Fender 144533534 Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Fender Player Stratocaster is an iconic electric guitar model that has been the go-to instrument for legendary guitarists since 1954. This mid-range model carries on the Stratocaster legacy, offering classic style and versatile sound at an affordable price point.

The Stratocaster shape is instantly recognizable, featuring a double cutaway body that provides easy access to the higher frets. The sleek, contoured body is crafted from alder, which helps produce a balanced, well-rounded tone. Available in a range of eye-catching finishes, the Fender Player Strat also features a 25.5" scale maple neck and fretboard, providing comfort and playability.

While staying true to the original formula, the Player Stratocaster incorporates some modern upgrades. It comes equipped with a set of Alnico V single coil pickups, engineered to capture the classic Strat tone while providing more clarity and articulation. Other features include a modern "C"-shaped neck profile, 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge, and sealed tuning machines for rock-solid tuning stability.

The Player series expands Fender's catalog, offering the build quality and heritage of higher-end American and Mexican-made models in an affordable import package. For guitarists looking for versatile sound in an iconic design backed by decades of history, the Player Stratocaster is an excellent choice to consider.

Body Style and Design

The Fender Player Stratocaster features the iconic double cutaway Stratocaster body shape that Fender is known for. The contoured body is made from solid alder wood, which provides a balanced tone and great resonance.

The Stratocaster shape features a deep belly cut on the back for comfort during long playing sessions. The forearm and rib cage contours allow your strumming arm to smoothly follow the body shape for ease of playing.

The guitar has a gloss polyester finish that lets the natural grain patterns of the alder wood shine through. The color options include 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Buttercream, Polar White, and Sage Green Metallic.

Overall, the Stratocaster body style provides comfort, great balance, and classic Fender style. It's a versatile design suitable for all genres of music.

The Fender Player Stratocaster has a 25.5 inch scale length, which is typical for Stratocasters and provides great string tension and tonal range. The maple neck has a modern "C" profile that feels smooth and comfortable. The fretboard is made of pau ferro, which is similar to rosewood. It has 22 medium jumbo frets for great playability.

This guitar comes equipped with three single coil Stratocaster pickups that provide crystal clear bell-like tone. The 5-way pickup selector switch allows you to choose from 7 pickup combinations. From the famous quacky in-between tones to the bridge pickup's searing lead tone, this guitar covers iconic Strat sounds.

Other features include vintage-style tuning machines, a synthetic bone nut, and a synchronized tremolo bridge for expressive pitch effects. The tremolo arm allows you to add vibrato or dive bombs if desired. The guitar comes setup for optimal playability with low action and no fret buzz.

In terms of alternatives, Fender makes a wide range of Stratocaster models. The American Professional II Stratocaster features premium tonewoods and electronics for discerning players. The Squier Affinity Stratocaster is an excellent budget choice for beginners. The Deluxe Stratocaster models add features like noiseless pickups and locking tuners.

Compared to other brands, PRS, Ibanez, Schecter and ESP make high quality Strat-style guitars. However the Fender Player Stratocaster provides an authentic Strat at a reasonable price point. This is a true workhorse guitar that covers a wide range of music styles.

Fender also makes the Fender FA-125 acoustic guitar. This is an affordable, all-laminate dreadnought well suited for beginners and recreational players. It features a spruce top, basswood back and sides, and comes in natural, black, or sunburst finishes.

The Fender FA-125 has a 25.3 inch scale length and slim neck profile for comfortable playing. It comes equipped with a Fender preamp system which includes a built-in tuner. While it doesn't have the tonal complexity of Fender's premium acoustics, it provides good bang for the buck.

Overall, the Fender Player Stratocaster and Fender FA-125 acoustic cater to different types of guitarists. The Stratocaster is an iconic electric loved by countless rock, blues, country, and pop players. The FA-125 is a budget friendly option for unplugged practice and jam sessions. Fender makes high quality instruments across the price spectrum.

Neck for Smooth Playability

The Fender Player Stratocaster features a maple neck with a modern "C"-shaped profile that feels smooth and comfortable in the hand. The neck width measures 1.65 inches at the nut, providing ample space for chords and solos without feeling too bulky.

The fretboard is made of pau ferro, which is an excellent tonewood that resonates well. It has a 9.5" radius and narrow tall frets, allowing for easy bending and vibrato. The truss rod adjustment is located at the headstock so you can fine-tune the neck relief as needed.

Overall, the neck feels fast and slick, making it easy to play fast lead lines. The profile is thin but not too thin, striking a balance between modern and vintage. Players who want excellent playability for chords and leads will appreciate the Fender Player Strat neck.

The smooth playability of the Fender Player Stratocaster neck allows guitarists to easily move around the fretboard and execute chords, leads, and riffs with comfort. This promotes better technique, speed, and expression in one's playing. While the neck shape provides a nice rounded feel, the pau ferro fretboard and narrow frets make for effortless bending and vibrato effects.

For guitarists looking for versatile high performance, the Yamaha FG830 TBS is an excellent choice. This acoustic-electric model features a solid spruce top and Nato back and sides, producing bright balanced tone with nice bass response. The slim neck profile is comfortable for chording while the rosewood fretboard facilitates smooth lead playing.

The FG830 has a System55T preamp with 3-band EQ, giving you control over your amplified tone. It also has a tuner, phase switch, and adjustable mid-range - great for fine-tuning your sound in live performance. And with the cutaway body style, upper fret access is easy. Overall, the Yamaha FG830 TBS is a versatile, gig-ready acoustic-electric that handles both acoustic and plugged-in needs.

When comparing to the Fender Player Stratocaster, the Yamaha FG830 TBS appeals to guitarists needing that acoustic versatility. The smooth neck and comfortable body style allow for varied playing styles, from rhythm accompaniment to soloing. And the preamp gives you the flexibility to amplify with optimized tone shaping and EQ control. It's a great choice for guitarists who play both acoustic and electric.

Pickups and Electronics

The Fender Player Stratocaster features three single coil pickups, delivering the classic bright and crisp Strat tone. The bridge pickup provides clarity and bite, while the middle pickup has a quacky, funky character. The neck pickup delivers a smooth, round sound perfect for jazz and blues.

The pickups are controlled by a 5-way pickup selector switch, which provides access to the bridge pickup alone, the bridge and middle pickups together, the middle pickup alone, the middle and neck pickups together, or the neck pickup alone. This allows you to easily dial in everything from glassy, country twang to thick, warm rhythm sounds.

The master Volume and two Tone knobs (for the neck and middle pickups) allow further tonal shaping. The electronics provide exceptional tonal versatility, while retaining the unmistakable signature tone of a Strat. Whether you want to play searing rock solos or silky clean passages, this Strat has you covered.

Hardware

The Fender Player Stratocaster features high quality hardware that complements the classic Strat design and enhances playability. The guitar has chrome hardware including chrome tuners, a chrome synchronized tremolo bridge, and a chrome pickup selector switch tip.

The synchronized tremolo bridge is a highlight of the Strat's hardware. This bridge allows guitarists to add vibrato effects and subtle pitch changes by rocking the tremolo arm. The bridge is "synchronized" because the tremolo action is balanced across all strings, allowing notes to go sharp or flat together in a smooth, even way. Fender's modern tremolo bridges are very stable and reliable, while still providing excellent tremolo effects.

The chrome hardware gives the guitar a clean, sleek look. The tuners are effective at holding the strings in tune. Overall, the hardware is rugged and designed for years of use. Players will appreciate how the tremolo bridge, tuners, and other hardware allow them to dial in their tone and take full advantage of the Strat's versatile sound.

Sound and Tone

The Fender Player Stratocaster produces the bright, crisp signature Strat tone that has defined countless classic rock, blues, funk, and pop records over the past 60+ years. The alder body and maple neck provide a snappy, resonant tonality, while the single-coil pickups boast sparkling highs and transparent mids.

When clean, the tone is crystalline and chiming, with bell-like highs and a punchy midrange that cuts through a mix. The bridge pickup has plenty of bite for leads, while the neck pickup delivers rounded, mellow tones perfect for jazz and blues. There's also a very usable in-between "quack" from positions 2 and 4.

With overdrive and distortion, this Strat growls, snarls, and screams just like players would expect. The bridge pickup easily delivers searing rock lead tones, especially when amp gain is cranked. The other pickups fatten up nicely when driven, while still retaining their signature Strat personality.

Overall, this modern Player model aims to provide quintessential Stratocaster tones versatile enough for any genre, yet vintage-flavored enough to satisfy traditionalists. It's a delight to play for chordal rhythms, sparkling cleans, bluesy soloing, or full-on distorted rock. The sound is lively, present, and an excellent example of a classic Strat electric guitar.

Playability

The Player Stratocaster features Fender's modern "C"-shaped neck profile, which provides a very smooth and comfortable feel that facilitates fast playing across the entire fretboard. The neck is carved from maple and has a satin finish that enhances the speedy feel.

The medium jumbo frets maximize playing comfort and promote intricate soloing by providing a little extra "real estate" for fretting notes. The medium height allows for expressive string bending as well, without being so tall that they feel obtrusive. Overall, the playability is fantastic right out of the box, with an ultra-fast neck that lends itself well to lightning-quick lead playing.

Quality and Construction

The Fender Player Stratocaster is a well-made electric guitar, crafted in Mexico at one of Fender's premier production facilities. The fit and finish on the instrument is excellent, especially considering its accessible price point in the mid-range market.

The Stratocaster has a solid polyurethane finish in a variety of color options. Polyurethane is a common and durable finish for electric guitars, providing protection against wear while allowing the wood grain to show through. Fender does a great job applying an even, high-quality polyurethane finish that both looks and feels smooth. There are no irregularities or issues with runs or drips in the finish.

The rest of the hardware and components also appear to be well-made. The tuners turn smoothly and hold tune reliably. The knobs, switches, and input jack all have a solid feel. Overall, the quality control and construction of the Mexican-made Fender Player series is impressive for the price. Players can feel confident they are getting a sturdy, road-worthy instrument built to Fender's high standards.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The Fender Player Stratocaster features the iconic double cutaway Strat body shape that Fender is known for. The contoured body and smooth curves are both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to play.

• It has the distinctive Strat tone with the classic sparkling treble and thick midrange. The trio of Alnico V single-coil pickups provide crystal clear articulation.

• The guitar uses quality components like the pau ferro fretboard, die-cast tuning machines, and 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge. This improves intonation and tuning stability.

Cons

• Unlike American and Custom Shop Fender models, the Player Stratocaster is manufactured in Mexico. The build quality is not quite as high.

• The guitar only comes in a limited selection of color finishes compared to other Fender models. Customization and options are lacking.

Conclusion

The Fender Player Stratocaster delivers classic Strat tone and playability at a very affordable price point, making it a great choice for guitarists looking for that authentic Fender sound without breaking the bank.

This guitar features the iconic double cutaway Strat body shape with comfort contours, a maple neck with a modern "C" profile, Alnico V single coil pickups, and upgraded hardware from previous Squier models. The fit and finish is excellent for a guitar in this price range.

While the pickups don't have quite the richness and nuance of Fender's premium offerings, they still capture the spirit of Strat tone - bright and crisp, with scooped mids and bell-like highs. Combined with the synchronized tremolo bridge, you can coax all the warbling vibrato sounds that made Strats famous.

The "C"-shaped neck profile will feel familiar and comfortable to most players. The smooth satin finish makes playing for long periods a breeze. Intonation and tuning stability is also good thanks to the synthetic bone nut and upgraded tuners.

All in all, the Fender Player Stratocaster punches way above its weight class. The playability is fantastic, the hardware upgrades are worthwhile, and of course, you get that iconic body shape and tone. For intermediate players looking for affordable Strat-style inspiration, it's hard to beat the value proposition of the Player Stratocaster.