Fender

    American Vintage II '70s Stratocaster2023

    The American Vintage II '70s Stratocaster recreates the big-headstock, three-bolt era of Fender's history, a period players either love for its raw character or find quirky next to a modern Strat.

    9 mods reviewed: 7 drop-in, 2 need modification.

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    Andertons

    £1999.00In stock
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    The American Vintage II '70s Stratocaster recreates the big-headstock, three-bolt era of Fender's history, a period players either love for its raw character or find quirky next to a modern Strat. That 3-bolt neck plate with a Micro-Tilt mechanism is the key difference from the 4-bolt mounting found on most other guitars in this range, so a standard replacement neck will not bolt straight on without matching this specific pattern. It also has a 7.25 inch fretboard radius, flatter than a fresh vintage board but rounder than a modern Fender, and a narrower 42mm nut width than the 43mm nut found on many current-production guitars.

    Quick facts

    Tailpiece

    None (bridge-integrated)

    Neck mounting

    3-bolt (Micro-Tilt)

    String spacing

    56.4mm (2-7/32")

    Scale length

    25.5" (648mm)

    Nut width

    42mm (1.654")

    Not published by Fender: tuner hole size and bridge mounting spacing. Measure these before buying tuners or a bridge.

    Watch out

    This guitar uses a 3-bolt neck plate with Micro-Tilt adjustment, a genuine fitment detail worth knowing before swapping neck plates or necks, most replacement neck plates and many aftermarket necks assume the standard 4-bolt pattern.

    Bridge

    2 options
    Illustration, photo coming soon

    Callaham Vintage S Model Strat Bridge (Right-Handed)

    Likely drop-in

    A premium vintage-spec bridge upgrade that matches the mounting and spacing already on this guitar.

    Why we say this

    Callaham's Vintage S Model is built to the true vintage 6-screw spec, matching this guitar's factory bridge.

    See current price at Reverb

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    Illustration, photo coming soon

    Wilkinson VSVG Vintage Tremolo Bridge

    Likely drop-in

    Built to the same vintage-style mounting and spacing as the bridge already on this guitar. Should drop straight in.

    Why we say this

    Wilkinson's VSVG reproduces the vintage 6-screw Strat bridge and mounting pattern, matching this guitar's factory vintage-style bridge and true vintage 56.4mm string spacing.

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    Pickup

    4 options
    Fender Custom Shop '69 Strat Pickups Set

    Fender Custom Shop '69 Strat Pickups Set

    Likely drop-in
    Soldering

    Fits the standard Strat pickup route. Needs soldering, not a plug-and-play part.

    Why we say this

    Vintage-voiced single-coil set built to the standard Strat pickup route and mounting.

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    Seymour Duncan SSL-1 Vintage Staggered Pickups

    Seymour Duncan SSL-1 Vintage Staggered Pickups

    Likely drop-in
    Soldering

    Fits the standard Strat pickup route. You will need to solder it in, this is not a solderless swap.

    Why we say this

    Standard staggered-pole Strat single-coil, drops into the same route and mounting as the stock pickups.

    £104.99 at Andertons

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    Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered Pickup Set

    Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered Pickup Set

    Likely drop-in
    Soldering

    More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.

    Why we say this

    A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.

    See current price at Reverb

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    Illustration, photo coming soon

    Fender Tex-Mex Stratocaster Pickup Set

    Likely drop-in
    Soldering

    A popular budget-friendly pickup upgrade. Fits the standard Strat route, needs soldering.

    Why we say this

    One of the most widely bought Strat pickup sets on the market, standard single-coil route and mounting.

    See current price at Amazon

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    Tuner

    3 options
    Fender Deluxe Locking Tuners (6-in-line, Staggered)

    Fender Deluxe Locking Tuners (6-in-line, Staggered)

    Requires modification
    Drilling

    Sized for a modern locking-tuner headstock, not the vintage-spec holes on this guitar. Expect reaming and new mounting holes.

    Why we say this

    These use the modern 10mm 2-pin locking mount found on current Player and American series necks, a different, larger bore than this guitar's genuine vintage-spec headstock.

    Help confirm this fit

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    Illustration, photo coming soon

    Sperzel Trim-Lok Locking Tuners (6-in-line, Staggered)

    Requires modification
    Drilling

    This is the modern-bore version of this tuner. Your guitar has vintage-style holes, so this specific version would need reaming.

    Why we say this

    This particular set is Sperzel's modern 10mm line. This guitar has a genuinely vintage-spec headstock, so these would need the holes reamed out.

    Help confirm this fit

    This page has 2 open questions

    If you have fitted any of these to this Fender American Vintage II '70s Stratocaster, tell us what you found and we'll update the data.