Fender AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER®

Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster® — 3-Color Sunburst

By 1961, the Stratocaster had reached a level of refinement that would define the instrument for generations — a more vibrant, boldly reformulated 3-Color Sunburst finish with deeper reds and bolder black edges, a slab rosewood fingerboard that added warmth and complexity to the classic Strat voice, and a 3-ply pickguard that perfectly accented the guitar’s signature curves. The Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster reproduces every nuance of that pivotal moment in Strat history with breathtaking period accuracy, delivering the quintessential early-’60s Stratocaster tone and feel that players have been chasing ever since.

Key Features

• Body: Premium alder — period-accurate construction finished in vibrant reformulated 3-Color Sunburst with deeper reds and bolder black edges authentic to 1961 production
• Neck: Maple with medium “C” shape profile — comfortable, refined, and perfectly suited to the early-’60s Strat feel
• Fretboard: Slab rosewood, 7.25″ radius — the defining tonal and aesthetic detail of the early-’60s Stratocaster, adding warmth and complexity to the classic single-coil voice
• Pickups: Three Pure Vintage ’61 Stratocaster single-coil pickups — meticulously voiced to capture the exact tone, warmth, and chime of that specific year
• Tremolo: Vintage-accurate synchronized tremolo with cold-rolled steel block and bent steel saddles for authentic vintage feel and superior sustain
• Tuners: Single-line “Fender Deluxe” tuners — period-correct to 1961 production
• Pickguard: 3-ply — a defining aesthetic detail of the refined early-’60s Stratocaster
• Includes: Vintage-style brown hardshell case with orange interior

Why Buy from Dietze Music

The slab rosewood fingerboard and Pure Vintage ’61 pickups give this Stratocaster a tonal character that genuinely needs to be heard in person to fully appreciate, and we’d love for you to have that experience in Lincoln, Omaha, or Bellevue, NE. Stop by any of our locations or call us at (800) 357-1535 — our staff can walk you through every period-correct detail that makes the 1961 model one of the most tonally significant and visually stunning guitars in the entire American Vintage II series.

Ideal For

The serious player or collector who wants the most authentic early-’60s Stratocaster experience available today — and anyone who understands that 1961 represents the Stratocaster at a pivotal moment of refinement, when every detail came together to create one of the most beautiful and tonally rich versions of the instrument ever produced.