ROAD TEST
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
By Andrew Leyenhorst
The Stratocaster ; the world ’ s most iconic electric guitar has been around for almost 70 years now , and for many people , is the model that many associate with the word “ guitar ” in and of itself . It ’ s an instrument and a sound that ’ s defined generations of the greatest music and greatest players , and is still fiercely revered .
Of course , that idea introduces the discourse of vintage Strats having their own particular mystique when compared to newer iterations of the model . But ultimately , there ’ s a Stratocaster for everyone , whether you like the sound and heritage of a classic instrument , or the advanced features and technologies found on modern guitars . Today , I ’ m going to break down one of the latest models of Strat to hit the market , and a recent addition to my own personal guitar collection , Fender ’ s American Professional II Stratocaster .
The American Professional II Stratocaster is very much an iteration of Strat that aims to embody the heritage of the model , while offering a feature set that makes the instrument suitable for just about every style of music , with a wide variety of tone-sculpting options onboard .
Starting with the construction , this Strat boasts an alder body that ’ s lightweight but still offers decent heft , coated in a gloss urethane finish . One of my favourite aspects of this guitar is the Deep “ C ” -shaped maple neck with rolled fingerboard edges and accompanying maple fretboard ; it ’ s not too thin or thick , and offers fantastic and comfortable playability with a really nice level of stiffness . To complete the sleek look , the neck has a “ super-natural ” satin urethane finish , with a gloss urethane headstock face . Filling out the headstock are Fender ’ s Standard Cast / Sealed Staggered tuning machines .
Note , however , that some models of this
Strat bear a roasted pine body , and certain finishes feature a rosewood fingerboard ; mine in particular is the new Miami Blue-finish model , and for the purposes of this review I ’ m working with the alder body and maple for both the neck and fingerboard .
A bone nut sits at the top of the neck , which is graced with 22 narrow-tall frets and classic dot inlays . A new , sculpted neck heel and beveled neckplate also make the upper register more accessible for soloing and high lead playing , as well as a two-point nickel tremolo bridge with a cold-rolled steel block . In terms of electronics , this Strat is loaded with three Fender V-Mod II single-coil pickups , which in my opinion do a great job of offering classic Strat tones with a very modern attitude .
A traditional five-position blade switch offers the standard pickup combinations , but one of this guitar ’ s secret weapons is a push-push switch on the second tone knob that allows the neck pickup to be used in the first and second position , offering up some really unique tones that provide the bite of the bridge pickup with the fatness and warmth of the neck . The guitar comes standard with Fender USA 250L nickelplated strings with a gauge of . 009 to . 042 .
In action , this guitar can and will perform any job you might need it to on the stage or in-studio . For clean playing , it sounds wide open and airy , while still retaining a full and tight – yet controlled and subtle – low end . I find that this instrument especially sings when paired with a Vox-style amp for clean and slightly dirtied tones ; the neck pickup is divine for soloing in this context .
While it ’ s very easily suited to pop and blues tones , this guitar can also serve the hard rock or metal player just as well when paired with the right amplifier ; and not only tonally , as the playability of the neck itself is incredibly comfortable for all manners of playing ranging from open chords and strumming , to lead work , to crushing drop-tuned rhythm parts .
I ’ ve played this guitar through all manner of amps , though , from a Vox to a 5150 to a JCM 800 , and found that this instrument really embodies the “ workhorse ” guitar ; if you know what tones you want and know how to dial them up , you will find usable sounds in both recording or live contexts . As mentioned earlier , the push-push switch that engages the neck pickup alongside the bridge is an absolute weapon , especially when recording , as it offers the bite and balls of the bridge pickup while also delivering the neck pickup ’ s smooth and warm response . Just really cool and unique tones that haven ’ t been heard from a stock Strat before .
Tuning stability is solid , despite not having locking tuners ( admittedly a curious choice for a high-end U . S . -made Strat ), and ultimately this guitar is just fun to play , and crucially , isn ’ t a hassle to keep performance-ready .
To summarize , the American Professional II Stratocaster is quite simply the modern guitarist ’ s guitar , and it ’ s tough to be any more specific than that ; and that ’ s a very good thing . If you ’ re looking for signature Strat tones , you ’ re golden . If you ’ re looking for just about any other kind of tone , this guitar will give it to you in a refined , elegant , and punchy manner , and in such a way that offers a comfortable and enjoyable tactile playing experience .
With the limitless number of Stratocasters out there , the American Professional II is an ideal instrument for players and / or producers looking for a modern , high-end feature set that still delivers on that classic Strat sound and spirit .
Andrew Leyenhorst is a Niagara-based freelance producer , recording engineer , mixer , and Consulting Editor at Canadian Musician .
24 CANADIAN MUSICIAN