It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. The Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster's are Vintage-Style while the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's are Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe. The bridge pickup is set up as it was in 51, so it's a dark circuit that produces a really bassy tone. Its not just the pickups; everything about the Vinteras is as close to a vintage Fender as you can get, for less than American Original kind of money. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. The AVII 1951 and Vintera 50s should be very similar guitars in most respects. I eliminated the Johnson first as I didn't want another 12" radius strat. Find out their differences in sound, playability, build quality and value. Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing a guitar, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. I suspect that if you check out the specs of the Vintera & compare them to the Performer, you'll have your answer. You can't go wrong with either of them. Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. They have a modern 9.5" fretboard radius rather than the 7.25" on the vintera, medium jumbo frets vs vintage tall on the vintera, mustang style bridge like the AO had rather than the jazzmaster bridge on the Vintera. !Let us know below! This is a confusing name for a fret size because vintage frets are known for being short. Compared to the average 43mm nut width, these guitars will feel better in the hands of people with small hands. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Fender Vintera 50's Road Worn Strat: https://amzn.to/3qdn2nG (affiliate link)Hey guys this is a Strat worth looking into. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Of course pups can be replaced but the American Original is the first guitar Ive ever had where I cant imagine going anywhere near the pups and wiring. The Fender Road Worn Series, will be a future collectable. The AVII has a nicer finish (nitro over poly sealer, compared to thick poly) and will have better setup / quality control (which can be important especially if you dont do your own setups). If youre not too bothered about nailing a vintage sound, and you just want a good, general Strat tone with all of its chime, glassiness, and versatility, then you could find your match with the Player. Youll notice as well that the 50s models have single-ply scratchplates, as they did back then its not a huge difference, but its a nice touch that adds to whole vintage aesthetic of these guitars. Shoul arrive early next week. They don't come with that dark circuit for the same reason the strat has the 5 way. Both guitars have a Vintage Tall fret size. The Mods usually have some sort of extra pickup configuration as well that give you a wider range of sounds from just one guitar. On the other hand, the Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money. You might notice however, that the Vinteras are more expensive, so what are the differences between these two series to justify the price gap? However, the biggest practical difference likely will be the quality of the pickups and electronics: The AVII has Fenders Pure Vintage pickups while the Vintera 50s has something the Fender website just calls vintage-style pickups. I've been very impressed with the build quality of my Vintera, and I say that as somebody who cant stand poor craftsmanship, fret buzz, sharp fret ends, etc. Most Vintera Modified models have different pickups theyre still based on whatever decade youre going for, but will generally have more output, meaning you wont have to drive the amp as much to get them to distort. 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 guitar for you. Not everyone is going to bothered about nailing that vintage tone or vibe, and thats fine the Player series will see you right. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases. Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. If youre a fan of players that have used 60s Strats Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Frusciante being just two examples, and youre after that sort of sound, then the Vintera 60s Strat is such a good option its cheaper than an American Original or a Custom Shop, and it gets you a good part of the way there. I made that decision last April, and went with the Vintera 50s Mod. It's a fantastic guitar and I really bonded with that specific guitar. The guitar world in general, is pretty obsessed with vintage guitars, so for some players, they will be more desirable. Thanks for the input. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. !Shop All Squier Classic Vibe Models - http://tinyurl.com/yyfnk8ekShop All Fender Vintera Models -http://tinyurl.com/y4yzrhfjShop All Fender Original Models - http://tinyurl.com/y4hgycxjInterested in other Andertons YouTube channels? The guitar world in general, is pretty obsessed with vintage guitars, so for some players, they will be more desirable. Thanks for visiting. Fender describe the pickups as being designed for authentic tone with a bit of an edge a modern tweak of our classic sound thats also a pretty good description of the Player series in general. On the other hand, the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's is a Tremolo. 103. The Vintera is an awesome guitar and the neck is simply incredible its a baby-bear-just right chunky U shape. Each pickup has been carefully calibrated and voiced not only for the decade, but also for the guitar and pickup position. Lastly, but still an important point to make the Vinteras all come shipped with a gig bag, whereas the Players dont come with anything. He carefully inspected pickup sets from a range of vintage Fenders so that he could recreate them for the Vintera series. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty. If you want to benefit from this improved service, please opt-in. I personally bought my Tele about a year ago and was in this same position and went for a brand new Japanese one. If you have guitar related questions, use the "Search" field FIRST, Then ask the community. The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. The Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster gives you 3. After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both guitars in this comparison favor large hands . The main difference in a nutshell, is that the Player series is a modern take on Fenders classic guitars, whereas the Vintera series offers players authentic, period-correct style guitars, based on their golden era decades: the 50s, 60s and 70s. Not only do the Fender Player and Vintera guitars sound different, but theyve got different features too. Here we compare the Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster and the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The main differences between the Fender Road Worn and American Standard series are that the former is made in Mexico, while the latter in the USA. Not sure if it's possible to buy a 5 Watt Champ currently. Last edited: Jun 6, 2020 Bladesg Funk Meister Silver Member Oct 31, 2013 4,073 Both will work perfectly in most band settings, though. Thread starter guitarface; Start date Jun 5, 2020; Prev. Of course, that comes at a price. Unfortunately, none of these guitars come with stainless steel frets. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. All of the gain came. I bet you will probably see the same qualitative superiority in the AVII. We value and reply to every comment!Come and be our friends too!Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thelickloftInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelickloft/ The AO feels great in the hand as the taper fills the hand as you move up the fretboard. Let's see how the Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster compares to the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster. Here's the diagram comparing all the pickup combinations you can get with both guitars: When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more. Both guitars have a Bolt-On neck joint. Jun 30, 2018 20 From the land of the ice and snow. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument. Messages. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. 1,966. More comfortable open chords for big hands, More comfortable at higher frets for small hands, More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings, Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard, Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility, More comfortable open chords for small hands, More comfortable at higher frets for big hands, Simple vibratos without too much maintenance, Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend, Fender Vintage Style 50s Single-Coil Hot Tele, You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings, Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster, Copyright 2023 FindMyGuitar.com | All Rights Reserved. Sep 5, 2019. The Vinteras are essentially the Mexican counterpart to the American Original Series, whereas the US version of the Player would be the American Pro series. I'd slaughter my entire family for a AO60s. However, some expensive guitars come with stainless steel frets. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Make no mistake, youll get beautiful, glassy cleans out of these, and youll find that they sound great overdriven too. JavaScript is disabled. Thanks a ton, I've actually got some Pyramid flatwound 12s in the mail, hoping they're not gonna be too big. My AO60's Tele measures 0.84" thick at the 1st fret and 0.985" at the 12th fret. And as a bonus, the 1951 U shape neck should be closer to the Vintera, anyway, than the modified neck they put on the American Original (which is good, but comes off more as like a medium C with love handles than a real vintage piece). The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The pickups in the Players are fantastic, but the amount of work that Tim Shaw has put into the Vintera pickups; from the research to the carefully chosen material that theyre made up of, mean that you get guitars that sound incredibly close to how they did in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Theyve got player-friendly features, theyre available in quite a few different finishes (modern and classic), but theyre still quintessentially Fender. Both guitars meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. 1 / 2. Call me paranoid, haha. Just wanna be sure as I have an American original transferring to my guitar shop, and wanna be able to tell the difference in case they stiff me and sell me a Vintera, without me knowing. Youll find that the necks on the 50s models will be pretty thick; especially on the Telecaster, so if you dont get on with chunky neck profiles, then thats definitely something to consider. It has been my #1 guitar since. When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the guitar. You'll feel that it's easier to play bar chords, although you might be more likely to mute strings accidentally when playing open chords. We used no pedals in this video. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. So for me it's versatility vs. having "that sound.". I find that the player-grade Fenders are excellent for that-- playing. NO editing is done to misrepresent how the featured gear sounds in any way.I also use gear in my videos that I originally received through review deals with the companies. Cheers. The pickups in the Vintera guitars were all designed by legendary pickup guru Tim Shaw. Good question. Click to reveal Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. Please remember to like, share and subscribe. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. They also stated the Vintera series will ONLY be nitro in rare, special cases for limited runs. I've been looking at getting a tele for while. 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 pickups were specially designed for the Fender Player series. These were designed by the Fender Custom Shop, and manufactured in Mexico, to avoid EPA laws on Nitro finishes. Which do you prefer? With the AO, you will get a nice nitro finish, too. Cheers. This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. Are the Vinteras better finished? The AVII's are built to the exact specs as they were made at the time, Pretty sure the Strat has a 5 way instead of a 3, Someone mentioned the screws detail in a video I watched and said it was too much, I personally think it's really cool lol. Join. In this case, both guitars have a scale length of 25.5". Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel - https://goo.gl/kiVMBuPlaying starts at 1:44In today's video we were back at the awesome Bonners Music in Eastbourne to check out some of the new Fender Vintera Strats and the Fender American Original Strats. Go. You must log in or register to reply here. 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. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. This means you get a really clear, dynamic and balanced sound not to mention vintage. Yes my budget might be stretched, but that passes, and I have what I really wanted. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands. These are Affiliate Links, and if you shop through here, I earn a small commission which helps support me make these videos!Guitar Gear:Electric Strings: https://amzn.to/2P4bSV5Acoustic Strings: https://amzn.to/3vG6KqYTuner: https://amzn.to/3vH6V54Studio Gear:Audio Interface: https://amzn.to/2QfbBPvShure SM57: https://amzn.to/30SvbmKBlue Encore 200: https://amzn.to/38PEcl1Studio Ring Light: https://amzn.to/38UIpDYDSLR: https://amzn.to/38S7T4IDisclaimer: I do basic audio editing on my videos to account for the microphones, preamp and room. Makes bending and chording up high more comfortable. I've also listed Amazon Affiliate links to my gear further down.Listen: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RLQFre2Qp5T454mFR5Ol4Download: https://jackfossett.bandcamp.com/Tip Jar: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=GGZDWWJN7P7CNWebpage: https://www.jackfossett.comAlso, if you're interested in the gear I use, you can find some of it on Amazon. Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. But, I haven't played either. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip. I have a baja, which is similar to the Vintera 50s Modified, and a partscaster with CS 62 reissue pickups, so I feel like I make a similar decision every day. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. In general, I try to caution against too much cork sniffing but if you have the money to spend I would definitely go for the AVII 1951. Join our newsletter and we'll notify you every time the best brands release new guitars. Meteora Other Shop All Electric Guitars SHOP BY SERIES American Professional ll American Ultra American Ultra Luxe American Performer Player Plus Player JV Modified Vintera Noventa Made in Japan Limited Edition Artist Signature HIGHLIGHTS Introducing Slime Green & Metallic Plum Acoustasonic Back FEATURED Mod Shop - Design Your Own Guitar Press J to jump to the feed. However, some bridges are more expensivelike Floyd Roses and Evertunesand thus add more value to a guitar. AV2 are US build, and period accurate down to the last detail - paint, hardware, neck profiles, cases, etc. 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. Fender American Original vs Vintera 60s Strat Part 1 - Can A Mex Beat A USA? Maybe the Vintera is the right price point and playing point for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar is to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. You must log in or register to reply here. In this case, the Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's. One would think that the pick ups of the Vintera models would be a little better to justify the difference in cost. If you can afford it, buy the AO60s. 5watt champ or a Swart will do the quiet tube amp thing very well. Sounds like I cant really go wrong with either based on the responses. Whilst they might look similar, Id say theres more than enough of a difference between the Players and the Vinteras to justify firstly, them both being in the current Fender lineup, and secondly, the price difference. If I could replace all my necks with this neck I would. The Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster wins when it comes to sound, build quality. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It's much heftier than the modern C. I also have an AO '60s Jazzmaster with a 9.5" neck, which I love. The Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster has an SS configuration while the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster has SSS pickups. If you got small hands, none of these guitars will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability. The 50s one has a 7.25 inch fretboard radius, and I think the Vintera series basses have a 9.5 radius. If the AO neck is anything like the AV '64, you'll be just fine, although the AV has a 7.25 radius. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster has a Synthetic Bone nut. 2 2 Guitar String instrument Musical instrument Music 2 comments Best Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. This is a forum where guitarists, from novice to experienced, can explore the world of guitar through a variety of media and discussion. Changed the pickguard and darkened the Pau Ferro board on my 60's Vintera. I have tried both; had the Vintera '60s Strat in for a couple of weeks to demo but ultimately returned it. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster. Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivableif they're all well built. This site uses cookies to provide and improve your shopping experience. Fender Vintera Road Worn 50s Telecaster vs Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster, 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles, Pure Vintage 6-Saddle Synchronized Tremolo, 1st Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.98'' (24.9mm), 1st Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.99'' (25.1mm), Fender Vintage Style 50s Single-Coil Hot Tele (Single Coil / Passive), Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive), Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage Style 50s Single-Coil Hot Tele (Single Coil/Passive), Neck pickup: Fender Vintage Style 50s Single-Coil Hot Tele (Single Coil/Passive), 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles bridge, From Fender's 2018 American Original series, Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive), Middle pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive), Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive), Pure Vintage 6-Saddle Synchronized Tremolo bridge, Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe tuners, Weight between 7.938lbs (3.6kgs) and 8lbs (3.6kgs). The Vintera series on the other hand, is a direct throwback to the 50s, 60s and 70s. There have been lots of complaints of rough frets and intonation problems in the Player Jags. It's the best guitar I've ever played. Not sure what the finish is on the Vintera though. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. One key difference I noticed is the neck on the 60s is a lot more tapered than the 50s - not sure if it's noticeable as both look to have reasonably chunky necks. I ended up comparing the American Pro, American Original, and the Eric Johnson. The AV2 is made in America, by the same people making the Vintera. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. 2022 Reidys Home of Music. 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 lightweightmore than Mahogany. Obviously a Tele pickup sounds different to a Strat pickup, but theyre all made using the same magnets and wiring. You have arrived at The Lick Loft! I would think that Richard Blenkinsop, The author of of the above article, could answer this. SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. Why dont you have an eye out for a used Classic Series 50s lacquer? Just wanna be sure as I have an American original transferring to my guitar shop, and wanna be able to tell the difference in case they stiff me and sell me a Vintera, without me knowing. 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. All of the gain came from the amp with an SM57 in front of it to try and make it as fair as possible.Check out the guitars used in this video at Bonners Music - https://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/fender-vintera-50s-strat-sea-foam-green-guitar.irhttps://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/fender-american-original-50s-strat-maple-aztec-gold-guitar.irFender Vintera 50's Stratocaster vs Fender American Original 50's Strat, which do you prefer?