Brutally Honest Review of the Fender American Vintage II series 1961 Reissue: Is it worth the money?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2023
- My band is Blues in Babylon
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I got the guitar and have played it for a while. Man....disappointed.
It's clear that mans hates this guitar
Yes my thoughts 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂so funny
@@anthonyroach7974 I bought this guitar and I don’t care what he says it’s a fantastic instrument in a sweet color.
This guy is just honest
@@rolandodacion7093 still bought it and I think it’s sick
Yeah, somebody didnt like his guitar.
I have this exact guitar, had the same fret buzz out of the box. Even after personal adjustment. I did take it to a local guitar tech and they made it 100% perfect (for an additional cost), but do agree, it should have been better out of the box. Overall, for me - this is my best guitar, can’t complain about anything now. Not justifying the cost or lacklustre setup, but I am 100% happy with it now. Will have this guitar for the rest of my life (and it avoided me potentially paying substantially more for a “vintage” strat)
Good to hear that you enjoy it. I was hoping that mine would be around for a while too, but ended up trading it.
What was the problem with it? Were the pickups too high?
@@VALLAERION I believe the nut needed filing as the angle of the strings were causing the strings to buzz on various frets. Other adjustments didn’t really solve this, so I guess the nut was the issue from factory.
Not defending it, but at this point, there are two realities that are just a part of buying a guitar from one of the big companies:
1. They're probably going to need some amount of set up
2. They cost what they cost.
Every new guitar will need a set up. Terrible review
Maybe I missed it -- how much does this guitar cost?
$399.95 I think it was
twenty-two hundred dollars
2200
Hahahaha…….😂
$2.99
I have the same guitar left-handed. Totally worth it to me. Every complaint you have I've not experienced. Sounds fantastic (sounds better than my American Pro II even with the new pickups I put in it), plays fantastic, and looks fantastic. I bought it sight unseen over the internet because that is how we left handed players always get guitars. Guitar Center sucks. I haven't been inside my local store in over 20yrs. When you have close to $100k in custom shop Gibson's alone and only have 1 left handed Squire, you won't see me again.
Left Handed guitars can be hard to find.
@@markkeeler584 Back when Guitar Center and Sam Ash just moved into town we still had some pretty amazing locally owned music stores. At one of them I bought a left handed Music Man Stingray bass in a trans-teal. right off the wall Thing had a beautiful birdseye maple neck. I wish I had kept it. MM doesn't even do those birdseye necks anymore. Last time I saw them was a limited edition birdseye roasted for right handed players only. Even that has been a few years ago now. I think that bass was the last in store purchase I have ever made. That was literally 20 years ago this year. All of those locally owned stores are gone now. There were 3 good ones we had.
I had a similar experience. I ordered this same guitar through my local shop and was very excited about it. The guitar came in, the excellent luthier at my shop tweaked it, as he does every guitar that comes in. After a few hours of play, things were just off. It's hard to explain. I didn't like the sound, (subjective), I didn't like the feel (subjective), but something was just wrong with the guitar, (agreed upon by the shop staff). I took it back and they accepted the return. While they were doing the paperwork I picked up a Mexican Road Worn they had on consignment and I thought, "This guitar is better in every way than the one I just returned". I wound up putting a Fender CS Strat on layaway. Yes, $2000 more, but remember, the early hype was saying that the American Vintage II was "near" Custom Shop quality. Not in my experience.
I ended up putting my '61 reissue up for sale and wound up trading it for a Les Paul.
I was thinking I might just throw my ideas about "quality" out the window and simply look for a strat that plays well and sounds great regardless of the make or model.
I will probably end up with a Custom Shop strat one day. It's just a matter of when.
@@voyxu143 Try to find a deal on a used Strat. Even in the same year and model, there will be differences in sound and playability. You just have to find a good one.
@@benallmark9671 will do. Thanks.
I've had better luck with the Mexican stuff too; I have a Road Worn Jazz Bass with a stable, highly figured neck that puts most of their CS stuff to shame.
I'm so glad that I found my best Strat in the 90's. And got a L P studio from the 90's. Both are great now but have reputations of being "best of" at something. The L P is from" Good Wood" era. My deluxe plus was "As close to custom shop". Still fantastic to this day.
I've got some good ones too, the '61 reissue just ain't it. haha.
Me too. All the Fenders and Gibsons I bought were from the 90s up to I think 2002. Never a single problem and designed the way I like. If I were to buy another I would buy a used 90s one
doesn't matter what the cost of the instrument is. even if they did a perfect set up before shipping, things can still change over time, due to climate and other people playing it at the store. frets can sprout off the board, sideways, etc. it can happen to a 10k guitar made by a pro luthier. expensive guitars are worth it imo, but they're also made of wood (usually) that changes due to all kinds of factors. also, you need to consider labor costs, which people never do and it baffles me. yes, some charge way less. depends on location, reputation, brand, etc. it sounds like you're voicing some very personal complaints/opinions as though they were facts. you just like other kinds of guitars, frets, setup, etc. some people want vintage tall frets.
Yes, those are certainly my opinions, and I do think it's fair to expect a nice guitar for the price tag of $2200.
I don't understand why folks have to defend Fender. Their necks are almost never completed. I have so many guitars without fret sprout, same climate. It isn't just fret sprout, it is sharp as hell fret ends. Shipping doesn't effect the instrument much between California to NY. I can receive a guitar from California in perfect tune with a great setup. People just like making excuses for brands they are in love with. I just returned 3 2023 Aerodynes for incomplete necks. They wanted to send me more guitars. No thank you. If Fender wants to sell me a guitar, they will have to send it to a luthier to then ship it to me as a completed instrument.
Agree 100% this review is moronic.
@@thomastucker5686 Im shocked you had any issues with fender japan and quality. I own 3 Japanese fender guitars, traditional 60's jazzmaster, vintage modified 50s tele, and a JB-62 jazz bass and all have incredibly well made necks. Feel much better than the American standard neck I have.
@@leo._.vincentit broke me to send 3 instruments back to Sweetwater. They looked amazing. I thought about sending them to a luthier but that would add $900 to the purchase price. One neck had to be refinished on the back because there was dirt buried under the finish. The fretwork was what I expect for a $100 child's guitar, or worse. I had studio work planned for all 3 instruments. One was a bass. I am still pissed. 3 different models sent out of Japan not worthy of owning at the cost of doing so. I own 3 Mexican fenders, all with awful fretwork. I purchased the Japan guitars to replace the Mexican guitars. When the fret work was the same, I decided it is just what fender does. So I did some research and it turns out, you can't expect great fret work out of US models nor custom shop guitars. If folks get a good fender, it likely came from a shop that completes the guitar at their cost. fret ends that are capable of cutting into our skin are not well made instruments. The guitars I replaced all the fenders with were completed at the factory. I wish I had skipped fender on the first go. I am a drummer, I didn't know. After 6 fenders, 3 2021 75th Mexican and 3 2023 fender Japan, with horrible fretwork. fender just doesn't care, they are just a brand now.
About the tension, I think it's the springs. I dropped a set of Raw Vintage springs (all 5) into my AO60s strat and it solved a million issues it had from buzzing (like the beginning of your video) to tension issues. Brought in chime and jangle that I like. Went from an unplayable guitar to a great one.
I put some Raw Vintage saddles on a strat I have.
I also have a couple sets of their pickups.
They have some great products.
This model (AVII) has a bridge that is set up floating out of the box. If you're having trouble with that, try decking the bridge by installing five heavy duty springs such as from Callaham.
@@danielstoddart I don't have an AVII strat. I do have an AO60s. The issue is that the springs that Fender currently manufactures are too stiff and made so you need 3 instead of 5. The Raw Vintage springs (must use all 5) are low tension and flexible. This makes playing much easier and more chimey sound.
@@GoodmanRecordingsTokyo Yes, it's often overlooked when setting up a Strat, but springs do matter. The tension of the springs affects how hard or loose the bridge plate is decked and the feel of the vibrato. Players should also experiment with how many springs they are using. I don't use the Strat vibrato arm, so my preference is to just deck it with 5 good broken-in springs.
@@danielstoddart I have never used the vibrato on any guitar that had one. I always block the bridge. I did buy a $200 Squier Bullet hardtail for my grandson. If Fender made a high quality hardtail, I would buy it, but they don't.
I completely agree with you! When I saw a few reviews, I couldn't believe that a guitar priced at 2200 had a poorly attached neck. Literally, the E1 string was hanging on the edge of the fret.
I bought a 2019 squier cv 50s strat and absolutely love that guitar after I did a minor setup and changed the strings to my preference. $399.00 was well spent.
you're literally referring to ONE video out there that showed the misaligned neck, I know which you're talking about. This is why new things have warranties. You can buy an $80,000 car and have some issues days later. Lol people need to relax. What is worth anything these days? Everything is overpriced. It's the price to play today.
I had Exactly the same problem with the E string as you with an American Original 50’s strat. This is so unacceptable.
This is exactly why I got into guitar lutherie work as a side hustle. I got tired of realizing that just about EVERY guitar being sold new isn't properly set up to be as good as it can be. I currently believe that used guitars are the best way to go. Especially stuff that is 10+ years old. This is because after 10 years any changes the wood will make has already done what it is going to do. Once the instrument is set up, it will stay set up. Defective hardware has already shown its shortcomings and can easily be identified for replacement. This is especially true for guitars with very thin necks. A lot of the new ones may warp or twist because the wood isn't fully cured. If the guitar is 10+ years old and the neck is straight and true, it will stay straight and true. This is why I recommend used Ibanez guitars only if they are vintage, wouldn't take a chance on a new one. It's always a gamble with a new guitar.
Great info and advice. I was going to make a vid on "Old" guitars vs Vintage and if I do I will def present some of these ideas and give you credit.
"LIFE IS A GAMBLE" and Fender will become victims of thier own success. Learn to to DIY your Guitars even if it takes years to get it perfect.
Somebody thinks $2200 is a lot of cash.
@@jackblack2321 $2200 is a lot for me. Thank goodness a great guitar doesn't have to cost anything close to that much.
Thanks for holding Fender's feet to the fire. About the tension issue you mention. How could the tension be any different than what is standard for the scale length? Are the strings heavier than you are used to?
Exactly. For a standard scale, string gauge, and tuning the tension will be identical or nearly so. That's freshman year physics.
Not necessarily if you start bending or using vibrato.
The tension of the springs of tremolo will let you feel less or more comfortable.
It's possibly down to the set up. When you're bending you're stretching the springs as you bend so you have to work it harder. Would be worth setting the trem flat to the body instead of floating and fit a couple of extra springs.
He has the action set pretty darn high 1/8th at the 17th, that will make a guitar really hard to play, more tension. A floating trem adds to that.
I love how you keep saying this guitar is not worth the money and then you proceed to play beautiful awesome blues likes it's hysterical
Haha.....yeah, I had no complaints about the sound of the guitar.
Thanks for your input on this guitar. I was almost going to buy one of these - some other reviewers on the internet had favorable reviews but I held off to play one first which I have yet to do. I recently picked up a Japanese Fender Tele custom and it was $1300 - it played like a dream right out of the box - no adjustments no fret buzz nothing and one of the most comfortable guitars to play that I own. Thanks again for the frank honest review.
Yeah, after going back over some of the vids I watched before buying, I am now thinking many of the guys doing the "reviews" or presenting the guitar probably got paid by Fender.
There are some real quality Japanese builds these days....!!!
I played one and it was fantastic
@@ryangunwitch-black Some people love them.
@@voyxu143 It's no secret that the majority of reviews are sponsored, at least if we're talking about large channels. There are some reviews highlighting serious QC issues with Vintage II guitars out there, e.g. Puisheen's review of Vintage II Jazzmaster, or even Trogly's review of Vintage II 1975 Telecaster. Overall, quite disappointing quality for one Fender's most expensive American lines (outside of the Custom Shop).
@@boshi9 I saw the music shop guys showing the guitar and figured it was in their best interest to hype it up, but there were some small channels doing reviews that I later thought, "man, they must have gotten paid."
Fine review. With regards to the price, I used an Inflation Calculator: $250 in 1961 is > $2500 in 2023 money. So essentially, they've become cheaper.
Cheaper in many regards for sure.
but in 1961 you bought a custom shop quality guitar for your money,now you buy mass produced guitars for essentially the same prices....much more attention to quality in the old days!
@@joellemaster998 that's a little too easy said. Fender's guitars were designed to be mass produced items, contrary to, say, Gibsons. The craftsmanship in those times may have been high but also inconsistent; one instrument varied greatly from another. The actual custom shop, with master builders and all that, didn't start until the late '80s. CNC isn't very romantic but it does give a baseline quality.
True but it costs a whole lot less to manufacture a guitar these days
@@dreamlifter2701 Why is that then? Did wood and parts become a lot cheaper? Labor? We're not talking about guitars made in the Far East here.
It’s good to see an honest review once in a while
Great review. I appreciate the details. Have you tried lowering the pickups on the bass side?
I can't remember the pickup heights, but I do generally like them lower. I traded the strat for a les paul so don't have it anymore.
was considering this guitar but i played in store n didnt love it either you mention you have other guitars that are easier to play n that but what guitar would u recommend
My favorites are The American Deluxe from the early 2000's off the shelf. Many of my other guitars are custom made out of Fender Parts. The Eric Clapton signature is a good guitar, the Eric Johnson signature is a very good guitar. Some of the older Vintage reissues are really good. There are so many good guitars out there. It is important to actually play the guitar, or buy from somewhere you can return it easily if purchased online.
The nicest strat I ever played was the Clapton artist, but yea, sadly that guitar is not a strat (in the 62’ vintage strat sense). I can’t afford a real 61’ or a CS, so I settled on a Mexican road worn, from CME with pure vintage pups, all vintage specs except for the narrow tall frets which I believe are to offset the 7.25 radius somewhat. It was 1000 less than yours, and you get the relic look. If you like that…anyway that is my last strat my search is over.
I compared the vintage 2 to the Am pro 2 when looking for a Tele. The pro 2 was perfect and I preferred the specs. What was I gonna pay 500$ more for ? A nitro finish ?
I enjoyed this review. Thanks for doing it! Have you tried a comparably priced G&L? You might like it better.
Thanks for watching...!
Thank you for your review. I agree with all you said and my experience reflects the exact same problems. These issues shouldn't occur on any instrument at this level or price point. I left Fender and Gibson years ago because of such poor QC and the substandard products they were turning out. I loved my strats, but realized it was time to walk away. I went to PRS and could not be more pleased and have never looked back. My Silver Sky is one of my favorite guitars and an easy-choice strat replacement. It's what a strat could have been. My Core's are simply unmatched. Each PRS has been perfectly playable out of the box despite rarely having extremely minor problems that were easily corrected.
This should not be the case today. It's sad that these two American icons cannot get something right despite once doing it so well and are comfortable charging more than ever.
I am going to check out the Silver Sky for sure. There aren't too many around in the stores that are not the SE(?) version.
I have heard them online and they sound great.
@@voyxu143 I think even the SE stuff will surprise you. I have core versions. I would like to hear your thoughts on one when you do get ahold of one. Thanks for this review!
lol my PRS "core" are only $10k each and they are unmatched! Haha OK
I'm still a fender guy and I got the 3 tone burst. But, I've owned 2 prs guitars and their qc is on freakin point. Those guitars came out of the box ready to go so prs is definitely a great product!!
@@josephvega3763 I would love to see Fender and Gibson make a quality come back. Everyone would win!
I think I got that one out of thousand with the highest quality. I think I really got lucky because mine really plays nicely and I love the tone.
It thought the one I had sounded good, it just played bad,.
Thanks mate for clearing up some doubts about purchasing this guitar. the main question still remain. what do i buy in order to have a trusty sounding instrument? i mean fender strato.
Lots of them out there. The American ones are usually pretty good, but I have played a couple MIM's that played great. Just make sure you get your hands on the guitar and play it for at least an hour before purchasing.
I am a lower end guitar guy and had several guitars at that price range. Now discovered that I really love strats. Modified a Squier 40th anniversary a little and now feels and sounds nice. What in your opinion is a really nice Stratocaster style guitar in the higher price range?
They do vary a bit, but the Strat Ultra, the Eric Clapton signature and the Eric Johnson Signature are usually pretty good, but you do have to play a couple to find a good one. For the money, I would also buy one of these used. The early 2000's American Deluxe stratocasters have never let me down.
it doesn't matter how many options there are out there for 2,500$. The fact is that people who are willing to spend that amount for that guitar do so for many personal reasons. It's not about what you can get for the same amount. It's about getting what you desire for an amount you can rationalize, and hopefully afford. Apparently this seems to work out fine for companies like Fender, Gibson, PRS, Martin, etc... They simply adjust prices based on market demand & sales on their products in order to maximize profits like any other company
Well said.
MONEY.
@@williamcampbell163 money
I just got mine, and my brother bought one, I picked one over the other simply out of a slight slight feel, in fact really no difference. It’s like going to a store and buying two of the same candy bars and asking which one tastes better.
Bottom line, at least for our purchases Fender completely knocked this into the outer limits of space. Wow, I am completely in infatuated with my 61!!
This whole fret issue (not being the med jumbo and how it hurts one’s fingers when playing) I don’t understand or feel or see or get the issue! They feel perfect.
I don’t wanna call bs on this commentator but he must of had a one off or …..I dunno. He traded it for a Les Paul? So when it comes to QC he went from a Cadillac to a Ford Pinto.
@@gregriddle3042 Glad you and your brother got some good guitars.
The les paul is a higher quality build than a fender. It always has been. People have their preferences, but most can agree that a bolt on neck is a lower quality instrument, which is why I talk about a bolt on neck in the vid.
I think this review makes sense. If I'm remembering correctly, this model has the OG 7.25 radius on it. I do wonder if that makes a difference. Those 7.25 guitars some people just can't get into. Combine the tall thin frets with 7.25.. and maybe It's more of a rhythm setup. Perhaps this is one of the reasons fender dropped that from their normal line.
Yeah, it's vintage specs all the way. Very hard to get around on.
First off, thank you so much for you review. Your not just praising guitars like so many videos but are discussing the pros and the cons. I played the 50's, 60's, and 70's Vintage II Fender guitars and I like the 61 Strat the best out of all of them. The tone is not as bright and thin as the 50's reissue. It has a great tone.
I agree you can buy a lot of pickups for just a couple of hundred dollars. But the thing is, people want the sound and tone of the 61 Strat, not another brand pickup.
After playing this guitar, I decided to go for the even more expensive PRS Silver Sky. Why? Because of what you said, if your going to pay this much money for a guitar, it better be perfect. Well, the Silver Sky is perfect. No buzzing, everything was installed properly, no issues with the paint, frets, nut, tuning pegs, or whammy bar. Everything on it is what I expect it to be. The Silver Sky has the bridge flat against the body and the tenson is very low compared to my 1982 Fender Strat that has a floating bridge.
You are also correct, my Sam Ash and Guitar Center do not carry these guitars in stock. You can order them for these company's on line.
My one question for you is why did you keep a guitar that you don't like
Keef....!!! What up? Yeah, I agree I have no issue with the sound of the guitar outside the buzzing. I love the sound of the pickups, so no complaint there.
I will look into the PRS as I do enjoy the sound of the stratocaster and the lower tension of the bridge does appeal to me.
I kept the guitar to trade for something, and ended up trading the Strat for a super nice Les Paul so it worked out for me in the end.
Thanks for the honest review. Its rare I've bought a guitar that's without "issues" out of the box. Got lucky with a Fender American Pro II Tele recently. First guitar ever for me that needed no dialing. Before they got too expensive I liked to buy from the Player series with the expectation I'd have to work on it new to get it where I like it. But then, my finger are still the limiting factor and not the guitar. Thanks again. Will check out your channel.
The guitar was adjusted. When I got it the thing was WAY worse.
I am looking for a good Strat so at this stage in the game I am just looking for ONE, ONE strat that does not have the buzzing and is playable regardless of price or series.
@@voyxu143mate just buy the PRS silver sky. After my experience with this same one that I bought just to return it the day after I’m thinking about the SS. Everybody seems to agree that they come perfect out of the box. I’m seriously thinking to put down the extra cash
Nice playing, by the way. Liked your classical inspired playing position. Sorry that the guitar didn’t work for you. Mine turned out to be a perfect one for me. Though I bought it from a brick and mortar store, fully aware what those “vintage tall” frets are.
John Suhr has the perfect quote "I won't be in business if Fender had good quality control." By a used Anderson or Suhr, 2200 -2400
Yeah, I am looking at the SUHR guitars, but once again, never actually seen one in person or in any store around here.
I have a 2011 standard Strat that plays well. Recently bought a Vintera ll in LPB color, had a setup done on it and switched the pickups with Fralins, big difference. I played the American 61 re issue and decided that the Vintera was not far off this one.
Which Strat would you buy? I’m considering purchasing one. Thanks.
Used: A early to mid 2000's American Deluxe with an Ash body.
New: Any one that was playable off the rack.
@@voyxu143 Thanks!
Purchased a Clapton reissue a few years ago. Same disappointment. Took two years to sell it at 50% loss. Bought an American elite telecaster online just hoping to have some thing playable. Sent it back within 24 hours.
My 2012 standard Strat that I paid $800 new for was a good guitar. Wish I had never sold it.
I’m really glad the vintage two has been sold out for over a year. I’m glad I didn’t buy one because I couldn’t.
Picked up a used sg standard recently, and it’s its joy jot play.
Our local fender dealer lost their right to sell guitars last year. Small shop. He is very disappointed. Had nothing good to say about the direction fender is going.. I believe him now.
The Fiesta red was sold out and on back order when I first tried to get it months ago.
Fender is probably making more money by NOT sending them out to dealers. Not sure if it will stay that way or not.
A used Silver Sky bought thru GC is a better investment. Mine plays like butter, sounds awesome and no issues! Came in mint condition used for $1700!!!
Thinking about a PRS or Suhr next.
My buddy just bought that exact same guitar. His dream guitar forever has been a Fiesta Red 61 with a Rosewood board. When I was playing it before he purchased it, I also noticed some fret buzz (and mind you, this was at a very prestigious guitar shop whom I would assume set up the guitar)... I hope he has the time of his life playing that thing but I wonder if he wasn't just star struck by having one in his hands for the first time and knowing he could walk home with it.
Hopefully he will enjoy the guitar.
My '61 had all the buzzes mentioned here. Luckily I know how to fix it. It took a complete fretboard level and recrown, but now plays as it should. I swapped the p'ups out to get the tone character I prefer, although there was nothing bad about the stock setup.
Thank you for being one of the few REAL reviewers of this guitar and keeping it honest. No one would spend 2200 and dog their own purchase unless it was called for, most people will naturally do everything possible to convince themself they didnt make a bad investment. Bottom line, if they're so great like most reviews say.... why are so many used ones on reverb for 30-40% off?
Tells you everything you need to know about most reviews.
I’m not sure what you searched to find “so many for 30-40% off” because I just looked. Not counting left handed models, there are literally five used ones being sold. The cheapest one has damage and is being sold for only 25% less. The rest are about 10% off full retail. So…
My main suspicion with the buzzing is neck relief, which can easily change with variations in climate. As for the "stiffness", that's probably a combination of the frets and fretboard radius. Vintage-spec'd guitars are honestly just "harder" to play, it's a fact of life. I won't blame Fender for getting things right, especially when the frets should be even smaller to be "accurate". It's all VERY subjective and all about personal preference. Maybe the specs just aren't for you.
It was adjusted for neck relief.
The fretboard radius I already have on another couple guitars and it doesn't bother me.
As far as Fender "getting it right", yeah maybe on paper, but the guitar left much to be desired.
@@voyxu143 Did you return it, then? I feel like that would solve a lot of problems for you...
@@matthewskipper2732 No, I ended up trading it for a real nice Les Paul.
Your frustration is relatable. I hate the feeling of realizing you don’t like a guitar that you take a leap of faith on that ‘should’ be everything you would love. It takes a lot to be honest with oneself about that after the money has been spent (especially if guitar is non-returnable). I will say though, the vintage spec guitars are a bit more temperamental and they do make you work harder for it than the pristine modern guitars. Can’t really fault the guitar for that or for not being set up to your specifications of what you think a guitar should be. Everyone’s got different tastes. Also, altitude, humidity, and temperature can all affect the neck, which could cause the buzz. I just picked up a AVRI ii 57 and it’s awesome. Sure, it’s not perfect and I had to tweak the setup immediately to remove the buzz, but it’s got mojo for sure. Seems like the one in your hands has mojo too, even if it’s not a love connection for you. Sell it to me! 😊
Nick....yeah, I really had no complaints about the tone or sound of the guitar. I thought it sounded great. I have a 50's reissue that is not as difficult to get around on as the '61, but yes, I do agree the vintage guitars are a bit more work to get the tone from than a modern day playing machine.
There are also guitars that come off the line better than others, and I'm glad to hear you got a good one.
I had it up for sale.....so you already missed it...!!! I ended up trading the '61 reissue for a Les Paul Traditional.
I spent some time learning how to work on electric guitars. I can now do all my own maintenance, but not only that, I can now buy cheap guitars and turn them into great guitars, and even better, I can now build my own. I would never spend $2,000, when I know I can build a better one for less than half the price.
P.S. I own a Mex Fender strat, that I bought in 2001. It had 60's style, tall thin frets on it, which I eventually wore flat. I have since re-fretted it (myself) with 6105 stainless steal frets, which feel and play great. I have also done quite a few other mods, such as replacing the pick-ups with my preferred ones, and have installed 7-way switching, including a coil split for the JB Jr neck pick up. It also now has a Graph Tech nut and Fender locking tuners. With all the mods, it cost less than $1,000, and it's a great guitar, as good as (if not better) than any US Fenders I've played.
It sounds like a good guitar. I am not ruling out a Mexican Fender when I go looking for a strat
The Fender Mexico plant is about 90 miles south of Corona CA.
@@voyxu143 The Mexican ones are definitely worth checking out. I was extra lucky with mine, the neck is made of a nice piece of flamed maple, that looks great when it catches the light. It wasn't a special or custom, I was just lucky to get one that had a nice flame on it. Vintage guitars, and replicas, can be nice (or not in some cases), but people forget that the original Strats were made with relatively cheap wood, and paint, what ever Leo could get his hands on. So, they varied a lot in quality and sound. P.S. I'm sorry that your new guitar doesn't live up to expectations, but hopefully you can "rescue" it, and turn it into a nice playable instrument.
@@fishypaw I have never owned a Mexican strat, but as you said, these guitars vary and some are def better than others. I played a Jimmie Vaughan mexican strat once that I almost bought. I will not be ruling them out in the future.
I ended up trading the '61 for a Les Paul.
I'm sorry to say that my 1961 Vintage II has the exact same issues as yours. I've had it professionally set up twice with adjustments, fret leveling, etc. and it just simply has spots on the neck where it buzzes annoyingly at a reasonably set action. This is not being ultra picky. The action is probably "medium" compared to my other electrics and simply sounds like a sitar in a couple spots and buzzes horribly when fretting on the A string on the 3-5th frets. The neck is perfectly straight but just is not enjoyable to play knowing there are spots to avoid.
Question- is it dangerous to replace the neck with a strat Road Worn neck, or will that somehow not fit right and be a waste of several hundred bucks? I really do like the way the pick-ups sound and love the looks of the guitar and want to salvage it...
I am so disappointed that this was able to leave the factory with the neck having very clear issues. one of the dangers of trusting the product of a huge guitar company sight unseen.
Yeah Shane, I was heartbroken so I can only imagine how you felt. I had not really thought about replacing the neck on this one. If you have a guitar tech, get their opinion on what would work. I also wrote Fender Customer Service an email to see if a current neck would fit on a 2002 model strat, and they gave me an answer in about 3 days.
I am almost 100% sure that when and if you do get a new neck that you will have to have the guitar set up so once again, check with the tech that you will be using to set it up. IF you are setting it up yourself, check with Fender to see if the neck will fit and go from there. Good luck.
Have you compared it to other Strats? Honestly, most Strats set up with a medium action will have some amount of fret buzz. To completely eliminate it, the action has to be quite high. It's worth it for the increase in tone, though.
If the neck is “perfectly straight,” that’s not helping. You need a bit of relief in the neck. 0.010” to 0.012” measured at the 8th fret is Fender spec and what I use on all of mine.
I highly recommend you try out the Yamaha Pacifica 612. It's A LOT cheaper than the American Vintage ($750), has cooler specs (Flame Maple Top, Wilkinson Trem bridge, Seymour Duncan Pickups, Graphtech nut and string trees, Grover locking tuners), and the fit and finish is FANTASTIC! I bought it and a Player Strat around the same time, and the Player Strat needed several setups and modifications in order to eliminate the buzz on the open middle strings while the Yamaha needed only two setups!
The Pacifica is made in Indonesia, but all you have to do to see the difference is to compare the quality of the fretwork. It isn't even close at this point. Incredible that you can get nice fretwork like that on an Indonesia-made guitar. Fender had better get their act together.
yamaha pacifica 😮😵💫
Had so many issues with Fenders over the years, when I was looking for a vintage sounding strat in 2019: I settled on a PRS Silver Sky. Still super happy, might want to put a baseplate under the bridge pickup, but it is not needed.
Seems like many people have gone with the Silver Sky. I will have to try one.
The 2019 ones are apparantly a bit more pokey, if you're into that. I tend to use a very subtle compressor as well (ThorpyFX Fat General) as an always on (bit more sustain, added fatness). Then I can do everything I need out of a guitar.
@@LLVG83 I was going to get one of those Thorpys. I ended up with a Jackson Audio, Bloom. If I get a PRS it well def be a used one....!
Love my silver sky.
Just received a Squier strat Sonic HT H Black with almost (a bit less severe)the same strings alignement problem. Screws we’re loose on the neck. Since it’s only a 200$ guitar and love the uncommon highly figured laurel fretboard. I fix it loosening the 4 screws and aligning the neck. The setup was all the way crap on that guitar. Pass QC check at Squier + store… Have only an other bolt-on (Ibanez) and this one was perfect out of the box.
Fender really did a nose dive in the QC department in recent years. I suspect the layoffs and the increased sales during the pandemic played a role. Unacceptable on a $2k+ guitar.
Not sure what's going on over there. Def not worth $2k+.
I bought one of their GC-exclusive Player Strats last year and it had this nasty problem of buzzing when playing the open G and D notes. I had to go in for several setups, add a second string tree, and swap out the nut in order to get it under control. It was even more frustrating later on when I got a SQUIER contemporary strat, and the setup only required one truss rod adjustment to make it play perfect!!!
@@tomaslopez2940 I am going to basically play every model on the wall at the store and just find ONE that plays well regardless of model. They are all basically the same guitar anyway.
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. I bought this exact model when they launched and I have nothing but good things to say about mine.
I was hoping to love the guitar. I know a lot of people do love the guitars. Glad you got a good one.....!!!
2200 dollars...nah.
Your right. Pricing illusions. 🧙♂️ 🎩 Know that in 1962 Fender sold out to CBS... A 3 letter agency. So as if "pre-CBS" is ?. It's just an average 🎸 guitar nowadays. One can obtain a Great guitar for $1,000 new, w/warranty. Thanks for an honest look at "pre-CBS".
@@timothyvaher2421 Yeah, you can buy a lot of guitar these days for $1-2000.
@Timothy Vaher I would even say you can buy a great guitar around 500 dollar :)
Thank you for your honest review. I was close to buy this modell. After this i don´t think so i am going to do that. Have you tried some Fender models which are great? I ´ve heard att Ultra series is really good. Thank you!
I prefer the older stratocasters, the American Deluxe Series from around 2002-2015.
Off the shelf, the Ultra is said to be good. There are many models in their lower price range that are better than the AVII. Best advice is to play the guitar, whatever one you want, in person. Good Luck...!!!
THIS is why knuckleheads that don't know what they are talking about should be making videos impairing others opinions on what they should be buying, this guy is an idiot, no two ways about it, bang for buck closest to originality and it is a USA fenner its the best one on the market period.. go buy a custom 61 strat in fiesta red, $5k, $10k, there is a guy in Italy build you one hardly discernible from an original made with the same tooling, same original lacquers so on so forth, old lumber the works, about $14k , this one isn't perfect but at #2200 it will do until perfect comes down to $2200
Maybe, the Vintera II Mexican strato is a better product for the money. It has very good reviews.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve found that many vintage spec American Fenders fall very short of the mark. I’m at the point where I’m doing a Warmoth build, because my first Warmoth is the only guitar I’ve ever had that has zero issues. Let us know if you return it and replace it with something better!
I was just at a guitar shop and a guy had a Roasted Warmoth neck put on a tele. He said he has been using warmoth products for 20 years and loves them. He's a working touring guitarist.
I have the 61 strat up for sale/trade. We will see what happens....!!!
The best fender USA reissues were the previous American vintage series , these new and improved vintage ii' s fall way short
Warmouth is my go to for necks n bodies. I have 3 Warmouths now. You can build a Fender vintage spec clone for around a thousand.
And then he bought that shirt and the rest is history.
Oh, c'mon, Ry Cooder wears Hawaiians.
I completely agree with your advice!! There is no doubt
Good honest review. I was looking to by the same guitar, used online from a reliable store, you have me thinking now. Thanks 👍🏻
If I had played this guitar in person I would not have bought it. Make sure the online store has a good return policy.
You are 100% correct. Fender seems to want a pat on the back for knowing how to make their own products, which are nowhere near as good as the stuff they built in the totally hand-built era. The one I tried at GC was junk, as all string bending past the 12th fret choked. BIG time. Most of these have high E too close to the edge of the fingerboard too. QC?? Also they are NOT vintage correct as they claim. Where's the aluminum shielding plate? It's just foil glued to the back of the guard. Why not use larger frets then, since it's not 100% original anyway? The quality of the wood isn't as good either. There's a reason that Frusciante and those pros who can afford it use the real McCoy. And I have a freak Squier that would burn even many Custom Shop pieces to death. These should be $1000 tops. Fender should do well to remember that they damn near went out of business in the eighties - so get rid of the corporate sugar daddies and start pricing these things right.
100% agree.
I have the same model in the sunburst finish. I love it and I have had none of the issues you describe. I bought it in memory of the first Fender Stratocaster I ever had, a 1961 model purchased new in 1961. I don’t think the price is unreasonable.
Did Fender send you over here to comment?
@@voyxu143 No, I’ve been a Fender fan for over 60 years. I grew up in Southern California and Fender was dominant in that market. My Vintage II Strat feels and sounds like my original Fender. No issues, just a great player.
@@ericoswood1856 Cool, glad you got a good one. I wish mine had been a keeper....!!!!
I build one from uk made body and Allparts neck, I only swiped the neck from fat back to 22 jumbo frets maple frtb. and still love it, only crap is I wired the pickups, its worth buying loaded pick guard and it would play and fell amazing.
thanks for pointing these problems out.
I like how the review points out at the beginning that it is a bolt on neck and an easy guitar to manufacture. It is easy to manufacture for that reason and others such as it being simple slab construction, dot inlays and so forth. I'm a Gibson guy and I understand the complaints with them, but I always hate to see people complain about the price and them categorize them with guitars like Strats. Huge difference in production cost and issues between a slab guitar with a bolt on and a guitar with a set neck, carved top, more expensive woods, block inlays, nitro finish and binding and far more things that go wrong. You can get a LP studio with all that minus the binding for five hundred less than the guitar in this video so this really is a pricey for what it is delivering so my expectations would be high like the reviewer. That said, I think this strat is a very cool guitar and I get the draw for people.
Glad to see a honest review on these. You have to love Fenders marketing. Vintage tall frets where did that come from? What vintage guitars came with narrow tall frets? I bought a Road Worn Strat with those and they were terrible. I just built a 62 copy for less than $1000 that beats these to pieces. Great video!
I guess they are spec for '61.
I owned a real 1961 Sunburst Stratocaster that lived under a bed in its case for ten years after the owner joined the military and just lost interest. I bought it in 1975 for $100. I was 17 years old then. I sold it two years later for $240 thinking ...o yeah I'll replace it sometime. 🤦♂ O well, Life goes on.
But I can say this...to this day I can remember and KNOW what a real 61 sounds and feels like. Oily, smooth, hard, porous in all the right ways rosewood board. Not this dried out crap they are using today. The sound of the pickups. The sound of the ash body. And it was just different than what they have today. Vintage TALL frets?????? Never on an original. I KNOW better. I read that on the new 61 AVRI II that Fender is staining the rosewood to make it look darker
I have a 1994 57 RI which I think is a great year for Strats with an alder body and maple. it is aging nicely and sounds great but will never be like that original 61.
ill be sure to grab and play one in a store to see for myself. This review convinced me not to take a chance with buying online.
Yeah, and check the neck fit in the pocket, people were complaining about that on the very early issue of the guitar. I have to say if I had played this guitar before purchase I probably would have passed on it.
Happy Guitar Hunting....!!!
I have crate hss strat and 93 sss korean strat. I swaped pick guards now have sss crate strat and hss korean strat w/ bill lawrence 80's lead humbucker. The pickup was given to me by friend so i am at 175 bucks for all. Both play and sound great. Live and learn.
175 is reasonable.
I have one of these and have not experienced ANY of the issues you mention here. Mine plays and sounds like a dream. Very happy with my purchase. Maybe yours is a lemon. Oh, one more thing. I got mine for $1760. Signed uo for a GC credit card and got a 20% discount w free shipping. Im stoked.
In any production there are going to be gemstones. Glad you got one. I was hoping mine would be the one, but alas, no such luck. Cheers.
Avri II ‘63 tele. Nut slot on the B string was cut too low. Absolutely choked playing open. Unbelievable. You know what the fix is for that? A new nut. A $2100 guitar needed a new nut
Hopefully Fender paid for it.
You can build a really nice strat with custom specs for half that price if you have some skills . I ve just built a 67 replica with Musikraft neck, 65 pure vintage pickguard, pickups, tremolo, cts pots, CRL 5 ways, a body from Rockinger that i painted in Olympic white nitro, i had to do the set up and dressed the frets . It was really a cool process to choose the parts, order the neck with 67's specs and to build the whole guitar, it really worth it .
Thank you for sharing this
This is interesting. I have an AO60s - excellent guitar. I had an issue with the bottom strings sounding muffled that was fixed with just a tiny bit of extra relief in the neck. I messed around with the set up quite a bit to get to the point that this is what it was. I dont find it too stiff at all but there is a different feel when i go to other guitars with same scale lenghts but a 7.25 rad. I wonder if the 7.25 is just that bit stiffer feeling? However - interested in the points about the springs. Might try that myself.
I got this guitar and I love it. It is worth every penny, of course you have to set them up to your liking like every other guitar you buy. But you are very honest with your review. I love mine!
It was set up.
Didn't like the frets. Glad to hear you enjoy yours.
I traded mine for a nice Les Paul
@@voyxu143 Problems with a Les Paul?...Lovely, but they don't sound like a fender if you want that sound and , crucially , finding one under 9Ibs.
@@plantagenant The Les Paul plays great, but it's a traditional, and yes, Damn it's heavy....!!!!
@@voyxu143 I never thought about it until I got one that was 9.8 Ibs....and boy does it give me backache..and it's not even that heavy for a Les Paul. Still 3 pickup Black beauty with gold parts and bigsby..who could say no to that!
@@plantagenant I have yet to weigh mine but it's def 9lbs+.
Can anybody guess the drinking game??
Very helpful review. Have 4 strats including 3 mexican ones and a 74. Favorite one is a Mexican jimmy vaughan, with a maple neck. Did do a fret level and had some fret sprout i had to get rid of, but sound and playability is great, got it for 400 used a few years ago!
Never buy a guitar without trying it first. Some guitars are made on a Friday. Never. I only buy guitars that speak to me at a very high level.
funny I got most my guitars online and they ended up great. Cept for one that I sent back lol.
I will not a 1961😮Buy reissue for the sum of 2,200 what's really going on we're being ripped off by fender Mr Leo fender would be turning around in his grave🎉!!!!? He made these affordable at one time guitars for us guitar players that were affordable at one point...
They were never affordable, they were $240 originally, thsts $2600 in today’s money.
They were bolted together then by part time staff who were not luthiers, so all of the nonsense about vintage is rubbish. Bolt on guitars , simple.
Hello, Could you tell me if the fender ultra is of better quality? Musically
A guy was on here complaining about the Ultra too, so I would check it out. The Ultra is much more modern with many features that are NOT on the '61 reissue.
@@voyxu143 Thank you
This is an icon Strat. Fiesta red and rosewood. I was very tempted last year but €2200 for a Strat with 7.25 and small frets is a bit much. I bought an American Special Tele instead.
That “tension” you speak of, I find that with Squires CV guitars. I uses .10s exclusively and while all my Fenders are okay, I’ve got ride of a few Squires because of that hard tension.
I had to get the Fiesta Red.... loved the color. Wish it had been a better quality build.
No Bueno! Send it back. Sounds like a horrendous setup. Maybe it would play better after a good work over.
Yeah it might, but damn, 2200??? Too much,.
this guitar costs $500, the rest is logo
Accurate
Truss Rod adjustment? Lighter strings? Angle the neck with shims in the neck pocket?
The guitar was adjusted.
I ended up trading it for a les paul
You shouldn't need to shim a brand new guitar. It should come out of the box playable without having to do any hacks to get it to play well.
My latest purchase was a strat. I've went to a shop where they had quite a few in my budget range which was around 2000euros. I tried 5 strats, not more than 300euros apart from each other. The Fender Ultra, which was the most expensive one, was the worst guitar I played. The American Original 50's was nice, but was a bit overpriced IMO, it felt cheaper for some reason. 2nd was the American Professional but the one I bought was a Haar Guitars strat, that one is top notch, everything is perfect. Sound, nice neck, the fretwork is outstanding. I never liked the look of relic'd guitars but for this one I don't care because it plays awesome
Cool. Yeah, the stores around here just carried Fender and such, no Haar. I will check them out.
Proud Haar owner here. Amazing quality. On par with Fender custom shop.
Sounded great to me. Sounds like a bad retailer failing to set up the guitar. And an expectation for a vintage spec'd guitar to not have vintage spec'd frets. So, seems to me to be a review based more on opinion and expectation, rather than the actual quality of instrument, which is different from quality of setup.
I was expecting the vintage frets, wasn't expecting them to hurt.
The guitar is set up. It doesn't play well.
Sure, it's my opinion which is based on playing many guitars. I have 9 strats. Selling this one ASAP.
Where'd you buy it from?
@@jdorr111 What difference does that make?
I meant preference, not opinion, earlier. We all have preferences though, and vintage spec'd instruments fall outside of most people's preferences, from my observations.
It matters because I'm still convinced that the reason for your bad experience isn't Fender, it's the setup policy of the retailer you purchased from, and I want to avoid them. Obviously they don't value your opinion or your warrantee if your forced to sell on your own.
@@jdorr111 I bought it online with no "set up policy" because that would require me sending it back.
Yeah, we all have our preferences. You may love the guitar. I wonder how many people have real 1961's and when they got it refretted they actually got the same frets put on it.
If you play the original 1961 vintage Stratocaster I bet you it would be the same as the reissue. That’s just how they made the guitar back in the day. I have a Custom Shop 1962 Strat with 9.5 radius and bigger frets,and it plays fine, it’s not original spec from 1962 but fender decided to change it to a modern spec for more comfortable playing.
Guys back then didn't rip it up Hendrix style.
The bigger frets in your CS probably make a big difference. I bet a fraction of real '61's still have the original frets.
Please do report back on Silver Sky, I’m curious to hear your opinion.
I got an American ultra. That thing is slick to me. I play with my thumb over the top when I play so the rolled edges on the neck are nice. Then again I don’t think I’m on the same level of guitar. One question though is it seems my pick ups are loose. I don’t have much adjustment to them and they seem loose and then the screw comes essentially completely out
The Ultra is a good one. The pickup adjustment is probably an easy fix, but it would involve taking off the pickguard. So you might want to take it somewhere to get it looked at.
If you really play Strat’s (or Tele’s) everyone with an ounce of knowledge knows that a setup is NOT universal. They vary depending on your preferences for things like string gauge, playing style, tonal qualities and feel. In addition, bolt-on necks actually allow you to experiment with neck replacements so you can switch radius size, fret size and fretboard types. (Try to replace a an LP style headstock break in 10 minutes…LOL). Oh yeah…..there’s plenty of YT Video’s to show people how to setup their Strats.
"If you really play strat's"??? Who me?
"ounce of knowledge"??? Me?
@mazsenior, you’re an idiot! With the relief listed(high), there shouldn’t be any fret buzz. Those frets are up and down to rattle like that!
Lol man, for this money the guitar should have a basic setup to specs done AT LAST!!!!
Prices for guitars are out of control to start with and if they don't play any better, were getting ripped off..And the whole "hand wound" thing is nothing but marketing voodoo..The pickups are mass produced and not very differentb from production runs previously..
Yeah and I think I made a mistake in the "Hand wound" statement because when I looked back at the specs when I listed the guitar for sale it just said "1961 pickups" so in this guitar they may not even be hand wound.
@@voyxu143 yup..and "hand wound" could mean anything..nobody is hand winding thousands of pickups..its done by software on a winder..It's all marketing bs.
I had a bunch of mid level guitars, like the PRS se Silversky. I ordered 2 fenders the American ultra and the pro 2 strat. First of, both fenders had zero fret issues nor buzzing. They came setup from the store, which is their service and philosophy selling guitars of that kind. I mainly using the guitar in the studio, not for live and the noiseless ultra pickup’s are a dream of working with. I don’t care about originality strat tone of a non noiseless vs original vintage pickups. But what I can say straight out of comparing the PRS SE Silversky vs the Ultra it’s night and day! The PRS SE first of has not the strat single coil sound you expect to have, it’s a more darker, closed sound. The feel and playability of the ultra to me personal is way better and much more convincing. I can sit down and play it for hours. So is the price double worth it for a fender ultra , yes absolutely. It’s the best strat I have ever played. My tip, for everybody buying online guitars, look out for trustful seller with an intern luthier, which provides an internal setup pre shipping. Or buy only at your Lokal trusted stores. A guitar in that price range defo needs to be playable with ZERO issues straight out from the box in similar climate conditions. I agree with you here and your frustrations about it. Thanks for sharing, your experiences here, people should be aware of it.
Yeah, I would have been better off with the Strat Ultra. I may get one in the future.
Ill stick with my G&L S500 which I did swap the pickups for some Vintera 50s mod pickups. I love em!
Ive had 2 guys that own vintage strats say they love the avii 61. I went to a shop that had a 57 and 61. I played both against 3 custom shop ones and i would have taken the avii over the cs stuff i played. So that tells me only a handful of them play good and the rest dont? I happen to prefer small thin vintage frets and 7.25 radius boards so that might be why
The own real '61's?
Yeah the vintage frets threw me for a loop.
I have a custom shop strat that plays way better than the reissue. May come down to being subjective, but that buzz man....damn.
OK... Time for a reality check. A dollar today buys what a dime did in 1961. If you were to buy a new Fiesta Red Stratocaster in that year it would cost $290 for the guitar,plus $29 for the custom color, plus $60 for the case. Total $379, the equivalent of $3,790.00, which is pretty close to TWICE today's cost AND you'd wait a couple of months for them to build it. Anything but sunburst had to be custom-ordered if you weren't living close to the factory. They didn't play any better then than they do now, but players didn't know any better then, either. Tension? Yup. That 25" scale is pretty stiff unless you're using .009's or lighter. Want it a little slinkier, play a Gibson.
I just think that the OP is not aware how badly the American dollar has been gutted over the last 60 years and $2200 is pretty much chump-change now. TBH there are a lot of guitars available for much less, and they're better than the Danelectro, Kay, and Harmony instruments they put out of business, but no American player would ever want to live in the places those guitars come from.
Thus endeth the rant.
Pretty good rant Dave. Informative as well.
Overall rant rating: 8 out of 10.
@theinnerreachhour9067 Heard a lot about Tom Anderson guitars. Will def check them out.
I was able to pick up a well-maintained black '97 AVRI Strat for $1,400 this year - plays so much better than these new ones.
Extra point for honesty, good review, thx
Thanks...!
$2200 isn’t as much as it used to be, and it certainly isn’t some magical number where perfection is a reasonable expectation. Perfect is the enemy of good and there’s no such thing as a perfect guitar, so to the extent you expect perfection you’re robbing yourself of joy.
Boring topic.
If it's so boring why bother to elucidate?
@@voyxu143 An abundance of downtime at work, and an abundance of insufferable people online. Why do we breathe?
@@evanherb5900 Sounds like you need to find a more rewarding line of work, and stay off the internet.
@@voyxu143 Nah, I'm pretty content, but thanks for the thought. Making content that's nothing more than bitching about imaginary problems is the most inane form of creation, maybe look into that and don't get so defensive when someone calls you out on it. ;)
@@evanherb5900 When someone gives you good advice like I did, it's not being defensive.
You imagining that I have imaginary problems, though, that is certainly a creation you need to defend, and you are doing so poorly.
I have that same model and it is flawless this guy is going to have a problem with any guitar he spends his money on just return the guitar get your money back and stop bitching he mentions the money multiple times obviously nothing is going to make him happy I bought a 61 and a 57 and by the way the 61 is not $2200 dollars the 57 is the 61 is $2000 $200 dollars cheaper both my guitars were excellent I honestly feel sorry for the people in his life by the way guitar center and sweet water sold out of these guitars as well as everybody else I bought both of mine online have zero complaints DON”T LISTEN TO THIS GUY!!!!!!!!
"this guy" is me. The guitar lists at 2090 and with tax it comes out to $2234 or around there. That's why I rounded it off to $2200 so you are already mistaken in just stating basic facts, the rest of your comment is equally off.
No need to feel sorry for ME, my friend. I ended up getting a great Les Paul in trade for the '61, so unlike your statement "nothing is going to make him happy", I am indeed happy with the trade.
Brian, please don't bother commenting on my videos in the future. You literally have nothing to say that's positive. 😸😸😸😸
I love my Ibanez 2440e Prestige. It's a 2008 and plays like a dream. It was $700, because it was B Stock.
I wanted the vintage ii but I have an Elite Strat. I went with the Fender JV 60's Strat. I love the JV Strat.
What about the American pro II? It’s a bit more cheaper but have more playability?
I haven't had a chance to play the American Pro II, I have heard it's a better value for the money. If you want to get the 61 reissue, I would highly recommend playing it in person first.
The best is American Original series.
You need to do more reviews like this. No click bait, no paid bullshit. Pure honesty!
People need to wake the F up. I been going to music stores trying out Fender guitars for the last 10 years and I had the exact same impression. I want to own one, again.... but I just can't bring myself to shell out any kind of money they are asking because their QC is utter crap. Every guitar in their lineup is overpriced. You could get a new mexico standard strat (back in the day) for the today's price of a Squier. It's all a scam. They are cashing in on the headstock decal and thats it. The wood is not properly dried so the frets are all over the place. Truss rods not working properly. Twisted necks. Bodies too heavy. Sharp fret ends. Poorly cut nuts. I've literally played better finished and factory setup Squiers than the mid to high end Fenders. And it's sad because I've always been a fan of the brand but no more. If you buy a new guitar IT SHOULD BE PLAYABLE!! Minor tweaks here and there but no trips to the local luthier shelling out more money just because the factory doesn't give a F*ˆck. Thanks for the video and keep em coming.
Just saw a vid where a guy played a Squire at GC, then picked up a $2200 strat and the Squire sounded better!!! He ended up buying it for around $250.
Why I build Warmoth guitars. My fully spec'd Strat was less than $2K. My Tele with a used body came in around $1K.
thank you for that review. I am waiting to be able to purchase the same model from my local dealer which will take another 3 months before they come available. The advantage is that if it doesn't play well I can send it back. But I totally agree with you that Fender is walking a very thin line here ...
I wish I would have gotten to play this one, because I would not have bought it.
It's worth the 3 months wait to get a good one.
I would play the thing for a least an hour. The frets are wild.
Good Luck....!!!
@@voyxu143 Thank you, I guess I'll need it
I tried a lot of strats one day and wasn’t sold. Tried a silver sky and was. It lacks the super high fender presence, but EQ solves most of that. The playability and quality are way better.
you could certainly buy a nice PRS SS for the price of the '61 RI.
I’m just a little unclear about the cost of the guitar. Do you feel it is worth the price?
And how is the neck attached?
Nice playing, by the way.
haha...........Yeah, I could be little clearer next time.
Thanks....!!!
The long pauses and incredulous facial expressions 😆 are killing me. But I agree with everything he's saying. How good of a Suhr can you get for $2200?
Thanks. I booked one waiting for since months. I am ditching this fender now. Going for something else. Thanks
Not worth the wait. Plus in a year or two you will see them all over the used market.
@@voyxu143 All of the hype about this "vintage II" serie has now gone. IN the shops they are unsold. Everybody know that they are sort of crappy with their unacceptable defects. I hold tight on my American Vintage Reissue I from 1996, it is a very well made guitar and it has no defects. 22 hundred bucks for a lemon no thanks
Thank you for this review u saved me some money
I’ve just had mine delivered and am happy to advise no issues apart from getting the plastic wrap off the scratch plate was a bitch and they put a very sticky circle over the tremolo hole for some reason which took around 20 mins to get the residue off.
Glad to hear. ENJOY!!!
I bought an used one and had the same buzzing issue. They recommended a rod adjustment and when putting the neck back in the nitro finish cracked at the joint 🙃. Ended up selling it a few weeks ago.
I ended up trading mine.