The Fender American Original 60s Strat captures the spirit of an iconic instrument. The years that saw Hendrix rule the guitar world and the Strat grew up and mellowed a bit with the introduction of the Rosewood board.
The white scratchplate became mint green and the Maple board became Rosewood but at its heart, the guitar was still clear and articulate with an incredibly 'vocal-like' response.
The thick 60s C-shaped neck is perfect for both lead and rhythm playing and the 9.5" fretboard radius gives you modern playability. Other period-correct features include vintage tall frets and 6-point trem but the switching is a modern 5-way so you can still get all of your favourite Strat tones from the wax-potted Pure Vintage '65 Single Coil pickups.
The American Original range focus on decades rather specific years - which could get quite confusing at times.
These guitars have also got a Modern fretboard radius and modern switching. This is helpful because though the old switching systems were period-correct, they weren’t always the most useful to have on-board.
One of the best things about the American Original guitars is their Nitro-Cellulose finish which is done to ensure that these instruments resonate like the Fender guitars of old. The Nitro finish is thinner than a modern gloss finish and this allows the wood to breathe and resonate.
The nitro finish will also mean the guitar will age beautifully. So your instrument will grow old with you and simply sound better with age as the wood and finish settles.
A period of change, both for Fender and for pop culture as a whole, the 1960s saw the Strat mellow slightly as it grew up. The white pickguard was updated to mint green, and the fingerboard was switched from the original maple to rosewood, adding a smoother note to the Strat's clear, articulate voice. The American Original '60s Stratocaster keeps these refinements intact while adding modern feel and pickup switching to the iconic instrument that helped birth guitar rock as we know it.
The wax-potted Pure Vintage '65 single-coil Stratocaster pickups are as period-correct as possible, from the enamel-coated coil wire to the cloth-covered output wires, fiber bobbins and alnico 5 magnets. The thick " '60s C" neck profile and the 9.5"-radius fingerboard enhances playability. Other authentic touches include vintage-tall frets, original-era body radii, vintage-style hardware-including a six-point synchronized tremolo bridge- vintage-style hardshell case and a lacquer finish that not only lets the wood " breathe" naturally with resonant tone, it also ages in a distinctively appealing way.
The American Original '60s Stratocaster is the best way to experience the performance, style and tone that made Fender the choice of legends.
