Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster

As the Performer series makes way for the American Pro Classic, is this Strat the perfect vintage/mod hybrid?

- DAVE BURRLUCK

HISTORICALLY, FENDER LIKES to change or refresh its ranges every four or five years, and here, the new American Professional Classic range replaces the American Performer models we first saw in 2019. The new range covers a lot of ground. Along with our featured Strat there's an HSS version, a Tele, a “Hot Shot" variant that blends in some Strat, plus Jazzmaster and Jaguar offsets and a trio of bass models.

Made in Corona, California, these new models, like the outgoing Performers, are the startup USA guitars.

While certain USA-made brands' startup models can come across as not quite finished, that's not the impression here. In its opulent Faded Firemist Gold, the overall attention to detail of this new Stratocaster is - not least at this price point - very good.

All the new American Professional Classics use alder for the bodies, although the number of pieces is hidden by the opaque finish. The overall weight is a near-perfect 7.55 lbs. The classic body contours are well-shaped; the rib-cage cutaway is deeply cut in a very vintage style, but there are no modernisms like the sculptured heel we see on the American Professional II models.