We’ve left no stone unturned to find you the best Fender Player Stratocaster deals today
(Image credit: Fender)
The Mexican-made Fender Player Stratocaster is a full-fat Fender Stratocaster at a more affordable price point. Designed to suit guitarists of all styles, genres and playing abilities, the Player Strat represents Fender's continued domination of the budget-friendly market. Here, we're rounding up all the very best Fender Player Stratocaster deals available online today - so you can be sure you're getting one for the very best price.
The Fender Stratocaster has, for many years, been the 'holy grail' guitar for guitarists of all ages, styles and eras. Since its inception in 1954 the Strat has been in constant production, and in the years since, we've seen numerous different iterations of this iconic instrument. Seen in the hands of some of the guitar world's most recognisable icons - Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to name only a few - its versatility, playability and tone are what makes the Strat such a 'must-have' guitar.
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The iconic Fender Strat, at a price point that won't hurt your wallet
Launch price: $849/£719 | Body: Alder | Neck: Maple | Fingerboard: Maple or Pau Ferro | Pickups: 3x Player Series Stratocaster single coils (other configurations available) | Controls: Master volume, Tone 1 (neck/middle pickups), Tone 2 (bridge pickup), 5-way pickup selector | Scale length: 25.5” | Finishes: 3-color sunburst, Black, Tidepool, Polar White, Buttercream, Capri Orange, Silver
It's a Fender Strat
The level of finish is impressive
Player series pickups are fantastic
Pau Ferro doesn't look as good as Rosewood - but we're being picky
The Strat gets a lot of love from the guitar playing community, and not without reason. If you've heard any electric guitar on a song before, that sound has likely come from a Fender Stratocaster. When you take into account that everyone from Nile Rodgers to Jim Root (and many others in between) have used a Strat of some description, you won't be surprised to hear us wax lyrical about its versatility - but is it the same deal with the Player Series?
Long story short, yes.
Fundamentally, the Player Stratocaster has the same foundations as any other Strat. An alder body with a bolt-on maple neck provides the signature 'snap' you'd expect from a Stratocaster, and with the option of a maple or pau ferro fingerboard, you can opt for either more brightness or a little more balance, depending on your playing style. The neck has a 25.5" scale length and modern C-shaped profile, enabling you to play in total comfort - and with a 9.5" fingerboard radius, the Player Strat sits pretty in the middle - not too rounded, and not too flat.
...For someone who needs their Strat to be their true Swiss Army Knife, these pickups will cover all the bases.
The Player Strat doesn't just rely on its material composition for its tone, with the new Player Series pickups making a substantial impact to the overall sound of this guitar. They're made from a more powerful Alnico 5 magnet, providing this Strat with a thick-sounding snarl which responds well to gain and volume, while also offering sweet, chimey clean tones when called upon. For this reason, the Player Series Strat doesn't quite have the same 'vintage' mojo as other models - but for someone who needs their Strat to be their true Swiss Army Knife, these pickups will cover all the bases.
The level of finish and amount of available finishes are delightfully surprising for a guitar of this price point. Having seven different standard finishes and two different fingerboard materials to choose from makes the Player Series feel like a much more high-end item, but in reality, Fender is giving guitarists the means to join an epic band of Strat-players, while also finding their own musical and guitar-playing identity - all at an affordable price.
Best Fender Player Stratocaster deals: Alternatives
If you're after a killer Strat-style guitar, but prefer other brands or just want to do things a bit differently, then there are plenty of options for you. One of our favorites - coming in a little over budget - is the PRS SE Silver Sky. Those who know guitars, know that PRS makes some of the very best - and their budget-friendly version of the John Mayer signature Silver Sky takes every bit of the Stratocaster and tweaks it just enough to make a big difference to the finished product.
If you're looking for something a little cheaper than the Player Strat, then the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster is our choice. The Classic Vibe series of guitars is made under license in China and Indonesia, hence the lower prices - but the quality and attention to detail is far beyond where any cheap electric guitar under $500 should be. We wouldn't expect a Classic Vibe Strat to set the world alight, but for the money, there's no better Strat to own.
James is a freelance writer and former Junior Deals Writer at Guitar World. Before writing, James worked as a guitar salesman at a local music store, so he knows a thing or two about matching people with their perfect instruments. James also has experience working in other areas of the music trade, having briefly worked for online music distributor, RouteNote. James is a guitarist, bassist and drummer and has also toured the UK and Europe with his old band Hypophora.
