Review On American Performer Tele , And MIM Fender Player Plus Tele

Session 5

Session 5

Ambassador of Strings & Wings
Country flag
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  • American-made Telecaster at an unbeatable price
  • Alder body yields a balanced tone with equal amounts of lows, mids, and highs
  • Maple modern “C” neck supplies comfortable playability
  • Easy-playing 9.5"-radius rosewood fingerboard with jumbo frets
  • Yosemite single-coil pickups yield a vintage tonal balance and amp-brutalizing punch
  • Greasebucket tone control rolls off highs without adding bass or affecting your volume
  • 3-saddle Telecaster string-through bridge provides enhanced sustain
  • ClassicGear tuners ensure rock-solid intonation
 
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Stay tuned as i go through these two guitars.

  • A Telecaster with classic tones and modern playability
  • Player Plus Noiseless Tele pickups for vintage tone without the vintage hum
  • Push-pull tone knob activates a series mode for searing humbucker-like tones
  • Fast-action modern "C"-shaped neck and 22-fret, 12-inch-radius fingerboard
  • Synthetic bone nut enhances vibrational transfer through the neck
  • Modern 6-saddle string-through bridge supplies a mean bite and excellent intonation
  • Fender deluxe cast/sealed locking tuners for rock-solid tuning and easy string changes
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American Performer HoneyBurst price approx $1,300 American

Tried this guitar out yesterday. What i liked.

Rosewood fretboard
Weight 7lbs 12oz
Fret Wire
Playability ok 9.5 radius

Cons

Body finish , thought it could have been nicer
No locking tuners
lacking sustain
Pickups were flat sounding to me.
3 barrel saddles

The guitar played fairly well overall, I felt it was lacking in quality for the price. Pickups and lack of eye candy. For an American made guitar, i was not impressed at that price point.

Finish 3 1/2 Stars
Playability 4 Stars
Pickups 3 Stars
 
Fender Player Plus MIM Silver Smoke Approx price American $700

Cons

I keep trying to find some, but i can't


Pros

12" Fretboard Radius, I find this is the best playing for me and most comfortable.
Fit and finish, i like pretty guitars
Pickups tones, such a wide variation
Chrome Hardware
Box Saddles
Locking Tuners


This guitar plays and sounds sweet. The overall build was flawless. I prefer box saddles over barrel, for looks, intonation ease, and for resting the palm of my hand. For me this guitar for the money is a really great buy. And to be honest the MIM Player Plus, for $600 dollars less, than the American made Performer is a fantastic deal. You get much more for the money with the MIM Player Plus. I have to give credit to the Mexican plant for the quality of workmanship. I know all things are subjective.

This is my personal reviews on these two guitars.

Fit and finish 5 Stars
Playability 5 Stars
Pickups 5 Stars



Locking tuners
Noiseless Pickups
Parallel Series wiring
 
I noodled around with one of those Performers at the GC. Thought it was damn nice for the money and for the cash I rate it pretty high, but not (obviously) near the same level as the AmPros. I didn't like the fretboard finish much (I played vintage white one with a maple fretboard). A lot of people swear the 3 brass saddles is an integral part of the "Tele" sound, but I can see a preference for the individual ones too. I really like them on my Deluxes. I don't much care about locking tuners, I'm not burning that much time changing strings, but I they are nice if you have them.

I didn't spend as much time with the Player Plus but kind of same impression - hell of a lot of guitar for the cash. Love the noiseless pickups with some gain but not as much clean (which doesn't matter to me because I pretty much never play completely clean). The series mode is really cool-sounding, great for leaning into a solo. The only thing I don't like about it, and this is probably silly but it applies to all of the MiM Fenders, is the plastic truss rod plug - c'mon Fender, is it really that expensive to use a walnut/wood one?
 
I should also say, that, yah, the 12" radius on the PP is really nice. After playing nothing but Gibson's for 10 or 12 years I am so used to the 12" radius that everything else feels weird, although I am getting used to the 9.5" on the Fenders again. The 11" radius on the Strat I just ordered was one of the major selling points for me.
 
Thing is the differences in prices in America and Canada. I did see this year my Fender Player plus being sold for $1,400 American at a online America guitar store. Then i seen it at Sweetwater right now for $700 American.

I see one of our Canadian stores shows one for $ 1,149.00 CDN but they are sold out, i guarantee if you order one the new price will be higher. When I purchased mine their selling price was $1,400 CDN I was able to purchase for $1,200. Very strange to me.


The American Performer is selling at Sweetwater for $1,300 American, here at my shop identical guitar selling for $2,010 CDN . Sure wonder how these prices work.:unsure:
 
Session 5 said:
Thing is the differences in prices in America and Canada. I did see this year my Fender Player plus being sold for $1,400 American at a online America guitar store. Then i seen it at Sweetwater right now for $700 American.

I see one of our Canadian stores shows one for $ 1,149.00 CDN but they are sold out, i guarantee if you order one the new price will be higher. When I purchased mine their selling price was $1,400 CDN I was able to purchase for $1,200. Very strange to me.


The American Performer is selling at Sweetwater for $1,300 American, here at my shop identical guitar selling for $2,010 CDN . Sure wonder how these prices work.:unsure:
Click to expand...

Good point. I don't get the exchange rates either. I actually think both of these models are being phased out for new versions as Fender was blowing them out., and who knows what will happen with the pricing if that's true.

I got great deals on the two AmPro II Teles that I bought. Paid close to full pop for the blue AmPro II Strat (got the normal GC haggle discount), and all of full pop for the red AmPro II Strat (which admittedly is an exclusive so they are not going to discount), so pricing seems to vary even within model lines.
 
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