Enter to Win a $8000 PA System!

Fender Player Stratocaster - Tidepool with Maple Fingerboard

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 3 Single-coil Pickups - Tidepool
Building your custom Guitar Gallery
$799.99

Or pay $133.33 for 6 months with Easy Pay

See all payment options
2 demos available starting at $649.00 !
Find it used on Sweetwater's Gear Exchange
listed for
$759.00
In Stock!

Add to Cart
Notify me about deals

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

Certified Fit Cases

No more guesswork! These cases are hand-tested and guaranteed to fit your guitar. See how we do it

Certified Fit Cases

Fender Player Stratocaster - Tidepool with Maple Fingerboard
In Stock!
$799.99
Add to Cart
Add to list
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

The Fender Player Series Strat

The Fender Stratocaster is considered by many guitarists at Sweetwater to be the classic solidbody electric guitar. Introduced in 1954, the Strat has flaunted its svelte body curves, tonal dexterity, and expressive vibrato in the capable hands of guitarists cross-genre. At once a working musician's axe and cultural icon, the Fender Player Series Stratocaster takes the grand tradition into the future with a fast-action 22-fret maple neck, vibrant vintage-inspired finishes, and three Player Series Alnico 5 Strat pickups that deliver all the legendary spank and sparkle you expect from a Strat.

Fender's Player Series: vintage vibe, modern edge

For their new Player Series guitars, Fender went back to the drawing board with updated radii for more historically accurate body shapes, new vintage-inspired finishes, and a classic logo that harkens back to the Fenders of yesteryear. But these smooth-playing instruments also look to the future with modern enhancements that include 22 fret necks, upgraded bridges for better sustain, and new Alnico 5 pickups that crank out legendary Fender tone by the boatload.

The timeless classic, with Player Series upgrades

Though the original Stratocaster was first introduced more than 60 years ago, it's unquestionably more popular now than ever. The Player Series Stratocaster combines the guitar's sleek, elegant lines with the perfect blend of vintage and modern features. You start with the classic comfort-contoured alder body with a gloss polyester finish, then add a 3-ply parchment pickguard and a trio of Player Series Alnico 5 Strat single-coil pickups. The Strat's original master volume plus two tone pot configuration left the bridge pickup without a tone control; but in the Player Series Strat, Tone 1 operates on both the neck and middle pickups, while Tone 2 is dedicated to the bridge pickup.

The trademark Strat sound

Leo Fender designed the original Stratocaster with three single-coil pickups, enabling it to produce sounds that no other guitar could — particularly once players discovered they could lodge the 3-position blade switch in those in-between positions to access polarity-reversed neck/middle and bridge/middle pickup combinations that produced what is affectionately called the Strat "quack." The Fender Player Series Stratocaster comes with three sweet-sounding single-coil pickups selected by a modern, 5-position blade switch, making it easy to nail those glassy Strat sounds with a flick of the switch.

Fast-playing modern C-shaped maple neck

In keeping with contemporary player preferences, the Player Series Stratocaster sports a comfortable modern C shape maple neck and a 9.5"-radius fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets. The neck is finished with a smooth satin polyurethane for a sleek, fast feel. With its sleek body contours and highly playable neck, it's no wonder that the Fender Stratocaster has remained one of the most popular guitars on the planet for decades.

Fender Player Series Stratocaster Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Comfort-contoured alder body, gloss polyester finish
  • Maple, modern C-shaped neck (satin polyurethane finish)
  • 9.5"-radius fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets
  • 3 Player Series Alnico 5 Strat single-coil pickups
  • Fender 2-point "Synchronized Tremolo" floating vibrato bridge/tailpiece
  • Fender standard cast/sealed tuning machines
  • Synthetic bone nut, width: 1.650"
  • 25.5" scale length
  • Chrome hardware

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

Additional Media

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage

Free 2-year Warranty

Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty gives you extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Tools Icon

Save money with free parts & labor!

Fast Icon

Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time.

Award Icon

Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department.

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape Stratocaster
  • Body Material Alder
  • Body Finish Gloss Polyester
  • Color Tidepool
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Maple
  • Neck Shape Modern C
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 9.5"
  • Fingerboard Material Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Dots
  • Number of Frets 22, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.650"
  • Nut Material Synthetic Bone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece 2-piece Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles
  • Tuners Fender Standard Cast/Sealed
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Player Series Alnico V Strat Single-coil
  • Middle Pickup Player Series Alnico V Strat Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup Player Series Alnico V Strat Single-coil
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 2 x tone
  • Switching 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Fender, .009-.042
  • Case/Gig Bag Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0144502513

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Took 2 tries

First strat had a Sizzling/buzzy open Low E string, had to return it. Second one came lickety-split.and was perfect. Love my new Fender and Sweetwater.
Rated 5/5

Player Strat Tidepool

I used to have a '97 Fender American Standard, and that is what I'm mostly comparing this review to. I have also had many other guitars through the years and have primarily been a Gibson player. I wonder how long Fender is going to keep this line of Player Series guitars. Because, they simply are, head to head with the American line. It must be a bitter sweet thing for Fender, because the Player Series has been a home run but it only makes sense it will eventually lead to a decline in the sale of their American made guitars. At least as long as the Ensenada factory keeps pumping out quality products at affordable prices. This is just an incredible guitar. It only required minor adjustments out of the box and once done it plays just as good as any American guitar I've had. The pickups are surprisingly good. The neck is great. The fit and finish are perfect. The upgrades these have from previous Mexican Fenders are awesome. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. Not to mention, Sweetwater is the bomb to deal with. #noregrets
Rated 5/5

Fantastic instrument

I absolutely love this guitar. The color is great and the sounds are amazing.
Rated 5/5

Fender Player Stratocaster SSS Tidepool

I recently purchased this guitar, and I love it! First, the pictures on Sweetwater's sight, and even on Fender's sight do not do it justice. The color is beautiful! I am learning guitar, so I didn't want to go with an American made and break the bank, but I still wanted something that was substantial enough to incentivize playing and that would encourage me to keep going. I shopped around at different stores and online sights, but Sweetwater seemed to be the right place for me. I also purchased a subscription to Fender Play, and have been putting in time everyday. I've learned some good exercises for stretching out my fingers, which is good because I don't have the largest hands. I've learned some chords, and even a couple riffs. I'm feeling good about it. I have no aspirations of being a rock star, or even performing live at all, but I've always loved music. I've always wanted to learn guitar, and I figured now is as good of a time as any! The uploaded photo is actually one that was sent to me by the sales engineer, Michael, and is better than anything I had as far as lighting goes.
Music background: Learning guitar
Rated 5/5

A Great MIM Fender Stratocaster!

Beautiful color (Tidepool), very well made with quality materials and fine tuned by Sweetwater Quality Control techs. Added lockers, a Sweetwater Professional "Set-Up" and a Fender premium soft side fitted case along with a Fender Champion 40 Amp. My Sales Engineer, Logan Neher was on top of everything throughout my buying experience. His professional counseling, guidance and communication was priceless.

I'm a returning guitar enthusiast after a 60 year hiatus. Played bass in a 60's rock band and always enjoyed Fender's top drawer equipment. (Still wish I hadn't sold my 1962 Candy Apple Stratocaster and Sunburst Jazz Master Bass). Well, I'm back with a vengeance, buying this new Stratocaster along with a new Yamaha AC1 Acoustic from Sweetwater and just ordered a new Custom MOD American Stratocaster directly from Fender. Rock On….
Music background: Played bass in a 60’s Rock Band

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

Don't trust your guitar purchase to anyone else.

Everything we do is focused on delivering the best possible service and experience to you.

Other Retailers

Free 55-point Inspection

Don't get stuck with imperfections, defects, or blemishes that the manufacturer didn't catch. Learn More

Sweetwater

Other Retailers

Pick Your Guitar

Don't get just any guitar or bass — get yours. We photograph every serial number - allowing you to pick the perfect finish, weight, and woodgrain.

Sweetwater

Other Retailers

Free 2-year Warranty

Have extra peace of mind with above-and-beyond coverage to ensure you're protected in the long run. Learn More

Sweetwater

Other Retailers

Limited Warranty

Limited Warranty

Free Shipping

Free Shipping

Buy what you need — don't worry about meeting restrictive minimums. Learn More

Minimums may apply

Extra Protective Packing

Making sure your precious purchase arrives safe and sound.

Sweetwater

Other Retailers

More Options

Your rig is unique. Complement your new guitar or bass with whatever amp, pedal, picks, and more ... that you could want from hundreds of top manufacturers. Learn More

Sales Engineers

Your very own gear expert. Personalized advice, exclusive call-in savings, and so much more. Learn More

Easy Customization

Plek, setup, and more. Before it even leaves our building, have our pros modify your new guitar or bass exactly to your liking. Learn More

Limited

Close Close $8,000 PA System Giveaway -- input your email address below to enter or click here to learn more.

See giveaway details & rules or check out our past winners!

Success!

Your email, test has been entered to win this giveaway. Good Luck!