Adorama is at it again. Player Tele $499

[Jontycaster]

I recently bought one; I wish I had known the price was about to drop. I absolutely love the color. I have not seen a photo that really captures the color accurately. My photo below is close, but it is more vibrant than that. My older Squire Tele is on the left, and my new Fender Player Tele that I purchased from Adorama is on the right. Fender calls both of them Lake Placid Blue, but they are very different. I loved my Squire, but the Fender was a huge upgrade.

 

[Gary in Boston]

Im sorry I just really don't like the modern bridge.................................

 

[bls82261]

Yeah that link works. They are a very good company to deal with.

 

[Midnight Wine]

Im sorry I just really don't like the modern bridge.................................

I love this divide. The modern bridge is all I've ever known and I love working with the long block saddles--and struggle mightily with the traditional style. Though that's what's lined up whenever I put my ash partscaster back together, so I'll see if I've adjusted.

Very tempted by the color and price. Looking for a decent MIM to make into a slick Esquire. Was trying to line up a trade of my Casino + cash for a 1998 MIM Standard in a local shop, but someone sniped it before I got there. If I can unload one of these dang hollowbodies before the deal disappears...

 

[throwback1]

I bought one of these recently when it was $529 all in, including tax and shipping.

It needed a normal setup but plays great and the color is fantastic.

$500ish is about where the Player series needed to be all along.

 

[Midnight Wine]

I bought one of these recently when it was $529 all in, including tax and shipping.

It needed a normal setup but plays great and the color is fantastic.

$500ish is about where the Player series needed to be all along.

Yep. It's the successor to the Standard series...a Standard when I bought mine in 2004 was $350 at full price. In 2024 dollars, that's $580. They're the exact same guitar outside of the pickups (and those were mediocre Alnicos then, too).

When my grandmother used to say "back in my day, these were a nickle!" about a $1.50 candy bar, she was often unknowingly saying "these have gotten cheaper." That's not the case here. Retailing them for $700+ is outpacing inflation prettt noticeably. Relative labor, material, and shipping costs change--not my strong suit or the venue for it--but at the end of the day the guitar represents the same entry point to the Fender hierarchy, and it's a little jarring how much higher they've made that barrier to entry. Though, with how good the upper-tier Squiers have gotten, it may be just an upcharge for the name on the headstock.

 

[gip111]

Oh God... I don't need another one, I don't think I need another one, I'd like to have another one, I'm thinking about another one, it'd be nice having another one, I'm getting it!

 

[tuuur]

I had to fill in all my details just to discover that shipping to the Netherlands wasn’t available.

 

[dave42]

Yep, I'd like to get one to turn into an Esquire, too. Maybe a black pickguard on it. Or maybe a black pg on the one I have and a white(ish) on the Esquire. Thinking....

 

[Richdonn]

Darn you guys! I just ordered one. I'll probably sell my Gretsch (running out of room).
I also have a 50s Baja and a homemade partscaster Esquire.

 

[Dave W]

Yep. It's the successor to the Standard series...a Standard when I bought mine in 2004 was $350 at full price. In 2024 dollars, that's $580. They're the exact same guitar outside of the pickups (and those were mediocre Alnicos then, too).

When my grandmother used to say "back in my day, these were a nickle!" about a $1.50 candy bar, she was often unknowingly saying "these have gotten cheaper." That's not the case here. Retailing them for $700+ is outpacing inflation prettt noticeably. Relative labor, material, and shipping costs change--not my strong suit or the venue for it--but at the end of the day the guitar represents the same entry point to the Fender hierarchy, and it's a little jarring how much higher they've made that barrier to entry. Though, with how good the upper-tier Squiers have gotten, it may be just an upcharge for the name on the headstock.

WRONG.

The Standard was $500 in 2004, according to the 2004 Fender prce list. That's $830 in 2024 dollars.

The Standard series pickups were always ceramics. Alnico pickups weren't introduced until the Player series.

Exact same guitar? No way. Upgraded electronics (e.g. CTS pots), upgraded hardware (e.g. bridge), body shape closer to vintage.

You're certainly entitled to think that the current pickups are mediocre, but I think you're in the minority.

 

[Midnight Wine]

WRONG.

The Standard was $500 in 2004, according to the 2004 Fender prce list. That's $830 in 2024 dollars.

The Standard series pickups were always ceramics. Alnico pickups weren't introduced until the Player series.

Exact same guitar? No way. Upgraded electronics (e.g. CTS pots), upgraded hardware (e.g. bridge), body shape closer to vintage.

You're certainly entitled to think that the current pickups are mediocre, but I think you're in the minority.

Not wrong, actually, and none of it worth sniping over.

The suggested manufacturer/"list" prices are never the actual retail prices. I still have a receipt for a Fender Standard Telecaster purchased at Sam Ash for $349.99. You can go find old Musician's Friend catalog scans online that quote those numbers (in 2000 they were $299 despite a $419 list price). Sunburst finishes were $25-30 more.

The Standards at that point did have Alnico pickups. Around 2005 or 2006ish they went to ceramics. They were fine pickups, much like the current Player series--don't take "mediocre" the wrong way, or it's perhaps a harsher word than I meant. They're not bad, they're not remarkable, I think they get the job done just fine. I changed my MIM's pickups in April, after 20 years. Nowhere would I tell you a solid stock Tele pickup is bad.

But yes, they are essentially the same guitar. The Standards had several iterations, but by 1998 they were producing a guitar that is near-identical to today's Player's Series. Here's a 2004 Standard (mislabeled as Sage Green—it's actually "Blue Agave") on Reverb. Here's a 2022 Player. It's the same guitar! It's even the exact same paint color with a different name.

I have replaced 20-year-old MIM parts with current Player Series stuff, and they're not similar: They're the exact same parts. I don't know what you mean by "body closer to vintage" but it's the same slab Telecaster body. Same neck profile. I'd need to dissect a Player's Series to know if the electronic components are equivalent--I'd assume some variation, but not a dramatic difference.

 

[Dave W]

Not wrong, actually, and none of it worth sniping over.

The suggested manufacturer/"list" prices are never the actual retail prices. I still have a receipt for a Fender Standard Telecaster purchased at Sam Ash for $349.99. You can go find old Musician's Friend catalog scans online that quote those numbers (in 2000 they were $299 despite a $419 list price). Sunburst finishes were $25-30 more.

The Standards at that point did have Alnico pickups. Around 2005 or 2006ish they went back to ceramics. They were fine pickups, much like the current Player series--don't take "mediocre" the wrong way, or it's perhaps a harsher word than I meant. They're not bad, they're not remarkable, I think they get the job done just fine. I changed my MIM's pickups in April, after 20 years of ownership, to get a bit of a new voice. Nowhere would I tell you a solid stock Tele pickup is bad.

But yes, they are essentially the same guitar. The Standards had several iterations, and the earlier ones had weird bridges and crappy pickups, but by 1998 they were producing a guitar that is near-identical to today's Player's Series. Here's a 2004 Standard on Reverb and here's a 2022 Player's. I have replaced 20-year-old MIM parts with current Player's Series stuff, they're not similar: They're the exact same parts.

I don't know what you mean by "body closer to vintage" but it's the same slab Telecaster body. Same neck profile. I'd need to dissect a Player's Series to know if the electronic components are equivalent--I'd assume some variation, but not a dramatic difference.

From Fender's own press release in 2018:

"The series sets a new benchmark for quality and performance, with upgraded features, including Alnico pickups for all models, updated body radii..."

From Guitarist's 2023 interview with Fender’s director of product, Allen Abbassi:

"Then, of course, the crown jewel of this series was more traditional Fender-style pickups. The Standard Series had really decent pickups, but they were ceramic magnets."

“The same tuners that we use on American Pro are on the Player guitars. So, as an entry into the Fender brand, you’re getting traditional woods, the upgraded hardware and then the beautifully voiced premium pickups with Alnico V magnets.”

My 2003 and my 2003 MIM Standard Precision both definitely had ceramic pickups.

Believe what you want, I'll choose to believe the source.

 

[Midnight Wine]

From Fender's own press release in 2018:

"The series sets a new benchmark for quality and performance, with upgraded features, including Alnico pickups for all models, updated body radii..."

From Guitarist's 2023 interview with Fender’s director of product, Allen Abbassi:

"Then, of course, the crown jewel of this series was more traditional Fender-style pickups. The Standard Series had really decent pickups, but they were ceramic magnets."

“The same tuners that we use on American Pro are on the Player guitars. So, as an entry into the Fender brand, you’re getting traditional woods, the upgraded hardware and then the beautifully voiced premium pickups with Alnico V magnets.”

My 2003 and my 2003 MIM Standard Precision both definitely had ceramic pickups.

Believe what you want, I'll choose to believe the source.

I don't know why you're belaboring this point, but you're mistaken. You're quoting...marketing pablum? There are actual specs you can check. The 1998-2005 MIM Standard Tele had Alnico pickups, and I believe some/all earlier ones might've also as well. Teles, specifically (the Strats did not, can't speak to a P bass). If you had a 2003 MIM Standard Telecaster, its stock pickups were Alnico 5s.

They switched to ceramics (which aren't necessarily bad) after that, then reverted when they changed the name from "Standard" to "Player." So when Fender says "Well the big change is we're putting Alnicos in!" they're essentially saying they're going back to something they offered previously at a lower price point. Pretty standard big business stuff: Take a luxury away and make a show when you put it back. Maybe even change the name and price point when you do, so people will be CERTAIN it's a superior product than before! Marketing.

Tuners, likewise, were pretty equivalent between the early 00's MIMs and their American Standard counterparts—and what's on the Player today. I have a current AmPro set on my old Mexican Tele: I can't bust through the die-cast casings and check the innards against its stock ones, but they look, operate, weigh, and feel the same.

EDIT: And actually, Abbassi may have admitted the point I am trying to make in one of the quotes you used. The American Pro tuners are staggered. The Player Series are not, and neither were the old Standard tuners. But when I replaced the Standard tuners with AmPro ones, the only difference I could find was the staggering. So if Fender is now saying "they're the same" (other than the staggering) you can conceivably guess that the same dynamic applied then as now.

Again, dunno what to tell you. My point was that the price point for the Player has outpaced inflation despite the guitar not changing significantly from the early 2000's Standard. And your response was to shout "WRONG!" and then repeat the mostly-empty marketing lines used to justify those price hikes. They're great guitars either way, but go look at the Reverb links in my last post. That's the same guitar 20 years apart.

 

[Dave W]

I don't know why you're belaboring this point, but you're mistaken. You're quoting...marketing pablum? There are actual specs you can check. The 1998-2005 MIM Standard Tele had Alnico pickups, and I believe some/all earlier ones might've also as well. Teles, specifically (the Strats did not, can't speak to a P bass). If you had a 2003 MIM Standard Telecaster, its stock pickups were Alnico 5s.

They switched to ceramics (which aren't necessarily bad) after that, then reverted when they changed the name from "Standard" to "Player." So when Fender says "Well the big change is we're putting Alnicos in!" they're essentially saying they're going back to something they offered previously at a lower price point. Pretty standard big business stuff: Take a luxury away and make a show when you put it back. Maybe even change the name and price point when you do, so people will be CERTAIN it's a superior product than before! Marketing.

Tuners, likewise, were pretty equivalent between the early 00's MIMs and their American Standard counterparts—and what's on the Player today. I have a current AmPro set on my old Mexican Tele: I can't bust through the die-cast casings and check the innards against its stock ones, but they look, operate, weigh, and feel the same.

EDIT: And actually, Abbassi may have admitted the point I am trying to make in one of the quotes you used. The American Pro tuners are staggered. The Player Series are not, and neither were the old Standard tuners. But when I replaced the Standard tuners with AmPro ones, the only difference I could find was the staggering. So if Fender is now saying "they're the same" (other than the staggering) you can conceivably guess that the same dynamic applied then as now.

Again, dunno what to tell you. My point was that the price point for the Player has outpaced inflation despite the guitar not changing significantly from the early 2000's Standard. And your response was to shout "WRONG!" and then repeat the mostly-empty marketing lines used to justify those price hikes. They're great guitars either way, but go look at the Reverb links in my last post. That's the same guitar 20 years apart.Fact: it's not the "exact same guitar" except in your fantasy world.

Fact: it's not the "exact same guitar" except in your fantasy world.

Yes, I'll believe the manufacturer rather than you.

Look in the mirror and you'll see who's belaboring the point.

 

[Midnight Wine]

Fact: it's not the "exact same guitar" except in your fantasy world.

Yes, I'll believe the manufacturer rather than you.

Look in the mirror and you'll see who's belaboring the point.

This isn't anything dramatic. We're talking about, really, guitar parts and marketing. I'm saying "yeah, I have these parts and they're all the same and these guitars are not dramatically different than they were 20 years ago: the price hike is mostly marketing" and you're going "no way, I trust the marketing!"

Fender never claimed "all-new parts, our prior stuff was crap!" or "Alnico pickups never existed in Mexico!" The stuff you posted just said "they have the same tuners as the American models" and "they have Alnicos, unlike the previous generation Standard models." Both of those things are true, but it doesn't make them revolutionary. Because they were like that two decades ago, too, before the prices jumped.

I'm not denigrating the Player guitars. I'm comparing them to my most prized possession and lamenting that it now costs significantly more for players to get an equivalent instrument with equivalent components. There's nothing to take offense to, I think they're awesome.

Attached are pictures of a new Players series bridge next to an original 2002 MIM Standard bridge, a stock MIM 2002 tuner beside new Player/American tuners (they both take ~15ish 360 twists to rotate fully), and a stock 2002 MIM Tele pickup clearly showing no ceramic bars. That's all I've got for you, enjoy your guitars.

 

[Colo Springs E]

WRONG.

The Standard was $500 in 2004, according to the 2004 Fender prce list. That's $830 in 2024 dollars.

The Standard series pickups were always ceramics. Alnico pickups weren't introduced until the Player series.

Exact same guitar? No way. Upgraded electronics (e.g. CTS pots), upgraded hardware (e.g. bridge), body shape closer to vintage.

You're certainly entitled to think that the current pickups are mediocre, but I think you're in the minority.

Pretty sure some of the MIM Standards came stock with AlNiCos. Not sure of the date range though.

I bought one of the Player series through the Adorama sale several months ago. I was underwhelmed with the pickups. Sounded kind of harsh to me.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Pretty sure some of the MIM Standards came stock with AlNiCos. Not sure of the date range though.

I bought one of the Player series through the Adorama sale several months ago. I was underwhelmed with the pickups. Sounded kind of harsh to me.

If you find the current Player Series Alnico pickups "harsh", good thing you didn't try a Standard from circa 2006 like I briefly owned at the time. They were beyond harsh, all the way to just plain nasty and cheap-ass sounding.

I've no idea what pickups Fender was using in the 1990's but by the early-mid 2000's and up until a few years ago they were putting ceramic pickups in Standard Telecasters (I think "Standard" was the correct name prior to "Player"). And those mid-2000's guitars were the exact same pricing, in inflation-adjusted dollars, as the regular MAP pricing today.

Different styles of music and different playing techniques have their own requirements but for my own form of at-home playing the pickups Fender puts in Player Series Strats and Teles today work great. Not so smooth they're boring or dull but not too spiky to cover the milder end of the tone spectrum by any means.

W.r.t. pricing, I doubt there's ever been a period where the Mexican made Telecaster models were more affordable than the $659 pricing (in little $2024 dollars) that Fender is putting out there right now. That's like $432 in 2006 or $334 in 1996. And having both owned a 2006 Standard and a 2021 Player, the latter is certainly a better guitar than the one from 15 years earlier for my purposes.

 

[Colo Springs E]

If you find the current Player Series Alnico pickups "harsh", good thing you didn't try a Standard from circa 2006 like I briefly owned at the time. They were beyond harsh, all the way to just plain nasty and cheap-ass sounding.

I've no idea what pickups Fender was using in the 1990's but by the early-mid 2000's and up until a few years ago they were putting ceramic pickups in Standard Telecasters (I think "Standard" was the correct name prior to "Player"). And those mid-2000's guitars were the exact same pricing, in inflation-adjusted dollars, as the regular MAP pricing today.

Different styles of music and different playing techniques have their own requirements but for my own form of at-home playing the pickups Fender puts in Player Series Strats and Teles today work great. Not so smooth they're boring or dull but not too spiky to cover the milder end of the tone spectrum by any means.

W.r.t. pricing, I doubt there's ever been a period where the Mexican made Telecaster models were more affordable than the $659 pricing (in little $2024 dollars) that Fender is putting out there right now. That's like $432 in 2006 or $334 in 1996. And having both owned a 2006 Standard and a 2021 Player, the latter is certainly a better guitar than the one from 15 years earlier for my purposes.

I owned a bunch of MIM Standards from that era.... Probably in the neighborhood of twenty or so? Most played/sounded good, but I often did replace the pickups (not always though). Some probably had AlNiCos, some had ceramic I'm sure.

I did find the overall quality to be more consistent back then. The Player I recently bought and returned wasn't a bad guitar at all--well worth mid $500s for sure. The pickups did not sound great, and the guitar was heavier than I like, so I sent it back. I briefly owned and returned a Vintera Road Worn that looked awesome, and felt great. Must've weighed 9+ pounds, and had a gap at the neck pocket that was really wide. Sounded good, but couldn't get past the weight and neck/pocket fit.

I'm sure there are good newer MIM Fenders out there.

 

[Midnight Wine]

If you find the current Player Series Alnico pickups "harsh", good thing you didn't try a Standard from circa 2006 like I briefly owned at the time. They were beyond harsh, all the way to just plain nasty and cheap-ass sounding.

I've no idea what pickups Fender was using in the 1990's but by the early-mid 2000's and up until a few years ago they were putting ceramic pickups in Standard Telecasters (I think "Standard" was the correct name prior to "Player"). And those mid-2000's guitars were the exact same pricing, in inflation-adjusted dollars, as the regular MAP pricing today.

Different styles of music and different playing techniques have their own requirements but for my own form of at-home playing the pickups Fender puts in Player Series Strats and Teles today work great. Not so smooth they're boring or dull but not too spiky to cover the milder end of the tone spectrum by any means.

W.r.t. pricing, I doubt there's ever been a period where the Mexican made Telecaster models were more affordable than the $659 pricing (in little $2024 dollars) that Fender is putting out there right now. That's like $432 in 2006 or $334 in 1996. And having both owned a 2006 Standard and a 2021 Player, the latter is certainly a better guitar than the one from 15 years earlier for my purposes.

Yeah, I never played a ceramic-era Standard (post-2005), but despite having the Alnicos my old Standard was on the harsh side (turns out they were Alnicos without the brass plate on the bridge PUP, which is...odd). You could get good sounds out of them, but I had my tone rolled off 20% every time I was on the bridge. Kept it stock for 20 years because it was My First Tele and it felt wrong to modify, but when I finally broke enough stuff that I had to start replacing parts, the floodgates opened and I came around to swapping electronics.

But as for pricing: yes, MIMs are proportionately more expensive now than they were years ago. They used to be real cheap! That pic of a 2000 Musician's Friend had Standards for $299, that's $545 today. I bought one in '04 for $349, $580 today. So the $650-700 range the Player guitars have lived in before the recent blowouts were $70-100+ more in today's dollars than they were back then. This Adorama deal is the rare chance that you can snag one for the same or a little less than you could decades back.