![Fender's American Professional Classic series photographed against the side of a chrome tour bus [L-R]: Jaguar in faded Sherwood Green Metallic, HSS Stratocaster in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Stratocaster in Faded Firemist Gold, Telecaster in Faded Butterscotch Blonde, Precision Bass in Faded 3-Color Sunburst.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zqgrqTV4qT7LsXP3Udi9vm-1920-80.jpg.webp)
Fender has debuted an all-new electric guitar (and bass guitar) range. It is US-made, built for serious players, priced competitively, and presents some refreshing twists on long-standing designs, and it is called the American Professional Classic Series.
This next-generation AmPro lineup comprises a Stratocaster and its HSS sibling, a Telecaster and a triple-pickup Hotshot Telecaster, plus offset guitars in the inimitable shapes of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar, with Precision, Jazz and Mustang basses rounding out the collection.
US hardcore champs Turnstile has done the honours road-testing – and demoing – these guitars. There is a chance that some people will have had a sneak peak of these already and not even noticed.
In between ducking stagedivers and crowdsurfers, you might have caught Turnstile guitarist Pat McCrory playing the American Professional Classic Strat HSS. In fairness, there is a lot going on at a Turnstile show.
Fender has dressed these AmPro Classics up in some sweet finishes (Faded Firemist Gold on the Stratocaster is hard to beat) but as McCrory explains, when you are playing in Turnstile, there is a utilitarian in picking up a Strat like this.
“When you’re in a different place constantly, sometimes the most familiar thing is the guitar that you bring every single night,” says McCrory. “We look for something that sounds the same every time, sounds exactly how you want it, but also has versatility because spaces change. Sometimes you play outside, sometimes it sounds different, sometimes you play inside or there’s noise, lighting. Having some durability but flexibility is very important.”
But what is the American Professional Classic series? Who is it for, y’know, besides Turnstile? With ‘Faded’ finishes as standard, giving them a box-fresh vintage look, with all-new Coastline pickups to give them a fresh vintage voicing, it is a range that’s references the aesthetic of yesteryear. But that isn’t the whole story.
We focused on every detail: from the all-new Coastline pickups, which offer clear, punchy tone across every register, to the Modern-‘C’ neck with rolled fingerboard edges
Max Gutnik, chief product officer, Fender
Here, Fender is splitting the difference. We could call it a ‘vintage-modern’ kind of deal but maybe ‘vintage-modded’ might be more appropriate – especially considering that these electrics all have Fender's Greasebucket tone system, not to mention some of the hardware upgrades on these new models.
As Fender’s chief product officer, Max Gutnik, says, there are some modern updates that will make these feel more like a 21st-century build.
“The American Professional Classic is all about delivering a great playing experience,” says Gutnik. “We focused on every detail: from the all-new Coastline pickups, which offer clear, punchy tone across every register, to the Modern-‘C’ neck with rolled fingerboard edges that feels comfortably broken-in from day one.
“We combined vintage-inspired finishes and hardware with thoughtful upgrades like staggered ClassicGear tuners, Mustang saddles on the offsets, and slotted Telecaster barrel saddles. The result is a guitar that’s easy to play, sounds incredible and adapts to any style or stage.”
One for the blues guitar troubadour and bomb-throwing hardcore riffer alike? Why not. That Stratocaster HSS would cater to both, with its Coastline bridge humbucker and Coastline ‘57 Stratocaster single-coils playing the field as far as tones go.
It is available in Faded Sherwood Green Metallic with a rosewood fingerboard, and in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Faded Black and 3-Color Sunburst with maple ‘boards, and at £/$1,549, it is sensibly priced for a US instrument.
There are even more finish options with the regular Strat. It has a trio of Coastline ‘57s.
Its finish options include Faded Black, Faded Dakota Red and Faded Sherwood Green Metallic, all with a rosewood fingerboard, and Faded Firemist Gold, Faded Lake Placid Blue and 3-Color Sunburst, all with a maple ‘board. It is priced £/$1,499.
The American Professional Telecaster might look older than the Strats here but it shouldn’t sound it. Fender has fitted these with Coastline ’63 Telecaster pickups, offering the maple-boarded models in O.G. Butterscotch Blonde, Faded Sherwood GreenMetallic and Faded Lake Placid Blue.
You can get a rosewood fingerboard model in Faded 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Black, and Faded Dakota Red. Again, the asking price is £/$1,499, and as Gutnik notes above, you’ve got slotted brass saddles in the bridge as standard.
For those who can never decide between a Strat and a Tele, there is always the Hotshot Telecaster, which adds a ’57 Strat single-coil to the middle position for that hot-rodded Nashville Tele vibe.
Given how this range is all about remixing old-school Fender archetypes – finishes, hardware, etc – this feels like the AmPro Classic’s signature instrument, and for an example of its quiet radicalism we need look no further than the anachronistic finish option that pairs a Butterscotch Blonde body with a rosewood neck, making for one Blackguard with a difference.
Pretty cool. Your other rosewood option is Faded Sherwood Green Metallica. Maple ‘boaded Hotshot Teles ship in 3-Color Sunburst and Faded Lake Placid Blue. All are priced £/$1,549.
Now for the offsets. The Jazzmasters all have rosewood fingerboards, with four colour options comprising 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Firemist Gold, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Dakota Red. Tone-wise, we’re representing a golden year for the cult-classic offset.
The Coastline ’65 Jazzmaster should be right on the money for surf-rock twang, adventures in alt-rock, and if you wanna jazz like Joe Pass then, yes, the Jazzmaster is still very much fit for purpose as a jazz guitar. It is priced £/$1,599.
Its kissing cousin, the Jaguar, shorter of scale (24” to the 25.5” found across these Fender electrics) similarly has a pair of Coastline single-coils tuned to 1965. This is going to be a real sweet one for chord work and rhythm-lead Johnny Marr-style players.
Finish options here include 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Firemist Gold, all rosewood, or if you must have maple under the fingertips then the Faded Lake Placid Blue model looks the part. It is priced £/$1,599.
Looking at that Mustang in Faded Dakota Red, it could be we have left the best for last. There’s something about that short-scale four-string Mustang platform that is so approachable. Simplicity plays a part. Like the Precision Bass, this is a single split-coil instrument.
But there are all kinds of styles you can tease out of that Coastline ’70 pickup. If you prefer rosewood, the AmPro Classic Mustang is also available in 3-Color Sunburst and Faded Sherwood Green Metallic. All are priced £1,499/$1,599.
The Precision Bass is priced £1,549/$1,599. Like all of the American Professional Classic basses, it comes with ‘Lollipop’ tuners, and again Fender has a specific vintage tone in mind with its pickup, promising “depth, punch and articulation” from the ’60 split-coil.
Finishes are on-point again. It’s hard to look past a P-Bass with 3-Color Sunburst with a slab rosewood ‘board but it also comes in Faded Sherwood Green Metallica, and with a maple ‘board, there is a Lake Placid Blue version.
Finally, there’s the Jazz Bass, with a pair of Coastline ’62 single-coils, options including Faded Firemist Gold and 3-Color Sunburst with a rosewood fingerboard, and Faded Dakota Red with Maple. It’s priced as per the P-Bass.
All prices include a gig bag. Who is this series for? Well, one-and-a-half grand for an instrument made in Fender’s Corona, California facility looks a decent buy for the jobbing pros.
“This series is built for players who demand reliability, versatility and performance at the highest level,” says Fender, all but using the W-word. Maybe the finishes are too fancy to call them that. But we all know that this “perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance” was made for.
Find out more over at Fender.
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