[quote="T2Stratman"]The MIM Classic Series is without a doubt the best MIM guitars produced IMHO...Seems they use better materials and much tighter specs...for example check out the nice headstock figuring in my '07...and this isn't the only one I have seen with this figuring on...
/quote]

You'd be surprised what materials you can get on some of the less expensive Fender offerings. Check out the flame maple on my Squier Classic Vibe.

Nice Flame on that Neck Yogi

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Ok, it's already been mentioned but the Classic Series is the MIM version of the American Vintage Series. The major difference, as far as I know, is in the pickups and the finish. Now, the Classic Player Series is different altogether. It's sort of a vintage-meets-modern series. The Classic Player '50's Strat has the same American Vintage '57/'62 Strat pickups found in the AV '57 and '62 Reissue Strats, except that the set found in the CP '50's Strat has a reverse wound middle pickup. It also has a modern two point bridge and a 9.5" radius fretboard as well as what Fender calls "Custom Switching".

Now, I have to say that I've heard almost universally good things about the CP '50's Strat but I did own one myself and was not totally happy with it. I HATED the Custom switching. Instead of a regular 5 way switch setup, you don't have the usual "out of phase" setting between the neck and middle pickup. Instead, this setting gives you the bridge and neck pickup in tandem. Not only did I not like the tone, but I hated not having the neck/middle setting. I took the guitar to a luthier to have the switch rewired to the standard settings but he seemed to think I would have to replace the switch. Also, the CP '50's Strat suffered in comparison to my AV '57 Reissue, which has the same pickups as the CP '50's but sounds much better (nitro finish?). For some reason, I had a hard time getting the low E string to intonate properly (my luthier had the same problem).
The CP's action was pretty high at the nut too. In the end, I knew I would either have to put some money into the CP '50's Strat and do some modding or I would get rid of it. When I made the down payment on a Custom Shop '56 Time Machine Strat, I decided the CP '50's could go so I traded it in.

I did really like the feel of the neck profile (I love V necks), but I was never that enamoured of the way the guitar sounded. I can't blame it on the pickups because they sound great in my AV '57. Who knows? All I know is that the guitar just really wasn't cutting it and I decided to let it go instead of modding it.

Ok, thank you for your answers. And classic player 60s strat? Has anybody played it? What do you think about it?

Yes I played both the 60's Classic Series and the 60's Classic Player, and the 60's Classic Series played better, sounded better, and I am just not crazy about the two point tremelo unit...I don't use the wang bar and have never seen or been able to set up Fenders two point tremelo without it "Floating", I sinch my tremelos right down to the body and put all five springs on and keep it as solid as possible.

FWIW

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Can you tell me which of those two Classic Player strats sounds better with higher level of distortion - I don't mean little bluesy overdrive, but also not something really heavier (and obviously those guitars are not made for that)? I suppose '60s?

I haven't played the Classic Player '60's Strat but I would think it would do better with a more overdriven sound than the CP '50's because the CP '60's has Custom Shop '69 pickups if I'm not mistaken (which I could be). I would think they would be a little more gainy than the '57/'62's.

Actually the CS 69s are relatively low output and bright.

Yeah I figured that, but I also figured they probably had a bit more output than the '57/'62's. But that's just a guess. I know both sets of pickups are probably low output compared to say, Texas Specials.