Fender American Professional Stratocaster HSS RW Dark Night Electric guitar

Fender American Professional Stratocaster HSS RW Dark Night — Pro-Grade Tone and Feel

The Fender American Professional Stratocaster HSS RW Dark Night is a USA-built solidbody that fuses the timeless Stratocaster silhouette with modern performance upgrades. An alder body anchors the tone with the balanced resonance that has defined Strats for decades, while the Dark Night polyurethane finish gives the guitar a sleek, low-key stage presence. The HSS pickup layout — two V-Mod III single-coils and a V-Mod III humbucker — covers everything from glassy cleans to high-output lead work, making this model a true one-guitar solution for touring players and session musicians.

What Sets This Strat Apart

The V-Mod III humbucker in the bridge position is the headline feature: it delivers punchy humbucking tones as well as calibrated single-coil sounds at the push of the push-push tone control. Combined with ClassicGear Precision potentiometers for smooth, consistent control, the electronics offer far more tonal range than a traditional Strat wiring layout. The 2-point tremolo with a cold-rolled steel block adds sustain and high-end clarity, while the sculpted neck heel and rolled fingerboard edges give easy upper-register access and a supremely comfortable, broken-in feel.

Alder Body and Premium Finish

Alder delivers a balanced frequency response with clear lows, present mids, and bell-like highs that suit clean arpeggios and overdriven lead lines equally well. The classic double-cutaway shape keeps the upper frets fully reachable for lead work.

• Body Material: Alder — balanced resonance with clear note definition across all five pickup positions
• Finish: Polyurethane — durable stage-ready coating that protects the Dark Night finish for years of gigging
• Body Style: Double-cutaway solidbody — classic Stratocaster contour with full upper-fret access

Deep "C" Neck with Rosewood Fingerboard

The neck profile and fingerboard combination directly shape how the guitar feels in the hand and how it responds to bending and vibrato.

• Neck Material: Maple, bolt-on — bright attack and solid sustain transfer
• Neck Profile: Deep "C" — fills the hand naturally for chords and single-note runs
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with rolled edges — warm tonal character and a smooth, broken-in feel
• Fingerboard Radius: 241 mm (9.5") — modern compromise between vintage roundness and flatter feel
• Frets: 22 Narrow-Tall — for easy bending
• Scale Length: 648 mm (25.5") — classic Strat tension and snap
• Nut Width: 42.8 mm bone — comfortable for rhythm chording and lead playing
• Neck Finish: Satin urethane — fast, non-sticky feel during long sessions

V-Mod III Pickups and Upgraded Hardware

The HSS electronics package covers glassy single-coil cleans, warm rhythm tones, and full humbucker power for lead and heavier styles.

• Pickup Configuration: HSS — V-Mod III single-coil (neck), V-Mod III single-coil (middle), V-Mod III humbucker (bridge)
• Coil-Split: Push-push tone knob activates single-coil mode on the bridge humbucker — adds two extra tonal options without extra switches
• Controls: Master volume, Tone 1 (neck/middle), Tone 2 (bridge), 5-way pickup selector
• Bridge: 2-point synchronized tremolo with cold-rolled steel block — smooth vibrato with increased sustain and high-end sparkle
• Tuning Machines: Fender Standard Cast/Sealed Staggered — reliable, stable tuning
• Hardware Color: Nickel/Chrome
• Orientation: Right-handed
• Case: Deluxe Molded hardshell case included

Built for the Working Guitarist

The Fender American Professional Stratocaster HSS RW Dark Night is the right choice for working guitarists who need one instrument that covers clean rhythm work, bluesy leads, and high-gain rock tones without compromise. Session players will appreciate the coil-split humbucker, which adds calibrated single-coil sounds at the push of a button. Touring musicians benefit from the sculpted neck heel that opens up the upper frets for lead lines, the satin urethane neck finish that stays comfortable during long sets, and the hardshell case that protects the guitar between gigs. The understated Dark Night finish also suits players who prefer a more low-key look on stage compared to traditional Strat colors.