Player vs pre-Player Strat

T

Tony Dee

Strat-Talk Member
May 9, 2020
42
Malvern, Pennsylvania
I have a 2012 MIM Strat. It's nice and all, but I've been curious about the Player series Strats. I saw on Marketplace a 2019 MIM Player HSS Strat. My 2012 MIM is SSS.

Wondering what you all think about the differences I'll find between the 2012 MIM Strat and the 2019 Player HSS Strat. Thanks for your insights.
 
crawdaddy

crawdaddy

Most Honored Senior Member
Feb 11, 2010
7,005
Valley o Sun
Just my opinion.....I think the new Player Series guitars are a step ahead of the older Standard series MIM guitars. The Alnico P/U's alone set it apart and then add the 22 fret neck and wallah.....what you end up with is an American Standard Lite....

Though after saying that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the MIM Standards of the past....

Best of Luck to you on your decision...
 
T

Tony Dee

Strat-Talk Member
May 9, 2020
42
Malvern, Pennsylvania
crawdaddy said:
... there is absolutely nothing wrong with the MIM Standards of the past....
Click to expand...
Yup, that's one of my thoughts. What I have is just fine. Still I wonder should I venture out to try something different.

Besides the 22nd fret and the pickups, are there any other differences? Like is the neck different? How about the frets? I note that the neck and frets on my MIM Strat and MIM Tele are pretty muck the same.

btw: Since this Player is on Marketplace and nearby, I will make sure to check it out before anything.
 
Lateralu_s

Lateralu_s

Strat-O-Master
Dec 22, 2021
756
262/414
2point trem and everything mentioned above. Otherwise spec wise is the same outside of finish choices. Fender just freshening up the market by renaming it player series.

I like both the older mim standards and the current player series.
 
dirocyn

dirocyn

Most Honored Senior Member
Jan 20, 2018
7,712
Murfreesboro, TN
I spent a little time trying out a Player Plus, which brings locking tuners and a rolled fretboard to the party. Very comfortable neck, good sounding pickups. It was a good guitar.

But I already have a MIM Standard with rolled fretboard edges and alnico pickups. In the end I decided that the Plus--while better--was not enough better to want to get rid of my modestly upgraded Standard. Your mileage may vary.
 
John C

John C

Most Honored Senior Member
Silver Member
Jul 17, 2012
8,684
Kansas City
Tony Dee said:
Yup, that's one of my thoughts. What I have is just fine. Still I wonder should I venture out to try something different.

Besides the 22nd fret and the pickups, are there any other differences? Like is the neck different? How about the frets? I note that the neck and frets on my MIM Strat and MIM Tele are pretty muck the same.

btw: Since this Player is on Marketplace and nearby, I will make sure to check it out before anything.
Click to expand...

It's the same radius, nut width and "Modern C" shape, just with the 22nd fret added. I think the 2012 MIM Standard had the medium jumbo frets - I know that the fret size changed at least once as they went through the different generations of MIM Standards over the years. The Players definitely have the Medium Jumbo frets. I will agree with @crawdaddy that the Player has some nice tweaks that make it a somewhat bigger step up over the last generation of Standards than there was between the earlier generations of Standards.

That being said I think the bigger difference between your SSS Standard and the HSS Player will be the bridge humbucker; that is more of a difference than the differences between the ceramic magnet single coils on your Standard vs. the alnico magnet single coils on the Player.

If you are thinking of adding a Strat and you like - or would at least like to try - an HSS Strat you couldn't go wrong with the Player. But I don't necessarily think it would be a replacement for your current 2012 Standard.
 
T

Tony Dee

Strat-Talk Member
May 9, 2020
42
Malvern, Pennsylvania
John C said:
That being said I think the bigger difference between your SSS Standard and the HSS Player will be the bridge humbucker; that is more of a difference than the differences between the ceramic magnet single coils on your Standard vs. the alnico magnet single coils on the Player.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I'd like to try the bridge humbucker

John C said:
If you are thinking of adding a Strat and you like - or would at least like to try - an HSS Strat you couldn't go wrong with the Player. But I don't necessarily think it would be a replacement for your current 2012 Standard.
Click to expand...
Agreed again, It may be an addition rather than a replacement

1stpitch said:
Then there is the 2-point trem. I'm not convinced it is better than the 6-point, but that's just me.
Click to expand...
Funny, I don't even use the trem.

Thanks for all the inputs. I think I'll contact the seller to check out the Player.
 
Stratafied

Stratafied

Dr. Stratster
Oct 29, 2019
15,864
North of South
Both very good guitars. I had a mim fsr Strat that was really nice. Had an American special at the same time, I truly preferred the mim standard, and I also really liked the ceramic pickups as well.
 
R

Ramblin'man

Strat-O-Master
Feb 20, 2013
723
Northern Illinois
The difference is like night and day. Trade your old MIM's in if you have not invested in a bunch of upgrades. Pull the upgrades out and put the old parts back in then sell it or trade it.
 
S

slowesthand

Senior Stratmaster
Oct 23, 2011
2,536
NY
Tony Dee said:
Yup, that's one of my thoughts. What I have is just fine. Still I wonder should I venture out to try something different.

Besides the 22nd fret and the pickups, are there any other differences? Like is the neck different? How about the frets? I note that the neck and frets on my MIM Strat and MIM Tele are pretty muck the same.

btw: Since this Player is on Marketplace and nearby, I will make sure to check it out before anything.
Click to expand...

I think the necks on the MIM Standard and the Player Strats are exactly the same. I'm pretty sure the Player has the same medium jumbo frets as the MIM Standard.
 
W

Wulfrik

Strat-O-Master
Nov 6, 2022
731
Jersey, CI
I have limited experience in that I've only handled one Player Series HSS strat and I own a MIM standard from 2012, but to me there was a plastic-y feel to the PS HSS that isn't there on my 2012 MIM. I played a Vintera in the same (and only) local shop a week later and that thing was lovely.
 
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