While I would suspect that on average a new Player Series will be better, any given 90s MIM Strat could be better than any given new MIM Strat. Fenders being what they are, at every level and every vintage you will find magical guitars and you will find lemons. Starting from zero I’d think you’d be less likely to get a lemon with the new ones, but if you’re asking, will a random Player series be better than a particular older instrument that you know and like, that’s a total dice roll.
What does “better” even mean in that context? Pickups will be different, but that’s a matter of taste. The old ceramics are their own thing; some people prefer them, believe it or not. The new ones are okay, but not great IMO. The new hardware and electronics are probably a bit higher quality but the old stuff but it got the job done—it was basic Strat stuff; what do you want?
I guess the question is what you would be trying to achieve by upgrading. If you like how the neck feels on your current Strat, any other shortcomings could almost certainly be addressed for much less than the cost of a new guitar. But sometimes you just want a new guitar. That’s fine. After 25 years, I don’t think getting a new guitar (or another guitar) is very extravagant. Full disclosure: I’m a chronic GAS addict and accumulator of instruments, so my perspective may be skewed.
But having owned a lot of Strats, I will say that a 96 MIM was one of the best, believe it or not.
Last edited: Jul 27, 2020