The New Fender 'Player series'

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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby dave robinson » Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:32 am

bor64 wrote:Well...Dave I added two Wilkinson humbuckers to my collection.
I told SWAMBO these humbuckers although second hand,where packed very well .... some plastic surrounds them , the two separated by some wood and in tweed covered case :mrgreen: ....
She said that's a nice packaging, I like it already were they expensive? Nope just above €100,- ;)
When I showed her the Wilkinsons... she said "you bu**er you've bought a other guitar"!
Well it's a other year so.... already for my upcoming birthday and it was cheap dear ;)
So I own now a ES335 type HB-35 pro with Wilkinson vintage splitcoil humbuckers, vintage sunburst tigerstripe top, block inlay rosewood neck, Shaller straplocks with tweed case...case candy a padded strap, Dunlop (one hand) Capo and 212 bottleneck and a Fender Customshop 18ft lead.
All in brand new condition !!
All above together except the guitar is already above €100,- so I got a free guitar my dear :mrgreen:
So after dusting off, a setup including fret polish and a new set of strings...I'm happy as Larry :D

Cheers Rob


You mean you bought a Vintage 335 ? If you have it’s a great guitar, I recently sold my Blonde Gibson ES-335 as the Vintage is that good, I love it. ;)
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby bor64 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:27 pm

Hi Dave, apparently I wasn't thinking straight and I didn't mention the brand.
It's a Harley Benton HB-35 Pro presumably made in the same factory as Vintage...
The HB was dusty....although almost unplayed, the frets looked dull.
So a bit of TLC... painters tape, wire-wool, light abrasive paste and lemon oil and Boss guitar polish and elbow grease did the job.
A setup with a fresh set of my fav strings, brought the HB-35 Pro back in showroom condition!
The bloke I bought it from...his son lost interest after 3 weeks of struggling and the guitar was abandoned for more then a year.
It was such a bargain...I couldn't resist.
The tweed covered case and the luxury padded leather strap cost about what I paid for the hole shebang!
So Fender CS 18ft lead, the Dunlop (one hand)capo and 212 slide and the guitar are kinda for free...as a mater of fact the guitar cost new twice as much all the things accompanied it....
So it's not a Vintage...but the price was so low...I could let it pass !
The guitar sounds warm and bell like and open at the same time....and the Wilkinson humbuckers are very good, as always...the guitar is very resonant.
So it sound the biz!

Cheers Rob
"afterwards everyone is clairvoyant"
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby roger bayliss » Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:56 am

I crumbled ! Read up on the specs for the Fender Classic Player 50's Strat. Everything was right from woods to hardware and 57/62 pickups. I managed to get a nice example on Ebay for good money and looking forward to its arrival. Ordered a set of DR Blues 12-54 for it. Reminds me of he 57 Vintage reissue I used to have but with modern upgrades.


Here's the specs

The Classic Player '50s Stratocaster combines classic design with contemporary upgrades appealing to guitarists everywhere at all levels. Designed by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Dennis Galuszka, it offers the best of yesterday and today with original-era Strat® style and terrific features such as sparkling American Vintage pickups with modern switching, the comfortable feel of a 1950s neck topped by a modern fingerboard and frets, classic two-point synchronized tremolo bridge and much more.

Featuring a Maple neck with 1950s-era “soft V” profile, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets, Three American Vintage single-coil Stratocaster pickups with reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup (cancels hum in middle switch position), Five-way pickup switch, Two-point synchronized tremolo bridge, Vintage-style locking tuners

9.5" FINGERBOARD RADIUS
The fingerboard radius is an important spec that describes the amount of curvature across the width of the fingerboard. This instrument’s modern 9.5" fingerboard radius is slightly more flattened than a vintage-style radius, but still with enough arc to provide a natural and notably comfortable fretting-hand feel, and to make bending notes easier.

ORIGINAL ’57/’62 STRAT® PICKUPS
Reverse-engineered from a 1963 Stratocaster, these pickups deliver vintage-style Strat sound, feel and vibe, with sparkling highs and warm lows. Alnico 5 magnets add more focus and enhanced dynamics, Formvar magnet wire adds brightness and glassiness, and staggered hand-beveled pole pieces balance output across every string.

UPGRADED BRIDGE
Get authentic original-era style and reliable modern performance from the upgraded two-point synchronized tremolo bridge on this Stratocaster, which features vintage-style stamped steel saddles.

"SOFT V" NECK PROFILE
The "soft V" neck profile (the shape of the neck in cross section) on this instrument has a distinctly comfortable fretting-hand feel that takes the more pronounced sharpness of a ’50s "V" profile and "softens" it into a somewhat more rounded shape. Ideal for players with larger hands whose thumb extends over the edge of the fingerboard.

VINTAGE-STYLE LOCKING TUNERS
These tuners give you the best of the old and the new by combining classic vintage-style appearance with the modern convenience of locking functionality that increases tuning stability and makes string changing notably easier.

FENDER CUSTOM SHOP DESIGNED
As if this instrument’s innate coolness and terrific features aren’t enough, it’s also designed by the acclaimed master builders of the Fender Custom Shop.
American Pro Series Strat 2017, G&L S500 Natural Ash
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby RUSSET » Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:36 pm

Hi Roger,
If you have the '50s Classic player, then you will have a great guitar. I have the '50s Classic Player in two-tone burst which is effectively my 'Buddy Holly'. It's a quality instrument with great modern appointments. I assume you are not confusing it with the new 'Player' series, which is of course, the new version of the Mex Standard series. That is also a great guitar too, with many new upgraded features at a reasonable price.

Tony.
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby RUSSET » Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:39 pm

Ah, now you've added the description, I see you're on the ball with the right one.

Tony.
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby roger bayliss » Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:29 pm

Yes Tony I did my homework but yes both excellent. They normally retail around £780, but I got mine for £550 in used but excellent condition.

Mines two time sunburst too.
American Pro Series Strat 2017, G&L S500 Natural Ash
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby RUSSET » Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:46 pm

Hi Roger,
Looking at my records, I see that I paid £360 for my Classic Player all those years back when it was first issued. Crikey, haven't they gone up in price since then ? I also bought the Baja Tele in Butterscotch way back then, & that cost me £383. You can still get both models now, but the Baja has now had a few alterations to the original specs. Mine is a great warm sounding Tele with a 50s Broadcaster bridge pickup & a 'Twisted Tele' pickup in the neck. It also has a 4 position selector switch which gives a choice of the two pickups in 'series' wiring as well as parallel.

Tony.
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby roger bayliss » Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:54 pm

Yes fancied one of those Baja Teles in butterscotch for a while. Nice one.
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby bor64 » Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:39 pm

ORIGINAL ’57/’62 STRAT® PICKUPS
Reverse-engineered from a 1963 Stratocaster,

57/62 pu's from a 63 strat that's rich :mrgreen:

Cheers Rob
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Re: The New Fender 'Player series'

Postby roger bayliss » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:09 am

bor64 wrote:ORIGINAL ’57/’62 STRAT® PICKUPS
Reverse-engineered from a 1963 Stratocaster,

57/62 pu's from a 63 strat that's rich :mrgreen:

Cheers Rob



Yes It takes a bit of thought that does Lol :D :)
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