“If you want an instrument that’s versatile enough to cover the guitar-playing styles of EVH and nail Nile Rodgers’ classic funk tones, then look no further”: Fender Player II Modified Stratocaster HSS Floyd Rose review

Guitar World Verdict

Some QC issues on the test model aside, this is a brilliant playing and sounding guitar. It can cover a huge swathe of styles from metal to funk, and you can shred on it just as well as you can fingerpick open chords. If you want an instrument that’s versatile enough to cover the guitar-playing styles of EVH and nail Nile Rodgers’ classic funk tones, then look no further.

Pros

+Flat fingerboard delivers an ultra-fast playing feel.

+Pickups can cover everything from metal to funk to blues.

+Once set up the Floyd Rose delivers excellent stability.

Cons

-Floyd Rose wasn’t set up out of the box.

-Quite a few blemishes in the white finish.

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What is it?The Fender Player II Modified Stratocaster HSS Floyd Rose looks very much the company reclaiming the superstrat concept thanks to the locking tremolo, HSS pickup configuration, and 12-inch radius fingerboard. It still looks like a classic Strat, keeping the rounded horns of the double-cutaway and that iconic headstock shape, but underneath the hood, it’s a different beast entirely.

It keeps the rosewood fingerboard with rolled edges of the Player II series, but that’s where the similarities end. A new Player II Modified humbucker sits in the bridge position, which can be coil split using the push-pull tone knob. It’s accompanied by two Noiseless Strat single coils for more vintage-inspired tones, while the volume features a treble bleed circuit to keep your highs intact throughout its rotation.

The most obvious addition from your usual Strat is that Floyd Rose Special double locking tremolo. It’s something you’re more likely to see on shred guitars or metal guitars, and to my eye looks a little out of place on a Strat shape that tends to favor more a vintage-inspired tone and aesthetic. This is very much a modern iteration of a Strat though, so the promise of the potential guitar acrobatics it offers will definitely appeal to a certain type of player.

Specs

(Image credit: Fender)Launch price: $1,1299/£999/€1,199Made: MexicoType: Six-string electric guitarBody: AlderNeck: Maple, Modern ‘C’Fingerboard: RosewoodScale length: 25.5″ (64.77 cm)Nut/width: Floyd Rose R3 locking, 1.6875″Frets: 22 frets, medium jumboHardware: Standard cast/sealed tuners, Floyd Rose Special double-locking tremoloString spacing at bridge: 53.6mmElectrics: 1x Player II Modified humbucker, 2x Player II Noiseless strat single coils, master volume with treble-bleed, tone 1 (neck/middle), tone 2 (bridge, push-pull for coil split on humbucker), 5-position blade switchWeight: 8lb 12ozLeft-handed options: Only for the standard Fender Player II StratocasterFinishes: Olympic Pearl (as reviewed), Dusk, 3-Color SunburstCases: Soft case includedContact: FenderGuitar World demo Build quality

(Image credit: Future)Build quality rating: ★★★½

Pulling the Player II Modified Strat out of its box, I’m pleasantly surprised to find it comes with a soft case – unlike the previous Player II models. It’s a decent quality case, with plenty of useful pockets for your guitar cables and other essentials. It has dual straps so you can wear it like a backpack too.

Getting the guitar out and giving it a thorough visual inspection, I immediately spot quite a few dark spots in the metallic Olympic Pearl finish

Getting the guitar out and giving it a thorough visual inspection, I immediately spot quite a few dark spots in the metallic Olympic Pearl finish. Most aren’t visible at a distance, but there are two dark spots on the front and one at the back that are very noticeable even further away from the guitar. It looks like carelessness during the painting process, as though spots of dirt have gotten caught under the gloss polyester finish.

Aesthetics aside, the rest of the guitar is really nicely put together. The neck is snugly fit into the neck pocket, the frets are beautifully finished and the rounded fingerboard edges make the neck feel lovely and smooth. There are no lumps on the fitting of the scratchplate, and all the hardware feels solidly applied to the guitar.

Playability

(Image credit: Future)Playability rating: ★★★★½

Sitting down to play the guitar you’ll notice that 12-inch radius fretboard straight away, especially if you’re used to something more vintage-orientated. It feels absolutely rapid, and definitely more super-Strat than the classic Strat looks of the guitar imply. I find myself immediately able to start laying into some three-note-per-string legato licks, and the guitar kept urging me to play loud, brash, and fast.

Setup work done, I start divebombing and really abusing the tremolo arm

The first time I lean on the Floyd Rose it’s immediately obvious that it’s not set up correctly. The guitar won’t return to concert pitch any time I use the tremolo, instead going flat or sharp depending on what I’m doing. Examining it in closer detail I see that the bridge is dropping into the body, requiring some additional setup work in taking the backplate off and adjusting the springs beneath.

With some further balancing of the tremolo – one of my pet hates of double locking systems – I’m able to get it working well. Again, like the finish issues I discovered earlier, it’s not something that should be getting through Fender QC.

Setup work done, I start divebombing and really abusing the tremolo arm, and it performs admirably when I applied some Dimebag-style histrionics to my playing. The arm itself isn’t quite as stiff as I typically enjoy on a tremolo, so no easy way to flutter it here, but you can still exercise plenty of variation in pitch from subtle to outrageous.

Sounds

(Image credit: Future)Sounds rating: ★★★★½

With it being a superstrat, of course, I start by plugging into the gain channel of my Orange Rocker 32 tube amp, pushed harder with a couple of overdrive pedals into the front. On the bridge setting, you can absolutely get heavy, and although it’s not voiced as a modern metal-type pickup, it’ll get you pretty close to chugging territory. I think it’s a little too lightweight in the low end for true modern metal playing, but it can handle lighter styles and vintage metal tones with ease.

Paired with that flat fretboard this is absolutely a guitar you can perform shred licks on

It delivers deliciously articulate saturation on high-gain settings though, with barre chords sounding nice and clear even when you pack on the distortion, and an overall clarity to the tone. Switching to some lead licks I found the bridge pickup rang out beautifully, with oodles of sustain that kept those long notes going forever. Paired with that flat fretboard this is absolutely a guitar you can perform shred licks on.

(Image credit: Future)It has a push-pull for getting a pure single coil tone out of the bridge pickup which again keeps that bright overall tonality but dials the output back a little. I did find it difficult to actually pull the knob up though, sometimes having to hook my nails under to get it engaged. Switching to a lower gain setting on my amp I still get plenty of grit, allowing for some expansive lead work of the less shreddy variety. Digging in with some power chords I’m able to coax some nice crunchy sounds out of it, great for angular indie guitar riffs.

Moving to the clean channel and keeping the push-pull engaged, it’s like a totally different guitar

Moving to the clean channel and keeping the push-pull engaged, it’s like a totally different guitar. Laying down some of my favorite Jimmy Nolen licks is more than possible with plenty of that Strat-spank from the mid-positions of the pickup selector. If it wasn’t for the Floyd Rose you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a classic Strat from the sound of it. The tones are clear and bell-like, exactly what you’d expect from a good old-fashioned three-single-coil Strat.

Adding in some reverb and delay courtesy of my pedalboard and I’m straight into ambient post-rock noodling territory with the neck pickup engaged. It sounds beautifully full without ever getting overpowered in the lows and low mids, opening up some excellent opportunities for those open-string drone licks and plinky picking the genre is known for.

Verdict

(Image credit: Future)The Player II Modified Stratocaster is an incredibly versatile guitar despite its looks and spec implying it to be a super-Strat for shred lovers. It can absolutely nail those classic spanky Strat tones as well as get lairy with high gain, making it a very appealing instrument for those who want a little extra edge from their Strat tones.

I am a little disappointed with some of the quality control on the guitar. It doesn’t affect the playability, I would just expect better when buying an instrument that’s over/around a grand. The fact that the Floyd Rose wasn’t set up correctly out of the box is an annoyance, but the blemishes in the finish were particularly disappointing. If I’d bought this guitar myself I would have seriously considered returning it for a model that had been finished better.

Guitar World verdict: Some QC issues on the test model aside, this is a brilliant playing and sounding guitar. It can cover a huge swathe of styles from metal to funk, and you can shred on it just as well as you can fingerpick open chords. If you want an instrument that’s versatile enough to cover the guitar-playing styles of EVH and nail Nile Rodgers’ classic funk tones, then look no further.

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Ratings scorecardTest

Results

Score

Build quality

Really well put together but let down by finish issues. Floyd Rose not set up either.

★★★½

Playability

Beautiful neck feel and fast, flat fingerboard.

★★★★½

Sounds

Can cover a massive array of styles and sounds.

★★★★½

Overall

An incredibly versatile instrument that does way more than a regular Strat.

★★★★☆

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Hands-on videosLeon Todd

I Tried the NEW Fender Player II MODIFIED Strat…with Floyd Rose! – YouTube

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Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he’s performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the country in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.

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