The Fender® American Vintage II series faithfully recreates the revolutionary designs that shaped modern music. Built with period-accurate bodies, necks, hardware, and finishes, along with meticulously voiced year-specific pickups, each instrument captures the essence of authentic Fender craftsmanship and tone.

By the early 1960s, the Stratocaster® had become Fenderâs flagship instrument. The 1961 model introduced a more refined aesthetic, featuring a vibrant 3-Color Sunburst, bold black edges, and a 3-ply pickguard accentuating the Stratâs signature curves.

The American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster features a premium alder body, three Pure Vintage 1961 Stratocaster single-coil pickups, and a medium âCâ-shaped maple neck with a 7.25" radius slab rosewood fingerboard, delivering the quintessential Strat® tone and feel. Vintage-accurate appointments include a synchronised tremolo with cold-rolled steel block and bent steel saddles, single-line âFender Deluxeâ tuners, and a classic 3-ply pickguard.

Designed for players with a refined appreciation for vintage Fender tone and feel, the American Vintage II series delivers electrics in their purest formâtimeless instruments built with unmatched quality down to the last detail.

Features

• Alder body

• Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish

• Pure Vintage â61 single-coil Strat® pickups

• Medium âCâ-shaped neck profile

• Slab rosewood fingerboard

• Pure Vintage synchronised tremolo with bent steel saddles

GLOSS NITROCELLULOSE LACQUER FINISH

Nitrocellulose lacquer, as used on 50s and 60s Fender instruments, is a premium finish that reveals the instruments true tonal character.

ALDER BODY

Alder has a well-balanced tone with beefy mids and a robust low-end.

7.25 RADIUS SLAB-ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD

The 7.25-radius fingerboard provides the comfortable playing feel of a vintage instrument, while vintage-tall frets make it easier to bend notes without fretting out.

1961 C-SHAPE NECK

In vintage years, the shape and thickness of Fender guitar necks varied tremendously. The American Vintage II Series features authentic neck profiles from Fenders past.

PURE VINTAGE '61 STRATOCASTER PICKUPS

Specially voiced to reproduce the authentic sound and performance of individual model years, Pure Vintage pickups are constructed just like pickups from Fenders golden years. Materials include cloth-covered wire, fibre bobbins and alnico magnets.

VINTAGE-STYLE HARDWARE

From the bridge to the string tree and tuning machines, every piece of American Vintage II hardware is manufactured to look, sound and function just like it did on the originals. Much of the American Vintage II hardware is still manufactured on the original 50s and 60s era Fender factory machines.

Neck

HEADSTOCK

Stratocaster®

NECK MATERIAL

Maple

NECK FINISH

Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

NECK SHAPE

1961 "C"

NECK CONSTRUCTION

4-Bolt

FINGERBOARD RADIUS

7.25" (184.1 mm)

FINGERBOARD MATERIAL

Slab Rosewood

POSITION INLAYS

Clay Dot

SIDE DOTS

Vintage Clay

NUMBER OF FRETS

21

TRUSS ROD

Vintage-Style Butt Adjust

TRUSS ROD NUT

Vintage-Style Butt Adjust

STRING NUT

Bone

NUT WIDTH

1.650" (42 mm)

NUT MATERIAL

Bone

Body

BODY

Alder

BODY FINISH

Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

BODY SHAPE

Stratocaster®

BODY MATERIAL

Alder

Hardware

BRIDGE

Pure Vintage Synchronised Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles

BRIDGE COVER/TAILPIECE

Includes Chrome Bridge Cover

BRIDGE MOUNTING

6-Screw Vintage-Style

TREMOLO BLOCK

Cold Rolled Steel

PICKGUARD

3-Ply Mint Green

PICKUP COVERS

Aged White

CONTROL KNOBS

Aged White

SWITCH TIP

Aged White

HARDWARE FINISH

Nickel/Chrome

TUNING MACHINES

Pure Vintage Single Line "Fender Deluxe"

STRING TREES

Butterfly

STRINGS

Fender® USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406

TREMOLO ARM

Screw-In

NECK PLATE

4-Bolt Serialised

STRAP BUTTONS

Vintage-Style

Electronics

BRIDGE PICKUP

Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®

MIDDLE PICKUP

Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®

NECK PICKUP

Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®

PICKUP CONFIGURATION

Three Single Coil

CONTROLS

Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck/Middle Pickups), Tone 2. (Bridge 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