Fender American Performer Stratocaster HSS Black with Gigbag

The Fender American Performer Stratocaster HSS in Black with a Gigbag is a modern, American-made instrument designed for the performing musician who needs versatility, classic Fender feel, and reliable performance. The "HSS" configuration (Humbucker, Single-coil, Single-coil) provides a wide tonal palette, from classic Strat chime to powerful humbucker crunch.

Here are the key features of this model:

• Body:

  • Material: Alder, a classic Fender tonewood known for its balanced tone, strong mids, and excellent sustain.

  • Shape: Iconic Stratocaster double-cutaway, offering comfortable playability and upper fret access.

  • Finish: Gloss Polyurethane in Black, providing a sleek, timeless aesthetic.

• Neck & Fingerboard:

  • Neck Material: Maple, contributing to a bright, snappy tone and strong sustain.

  • Neck Profile: Modern "C" shape, a very comfortable and widely popular profile suitable for various playing styles.

  • Neck Finish: Satin Urethane on the back of the neck, offering a smooth, fast-playing feel.

  • Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm), the standard Fender scale length for a bright, articulate tone.

  • Fingerboard Material: This model commonly comes with either a Maple or Rosewood fingerboard. For the "Black" finish, Maple fingerboards are very common, often featuring black dot inlays for contrast. If it has a Rosewood fingerboard, the inlays would typically be white dots.

  • Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm), a comfortable radius that balances chord playing ease with smooth string bending.

  • Frets: 22 Jumbo frets, making it easier to perform wide bends and providing a comfortable feel.

  • Nut: Synthetic Bone, contributing to tuning stability and sustain.

  • Nut Width: 1.685" (42.8 mm).

• Electronics:

  • Pickup Configuration: HSS (Humbucker, Single-coil, Single-coil).

    • Bridge Pickup: Fender DoubleTap Humbucking pickup. This innovative humbucker delivers a high-output, full humbucker sound, but also has a unique patent-applied-for design that allows it to transition to a true single-coil tone without any volume loss, unlike traditional coil-splitting.

    • Middle Pickup: Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Stratocaster pickup.

    • Neck Pickup: Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Stratocaster pickup.

    • Yosemite pickups are designed with flat-staggered pole pieces to increase output and feature a shellac coating (for single-coils) and wax potting (for humbuckers) to control feedback while allowing the coils to "breathe."

  • Controls:

    • 1 x Master Volume.

    • 1 x Tone (for Neck and Middle Pickups) with a push/pull function to activate the coil-split on the DoubleTap bridge humbucker.

    • 1 x Tone (for Bridge Pickup) featuring Fender's Greasebucket Tone Circuit, which allows you to roll off high frequencies without adding bass or "muddying" your tone, preserving clarity.

  • Switching: 5-way blade pickup selector switch for versatile tonal combinations.

• Hardware:

  • Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo, allowing for expressive vibrato effects.

  • Tuning Machines: Fender ClassicGear tuners, combining vintage aesthetics with a modern 18:1 gear ratio for precise and stable tuning.

  • Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome.

  • Pickguard: Typically a 3-Ply Black pickguard to match the body, though sometimes a 3-Ply Mint Green is seen, depending on the specific manufacturing run.

  • Control Knobs: Aged White Plastic (Volume/Tone) and Aged White Switch Tip, providing a classic Strat look.

  • Neck Plate: 4-Bolt.

• Included Accessory:

  • Comes with a Deluxe Gig Bag, offering padded protection and convenient portability.

The Fender American Performer Stratocaster HSS in Black is a solid choice for players seeking an American-made Fender that blends classic Stratocaster feel and tone with modern versatility, particularly through its innovative DoubleTap humbucker and useful Greasebucket tone circuit.