2018 Telecasters: Player, American Special & Professional Series
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- Опубліковано 17 сер 2018
- Hey guys!
Here's our fifth episode from our 'Focus on Sound' series here at Regent Sounds, where we got our hands on the three most-talked-about Telecasters that Fender are offering in 2018: the Player, American Special and Professional Series. Three great instruments, all offering something a little bit different, at three different price-points in Fender's range. We did a side-by-side comparison, where we ran the guitars into a pair of Fender amps - a '68 Custom Princeton Reverb and '65 Deluxe Reverb with a Tone Tubby Alnico Red speaker upgrade. Both amps are current reissues. As always, please plug in your favourite headphones or speakers, and turn it up, to get a taster of the tones we were hearing in the room!
If you skip ahead, you will find accurate a/b-style comparisons of each guitar, in each pickup position, played through both a clean and overdriven amp. We hope you find that useful, as we find it really does help to hear similar things played on all three guitars, recorded on the same amp, with the same mics. All variables apart from the instruments themselves are kept the same, so that you can really decide which guitar's intrinsic tone you prefer for your personal tastes.
Hope you enjoyed this video, and feel free to leave us your thoughts on these beautiful new guitars in the comments section. Together with what you might like to see in future videos!
A big thank-you to Thom of Tone Tubby Speakers for sending us many of his incredible hemp-cone guitar speakers that are really quite special. As a dealer, Regent Sounds is now one of the few places in the world where you can buy and demo Tone Tubby speakers, directly. We hope you enjoy the tones we get with them!
Until next week... :)
Adam and the Regent Sounds crew.
Regent Sounds:
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- Tone Tubby Speakers: tonetubby.com/
- sE Electronics: www.seelectronics.com/
- Stringjoy Custom Strings: www.stringjoy.com/
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Hey guys. Just to let you know: we have moved to the official Regent Sounds channel from now on, for all those of you who would like to follow our weekly guitar videos! The link is: bit.ly/RegentSoundsYT Hope to see you there! This channel will return to being my personal channel, once again. But these videos will remain here. Future videos are on the Regent Sounds channel, as of December 2018. Thanks for watching! :)
What a fun review video. :) Well done.
Just bought a Player Series Tele. I got so lucky: My local Guitar Center had an open-box return that they had somehow mislabeled as "used" and priced it at $419.99. I thought maybe it was an old Mexican Standard that they had mislabeled as a Player Series but it had the "Spaghetti Logo" and the "F" neckplate so I knew it was the new Player model. Still had the plastic on the pickguard. Me and the salesman both went through it top-to-bottom and didn't find any issues; we took turns playing and it felt and sounded great (this was Sunday morning so there was nobody in there).
I traded in an old Ibanez that I didn't like anymore and walked out with it for $300. As I was checking out they said, "We messed up on the price... Congratulations!" I floated out of the store... I love it. So thrilled. I thought I would have to wait a year to two before being able to afford one.
Thanks for your videos; they helped me feel good about my purchase of a Mexico model. In the past I would have never thought a non-USA Fender would be so good. One more thing: I like that the bridge doesn't have a edge that sticks up, it's flush with the body.
This is wonderful. So cool when things like this happen, and you end up with a brilliant guitar! Super happy for you - they are simply superb instruments. Where the guitar is made, is irrelevant, now. And thank you for the kind words on the video! Please do subscribe if you enjoy our content. We put out a video a week, and always try to keep them as interesting, informative and musical as possible. Thanks again, for the support!
Subscribed. Your videos have just the right amount of talking (which is a bit hard to find!) and high-quality production values and good music.
Having gone back and listened several times, I can hear a difference in the V Mod pickups. I would say just by listening that the difference is just a matter of personal taste, that none are really "better" or "worse", just different. Would you agree?
Firstly, thank you so much for the kind words on the videos! We are constantly trying to improve them, so your feedback means a lot! And secondly, I completely agree with you, regarding the pickups. They are all delivering different tones, and it is down to the guitarist as to which one suits his/her style, best. I love the V-Mod pickups on both the Strats and the Teles, as they have a very smooth tonal signature, but there is a more raw, aggressive edge to the Player and Special guitars that you don't get on the Pro. The one you like, is a matter of personal choice. Thanks again for the support!
I found the Professional and Player had very similar tone. I'm constantly impressed by current mid-priced fenders from Mexico!
I, too, have to agree that they stood out as sonically more pleasing to my ears, over the Special. These Player guitars have exceeded all our expectations. Brilliant instruments!
@@AdamLeeGuitarist personally i find the japanese hybrid models exceptional for the money.. the sweetest spot b/n mexican and US
Great video! It sounds like if you are a true tele player from top to bottom, from the super bright clean to the twang and love everything about a tele the player and the pro is the way to go. If someone wants a tele, but wants just a bit more versatility to play maybe harder rock as well, or get the thicker Brad Paisley country sound. That overall a bit thicker, crunchy, aggressive sound. The american special seem to be the right choice for those buyers. The player tele model is definitely perfect for the tele buyer on a budget as i see no compromise on sound, it was pretty good for a novice and still pleasing for a pro. I think the special would be the one to get for me if I was to get a tele. Good work guys, many blessings.
Nice and comprehensive reviews, and I like the humor side of it. You got +1 sub. Waiting on the Strat comparison, including the new Player series of course (and if you can, in HSS/maple configuration). Cheers!
Means a lot, Fernando - thanks so much for the kind words and support! New video coming this weekend, and every weekend from now, onwards. We will try to see which Strats are available to us for the Strat shoot, later this week. :)
Great news! I'll make sure to check'em all out. The reason I asked for the Player HSS model is because I'm considering buying one due to the fuller sound of the humbucker for rock and metal, and my only concern is how different will position 2 (bridge humbucker + middle pu) sound when compared to SSS configuration. If I'm not mistaken, Fender wiring doesn't split the humbucker in position 2 (like Ibanez wiring does, for example). I would like to hear how much of the "strat quack" is lost in that position... Cheers!
Nice comparison vid. Well done. So to my amazement I think the Player sounded the best in ALL MODES
Wait till you hear the Strat video - dropping in the next day or two. Please subscribe so you don't miss it! I was extremely impressed with the Player Series guitars. Particularly their Strats!
Adam Lee Just subscribed. I look forward to it. I literally just got a new Buttercream Player Strat and I love it. I have a 2017 American Pro I bought new last year. Im sad to say, this new Player Strat sounds better, plays just as nice and looks just as good. I hate I wasted the money on the pro.
Thanks so much! And that's amazing to hear! I actually nearly got one, myself. The one in the video was pretty amazing to play. I wanted to go back into the shop the next day to try it again, only to find that both the Strat and the Tele had sold! Not at all surprising!
Special all the way!
Glad I bought the player!! Swap the pickups in the professional with the player for $1200 more? Crazy
For some reason the Pro sounded very open but lacked punch in every test. Also with gain it just sounded a bit indistinct and lacked string definition and clarity on the low notes.
Hi adam lee, for hard rock and heavy distortion. Which one of these can you recommend?
How do you feel the new Fender Performer compares to the Player, Special and Professional Teles (or Strats)?
Someone likes the Foo Fighters :)
Why everyone forget to say about the headstock difference? =)
If only I had enough money for the American teles then I would have bought a player tele and a player strat😜
Simple to my ears. In every category I liked the player the most and the pro the least. Too bad you guys didn’t say much about if any played better.
fender got it right the first time. The tele is right up there with a 59 Cadillac
Where did you get the (white) colored one?
store
I have a players comming soon but i think i like the special the best. But im only half way though the video
So based on this video i was going to cancle my Ams order and reorder the American but after one hour they had already shipped the pkayer.... so now i have two teles to be here on tuesday. So my guess is ill pick one and send the other back. The only difference in the American you have and the one i ordered is mines a sunburst with a rosewood fretboard. Im intrested to see if that will shave off a little top end.
Really found this helpful! Do you think you guys can do this but with telecasters?
Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful! And you mean one with Strats? That's next on our list!
I can't tell any difference with these. Saw a MIM Standard vs. American Pro video and the difference was obvious. None of these are lacking the snap and clarity.
Subtle, but important differences, I would say. It's also a lot to do with feel, too. The main sonic differences are due to the pickups as, essentially, the three guitars are almost identical in terms of design!
In all honesty, all three are great. I personally learned slightly towards the Pro for the more polished signal its pickups produced. But the differences are not massive. And you could certainly make all 3 sound close, with a little tone tweaking...
Very good comparison- enjoyed the video! I'm still on the fence with the American Special vs the Player Tele (they fall within my price point- especially with the Player...). I liked the sound of all 3 (though hard to discern from a computer speaker)- question: I think the Tex Specials take high gain well (?), but what about the Alnicos on the Player? It obviously has good twang and bite, but can it get somewhat saturated without sounding like mud? Thanx!
Thanks so much for watching! If I might, I would perhaps recommend giving this a listen through some headphones, or a decent pair of speakers, and try to hear the differences for yourself, to help inform your decision. I'd say all take gain well, but with different characters. The Player pickups are pokier. They can take a thicker overdrive, while still sounding relatively articulate. The Texas Specials are aggressive. Higher output, and will create a grungier tone, more easily, were you to pile on some thick gain. As for the Pro - these were the smoothest of all, to my ears. They are mid-way between the former two, but have a pleasantly smooth, yet articulate high end, and full lows. My favourite of the lot, in all honesty. But everyone will have their own opinion. They're all brilliant! It's just a matter of which guitar is right for you, your music and budget. Hope that helps!
Thank you for responding, and for your input! I'm going to be looking and trying out some of these in person- and giving one a good home (hopefully sooner rather than later!)
@@dsalbert9572 You are most welcome - wishing you all the best with your choice, and hope you are happy with your new future guitar! Thanks for watching!
hmm... wondering just for fun how it went ? I´m right now choosing betw the player or the am special ! I have a player stratt and very pleased with it, just love the neck , fast and smooth as silk it is.. ;) too bad I live out in the country side very far from where one could try these out... but leaning towards player yet... cheers...
I don’t know...I think u guys could make a first act guitar sound good. Not to knock the comparison, u guys are just great players. Or as Tele guys would say “pickers”. I played one of those professionals the other day through a fender blues breaker amp and I just couldn’t get enough of those Vmod pickups. Wish there had been a special on the wall to hear the difference in person. It’s around a 300 dollar savings if u decide to go special but, it only comes with a gig bag. Alas there was no special to be found or heard on that fateful day.Either way, it’s money well spent to add one of these to your tonal arsenal.
You should do michael jackson again for his 60th birthday
Is it just me or did the Mexican sound better then the Americans? Just better tone and a more playable neck to. The most expensive one sounded the worst too my ears.
Differences in sound, if any, are negligible.
They are subtle - but they are there!
Adam Lee Based on this info, I would buy the one that looks the prettiest. 😂
another from george michael: praying for time.
Please don't put the video out of focus. It is very disturbing to the eye ( It's really annoying in films as well!) In real life this does not happen. Ruined this video for me sorry.
Every consider the fact that it's likely the bass of the Princeton throwing off the focus of the camera? That's quite a common thing to have happen and you can tell they had the bass cranked by how loose the bottom end is.
is "I laugh at everything" the lamest guy in the universe? I think so
That princeton sounded awful