There are many different versions of the Fender Strat, Tele and Jazzmaster, two of the most popular being the Fender Player and Fender American Professional II. In this article, I’ll explain the differences between each series so you can decide if the guitars in the American Professional II line-up is worth the extra money for you.
Contents:
- Fender Player vs American Professional II Series Overview
- Pickups and Tone
- Look and Feel
- The Similarities
- Player Plus Series
- Comparing Specific Models
- Stratocaster
- Telecaster
- Jazzmaster
Fender Player vs American Professional II Series Overview
Fender American Professional II guitars have upgraded features compared to Player series guitars including extra switching, rolled fingerboard edges, a sculpted neck heel, moulded case and bone nut. Player series guitars are made in Mexico, whereas American Professional II series guitars are made in the USA.
Here is a table highlighting the key differences between Fender Player and American Professional guitars.
| Feature | Fender Player | Fender American Professional II |
| Body | Alder | Alder/ Pine |
| Fretboard | Maple/ Pau Ferro | Maple/ Rosewood |
| Neck Shape | Modern C | Deep C |
| Fret Size | Medium Jumbo | Narrow Tall |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.65” | 1.685” |
| Pickups | Player Series Alnico V | V-Mod II |
| Sculpted Neck Heel | No | Yes |
| Case/ Bag Included | No | Yes |
| Made In | Mexico | America |
| Average Price (USA) | $850-$900 | $1700-$1800 |
| Average Price (UK) | £720-£750 | £1800-£1950 |
Which Guitars are Available?
Both the Player and American Professional II series have Stratocasters, Telecasters and Jazzmasters available. Only the Fender Player series has Mustang and Jaguar models available. Here is a table outlining which models and pickup configurations are available and whether they come in left or right-handed versions.
| Model | Fender Player | Fender American Professional II |
| Stratocaster (SSS) | Right and Left-Hand | Right and Left-Hand |
| Stratocaster (HSS) | Right-Hand Only | Right-Hand Only |
| Telecaster (SS) | Right and Left-Hand | Right and Left-Hand |
| Telecaster (HH) | Right-Hand Only | Right-Hand Only |
| Jazzmaster | Right-Hand Only | Right and Left-Hand |
| Mustang | Right-Hand Only | Not Available |
| Jaguar | Right-Hand Only | Not Available |
Pickups and Tone
Guitars in the American Professional II series have V-Mod II pickups whereas Player series guitars have Player Series Alnico V pickups. The V-Mod II American Pro II pickups sound fuller and warmer in comparison to the Player series pickups which sound a touch brighter and thinner. However, the differences are incredibly subtle.
Look and Feel
The American Professional II series offers notable upgrades including a sculpted neck heel and rolled fingerboard edges which makes it feel more premium compared to the Player series guitars.
You get a deep C neck on the American Pro II models which is marginally thicker than the modern C neck found on the Player series models.
Check out my guide to the different Fender neck profiles to learn more.
Also, you get different fret wiring which affects the feel of the fretboard:
- Player series: medium jumbo frets (0.106″ x 0.036″)
- American Professional II series: narrow tall frets (0.090″ x 0.055″)
Check out my comparison between medium jumbo and narrow tall frets for more information on the difference between them
The guitars are also available in different model-specific color options.
The Similarities
Here is a list of the similarities between Strats, Teles and Jazzmasters in the Fender Player and American Professional II series.
- Maple necks
- Satin neck finish
- Alder bodies (except the American Pro II Roasted Pine color option)
- Satin neck finish
- Gloss body finish
- 25.5″ scale, 9.5″ fretboard radius and 22 frets
- Dot inlays
- Fender USA 9-Gauge Strings
- Standard Sized Headstock
- Chrome/ Nickel Hardware
Player Plus Series
Fender make two main variants of the Player series models:
- Player Plus
- Plus Top
Plus Top models have the same features as the standard Player series models, the difference between the two is cosmetic. Player Plus Top guitars have a more premium maple cap unlike the regular Player guitars which just have an alder body and are roughly $50-$100 more expensive, or £50-£75 in the UK.
Player Plus models have some upgraded features including noiseless pickups, extra switching, rolled fingerboard edges, locking tuners and a gig bag.
If you want to learn more about the Player Plus series, check out my article comparing Fender Player and Player Plus guitars.
Comparing Specific Models
There are also some model specific differences between guitars in the Player and American Professional II series. In these next sections I’ll be comparing the series for the following models individually:
- Stratocaster
- Telecaster
- Jazzmaster
Stratocaster
The Fender Player Stratocaster has a modern C neck with medium jumbo frets whereas the American Professional II Strat has a deep C neck with narrow tall frets. The American Pro II version has a 1.685″ bone nut whereas the Player version has a 1.65″ synthetic bone nut.
Both guitars have a 2-point tremolo with bent steel saddles, however the American Pro II has a pop-in tremolo and the Player has a screw-in tremolo which can be more difficult to set up.
On both guitars you get a 5-way pickup selector and 2 x tone and 1 x volume controls, however on the American Pro II you also get a push/ pull tone pot which on the SSS version allows you to activate either the bridge and neck pickup together (without the middle) or all three pickups at the same time and on the HSS version, it coil splits the humbucker pickup.
Here are Amazon links to each version so you can check the current prices:
Here is a table outlining the differences between the Fender Player and Fender American Professional II Stratocaster models.
| Feature | Player Stratocaster | American Professional II Stratocaster |
| Body | Alder | Alder/ Pine |
| Fretboard | Maple/ Pau Ferro | Maple/ Rosewood |
| Neck Shape | Modern C | Deep C |
| Fret Size | Medium Jumbo | Narrow Tall |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.65” | 1.685” |
| Pickups | Player Series Alnico V | V-Mod II |
| Push/ Pull Tone Pot | No | Yes |
| Tremolo | Screw-In | Pop-In |
| Tuning Machines | Standard Cast | Standard Cast/ Sealed Staggered |
| Sculpted Neck Heel | No | Yes |
| Case/ Bag Included | No | Yes |
| Color Options | Black Polar White Sunburst Buttercream Tidepool Capri Orange Silver | 3-Color Sunburst Olympic White Mystic Surf Green Miami Blue Mercury Dark Night Roasted Pine Black Sienna Sunburst |
The American Professional II Stratocaster has a slightly warmer tone with more mid-range emphasis compared to the Player Stratocaster which has a thinner and brighter tone. The differences are incredibly subtle though. Check out this YouTube video to hear a direct comparison.
Considering other Stratocasters? Check out my complete guide to the different Stratocaster models to make sure you get the best option.
Telecaster
The Fender American Professional II Telecaster has a deep C neck, narrow tall frets and 1.685″ bone nut whereas the Fender Player Telecaster has a modern C neck, medium jumbo frets and a 1.65″ synthetic bone nut.
The American Pro II has an upgraded bridge, sculpted neck heel and rolled fingerboard edges and comes with a hard case whereas the Player does not include any case/ gig bag. You also get some extra switching options on the American Pro II version. The push/ pull tone pot on the SS model activates a series mode to fatten up the tone and on the HH version it coil taps the humbuckers.
The American Pro II has the iconic 3-saddle bridge whereas the Player has a more modern 6-saddle bridge. Check out my article comparing the 3-saddle and 6-saddle Telecaster bridge to learn about the pros and cons of each design.
Here are Amazon links to each version so you can check the current prices:
Here is a table outlining the differences between the Fender Player and Fender American Professional II Telecaster models.
| Feature | Player Telecaster | American Professional II Telecaster |
| Body | Alder | Alder/ Pine |
| Fretboard | Maple/ Pau Ferro | Maple/ Rosewood |
| Neck Shape | Modern C | Deep C |
| Fret Size | Medium Jumbo | Narrow Tall |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.65” | 1.685” |
| Pickups | Player Series Alnico V | V-Mod II |
| Push/ Pull Tone Pot | No | Yes |
| Bridge | 6-Saddle String-Through | 3-Saddle String-Through |
| Saddles | Block Steel | Compensated Brass Bullet |
| Tuning Machines | Standard Cast | Standard Cast/ Sealed Staggered |
| Sculpted Neck Heel | No | Yes |
| Case/ Bag Included | No | Yes |
| Color Options | Butterscotch Blonde Black Tidepool Polar White Capri Orange Sunburst | 3-Color Sunburst Olympic White Mystic Surf Green Mercury Dark Night Black Miami Blue Sienna Sunburst Butterscotch Blonde Roasted Pine |
The American Professional II and Player series Telecasters have very similar tones, however the Player series sounds slightly thinner in comparison to the American Pro II version which has more mid-range emphasis.
Check out this YouTube video to hear both guitars played black to back. The Player series model is in Butterscotch Blonde and the American Pro II model is in Capri Blue.
Jazzmaster
The Player series Jazzmaster has two humbucker pickups which sound warmer and fuller in comparison to the bright single coil pickups on the American Professional II Jazzmaster. On the Player model you’ll get a simple 3-way pickup selector and single tone and volume controls. However, on the American Professional II you’ll get the iconic rhythm/ lead circuit and a push/ pull tone pot making it by far the most versatile guitar out of the two.
The Player series has a modern C neck with medium jumbo frets and a 1.65″ synthetic bone nut whilst the American Pro II has a deep C neck with narrow tall frets and a 1.685″ bone nut. You’ll also find an upgraded tremolo bridge, rolled fingerboard edges and contoured neck heel on the American Pro II version, and the inclusion of a moulded case.
Here are Amazon links to each version so you can check the current prices:
Here is a table outlining the differences between the Fender Player and Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster models.
| Feature | Player Jazzmaster | American Professional II Jazzmaster |
| Pickup Configuration | HH | SS |
| Fretboard | Pau Ferro | Rosewood |
| Neck Shape | Modern C | Deep C |
| Fret Size | Medium Jumbo | Narrow Tall |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.65” | 1.685” |
| Pickups | Player Series Alnico II | V-Mod II |
| Rhythm/ Lead Circuit | No | Yes |
| Bridge | 6-Saddle Vintage-Style w/ Floating Tail Piece | Panorama™ Tremolo System |
| Tuning Machines | Standard Cast | Standard Cast/ Sealed Staggered |
| Pickguard | 3-Ply | 4-Ply |
| Sculpted Neck Heel | No | Yes |
| Case/ Bag Included | No | Yes |
| Color Options | Buttercream Polar White Capri Orange 3-Color Sunburst | Lake Placid Blue 3 Color Sunburst Mercury Dark Night Mystic Surf Green |
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