The popularity of Fender musical instruments grew throughout the ‘50s, flourishing into an assortment of instrument models, and by 1961 the Stratocaster had taken on a more refined aesthetic. A big evolutionary change in early ’60s first appeared in late 1959, when Fender guitars transitioned from maple fingerboards to rosewood—mostly because of the visible wear that a maple fingerboard showed. But it made an appreciable difference in the overall tonality of the guitar, giving it a slightly warmer voice. To mirror this transitional period, American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster sports a 7.25” radius slab rosewood fingerboard, and 3-ply pickguard accenting the Strat’s signature curves.
Body: Alder
Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Shape: Stratocaster
Control Knobs: Aged White
Fingerboard: Slab Rosewood
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
Position Inlays: Clay Dot
Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Construction: 4-Bolt
Neck Pickup: Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat
Side Dots: Vintage Clay
Headstock: Stratocaster
Bridge Cover/Tailpiece: Includes Chrome Bridge Cover
String Nut: Bone
Bridge Pickup: Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat
Middle Pickup: Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck/Middle Pickups), Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
Pickup Configuration: SSS
Bridge: Pure Vintage Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles
Tuning Machines: Pure Vintage Single Line "Fender Deluxe"
Case/Gig Bag: Vintage-Style Brown (Orange Interior)
Fingerboard Radius: 7.25" (184.1 mm)
Fret Size: Vintage Tall
Neck Material: Maple
Refinement Neck Material: Maple
Number of Frets: 21
Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (64.77 cm)
Truss Rod: Vintage-Style Butt Adjust