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Post subject: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:46 pm
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The Classic Player 60s Strat is no longer on the Fender website or available from major online retailers, such as GC and Sweetwater. I hope this guitar hasn't been discontinued, as it's the best Strat I've ever had, better than many American and many other Mexican models (thanks, in part, to the Custom Shop 69 pickups). I hope it's just getting new colors or specs. Maybe it was just too good for the price. Or, not enough people like the really beefy neck, which I love, even though I have pretty small hands.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 3:11 pm
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As a follow-up to my original post, Sweetwater and MF now have them listed in Sonic Blue and Sunburst, but not CAR, and it's still absent from Fender's website. And, I'm sure Fender will remain mum on the matter until they're ready to make an announcement.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 1:53 am
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One of the largest online sellers in Europe, Thomann, have delisted both 50s and 60s Classic Player Strats which usually means that Fender can no longer supply the model.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:17 am
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:?: The web site shows Classic Series, granted not Classic Player. I am assuming by the price that these are MiM.

Squier has "Classic Vibe" The price of the two offerings "Classic Vibe" and "Classic Series" doesn't leave much of a window between for another model.

These are both cut price AVRI's and I forget what a "Classic Player" was as it didn't really grab my attention at the time.

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:28 am
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A wonderful thing the interweb.

Apparently Andertons still have some currently although limited numbers.

And according to the blurb:-

"Unlike the regular Classic 50's Strat, the Classic Player 50's Strat has had some design modifications done by the Fender Custom Shop Master Builders. They've replaced the standard 50's pickups with American Vintage Strat pickups, the skinny frets have been replaced with medium jumbo ones, and the trem system has a vintage look, but is more like the 2 point style trem used on the American Series Strats. Other features, like the V shape neck profile, are the same as the regular Classic 50's Strat."

So, in summary, neither one thing nor the other.

They obviously aren't going to dump a popular line so, it would seem, they had limited appeal. I can perhaps understand why.

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 5:32 pm
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The CP series were extremely popular, due to the pickups (57/62 on 50s model, CS 69 on 60s model) the American two point bridge, and the more modern necks with larger frets and flatter profiles than the Classic series. I think they're the highest quality of all Mexican models (they were designed by CS builders). Apparently Fender is planning on replacing all rosewood board Mexican models with pau ferro to mitigate the permit requirements the new CITES regulations put on rosewood. It seems the CP 60s is perhaps the first to be revamped in that way.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:49 pm
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Thomann UK now has a CP 60s listed as a new item coming with no ship date available, but with a pau ferro fretboard in SB and Sunburst, and with a hefty price increase.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:04 pm
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DougMen wrote:
......and with a hefty price increase.


Perhaps when these Strats are all built by the Peoples' Liberation Army Guitar Plant #7 in Zhengshui, China the price will come down.

:lol:

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:05 am
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I am pleased for those that obviously like th CP this is only a temporare glitch in supply.

I remain of the view that it is a misnomer and had assumed they would perhaps relaunch it under a more appropriate name. But them I will be the first to admit I am cultivating the persona of a Grumpy Old Man quite nicely ....50s Strat with a two post trem! What nonsense....etc etc.

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:11 am
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John Sims wrote:
....50s Strat with a two post trem! What nonsense....etc etc.


+1!

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:16 am
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DougMen wrote:
...the American two point bridge...


Are you sure? I think you will find MiM and MiA two post bridges are different. Mine cetainly were. They may not even be interchangeable subject to post centres.

I did swap over mine but am considering swapping back once I get a steel block for the MiM trem plate.

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:48 pm
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John Sims wrote:
I remain of the view that it is a misnomer and had assumed they would perhaps relaunch it under a more appropriate name.

As far as I understand it, there's a distinct difference between Classic Series and Classic Player series - the former is a sort of cheaper version of AVRI's, the latter was not even trying to be a reprint, rather a step to modern styles.
But if you want confusion, the 'three marketeers' of FMIC have blessed us also with Deluxe Player & Modern Player...

DougMen wrote:
The CP series were extremely popular, due to the pickups (57/62 on 50s model, CS 69 on 60s model) the American two point bridge, and the more modern necks with larger frets and flatter profiles than the Classic series. I think they're the highest quality of all Mexican models (they were designed by CS builders). Apparently Fender is planning on replacing all rosewood board Mexican models with pau ferro to mitigate the permit requirements the new CITES regulations put on rosewood. It seems the CP 60s is perhaps the first to be revamped in that way.

The 50/60 seems to be Fender's way of telling about the fretboard; 50 = maple, 60 used to be rosewood, but apparently you're right and there is a transfer to pau ferro. The MIM Standard PF's are announced to arrive @ thomann in July/August.

BTW, there's some interesting web discussions about the CP series Strat pickups; as in "are they really CS pups"... :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:09 pm
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I love the CP series. I see them as a modern take on a 50s or 60s style guitar. The flatter fingerboard, larger frets and two point bridge enhance the playability over the Classic series, with pure vintage tone delivered by the 57/62s or the CS 69s . I also think they're made way better than the Classic or even the new Deluxe series, which I find also better quality than the Classic series. Maybe I just haven't played a good one, but I think the quality went way down when they switched the Classic series from Japan to Mexico. I find the Japanese ones, as well as the now discontinued Japanese Fernandes ones (of which I have two, a black maple neck, and a white rosewood, both from 2003, I think, only 35 serial numbers apart from each other) superior to the Mexican Classics. I've replaced the ceramic pickups on both Fernandes with vintage spec alnico 5s with staggered magnets, and I like them better than any Mexican Classic series I've ever played.


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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:16 pm
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Fender's Classic Series guitars were *NEVER* made in Japan.

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Last edited by Retroverbial on Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Classic Player 60s Strat discontinued?
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:51 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Fender's Classic Series guitars were *NEVER* made in Mexico.

I don't get this statement.
The model series number for Fender Classic Series Strats starts 013, been that way at least from 1999.
And the current product pages show pics of the back of the headstock saying MADE IN MEXICO on Fender Classic Series '50s, '60s, '70s...

Edit: Guessing you meant "were never made in Japan" but made a Freudian typo... :wink:


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