Hi Guys, I have one of these guitars, bought recently and I absolutely LOVE it! Unfortunately when I was an apprentice in 1961 and was 16, I only earnt £4 per week and the guitar was around £150! There was no way I could possible afford one of these at that time. I think it is great and nostalgic that we can now buy one of these. There are some modern features like the rolled edge fingerboard which i love also. I am 81 and still play the Shadows and Spotnicks music in clubs, what a lovely way to live!!!!! Many thanks for a great and honest review! This is a great guitar!
Thanks for reviewing without using pedals! I don't understand why some folks review a new guitar with some many effects you can't hear the guitar. I don't use pedals, nothing wrong with them. But I don't know many players who use the same one as everyone else. It's a personal thing. So good for you! We heard the guitar, now if we want we can add pedals or amp setting to our own tastes.
That's the only way to really tell the tone of the guitar. You have to go to the base level. When I try out a guitar, I don't even plug it in. I want to see how it plays acoustically first. Then I play it clean to hear the tone of the electronics.
My Fiesta red just came in and I got lucky. The fretboard on mine has no streaks and is as dark if not darker than any other rosewood board I have ever seen. It is also super light, if it helps anyone else, I ordered mine directly through Fender, (It does though have a small scratch near the bridge). The case is not my favorite either, but man, the guitar is absolutely 100% custom shop NOS level. I am stoked!!
@@airtimedesign I ordered on Monday morning after I got the in stock alert, arrived Friday. Yea I did get lucky with the fretboard, everything is top notch too, my complaints would be the finish had a couple tiny scratches in it, and when they screw in the plastic parts it melts it seems and it's not pretty underneath near the screw holes. But it sounds amazing, I might make a quick video of it.
I just got it yesterday. Fiesta Red. Love it. The early 60s C neck is exactly what I like - it feels slim tapered, getting just ever so slightly thicker as you move down the neck.
It's a common misconception that the neck must be removed to adjust the truss rod. Just slack off the strings and partially loosen the four neck screws enough to tilt the neck up at an angle from the neck pocket so the truss rod nut can be safely accessed and engaged for adjustment. I've been adjust necks on my Fenders this way for decades.
I'm happy to report that the Olympic White version is currently on it's way through the system over at Sweetwater to be delivered to me next week! I paid the extra money for the plek setup just because I wanted to see how that feels. Cheers!
I bit the bullet on the Sunburst. Same thing. The looks are enough. Yes it's expensive, and it's kind of poorly set up, but the smell of the lacquer and THE LOOKS. It just inspires me to play it. Coming from a Mexican Standard from 2008 that wasn't even set up when I bought it, is a huge upgrade; precisely what I wanted. I don't know if a mod shop or an Ultra would've been better for just $50 more. I wanted the truss rod at the heel, for the clean look. I started recording with it and it sounds so much better than my "trainer" Strat... I'm happy with my purchase.
The red pigment is also subject to UV fading. Red is the most tricky colour to replicate and I have had FR guitars from the same batch with different hues of the FR.
I suggest you try to get your hands on a Made in Japan traditional 60s . I 've heard these have the best cost benefit from all non-custom shop strats. Also, thanks for the Fiesta Red history class. I have been a fan of the aesthetics since ever, and never new why there's different hues and the uranium thing.
Thank you for this review. This is by far the most detailed review of this particular Strat. Kudos for mentioning how the decal was put over the lacquer and the "aged" tinting on the necks and headstock (I prefer the clear lacquer on the AV '59 and '65 Strats of the last AV series 2012-2017)
Hi Mister Mister and you're welcome! I appreciate the compliment and I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I tried to get the previous AV series but they were sold out at the time. I would be interested in hearing you're impression of the AV series II if you have a chance to play one.
@@airtimedesign I will eventually. They're still too new and my local music stores won't carry them right away. I am willing to bet it won't be as cool experience (IMO) as the previous AVRI. Just based on what I already know about them. Seems Fender cut corners compared to last time, which is unfortunate for a $2k guitar.
@@airtimedesign I had a 2016 thin skin 59 , it was a spectacular vintage spec instrument as close to a pre CBS as possible , kinda feel these new ones are disappointing as I kinda figured they would be a step forward from those American Vintage series great guitars and to me the new ones are a step backwards , not bad instruments but definitely not on par with my 59 , why did I sell it 😭
@@limoncr5205 Correct, the AV (or AV1) now are the best, most period correct re-issues ever made, and ever likely to be made. I have all the Strats and Teles from the series. These new ones are halfway betweeen an old AVRI and an AV. The AV1 is still the pinnacle, the case candy tells you that without even playing the Guitars per se. The clay dots will attract a few on the 61 and 63 though...
I paired the guitar with a 68' Custom Pro Reverb and I am in love with the setup. I noticed a few people saying they do not like the setup, and I completely understand but setups are also very personal. On my guitar all I did was tighten the springs a bit, its not decked but it is more to my liking. Also I took the back plate off and noticed melted plastic crud around the holes, (my Custom Shop had the same issue), so scraped it off, wet sanded the area and polished it and it looks factory new with perfect looking holes, (NITRO is so easy to work with I love it). Neck pocket on mine is tight with no gap, thankfully I have had no reason to remove the neck, everything was setup pretty much perfect for me out of the box. I sold my Custom Shop because this guitar was just better period all around, fit/finish and sound. This is my first guitar with a 7.25" radius and it feels really good to me. The rosewood on mine is also beautiful and dark with no streaks, looking online at actual pictures of others, it seems this is not as uncommon as I first thought, I think getting one with streaks might be the outlier. I think the best thing I did was pair it with the 68' Custom Pro...what an amazing amp.
Mine is coming this week. I saved five hundred bucks with a demo or return.not sure and don't care. the pictures sw sent are great. The rw looks fantastic and really dark. Can't wait to play. I have had some surgeries on fret hand the compound on my deluxe ash is to flat for me now. Hope this helps.
These look great, more disappointed that for the money they don't come with the hang tags, polish cloth, cable like they did in 2012-2017 A lot of us definitely buy these for the nostalgia on top of the quality. Was nice simple touch that I appreciated at a premium price.
I understand the concerns about the rosewood, but the originals used Brazilian rosewood which is banned/protected so they use Indian rosewood. I feel it would be disingenuous for Fender to stain them dark which is possible if done right. But otherwise I am really happy with my sunburst, though I exchanged one as I could see a wood join line in the finish that I couldn’t un-see. 😂 I ended up getting a replacement that was a bit heavier but still just under 8lbs. I think the tone of the guitar is awesome personally, very resonant and the neck pickup is glorious. I too have had to fettle with the setup, I prefer a decked bridge - I also noticed my trem arm wouldn’t easily screw in so I had to disassemble the saddles, loosen the block then screw the arm in before re-tightening the block. It’s not uncommon but really shouldn’t have had to do it. Heard a lot of people talking about the neck pocket fit and while on some there is a gap, it’s not to worry about - SRV had a huge gap on his No.1, the neck join surface was perfectly flat which matters more. I think you gave a really good and fair review, though I find these pickups like an amp on the edge of breakup. I agree on some minor details should have been checked over in QC, but this is a production line guitar and ultimately the originals will have had warts and all.
Fantastic review yet AGAIN!!! Your deep dives are second to none brother. This exact Strat has been on my radar and is really taking over my head lately. I have a custom shop NOS 60 Strat that i bought for a ridiculous price a few years ago. Cant pull the trigger on this just yet but its gonna happen. These new AVii are a good deal i think.
Love that the American Original II is based on the 61' and not the 65' like the first gen. Much cooler version and more like the old AVRI models. Great review
I have a American original 60s strat ....the build quality is excellent and it has a 9.5 radius fret board . Really nice ax but I actually find my self gravitating more often to my American pro 2 . The playability of the pro 2 is just outstanding .
@@airtimedesign I am damn near 60 years old man and I have played alot of fenders through the years and I believe they are makin the best production strats they ever have . Fender is doin some great stuff for the last few years man .
Both awesome Strats! I went in to buy an Am Pro 2 but then started comparing the tone to a shell pink AO 1960s. While the Am Pro get amazing in the hands, I found it more bright and modern sounding. I preferred the AO’s warm, balanced, and vintage sounding tones. The shell pink is a real looker too!
I bought my fender strats in the late 1990s and early 2000s and had a 1989 strat also. I played a custom shop relic back then and thought that the 90s standard strats I had were better. I think it's a purist psychological thing that draws people to the 50s 60s guitars rather than being better. Personally I think the best years for American guitars are the late 1980s until 2005ish. Someday guitarists will discover it too
Funny how that goes in and out of style. I have a 1985 Strat with the bullet truss rod, big headstock and the 3 bolt neck. I never thought that guitar would be worth anything. But I do think the guitars built today can be every bit as good as a vintage guitar. The only difference is the old wood.
I own a 61 Vintage II Strat (three tone sunburst). I always wanted to buy and play that kind of "NOS" Instrument. The woods (one piece eldar body and the maple neck with a dark rosewood fingerbord) look and sound great, Craftmanship and weight (3,75 lbs) are also perfect But .. made two mods currently: 6105 frets and new boutique PUs. And now that guy is perfect ! . Still less expensive than a custom shop reissue but same quality, weight and sustain ,,, and it sounds as a 61 should -> Remark: Also changed the PU's in my Custom Shop Strat
I'm a lefty player, and as many of you know finding a lefty custom color Strat is nearly impossible. I always wanted a Fiesta Red, but short of buying it from the Custom Shop I sort of accepted the fact that I would never have one. When these came out near Christmas 2022 I almost freaked out, and stated buying them at any opportunity. I rarely buy new guitars, as used is always the way to go if you're looking to save money. But I went the limit on these, and bought myself 20 of this model, with 12 of those being Fiesta Red. One I put away, in completely original condition including all tags and receipts. The rest are going through my shop, and I am doing Relic work on them. They will be done within a year, and then I will have some of the nicest Fiesta Red Strats you will ever see...still at about half the price from the Custom Shop.
$289.50 in 1961 would be roughly $2,950.00 today. So, I wouldn’t complain too much about the price of the American Vintage II. It looks like a good value. The cumulative inflation rate of the US dollar for the time period from 1961 to today is 917%.
I would comment that every guitar you buy, new or used, you have to set up it to your liking first. I mean every guitar, even a custom shop strat or gibson or even a prs. They are usually set up by factory to a relatively high action, to avoid the guitars buzzing or fretting out if they move during shipping, and knowing most store wont do a full setup before hanging the guitar on the wall for the sale. They can also be left hang on a wall in the store, untouched for a while and left not in tune. When you buy a higher end, more expensive guitar, the shop you are buying it from should offer a full setup. They usually do. Or you could go see your luthier. I learned to do setups so I can do it myself, I usually set it to factory specs, and adjust a bit from there after. On higher price guitars you usually have less work to do to make it play great. Frets, nut, etc have better work and you usually do not have to touch them. I would not expect to buy a guitar perfectly adjusted to my liking directly from the wall, no matter the price. That being said I like your video/review of the guitar and learned a bit regarding the fiesta red nuclear finish. Hahaha! Fun facts! I like the fiesta red it looks classy. You have got a very nice guitar. I got an american original 50 (white blonde ash) a couple of weeks ago, just before the new american vintage ii line went out. I believe the american original and vintage ii lines are pretty close specwise. Mine is a bit heavy 8.2 pounds, I wish my guitar would have been a bit lighter. And the pickups ( pure vintage 59) are a little dark to my liking, but they have a lot of body for single coils. I love this guitar it has a very fat soft v neck. I had to get used to the neck fatness it took me 2 weeks and now I prefer this neck over my other guitars. I think you have to play the guitar for a while to see if you really like it.
Hello Jean-Phillippe, good information and thank you for taking time to comment. Some people have said that they like the Am Original better. I have not had a chance to compare them but I'm sure they are both nice. I agree with you about the fatter neck. Although I don't have long fingers I still prefer a neck with a little more girth. Not like a baseball bat but I do think the larger neck adds something to the sound and of course the feel.
Thanks for this great review. I have one of these on reserve from Sweetwater, a white one. I'm getting it, in part, from having played one way back in 1968 when I was 16. It was only briefly, through a Princeton Reverb but the sound was awesome and the experience never left me. I'll be honest, in a way I'm trying to revisit my youth. But there is more to it. I've always been a Gibson fan. I have a Gibson Modern I recently purchased but I want a guitar with real single coil pickups. I can't think of a better way to fulfill that need than with a Fender American Vintage II '61 Stratocaster.
Thank you for your honest review. Another guy who also reviewed a red vintage II 61 Strat, complained about the buzzing on the low e string. On a expensive guitar like this, there should be no issues with it at all. The pickups do sound better than the thinner and brighter 50's Vintage II reissue guitar. But I agree, its hard to bend the strings on this guitar. I choose a PRS Silver Sky over this guitar after I compared the two. And that is not an easy thing to do as most stores do not carry these guitars. Another frustrating issue. The Silver Sky had no issues from the frets which are bigger, whammy bar, nut, or the locking tuners. In addition, my Silver Sky is under 8 pounds, it has the satin neck, and the tone of the pickups is great. Oh yeah, its much easier to bend the notes on the Silver Sky as well. The Silver Sky is based on John Mayer's 1963 Strat so your getting that vintage vibe with some modern improvements.
Great review and video! Best and most direct no-BS sound clips ever! Playing the same phrases in each selector position is the most “honest” approach. And demonstrating chords and single note phrases of different styles was very effective and helpful for those considering this instrument. Light weight bodies and perfectly dark rosewood…I think that’s what the Custom Shop is for. It was stated in the review that both are becoming harder to come by. That’s where the Custom Shop comes in…at a Custom Shop price point. …and jumbo frets wouldn’t be authentic, right? Another job for the Custom Shop. The last thing I need is another guitar. But this new series is kinda cool! Thanks for sharing!
Side note, so to speak: Thanks for the history of Fiesta Red. I suspected the name derived from Fiesta Ware. And I'd long heard rumors about Fiesta Ware using radioactive paint. And the explanation of the various different hues of Fiesta Red clears things up. I believe Ford Motors began using Fiesta Red in the 1950s. I wish my Ford Fiesta was Fiesta Red. I do have on Fiesta Red Strat. All of that said, another excellent review, suh!
13:09 it's the plasticizers in the lacquer that makes the neck feel sticky. You can spray some Finger Ease on the back of the neck or if you don't want to wear the neck in naturally, rub a White Scotch Brite Pad on the back of the neck.
I do exactly that. Scotchbrite pad on the back of the neck. Mine feels pretty good now. I also think that it's just not completely dry from the factory.
I’d rather the Strat than the Gibson. I had a Fender Classic Series version and it was awful. I’ve this new AV2 on order. I’ll have to sell 4 of my guitars to pay for it! It’s okay as I never use them. Great video. No stone left unturned!
MaaaaaaN an honest review. My toes were curling but I gave a comment on the Vintage II Telecaster on another page . Honestly was not that totally blown away. I would say in my opinion..... I played it through a Princeton Reverb Reissue. I have 3 Telecaster s. 2 American 1Japan 60s type 7 lbs killer EXCEPT small frets "X" Yuck . Need larger but beautiful
By far the best overview I have seen. I'm not too concerned about steaks in the fretboard, it's still better then Pau Ferro that I have on my Mexican Strat (which has a lot of streaks). I just pulled the trigger on a Fiesta Red one, after weighing it up with a NOS Custom shop option, it's a no brainer at half the cost.
Thanks for the great review. I don’t understand the narrative that (paraphrased) “Fender did a ton of research on these ‘61 pickups to get them just right”. In the year 2022, could there possibly be anything that’s not already known about vintage pickup construction? There are too many companies to count making forensic reproductions of classic year pickup models, and Fender’s been in that game for decades too. Claiming it as special work now seems like hype.
I’ve played a real 61 and the rosewood had lots of light streaks, so I don’t think that’s an issue. The finish is apparently nitro over poly, which is the biggest disappointment in my opinion.
Got mine couple of months back directly from Fender. The action was crazy high and the neck was a bit crooked to the point where the high E string was nearly hanging off the edge of the neck at the 14th fret. After a local guitar tech got everything straightened out, it's now a joy to play. Still, for a $2K guitar coming direct from the factory to have these issues doesn't exactly speak well of Fender's build/setup quality for one of their "premium" line of guitars.
I have noticed that most of the American Vintage ii line, not just the Stratocasters have poor geometry with the necks. They are also mounting the neck plates very close to the edge for some reason. Fender must have rehired their assembly workers from the seventies. I would only buy one of these if I saw it in person or pictures online. If you buy direct from Fender you are taking a chance.
You are correct in saying, that for $2,000+ it should be set up way better than it is. I wonder if the Strat or Tele were beautifully set up way back in the 50s and early 60s and gig ready right out of the case ?? Probably not ! Regardless, there is always something to tweak or change according to whoever is playing it, everyone has their own way of setting up a guitar that suits them ! You're also right about the screening though, for that money, that is a detail that would show more level of care and attention. Great Vid, Thanks.
I didn’t love very much the pickups sounds. Think to thin, no warm enough for me. I’m gonna try one this week. Love the vintage specifications. Let’s see how it’s sounds in my hand.
Fun guitars and thanks for the excellent review.. as much as I love the old Strats (especially real ones), for my money I prefer current Fenders with the improvements that address the “gripes”. The current Pro II Strat is what I’ll probably buy when the time comes.
I really love the color and the clay dots. I have the ultra and after hearing your review I think I will pass on the guitar. I came to realize that jumbo frets are a must and Ultra neck is the most comfortable to play.
@@airtimedesign Don’t be sorry. A lot of reviews and box openers don’t mention specific details - sometimes details that would make or break the purchase. You’re informative!
@@airtimedesign yes, and it is amazing. My fav strat I ever played, the build is great, the pickups are a little weak IMO but sound great with the right OD pedal. Neck feels amazing, color and finish is awesome. Really happy with it.
@@airtimedesign Got it and absolutely love it, I had to refit the neck however. It just needed to be loosened and straightened then bolted down with the 4 screws. I found my high e string was offset from the 12th fret down but other than that, it is a great guitar, best Strat I've played.
Fender thinks people love the streaks in the rosewood, but I'm with you. I like it dark. Lemon oil works great to darken it up. Glad you mentioned the frets. So few You Tube reviewers even mention the type of frets on the guitar they are reviewing as if it's not that important. It's very important. The vintage tall frets are easier for chord, picking and arpeggio style playing. Lower frets like jumbo are faster and so better for soloing lead guitar playing (generally speaking). This is very important to know. If you get a guitar and realize you hate the frets, that's an expensive problem to fix. I personally love the vintage tall on my Tele. Once I realized I didn't have to press down as hard to play full clean chords, I started loving them. But if you solo a lot, jumbo feel faster and more comfortable when sliding and jumping all over the fretboard (for sure...in my opinion).
I also prefer to have Strat bridges completely decked, which means I'd have to adjust this model since it's set up to be floating out of the box (push/pull on the tremolo). It isn't hard to do, though. I'd also get a set of 5 matching springs from Callaham or some other aftermarket manufacturer and install them, which would make the guitar almost like a hardtail and only able to push the tremolo.
@@airtimedesign Hi again Brooks, I'm hearing some negative things about the 2023 versions of this guitar. I keep hearing people claim that Fender is now *staining* the fretboards on these to make the rosewood look darker. Hard to believe that you can spend over 2K on a Strat and not get both dark rosewood and proper shielding. Is that true or just an urban legend?
I wish I could find the neck measurements somewhere. Is it a medium C? The small frets is big obstacle for me. They are also all around 8lbs and I wish they could have gotten closer to 7.5lbs
Mine is 7.5lbs, maybe even a little lighter. Lighter ones are harder to find but they are still making them under 8 lbs. I wonder if a guitar looses weight as it dries over 50 plus years?
I would definitely buy this guitar and in Fiesta Red! I like what you said if we went back in time and played brand new 1961 Strats. Would they all be immaculate, "Holy Grail" guitars. Most likely not! Would I buy this one? Most definitely!!!
Interesting review. I kinda forgot fender made this line up. And I don’t recall seeing them on sale here in Singapore where I live. Made in Japan fenders are very common here instead. We have the Japanese made Traditional II 50’s/60’s (which I feel is like the American Vintage II series but not having down to the screw vintage specs) and Hybrid II line up of fenders. I own the latter and it’s a really nice instrument. They’re also priced similarly to the player series
Reply to the intro, which I know is said as a bit of fun and so is this 😋 Going back and buying all the orginal guitars of the day would have been costly. For example the 1959 les paul standard, with hard case was £290 (£247 without) the equivalent of £7974.56 in todays money. Now that make it more than a Murphy lab today for just a standard. Maybe the prices of guitars these days aren't all that crazy. By the way I do think prices have gotten silly and over inflated. All well just thought that would be a fun little fact.
Really thorough review. Thanks. I was surprised when you started taking it apart. I have a beautiful faded sonic blue 1959 from the original vintage series. But even still this red guitar is giving me GAS.
Played squier strat for almost 4 years.love it so much.need to upgrade and got extra cash i bought american performer but got many issues with it.first impression my squier come stock with bone nut but the usa for the price come with plastic nut.one of the fret stick out luckly i send it to guitar tech and they hammer it back.i try MIJ hybrid 60s in surf green love it so much even get hyrid 50s.MIJ strat for me is better than the MIA strat.but the pickups MIA is better sounding.
Thanks for the video. I have ordered mine, but it’s going to arrive in April. I don't understand why it will take so long, but I am sure it is worth the wait.
I heard the same thing Jesus. I actually wanted to get the Jazzmaster of the '57 Strat but I was told the same thing, not available till Spring 2023! Let me know what you think when you get yours.
I think the American originals were better guitars. Also, Fender would not shield the cavity. Shielding takes off some of the high end. My EJ Strat (The best Strat for the Money IMHO) has no shielding cuz EJ preserves that top end. So why would they shield the cavity of a vintage style guitar? Anyway, good review. The color is amazing though.
Nice review offering a good insight to what the Fender Vintage II is and has to offer. Gripe: Criticising fender for not putting shielding in the pick-up cavities, knowing full well it would not be year specific and against the whole ethos and principle of the manufacturing and crafting of that guitar is pointless.
I just picked up this git in a burst. It plays and sounds absolutely killer! There’s only one glaring prob that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere online and it’s that it’s a nightmare to play live on a dark stage. Especially if you jump all around the neck when ripping solos. The clay fret markers quickly become invisible on stage. Use the force. Ugh
@@christopherfidler3019 Ya. I’ve been using fluorescent gaff tape as side markers. It works but it gets me through one show max. I thought about the paint, but, I don’t want to alter the git. A tech offered to drill out the side markers and replace as well, but, again, I don’t want to mess with the git so….tape it is…lol
I have heard of and seen many videos with serious quality issues. No offense, but the neck pocket issues are inacceptable in that price range, especially in the age of cnc machinery. I'm glad i bought a custom shop one for then still a reasonable price of 3,5 grand. It's a superb specimen of what fender can actually make. Nowerdays custom shop is at least a grand more. I dont know whether they use polyurethane only as a 'filling' coat and nitro above but its not historically either. Anyway, there are certainly specimen with a high quality standard but you got to get out and look em up and inspect each one of them, certainly a bummer these days.
I love the review, and all the info, and the insight of how finish could age. My only insight it would be that maybe 18 mins long is too much for the average duration of what guitar reviews actually are, or maybe need to be. Maybe 10 mins review and some beauty shots while you played the guitar- and add some winky-winky humor bits on the script could boost your channels hits. Along with your particular view on some key specs. I guess what we look in a review is to see how much joy the player can get out of the guitar, first rule for that: show, don't tell. I hope this comment contributes you somehow. Kudos man.
Hello ENC, My first choice was Olympic White but it was not in stock. I wasn't too sure about Fiesta Red but now it's really got me. Especially with the research I did and the way it ages, now I'm glad I got it.
@@airtimedesign aging is an important consideration for sure. There is a lid for every pot, so I’m glad you got the color you bond with. We need all the inspiration we can get!
I bought the Olympic White a couple of weeks back (Scotland UK). It's definitely a keeper. Have to say though, off the rack in the shop the setup was appalling - I knew I could address the playability issues so I wasn't too concerned but for the money Fender could do better.
@@nigelsmith721 sorry to hear that! My set up was fine, but it also didn’t cross the Atlantic Ocean and go through a bunch of different climates. I agree though, it would be nice if local stores made sure the guitars played well at their destination (or at least the nicer guitars like these).
It is not a nitro finish that will age etc., that is misleading. It's a poly finish with a very thin flash mist of nitro so that Fender can list it as nitro.
Putting that $2099.99 price into some perspective, $298.50 from 1961 is worth $2,873.78 in 2022. On the other hand, wages for most of the population of this country have been rather stagnant for about 40 years.
Excellent review. I want accuracy if a manufacturer tells you its a reissue. This guitar misses on four points. It should have a sheilding plate, not foil. The cap is not correct either, and that may affect sound. The 5-way switch is OK, and so is the bridge tone control but not true to vintage. At what point is it vintage reissue, or does it transition to modified vintage? Why is that a question? Just make it like they used to.
@Brooks Reid It may make sense to a marketing manager to not include vintage accurate features on a vintage reissue guitar, but not to those who want a vintage reissue. I would've thought Fender had learned this fact with the end of their Original Series. As you recall they were supposed to represent an era, not a specific year but also included "modern" features not ever present in any part of those eras (9.5" fretboard radius for example when all those guitars made in the vintage era came with 7.25" radius). I am left with questions when I see dedicated effort to get some of the fine details correct while other details appear complete overlooked. I don't have an issue with improving faults or upgrading a vintage design (flatter fretboard, bigger frets), but if it's a vintage reissue, shouldn't it be as a detailed recreation of every feature of that instrument? Shouldn't non-vintage accurate features on sort of vintage instruments be labeled "Vintage Modified"?
Fantastic review! For some reason .. the fiesta red is the one that is catching my eye, the other colors are classic and appealing, but the fiesta just seems less predictable. I can’t wait to try one. I think my preference would be for ‘57 pickups on the fiesta and a V neck w rosewood. Obviously that’s not gonna happen. I’ll have to hunt them down and play a few . I hope I can figure a way to own one of these. Is this a limited run ?
Thank you Michael, glad you enjoyed the review. There has been such a demand for these American Vintage guitars that most music stores have sold out but I don't think this is a limited run. I think Fender has a huge hit on it's hands and is making them as fast as they can. I think by the beginning of next year everyone will have plenty of stock. I'm also hoping they will add more colors.
A little 0000 steel wool to the back of the neck will fix the stickiness. I agree with your set up, and I actually prefer to do it myself, so no problem there. Overall such a great revue!
@@airtimedesign Even without the steel wool or Scotch-Brite, the stickiness will be gone in a year if you play it enough and wipe the gunk off each time you're done. I have several American Originals which had the same feeling on the necks when new and they all feel like glass now. The reason it feels that way initially is because it's brand-new, factory fresh lacquer, which is still a bit soft. Lacquer takes a long time to really get hard as the trace solvents continue to evaporate out of it.
@@400_billion_sunsI tragically found that out about the softness of the lacquer on a new 2001 Les Paul DC Std which I caused to spend too much time on the guitar stand. Finish on the bottom-lower back side suffered (marred) where the foam legs were--zero tolerance for. By the time I noticed it was too late. While that was on me and my naïvete, still it really opened my eyes up to how long it can take for that stuff to "cure."
@@springertube Yeah man. I discovered the same thing with my own guitars, like the time the fresh Olympic White lacquer on my strat soaked up the dye in a blue t-shirt I was wearing and turned pink! I was annoyed about it at first, but then I realized that this is the whole reason people pay extra for lacquer: because it wears, stains, ages, and develops a unique character. Now I actually enjoy those little imperfections and find a certain freedom in the inevitability of lacquer getting damaged… It means I can just play it and enjoy it as it evolves and not have to worry about it looking “perfect,” whatever that means. :)
I hear you about Jumbo frets. I'm the same. But defeats the purpose of vintage series. Get a performer. Way cheaper / american/ satin neck/ jumbo frets. My favourite strat to actually play.
I have to tell you that sometimes I end up screwing in the claw and adding springs to get it flat on the deck. Depends on your string gauge too. I use 10's.
These are low-output single coil pickups that sound very close to the originals. A lot of people prefer low-output single coils if you have a lot of dymanics in your sound. The recent trend though is high-output pickups, you see people doing things like putting a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge position because they want a loud overdriven sound.
@@danielstoddart I just find the pure vintage 65s pickups better. Not sure if those are low output but don’t sound as bright as these 61 pickups especially on the bridge setting. I would love to listen a comparison between these vintage series and the original 60s.
it's NOT an expensive guitar, it's a mass produced Strat, and intermediately priced, you need to pay the big Custom Shop $$$ to get one manufactured to your liking/specs, I agree with you on what could be better, but those improvements are not possible on a mass produced guitar at this price point, there are sustainability issues with wood; what you (and I) want is available, but at a premium price and through the Custom Shop, I'll stick with my MIM vintage/60s Strat for now, because it's easy to play, and stays in tune, would def love to order a custom Strat in the next couple of years though
I agree. I have a Vintera series Strat and Tele. They are great guitars and much more affordable. But now with everyone raising the prices it's getting harder to find an affordable guitar!
Thanks for the review. Do you find yourself playing your Vintage II or Pro II more often? I like the neck on the Pro II but haven't played the Vintage II.
To me my pro II felt smoother and more versatile. My vintage II feels and sounds purer. If you want an '1-guitar-to-do-it-all' i´d say pro II. If you want that something extra pure or special... Vintage II
Hi Brooks , great video and informative too . I pulled the trigger on the Olympic White one and love is , I’m gassing for the Fiesta Red one too but in England 🏴 my country the first delivery country wide have sold out already!!! , as you may have guessed i love Stratocasters . Only one thing that disappoints me on mine is the neck picket lower horn side is a poor fit , i can get a medium pick between body and neck ??? Odd as modern construction is so tight these days , i wonder if they are taking the original spech to heart ?? As the original did have neck pocket issues. I’m disappointed but love the feel sound and look . Cheers John
Hey John, I notice the neck pocket on mine also is not as tight as I would like. And I think all the major stores in the US are sold out too. I'd like to get my hands on the '57 Strat and the '66 Jazzmaster to try also.
@@3rdtonefromthesun Thanks mate, I’m in conversation with the store to ask Fender what the deal is on these , but guess I’ll swallow my pride and keep it
Hi Guys, I have one of these guitars, bought recently and I absolutely LOVE it! Unfortunately when I was an apprentice in 1961 and was 16, I only earnt £4 per week and the guitar was around £150! There was no way I could possible afford one of these at that time. I think it is great and nostalgic that we can now buy one of these. There are some modern features like the rolled edge fingerboard which i love also. I am 81 and still play the Shadows and Spotnicks music in clubs, what a lovely way to live!!!!! Many thanks for a great and honest review! This is a great guitar!
Thanks for reviewing without using pedals! I don't understand why some folks review a new guitar with some many effects you can't hear the guitar. I don't use pedals, nothing wrong with them. But I don't know many players who use the same one as everyone else. It's a personal thing. So good for you! We heard the guitar, now if we want we can add pedals or amp setting to our own tastes.
That's the only way to really tell the tone of the guitar. You have to go to the base level. When I try out a guitar, I don't even plug it in. I want to see how it plays acoustically first. Then I play it clean to hear the tone of the electronics.
My Fiesta red just came in and I got lucky. The fretboard on mine has no streaks and is as dark if not darker than any other rosewood board I have ever seen. It is also super light, if it helps anyone else, I ordered mine directly through Fender, (It does though have a small scratch near the bridge). The case is not my favorite either, but man, the guitar is absolutely 100% custom shop NOS level. I am stoked!!
You got lucky! Glad you got a nice one. When did you order and when did you receive it?
@@airtimedesign I ordered on Monday morning after I got the in stock alert, arrived Friday. Yea I did get lucky with the fretboard, everything is top notch too, my complaints would be the finish had a couple tiny scratches in it, and when they screw in the plastic parts it melts it seems and it's not pretty underneath near the screw holes. But it sounds amazing, I might make a quick video of it.
Everything I wished for, light guitar and dark fretboard only other perfect thing would be a thin neck.
I just got it yesterday. Fiesta Red. Love it. The early 60s C neck is exactly what I like - it feels slim tapered, getting just ever so slightly thicker as you move down the neck.
cool
It's a common misconception that the neck must be removed to adjust the truss rod. Just slack off the strings and partially loosen the four neck screws enough to tilt the neck up at an angle from the neck pocket so the truss rod nut can be safely accessed and engaged for adjustment. I've been adjust necks on my Fenders this way for decades.
dont even need to do all that
@@soofitnsexy How much you slacken your strings and loosen four neck screws depends how much you want avoid gouging your pickguard.
@@YTPartyTonight pick up pickguard and just use a screwdriver thats it
@@YTPartyTonight dont need to touch the neck at all..I have severalvintage and vin style fenders
@@soofitnsexy Okay, if you don't need to then you don't need to. For all of mine, that's not the case.
I'm happy to report that the Olympic White version is currently on it's way through the system over at Sweetwater to be delivered to me next week! I paid the extra money for the plek setup just because I wanted to see how that feels. Cheers!
I bit the bullet on the Sunburst. Same thing. The looks are enough. Yes it's expensive, and it's kind of poorly set up, but the smell of the lacquer and THE LOOKS. It just inspires me to play it. Coming from a Mexican Standard from 2008 that wasn't even set up when I bought it, is a huge upgrade; precisely what I wanted. I don't know if a mod shop or an Ultra would've been better for just $50 more. I wanted the truss rod at the heel, for the clean look. I started recording with it and it sounds so much better than my "trainer" Strat... I'm happy with my purchase.
The red pigment is also subject to UV fading. Red is the most tricky colour to replicate and I have had FR guitars from the same batch with different hues of the FR.
I suggest you try to get your hands on a Made in Japan traditional 60s . I 've heard these have the best cost benefit from all non-custom shop strats.
Also, thanks for the Fiesta Red history class. I have been a fan of the aesthetics since ever, and never new why there's different hues and the uranium thing.
I love what fender has done with this 61 model especially. Definitely worth every penny.
Thank you for this review. This is by far the most detailed review of this particular Strat. Kudos for mentioning how the decal was put over the lacquer and the "aged" tinting on the necks and headstock (I prefer the clear lacquer on the AV '59 and '65 Strats of the last AV series 2012-2017)
Hi Mister Mister and you're welcome! I appreciate the compliment and I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I tried to get the previous AV series but they were sold out at the time. I would be interested in hearing you're impression of the AV series II if you have a chance to play one.
@@airtimedesign I will eventually. They're still too new and my local music stores won't carry them right away. I am willing to bet it won't be as cool experience (IMO) as the previous AVRI. Just based on what I already know about them. Seems Fender cut corners compared to last time, which is unfortunate for a $2k guitar.
@@airtimedesign I had a 2016 thin skin 59 , it was a spectacular vintage spec instrument as close to a pre CBS as possible , kinda feel these new ones are disappointing as I kinda figured they would be a step forward from those American Vintage series great guitars and to me the new ones are a step backwards , not bad instruments but definitely not on par with my 59 , why did I sell it 😭
Those 2012-2017 series was the best. Have a rosewood 59 sunburst, still my favourite, dark rosewood, resonant.
@@limoncr5205 Correct, the AV (or AV1) now are the best, most period correct re-issues ever made, and ever likely to be made. I have all the Strats and Teles from the series. These new ones are halfway betweeen an old AVRI and an AV. The AV1 is still the pinnacle, the case candy tells you that without even playing the Guitars per se. The clay dots will attract a few on the 61 and 63 though...
I paired the guitar with a 68' Custom Pro Reverb and I am in love with the setup. I noticed a few people saying they do not like the setup, and I completely understand but setups are also very personal. On my guitar all I did was tighten the springs a bit, its not decked but it is more to my liking. Also I took the back plate off and noticed melted plastic crud around the holes, (my Custom Shop had the same issue), so scraped it off, wet sanded the area and polished it and it looks factory new with perfect looking holes, (NITRO is so easy to work with I love it). Neck pocket on mine is tight with no gap, thankfully I have had no reason to remove the neck, everything was setup pretty much perfect for me out of the box. I sold my Custom Shop because this guitar was just better period all around, fit/finish and sound. This is my first guitar with a 7.25" radius and it feels really good to me. The rosewood on mine is also beautiful and dark with no streaks, looking online at actual pictures of others, it seems this is not as uncommon as I first thought, I think getting one with streaks might be the outlier. I think the best thing I did was pair it with the 68' Custom Pro...what an amazing amp.
Sounds like you're enjoying your new guitar and amp!
Got mine from Sweetwater it was perfect right out of the box. Love the feel of the 71/4 radius neck vintage tall frets feel great
Mine is coming this week. I saved five hundred bucks with a demo or return.not sure and don't care. the pictures sw sent are great. The rw looks fantastic and really dark. Can't wait to play. I have had some surgeries on fret hand the compound on my deluxe ash is to flat for me now. Hope this helps.
These look great, more disappointed that for the money they don't come with the hang tags, polish cloth, cable like they did in 2012-2017 A lot of us definitely buy these for the nostalgia on top of the quality. Was nice simple touch that I appreciated at a premium price.
I understand the concerns about the rosewood, but the originals used Brazilian rosewood which is banned/protected so they use Indian rosewood. I feel it would be disingenuous for Fender to stain them dark which is possible if done right.
But otherwise I am really happy with my sunburst, though I exchanged one as I could see a wood join line in the finish that I couldn’t un-see. 😂 I ended up getting a replacement that was a bit heavier but still just under 8lbs.
I think the tone of the guitar is awesome personally, very resonant and the neck pickup is glorious.
I too have had to fettle with the setup, I prefer a decked bridge - I also noticed my trem arm wouldn’t easily screw in so I had to disassemble the saddles, loosen the block then screw the arm in before re-tightening the block. It’s not uncommon but really shouldn’t have had to do it.
Heard a lot of people talking about the neck pocket fit and while on some there is a gap, it’s not to worry about - SRV had a huge gap on his No.1, the neck join surface was perfectly flat which matters more.
I think you gave a really good and fair review, though I find these pickups like an amp on the edge of breakup.
I agree on some minor details should have been checked over in QC, but this is a production line guitar and ultimately the originals will have had warts and all.
Hi Yoyoyeomans. I'm glad you found a good one!
Fantastic review yet AGAIN!!! Your deep dives are second to none brother. This exact Strat has been on my radar and is really taking over my head lately. I have a custom shop NOS 60 Strat that i bought for a ridiculous price a few years ago. Cant pull the trigger on this just yet but its gonna happen. These new AVii are a good deal i think.
Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for the compliment. Much appreciated!
So far the best review in this guitar. Incluiding the history of the color. Thank you so much.keep it up!
Thank you Manuel! You made my day!
I enjoyed doing the review and I'm glad you liked it. Thank you and please subscribe!
Srv had a 61 fiesta red. You can see it in the show with Albert king ❤
Love that the American Original II is based on the 61' and not the 65' like the first gen. Much cooler version and more like the old AVRI models. Great review
Got mine today. It's heavenly.
I have a American original 60s strat ....the build quality is excellent and it has a 9.5 radius fret board . Really nice ax but I actually find my self gravitating more often to my American pro 2 . The playability of the pro 2 is just outstanding .
Nothing wrong with the AM PRO 2. I have one and I love it.
@@airtimedesign I am damn near 60 years old man and I have played alot of fenders through the years and I believe they are makin the best production strats they ever have . Fender is doin some great stuff for the last few years man .
Both awesome Strats! I went in to buy an Am Pro 2 but then started comparing the tone to a shell pink AO 1960s. While the Am Pro get amazing in the hands, I found it more bright and modern sounding. I preferred the AO’s warm, balanced, and vintage sounding tones. The shell pink is a real looker too!
The American Pure Vintage was the one to get 2012-17 they were the most accurate production line Fenders ever made.
Yep, those are really nice too!
One of the best reviews I have seen, the sound demo with the graphics is great. Keep up the great work :)
I bought my fender strats in the late 1990s and early 2000s and had a 1989 strat also. I played a custom shop relic back then and thought that the 90s standard strats I had were better. I think it's a purist psychological thing that draws people to the 50s 60s guitars rather than being better. Personally I think the best years for American guitars are the late 1980s until 2005ish. Someday guitarists will discover it too
Funny how that goes in and out of style. I have a 1985 Strat with the bullet truss rod, big headstock and the 3 bolt neck. I never thought that guitar would be worth anything. But I do think the guitars built today can be every bit as good as a vintage guitar. The only difference is the old wood.
I own a 61 Vintage II Strat (three tone sunburst). I always wanted to buy and play that kind of "NOS" Instrument. The woods (one piece eldar body and the maple neck with a dark rosewood fingerbord) look and sound great, Craftmanship and weight (3,75 lbs) are also perfect But .. made two mods currently: 6105 frets and new boutique PUs. And now that guy is perfect ! . Still less expensive than a custom shop reissue but same quality, weight and sustain ,,, and it sounds as a 61 should -> Remark: Also changed the PU's in my Custom Shop Strat
I'm a lefty player, and as many of you know finding a lefty custom color Strat is nearly impossible. I always wanted a Fiesta Red, but short of buying it from the Custom Shop I sort of accepted the fact that I would never have one. When these came out near Christmas 2022 I almost freaked out, and stated buying them at any opportunity. I rarely buy new guitars, as used is always the way to go if you're looking to save money. But I went the limit on these, and bought myself 20 of this model, with 12 of those being Fiesta Red. One I put away, in completely original condition including all tags and receipts. The rest are going through my shop, and I am doing Relic work on them. They will be done within a year, and then I will have some of the nicest Fiesta Red Strats you will ever see...still at about half the price from the Custom Shop.
Wow! you bought 20? !
$289.50 in 1961 would be roughly $2,950.00 today. So, I wouldn’t complain too much about the price of the American Vintage II. It looks like a good value. The cumulative inflation rate of the US dollar for the time period from 1961 to today is 917%.
I got a used Olympic white one for $1400. I think it’s a keeper! Closest thing to a custom shop you can get for half the price.
I would comment that every guitar you buy, new or used, you have to set up it to your liking first. I mean every guitar, even a custom shop strat or gibson or even a prs. They are usually set up by factory to a relatively high action, to avoid the guitars buzzing or fretting out if they move during shipping, and knowing most store wont do a full setup before hanging the guitar on the wall for the sale. They can also be left hang on a wall in the store, untouched for a while and left not in tune.
When you buy a higher end, more expensive guitar, the shop you are buying it from should offer a full setup. They usually do. Or you could go see your luthier. I learned to do setups so I can do it myself, I usually set it to factory specs, and adjust a bit from there after. On higher price guitars you usually have less work to do to make it play great. Frets, nut, etc have better work and you usually do not have to touch them. I would not expect to buy a guitar perfectly adjusted to my liking directly from the wall, no matter the price.
That being said I like your video/review of the guitar and learned a bit regarding the fiesta red nuclear finish. Hahaha! Fun facts! I like the fiesta red it looks classy. You have got a very nice guitar.
I got an american original 50 (white blonde ash) a couple of weeks ago, just before the new american vintage ii line went out. I believe the american original and vintage ii lines are pretty close specwise. Mine is a bit heavy 8.2 pounds, I wish my guitar would have been a bit lighter. And the pickups ( pure vintage 59) are a little dark to my liking, but they have a lot of body for single coils. I love this guitar it has a very fat soft v neck. I had to get used to the neck fatness it took me 2 weeks and now I prefer this neck over my other guitars. I think you have to play the guitar for a while to see if you really like it.
Hello Jean-Phillippe, good information and thank you for taking time to comment. Some people have said that they like the Am Original better. I have not had a chance to compare them but I'm sure they are both nice. I agree with you about the fatter neck. Although I don't have long fingers I still prefer a neck with a little more girth. Not like a baseball bat but I do think the larger neck adds something to the sound and of course the feel.
Thanks for this great review. I have one of these on reserve from Sweetwater, a white one. I'm getting it, in part, from having played one way back in 1968 when I was 16. It was only briefly, through a Princeton Reverb but the sound was awesome and the experience never left me. I'll be honest, in a way I'm trying to revisit my youth. But there is more to it. I've always been a Gibson fan. I have a Gibson Modern I recently purchased but I want a guitar with real single coil pickups. I can't think of a better way to fulfill that need than with a Fender American Vintage II '61 Stratocaster.
Hello Matchrocket. Everytime I pick up my guitar I feel like I'm 16 again. As close as you can get to a time machine. Hope you enjoy it!
I love a resewood board with streaks of orange and red , reminds me of old Brazilian
Tbis may be the best review I've ever seen on any subject.. and I watch a lot of reviews.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
I own the three tone sunburst. Amazing guitar. So fun.
Thank you for your honest review. Another guy who also reviewed a red vintage II 61 Strat, complained about the buzzing on the low e string. On a expensive guitar like this, there should be no issues with it at all. The pickups do sound better than the thinner and brighter 50's Vintage II reissue guitar. But I agree, its hard to bend the strings on this guitar. I choose a PRS Silver Sky over this guitar after I compared the two. And that is not an easy thing to do as most stores do not carry these guitars. Another frustrating issue. The Silver Sky had no issues from the frets which are bigger, whammy bar, nut, or the locking tuners. In addition, my Silver Sky is under 8 pounds, it has the satin neck, and the tone of the pickups is great. Oh yeah, its much easier to bend the notes on the Silver Sky as well. The Silver Sky is based on John Mayer's 1963 Strat so your getting that vintage vibe with some modern improvements.
you're welcome!
Great review and video! Best and most direct no-BS sound clips ever! Playing the same phrases in each selector position is the most “honest” approach. And demonstrating chords and single note phrases of different styles was very effective and helpful for those considering this instrument.
Light weight bodies and perfectly dark rosewood…I think that’s what the Custom Shop is for. It was stated in the review that both are becoming harder to come by. That’s where the Custom Shop comes in…at a Custom Shop price point.
…and jumbo frets wouldn’t be authentic, right? Another job for the Custom Shop.
The last thing I need is another guitar. But this new series is kinda cool! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Martin. I glad you enjoyed the review!
Side note, so to speak: Thanks for the history of Fiesta Red. I suspected the name derived from Fiesta Ware. And I'd long heard rumors about Fiesta Ware using radioactive paint. And the explanation of the various different hues of Fiesta Red clears things up. I believe Ford Motors began using Fiesta Red in the 1950s. I wish my Ford Fiesta was Fiesta Red. I do have on Fiesta Red Strat. All of that said, another excellent review, suh!
Thank you JDKing! I really wasn't that excited about Fiesta Red until I did some research. Now I love the color and the history.
13:09 it's the plasticizers in the lacquer that makes the neck feel sticky. You can spray some Finger Ease on the back of the neck or if you don't want to wear the neck in naturally, rub a White Scotch Brite Pad on the back of the neck.
I do exactly that. Scotchbrite pad on the back of the neck. Mine feels pretty good now. I also think that it's just not completely dry from the factory.
Fiesta Red was also used on Ford cars and trucks starting in 1956. Leo Fender used the same automotive paint made by DuPont, which had lead in it.
and Duco.
I’d rather the Strat than the Gibson.
I had a Fender Classic Series version and it was awful. I’ve this new AV2 on order. I’ll have to sell 4 of my guitars to pay for it! It’s okay as I never use them.
Great video. No stone left unturned!
Thank you Krazeeization, glad you enjoyed the video. Please let me know how you like your new guitar when you get it.
MaaaaaaN an honest review. My toes were curling but I gave a comment on the Vintage II Telecaster on another page . Honestly was not that totally blown away. I would say in my opinion.....
I played it through a Princeton Reverb Reissue. I have 3 Telecaster s. 2 American 1Japan 60s type 7 lbs killer EXCEPT small frets "X" Yuck . Need larger but beautiful
Really the best '61 vintage introduction vedio i've ever seen!
Thank you! That makes all the work worth it for me.
Andy Summers has one of these red strats. You can see him playing it on the Police Reunion Tour 2007.
I’m pleased with mine. Pretty much perfect 😍 I love the tone of pickups and the controls are very responsive.
By far the best overview I have seen. I'm not too concerned about steaks in the fretboard, it's still better then Pau Ferro that I have on my Mexican Strat (which has a lot of streaks). I just pulled the trigger on a Fiesta Red one, after weighing it up with a NOS Custom shop option, it's a no brainer at half the cost.
Vintera II line is coming out with Rosewood Fingerboards.
Wow! Thank you!
Thanks for the great review. I don’t understand the narrative that (paraphrased) “Fender did a ton of research on these ‘61 pickups to get them just right”. In the year 2022, could there possibly be anything that’s not already known about vintage pickup construction? There are too many companies to count making forensic reproductions of classic year pickup models, and Fender’s been in that game for decades too. Claiming it as special work now seems like hype.
Welcome to marketing.
I’ve played a real 61 and the rosewood had lots of light streaks, so I don’t think that’s an issue.
The finish is apparently nitro over poly, which is the biggest disappointment in my opinion.
I still don't know the whole story on that.
@@airtimedesign apparently nitro over poly dates back to the 60s
Got mine couple of months back directly from Fender. The action was crazy high and the neck was a bit crooked to the point where the high E string was nearly hanging off the edge of the neck at the 14th fret. After a local guitar tech got everything straightened out, it's now a joy to play. Still, for a $2K guitar coming direct from the factory to have these issues doesn't exactly speak well of Fender's build/setup quality for one of their "premium" line of guitars.
Hello TH010-I agree. I had the same impression. I love it but I still wish it was the same quality as a custom shop that cost 3 or 4 times more.
I have noticed that most of the American Vintage ii line, not just the Stratocasters have poor geometry with the necks. They are also mounting the neck plates very close to the edge for some reason. Fender must have rehired their assembly workers from the seventies. I would only buy one of these if I saw it in person or pictures online. If you buy direct from Fender you are taking a chance.
You are correct in saying, that for $2,000+ it should be set up way better than it is. I wonder if the Strat or Tele were beautifully set up way back in the 50s and early 60s and gig ready right out of the case ?? Probably not ! Regardless, there is always something to tweak or change according to whoever is playing it, everyone has their own way of setting up a guitar that suits them ! You're also right about the screening though, for that money, that is a detail that would show more level of care and attention. Great Vid, Thanks.
you're welcome!
I didn’t love very much the pickups sounds. Think to thin, no warm enough for me. I’m gonna try one this week. Love the vintage specifications. Let’s see how it’s sounds in my hand.
Well did you ever get a chance to try one and did you like it?
Great review, love the advice on the end!
Fun guitars and thanks for the excellent review.. as much as I love the old Strats (especially real ones), for my money I prefer current Fenders with the improvements that address the “gripes”. The current Pro II Strat is what I’ll probably buy when the time comes.
Replace the factory bone nut with Graph Tech TUSQ XL pre-slotted and file to perfect height.
I really love the color and the clay dots. I have the ultra and after hearing your review I think I will pass on the guitar. I came to realize that jumbo frets are a must and Ultra neck is the most comfortable to play.
Hello Aziz Aziz, sorry I talked you out of it. That was not my intention to discourage you but the Ultra is a great guitar!
@@airtimedesign Don’t be sorry. A lot of reviews and box openers don’t mention specific details - sometimes details that would make or break the purchase. You’re informative!
Save your money and buy a Suhr Classic S. I love my Ultra but my Suhrs play much better.
great review, just bought mine and cannot wait to play it
So did you get it? How do you like it?
@@airtimedesign yes, and it is amazing. My fav strat I ever played, the build is great, the pickups are a little weak IMO but sound great with the right OD pedal. Neck feels amazing, color and finish is awesome. Really happy with it.
@@airtimedesign Got it and absolutely love it, I had to refit the neck however. It just needed to be loosened and straightened then bolted down with the 4 screws. I found my high e string was offset from the 12th fret down but other than that, it is a great guitar, best Strat I've played.
Great review as always. You’re one of the most enjoyable to listen to and I love your honesty.
Wow! Thank you!
Fender thinks people love the streaks in the rosewood, but I'm with you. I like it dark. Lemon oil works great to darken it up. Glad you mentioned the frets. So few You Tube reviewers even mention the type of frets on the guitar they are reviewing as if it's not that important. It's very important. The vintage tall frets are easier for chord, picking and arpeggio style playing. Lower frets like jumbo are faster and so better for soloing lead guitar playing (generally speaking). This is very important to know. If you get a guitar and realize you hate the frets, that's an expensive problem to fix. I personally love the vintage tall on my Tele. Once I realized I didn't have to press down as hard to play full clean chords, I started loving them. But if you solo a lot, jumbo feel faster and more comfortable when sliding and jumping all over the fretboard (for sure...in my opinion).
good information. A lot of people don't realize how the frets effect your playability. Thanks!
I also prefer to have Strat bridges completely decked, which means I'd have to adjust this model since it's set up to be floating out of the box (push/pull on the tremolo). It isn't hard to do, though. I'd also get a set of 5 matching springs from Callaham or some other aftermarket manufacturer and install them, which would make the guitar almost like a hardtail and only able to push the tremolo.
Hey Daniel, thank you for posting a comment.
I decked mine with only 3 springs (10 gauge strings). The bridge doesn’t now move at all (and the trem arm is back in the case where it belongs…)
@@airtimedesign Hi again Brooks, I'm hearing some negative things about the 2023 versions of this guitar. I keep hearing people claim that Fender is now *staining* the fretboards on these to make the rosewood look darker. Hard to believe that you can spend over 2K on a Strat and not get both dark rosewood and proper shielding. Is that true or just an urban legend?
Great video! I enjoyed every second of this 👍
Just bought one online, cant wait to play it, thanks for the review!
Hey Paul, you're welcome. Thanks for the comment! Let me know how you like the guitar when you get it.
I wish I could find the neck measurements somewhere. Is it a medium C? The small frets is big obstacle for me. They are also all around 8lbs and I wish they could have gotten closer to 7.5lbs
Mine is 7.5lbs, maybe even a little lighter. Lighter ones are harder to find but they are still making them under 8 lbs. I wonder if a guitar looses weight as it dries over 50 plus years?
I would definitely buy this guitar and in Fiesta Red! I like what you said if we went back in time and played brand new 1961 Strats. Would they all be immaculate, "Holy Grail" guitars. Most likely not! Would I buy this one? Most definitely!!!
That is something that would be interesting if you had a time machine. I think the magic just comes with time and playing.
@@airtimedesign I agree with you on that.
Interesting review. I kinda forgot fender made this line up. And I don’t recall seeing them on sale here in Singapore where I live.
Made in Japan fenders are very common here instead. We have the Japanese made Traditional II 50’s/60’s (which I feel is like the American Vintage II series but not having down to the screw vintage specs) and Hybrid II line up of fenders. I own the latter and it’s a really nice instrument. They’re also priced similarly to the player series
What are the Japanese Trad 50's/60's like?
Reply to the intro, which I know is said as a bit of fun and so is this 😋
Going back and buying all the orginal guitars of the day would have been costly. For example the 1959 les paul standard, with hard case was £290 (£247 without) the equivalent of £7974.56 in todays money.
Now that make it more than a Murphy lab today for just a standard. Maybe the prices of guitars these days aren't all that crazy. By the way I do think prices have gotten silly and over inflated.
All well just thought that would be a fun little fact.
2022 Les Paul Standard Custom Shop = 1959 Les Paul Standard.
I only wish I had kept all the guitars I've had over the years. I think I actually let friends borrow a few that I just never got back.
@@airtimedesign I can't convince my well-paid friends to get themselves GOOD guitars!
Really thorough review. Thanks. I was surprised when you started taking it apart. I have a beautiful faded sonic blue 1959 from the original vintage series. But even still this red guitar is giving me GAS.
Hello Funkuncle, glad you enjoyed the review.
Played squier strat for almost 4 years.love it so much.need to upgrade and got extra cash i bought american performer but got many issues with it.first impression my squier come stock with bone nut but the usa for the price come with plastic nut.one of the fret stick out luckly i send it to guitar tech and they hammer it back.i try MIJ hybrid 60s in surf green love it so much even get hyrid 50s.MIJ strat for me is better than the MIA strat.but the pickups MIA is better sounding.
Thanks for the video. I have ordered mine, but it’s going to arrive in April. I don't understand why it will take so long, but I am sure it is worth the wait.
I heard the same thing Jesus. I actually wanted to get the Jazzmaster of the '57 Strat but I was told the same thing, not available till Spring 2023! Let me know what you think when you get yours.
Did you get it?
I think the American originals were better guitars. Also, Fender would not shield the cavity. Shielding takes off some of the high end. My EJ Strat (The best Strat for the Money IMHO) has no shielding cuz EJ preserves that top end. So why would they shield the cavity of a vintage style guitar? Anyway, good review. The color is amazing though.
Glad you enjoyed the review. Thank you for the comment!
Fiesta is my 4th favorite red after Dakota, Torino and Candy Apple. Sonic Blue, black or sunburst would be nice.
Nice review offering a good insight to what the Fender Vintage II is and has to offer. Gripe: Criticising fender for not putting shielding in the pick-up cavities, knowing full well it would not be year specific and against the whole ethos and principle of the manufacturing and crafting of that guitar is pointless.
Hello @Stringz67, you're right it's pointless. Glad you enjoyed the review!
I just picked up this git in a burst. It plays and sounds absolutely killer! There’s only one glaring prob that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere online and it’s that it’s a nightmare to play live on a dark stage. Especially if you jump all around the neck when ripping solos. The clay fret markers quickly become invisible on stage. Use the force. Ugh
cover the side markers with glow in the dark tape or use phosphorus paint.
@@christopherfidler3019 Ya. I’ve been using fluorescent gaff tape as side markers. It works but it gets me through one show max. I thought about the paint, but, I don’t want to alter the git. A tech offered to drill out the side markers and replace as well, but, again, I don’t want to mess with the git so….tape it is…lol
I have heard of and seen many videos with serious quality issues. No offense, but the neck pocket issues are inacceptable in that price range, especially in the age of cnc machinery. I'm glad i bought a custom shop one for then still a reasonable price of 3,5 grand. It's a superb specimen of what fender can actually make. Nowerdays custom shop is at least a grand more. I dont know whether they use polyurethane only as a 'filling' coat and nitro above but its not historically either. Anyway, there are certainly specimen with a high quality standard but you got to get out and look em up and inspect each one of them, certainly a bummer these days.
Great video.. have this one (Fiesta Red '61 strat) ordered and can't wait to get it.
Thanks Andrew, when you get it please let me know how you like it.
Thanks Andrew! Please let me know how you like you're guitar when you get it.
Great video! I have the same in sunburst (a light one at 3,5kg) and I love it. Only thing is the frets are indeed quite small for my taste.
Hey Bart, thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the review.
Excellent video with all necessary details!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Was looking at this model for a while but ended up going for the Silver Sky. I think you cant really go wrong either way
I love the review, and all the info, and the insight of how finish could age. My only insight it would be that maybe 18 mins long is too much for the average duration of what guitar reviews actually are, or maybe need to be. Maybe 10 mins review and some beauty shots while you played the guitar- and add some winky-winky humor bits on the script could boost your channels hits. Along with your particular view on some key specs. I guess what we look in a review is to see how much joy the player can get out of the guitar, first rule for that: show, don't tell. I hope this comment contributes you somehow. Kudos man.
Man, those are some great suggestions! Thank you!
I personally am not a fan of fiesta red, but I love my Olympic white 61 Strat. I have been impressed with this American Vintage ii series.
Hello ENC, My first choice was Olympic White but it was not in stock. I wasn't too sure about Fiesta Red but now it's really got me. Especially with the research I did and the way it ages, now I'm glad I got it.
have the 3 tone sunburst but I like the white and the fiesta red also a lot! awesome guitars 😉
@@airtimedesign aging is an important consideration for sure. There is a lid for every pot, so I’m glad you got the color you bond with. We need all the inspiration we can get!
I bought the Olympic White a couple of weeks back (Scotland UK).
It's definitely a keeper. Have to say though, off the rack in the shop the setup was appalling - I knew I could address the playability issues so I wasn't too concerned but for the money Fender could do better.
@@nigelsmith721 sorry to hear that! My set up was fine, but it also didn’t cross the Atlantic Ocean and go through a bunch of different climates. I agree though, it would be nice if local stores made sure the guitars played well at their destination (or at least the nicer guitars like these).
It is not a nitro finish that will age etc., that is misleading. It's a poly finish with a very thin flash mist of nitro so that Fender can list it as nitro.
Putting that $2099.99 price into some perspective, $298.50 from 1961 is worth $2,873.78 in 2022. On the other hand, wages for most of the population of this country have been rather stagnant for about 40 years.
Yeah that crazy to think about that around $300 in '61 is about $3000 now!
Thank you for the honest review.
Excellent review. I want accuracy if a manufacturer tells you its a reissue. This guitar misses on four points. It should have a sheilding plate, not foil. The cap is not correct either, and that may affect sound. The 5-way switch is OK, and so is the bridge tone control but not true to vintage. At what point is it vintage reissue, or does it transition to modified vintage? Why is that a question? Just make it like they used to.
Good point.
@Brooks Reid It may make sense to a marketing manager to not include vintage accurate features on a vintage reissue guitar, but not to those who want a vintage reissue. I would've thought Fender had learned this fact with the end of their Original Series. As you recall they were supposed to represent an era, not a specific year but also included "modern" features not ever present in any part of those eras (9.5" fretboard radius for example when all those guitars made in the vintage era came with 7.25" radius). I am left with questions when I see dedicated effort to get some of the fine details correct while other details appear complete overlooked. I don't have an issue with improving faults or upgrading a vintage design (flatter fretboard, bigger frets), but if it's a vintage reissue, shouldn't it be as a detailed recreation of every feature of that instrument? Shouldn't non-vintage accurate features on sort of vintage instruments be labeled "Vintage Modified"?
great review. how do you think this compares to the AVII 57? in terms of pickups
Fantastic review! For some reason .. the fiesta red is the one that is catching my eye, the other colors are classic and appealing, but the fiesta just seems less predictable. I can’t wait to try one. I think my preference would be for ‘57 pickups on the fiesta and a V neck w rosewood. Obviously that’s not gonna happen. I’ll have to hunt them down and play a few . I hope I can figure a way to own one of these. Is this a limited run ?
Thank you Michael, glad you enjoyed the review. There has been such a demand for these American Vintage guitars that most music stores have sold out but I don't think this is a limited run. I think Fender has a huge hit on it's hands and is making them as fast as they can. I think by the beginning of next year everyone will have plenty of stock. I'm also hoping they will add more colors.
More colors !!!
A little 0000 steel wool to the back of the neck will fix the stickiness. I agree with your set up, and I actually prefer to do it myself, so no problem there. Overall such a great revue!
Or better yet, a grey (not green) Scotch-Brite pad.
Wow thank you echoplexi. I appreciate the comment!
@@airtimedesign Even without the steel wool or Scotch-Brite, the stickiness will be gone in a year if you play it enough and wipe the gunk off each time you're done. I have several American Originals which had the same feeling on the necks when new and they all feel like glass now. The reason it feels that way initially is because it's brand-new, factory fresh lacquer, which is still a bit soft. Lacquer takes a long time to really get hard as the trace solvents continue to evaporate out of it.
@@400_billion_sunsI tragically found that out about the softness of the lacquer on a new 2001 Les Paul DC Std which I caused to spend too much time on the guitar stand. Finish on the bottom-lower back side suffered (marred) where the foam legs were--zero tolerance for. By the time I noticed it was too late. While that was on me and my naïvete, still it really opened my eyes up to how long it can take for that stuff to "cure."
@@springertube Yeah man. I discovered the same thing with my own guitars, like the time the fresh Olympic White lacquer on my strat soaked up the dye in a blue t-shirt I was wearing and turned pink! I was annoyed about it at first, but then I realized that this is the whole reason people pay extra for lacquer: because it wears, stains, ages, and develops a unique character. Now I actually enjoy those little imperfections and find a certain freedom in the inevitability of lacquer getting damaged… It means I can just play it and enjoy it as it evolves and not have to worry about it looking “perfect,” whatever that means. :)
What a thorough review, thanks
you're welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
I hear you about Jumbo frets. I'm the same. But defeats the purpose of vintage series. Get a performer. Way cheaper / american/ satin neck/ jumbo frets. My favourite strat to actually play.
I love everything about this guitar except the 7 1/4 profile.
FYI they don’t come with a nice g&l case anymore. Mine just came in, and the case looks the same but is really cheap and a terrible fit.
BTW to tighten the tremolo I found it better to just push in the claw. No need to add springs or change orientations. Physics!
I have to tell you that sometimes I end up screwing in the claw and adding springs to get it flat on the deck. Depends on your string gauge too. I use 10's.
@@airtimedesign ah. I like it floating. It’s a balancing act. But it can certainly be achieved with enough focus and patience
I would’ve liked to see the read on those pick ups but other than that nice review.
I definitely want that one in that color as well!!!!!
I agree with the sound of the pickups. I prefer the sound of the original 60s series, those pickups just sound fuller, rounder.
These are low-output single coil pickups that sound very close to the originals. A lot of people prefer low-output single coils if you have a lot of dymanics in your sound. The recent trend though is high-output pickups, you see people doing things like putting a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge position because they want a loud overdriven sound.
@@danielstoddart I just find the pure vintage 65s pickups better. Not sure if those are low output but don’t sound as bright as these 61 pickups especially on the bridge setting. I would love to listen a comparison between these vintage series and the original 60s.
it's NOT an expensive guitar, it's a mass produced Strat, and intermediately priced, you need to pay the big Custom Shop $$$ to get one manufactured to your liking/specs, I agree with you on what could be better, but those improvements are not possible on a mass produced guitar at this price point, there are sustainability issues with wood; what you (and I) want is available, but at a premium price and through the Custom Shop, I'll stick with my MIM vintage/60s Strat for now, because it's easy to play, and stays in tune, would def love to order a custom Strat in the next couple of years though
I agree. I have a Vintera series Strat and Tele. They are great guitars and much more affordable. But now with everyone raising the prices it's getting harder to find an affordable guitar!
Thanks for the review. Do you find yourself playing your Vintage II or Pro II more often? I like the neck on the Pro II but haven't played the Vintage II.
To me my pro II felt smoother and more versatile. My vintage II feels and sounds purer.
If you want an '1-guitar-to-do-it-all' i´d say pro II. If you want that something extra pure or special... Vintage II
Thank you for the very nice and honest review. We’ll done!
You're welcome Steve!
Great review! But you didn't mention that the 5-way switch was not accurate for a '61.
That's true. Thanks for pointing that out!
Hi Brooks , great video and informative too .
I pulled the trigger on the Olympic White one and love is , I’m gassing for the Fiesta Red one too but in England 🏴 my country the first delivery country wide have sold out already!!! , as you may have guessed i love Stratocasters .
Only one thing that disappoints me on mine is the neck picket lower horn side is a poor fit , i can get a medium pick between body and neck ??? Odd as modern construction is so tight these days , i wonder if they are taking the original spech to heart ?? As the original did have neck pocket issues.
I’m disappointed but love the feel sound and look .
Cheers John
Hey John, I notice the neck pocket on mine also is not as tight as I would like. And I think all the major stores in the US are sold out too. I'd like to get my hands on the '57 Strat and the '66 Jazzmaster to try also.
SRV’s No.1 had a big gap, don’t worry about it, these guitars are super resonant as you will have found.
@@3rdtonefromthesun
Thanks mate, I’m in conversation with the store to ask Fender what the deal is on these , but guess I’ll swallow my pride and keep it
To me the most important thing is that the first string doesn´t fall off the fingerboard when playing.
I think I’ll order one right now! 61 Olympic White
I need to start working for Fender. Nah, then I'd be like every other RUclips guitar reviewer!
@@airtimedesignnot sure what’s wrong with being a you tube reviewer guy. I’d do it if I could.
That rosewood looks pretty dark to me from the video, but it may be the camera/color correction.
Yes, it's hard to tell from the video. There was some streaking but it wasn't crazy bad.
@@airtimedesign Thanks, I was saying that in a positive way of course. Looks great.
Just ordered mine in burst.