What's Wrong With Fender Guitars? Huge Artists Leaving like John Mayer and Philip Sayce

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4 ай бұрын

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Philip Sayce is the latest in a bunch of big artists who I think the most obvious choice if they were partnering with a big guitar company would be Fender? Mark Lettieri, Josh Smith and of course John Mayer have all now partnered up with PRS or Ibanez. Is something going wrong at Fender?
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Пікірлер: 509

@jlwhitecotten5947 4 ай бұрын

It started with Steve Vai. He couldn't get Fender to make the changes that he wanted, so he was looking. Ibanez courted him, and he got what he wanted, and more. Since Fender hasn't learned from that, we shouldn't be surprised in the least by other artists doing the same.

@fives. 4 ай бұрын

They almost fumbled the bag with Jeff Beck too, there's hope but it fades year by year

@diatarussoulbane 4 ай бұрын

Fender would literally rather buy Charvel than innovate a modern guitar. Only with the guarantee of collaborating with the most recognized name in electric guitar (EVH) would they produce a new modern line, which is a just an iteration of his EBMM guitar, which I also feel is still the superior instrument. Fender is old corporate industry personified: irrationally risk averse.

@JD-vj4go 4 ай бұрын

Funny thing is a few years later Petrucci left Ibanez because they wouldn't work with him.

@diatarussoulbane 4 ай бұрын

@JD-vj4go his name definitely wasn't as big as Vai and Satch at the time to warrant that risk I suppose. But it's ok. He went to a different manufacturer that happily takes risks. Some would say too many. And now he has the 2nd most successful signature model of all time.

@doubleuseven 4 ай бұрын

I have had a lot of Strats through the years. Changed the bridge pickup on everyone. Fine, but fighting the whammy bar and tuning stability I had to give up. Bought an old JEM and I couldn't be happier. It's really the Strats evolutional made perfect, in my case. The only thing I miss from the original Strat is the neck pickup sound and there's 2 frets "to many" to get real deep twang on the JEM. But I get in essence what Vai tried to do...

@SheepWaveMeByeBye 4 ай бұрын

I like Fender and Gibson being stagnant. I think it's cool that guitars from the 60's are still relevant today and not just mouldering in a dump somewhere.

@mooseymoose 3 ай бұрын

If it ain’t broke….

@LucaMilierimusic 4 ай бұрын

Sayce was just the perfect Fender Artist in this day and age. Sometimes I think brands underestimate the power of endorsing the right artists

@seanmurphy26 4 ай бұрын

Could you imagine if Fender would have released a Phil Sayce Signature Super relic'ed Strat..?!

@jimbeam-ru1my 4 ай бұрын

i don't think they do. with the fracturing of the music industry they don't have big stars like slash in the 90's. instead of sponsoring a few big names that really get a lot of exposure, they have to sponsor tons of people that are unknown outside of their own little social media bubble. so known players go to smaller companies that need them more than fender or gibson

@guitarsix7 4 ай бұрын

@@seanmurphy26 they copied his strat exactly including the same pinup and put out a custom shop without his name. Philip called them out

@seanmurphy26 4 ай бұрын

@@guitarsix7 I did not know that, thanks for the info.

@SlyRyFry 4 ай бұрын

Look at Ibanez and their roster. Their guitars aren't always sold out and back ordered for no reason

@TomHappyapril 4 ай бұрын

Best part of this news is the realisation that it’s not he 60s strat that makes Philip sayce sound so good. It might just be Philip sayce.

@scottrussell9504 3 ай бұрын

FR Phillip Sayce could make a bag of hammers sound killer🤘🏻

@stefan_hauk 4 ай бұрын

As a kid I came up playing Fender, for years and years. I couldn't even get an email response from Fender Australia. After several attempts, I thought "screw this" and tried out a PRS, I was super impressed, and only 3 months later I was on their roster as an artist. That's the difference. In the scheme of things I'm a nobody, but immediately I was able to access people at PRS and was welcomed. Ultimately I'm so glad I did that, PRS are actually actively looking to improve their instruments all of the time, whereas Fender have really stagnated.

@cancelbubble6535 4 ай бұрын

I think most artists move on to other companies because they can just get better deals with other companies. EVH is the big one that stands out to me. Once he left Kramer he started hopping around with guitars and later amps, ultimately ending up with his own brand. Zakk Wylde is similar, though he pretty much just hopped to his own brand. Some relations seems to go on forever like Vai/Satriani/Gilbert with Ibanez, Nuno Bettencourt with Washburn, George Lynch with ESP, Slash with Gibson, Malmsteen with Fender. Those are the big ones that come to mind. They must be happy with those relations - and I'm sure they've been renegotiated several times - because they're still going on decades later. When an artist leaves, it's probably either because the product quality has declined, they have more freedom with the new company, they are offered more $ to leave, or a combination thereof. Some artists are with companies because it means another revenue stream on top of their regular earnings. Others are with companies because they really believe in the product they are using.

@mattb383 4 ай бұрын

BTW, EVH is Fender.

@michaelmathews9170 4 ай бұрын

Robben Ford left fender years back after creating what appears to be a truly great instrument. I suspect they were not able to implement or keep up with meeting his needs ... he now has a signature model with PRS and even that has a list of changes. Robben recently posted a list of changes made

@2500BC 4 ай бұрын

Do/did any of them sell?

@firetherock 4 ай бұрын

Yes, but no tele..... And normally he plays tele 70% or more of the time..

@IvorThomas 4 ай бұрын

Robben has a PRS?

@jed1mindtricks857 4 ай бұрын

ye@@IvorThomas

@pedroburgosmoreno 4 ай бұрын

yes is actually a beautiful back guitar with HB and a switch for singles coil @@IvorThomas

@swoopdog54 4 ай бұрын

I'm very fortunate. I have a great friend who happens to be an excellent player and guitar builder as well. He created a strat from Warmoth parts, hardtail, Lindy Fralin pickups, one piece ash body, sunburst, maple neck, rosewood board, vintage tuners. I will be buried with that guitar.

@seanmurphy26 4 ай бұрын

Sunburst??

@swoopdog54 4 ай бұрын

@@seanmurphy26 I fixed it

@JoelyPera 4 ай бұрын

Cool! Where can I check out your friend’s guitars?

@el_Gee 4 ай бұрын

Also curious to know who your friend is that builds guitars 🙋🏾‍♂️

@seanmurphy26 4 ай бұрын

@@el_Gee dude! There are millions of luthiers out there! Any hobbyist who owns half a guitar, can build a strat..

@wizrom3046 4 ай бұрын

Show me the Money! I think if artist jumps to another company it's almost always about the MONEY. Either a better money deal, or some better publicity deal, in both cases the artist makes more $$$

@henrikhansen6617 4 ай бұрын

With that lighting the only right thing would have been to pull out a Fender Ouija Fret Board and ask the spirits 🎸👻

@olzzonscorner 4 ай бұрын

Wow, that sound you've got today. Sounds SOOOO goooood ❤

@SteveJAbraham 3 ай бұрын

I swear I’ve been running back that intro to death!

@redbarchetta8782 4 ай бұрын

Brand loyalty lies with those from the past. I still have and love my Fender Nocaster RI from 2006. But at the price of what a new plain jane fender costs I'd pass now myself.

@thejuggernaut5327 4 ай бұрын

Love my Strat, love my Silver Sky, love my Tele….NF53 is next!

@jnh73 4 ай бұрын

Add Carl Verheyen, Allen Hinds, and Greg Koch to this list. All Fender die-hards that in my opinion should have Fender signature models. All have been successfully courted by other brands (Carl LSL, Allen Xotic, and Greg Reverend).

@GraniteSoundtrack 4 ай бұрын

Yeah Greg Koch worked for Fender for a long time too. But he says they were only interested in finding the next young star. He jokingly called it , "some in utero slim."

@ROKZLEON 4 ай бұрын

Beautiful opening on this one. 👍🏻. On the topic: We’d like to think it’s about the guitar when really it’s about the money. From the artist's side, it’s about how much money you can get out of the deal. From the company side, it’s about how many guitars they can move based on the artist's brand name. I've seen endorsement deals include free products, co-marketing, and a monthly stipend of cash to the artist. For smaller artists, those monthly payments really help to provide stability.

@mattsefton 4 ай бұрын

I bought a second hand Silver Sky 2 months ago. Never been a fan of PRS but it’s a cut above my American Fenders build quality and the pickups are incredible. I’m pleased for Philip Sayce who deserves so much more exposure

@stephencowan139 4 ай бұрын

I recently picked up a squier vm 2012, 70s strat for not a lot of cash. Added a tex mex loaded pickguard and set up the guitar and it sounds fantastic! Best maple neck I've played in my 50yrs of playing! Hats off to Fender!

@hexoflexo 4 ай бұрын

The little blue intro was just beautiful

@michael_caz_nyc 4 ай бұрын

Fender is Living on their Reputation. (and I'm a huge fender-guy). I prefer their amp's, even more than their guitars. I had a Vintage Start (sold it) due to my purchase of a Suhr = which is honestly Superior in every way. I do still own a 65 Princeton Reverb and a Rumble 100 amplifier = both incredible.

@johanrautenbach 4 ай бұрын

The intro song is just gorgeous. You are such a fantastic player 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@paulwally9007 4 ай бұрын

I went to see Scott Henderson a week ago. After the show the guitarist with him was asked if her Suhr was better than a Strat. She replied that Fender don't make good guitars anymore, unless they're custom shop. Personally, I find Suhr Strats a bit clinical. I have three Fender Strats (none of them CS) and I love them all immensely. I've yet to find a guitar that I gel with as much as a US Strat.

@bluegryp 3 ай бұрын

Yeah I just think it’s become trendy to hate on fender and gibson. I have a 2019 american original 60s strat that cost me like $1500. It’s got a nice poly finish and looks and plays great. The tone is better than any silver sky by far and frankly to me sounds as good as a custom shop. To say Fender doesn’t make good guitars anymore is nonsense in my opinion and you don’t need to go custom shop either.

@paulwally9007 3 ай бұрын

@@bluegryp Curiously, I was sat next to a guy with a huge guitar collection at the Henderson gig. He told me he started out with a USA standard Strat. Over the years he bought more expensive guitars: Suhrs, Les Pauls, PRS, to name a few. I asked him what he liked the most. He said his original Strat!!!!! He says all the others are great guitars, but they just don't do it for him the way the Strat does.

@matthiasscheffler548 4 ай бұрын

Not to forget Billy Corgan who parted with Fender around 2011 I own a Billy Corgan signature It's magnificent though

@Sea_Jay 4 ай бұрын

Billy Corgan is such an Ah Soul, I wouln't be surprised if it was Fender that parted ways with him.

@Herfinnur 4 ай бұрын

John Mayer has been very candid about why he went to PRS. He had a very specific vision for a suptly modern revision of a Strat and he wanted a very specific neck and very specific pickups. Fender don't want to put any resources into innovation. They told him they had these neckshapes and those kinds of pickups and he could chose any combination he liked plus any colour, but they where not willing to put years of R&D into obsessing into what in the grand schene of things are tiny changes. To be fair, Fender has in the past made several failed attempts to create contemporary versions of the Strat and Tele and they've seen Gibson flounder even more badly on that frond, so there was probably a high level decision made to prioritise the iconic reputation of their most important products at the cost of contemporary relevance

@KingofPho75 3 ай бұрын

It baffles me how Mayer put a vintage 7.25’ radius to his modern start revision. Def like the radius better on the SE

@alex241 3 ай бұрын

@@KingofPho75 IMHO, neck radius, especially minor changes like 7.25 to 8.5, is overblown...blindfolded I bet you couldnt tell between the core silver sky and the SE.

@betolara4701 3 ай бұрын

@@alex241 You really can. I had both. The core one feels fine, it feels good for a thick-necked guitar. But the SE neck, for my taste, is significantly better in terms of feel. Not only is the neck radius a bit flatter, its also just a different shape and feel.

@devDarkest 4 ай бұрын

Must preface by saying I have moved on from playing PRS guitars and fully embrace hollowbody and single cuts with hollow body specs (wide nut, piezo etc). PRS has everything you could want in a guitar at every price point. The SE line is super versatile and the Silver Sky made it complete. You can get the best of Fender + Gibson at affordable prices as a non pro guitarist and if you ever felt something was missing, you would eventually move to the PRS version of your favorite PRS SE model. With PRS, there is no buyers remorse which is more than can be said about Fender. Fender has a lot of great guitars but there are only so many ways you can sell a Strat or a Tele before it's obvious you are done innovating. In the whole of the PRS SE Line, You have 6-8 Neck Profiles, 22/24 Fret Options, 3-4 Scale Lengths, and you have the Tremonti for your flat radius shredder profile. Fender doesn't have that versatility until you get to the Master Built and by that point, what is the point exactly?

@locky828 4 ай бұрын

PRS HBII SE piezo by any chance? That’s what won me over to PRS

@devDarkest 4 ай бұрын

@@locky828 Had it. It's the best Hollowbody Electric on the market, period. It has split piezo + magnetic pickup outputs and can get legit record a whole jazz/classical guitar album with good acoustic IRS and you wouldn't know the difference. Edit: I have moved on to Custom Archtops/LP Type guitars. As much as I love the piezo's on the HB II SE, the recorded sound of an Archtop is impossible to beat. Plus I get the option of 1-3/4 Width nuts which are perfect for me.

@danandrews2650 4 ай бұрын

Actually, I had buyers remorse from a Mark Lettieri PRS model. I own many guitars, Suhr,Fender, Knaggs, Custom shops, Tokai, Gibson, Danocaster etc. I did not like the sound or the playability of the guitar. Obviously it will vary with personal preference. But I had to return the guitar. I have wanted to try the Silver sky but leary about it due to ML model.

@devDarkest 4 ай бұрын

@@danandrews2650 The Silver Sky has been the best selling guitar of the past decade. It wouldn't surprise me if less than ~500 people worldwide have bought that Fiore model. I feel you on the fact that PRS isn't going to touch gold every time they release a new model but this is the equivalent of saying "I won't buy a Strat because I hated my experience with the Cabronita/Jazzmaster/StarCaster". Those fringe guitars are not indicative of the rest of the line and 100K+ people can't be wrong about the Silver Sky. There is absolutely the chance you get one and it doesn't click with you but I have yet to meet a person who plays primarily Strats say the Silver Sky isn't an amazing guitar.

@danandrews2650 4 ай бұрын

@@devDarkest really appreciate the feedback. I will see if a local shop may have one to try. Didnt like the width of the Fiore neck, hopefully will be a tad smaller on the Mayer signature. Thanks again.

@diatarussoulbane 4 ай бұрын

Fender spends more of their capital on ensuring their brand recognition never leaves the spotlight. I'm sure more people would be happier if that capital was spent on more innovation in their guitars/amps, quality control and sourcing of materials/labor. Mayer straight up said Fender strong armed him to play Fender branded everything all the time and were unwilling to tinker and innovate in the shop. I'm glad the Tone Master and the FR12 came out, but the fact that they were released in 2023 shows you the slow moving dinosaur they are, unwilling to take chances in the market until they are absolutely forced to. There's no doubt their CS/MB guitars are quality instruments but their prices are blurring the lines between quality instrument and status symbol. I guess it's working, that Fender decal means a lot to a lot of people for some reason. Chris Kroenlein or Dan Grosh can make an equally good guitar, and they'll cost 1/2, 1/3 or sometimes 1/4 of a CS/MB guitar. Extremely high quality alternatives exist, but some people want to pay 5,000 extra dollars for a sticker. And as long as people do, Fender will be fine.

@error8418 4 ай бұрын

I think you mentioned two very important aspects: 1st) I guess no normal human will ever get to see the contracts between Fender and endorsed artists, so all we can do is make assumptions. But if they really try to force people to play nothing but Fender, it's no surprise more and more artists are leaving them. 2nd) Many guitarists really do seem to realize how much they are paying for the Fender decal on the headstock. There are so many great alternatives out there and I'd assume KZfaq has helped a fair bit to make them more popular. Back in the day all you could see were the big rock stars playing guitars from the same few brands. Thanks to Tim Pierce and other session players all those other brands get some publicity.

@cyrilcrn 4 ай бұрын

I'm not surprised. They're not nice to work with. For example in my country most music shops can't stock Fender and Squier guitars unless they sign huge contracts that would bankrupt them (with a number of guitars they could never sell). Only the biggest shops (and mostly online) can afford to stock enough guitars to Fender's taste. In the end they're just milking the Fender brand name, which is has been a nice cash cow. I can find custom instruments for around the price of an American performer Strat. (around 1600€)

@jimbeam-ru1my 4 ай бұрын

american guitars are a rip off. buy used japanese copies from the 70's-90's. they are much better instruments.

@MrInfinite43 4 ай бұрын

Japanese Squiers are the shizzzzz

@ub59 4 ай бұрын

After a 25-year hiatus from the guitar, I picked up a 2020 USA-made Fender American Pro Strat. I was delighted at first, but it didn't feel completely right for my aging hands. My fingers kept tripping over each other on the cramped fretboard and slipping off the edge when bending notes. The guitar tuning is slightly unstable even when I don't use the whammy bar much. I wanted my next guitar to be a 335 style, and the Ibanez AS93 fit the bill to a point and it was less than half the cost of the Strat. It stayed in tune better and had a marvellous finish and wonderful detailing, and gave the Strat some mellower tones as counterpoint when recording. Then I discovered the Yamaha Revstar Pro and it won me over. It's not a Strat, but it feels much more comfortable to play and has stable tuning. I then tried the highly rated Yamaha SA2200 "335" and loved it. I traded in the Ibanez to help knock the price down. It's as beautifully finished as the AS93, but a better quality build all around. I don't plan on selling the Strat at this time because it has collector's value, but I feel Yamaha gave me better options and quality. It's telling that the Revstar Pro was the exact same purchase price as the Strat, but is ultimately better than the other to play in my experience. But now, I am tempted to trade in the Strat for one of the latest generation Pacificas. Oh my bank account!

@LilOlFunnyBoy 4 ай бұрын

The problem is that Fender and Gibson have stopped designing guitars. And most people seem to be happy with that. They pay through the nose for 1950's tech that has been chipped and pre-rusted. Odd.

@legitimatefrenzy 4 ай бұрын

Yeah but they do the paranormal series and those are some pretty cool guitars

@LilOlFunnyBoy 4 ай бұрын

@@legitimatefrenzy that is true. Love those. But they are still mashups of old designs, no? I guess they're milking their position as heritage brands and focusing on serving players who want that uncorrupted classic object. There are plenty of other brands that offer updated and improved variations of classic designs.

@mooseymoose 3 ай бұрын

Fender Japan is pretty awesome.

@tompryor 4 ай бұрын

A beautiful arrangement of a beautiful song.

@RobertFisher1969 4 ай бұрын

I’m sure it’s all about the numbers. The extra sales that Fender might win or lose based on even John Mayer’s endorsement is probably not worth it for them. While both PRS and Ibanez, the numbers are different. The thing that’s interesting is that the success of the Silversky has probably surprised everyone. But even then, at Fender’s scale, it might not (yet) be enough to tip the numbers far enough. And while I’m sure Josh Smith’s endorsement has been a win for Ibanez-again-the numbers probably don’t make it a loss for Fender. Fender’s just on a different scale and different level of brand recognition than Ibanez. Ibanez has built their business on signature artists, while Fender’s business is built on its own legacy. I’d bet the margin and volume on Squier Paranormals make them more profitable than a John Mayer signature. Because an awful lot of us want all the Paranormals while having zero interest in anyone’s signature model. It will be interesting to watch and see if there comes a time when the numbers have changed enough that Fender has to react.

@alex241 3 ай бұрын

Not unless the corporate philosophy changes...

@siamesedream100 4 ай бұрын

What pickups are you running in that opening Tele-Esque guitar?

@lefujyou 4 ай бұрын

But Philip sounds so much better on that fender guitar. Yeah he’s been playing a little bit on that PRS but it sounds nowhere near as good as the fender guitar. And plays the fender guitar to me way better 💥🔥🔥peace and love everyone.❤

@loneranger2385 Ай бұрын

Tell him that. I think he knows more about his sound and what he likes. But you can have an opinion, though it sounds like you’re a fender fanboy.

@lefujyou Ай бұрын

@@loneranger2385 I don’t own a fender I wish I did just watching and listening 👂🏾 ☮️❤️✨

@rambisvids 4 ай бұрын

I'm starting to gravitate towards Suhr guitars. I just received a JM from them and it's incredibly well put together.

@AlonRozenblit 4 ай бұрын

What is that "Cordy" tele? A partscaster, or a custom job for you? Looks and sounds amazing! EDIT: Nevermind, found yesterday's video which I've apparently missed 😅

@johnbeddoe782 4 ай бұрын

hey man. Do you have a link for that video? or a title? Trying to find it :)

@AlonRozenblit 3 ай бұрын

@@johnbeddoe782 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hcWAfNmamKu-d6s.html

@2010njdevil 3 ай бұрын

Agreed. I played the intro 5x before going on with the rest of the video.

@V1T091 4 ай бұрын

Bang on observations, John. Add Greg Koch to the list, by the way... always a Tele player but when the time came for a sig model he partnered with Reverend. His appearance on TPS is very telling on how "it wouldn't work out" with Fender. Fender reluctant to depart from certain standards specs? Silly move, for sig models especially I think the world would forgive any "deviation".

@simon_hughes 4 ай бұрын

I have an SE Silver Sky. I love it. The neck fits in my hand like a glove. It's really resonant and the pickups are perfect. I think being able to use both tone knobs on the fourth position gives it more tonal versitility. I've seen pople comparing the SE with the American and I can't see a $1000 difference at all. I think the biggest thing to consider is how much you pick it up. I have 14 guitars and while I can spend an evening putting some on rotation. 9 times out of 10, I end up with the Silver Sky back in my hands. It feels like coming home.. It's so nice to play!

@matmarchi 4 ай бұрын

John Meyer still plays a strat. Different headstock but a strat still. Haha

@evh5150 4 ай бұрын

He now plays a strat knock off

@matt-fn9gr 4 ай бұрын

It’s not a fender was what John was saying

@loneranger2385 4 ай бұрын

@@matt-fn9grHe plays a better strat!

@merkavah4 4 ай бұрын

He literally still plays a Strat too - used one at Crossroads 2023.

@crigonalgaming1258 4 ай бұрын

Not really. The pickups are voiced different than any of Fender's offerings. The fingerboard radius and neck feel are absolutely different than any other Strat I have played.

@colmkelly5524 4 ай бұрын

You look at footage from Glastonbury last year and it was overwhelmingly Fender guitars on stage, particularly amongst younger/newer artists. I think it’s easy sometimes to overestimate the significance of artists who appeal more to a guitar-playing as opposed to a general audience. I know Mayer is an exception to this, but Josh Smith and Mark Letteri are pretty niche in the grander scheme. By comparison, Steven Lacy, although not a guitar player’s guitar player has a much broader appeal and probably value in terms of attracting a new audience.

@johncurrie1789 4 ай бұрын

Beautiful playing!

@hsmoscout 3 ай бұрын

on the other hand fender has been incredibly successful in courting younger up and coming players and spotlighting them and and giving them signature fenders (and signature gretsches) and still being completely ubiquitous in the indie world

@john_sandilau 4 ай бұрын

@johnnathancordy can you please tell me the brand from which you got you winnie hoodie plssssss!!

@sebastianb.2385 4 ай бұрын

That direction is interesting, but I think that Fender has nowadays more younger players signed as artists.

@IamMusicNerd 4 ай бұрын

Fender is iconic, but like Gibson, the quality and craftsmanship is not what it used to be, unless you spend over $5k for a custom shop. Fender and Gibson have gotten to the point where Squier and Epiphone are almost as good as Fender in their build quality. That’s a problem. Smaller brands just have a lot more attention to detail in the $2-3k or less price range. The only large brand that has boutique level of attention to detail and craftsmanship in that price range is PRS. The Silver Sky, Fiore, and Tremonti signature guitars are incredible compared to the Fender and Gibson counterparts. Even their S2 and SE lines are great quality.

@ahall3823 4 ай бұрын

I have a Silver sky; one of the first 500 that were made. It had two issues. The bridge ground wire wasn’t soldered properly, and the neck had a back bow. It has a dual action trust rod, and some people would say it’s not an issue. But I preferred the traditional set up.

@marianpolacek4328 4 ай бұрын

I bought a Mark Lettieri PRS Fiore Sunflower a few months ago and I love it. Very good playability (neck shape, satin finish), build quality, light weight and it looks great. I played a Fender AM PRO Strat HSS for years. I also tried Fender AVR II 61 Strat, but sold it. Fiore is the best yet.

@mikey-dubs 4 ай бұрын

I played a silver sky SE and I loved the build quality etc. The rosewood was so dark and awesome. The only issue.... it didn't sound like a strat at all!

@bluegryp 3 ай бұрын

Yep and that’s why Fender won’t and shouldn’t deviate too far from the formula that’s made them famous. Only a strat sounds like a strat.

@alex241 3 ай бұрын

@@bluegryp All due respect, you guys need to have your ears cleaned...

@mckanemusic 3 ай бұрын

That guitar tone (and playing) at the beginning is incredible.

@stahliwood8755 4 ай бұрын

Fender went downhill when John Cruz left. John Mayer still plays his Fender blk1 live sometimes.I own a Fender custom shop Mayer BLK1 only 83 made and a prs silver sky both great guitars but that Fender strat plays beautifully.

@alex241 3 ай бұрын

Um Cruz didn't leave...he was fired...

@tylers_pc4985 4 ай бұрын

I have a $5k fender custom shop wildwood 10 strat. It’s great. I find myself playing my silver sky more. Even my silver sky se is firmly in the rotation, they really just do a thing so well

@musiccreation1198 4 ай бұрын

As a previous owner of a Silver Sky, I regret selling mine. I needed the money to fund a Michael Tuttle Strat guitar (which I LOVE), but I wish I had found the funds some other way now. The Silver Sky is Fender custom shop quality at half the price.

@ramencurry6672 4 ай бұрын

Never sell any gear. Elvis never sold his gear

@musiccreation1198 4 ай бұрын

@@ramencurry6672 awesome

@kylefletcher8489 4 ай бұрын

I bought a silver sky a few months ago. It is amazing. So well built and set up. The PRS QC I think is unparalleled in big brands.

@robertlucas9867 4 ай бұрын

People forget this started when Fender let go of John Mayers guitar builder and also John Mayer wanted a affordable version that he could recommend to students and beginners that he would be proud to play also and Fender just wasn’t interested. After courting and talking to companies he choose Paul Reed Smith because they both had aligned interests. A modern take on a vintage but also a student model that John felt great to recommend and he also plays. There are countless photos of John Mayer playing SE models as well as his American made Silver Sky and Fenders on stage. Now PRS has a SE CE Satin guitar for $499 with split coils. After witnessing a 3 minute long Fender video I noticed Fender only focused on the past legacy and their biggest names artist was mostly not present. They had Jon Morello of RATM and H.E.R. But I didn’t see John Frusciante, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and other notable artist, it was mainly young generation. Fender QC has been shaky too recently. My local music store has to fix customers Fenders bought straight from the Fender Store. All needed neck adjustment, new strings, intonation fix, etc and the Squiers are 50/50. They either are great and need some setup but PRS SE came setup and ready to play with occasional tune up but setup almost impeccable.

@robertlucas9867 4 ай бұрын

It’s more than money, it’s quality and consistency. PRS brings that.

@robertlucas9867 4 ай бұрын

I also think who wants a signature Fender or Squier that cost more but have vintage or original specs no different than other base Fenders or Gibsons? I don’t. Why spend extra on a signature that cost more than the original without an artist name on it? But the Silver Sky Se is $900 USD verses a Fender Player series made in Mexico for $1200 🤷‍♂️ and the PRS Se quality and consistency is better so I’m saving money on Silver Sky which is a artist signature model too.

@bobsiburton861 3 ай бұрын

When u get ahold as Mayer, it's possible to make anything sound wonderful.🎉

@grahamcoxon 4 ай бұрын

Tom Gray’s emperors are really nice.. I have one fitted with a sustainiac neck pickup among other things.. I guess his prices are more in line with some of the bargain top PRS silver skys though but you can have the exact appointments you want… But- there is something lovely about the strat headstock- and I know it shouldn’t be about that but.. I do miss it when it’s not there.. I have a good Jeff beck strat too which I love more and more.. the K-lines look really nice./ Used to dislike strats and fender amps- now I love them both!

@milesharris335 3 ай бұрын

I find the silver sky to be a profound instrument. Always been a fender die hard but once I tried silver sky I never looked back. I love it more than any Strat I’ve owned or played. Vintage or otherwise.

@nolenen 4 ай бұрын

Had some time with the Fiore at the local shop, what a great guitar, one of the best playing guitars i’ve tested. Silver Sky sounds fantastic, but the neck is not my thing. Think Fender has a quality problem in that price range compared to the PRS. Sayce is a blues monster, prob would have sounded amazing on a $300 squier

@ssiowi 4 ай бұрын

Good topic covered well. Save the title since within a few months you can rightly circle back and use it with Line 6 and Helix. With them since the release; I'm eager to replace the Helix Floor with a massive and long overdue upgrade in the hardware. Thanks John; carry on please Sir! Cheers from PDX, OR USA.

@rjisidoro2388 4 ай бұрын

What were you playing at the start? Beautiful tone!

@andrewbecker3700 4 ай бұрын

I don't ever remember once thinking about buying a Fender? Like it never even comes to mind. Gibson is a close second. When I browse guitars on Sweetwater, my parameters won't even allow them to be included. I can't think of a single model either brand currently builds, where it's always been something I've wanted? I think those brands rely on that thought process of "that's what all the greats played". Well, it's just not the case anymore. There's way too many great guitars in the world to stay stuck on 50's styles and construction. Most of my guitars look nearly identical to Tele's, Strat's or Les Pauls. But they have modern construction and specs that are actually useful, instead of just sticking to the same tired looks and layouts. So I've noticed I still prefer the classic shapes, but can't be bound to the oldschool thinking, where I'll just accept whatever they throw at us. I'm way too far down this path of modifying them all to my personal expectations, rather than trying to find some unicorn example that doesn't exist. I find decent "ringers" as Rhett Schull would say, and just keep tweaking on them, until they do what I want. You'd be surprised how good my little clutch of fiddles has gotten, in a relatively short period of years. If you know what you want, and work towards it diligently, you learn real quick that having a Fender or Gibson logo on the headstock is way down the list of importance, in my book. You can call them whatever you please, if the tool does the "thing" it's a winner!

@JohnMcGFrance 4 ай бұрын

The last guitar I bought was a Fender American Pro II. I love it because it just feels right for me. I don’t like the neck on the Ultra - too much of a D shape. I considered the Silver Sky but the 7.5 inch radius just wasn’t right for me. The SE model felt better but the Pro II will do me very nicely.

@passionplayer7 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely love Zach Meyers "relic'd" Silver Sky's sunburst finish. Despite John Mayer's dislike for old colors, they still work on a Strat body, lol The rosewood and maple USA versions are a different neck profile, otherwise both great!

@Necropheliac 4 ай бұрын

My problem with Fender as a corporation is that they are obviously targeting customers who want to spend gobs of money on their products, and so you tend to see fender guitars more as wall art rather than a tool in the hands of musicians. They don’t listen to musicians about what musicians want, they listen to people who care more about looking cool, even what people want to wear or whatever. The music is secondary or tertiary in their values and that seems lame to people who want to make music. I don’t dislike fender guitars, I love them, but I wouldn’t buy a new one, there are a lot better strat style guitars from other brands, like Yamaha for instance.

@JohnAdams-xc5yk 4 ай бұрын

The electric solid body guitar is so simple, you can put one together yourself, and it will be better than any factory guitar, and it has everything you desire

@TVsBen 3 ай бұрын

You kind of alluded to it, but the thing PRS can do with the Silver Sky is keep the weight down. I've played a bunch of different Fender Strats at all different price points, and they were all much heavier than my Silver Sky. That's not important to everyone but it's important to me.

@rocknrollsingh7568 4 ай бұрын

Incredible playing. How weird is this that these high quality musicians are ignored by the people and way more attracted towards flashy pop stuff. It's very easy to label it as an intro jam on a tele but it could be a great piece of art in world's eyes if we take 2 percent of this playing and put in pop music with the power of marketing and stuff. but now we take it for granted and it's just a youtube video intro. it takes a lot to play like this yet musicians are not that rich or famous.

@jerryhorton5708 4 ай бұрын

Fender’s QC has been questionable for years. Add to that their inability to successfully innovate beyond Leo’s original designs and you have a recipe for a stagnant company

@ReVeRbx-fe5wr 3 ай бұрын

Id just like to compliment the beautiful piece of rosewood on that neck.

@IIImobiusIII 4 ай бұрын

A design doesn't stick around for so long for nothing. It's also great in the sense of the availability of after market parts. If you've ever needed a part that you can't find, you soon see the value of iconic guitars.

@nekkon1989 4 ай бұрын

You may call yourself a Strat player, but you sound amazing on a Tele as well 😊

@naka3339 4 ай бұрын

Don't be naive, it's simple. money. they wanted more money for the endorsement, Fender didn't want to pay more. simple as that.

@danherrick2310 3 ай бұрын

Nah, it’s because fender does not make guitars well. If I’m an artist and i want my guitar “just so” AND I want anyone who buys my signature guitar to get a well-made instrument 100% of the time - fender cannot deliver on either front. Prs makes better guitars because making a good guitar is their top priority. plain and simple. I’ve never played a bad new prs - I’ve played lots of shite new fenders.

@kuttermclaughlin3631 3 ай бұрын

@@danherrick2310I’ve played several PRS that weren’t set up well from the factory and other non USA made PRD that just wouldn’t intonate at all because they were fucked from the factory and there’s no fixing it. That isn’t my qualm with PRS though, literally any mass produced guitar brand is going to have those issues. Period. My issue with PRS is that even when they are built superbly and set up to my satisfaction, they just simply don’t have the character I’m looking for… and some of that isn’t even brand, for instance I’ve played plenty of Fernandez strats that were amazing, esp, G&L, etc… but that silver sky just sucks ass at what strats do.

@HenrioRespati 4 ай бұрын

I was searching for "Little Blue guitar cover", then KZfaq recommended this video. Wasn't disappointed at all.

@JanCoelus 4 ай бұрын

I had a lot of strats and sold them all, I couldn't find the right one for me (my Fender tele on the other hand is perfect). I recently bought a PRS SE Silver Sky and this guitar works for me. It has all the sounds I look for in a strat (Clapton, Knopfler, Mayer, ...). I must admit that PRS is making great sounding guitars in the SE line. I was not into PRS, but I changed my mind ... First time PRS convinced me was with my SE Hollowbody, fantastic guitar also

@jhanson16 4 ай бұрын

Your playing is so good man. Love it!

@bobsiburton861 3 ай бұрын

Must say that guitar piece a the beginning was memorable.❤

@tnvalleyyoga7122 4 ай бұрын

I just purchased a Yamaha Standard Plus (demo) for $1,000.00 USD and I will sell 2 of my Fender strats as neither one matches the Yamaha. I own a Fender Nashville Tele and it is a great guitar, which I will keep. I also own a Sire Strat that is (I payed less than any Fender I own) every bit equal to a Fender Strat. Fenders are simply not worth what they are charging, that is for me. Others have to make their own decisions.

@mattskillman 3 ай бұрын

I watched what John Mayer had to say about Fender when he made the jump to PRS. Like he said, a lot of these guitar manufactures are steeped in 50's - 60's Americana / surf and car culture and as long as they're selling well, they really don't care to modernize. Gibson tried to modernize with the robo-tuners, PCB boards with quick connect pickups, things that would be geared towards players...but their customer base came out and blasted them. They want '58, '59' and '60 reissues. Same with Fender, they have to stick with the 50's and 60's styling because that's what the majority of their customers want. The manufacturers have to stick close to their roots, because that is what sells. Both Gibson and Fender offer a Modern and Player (respectively) line to throw a bone to players who want the classic styling with some more modern player appointments. But these high level artists need more from their instrument than what these nostalgic brands are willing to develop. Even look at G&L, Leo was trying to modernize his ideas post-Fender because he couldn't do it when he was with Fender.

@davidjoel111 4 ай бұрын

I used to own a silver sky and loved it, I sold it because at the moment I needed a different guitar for the music I was playing, if I was in a situation I needed a strat style guitar I would definitely buy a silver sky again, but an SE model, I didn’t noticed a $2000 difference between my core and the different SE models Ive played. I would love to check out a Schecter Nick Johnston signature.

@masatanida9119 4 ай бұрын

Mostly agree on your points. The Ultra/Elite have sort of fell behind what other companies are offering these days. I think the AVRI-II look nice, but I own a 2011 AVRI and I have the same complaint - it's heavy and weighs in over 8lbs. Guitar weight wasn't something I thought about too much back then, but I've grown to appreciate lighter strats over they years. Regarding guys like Phil Sayce and John Mayer going to PRS... my guess is that Fender doesn't care too much. Fender has been trying hard to dispel the idea that the guitar community is exclusively a boys' club and I think they're more interested in bringing in women and younger artists - something that PRS hasn't had a lot of success in doing.

@Aspire7 4 ай бұрын

What tele’s are those at the 9:00 mark

@NedJeffery 4 ай бұрын

That intro track was the best tone I've ever heard from you.

@leehenderson8132 3 күн бұрын

PHILLIP SAYCE IS MY MAN HE ABSOLUTELY POURS HIS ENTIRE SELF INTO HIS PLAYING. IF HE PLAYS A STRAT(MOTHER) OR A PRS ITS GONNA SOUND LIKE PHILLIP.

@sammyrothrock6981 4 ай бұрын

Nice playing John !

@NicoOlivier 4 ай бұрын

Little Blue intro ❤❤❤❤

@djangoaulasien2438 3 ай бұрын

From Jacob Collier 👌

@NicoOlivier 3 ай бұрын

@@djangoaulasien2438 yes😍

@diegoebustamante 4 ай бұрын

I owned the Silver Sky SE and it was a nice a guitar but eventually sold it and managed to get a fender pro II Strat for 1k. Probably one of my favorite guitars I’ve ever owned

@modestoney1577 4 ай бұрын

At the end of the day it`s all about business and money. The Fender guys are business people, and so is PRS and John Mayer. Either they find common ground for a collaboration, or they don`t. I do feel that JM has a lot to do with the popularity of the Silver Sky, and I`d be surprised if he isn`t generously compensated for it. Probably better than what Fender offered him. End of story.

@loneranger2385 Ай бұрын

Pure speculation. Of course they are in it for the money but the great guitar players are not like you or me. Steve Via left fender because he wanted the same thing Mayer did. A guitar to their preference, a neck carve a body shape, pickups they demand. Why? Because they are the top of the heap and they get what they want.

@modestoney1577 Ай бұрын

@@loneranger2385 Do you really believe Fender Custom Shop couldn`t build a Strat with any neck carve and pickups an artist wants? These are all business decisions, not questions of capability,

@jaysmoreymusic 4 ай бұрын

I grew up playing Fender, and I have a newer American Pro Strat. However, my Indonesian import Schecter Nick Johnston smokes it at 60% the price. The neck is incredible. The subtle details like the fret inlays are nice. Fender just seems to have little variation in their product line. It's like shopping among the 50 variations of white paint at Home Depot.

@alfgwahigain5544 4 ай бұрын

I also have an Indonesian Nick Johnson and it's an amazing guitar that punches way above uts price point. It can hang with my USA G&L Legacy.

@chrisschopenhauer6261 4 ай бұрын

yeah Schecter is great, the neck is incredible smooth

@Durkakunibakalaka950 4 ай бұрын

I have a Schecter as well. Sold all my other guitars except two acoustics because they had collected dust for over a few years. I love the minimalist approach and I love Schecter

@rolfmartinhaldorsen901 4 ай бұрын

i think you nailed it! first time viewer here.

@wxc3395 3 ай бұрын

Love that little blue intro!

@markyymarkXL 4 ай бұрын

It seems it all falls down to executive greed. Fender knows it's "clowns" are going to continue buying guitars for 6k and master building for 13(as we see with 6 year waiting lists) They don't really care about paying endorsements or innovating at that matter. Contrary to that they went dei mode and endorsed a girl with a "signature" guitar that could barely play, and fired one of their best master builders over a joke.. kinda gives you insight into their business model.

@kjneese 3 ай бұрын

Fender allowing John Mayer to leave the fold and letting him take his brand over to PRS to become their biggest competition is....INSANE! I remember at the time John saying that Fender wasn't capable of creating his vision for the guitar (what became the Silver Sky). I can't believe that Fender was incapable of making a production line Strat with a new bevel/cutaway on the lower horn, new neck profile with a 7.25" radius, new voiced pickups, and some cool new colors. They tweak and alter the Strat all the time (Ultra, , Performer, Professional, Vintage, blah, blah, blah), so for whatever reason John left Fender for PRS, I place the blame solely on Fender. There can be zero justification to allow Mayer to walk and become the Stratocaster killer in the marketplace. Truly a shame. Cuz, I'm almost certain John would've preferred to have retooled his Silver Sky Strat with a Fender headstock on it, but we'll never know no, unfortunately. Great video!

@jayclark725 3 ай бұрын

What I recall was that John Mayer was upset because fender was getting rid of his artist relations employee. Also fender just added a new Eric Johnson strat and the Mexican made Mike mccready strat. PRS just made a good guitar that will attract other artists.

@nicolasfernando697 4 ай бұрын

I'm totally agree

@NUdude 3 ай бұрын

On the bass side of Fender artists, Marcus Miller leaving a few years ago is another indication that things are different at Fender.

@aidanswafford 3 ай бұрын

Little Blue intro!! ❤👏🏼🙌🏼 Love it

@robertmitchell2178 4 ай бұрын

I will forever be a player of 7.25" radius fingerboard. I think that is the common denominator with vintage Fender and the PRS Silver Sky.

@danvote4miles 4 ай бұрын

fender works with a lot of greats and young guitarist like kingfish or Her ( HER do a guitar solo during the last Super Bowl with her signature modèle ) . they have a model for every budget and Fender is my favorite brand but for 2500 $ i choose a clone made by a luthier, it' s custom shop quality for half the price. their Amps are the best , i am agree with you

@jan_07 4 ай бұрын

HER is not even at the level of Eric Johnson or SRV or John Mayer. She’s a mediocre guitar player at best. She only got that signature guitar because of her fame and her well connected dad in the music industry.

@danvote4miles 4 ай бұрын

yes @@jan_07 that's correct , i think Fender want the guitar community to get bigger and bigger so they choose popstar and non virtuoso musician to represent the brand. easy listening guitar and music , beautiful tones

@jimbeam-ru1my 4 ай бұрын

You can get a greco strat from the 70's for under 1k. They are actual vintage guitars and they were built to higher standards that fender does.

@jimbeam-ru1my 4 ай бұрын

her is a diversity hire

@GerryBlue 4 ай бұрын

@@jan_07 And other reasons we cannot discuss here... Also, she didn't play that solo in the SB, it's been analysed to death now

@pgrovners 4 ай бұрын

i saw Sayce live a few months back. He played the silver sky for 1 song. the rest of the time it was his strat.

@tbe0116 3 ай бұрын

I got some insider info last year. A few years ago fender saved PRS from going under. They did this via a low interest loan and asking John Mayer to endorse PRS. Yep, it was orchestrated. Fender knows they need other guitar makers to do well in order for them to also do well.

@loneranger2385 Ай бұрын

What a load of crap. Pure nonsense. It was Sam Ash, he helped Paul Build his factory.

@zachmiller4575 4 ай бұрын

Where’d you get that hoodie? I like it!

@colinparks619 4 ай бұрын

All about global reach, marketing, better deals, tonal options , aesthetic options , resetting compositional inspiration by getting a new tool that will inspire . I am fender over prs all day , but i get it

@sonofboar13 5 күн бұрын

If I had to be an armchair-analyst, I would suspect that fender were well aware of the Gibson stereotype of being a brand that appealed to “blues lawyers” and “legacy artists.” One thing that I noticed, especially at the height of the lockdown/pandemic, is that fender is appealing to younger people, women, and non “rock” musicians. Case in point: the last 3 fender signatures that I can think of were the Tash Sultana, H.E.R. and Raphael Saadiq. Personally I love this approach by fender as it highlights current artists, and artists that aren’t normally on “rock guitarists’” radar. It cements fender guitars as the utilitarian tool of musicians industry-wide.