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Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
Gibson 70s Explorer
VS
Playability
70
Sound
79
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
67
Value
61
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
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Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster vs Gibson 70s Explorer Specs Comparison
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Gibson 70s Explorer
General
Brand: Fender Gibson
Year: 2024 2019
Configuration: SSS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: 70th Anniversary Stratocaster Collection Original Collection
Colors: Burst White
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Mahogany
Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles, Pop-In Tremolo Arm and Cold-Rolled Steel Block Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts) Regular Tuners
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Mahogany
Decoration: White Dot Acrylic Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Deep "C" Slim Taper
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 12"
Nut: Bone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.8mm (1.685'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender 70th Anniversary V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Gibson 70s Tribute (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender 70th Anniversary V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender 70th Anniversary V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Gibson 70s Tribute (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 2 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's switch options
Gibson 70s Explorer pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson 70s Explorer's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster over Gibson 70s Explorer

Release Year
2024 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SSS vs HH
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
68 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson 70s Explorer over Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster

Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs SSS
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster vs Gibson 70s Explorer

Bridge Pickup
Fender 70th Anniversary V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat vs Gibson 70s Tribute
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender 70th Anniversary V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat vs Gibson 70s Tribute
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster vs Gibson 70s Explorer

Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Prices

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson 70s Explorer:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson 70s Explorer meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Gibson 70s Explorer
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Gibson 70s Explorer

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Winner: Gibson 70s Explorer.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has an SSS configuration while the Gibson 70s Explorer has HH pickups.

SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Gibson 70s Explorer gives you 3. This means that the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 79
Gibson 70s Explorer
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster compares to the Gibson 70s Explorer.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Gibson 70s Explorer comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Gibson 70s Explorer's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

On the other hand, the Gibson 70s Explorer comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson 70s Explorer
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 70
Gibson 70s Explorer
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 67

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Nut Width
Gibson 70s Explorer Nut Width
Gibson 70s Explorer Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson 70s Explorer has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.8mm (1.685''). This is a 0.2mm (0.008'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson 70s Explorer, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's Scale Length
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's Scale Length
Gibson 70s Explorer's Scale Length
Gibson 70s Explorer's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson 70s Explorer is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Neck Profile
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's neck profile
Gibson 70s Explorer Neck Profile
Gibson 70s Explorer's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster and the Gibson 70s Explorer have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's Fingerboard radius
Gibson 70s Explorer Fingerboard Radius
Gibson 70s Explorer's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gibson 70s Explorer's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Gibson 70s Explorer.

Fret Size

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster Frets Size
Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster's Frets Size
Gibson 70s Explorer Frets Size
Gibson 70s Explorer's Frets Size

The Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Gibson 70s Explorer's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Gibson 70s Explorer
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73