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Fender American Professional II Stratocaster - Dark Night with Maple Fingerboard

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Alder Body, Maple Neck and Fingerboard, and 3 Single-coil Pickups - Dark Night
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Item ID: StratAP2MDK
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Fender American Professional II Stratocaster - Dark Night with Maple Fingerboard
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Fender American Professional II Stratocaster - Dark Night with Maple Fingerboard Serial: US25096959
$1,839.99
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Fender American Professional II Stratocaster - Dark Night with Maple Fingerboard
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An Updated Take on the American Professional Stratocaster

Fender's American Professional II Stratocaster offers multiple upgrades from its inaugural configuration. The lightweight, contoured body delivers a nicely balanced tonal foundation with a highly-resonant quality. This solidbody electric guitar's first major upgrade lies in the pickup selection. The American Professional II Stratocaster is loaded with a trio of V-Mod II single-coil pickups that pump out a vintage tone with modern refinements. An upgraded 2-point tremolo bridge and cold-rolled steel block combine to give you plenty of sustain and brightness. Further performance upgrades include a contoured heel joint, "Super-Natural" satin neck finish, and upgraded electronics. If you're looking for a guitar with a vintage voice and modern feel, the American Professional II Stratocaster is worth your consideration.

Upgraded pickups promote clarity

For the American Professional II Stratocasters, Fender's pickup guru, Tim Shaw created a new breed of V-Mod pickups. Fittingly dubbed the V-Mod II pickups, each pickup delivers all the classic chime that defined the Strats of old with drastically enhanced clarity and articulation. The American Professional II Stratocaster is also loaded with a Push-Push tone knob that adds the neck pickup to the signal no matter what switch position you're using. Run it through your grittiest dirt pedals or your cleanest amp and the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster will be right at home.

The new standard for professional instruments

After the wild success of the original American Professional Stratocaster, Fender's team of designers dedicated themselves to improving on the design. The resulting instrument, the American Professional II Stratocaster, features a number of improvements and upgrades that push the classic design to new heights. V-Mod II single-coil pickups give you classic Strat sparkle with unbelievable clarity. The upgraded 2-point tremolo bridge has a cold-rolled steel block, which helps boost sustain and adds a touch of brightness. Factor in the all-new "Super-Natural" neck finish, and the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster sets the tone for what a professional level instrument should look, sound, and feel like.

Custom Shop-influenced neck

The Deep "C" neck profile that you'll find on the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster solidbody electric guitar is a slight upgrade from the Fender American neck players have been in love with for years. By adding a touch more roundness to the back contour, the Deep "C" carve fills your hand perfectly while never inhibiting your technique. For added playing comfort, the back of the neck is finished in Fender's "Super-Natural" satin finish that feels fast and inviting. Your fingers will immediately notice how much control they have on the fretboard's Narrow Tall frets. For good reason, this fret wire is the most requested size at the Fender Custom Shop.

Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Updated and upgraded Stratocaster for the performing musician
  • V-Mod II single-coil pickups deliver vintage-style Strat sound with enhanced clarity
  • Push-Push tone control adds the neck pickup to any position
  • 2-point tremolo with cold-rolled steel tone block gives you expressive playing options and extra sustain
  • Satin-finished maple neck feels fast and responsive
  • Deep "C" neck profile sits securely in your hand
  • Contoured neck heel enhances comfort when playing in the upper register
  • Narrow Tall frets play effortlessly

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape American Professional II Stratocaster
  • Body Material Alder
  • Body Finish Gloss Polyurethane
  • Color Dark NIght
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Maple
  • Neck Shape Deep C
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 9.5"
  • Fingerboard Material Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Black Dots
  • Number of Frets 22
  • Fret Type Narrow Tall
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Scale Length Type Standard-scale
  • Nut Width 1.685"
  • Nut Material Bone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Cold-rolled Steel Block
  • Tuners Fender Standard Die-cast
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Fender V-Mod II Single-coil
  • Middle Pickup Fender V-Mod II Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup Fender V-Mod II Single-coil
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 2 x tone (push/push add neck)
  • Switching 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Fender USA 250L, .009-.042
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0113902761

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Reviews

The Dark Night is a Delight ;-)
I played professionally with a Strat as my main stage axe in the 90's. Its pretty worn despite the love. I decided I wanted a brand new one and I dont think I could have picked a better guitar.

The Dark Night is beautiful, plays like a dream, and sounds amazing with those famous Fender single coil pickups!
Music background: Professional player
Totally happy!
I picked out this beautiful Dark Knight Professional II stratocaster and right out of the case not only that it sounded great but it played like a dream. But I gotta give credit where credit is due... My sales technician John McWhirter, He went above and beyond to make sure I got this guitar on a timely manner, Great guy super down to earth and very knowledgeable and professional... John will hook you up! His technical knowledge and skills are Superb I couldn't be happier with my experience with John and sweetwater. I'm definitely coming back! this is my store now.
Best Strat Dark Knight
As all My Fender USA Strats
This is my Fav, Thanks Jake H.
AAAAA+++++ Thanks Sweetwater
Music background: Great
Fender American Pro ii Stratocaster
I've had this guitar for 2.5 weeks now. I must say that it is great! When I first opened the case, I could tell I was going to love this guitar. The feel of the neck is so smooth. I love the narrow tall frets. I have other Stratocasters, Player series and Eric Clapton model, and I like the slightly wider neck on this one. The "Deep C" neck feels great in my hand. It feels just substantial enough, without over-filling my hand. This guitar feels and sounds great! I'm impressed!
Pretty much what I've been lookig for
This is my 4th Strat - I've got an 80's MIJ Strat, an SSH Highway One and an Eric Clapton Strat - all of which are excellent guitars and do some things very well but none are *exactly* what I want. After watching 1.2 million youtube review videos I pulled the trigger and bought the Dark Night model. The main thing I was interested in were the V-Mod II pickups - specifically the marketing blurb which claims they have a "vintage-style Strat sound with enhanced clarity" - looking for that early Knopfler sound with some punch and brightness. That is exactly what I got!

The narrow tall frets are now my favorite style - making bends easy and fast. The guitar was setup perfect for me out of the case (just luck here - I'm not real fussy as long as the action isn't too low) with the intonation 100% spot on! Seriously - it's perfectly intonated. The deep C neck feels super comfortable and never gets in the way. The star of the show here is the V-Mod II pickups. They really do feel bright and punchy - which makes positions 2 and 4 sound great. A lot of Strats get that quack from 2 and 4 but are a bit on the darker side (my MIJ Strat is that way) - but this guitar really shines on positions 2 and 4. Quacky and punchy and bright. I'll never sound or play like Knopfler but I can get his vibe with his guitar and that's what I wanted. The only downside if I have to find one - is that the extra punch and clarity brings the 60 cycle hum which is a bit more present than my other Strats. Not egregious but maybe a bit more present.

Overall this is just a wonderful Strat and now my number one - worth every penny in my mind.
Music background: Bedroom player.

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

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