Fender’s American Vintage II Series is a meticulously designed collection of period-correct electric guitars and basses. Each model is carefully chosen and recreated based on its contribution to the Fender story of that year. All models feature year specific bodies, necks, hardware, finishes, and pickups. American Vintage II is the most accurate production series of legacy instruments across the timeline of Fender history. The American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster is based on a pinnacle year of late 50s and early 60s refinements coming together. The 1961 medium “C” profile was extremely comfortable and quite a bit less bulky that the ’58 “C”. 1961 was also the final full year for the slab rosewood fingerboard, where the neck and fingerboard were milled flat and joined. In mid-’62 the round lam board would replace it entirely. The peghead logo has 2 patent numbers in 1961. The pickguard screw between the neck and middle pickup is still centered at this point. It moves closer to the middle pickup in 1963. Finishes are still nitrocellulose lacquer with perhaps the biggest change being the new bolder 3 Tone Sunburst with a black outer edge and more aggressive red hue as well. Other year correct details include a 4-bolt neck plate, heel adjust truss rod, “Fender Deluxe” tuning machines, and the Pure Vintage tremolo bridge with bent steel saddles. 3 Pure Vintage Single Coil 61 Strat pickups are controlled with 1 master volume and 2 tone pots. The first tone controls the neck and middle pickups, while the last tone controls the bridge pickup alone. 5-way blade switching controls pickup selection. Included hardshell case has the brown exterior and the orange interior.