Fender American Vintage II 1957 Stratocaster Electric Guitar - Vintage Blonde Reviews
Before the heyday of early-’60s surf rock, Fender and several guitarists were on a quest to uncover the perfect Strat sound. Everything from the newly manufactured Alnico III single-coil pickup down to the nitro gloss finish was manipulated with the goal of distilling Stratocaster tone like no other. With the American Vintage II Strat, Fender has now brought back the quintessential 1957 model with unparalleled authenticity. Built with ash and maple tonewoods and featuring an exclusive trio of single-coil Strat pickups, the ’57 Strat is a perfect emulation of a beloved axe classic. Considering it retains the same “V” neck profile and familiar fretboard access, holding an American Vintage II guitar feels akin to wielding an instrument rife with legendary 20th-century tone.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Nice guitar
The new 57 ash body is a great sounding guitar with an excellent quality finish and attention to detail....almost custom shop like. The only issue can be the 7.5 radius neck. Takes a bit of getting used to especially if you are more into lead guitar.Nice guitar to have in a collection
Wow
It shipped quick and was in perfect condition. The setup was spot on and it needed no adjustments. This stratocaster sounds great very straty . Pickups sound great with neck has very nice tone also middle and bridge sound like a vintage strat. Neck feels like home love v neck and 7.25 radius. Body color is almost translucent you can see the grain of ash wood. Love this strat just what I been wanting. I was looking for custom shop but could not find the specs I wanted without paying a fortune. This guitar feels like a custom shop and sounds even better. Fender knock this one out of the park. Feels good plays great and sounds even better.
Worth the wait
Been waiting 40 years for a vintage Strat. Probably had 40 plus guitars over the years. Lots of different acoustics and electrics, Taylor, Martin, Heritage, Krammer, Fenders, parts casters a plenty. But the one guitar that has eluded me for years is the classic Strat. Right from the day I bought my first real guitar in 1983 at 13 years old. That was the darkest of days for CBS Fender Strats (look up a pic and you will see what I seen as a kid). So I bought a 83 marble tele. Bought 3 Strats around 2000 that were all not up to par. Then made a parts Strat out of the best of the 3 necks and a after market swamp ash body which ended up being a 9lb+ heavy weight. Nice, but not quite there. So I just let it go for years until I seen the American Vintage ii 57 Strat 6 months ago. Bought one a few months age from another dealer which fell a little short and I sent back. Waited even longer until Sweetwater started getting em in. Really appreciate the high quality photos and weight details Sweetwater's website has, very helpful. Customer service was awesome. Jay called me up the minute my card was approved and took care of everything. The guitar easily exceeds my expectations. Very well balanced tone, nice weight, resonant, nitro finish, ash, maple, feels and sounds like what I imagined it would all those years ago. All the classic rock albums we grew up listening to. Well worth the wait. Like one of best guitars I have ever played and I have played a lot. I am happy. Feel complete now.
Great Addition to my Vintage Style Guitar Collection
Very good fit and finish. Set up really well right out of the box. I might raise the action just a tad but that's about it. Compliments my '52 AV Reissue Tele nicely and sounds great through a low watt tube amp with judicious pedal use. A tad of delay, transparent overdrive and occasionally some compression suffice. The 7.25" radius neck makes chording near the nut aa breeze and string bends higher up the neck are not as difficult as one might thing. I have owned nine Fenders in my life and this one is among the top two.
Fender American Vintage II 1957 Stratocaster
Beautiful guitar
10/10
Absolutely love the guitar!! Was a little concerned I wasn't going to like the thicker v shaped neck but I think I actually prefer it now. Came perfectly setup ready to play out of the box. Everything about it seems very true to the original '57. Just an absolute joy to play.
