I own a MIM Std and an Am Std and they're equally good playing guitars although 1 less fret on the MIM. This has definitely been designed for players who want a variety of options … 5" scale 9.5" radius FRETS 22 medium jumbo TUNERS Die-cast BODY Alder BRIDGE Two-point vibrato bridge with individually adjustable saddles PICKUPS Three Player Series Alnico 5 single-coils CONTROLS Volume, tone (neck and middle … 9.5″ radius neck, 25.5″ scale length . Some of the differences aren't immediately noticeable in guitars but will be over time. Stability over time, harder fret wire that resists wear, pots/switches that don't go crappy. The Fender American Performer Stratocaster guitars replace the American Special and include a selection of all-new appointments such as Yosemite single-coil pickups, a push-pull pot to activate the neck/bridge pickup, Greasebucket tone circuitry and new Classicgear tuning machines for smoother tuning action. Don't want to start a war here, but if you can afford the Performer I'd definitely go with that, because even if the Player is a great guitar you'll always hanker after a USA made Strat anyway. To kick off this Fender Player Stratocaster review, let’s first take a look at some of the specs that make this guitar so great. Player Series Stratocaster CONTACT fender.com PRICE $649 street. This is a popular and comfortable neck profile for chords, leads, and all types of playing – a favorite among Stratocaster players. NUT WIDTH 1.650" synthetic bone NECK Maple, modern C shape FRETBOARD Maple, 25. The MIM was perfectly serviceable and played well, but the Am Pro is quite a bit nicer. I had a MIM strat for 6 months and traded it in for an American Professional. Tinted neck with “C” profile.