The
Fender American Deluxe Series is a line of high-end electric guitars and basses introduced by Fender in 1998 and upgraded in 2004.
The American Deluxe line replaced the
Plus Series models of 1987.
The entire range came with a variety of high-end options such as solid tonewood bodies made from select
alderAlder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas also along the Andes southwards to...
or premium
ashFraxinus , common name Ash, is a genus of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. Genus Fraxinus are the true ashes, and are in Oleaceae, the olive family, along with olives and lilacs. The leaves are opposite , and mostly pinnately-compound,...
, polished chrome or gold-plated hardware, aged plastic parts,
NoiselessThe Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups, abalone dot position fingerboard inlays, a dark aluminum "spaghetti" decal, 22-fret maple necks featuring
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
or
ebonyEbony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black woods are sometimes also called ebony...
fretboards, quilted or flamed maple tops, rolled fingerboard edges, S-1 switching, highly detailed nut and fret work, a bound top with contoured back on Telecasters and a
2-point locking synchronized tremolo bridgeFloyd Rose is the organization that licenses, distributes and manufactures the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo invented by Floyd D. Rose. Floyd Rose owns the patents on the design, and licenses these patents to several original equipment manufacturers....
with LSR roller nut and locking tuners on certain models.
American Deluxe
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
s (introduced in 1995) came in 4-string, fretless, 5-string and left-handed versions and feature 18V-powered 3-band active electronics (including a special-design
humbuckerA conventional humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have high output since both coils are in series and the magnetic circuit is low loss...
on the Precision Bass models) as well as a strings-through/top-load bridge with stainless brass saddles, Hipshot UltraLite tuning machines, an asymmetrical 5-bolt neck plate with a contoured heel for easier access to the higher registers and a Posiflex graphite-reinforced 22-fret maple neck with
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
or
pao ferro- Overview :"Pao ferro" or "pau ferro" is an exotic tree found in Brazil and Bolivia. Its wood is often used for making fingerboards for electric basses and guitars. It has a similar feel and similar tonal attributes to rosewood, but is harder and has a slightly lighter colour...
fingerboard.
The
Fender American Deluxe Series is a line of high-end electric guitars and basses introduced by Fender in 1998 and upgraded in 2004.
The American Deluxe line replaced the
Plus Series models of 1987.
The entire range came with a variety of high-end options such as solid tonewood bodies made from select
alderAlder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas also along the Andes southwards to...
or premium
ashFraxinus , common name Ash, is a genus of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. Genus Fraxinus are the true ashes, and are in Oleaceae, the olive family, along with olives and lilacs. The leaves are opposite , and mostly pinnately-compound,...
, polished chrome or gold-plated hardware, aged plastic parts,
NoiselessThe Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups, abalone dot position fingerboard inlays, a dark aluminum "spaghetti" decal, 22-fret maple necks featuring
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
or
ebonyEbony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black woods are sometimes also called ebony...
fretboards, quilted or flamed maple tops, rolled fingerboard edges, S-1 switching, highly detailed nut and fret work, a bound top with contoured back on Telecasters and a
2-point locking synchronized tremolo bridgeFloyd Rose is the organization that licenses, distributes and manufactures the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo invented by Floyd D. Rose. Floyd Rose owns the patents on the design, and licenses these patents to several original equipment manufacturers....
with LSR roller nut and locking tuners on certain models.
American Deluxe
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
s (introduced in 1995) came in 4-string, fretless, 5-string and left-handed versions and feature 18V-powered 3-band active electronics (including a special-design
humbuckerA conventional humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have high output since both coils are in series and the magnetic circuit is low loss...
on the Precision Bass models) as well as a strings-through/top-load bridge with stainless brass saddles, Hipshot UltraLite tuning machines, an asymmetrical 5-bolt neck plate with a contoured heel for easier access to the higher registers and a Posiflex graphite-reinforced 22-fret maple neck with
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general, supplies are...
,
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
or
pao ferro- Overview :"Pao ferro" or "pau ferro" is an exotic tree found in Brazil and Bolivia. Its wood is often used for making fingerboards for electric basses and guitars. It has a similar feel and similar tonal attributes to rosewood, but is harder and has a slightly lighter colour...
fingerboard.
Jazz BassesThe Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass guitar created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
feature chrome hardware, a traditional control plate with classic black bakelite knobs, a downsized body shape and a redesigned pickguard with 9 holes.
Fender also produced luxurious models without pickguard and control plate featuring flamed or quilted maple tops (FMT/QMT), gold hardware and bound necks with white pearloid rectangular block-shaped position markers from 2003 to 2007.
Models produced prior to 2002 used 4-bolt neck fixing, 5-in-line headstocks, black or white dot markers,
Schaller-Surname:* Barry R. Schaller, American lawyer, judge, academic, and bioethicist* Bernhard Schaller, Swiss physician and medical researcher* Biff Schaller , American baseball player* George Schaller, American biologist* Hans Schaller, German luger...
die-cast tuners, 9V power supply and special-design stacked Jazz Bass pickups with single pole-pieces (designed by John Suhr).
Vintage NoiselessThe Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups, a dark aluminum Fender "spaghetti" logo and abalone inlaid fingerboards were added in 1998; 5-bolt neck fixing, 4+1 tuners, 18V power supply and
Schaller Lite Bass-Surname:* Barry R. Schaller, American lawyer, judge, academic, and bioethicist* Bernhard Schaller, Swiss physician and medical researcher* Biff Schaller , American baseball player* George Schaller, American biologist* Hans Schaller, German luger...
tuning machines followed 4 years later (replaced by Hipshot UltraLite tuners as of 2006).
American Deluxe StratocasterThe Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top horn for balance while standing...
guitars are available with C and V-shaped necks since 2004.
American Deluxe TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender. Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
s produced between 1998 and 1999 featured a
Vintage NoiselessThe Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
Strat pickup in the middle position, 5-way "Strat-o-Tele" pickup switching and a 2-way toggle switch allowing seven tonal options. Guitars manufactured between 1999 and 2000 were also equipped with an optional Fishman Powerbridge and an active 12dB midrange booster with sub-rumble cut and stereo/mono switching controls (Power Tele).
American Deluxe Strats and Teles produced between 1998 and 2001 had a standard 4-bolt neck fixing. The contoured neck heel has been introduced in 2002.
All American Deluxe models are available in
Amber, Chrome Silver, Montego Black Metallic, 3-Color Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst, Aged Cherry Burst, Olympic White Pearl, Black, Honey Blonde, Candy Apple Red, Butterscotch Blonde and
2-Color Sunburst. Pickguard colours include
Aged White, Mint Green, Black Tortoise, Brown Tortoise, Aged Cream, Gold Vinyl, Copper Vinyl and
Aged White Pearloid, available with 3-ply, 4-ply and 50s-style 1-ply layers with hand-beveled edges.
Other finishes such as
Teal Green Transparent, Natural, White Blonde, Candy Tangerine, Crimson Red Transparent, Chrome Red and
Purple Transparent were introduced in 1998; apart few exceptions (Factory Special Run versions), American Deluxe instruments finished with these colours are no longer available.
Some of the innovations found on the American Deluxe instruments (such as the rolled fretboard edges, the HSH pickup routing and the detailed nut and fret work) were adopted on the
American Series models of 2001 (which replaced the first-generation
American Standard line produced between 1986 and 2000) and the more recent American Standard Series instruments, introduced in 2008.
The American Deluxe was later updated with
Samarium Cobalt NoiselessThe Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
(SCN) pickups by Fender in 2004.