house between the protection of polyurethane and the comfort of nitrocellulose . Where poly and nitro stick to sweaty hands , the satin just glides on more acidic hands like it ’ s nobody ’ s business . It ’ s incredibly soft to the touch , so much that you would want to rub your face on it . ( I may or may not have done that .) The frets are well leveled , and there is no hint of any jutting . The deep “ C ” modern neck profile feels more or less the same as with the most new Strats today ; it was comfortable to hold and easy to get my hands around . It ’ s far from the huge planks on the American Standards in the early ‘ 00s , which is a welcome change . The action and intonation were just about perfect , and the only thing that needed minor adjustment was the pickup height to my tastes . The vibrato system stayed in tune most of the time with light to moderate use , but like many Strats before it the “ G ” string can be problematic , especially when pulling back or “ pitching up ” on the vibrato bar . This is fixed with some graphite lubricant on all string contact points with the hardware .
Additionally , for the first seven or so hours of playing , my fingers came back from the fretboard with a bit of a black residue . This is usually from the final finishing process on a rosewood fingerboard ( which the review model shipped with ), so it ’ s no reason for alarm as long as the finish is not coming off on your fingers , which can sometimes be the case with cheaper guitars . Thankfully , after the seven-hour break-in period , my fingers came back clean and the fingerboard was still nice and dark .
The new V-Mod pickups have a voicing that is still instantly recognizable as a Strat , with a unique sort of twist . Fender claims that each pickup has a unique blend of AlNiCo magnets with each one specifically chosen for the position it ’ s in on the guitar . These pickups are voiced most prominently in the high mids , with a throaty bite to them . It ’ s not scooped or glassy like a ‘ 50s- or ‘ 60s-style Strat pickup , but it sounds like it ’ s voiced more to cut through the modern mixes and songs of today . They are not incredibly high-output , and in my opinion lack a little bass to balance out the brash highs and high mids , which is so critical in a good Strat pickup .
Overall , the American Professional Series Strat represents a sort of “ rebranding ” for Fender , trying to entice in vintage and modern Strat purists under one umbrella . You will find things you will like no matter what camp you ’ re from , and the impeccable attention to detail and specs make the American Professional an exciting new addition in the Fender catalog .
Comfortable to play with great fretwork and a soft neck finish . Awesome colors , and a great synthesis of vintage and modern specs to entice players of both Strat camps . Classic Strat sound with more highmid bite to cut through the mix
Tall and narrow frets may put off some , pickups lacking in some bass .
house between the protection of polyurethane and the comfort of nitrocellulose . Where poly and nitro stick to sweaty hands , the satin just glides on more acidic hands like it ’ s nobody ’ s business . It ’ s incredibly soft to the touch , so much that you would want to rub your face on it . ( I may or may not have done that .) The frets are well leveled , and there is no hint of any jutting . The deep “ C ” modern neck profile feels more or less the same as with the most new Strats today ; it was comfortable to hold and easy to get my hands around . It ’ s far from the huge planks on the American Standards in the early ‘ 00s , which is a welcome change . The action and intonation were just about perfect , and the only thing that needed minor adjustment was the pickup height to my tastes . The vibrato system stayed in tune most of the time with light to moderate use , but like many Strats before it the “ G ” string can be problematic , especially when pulling back or “ pitching up ” on the vibrato bar . This is fixed with some graphite lubricant on all string contact points with the hardware .
Additionally , for the first seven or so hours of playing , my fingers came back from the fretboard with a bit of a black residue . This is usually from the final finishing process on a rosewood fingerboard ( which the review model shipped with ), so it ’ s no reason for alarm as long as the finish is not coming off on your fingers , which can sometimes be the case with cheaper guitars . Thankfully , after the seven-hour break-in period , my fingers came back clean and the fingerboard was still nice and dark .
The new V-Mod pickups have a voicing that is still instantly recognizable as a Strat , with a unique sort of twist . Fender claims that each pickup has a unique blend of AlNiCo magnets with each one specifically chosen for the position it ’ s in on the guitar . These pickups are voiced most prominently in the high mids , with a throaty bite to them . It ’ s not scooped or glassy like a ‘ 50s- or ‘ 60s-style Strat pickup , but it sounds like it ’ s voiced more to cut through the modern mixes and songs of today . They are not incredibly high-output , and in my opinion lack a little bass to balance out the brash highs and high mids , which is so critical in a good Strat pickup .
Overall , the American Professional Series Strat represents a sort of “ rebranding ” for Fender , trying to entice in vintage and modern Strat purists under one umbrella . You will find things you will like no matter what camp you ’ re from , and the impeccable attention to detail and specs make the American Professional an exciting new addition in the Fender catalog .
WHAT WE LIKE
Comfortable to play with great fretwork and a soft neck finish . Awesome colors , and a great synthesis of vintage and modern specs to entice players of both Strat camps . Classic Strat sound with more highmid bite to cut through the mix
CONCERNS
Tall and narrow frets may put off some , pickups lacking in some bass .