Fender

General

The American Vintage '70s hardtail Stratocaster takes you back to the seventies with its black body, matching black pickguard and synthetic components and large '70s headstock - all classic features of the Strats of the day. Naturally, the most notable element of this guitar is its fixed hardtail bridge, a construction that makes the sound of this guitar noticeably different from Strats with a vibrato unit. To enhance playing comfort, several modern details such as two T-shaped string guides and a synthetic bone bridge have been added.

Construction

With a lightweight alder body and bolt-on maple neck, this black Strat is made according to a tried and tested concept. The 5-way pickup switch and tone controls are also neatly along the lines of what people expect from a Stratocaster. Its fixed hardtail bridge with strings-through-body construction however gives this instrument a sound that's all of its own, with less trebles and increased sustain and body. The three American Vintage Strat '70s single-coil pickups were specially voiced to resemble the distinctive '70s Stratocaster sound as closely as possible.

Hardtail

Thanks to the increased popularity of alternative tuning, many guitarists in the seventies removed the familiar vibrato unit from their Fender Stratocaster. They quickly discovered that, not only did it have a positive effect on tuning stability, it also drastically altered the overall sound of the guitar, especially for Strats with a hardtail bridge. A strings-through-body hardtail bridge is quite heavy and has no harmonic trebles of the tremolo block and tremolo springs, resulting in a Strat with a very distinct tonal character.

• Limited edition.