a cheap used BLADE Texas Classic and was blown away. It was good, it could easily compete with the ESPs, yes it plays in the same league as ESP and cost 350 euros used. A short time later I tried a "BLADE Texas Standard Pro" with VMC midboost, similar to the "Fender Eric Clapton Signature USA-Strat", exactly the same again, it was better than any Clapton signature guitar from Fender, had better swingable woods, a flattened neck-body transition (like the BLADE Texas Classic) and therefore much better playability than Fender! So I use a lot of good Strats at home and all of them are better than what I could buy as a Fender in Germany at completely overpriced prices! That's why I prefer to play Strats, but the main thing is that it never says Fender on it, but rather ESP-S-400-Series, ESP Vintage Plus, BLADE Texas Classic or BLADE Texas Standard Pro! Well, I can prove not only purely subjectively, but very objectively in terms of sound, that there are much better things than Fender, in some cases also much cheaper and easier to play! Why should I even buy a Fender, a guitar that is worse in terms of sound and workmanship and less playable at a completely overpriced price???? Why, can someone explain this to me??????
How much better than a player series, It sounds a lot better, Just not sure I'm liking any of the available colours.
After more than 2 years of abstinence, I went to the Music Station again and played 3 Fender American Professional II Strats, and again I noticed that the woods had little vibrancy, the maple necks were not very dense and responsive, there was little twang, little crunch , wiry-glassy, few overtones, sustain, attack, everything you associate with Fender guitars, everything is less than on my ESP 400 Series Strats and less than on my BLADE Texas models. This can be tested objectively and I can only say that I am extremely disappointed with this price-performance ratio. No, I can no longer objectively understand this adulation regarding Fender Strats. My first Stratocaster was a Fender American Standard Stratocaster and that was my worst guitar of all, a Fender Mexico Standard followed after that, but after I played the ESPs and the BLADEs everything was clear to me, and that proves itself again, every time, when I compare, the same result always comes out - what else can I say, it is true! The ESP-400-Series Strats and the BLADEs have objectively, noticeably and audibly better tonewood, the BLADEs even have a flattened neck-body-joint and covered fret slots and therefore much better playability!!! So, I'm done with Fender, I'm playing something clever, and at a much cheaper price. I don't want to talk anyone out of their love of Fender, I have nothing against you buying the (usually) worse guitars for a far too exorbitant price, you're welcome to do that. Then there will be more BLADEs for me, very simple! Thanks for listening!
“Built for the gigging professional”
My amateur butt in my living room:
(Drool) I need it
@ CFn Around 🤣 I totally agree with you, I'm in the same situation but I'm getting the 🇺🇲 professional 2 telecaster Miami Blue 👍❗️
Fender's Deep C is one of my favorite neck profiles. My Professional and Performers both have it. It thins out a little up by the 12th for a great, balanced feel. Cold rolled steel is steel that is shaped using heavy rollers, sub forging temperature. Results in denser grain structure and higher srength. Assume that it adds weight and improves sustain in a trem block application.
Got 1 of these today and holy smokes what a guitar. Beats every guitar in every aspect i´ve ever owned and played. Tried 5 different strats before deciding on an AMII, among them a few vintage from 77 and 82. The one i got was brand spankin new. Fantastic guitar i must say.
Still have it?
Btw, cold rolling steal makes the metal stronger with more control over finished size and generally has a prettier finish. It's basically annealed or tempered differently than a hot rolling finish process. Just in case you are interested and no one has mentioned it yet.
*Steel.
Nice demo, wonderful tone. Very impressed. For true single coils the V Mods are pretty quiet with gain.
Excellent look at a great Strat.
I have the exact model/color/rosewood fretboard. If a player likes Strats it doesn’t disappoint.
Just picked one of these up today. Love it. Really miss my old Sunburst Brown 2005 American Standard Stratocaster - my first love.
Love the video and you’re right about that finish. So nice. I just picked up a Seafoam Green one but this video is making me question my choice. 😊😊
That Les Paul would be the perfect companion to my 2021 Les Paul Classic in transparent cherry.
Got one exactly like that in perfect condition, without a single scratch and a fine specimen, really well made for a very good price. Even though I'm not a strat guy, i think having a Fender American Standard Stratocaster is a must for every real guitarist out there. It's just a classic guitar that really sounds well. The build quality is excellent, intonation is great, it holds tuning well even with tremolo use. The only thing I don't really like is the neck - and I'm used to Gibson, Ibanez and PRS necks. So basically I like many different necks, but this one is not the one i particularly like. Other than that It's a great guitar, well worth buying, especially if you get a good deal on it. Old American Deluxe are probably still better guitars tho, but this is great too.
Great breakdown and demo. Excellent playing as well. I've had mine for almost two years (in Dark Night/rosewood). It's an absolute joy to play it. It's very comfortable all around and the pickups really sound good. Thanks for the video.
great video man. looking for 1st guitar and this helped a lot.
Love that finish. You should play the Miami Vice theme song because that’s what comes to mind every time I see that eye popping color. Don Johnson with a Miami blue T shirt and a white blazer, flamingos and palm trees…. And a white Ferrari Testarossa.
I have an American Pro II telecaster and I love it. Considering getting a strat. Thanks for the info
Just picked one up used with locking tuners today. Mint and freaking amazing!
Thanks for the overview. Tried one a while back and loved it - the 6 Position that gives you Bridge + Neck is a terrific little surprise - great for chimey chordal cross picking stuff (esp if you have a Leslie!) 😅I have my eye on the off white / 'paisley' pick guard with rosewood fretboard. Failing that the Dark Night Blue, both available here in HK but not quite decided yet.
I absolutely love it. I bought one a couple months ago from Sweetwaters. Mine is 3 color sunburst with a brown tortoise shell pickguard, HSS pickups, and a rosewood neck. I've been playing guitar for 50 years, started at age 14. This is by far the most expensive guitar I've ever owned. I blocked the bridge, as I have always done on any guitar with a tremolo/vibrato setup. Played through a Marshall DSL40CR it sounds amazing. The neck feels great, it's perfectly straight, the frets are perfectly finished, everything is just velvety smooth, which it should be at this price.
Cold-formed steel is the common term for steel products shaped by cold-working processes carried out near room temperature, such as rolling, pressing, stamping, bending, etc. Stock bars and sheets of cold-rolled steel are commonly used in all areas of manufacturing.
Is there a benefit to this over other processes?
@@RA-yc9fb ya know ! I dont know hahahaha i mean every gear savey person will or may have their own opinion on that ! I just guy and play guitars man
I got exactly this guitar, but i can not fall in love with the pickups, the pickups sounds just crazy with all the different alnico's placed.. Im think of changing the whole pickguard with everything.
Fender has had 30 shades of blue and this one, which almost looks like an old school Superman costume color, along with the mint pickguard, is the bomb. I think this is a relatively new color but it comes off as real vintage. Guitar porn for sure. Great, fluid jazzy riffs too.
I have a Miami Blue Tele, but the color has always looked more aqua to me. On film, it looks very sky blue, like the one shown here. There must be some variation in the paint batches
Looks even better with a pure maple fretboard
I have a Mexican tele, a Gretsch electrmatic duo jet( fender & gretsch) and a squire classic vibe fender Starcaster. ( oh and an x series Martin ) I’m now in the market for an American guitar , because it will be my 1st American guitar . I play Worship music in a Worship team - thinking of this but black( white pick guard )with maple neck . Will I feel & hear the quality difference ? And about the fretboard , what’s the difference in maple & rosewood in terms of feel & sound please ? Thank you.
Cold roll steel, or also called mild steel is how it was processed. Steel can be processed in many ways, but there's also hot rolled steel which is harder than cold.
One is not inherently better than the other it just depends on what is required per application.
I don't know if there are tonal qualities to steel, but what I take from their touting of cold rolled(mild) steel could be to differentiate it from cheaper trems that use very cheap pot metal trem blocks. Steel would definitely have more mass than pot metal, so maybe that has an effect of arresting sympathetic vibration in the tremolo and cavity.
Speculation on it's effect, but it will for sure be more durable either way.
This is not accurate. First, "mild steel" only speaks to the percentage of carbon that the steel contains. Low carbon steel has less carbon... has nothing to do with the rolling process. Cold rolling of steel makes it harder. Typically, molten steel is "poured" into slabs/ castings from a large "ladle". These slabs are then reheated to approx 2200F and rolled (think rolling out cookie dough) to a thinner thicknesses. Cold rolling happens after hot rolling and is utilized to decrease thicknesses further and with more dimensional accuracy. This cold rolling process, however work hardens the steel. There are then other thermo processes that can be utilized to re-soften(annealing) the material so that it is more formable(think car body panels) or other processes to make the steel harder depending upon the requirements of a purchaser of the steel. But to clarify cold rolled steel is harder than hot rolled steel. What that had to do with tone in a guitar is outside my area of expertise... lol.
Is that a mesa Boogie F50 behind you? I just sold mine a few months ago. Nice cleans on it, but to loud for my bedroom😂
Seems like a fantastic guitar. The shape is really sleek compared to old 90's and early 00's strats which where very blocky and ungainly. A slightly deeper/fatter neck is a big plus. The old ones where really too thin. The only bad thing is that the pickups seems and sounds rather weak. Hardly 6K in the bridge? That's not enough. A guitar this nice needs pickups to match it. Some thing like a set on Antiquity Surfer II's.
Higher output pickups don’t always get the best out of a Strat, to me there’s something about lower output which sounds more natural.
I'm going for the 🇺🇲 professional 2 telecaster, Miami Blue... the neck is great.
I have a 2013 American standard Strat, the predecessor of this thing. I’ve exclusively played it since I bought it. When I got it I thought it was perfect and tbf, even after 9 years there are some things that still amaze me (e.g. it sustains similar to an old lp style guitar I have, and those fat 50s picks ups it came with stock are pretty much all you could ask for in a Strat)
That said, after about 7-8 years of playing it exclusively I noticed problems. The trem system sucks (there’s no other way to put it), the nut wasn’t cut very well and tuning is frequently an issue, it’s difficult to bend on because the rounder radius and as a result you can’t get the action too low, plus mines an HSS and the humbucker it came with really isnt it for me.
Over the last few years I’ve made upgrades to it to make it better, I got the board re-radiused and referetted to Stainless steel, I added a new nut, got it plek’d, I changed that humbucker, I added locking tuners. Now, it plays like a dream, and I don’t think there’s a guitar in the world I would take over it, but that’s after dropping the equivalent (from my currency) of about 1200 USD into it (and it was already roughly 1300 usd new in 2013)
So now, looking at this thing that is in my opinion lower spec than my guitar in it’s original form, with far greater price increases than inflation, and with fenders quality nosedive rivalling Gibson…. I will firmly say no, this isn’t worth it. And frankly, if I could go back in time and do it again, I’d have gotten the most resonant Mexican Strat I could find and upgraded it to what I want as a player. Sorry for the long comment but just wanted to give my opinion to anyone thinking of buying this thing.
Why is it lower spec than your American Standard 2013?
@@jeremyp7823 Because he's jealous :P
"Cold-rolled steel" … I heard the 2024 American Pro's trem blocks will be made from melted-down 1950's Cadillacs and pre-war Japanese Katanas.
I had an American standard 2008 and I compared it to this guitar and the pro to blew it out of the water to pick ups sound much better .
Nice, thanks!
"a standard strat for an above standard price!". I do love that Miami blue though, I really do. I had a highway one pbass in Daphne blue before and it's not quite that, is it? It looks close but seems a little more agua blue than that. I don't know. If like one though, actually I'd like a bunch of fenders before the prices get really stooopid. To me, seemed like about 4-5 years ago fender went the way of Gibson with the frequency of their price increases. Not as big of increases of course but more often than they used to for sure.
I have a player series with Custom Shop 69, I actually picked it up used for $400. I rounded the frets ends, and even rolled the maple fretboard, without removing the finish! But That Miami Blue!
If you were to replace the wiring to match the higher end fenders, you’re good to go. No need to get an expensive one tbh. After a certain point its just diminishing returns
I bought this a year ago and it’s the most fun and comfortable guitar I play. It feels great and sounds great you get what you pay for not one flaw about it
Crazy when it came out. I got mine new for $1000
I feel I could be just fine with a Player Series. One great thing about a Strat is how easy they are to customize and modify. Besides, I don't know if I will ever be a good enough player to justify spending $1700 on any one guitar.
Keep it up, guys. I love what you are doing here.
Being good enough ain’t got nothing to do with it lol but I’d probably check out some Japanese fenders before I dropped two grand on that one. A few years ago they had an American player or something like that Tele and Strat at guitar center and they were around 1000 dollars and they were sweet I wanted one but I thought eh I’ll probably always be able to pick up an American Strat for around 1000 ha ha yeah right
Getting up around 2000 dollars I might be able to stretch and save a little more to get a Shur or other boutique builder
@@brandonjackson5865 Yeah, I have been there with a lot of stuff the last few years. Everything just keeps getting more and more expensive.
Yeah I bought a DSL20cr in 2020 and I thought it’d be cool to have another for a little stereo rig and whoops the things are nearly 1000 dollars now, it’s ridiculous .
Just to have it said, $1700 is the list price for this guitar. I bought one brand new in 2021 just before the 2022 price increases took effect for $1100. I realize that ship may have sailed- but you have to talk to your dealer, no matter who it is. Most stores will sell for less than list, you just have to be willing to ask for a discount.
I really don't think there are too many guitars out there with this level of fit and finish going for less than $1500. I really don't get how people can complain about Fender's American pricing. I own Squiers, Mexican, and Japanese Fenders- these American Pro II's are worth every bit of $1700 all things considered.
@@mcdingus5081 I did just that earlier today. I ordered from sweetwater but talk to the tech first and they sold it to me for 1500 even. Plus tax of course.
Personally,.. don't care for the pickups as much as the Fender Vintage '65 set. Like the softer, deep mellow of '65s more. Makes it much nicer for blues, SRV and can still thump out some R-N-R. Other than that,.. really like this guitar! Rosewood board is the only way to go for me too. That color is very different! I like it! Not sure about the trem block. Would like to hear it compared to a thicker brass block. Sustain and tone would be the deciding factor there.
Love it!!👍
But didn't you notice the bridge spacing is wider? I really like mine but it takes some getting used to. Also, they are pretty heavy Strats. Instead of 7.5 lbs, you're talkin' more like 8.5 lbs & up. However, the tone and the advanced trem are amazing. I've owned many custom shop Fenders and this one is better. Also, the Poly finish is durable for the road.
Thanks !
Cold rolled steel is much stronger/harder than standard mild steel. Less likely to bend or warp over time
The fact that they're "V-Mod TWO" pups says a lot. Soon there will be V-Mod THREES to replace these "wet noodles".
Meanwhile, the Alnico IIIs used in Squier CVs won't be getting changed any time soon! They sound fine, and authentic.
There's an Alnico V at the bridge.
Had a nice Fender American Professional SSS Strat. Traded it for a new SG. I really want that LP!
@Jon Oz dunno if it is setup or what, i have ibanez with same scale length ... the fender feels just stiff. i use 11s on my ibanez but i really struggle with 9s on fender. fender has that heavenly sound though 😅😅😅
I have the Pro II. I don’t honk it’s any different the the Ultra except for the noiseless pick ups.
Yeah, I prefer the V-mod II's myself. They are far more dynamic in range- every setting is very distinct from the others.
Great Strat. Very nice melodic soloing your playing. Little bit a Buck Dharma? Maybe? I like your reviews cuz you keep the attention to the guitar and not like "look at me" like so many reviewers do.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
Ive owned every strat fender has ever made (almost) most of them vintage inspired, strat plus, strat elite, clapton , beck , etc, etc. I had the pro 1 version it was crap but this pro2 is one hell of a guitar, one of the best ever the pups are sublime, really really good, I am going to put some in my custom shop strat. Buy it it is a home run.
Would it be unacceptable to put a hot rails in the bridge?
Hi there! I am interested in buying a Stratocaster. I have experimented with the American Professional ll & the American Vintage 1957. I believe deciding on which guitar is best in general is quite subjective. This is why I sort of narrowed it down to these two. Have you personally tried out either one of these guitar’s by any chance? And, what is the most commonly purchased Fender Strat of them all? Thanks!
I prefer the American Vintage line to the American Professional if you can afford the jump in price, they are really great instruments. The best selling is the Player series, simply due to price point. I'm sure they sell more American Professional II than Vintage, but again it comes down to price. If you put aside price I will tell you that if you're into vintage vibe - American Vintage is an excellent choice but a very strong contender is the Vintera II series - check out the 60s Vintera II Strat, amongst the best I've played lately at a fraction of the price. Thanks for watching!
I bought it Fender American professional II left handed after watching your performance👍
Congrats and enjoy! Thanks for watching 🍻
I'm a lefty as well, getting the dark night with the rosewood board. I really like the metallic color as us lefties don't normally get cool metallic finishes.
my 2 fav play live guitar after Ibanez prestige rg512
I have modified my sunburst 2022 quite a bit. One replacement pickup and swapped the other two's places. I got the heaviest Pro II, too. Dense, DENSE maple and alder. It weighs almost as much as a Paul. The burst finish is also more dark than bright. I chose the Pro II that was the loudest acoustically I could find with the best action. Oh, and I added nylon spacer washers to lower that raised tone control. Tusq XL nut, too. It's like playing darkness and brightness at the same time.
Wondefful Guitar! I would love one!
Great review! It's a push-push tone pot, though.
That thing would irritate the 💩 outta me!
Sounds great
Nice guitar love the color.
@inboxmeontele_gramplayandtrade Thanks for messaging me
It's a real shame that Fender doesn't put locking tuners on their AM Pro II line. I had a Mexican Player Plus for a short while before returning it that came with locking tuners and they were amazing.
Miami Blue is the best colour on Strats you can buy today. Amazing!
locking tuners are superfluous, they make zero difference to tuning stability
ty
You have probably noticed that the price is now pushing $1800. And I ended up going with the roasted pine, which is another hundred dollars. But it's a gorgeous guitar. Still setting it up but it's promising.
What a fantastic video
it's an improvement over the american standard
Just got one in sonic blue and I haven't been able to put it down. such a beautiful guitar!
Nice playing
I have one of these. Dark Night. Plays great. I don’t love the pickups tho. I mean they’re no doubt high end. I dunno I have this old mexi Strat and they’re my favourite Fender pickups out of 4 Strats I own.
If it had a large headstock. Fender makes great guitars. No need to mess with it.
Just make the same guitar, no improvements. Good thing Fender doesn't listen to idiots or they'd be bankrupt.
It really is excellent.
Nah, Player Plus strat before this, and really, Reverb American Standard from 08' to 2016. Best years ever.
Noiseless is garbage. I’d get a used player over player plus. You can get them used for $499 and mod up.
After more than 2 years of abstinence, I went to the Music Station again and played 3 Fender American Professional II Strats, and again I noticed that the woods had little vibrancy, the maple necks were not very dense and responsive, there was little twang, little crunch , wiry-glassy, few overtones, sustain, attack, everything you associate with Fender guitars, everything is less than on my ESP 400 Series Strats and less than on my BLADE Texas models. This can be tested objectively and I can only say that I am extremely disappointed with this price-performance ratio. No, I can no longer objectively understand this adulation regarding Fender Strats. My first Stratocaster was a Fender American Standard Stratocaster and that was my worst guitar of all, a Fender Mexico Standard followed after that, but after I played the ESPs and the BLADEs everything was clear to me, and that proves itself again, every time, when I compare, the same result always comes out - what else can I say, it is true! The ESP-400-Series Strats and the BLADEs have objectively, noticeably and audibly better tonewood, the BLADEs even have a flattened neck-body-joint and covered fret slots and therefore much better playability!!! So, I'm done with Fender, I'm playing something clever, and at a much cheaper price. I don't want to talk anyone out of their love of Fender, I have nothing against you buying the (usually) worse guitars for a far too exorbitant price, you're welcome to do that. Then there will be more BLADEs for me, very simple! Thanks for listening!
Yes.
I cam here to see if the inside of the body was SSS, but was hoping it was HSH. ❤
Is there any problem putting on locking tuners on this guitar with regard to the string tree, like a conflict?
I almost bought one last week but decided against it….for $1699 I expect it to be better than it was with the quality. The biggest complaint I had was the frets, all up and down the neck the you could feel the sharp edges of the frets. For that kind of money I wouldn’t expect that. Showed to the guy at GC and he even agreed with me. It’s possible that this is just one that slipped by QC, but that particular one wasn’t worth it.
It's a beautiful guitar, QC can vary from guitar to guitar sounds like that one was no good. If you try again try zZounds: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/item--FEN0113900
Thanks for watching!
@@PlayandTradeGuitars QC should _not_ vary (significantly) from guitar to guitar. Otherwise, what's the point of QC?
That is not normal for these guitars. I can tell you I tried out a ton at my local dealer and they all were the smoothest and best finished fret ends I have ever felt on a Fender neck. And I know my dealer doesn't set them up until you've had it for a week or two so they set it up to your preferences. I suspect the guitar you tried went through a severe climate change and needs to get refinished. Did the fretboard look dry on it?
Old comment, but I agree. I can feel the fret ends on my American Pro ii and it almost hurts my fingers.I got it on sale for $1,300 at a GC from the box. I keep playing my gibsons while the strat stays in the case. I really WANT to like playing it but my guitar playing time is limited.
Ładne wiosło
I'm about to buy one in seafoam green with a maple fretboard/neck.
I have that one you gonna be so happy
Excellent choice! Is that the Surf Green in this series? I love that color: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/item--FEN0113902
@@PlayandTradeGuitars not OP but I just reserved one today. That colour is incredible in person. This guitar is more than I deserve at my level of playing but I had to spoil myself. The only thing I would have like to have seen is locking tuners at this price range. Especially considering their are relatively inexpensive. Great video, it raises my confidence that I made a good choice.
Dang those tuners are on mim strats. I thought they at least would put vintage tuners
Did you get a push pull pot? It's supposed to be push push.
You're right, push push! Thanks for watching
Wow. It looks just like my lake placid blue Squier 60s Classic Vibe Strat, yet doesnt sound nearly as good.
At least it's expensive.
With a few more "improvements" we'll be back to the Standard level Strat.
Always that nasty breakup like the strings stop with drive especially the g string down to e
this dude kinda looks like bradley cooper
These are going for £1200 uk side ( used) in most dealerships. Seems like a bit of a bargain considering most uk dealers are rip off merchants.
A lot cynical people commenting. I agree, fender have far too many variants but the pro 2 is very different. Astounding pickups, the 'push push' (not push pull!) 'Gilmour mod' Switch should be on every strat. These pro 2's are the best strats out there IMO. Down side:too expensive and should have locking tuners.
Why? Locking tuners don't add anything (except maybe for string changing). There is zero evidence that they improve tuning stability.
As a luthier myself, I believe locking tuners are better for trem equipped guitars. Other than that, yes they are much better when it comes to changing strings.
Hi please let me win this Les Paul I'll give u a hug
It all depends on the on pickups
Yeah, but G&L.
You’re a great player man
that demo solo aint it
I prefer single coils.
Push/Push not Push/Pull tremelo pot
Its push push not push pull.
Oh, i love playing Stratocaster-guitars, and i love to choose guitars who are better than Fenders, especially better than Fender USA! My first Stratocaster was an end-80ies ,,Fender American Standard Stratocaster“, and it was my worst guitar ever, and i´ve had a second Fender Strat, a mexican-Version, called ,,Fender Standard Stratocaster“ and this guitar have had a Poplar-body and sounded like soft shit. And so I learned that either Fender is cheating us because they deliver poor quality and workmanship or overpriced guitars with wet, poorly stored and less vibrating woods, and trying to compensate for this with overloaded, or fat-sounding, pickups, and that is the reason for the myths of the real, old vintage Strats, because back then they tended to use woods that were stored and had better vibratability were used. Or, and this is certainly true, the production volume is so high that the company is no longer able to get wood of the same quality for the entire production, and then the really good, well-vibrating guitars come from the current production not to Germany - I am in Germany, a country that the USA keeps under military occupation to this day, so we Germans are like modern slaves of the USA Occupation Force, the USA controls Germany to this day and abuses us Germans as a source of money ! At the beginning of the 90s I got my hands on my first ESP-S-400 series Strat, now there are four, but this first one had 42 slanted annual rings and had such a great attack and cracky, bony, twangy and wiry-sound by dry-playing, and this guitar has beaten every Fender USA Custom Shop Strat by far in comparisons, let alone the production models from Fender and also a real, vintage Fender 1963 Strat. Around 2006, based on my good experiences with ESP, I bought an "ESP Vintage Plus" Strat, with the best, densest wood, superbly crafted and with a flattened neck-body transition (SSS variant), this Vintage Plus was once again on point Overtones and sustain are a step better, they easily beat the MusicMans and Suhrs and cost 1100 euros new at the time! Then in 2014 i came across a cheap used BLADE Texas Classic and was blown away. It was good, it could easily compete with the ESPs, yes it plays in the same league as ESP and cost 350 euros used. A short time later I tried a "BLADE Texas Standard Pro" with VMC midboost, similar to the "Fender Eric Clapton Signature USA-Strat", exactly the same again, it was better than any Clapton signature guitar from Fender, had better swingable woods, a flattened neck-body transition (like the BLADE Texas Classic) and therefore much better playability than Fender! So I use a lot of good Strats at home and all of them are better than what I could buy as a Fender in Germany at completely overpriced prices! That's why I prefer to play Strats, but the main thing is that it never says Fender on it, but rather ESP-S-400-Series, ESP Vintage Plus, BLADE Texas Classic or BLADE Texas Standard Pro! Well, I can prove not only purely subjectively, but very objectively in terms of sound, that there are much better things than Fender, in some cases also much cheaper and easier to play! Why should I even buy a Fender, a guitar that is worse in terms of sound and workmanship and less playable at a completely overpriced price???? Why, can someone explain this to me??????
Beautiful guitar, don't like these pickups though
I’ll take my player series over American pro 1/2. I’ve owned both. FTR I’m not trying to yuck the AmerPro yum.
The American pros have anemic pickups and tone to my ears…too tame. With a little elbow grease (fret crowning/polishing) the player will match playability but the pickups have THAT authentic strat or tele (I have both) tone that the American pros just don’t have
Yep, I agree. I actually bought pro II HSS thinking I'll dial it in but I cant, it just sounds tame and diluted. Thinking of selling it now.
@@prolaznik2214 that was my experience with the AmPro. Just sounded like a sterile facsimile of a strat. Now, I do love the pickups in both my Player tele and strat, but given they are an inexpensive mod platform, I’m eyeing down the CuNiFe and Cobalt chrome pickup sets 😎
Oh look, another "new version" of a stratocaster, one you'd never be able to distinguish from most other strats if you played it in the dark. I like the color, and I like the fact that it has a rosewood fingerboard.
@Stewart Cochrane A strat's a strat's a strat and that's that.
@Stewart Cochrane How about just sell a "stratocaster" that's always available and always what players want. No need to get fancy about it or change some little detail and call it a new model. They should sell a '57 model, a '62 model, a 70s model, and maybe an 80s model (HSS and a Floyd) and always have all of them available. Easy. Not confusing. Not pretending they're something they're not.
The rolled fretboard edges feel amazing.
Every year it's a new "Strat". So damn happy I got my 93 Amer deluxe plus in 96. Back when we had to go by what's in the magazine of the month" they said these were as close to Custom Shop as production line could get. I think of it as a Shelby in a line of Mustangs. All the performance pieces from the factory. In 26 yrs the only thing I've done to this guitar is add the Hipshot Tremsetter and did that in the 1st week of ownership. Cranked the Fender Floyd Rose bridge up to whammy up and down and just play. In all this time NEVER had a problem with this guitar once. Keep all them "NEW" models. I got a lifetime keeper. In butt ugly yellow.
BraveNewIdiot. Guess what I think of your opinion?
I've never seen so many ghastly coloured guitars on one rack. That Les Paul is an affront to art and nature.....
Well, i have 7 Strats, but all my Guitars sound better! Sorry about that.
Don’t think RUclips videos are high end audio, just saying.
Gunther, is that German for moron?
Just remember your buying a piece of Wood and Magnet's base Value 25$ Sucka society
Pedal is garbage, ruined the sound
Pro 2 blows Player Series away. Sorry brokesters, your lame excuses don't fly.
Everytime I see these strat videos, the host is playing some janky thin Diddy slopped with reverb. I'm a rocker, and I have not seen one video of the host playing more aggressive music. I guess the strat won't be for me.
I'd rather buy a squier and mod it to an inch of its life put in a little elbow grease and save 1k$+ to have a better guitar.
A better guitar with no resell value, great plan
@@ralex3697 why would you buy a guitar with the intention of selling it? You’ll lose more on the fender second hand than you put into the squier. Your argument is silly
I totally get that. I have Squiers as well as one of these and you can make those Squiers pretty darn close to the feel of one of these (if you know what you're doing). But don't forget- time is money. No matter what, if you but the elbow grease in and spend money on better parts- you're probably going to spend a lot closer to the price of this guitar than you think. Unless you think your time is worth $5 an hour.
@@mcdingus5081 I like to tinker. But my latest build cost 200$ for a contemporary tele rh . I put a duncan invader and and a hot rail. 150$ in pickups. I built my harness with two Bourne a pots wire in a 4 ways switch. Two frets needed leveling 5 minutes. Bournes pots 10$. Misc wire 1$ . I set it up but even if I took it to a luthier it would only have been 500 buck all in. The guitar sells 440$ new and 400 used. I have 360$ in the guitar and 1 whole hour of work into it. What’s an ultra 1899$ 1300 used. I don’t understand the argument . I’m basically on even money even if I hated it and your losing at least 4 to 500 to move that guitar on used and guess what. That fucking new fender still needs a setup and a fret dress at a minimum. Im a math guy. Sorry
@@ScottDreyfus First off, not everyone is capable of doing that kind of work to guitars. I totally think you're lowballing the amount of time needed to do all the things you want to do as well. If you can do all of that in less than an hour, you still have an investment in tools, and you're assuming that your investments in wire and misc. are split between many builds. And lastly- when I bought my Pro II from my dealer- it cost me nothing for a setup. I had the guitar for two weeks, and they told me to bring it back after I played it a while and they would set it up to my liking. It certainly did not need a fret dress- not sure why you would assume a new Fender American would need that- that's silly. But I can tell you one thing- those frets and its rolled edges make you want to do a fret dress on all of your Squier guitars. And I assure you that is going to take you longer than a hour to get a Squier/ Mexican up to par with this thing. So much for math- when you're missing big parts of the equation.