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 Fender’s 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 Strat’s signature curves.
The American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster features a premium alder body, three Pure Vintage 1961 Stratocaster single-coil pickups, and a medium “C”-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 “Fender Deluxe” 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 form—timeless instruments built with unmatched quality down to the last detail.
Features
Alder body
Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish
Pure Vintage ’61 single-coil Strat® pickups
Medium “C”-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
Stratocaster®
Maple
Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
1961 "C"
4-Bolt
7.25" (184.1 mm)
Slab Rosewood
Clay Dot
Vintage Clay
21
Vintage-Style Butt Adjust
Vintage-Style Butt Adjust
Bone
1.650" (42 mm)
Bone
Body
Alder
Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Stratocaster®
Alder
Hardware
Pure Vintage Synchronised Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles
Includes Chrome Bridge Cover
6-Screw Vintage-Style
Cold Rolled Steel
3-Ply Mint Green
Aged White
Aged White
Aged White
Nickel/Chrome
Pure Vintage Single Line "Fender Deluxe"
Butterfly
Fender® USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406
Screw-In
4-Bolt Serialised
Vintage-Style
Electronics
Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®
Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®
Pure Vintage '61 Single-Coil Strat®
Three Single Coil
Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck/Middle Pickups), Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
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
