Tradition redesigned.
• New bridge with improved bent-steel saddles for increased resonance and sustain
• New tinted neck treatment for a richer look
• Thinner finish undercoat lets the body breathe and improves resonance
• New Fender-exclusive SKB molded case
• Beautiful new finish options
The Fender American Stratocaster Electric Guitar is a Fender icon. Juicy upgrades include a richer, deeper neck tint for a more elegant and expensive appearance; glossed neck front for improved looks with satin back for smooth playability; and bent steel Fender saddles with classic look and great tone. String spacing is narrowed for modern playability, saddle height screws are re-sized to reduce rough feel, and string slot on saddle elongated to reduce string friction or breakage. The Copper Infused Cast Strat® Bridge Block (steel with copper- 100% metal) provides increased mass and improved tone. This Strat features the original headstock shape but has staggered machine heads losing one string tree and improving string angle over the nut. Custom staggered pickup magnets improve string-to-string balance and give the G-string better tone. Cosmetics include parchment/black/parchment pickguard and parchment pickup covers, knobs, and tips.
The return of the American Standard Series Strat continues Fender's tradition of commitment to the people who play Fender instruments out there in the real world. Today's American Standard Stratocaster guitars are worthy heirs of their revered ancestors--mindful of player needs and taking full advantage of modern advances, yet remaining completely true to the elements and spirit that made these instruments legendary in the first place. Improvements include redesigned bridges, neck and body finishes, and a Fender-exclusive high-tech molded case. Still there are the beloved hand-rolled fingerboard edges, alnico V pickups and staggered tuning machines for tone and stability guaranteed to last a lifetime (with its limited lifetime warranty)! So make history with the redesigned American Standard!
Redesigned American Standard Strat® Bridge
Gives sought-after tone with modern smooth trem travel. Block retains the mass and tone of a vintage bridge block, but is chamfered for access to deeper dives. Saddles have the classic look and tone, but with modern improvements (spacing, slot elongation, height screw length).
Bridge Component Specifics
'American Standard' saddles- The original vintage-style Fender bent steel adjustable saddle is one of the components that give vintage Fenders their tonal 'mojo'. Fender conducted tone comparison tests, and fell in love with them all over again. They have a wider tonal range and more character many other saddles. Then Fender improved them; narrowing the spacing to afford more room (and complement the bigger frets and rolled edges), and also elongated the string slot to reduce friction and string breakage, while improving the string break angle over the primary contact point.
'Tone-fusion' block- A typical cast bridge block is impregnated with a resin to eliminate 'voids' in the material and to bond it together… this steel block is infused with copper, which makes the block 100% homogeneous metal. The result is a more musical, higher mass bridge that has more of that machined-block sound. Fender was also able to keep the same American Series profile for increased tremolo travel.
