The New Fender American Performer II Stratocaster is upon us! The Performer Series received some massive upgrades over the original version including updated V Mod Pickups, a new 2 Point Tremolo with a cold-rolled steel block, and a new Deep C neck profile with rolled fingerboard edges. This is the nicest playing guitar Fender can make for the money! And this one weighs only 7 lbs 1 oz! That is a feather-weather Stratocaster in our book!
If you aren't hip to the world of roasted, caramelized, toasted, heat-treated, cooked, or any other name for wood that has had its moisture content reduced via slow cooking, then you are missing out! Pine is one of those oft-misunderstood tonewoods that gets the short end of the stick. After becoming Tele-obsessed, I learned the early Snakehead Tele's were made of pine, then got to play a reissue that was one of the most toneful guitars I had heard till that point. Since then I have made the effort to play every Pine Guitar I can find and I still find it to be less harsh than Ash, less assertive than Alder, with a sweeter top end then both and a clearer sounding low end. This model comes with a Roasted Pine body which already sounds like its been lovingly played for the last few decades.
The ultra-playable neck on this upgraded model is made from a piece of maple. The neck features a Deep C Profile which has a nice medium size to it. The back of the neck has what Fender calls the Super Natural Finish which simulates the feel of natural wood. It's a satin urethane that is super durable yet thin. A slightly wider nut width than vintage is present at 1.685" along with 9.5" fingerboard radius, 22 narrow-tall frets, and a bone nut.
The New V Mod II Pickups have been revamped to be more articulate, and maintain their Fender-esque bell-like quality and chime. A master volume, 2 tone controls, and a 5-way switch make finding the tone you are looking for easy.
A bevy of cool new colors is available and Dark Knight is certainly one of them. Reminiscent of the Old Reverse Blue Burst or whatever it was called back in the day, this is not your everyday Strat finish and we love it!
Fender keeps building guitars for players. With their eye on offering tons of features for not a whole lot of money, you can easily find the right Fender for whatever your needs may be. Stop by the shop today and see what's new from Fender, all the way from Squier to Fender Custom Shop!
- Fender
- American Professional II
- Stratocaster
- Roasted Pine Body/Finish
- Weighs 7 lbs 1 oz
- 1 Piece Maple Neck
- Deep C Neck Profile
- 22 Narrow Tall Frets
- 9.5" Fingerboard Radius
- 1.685" Nut Width
- Super Natural Satin Urethane Neck Finish
- V Mod II Single Coil Pickups
- Master Volume
- 2 x Tone Control
- Treble Bleed
- 5 way switch
- 2 Point Tremolo
- Bent Steel Saddles
- Original Hardshell Case
The Music Gallery
(847) 432-6350
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