Fender American Original 50’s Vs Vintera 50’s Stratocaster

[@HenriksenDolf]

the comparsions on this channel are top notch!

[@nicoladolby2154]

The vintners pickups sound lovely, especially with the gain turned up. However those ‘59 pickups on the American original are stunning!

[@johnspina318]

Vintera

[@GearSmackMusic]

Vintera for the win!

[@MichaelSorensen-bl3ec]

Played a Vintera today at a store, it really surprised me. Sounded great and was very playable. Changing my mind about Mexicasters!

[@martynsparkes7118]

I just got a Vintera,its great,the Tim Shaw pickups are superb,Ive had a custom shop Strat with Abby pickups but the Vintera sounds better,and is that really a vintage radius cause it feels and plays better than it has any right too...also I can see where the extra money has gone on the American original,but the build quality is not as good as the Vintera...go figure.

[@LeviSiccard]

I just think it's all between the ears. I had several strats from cheap Mexican to japanese, usa, an eric clapton and a Custom shop. curently I own the Mexican Vintera and a Custom shop strat. I toured for 2 years with a mexican strat wich was fxx awsome and sounded really great.I loved that guitar but after 2 years of intensive playing the fretboard was just dead. After that I bought another mexican wich didn't suit me at all, then I went for a usa eric clapton... It was great but.. and then I bought the Vintera 50's strat. That guitar needed some adjustments from the neck, saddles and intonation but after that.... the guitar was just playing stunning. sounds really good, stays in tune and stays intonated. I recently bought a custom shop classic strat and I'm not afraid to say I love both guitars equaly. Just trying to say.. guitars are a very personal thing ;-) Just imagine Jack Pearson playing on his second hand Squier. The only mod he made was removing the sticker from the previous owner, lol

[@i.r.theofficial]

The difference is more noticeable in positions 1, 3, 5. The American Original 50's in positions 1, 3, 5 have a wider frequency range. Vintera has more mid frequencies. Positions 2 and 4 are about the same, but the American Original gives more bass. This is my personal opinion, you may not agree 😋. But I like the American Original 50's.

[@danielleelizabeth9417]

I think this it pretty noticeable, the way the pickups are wired in the 59s and 60s original

[@hlcotten6587]

The American Original 50’s version, is a dream to play. The sound is simply custom shop like, without the custom shop price.💎💎💎

[@GearSmackMusic]

The difference is huge. The Vintera has a super clean-ish sound, when you run full overdrive or distortion some clean signal is still blended. For that reason I prefer the Vintera. The American Original Vintage sounds better with distortion BUT Vintera just sounds unique and more useable if you already have a good strat. I prefer the Vintera pickups because they have a unique tone, very nice sound especially on completely clean tones!

[@robinbennison9225]

Just found this channel searching for Vintera Stratocaster comparisons. Great quality videos, a lovely playing. Subbed!

[@tricasterstrat]

Literally two of my dream guitars I'd want to own next! Currently playing a Candy Apple Red Strat

[@carlitobrigante330]

It's a shame that the period-correct 7.25" radius is only found on the Vintera line and not the American Original...

[@geoffreycarter3981]

I believe the american original series is not meant to be a perfectly "vintage correct" it's a departure from the American Vintage series that sort of straddles the line a little bit more. It's commonly thought that the 9.25 is preferred by most players.

[@thedevilsplayhouse]

Thank you for the great back-to-back comparison! To my ears, the Original has noticeably higher output and slightly wider dynamics. That being said, I personally prefer the gentler sound on the Vintera. However, If I heard one guitar now and the other 1 hour later, I would not be able to tell if you switched guitars or are still playing the same one. It's not a night and day difference. I think in the end, the most relevant difference would be the neck feel (width, fretboard radius, fret size) and of course the price.

[@lanszer]

Same impressions to me, the original had a higher output. But in case of Sound booth sound pretty much close. U can hear slightly more dynamic on the american side, but the vintera is such a beast. i own 2 vinteras (HSS and SSS) and i wont regret. Booth play soooooooo good. and sounding amazing!

[@mindfall82]

A little more sparkle to the Am.O and I also like 9.5 radius more than 7.25!

[@nige99]

The vintera in that neck/middle position is excellent!

[@johnspina318]

Not sure if mentioned but if the Vintera pickups were raised slightly,they'd be beefy and fuller sounding like the USA 50.Both sound great but the USA strat is fuller and less bright and thin.Great video.I use the Vintera 50s pickups in one of my Player Strats and they are awesome for the money.

[@DougMen1]

I also noticed that the pickups on the AO were considerably higher than on the Vintera. The Vintera pickups are awesome for the price, but the PV 59 and PV 65 are some of the very best pickups that Fender has ever made. My favorite Strat pickup of all time are the Yosemites, as used on the Am Performer. They have pretty beefy output without losing any of the vintage classic Strat tone and feel.

[@AkiraSpectrum]

Great comparison. I prefer the American Original in terms of sound and looks. The Vintera is quite good in its own right though.

[@darrenc8776]

Nothing bad in either guitar. The original seems more hifi modern sounding were as the vintera sounds much more vintage as its name suggests. The American original has a nitro finish so will look really nice after a year or so.

[@shaunw9270]

Agree. Playing wear and accidental dings (and dirt!) blend naturally over time on nitrocellulose lacquer Fenders and if you have a "Flashcoat" thin finish , you can wear regular contact points down to primer in a few years just playing at home and regular cleaning with non silicone furniture polish designed for antiques . One of my Strats is Polyester finished and yeah it chips like ugly plastic and remains glaringly conspicuous against the pristine finish around it . From memory , I believe the USA Professional , Standard etc , for many years have been Polyurethane which still chips with a bad knock but is a bit softer ,not so jagged if that makes sense ? 👍

[@mcfek7575]

American original has a more modern fretboard with 9,5 radius and 6105 frets. While the Vintera has a more vintage style fretboard with 7,25 radius and vintage frets.

[@christopherbailey5410]

I greatly appreciate your direct comparison. I've just acquired a 50's Ventera. I'm still becoming acquainted with it. Having viewed your comparison I now better appreciate my choice. If I want more output I'll just dig in and floor it.

[@aussie_philosopher8079]

I've got an American original 50s strat with s light ash body and it sounds amazing. Feels and sounds like a custom shop. Also they have cloth wiring, Paper oil capacitor and deep drilled trem block.

[@DougMen1]

The insulation on the pickup's hookup wire and the type of cap have zero effect on the sound.

[@anthonyroach7974]

Both fabulous guitars have any one of them ....down to witch one I liked the feel off ..Mexicans make great guitars to ..Would not notice on a record ..let your ears and feel make your mind up ..Different pick ups to

[@cliffb2454]

The Fender soft vee neck profile on the original series strat is my personal favourite neck over any other.

[@malcolmedwards296]

Vintera 50s modified is what I went for there bloody nice pickups

[@malcolm1367]

I prefer 50s modified hotter pick ups 9.5 neck an s1 switch but nice playing dude

[@DevoT]

Great comparison, except I felt like you played the AO riffs just a tad bit faster and harder, which gives the appearance of it sounding louder than the Vintera.

[@neatspy]

You guys do great comparison videos.

[@CureRadio]

I have this same vintera strat… it is really nice.

[@quoimagueule628]

the vintera is magnificent for the price it has fender custom shop fat 50 pickups and the american 50 has pure vintage 59. the two guitars have aulne bodies and maple necks apart from the box and nitro varnish I do not see what justifies the price of 1000 euro

[@user-yl4lf9mh1w]

the original has a real person working on it longer than they do on the vintera. The vintara might get an hour or so of hands on finishing, where as the original probably gets 4 or 5 hours. It makes a huge difference in quality.

[@quoimagueule628]

@@user-yl4lf9mh1w what you are saying is completely wrong. go to the store and look at the two guitars you will see the qualities are the same no difference. besides, it is better to have a high-end Mexican than a US entry-level .. fortunately fender does not spend as much time on the manufacture of their strat they would have closed long ago otherwise. it's a simple stratocaster it's not a lespaul that requires a lot more work. on a mex or us the body is also cut by digital machine and after the pickups are assembled to the pickguard and all mounted, (5 hours of work 🤣) there are very few differences today between a Mexican and an American. only the custom shops that are really different with period specs. but today the only difference between a strat vintera 50 and a strat us is the labor which is less expensive. the fittings remain the same

[@bjrnjohannessen1862]

I have 2 Fender Stratocaster orginal 50 s one 2CSB and one WB. And they are both SUPER good guitars and sound absolutely amazing and they are also absolutely amazing to play on. Bsst Regards Bjørn

[@vyvynylification]

Any noticeable differenced between them seeing one is alder and one is ash? Just bought the white blonde ash one for little money through an auction

[@rob28781]

I prefer the tone of the Original, but a quick tweek of the amp would get you close. I'd personally prefer to buy the Vintera as I don't think the price is justified at double the price. Maybe spend the other half your 'saving' on a Vintera Tele. You can't lose with either though!

[@bobaldo2339]

Agree!

[@scottyschade]

The answer is take your existing strat and change the neck to the American original replacement, the balanced neck is the what you feel , it’s taken my playing to another level , it’s like softer on the fingers , I have a 96 classic series 50th anniversary Mexico strat , same exact neck as a road worn series or vintera , With the American neck , whole new guitar , a whole new journey starting fresh

[@johnspina318]

Actually slightly raising the Vintera pickups would get it there.An adjustment that is easy and folks replace pickups without trying adjustments.A very little adjustment makes a big difference and yes amp settings.

[@ricky4214]

the vintera seems more true to the 50s sounds, and give it up for the fender luthiers in mexico, sometimes it's a placebo effect when you learn a strat is an mia vs mim, people drool over the mia just because it's an mia. I like the hot output of the vintera 50s pickups

[@anthonyroach7974]

Vintera for me sounds much sweeter and glassy Mex factory is not fare from the USA one .still psychological thing with Mex guitars they are highly quality instruments .Prefer the neck on the Mex one to .old radius and not has thick .Easy change the

[@jcmusic5150]

I think the Vintera sounds killer. Proper 50s Strat tone. Nothing bad about the American Original... just that positions 2 & 4 are a bit... meh. Lacking something that the Vintera definitely has. I tried the two side by side the other day and my opinion was the same. However, I loved the neck on the American Original and not so much on the Vintera. Very subtle difference but just fitted my hand a bit nicer... a tiny bit chunkier than the Vintera at the open chord position.

[@pedroj.delgado5199]

Obviously, as we ALL have heard, the Vintera has a more well defined and beautiful sound, although you were concerned on its finish... but don't get us distracted, the Vintera wins this comparison. Felicidades desde España a mis hermanos mejicanos en Fender, ¡¡¡ gran trabajo !!!. By the other hand, you said that neck is suitable for chords... THAT is what everybody says, because everybody repeats what Eminence says without any Evidence. Now here you have the evidence: David Gilmour, from Pink Floyd, used that neck, the 7,25" with V shape in his famous Black Strat, and he is the master of slides and soloing... not chording.

[@reneotten7376]

Isn't 7,25 problematic for bending with low string action?

[@eduardsiger1860]

The Vintera sounds how a strat should sound. Sound a lot better than the American

[@spendaonlineschool9204]

original much beter in every thing accept the color, i love the vintera finishing sea form green color

[@ericwobschall8410]

Man, I don't know. A couple of initial attacks made one pickup or the other sounds a little different, but for practical purposes, they're awfully close. I ran a few back to re-listen. Laptop speakers, mind you so I'm sure subtle differences would be more evident in person. In some ways the Vintera seems more period authentic. If you changed anything else in the chain it would be more different than these differences. I realize, having made over one billion guitar recordings (OK, seemingly) that one of these might shine in some situation, but I wouldn't want to guess which one. Not really relevant, but fairly cheap pine bodied Squier Classic Vibe 50's telecaster has that low output Nocaster-ish neck pickup sounds more like the real article than it's pricier brethren. In the same way, the Vintera sounds not unlike the real 50's Starts I've recorded. Pick 'em, I guess.

[@jerrylee087]

I would choose the vintera😊 more like a time capsule for me. the american original more like a modern sounding pickup.

[@xaviergomezdelatorre6718]

I prefer vintera 4:50 than original 5:09

[@shaunw9270]

I would be proud to own either but personally I'm still mourning the passing of the USA Pure Vintage Strats. Just my opinion but Fender should have used the Pure Vintage '56 pickups in these "catch all" 50's Original Strats . If they did that then there wouldn't be the small difference in output there is here between them imo . Great demo 👍

[@springlane0137]

I think vintera more on sparkling high ends while original fender is more warmer and high output pick up.

[@titi64230]

i have to compare to real 1957 stratocaster on different video and it seems to my like the vintera maybe a closer sound

[@Tonetwisters]

Does that Vintera have that WONDERFUL neck that the '50s has? I have a '50s AO and it is FABULOUS!

[@costabotes9107]

Love my 50s Vintera.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Both sound great...but if it has to be just one of the two then the USA has the edge in terms of in your face Fender tone . The Vintera sounds like a strat should a bit more subtle but genuine tone.

[@ChrisJones-ht9zn]

I think I prefer the sound of the vintera and I own the American original. 🤔

[@nirmalkoirala7653]

Closed my eyes and couldn’t tell a damn difference. Imaging playing in a gig or with your friends, nobody will tell it is mim or mia. Opened my eyes and completely unbiased, in my ears, vintera sounded better(but only after I opened my eyes). In a nutshell, just buy vintera and show off your skills, if you are on a budget, but if you got cash and obsessed with mia mij or mim, go for original and show off your skills and also the guitar that it’s made in USA 😂

[@adamdoran235]

Buy the Vintrea and stick a set of the AO pups in it? Save 700-800 quid?

[@svetoslavslavov7215]

Pickups of vintera sounds better

[@LLSicilia]

How about option C - MIJ traditional/hybrid 50s? This inclusion would have made for an interesting comparison

[@Taogunner]

Like Vintera's tone is pretty unique...like its groove

[@josephliptak]

You can't go wrong with either strat but I choose the original 50s. Both great guitars.

[@joeg6242]

I think the original 50s sounds better, too. And I own a 50s Vintera...

[@marchel9322]

It’s kind of funny to see that on every not-American made Strat the string tree is not in the right position. With one look you can see that you’re looking at a Mexican made Fender. I wonder if they do this for that reason or if there is something else behind it.

[@danielmunromusic]

The differences between the two would likely be a bit more apparent if you compared sunburst models. The wood selection and joining on the body of my original series sunburst is impeccable. It took me a while to see where the seam was. One thing to note about the original series and the thin finish is that (like the actual 50s strats) the headstock decals can be worn away. I have had to stop using a clip on tuner because it wore down the "original contoured body" sticker and was threatening to do the same to the fender logo.

[@skgate]

vintera has the twang i was wanting, love it

[@lokilewis]

The Original sound like it has some soul to it.

[@Akihiko-MOVIE]

vinteraも頑張って寄せてるのは伝わるけど、originalの本物の美味しさには敵わんな

[@dennisfussenegger2496]

Is this the SFG colorway?

[@jimmy5634]

The original 50’s was a warmer pickup by nature.

[@jonwanrocks]

oh snap the american original has a BIGGER neck than the vintera? thats bold. i was like FLOORED at how big the neck on the vintera is

[@loschullasdejavierrodrigue4004]

La dorada american original !! Astec gold

[@johnnystein67]

I an actually like the sound of the Vintera better.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

The Vintera is a big improvement on the classic series which had terrible curves.

[@DougMen1]

It looks like the pickups on the AO 50s guitar are adjusted quite a bit higher than those on the Vintera guitar, which would explain the difference in output. Both sets of pickups have formvar coated magnet wire and alnico 5 magnets, and all three PV 59 pickups have a DCR of 5.9k, while the Vinteras are 5.5k neck, 5.9k middle, and 6.0k bridge, so, if there's any difference at all, it would only be in the neck pickup, and would be very slight, since the difference is less than 10%. You really should adjust the pickups on both guitars to the same height, and string them both with a fresh set of the same strings. Otherwise, these comparisons are useless and a complete waste of time.

[@philipfarias3448]

The vintera has anlico 6 mags.

[@MELONenSURPRISE]

Vintera all the way

[@zeusprometheus9602]

Original 50s

[@cgavin1]

For my money the American guitar is only worth twice the price if its made to age properly. As it is, its the same plastic finish as the Mexi, which will never age, just chip off. Why pay all that money for plastic? If it had a thin (real) nitro finish on both the body and the neck, it would age beautifully with you.. but it doesn't and won't. Poly is poly. Steel is steel. What's the draw to the US one? I don't see one!

[@cgavin1]

@D T I stand corrected then. Obviously modern nitro is pretty much plastic anyway .. but its still better than nothing. :)

[@danielmunromusic]

I've been gigging my American original 50s strat for over a year. It ages like nitro, not poly. Looks like a vintage guitar now. I've gigged plenty of poly guitars before. I'm not careful with guitars and I'm a full time muso. Poly guitars start looking ugly, which was why I bought the original series. The result is I have a guitar that looks like I paid custom shop to relic it.

[@danielmunromusic]

The American original finish is nitro. I sanded my neck to a matt finish and over time it has worn down to wood. You can see on the edges of the fretboard how thin the finish is. The body finish develops crazing when subjected to rapid heat changes. The wood selection on the original series is beautiful, the hardware is just like a vintage guitar and the pickups play well recorded and live through all the amps and setups I've used so far. I have my trem set up floating and the thing never goes out of tune, not even from dive bombs. I'm sure the Vintera is amazing too but there is a good reason for the Original costing more and for someone like me, who plays hundreds of hours a month, the difference in price is more than worth it for the differences in fit, feel, sound and looks.

[@justinchurch7675]

Daniel Munro that’s just what I wanted to hear. There’s so many people saying that the original has a poly undercoat. Is this true? Does the finish on the body wear down to bare wood? Also have you seen any fingerboard wear with the maple? Thanks!

[@danielmunromusic]

@@justinchurch7675 The body might have a thin poly undercoat, I can't tell. It's definitely dinged and scraped down to the wood on the body in multiple places so if it is poly it's not hard to get through. I don't push hard so my fingerboard may never wear. The neck on my 7 year old martin acoustic is worn down to the wood on the back of the neck with pretty much no damage on the exposed rosewood fingerboard and it's had a refret and nearly needs another.

[@josedealva4205]

original gets post processing so it sounds fuller and louder as its more expensive.

[@MrDubus2010]

original has more highs more harshness. vintera is soft.

[@shaunw9270]

My personal opinion is Fender shouldn't have put the '59 pickups (designed for the old Pure Vintage '59 Strat with rosewood slab 'board) in a "catch all" non year specific vaguely 50's one piece neck model. This guitar would sound less harsh with the Pure Vintage '56 pickups imo.

[@musikus7092]

The American Original sounds better to me.

[@Cheguebuddha]

Vintera has 9's strings and the Original has 10's hence also more low end

[@carlitobrigante330]

True.

[@woutervuijk3542]

Maybe, but the way he plays one can't hear the 009 and 010 string.... It's all about the midtones.

[@nakapi_ch]

弾き方変えてるから比較にならんよw

[@Freddyguillermo1]

Mejor la American Original 50,s mas abierto el sonido mas redondo el sonido y el mástil de 9,5 mucho mejor.

[@jflippe]

doesnt play the same speed, always slower on Vintera

[@ew400]

La même chose le même timbre

[@cawfeedawg]

I have the Vintera in Fiesta red Nitro. I will never part with it ever.

[@nikstar22]

The Vintera sound better

[@bjrnjohannessen1862]

Your information about american 50's original is NOT accurate. It has Ash body with lacquer finish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@astringsuk]

After speaking to Fender, they confirmed that the American Original bodies changed from Alder to Ash at some point in their production. The model used in this 2020 video was indeed Alder with a Gloss Lacquer finish.

[@1977raider]

As a tattoo hater its hard to look at those dirty looking hands 🤮 great guitars though

[@VoloviaUk]

The US sounds full, ‘acoustic ‘... the Mex like a cheap copy in comparison. Different worlds...

[@joshuanelson6135]

Don't know whether to buy American or Mexican? What?! Anyone with a brain knows that you would only ever by Mexican if you don't have enough money for something American, or if you're feeling burritos over burgers.

[@marchel9322]

Joshua Nelson you are really an Einstein. Bravo...

[@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040]

Looking at my Vintera 50s Modified Strat I'm struggling to see how it would be any better than American made axe. 🤔