John Cordy Tries New Fender Player II Strat…

[Eagle]

The problem is not everyone has the ability to cherry pick guitars locally. I’ve had pretty good luck buying online, but I’m also not afraid to immediately return a guitar if it doesn't meet my expectations.

I get it but it’s the aim. It’s easy to like something that hasn’t got any issues but that’s only half.

 

[metropolis_4]

We’re back to expectations of a lower end mass produced instrument.

If I ordered a high end custom guitar handcrafted by one master luthier sight unseen, I would be surprised and upset if it had flaws when it arrived.

If I bought a guitar that had been mass produced to hit a specific low price point site unseen and it arrived with flaws I would be considerably less surprised.

 

[Achilles]

If I bought a guitar that had been mass produced to hit a specific low price point site unseen and it arrived with flaws I would be considerably less surprised.

Except for the issue on the back of the neck.
It looks like crap, it affects playability, and it's going to get worse over time.
That's not cool at $399, never mind $799 for a Player II.

 

[Eagle]

3 more player Strats in today non of these issues.

These are player ones though. All new and pretty much identical to an early 90s USA in specs and build quality. The relative price is half what it was in the early 90s .
This is typical of MIM Fender the problems happen in inappropriate storage AFTER the qc.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I've never personally played a "bad" MIM fender

 

[Jarick]

It's honestly rare that I play a good MIM Fender.

I pop into the local shop about once a month, and typically grab a Fender Player off the wall to test things. Probably 25% of them I immediately just put back on the wall because there's significant nut or fret issues. Another good 25% are just subpar. I have almost never played one and thought "oh I'd like to buy this".

I also bought a used Fender MIM Tele around maybe 2018, it was just a year old mint condition. It played like a dog in the store but I figured a good setup would help. I got it home and tried a ton of stuff (new nut, shim the neck, tweak the truss rod, adjust the string height, swap out the bridge, etc.) and it still just played like a dog.

Obviously one bad example doesn't indict all MIM guitars but I'm just really gun shy about those products now. I've had one MIM and it was a dog, and half the ones I play in stores (that are now approaching $1k new) are not impressive.

Meanwhile the PRS SE stuff generally tends to be quite good, and the Epiphones have improved as well. Hell, I have a Squier JMJM that's a hell of a lot better than any of the MIM Fenders I've tested and I haven't had to touch the nut or frets.

I'm rooting for Fender, I really hoped the Player II stuff would address these issues. With prices rising like crazy, the American Fenders are out of reach for most players. I don't care if Fender sets the price for MIM Fenders at $1,000...if they match the quality level of American Fenders. The USA Fenders I play have been a hell of a lot better. Just want to see the MIM ones hit that bar.

 

[Eagle]

They hit the price point with an actual musical instrument. Yes the fine details are not to a high standard but the core fundamentals are good and a bit of bench time can make most MIM Fenders at least as good as USA ones of a few years ago.

 

[norminal]

3 more player Strats in today non of these issues.
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These are player ones though. All new and pretty much identical to an early 90s USA in specs and build quality. The relative price is half what it was in the early 90s .
This is typical of MIM Fender the problems happen in inappropriate storage AFTER the qc.

It sure looks like the fret tangs are beginning to protrude, bringing the finish with them:

 

[Achilles]

^^^^^

Look at how high the action is!

 

[FuzzyAce]

^^^^^

Look at how high the action is!

That's high?

 

[la szum]

This is high action, Stevie Ray.

Not a MIM Fender.

 

[spawnofthesith]

It sure looks like the fret tangs are beginning to protrude, bringing the finish with them:

View attachment 25877

Is that really a fender QC issue though? At worst perhaps not the most perfectly dried would at time of production?

 

[Achilles]

That's high?

Look at the fret height vs the A string and its reflection. That's massive in my neck of the woods.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Look at the fret height vs the A string and its reflection. That's massive in my neck of the woods.

View attachment 25886

I dunno, could be an optical illusion. Pic taken from an extreme angle.

 

[FuzzyAce]

High action builds character! (and callouses)

 

[Achilles]

I dunno, could be an optical illusion. Pic taken from an extreme angle.

Either that 6th string is pretty far up from the fret or it's way tweaked over cause of a mis-aligned neck!

 

[FuzzyAce]

Either that 6th string is pretty far up from the fret or it's way tweaked over cause of a mis-aligned neck!

Maybe that's why @Eagle has it on his bench?

 

[Eagle]

They had been disassembled and reassembled in a hurry. They needed setting up. This is why they came to me.

 

[Eagle]

I can’t really show why at the moment but these are donations from Fender to a good cause.

 

[Eagle]

I would pick a guitar made of good materials that requires detail work over a garbage pile finished of nicely with shiny frets.