Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster® HSS, Maple Fingerboard, Faded Lake Placid Blue – Ex-Display

Quick Product Summary

The Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster HSS in Faded Lake Placid Blue – Ex-Display combines the familiar feel and versatility of a Stratocaster with the additional power of a bridge humbucker.

Its alder body is paired with a maple Modern “C” neck, 9.5-inch radius maple fingerboard and 22 medium-jumbo frets, giving it comfortable contemporary Fender playability without moving too far from the simplicity of a classic Strat.

The Coastline™ humbucker adds greater body and output at the bridge for driven rhythm and lead sounds, while Coastline™ '57 Stratocaster single coils in the middle and neck retain the clarity, sparkle and expressive response players expect from a traditional Strat. The middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity, helping make the combined single-coil position particularly useful.

Finished in Faded Lake Placid Blue with a mint-green pickguard and aged-white plastics, this Ex-Display example is a strong choice for players looking for an American-made HSS Fender that combines vintage-inspired styling with versatile modern performance.

At A Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	Fender
Series	American Professional Classic
Model	Stratocaster® HSS
Model Number	0114952379
Finish	Faded Lake Placid Blue
Condition	Ex-Display
Body	Alder
Fingerboard	Maple
Neck Profile	Modern “C”
Pickup Configuration	HSS
Included	Deluxe Gig Bag
Main Appeal	Classic Strat single-coil sounds with a more powerful bridge humbucker
Best For	Rock, blues, indie, alternative, pop, funk and versatile gigging

Ex-Display Condition Report

Condition: Ex-Display

This guitar has been used for display purposes rather than supplied as a completely untouched sealed-box example.

No specific cosmetic marks, faults, repairs or modifications have been supplied for this individual guitar, so none have been assumed or added.

The Faded Lake Placid Blue appearance is part of Fender's original factory finish specification and should not be confused with additional cosmetic wear.

The guitar will be checked by our Fair Deal Music team before leaving the shop.

For additional reassurance, ask our team about a video demo of the exact guitar before purchase.

What's Included?

• Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster® HSS, Maple Fingerboard, Faded Lake Placid Blue

• Fender Deluxe Gig Bag

• .050" saddle-height adjustment wrench

• 1/8" truss-rod adjustment wrench

✘ Hardshell Case Not Included

Condition Notes

This individual guitar is offered as Ex-Display.

No specific additional cosmetic blemishes or functional issues have been supplied for the listing. We have therefore deliberately avoided adding speculative condition details.

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

Before leaving Fair Deal Music, this Stratocaster will be checked across the areas that matter most to everyday ownership and performance, including:

• Coastline humbucker operation

• Neck and middle Coastline '57 single-coil operation

• Five-way pickup selector

• Master volume and tone controls

• Greasebucket tone circuit

• Output socket

• Tremolo and bridge hardware

• Tuning machines

• Neck and fret condition

• General structural condition

• Playability and basic setup

Service / Setup Work

This guitar will be checked and set up as required before dispatch.

As with any guitar, setup can shift slightly during delivery because of changes in temperature and humidity. Minor adjustment after arrival may occasionally be beneficial depending on climate, string preference and individual playing style.

Why Choose The Fender American Professional Classic HSS Stratocaster?

Coastline Humbucker For More Bridge-Pickup Power

A traditional Strat bridge single-coil is bright and articulate, but some players want more body when moving into overdrive and distortion. The Coastline humbucker gives this HSS model a fuller, stronger bridge voice that works particularly well for rock rhythm parts, heavier riffs and lead tones.

Coastline '57 Single Coils Retain Classic Strat Character

The neck and middle positions use Coastline '57 Stratocaster pickups, based around vintage-inspired Fender voicing but slightly overwound for extra warmth and punch. This means the guitar still delivers the cleaner, more open side of the Stratocaster rather than becoming purely a high-output instrument.

Modern “C” Neck And Medium-Jumbo Frets

Fender combines a Modern “C” neck profile, 9.5-inch radius and 22 medium-jumbo frets. It is a familiar specification for contemporary Fender players and provides a comfortable platform for chords, bends, vibrato and lead work without requiring adjustment to a particularly curved vintage fingerboard.

Greasebucket Bridge Tone Control

The second tone control operates Fender's Greasebucket™ circuit for the bridge pickup. This lets you reduce treble while limiting the additional bass build-up that can occur with a conventional passive tone circuit, helping warmer humbucker settings retain definition.

Traditional Six-Screw Tremolo

Rather than using the two-point tremolo found on many modern Stratocasters, the American Professional Classic features a six-saddle vintage-style synchronized tremolo with traditional six-screw mounting. This reinforces the vintage-modern philosophy behind the series.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

American Professional Classic HSS vs Player II HSS Stratocaster

The Player II HSS Stratocaster shares several familiar playing specifications, including a Modern “C” neck, 9.5-inch radius and 22 medium-jumbo frets. It also combines a bridge humbucker with two Strat single coils.

The American Professional Classic steps into a more premium American-made specification with Coastline pickups, Greasebucket bridge tone circuitry, staggered ClassicGear tuners, faded vintage-inspired finishing and a traditional six-screw tremolo.

Choose the Player II HSS for an accessible, versatile modern Fender. Choose the American Professional Classic HSS when American construction, Coastline pickup character and its vintage-modern specification are the priority.

American Professional Classic HSS vs Player II Modified HSS

The Player II Modified HSS Stratocaster places greater emphasis on modern upgrades, including Noiseless neck and middle pickups, bridge humbucker coil splitting, locking tuners, a TUSQ nut and enhanced two-point tremolo.

The American Professional Classic takes a simpler approach. It does not rely on additional switching or locking hardware, instead combining a straightforward HSS layout with Coastline pickups and traditional-style Fender hardware.

Choose the Player II Modified for maximum factory-fitted functionality. Choose the American Professional Classic if you prefer a cleaner, more traditional control layout in a premium American Fender.

American Professional Classic HSS vs American Professional II HSS

The American Professional II Stratocaster HSS uses a fuller Deep “C” neck, narrow-tall frets, V-Mod II pickups and a modern two-point synchronized tremolo with a cold-rolled steel block.

The American Professional Classic uses a Modern “C” neck, medium-jumbo frets, Coastline pickups and vintage-style six-screw tremolo. Both are professional American Strats, but they have clearly different priorities.

Choose the American Professional II if you prefer its fuller neck and more contemporary hardware. Choose the American Professional Classic for a more direct blend of modern playability and vintage-inspired Strat character.

American Professional Classic HSS vs American Ultra Luxe Vintage '60s HSS

The American Ultra Luxe Vintage '60s HSS Stratocaster moves considerably further into Fender's premium performance range with a Modern “D” profile, compound-radius fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, locking tuners and deluxe two-point tremolo.

The American Professional Classic is deliberately less complicated and more traditional. It is better suited to the guitarist who wants professional American construction and HSS flexibility without moving towards the highly modern playing geometry and hardware of the Ultra Luxe.

Who Is The Fender American Professional Classic HSS Stratocaster For?

This Stratocaster is particularly well suited to:

• Players who love Stratocasters but want a stronger bridge sound

• Rock and classic-rock guitarists

• Blues players needing both clean and driven tones

• Indie and alternative musicians

• Pop and covers-band guitarists

• Recording and session players

• Guitarists who prefer a Modern “C” Fender neck

• Players who want a traditional six-screw tremolo

• Musicians upgrading from Player or Player II models

• Players who do not need complex coil-splitting electronics

• Guitarists looking for an American-made HSS Strat

• Buyers seeking additional value from an Ex-Display instrument

Looking for advice on choosing between a Player II HSS, Player II Modified HSS, American Professional Classic HSS or American Professional II HSS Stratocaster? Our experienced team of musicians can help you compare pickups, neck profiles and tremolo systems by phone, online or in our Birmingham showroom.

Suitable Genres And Playing Styles

Rock & Classic Rock

The Coastline humbucker gives the bridge position extra body for overdriven rhythm parts and solos, while the single coils keep cleaner passages recognisably Strat-like.

Blues

The Coastline '57 neck pickup offers the rounded, expressive response associated with a Strat neck position, while the bridge humbucker provides a useful step up in power when solos need more weight.

Indie & Alternative

The HSS layout works particularly well with pedalboards. Neck and middle single coils retain clarity through chorus, delay and reverb, while the bridge humbucker gives fuzz and distortion a more substantial foundation.

Funk & Clean Rhythm

The middle and neck/middle settings provide articulate cleaner sounds for rhythmic playing, allowing the guitar to retain an important part of traditional Strat versatility despite its humbucker bridge pickup.

Pop & Covers

An HSS Strat is an excellent choice when one guitar needs to cover a broad repertoire. Cleaner Fender sounds and thicker driven tones are both available without changing instruments.

Studio & Session Work

The contrast between the Coastline humbucker and two '57-style single coils gives recording players several clearly differentiated textures, making the guitar well suited to layered arrangements.

HSS vs SSS Stratocaster: Which Pickup Layout Is Right For You?

A traditional SSS Stratocaster uses three single-coil pickups. Its bridge position is bright, cutting and unmistakably Fender, making it particularly effective for clean playing, blues, funk, indie and classic Strat sounds.

An HSS Stratocaster replaces that bridge single coil with a humbucker. The main advantage is greater body, output and midrange when using distortion or overdrive, while the middle and neck single coils preserve much of the Stratocaster's traditional versatility.

If you spend most of your time playing sparkling cleans and want every pickup position to remain unmistakably traditional, SSS may be the stronger choice. If your playing regularly moves between clean Strat sounds and heavier rock tones, HSS is one of the most versatile electric-guitar configurations available.

Story & Context

The original Fender Stratocaster debuted in 1954 with three single-coil pickups and a synchronized tremolo, establishing a format that would become one of the most influential electric-guitar designs ever produced.

As guitar sounds became heavier, players increasingly adapted Strat-style guitars with humbuckers in the bridge position. The resulting HSS format preserved the ergonomic body shape and clearer neck and middle sounds of a Strat while providing greater power for driven bridge tones.

The American Professional Classic HSS approaches that idea through Fender's vintage-modern philosophy. Its Coastline '57 single coils and traditional-style tremolo reference classic Fender design, while the Coastline humbucker, 9.5-inch radius and medium-jumbo frets make it practical for contemporary stage and studio work.

Faded Lake Placid Blue reinforces that concept visually, giving the guitar the appearance of a classic Fender colour that has softened over time without applying artificial physical relic wear.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Name	American Professional Classic Stratocaster® HSS
Model Number	0114952379
Series	American Professional Classic
Orientation	Right-Handed
Colour	Faded Lake Placid Blue
Body Shape	Stratocaster®
Body Material	Alder
Body Finish	Gloss Urethane
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Finish	Satin Urethane
Neck Shape	Modern “C”
Neck Construction	4-Bolt
Fingerboard Material	Maple
Fingerboard Radius	9.5" / 241 mm
Scale Length	25.5" / 648 mm
Number Of Frets	22
Fret Size	Medium Jumbo
Position Inlays	Black Dot
Nut Material	Synthetic Bone
Nut Width	1.685" / 42.8 mm
Truss Rod	Standard
Bridge Pickup	Coastline™ Humbucker
Middle Pickup	Coastline™ '57 Single-Coil Stratocaster® RWRP
Neck Pickup	Coastline™ '57 Single-Coil Stratocaster®
Pickup Configuration	HSS
Controls	Master Volume, Tone 1 Neck/Middle, Tone 2 Greasebucket Bridge Tone
Switching	5-Position Blade
Bridge	6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
Bridge Mounting	6-Screw Vintage-Style
Tuning Machines	Fender® ClassicGear™ Staggered
Hardware Finish	Nickel / Chrome
Pickguard	3-Ply Mint Green
Pickup Covers	Aged White
Control Knobs	Aged White Plastic
Switch Tip	Aged White
String Trees	Dual-Wing
Strings	Fender® USA 250L Nickel Plated Steel .009-.042
Case / Gig Bag	Deluxe Gig Bag
Condition	Ex-Display

Specification Note

Exact individual weight and serial number have not been supplied for this listing and have therefore not been estimated or added.

Power Requirements

The Fender American Professional Classic HSS Stratocaster uses passive pickups and electronics, so no battery or external power supply is required.

Connect the guitar to a suitable guitar amplifier, modeller, audio interface or pedalboard using a standard instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Verdict 🎵

★★★★★ 5/5

The Fender American Professional Classic HSS Stratocaster in Faded Lake Placid Blue is a strong option for anyone who loves the basic Stratocaster formula but regularly finds a traditional bridge single coil slightly too lean for their playing.

The Coastline humbucker solves that without turning the guitar into an overly complicated modern instrument. You retain two convincing Coastline '57 Strat single coils, familiar five-way switching and straightforward controls, while the bridge position gains the body needed for bigger rock and driven sounds.

Its Modern “C” neck and medium-jumbo frets also make it immediately approachable for contemporary Fender players, while the six-screw tremolo and faded finish give it considerably more vintage flavour than its playability might initially suggest.

Best suited for: Players wanting American-made Strat versatility with traditional single-coil neck tones and a more powerful bridge pickup.

Customers usually upgrade from: Fender Player, Player II and Player II HSS Stratocasters when looking for an American-built instrument with a more premium vintage-modern specification.

Most commonly paired with: Valve or modelling amplifiers, overdrive, distortion, fuzz, compression, delay, chorus and reverb.

Our tip: If you're deciding between this and the SSS American Professional Classic, base the decision primarily on your bridge-pickup needs. If you regularly use medium or higher gain, the Coastline humbucker is likely to make this HSS version the more practical choice.

Showroom feedback: The appeal is how little compromise the HSS layout requires. The neck and middle positions still deliver the clear Fender sounds players expect, but moving to the bridge gives a significant increase in weight that makes the guitar particularly easy to use across a full live set.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Our Birmingham showroom is backed by a knowledgeable musician-led team who understand guitars, amplifiers, effects and recording equipment and can help you choose the right equipment for your playing style and budget.

When you shop with Fair Deal Music, you can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians

• Carefully checked new, used, pre-owned and ex-display equipment

• Competitive prices on leading music brands

• Secure online ordering

• UK delivery available

• Friendly support before and after your purchase

• A large Birmingham music showroom

• Decades of experience with both new and pre-owned musical equipment

Whether you're choosing your first American Fender, moving from an SSS to an HSS Stratocaster or comparing different professional Fender ranges, our team is here to help.

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next piece of gear could cost less than you think.

We're always happy to consider part exchanges and trade-ins on a wide range of musical instruments and equipment. Whether you're looking to upgrade your guitar, keyboard, amplifier, drum kit or studio gear, your existing equipment could help reduce the cost of your next purchase.

Simply get in touch with our team for a no-obligation valuation, and we'll be happy to discuss the options available.

It's an easy way to unlock the value of the gear you no longer use while making your next instrument even more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ex-Display mean?

This individual guitar has been used for display rather than being supplied as a completely untouched sealed-box example. It will be checked by Fair Deal Music before leaving the shop.

Does the bridge humbucker coil split?

No coil-split function is specified on this model. The Coastline humbucker is used as a full humbucking bridge pickup through the standard five-way selector.

Is HSS more versatile than a traditional SSS Stratocaster?

For players who regularly use overdrive or distortion, HSS can be particularly versatile because the bridge humbucker provides more body while the middle and neck single coils retain recognisable Stratocaster sounds. Players who prioritise completely traditional bridge single-coil tone may still prefer SSS.

What does RWRP mean on the middle pickup?

RWRP means reverse wound, reverse polarity. The middle pickup is designed this way to help reduce unwanted noise when combined with the neck pickup while retaining the familiar character of two single coils working together.

What does the Greasebucket bridge tone control do?

It allows you to reduce high frequencies from the bridge pickup while limiting the additional bass build-up that can occur with some conventional passive tone circuits. This helps warmer humbucker settings remain clear.

How does the Modern “C” neck compare with the American Professional II?

The American Professional Classic uses a Modern “C” profile, while the American Professional II uses Fender's fuller Deep “C”. Players who prefer a familiar, less substantial contemporary Fender neck may favour the Professional Classic.

Is the six-screw tremolo suitable for regular vibrato use?

Yes. It is a traditional Fender synchronized tremolo designed for expressive vibrato and pitch movement. A two-point system offers a different mechanical feel, but a correctly set-up six-screw bridge remains highly usable.

Should I choose this or the Player II Modified HSS?

Choose the Player II Modified HSS if features such as coil splitting, Noiseless single coils, locking tuners and a modern two-point tremolo are your priorities. Choose the American Professional Classic HSS if you prefer American construction, Coastline pickups and a simpler vintage-modern Fender specification.