Player Lead III Strat MPRPL : Great idea, mostly poor execution

The model itself is a great idea. Here is what I like about it:

1. It has the great ergonomics of a Strat while being more compact than a Strat. In this sense it feels better than a Mustang or a Duo-Sonic.

2. The two humbuckers with the split-coil option make this guitar very versatile in terms of sound.

3. Unlike most Strats , this guitar has not tremolo which to many players is a clear advantage.

4. One of the most affordable non-Squier Fenders.

The darker side of things is quality. I had a chance to try 5 guitars from this series and _all_ of them had some sort of technical and/or cosmetic imperfection like a misplaced bridge or a poorly processed fingerboard. I have a feeling this series is made by unexperienced apprentices using second-class materials. Fretwork, however, is pretty consistently good.

The conclusion from the above is simple: grab this guitar if you are after a compact and versatile Strat-like axe with a fixed bridge, but make sure you get a good piece.