Hi Guys,

Im in the market for a new Strat and quite like the look of the Fender Classic 50's and 60's guitars....are they different from the Classic Player Strats or are they the same..any help would be great!

Hi petefender: yes, they are significantly different models. The Classic '50s, '60s and '70s guitars are period replicas made in the Mexican factory. They are the MIM version of the American Vintage guitars. They have polyester finishes but in most other respects are reasonably accurate to the originals they copy, given the low-mid price point. To my eye their build quality has got better and better over recent years and I'd say they are well worth considering if a reissue type guitar at a certain price is what you are after.

On the other hand, the Classic Player guitars supposedly use the period models as setting off points but then up-date various features to make them more "player friendly" - such as two-point bridges and the 9.5 fingerboard radius on the CP50 or the 12 inch radius on the CP60, as well as certain electrical modifications.

Given that the CP specs are so different from the original models you might be left wondering why they bother to put '50 and '60 in the names. But that aside, if you are chasing certain combinations of features they occupy very useful places in the catalog. Probably best is to forget the name and just see if the spec sheets interest you: if so, they are excellent value for money.

BTW: a legendary guitar shop owner of many decades standing in my part of the world told me that he sells more Classic Player guitars than any other Fender model. Which is neither here nor there, but perhaps tells us something...

Cheers - C

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You could think of the Classic Series as the MIM equivalent of the American Vintage Series. Period correct specs (for the most part). One could also consider the Classic Player line to be the MIM equivalent of the American made Vintage Hot Rod series. Classic designs updated with modern refinements (pickups, neck shapes, fingerboard radii, etc.).

The Classic Player line is popular. They have better pickups than the Classic Series. I personally think the Classic Series pickups leave a bit to be desired but you can always swap those out.