Review: Fender Player II Modified HSS Stratocaster

The new Player II Modified series from Fender takes a classic template and tweaks it out with all the bells and whistles that the contemporary player needs. Built for speed, efficiency and dynamic articulation, the Player II Modified HSS Stratocaster pushes the boundaries of an off-the-shelf purchase.

Miles Davis once said “Man, sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself.”

Guitar playing is the perfect example. The way you hold your pick, the amount of slack in your strap, the angle of your wrist when you strum, all the little micro-rituals you go through before plugging in—they’re all part of your signature style. These idiosyncrasies facilitate the hunt for that mythical place we like to call ‘the zone’ or ‘the pocket’, where everything snaps into place and every note feels intentional and profound. You might occasionally try out that new hybrid-picking technique that guarantees a 40% increase in right hand efficiency, but generally speaking, your zone is what dictates how you play, and you’ll follow the path of least resistance to achieve that feeling.

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Of course, that philosophy has an impact on the way manufacturers make gear. It’s the foundation of innovation; it necessitates variety. It drives the compulsion to own as many guitars as possible.

One guitar for blues, another for grunge, a certain pickup for reggae, and another for jazz. Why? Because specific instruments fitted with specific specs are built to achieve those specific sounds out of the box, meaning you can just plug and play with zero set-up effort.

But what happens when you want to break new ground? What happens when the core-range off-the-shelf guitars just are just too stock? Too normal? 

Or, on the flipside, what happens when you find a guitar that’s almost perfect, but it’s missing that one spec you can’t live without? 

You improvise. You think outside the box. You tweak and adjust.

You modify.

Fender Player II Modified

In July 2024, Fender announced the sequel to its best-selling range, the Player Series. The Player II saw the return of rosewood fretboards, the introduction of rolled fingerboard edges, and a plethora of new ‘vintage’ colour finishes. Artists like Julien Baker of boygenius, DIIV, Wallows and April Kae signed on to demo the Player II range as part of the 2024 launch campaign. The series includes Player II Telecasters, Mustangs, Jaguars and most relevant to this article, Stratocasters.

The Player II Stratocasters come with a fairly classic, contemporary array of specs, including a 9.5” radius Modern “C” neck, rosewood fretboard, Player Series Alnico pickups, 5-position tone switch and Fender Classic Gear tuning machines. There’s nothing wrong with those specs. They are what we’ve come to know, love and expect from core-range Fender guitars. But let’s say you’re a fiend for locking tuners or noiseless pickups, or one of those MacGyveresque coil-splitting switches hidden in the bridge tone-pot. You love the aesthetic of the Player II series, but you absolutely cannot live without that one thing that is so crucial to getting you into the zone. 

Before you start looking through pre-owned partscasters and custom shop guitars, pay attention, because the Fender Player II Modified series has just landed.

Looking at a brand new Player II HSS Stratocaster in one of those sick new colourways, but can’t live without Noiseless pickups? No problem. Want locking tuners? You got it. Want the ability to split the bridge humbucker? Done. With the release of the Player II Modified series, Fender has taken all of the guess-work and effort out of modifying a core-range guitar.

The Modern “C” neck is varnished with urethane, giving it a super sleek and speedy feel under the fretting hand. There are rosewood slab (yes you read that right!) and maple fretboard options, both with a 9.5” radius, rolled edges and 22 medium jumbo frets. I was super impressed by the resonance from the alder body in the model I test-drove. Tuning stability isn’t an issue with the TUSQ nut, modern string tree, and short post locking tuners—a modern feature which is quickly becoming a must-have on every guitar I own. The tremolo block means you’ve got more room to waggle that whammy to your heart’s content, and the 2-point synchronised tremolo guarantees you stay on pitch when you’re done with your waggling.

The upgrades don’t end at the hardware, either. There’s magic in the electronics too. The neck and middle pickups are Noiseless, meaning you don’t have to worry about that dreaded 60-cycle hum when you’re belting out those warmer, throatier tones. The bridge pickup in the HSS model is also fitted with a coil-splitting function, which you can engage and disengage by pulling out and pushing in the bridge tone pot. So really, this HSS model also secretly moonlights as a SSS model! Just don’t tell that to the Player II Modified SSS Stratocaster …

The Player II Modified HSS Stratocaster isn’t just a hot-rodded version of a fan favourite. It’s Fender’s way of meeting modern players where they are. It delivers pro-tier flexibility straight out of the box, skipping the mod bench and letting you slot into your zone with as little friction as possible. It’s your dream mod-job, sans solder burns and YouTube rabbit-holes. 

Finally, a Strat that mods itself so you don’t have to.

For local Fender enquiries, keep reading at Fender Australia.