Fender American Vintage II 57 Strat or Fender Vintera 50s Strat?

[@daveshamir729]

I have the Vintera Roadworn 50s in Fiesta Red. Amazing instrument which I will never part with. I do plan on getting the '61 American Vintage II

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Hi Dave. The Roadworns are awesome as well! The New 61 AMII are fantastic, they have really nailed this series! PM

[@thomasmaier3479]

Also have the Vintera Roadworn 50s in Fiesta Red. I swapped out the pickups for Fender Fat 50's. Excellent guitar for sure.

[@ProjectMusicSW]

@@thomasmaier3479 Great Pickup choice!

[@quoimagueule628]

​@@thomasmaier3479 the vintera 50 already has micro fender fat 50. you should see no difference

[@adamusohadamus]

I got a AVII 61 Strat and it sounds amazing zero QC issues too!

[@therealpalo001]

The USA sounds more aggressive,I like the Mexican strats sound better.

[@anthonyroach7974]

Both beautiful sounding guitars carnt say witch one is better never be able to tell on a record Vintera sounds very sweet my ears but your brain always tells you the USA one is better but the Mex factory not fare from the USA factory .50/50 on this review great playing to and tones .

[@SuperLolsmilyface]

Nothing compares to the Fullerton AVRI's from 1982-1984. They are the best and sound very close to the originals!

[@ProjectMusicSW]

They are great guitars for sure! But this latest range of AV are pretty awesome too! PM

[@TREVORJB101]

That's because the Fullerton models are 35+ years old now and have aged naturally..however as far as specifications go, they weren't accurate. The closest Fender has come (outside of Custom Shop) is the 2012-2017 AVRI series. Even the new AVii aren't as accurate as the previous 2012-2017 batch.

[@czechplastik]

I own both. I wasn't sure if the AVII would be worth the extra money but I think there's enough magic there to justify the cost. Flip side is the Vintera is still a cracking guitar for not a lot of money.

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Totally agree! Vinteras are serious bang for your buck, but those AVII have some extra magic for sure. C. PM

[@splitzerx570]

If thats what you call not a lot of money, well damn you must be rolling in cash then

[@dadmadforgot4050]

When can anyone call a grand “not a lot of money” 😮

[@czechplastik]

@@dadmadforgot4050 people drop that on a new iPhone every year.

[@danielfritz954]

i got a Vintera 50s modified and one thing i love about it is the Neck which is really special. Its not sticky on the backside it has a satin finish which feels great. On the other Hand i must say the Setup from the guitar was really bad !! I couldnt even do it myself cause it needed a Neck reset as well. Bought it online new in 2021 and took it to a luthier he told me he has had some vinteras with the same issues. I dont know but when u buy a new guitar for almost a thousand it should be in a good setup with straight neck and correct intonation.

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Sorry to hear about the issues you had, but glad you ended up with a great guitar! This is exactly why we check and setup everything before we send it out. We know how important a good setup is and want to make sure our customers get a great playing guitar, straight out of the case! PM

[@therealpalo001]

What do you mean by saying a neck reset ?

[@squirtcobain477]

@@therealpalo001 he holds the power button down until the fender logo pops up

[@caiusmadison2996]

​@squirtcobain477 he needs to take the 1/4 inch out and blow out the jack and the 1/4 both. Surly then it'll work.

[@MelodyCarroll-rx8tk]

I love a 50s strat but my small hands struggle to play a G chord due to the thick neck. It sucks!!!! Had to sell my 2022 50s telecaster in sonic blue for a daphne blue Vintera modified strat. The profile was significantly better for me but now, they have discontinued those.

[@MrJayharr58]

Funny the American he plays almost exactly 1/3rd more time and it seems to me when it’s in his hands he jams , the Mexican strat he plays soft, relaxed. He played it slightly aggressive for 11 seconds but who’s counting?!

[@josue_kay]

What is the difference between the 57 AVRI and AVRI 2 if any?

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Hi Josue. The AM Vintage 2 series is the most recent of the AV series, so specs wise they are pretty much the same as the AVRI, but with more accurate detail measurements. As Fender did a further deep dive into some originals and got them as close as they could, but with modern build level. So the finer details are a little more spot on. The pickups are also more accurate to original Fenders. They are fantastic guitars! Not that there is anything wrong with the AVRI stuff either, just a bit different. PM

[@denbodg9311]

Interesting. I’m a bit late to this but I believe the V2 has year specific pickups and the Vintera a decade approximation. To me the Vintera pickups sound hotter. I have a 1982 Fullerton AVRI ‘57, (sort of like a V1)and the V2 sounds similar. However I also have a new V2 ‘61with r/wood fretboard and it’s superb. It also has lower output pickups like the V2 ‘57 compared with todays. For Vintage geeks the V2 range is outstanding, but nevertheless if on a budget the Vintera sounds excellent for the money.

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Hi Denbo. Yes agreed! Vintera is hotter. The V2 is arguably a more refined pickup, bit more dynamic. But both great in their own right! Alos, those 80s AVRI are great guitars! PM

[@denbodg9311]

@@ProjectMusicSW Yes, I must admit I’m a vintage geek, but I’ve played & owned many Strats. I also have a Pro 2 Dark Knight with MN, & IMO it’s the best “standard” Strat since the 60’s. The V-Mods and push/push extra tones cater for modern players, and the neck on mine is the best I’ve ever had. I did check out your Pro 2 video too, no-nonsense excellent playing, well done.

[@ProjectMusicSW]

@@denbodg9311 Thanks for the kind words! Those Pro II strats are fantastic! PM

[@cloudchaser9951]

im still deciding either one of em. which bridge pickup is hotter? i like to do od solo on the bridge. thanks

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Hi Cloudchaser. The Vintera Bridge is a little hotter. around 6.0k as opposed to the Vintage II which is around 5.6k. It definitely sounds a touch bitier, the Vintage 2 is more refined/clearer sounding overall. PM

[@rainer1334]

Great playing!

[@ProjectMusicSW]

Thank you Rainer! PM

[@cgb1394]

2:02 USA in between 3:01 MX in between

[@quoimagueule628]

I have both fender vintera 50s sonic blue and american vintage 2 sea foam green guitars and I see no difference between the 2. they sound exactly the same the handle is identical the nitro varnish on av2 is more orange but otherwise they are the same. fittings etc .... the only difference is the nitro varnish on the American. hard to justify twice the price

[@randywoolum2648]

That's probably the most down to earth response I've read when it comes to USA vs MIM Fenders. People are vulnerable and easily persuaded by marketing hype. They convince themselves that one logo saying "Made in USA" automatically sounds better than one with "Made in Mexico" when in reality, they sound the same. Truth be told, half of the USA parts are probably coming from the MIM factory because they can get them Made at cheaper costs. Now that said, I have seen some slight QC differences between the player series and the AM Pro series, but not enough to justify the extra $900....and probably the same with the vintera and AM vintage ii series.

[@kaneo67]

no way of telling with this foolish comparison