Now NGD: Vintera Road Worn 60’s strat LPB

CountryDave

Another roadworn fan here.
I’ve an early 60’s strat from the first year which is my favourite strat I’ve owned (had about half a dozen USA standards that have come and gone).

A Brad Paisley Esquire which is up there with my 52 reissue. A fab chunky neck that plays so well.
Recently picked up one of the Andertons special run Mischief Maker strats with a tele neck and ‘59 pickups. The neck on this is very close to the BP.
I agree with the general consensus that the roadworn range is right at the sweet spot for quality/value, especially as mine were all picked up used.
The vintage radius and larger frets work well. The hardware is fine and the pickups work well.
As with all guitars, find a good one and enjoy it.

guitargeek62

HandwrittenHero said:

If you’re near to Andertons they’ve got some FSR RW 60s Strats in and the purple Tele. Both have different pickups in to the stock (theoretically upgrades but less of a thing than I thought) but either way would let you play some and see if one speaks to you.

The Daphne Blue 60s one does appeal, but mostly for the colour more so than the pickups. The last strat I had was loaded with a set of SSL-5s and they were stonkingly good, exactly what I want to hear from an S-type, so even if I didn’t like the stock electronics too much I know where I’d start looking to remedy it.

guitargeek62

Incoming:

https://www.projectmusic.net/fender-vintera-road-worn-60s-stratocaster-lake-placid-blue-31673-p.asp

noisepolluter

Tally ho!!! 

dindude

guitargeek62 said:

Incoming:

https://www.projectmusic.net/fender-vintera-road-worn-60s-stratocaster-lake-placid-blue-31673-p.asp

I’ve been hovering over that one from Ptoject music as a nice weight. Have you actually ordered it, still showing as in stock? 

guitargeek62

dindude said:

guitargeek62 said:

Incoming:

https://www.projectmusic.net/fender-vintera-road-worn-60s-stratocaster-lake-placid-blue-31673-p.asp

I’ve been hovering over that one from Ptoject music as a nice weight. Have you actually ordered it, still showing as in stock? 

Yep, bought and paid for today - I’ll pick it up on Tues when they’re open again. And yes, the weight and price were too good to pass up

noisepolluter

guitargeek62 said:

dindude said:

guitargeek62 said:

Incoming:

https://www.projectmusic.net/fender-vintera-road-worn-60s-stratocaster-lake-placid-blue-31673-p.asp

I’ve been hovering over that one from Ptoject music as a nice weight. Have you actually ordered it, still showing as in stock? 

Yep, bought and paid for today - I’ll pick it up on Tues when they’re open again. And yes, the weight and price were too good to pass up

Yay! Looks like properly centred string spacing on the nut too. 

dindude

Let us know your first impressions @guitargeek62 ;

guitargeek62

Will do @dindude - I'm collecting it this afto now, other plans had to change!

guitargeek62

Well, it's here! First thoughts below:

 


Fit, feel & finish:

• Let's be really clear here: this is a seriously good feeling and playing instrument. 
• The setup on collection is flawless, personal preferences on string guage and action aside. The frets are very highly polished, no sharp ends or flat-spots, and no issues with the nut-work either. Some of the filing and shaping on the nut could be a little cleaner but that's nothing that affects the playability or setup at all. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm wondering if Project Music have already had a crack at refining the setup as it has no right to be this good out of the box.
• The neck is a medium C profile, with a hint more shoulder than a typical Standard Stratocaster would have. It's a very familiar shape, and won't offend anyone. The taper is smooth, and the transitions have been blended to a decent level as well, though still sharp enough to keep their definition in the 'right' places. The fingerboard edges on mine feel fairly well rolled already too which is a nice surprise, as I'd expected to take the factory finish further myself. I've played it for a couple of hours this evening and haven't had any (realistic) issues with fret-choking either, except when taking the piss to see when it would set in.
• Yes, the relic treatment could be better, but the lacquer itself is nicely applied and very thin - I have no doubt that it's going to age on it's own without much trouble, in a good way. Some/most of the dings and wear is far too uniform (e.g. around the jackplate), but that's easily remedied with a bit of care and BDSM play.
• The finish on the back of the neck is decent, but as others have said already, it wouldn't hurt from a (very) light go with some 0000 wire wool which I'll do this weekend.
• This one weighs in at a very comfortable Goldilocks-level 7lbs 8oz. I don't know how much of that is down to good timber selection, or from the thinner finish, but whatever reason it is I'm very grateful for it.

Tones:

• It's a strat.
• There is absolutely no mistaking what guitar this is when it's plugged in. It nails those classic tones full of jangle chime and quack. 
• While my initial thoughts were that the bridge pickup might be the weak link, I simply raised the height a smidge and, boom, there's the power and bass that was lacking. At this rate I don't think I'm going to bother changing any of them at all.
• I tend to dial my strats in using the middle pickup wide-open and set the amp's EQ from there, allowing me to go darker or brighter with the neck and bridge pickups respectively. This middle pickup is bloody marvellous, and I'm going to be using it quite a bit.
• The neck pickup has that utterly superb woody and throaty tone that I love in spades.
• The in-between settings sound as they should - though the neck/middle combo might be a smidge woolly for my tastes - I'll play around with the pickup heights some more and see if that's a factor.

Initial verdict: 4.5/5



P.s. @dindude - yep, you should have ordered this one! #SorryNotSorry

RaymondLin

HNGD, great guitar!

dindude

guitargeek62 said:

Well, it's here! First thoughts below:

 


Fit, feel & finish:

• Let's be really clear here: this is a seriously good feeling and playing instrument. 
• The setup on collection is flawless, personal preferences on string guage and action aside. The frets are very highly polished, no sharp ends or flat-spots, and no issues with the nut-work either. Some of the filing and shaping on the nut could be a little cleaner but that's nothing that affects the playability or setup at all. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm wondering if Project Music have already had a crack at refining the setup as it has no right to be this good out of the box.
• The neck is a medium C profile, with a hint more shoulder than a typical Standard Stratocaster would have. It's a very familiar shape, and won't offend anyone. The taper is smooth, and the transitions have been blended to a decent level as well, though still sharp enough to keep their definition in the 'right' places. The fingerboard edges on mine feel fairly well rolled already too which is a nice surprise, as I'd expected to take the factory finish further myself. I've played it for a couple of hours this evening and haven't had any (realistic) issues with fret-choking either, except when taking the piss to see when it would set in.
• Yes, the relic treatment could be better, but the lacquer itself is nicely applied and very thin - I have no doubt that it's going to age on it's own without much trouble, in a good way. Some/most of the dings and wear is far too uniform (e.g. around the jackplate), but that's easily remedied with a bit of care and BDSM play.
• The finish on the back of the neck is decent, but as others have said already, it wouldn't hurt from a (very) light go with some 0000 wire wool which I'll do this weekend.
• This one weighs in at a very comfortable Goldilocks-level 7lbs 8oz. I don't know how much of that is down to good timber selection, or from the thinner finish, but whatever reason it is I'm very grateful for it.

Tones:

• It's a strat.
• There is absolutely no mistaking what guitar this is when it's plugged in. It nails those classic tones full of jangle chime and quack. 
• While my initial thoughts were that the bridge pickup might be the weak link, I simply raised the height a smidge and, boom, there's the power and bass that was lacking. At this rate I don't think I'm going to bother changing any of them at all.
• I tend to dial my strats in using the middle pickup wide-open and set the amp's EQ from there, allowing me to go darker or brighter with the neck and bridge pickups respectively. This middle pickup is bloody marvellous, and I'm going to be using it quite a bit.
• The neck pickup has that utterly superb woody and throaty tone that I love in spades.
• The in-between settings sound as they should - though the neck/middle combo might be a smidge woolly for my tastes - I'll play around with the pickup heights some more and see if that's a factor.

Initial verdict: 4.5/5



P.s. @dindude - yep, you should have ordered this one! #SorryNotSorry

Good to hear as I may have a similar NGD tomorrow! 

guitargeek62

Ah awesome, congrats in advance!!!

Alex2678

Don’t know if it’s the bright lights that shops use that have put me off but I’m having my idea of what pau ferro looks like thrown into question by a few recent NGD posts, wouldn’t have considered it before but that looks really nice. Congrats it’s a really cool looking guitar 

dazzajl

Congrats on a very nice Strat. I have a 50s version, also from Project and my write up, if I’d have bothered would have been pretty much the same as yours. I really do think that the upper levels of Mexi stuff are the best things coming out of Fender right now. 

guitargeek62

Alex2678 said:

Don’t know if it’s the bright lights that shops use that have put me off but I’m having my idea of what pau ferro looks like thrown into question by a few recent NGD posts, wouldn’t have considered it before but that looks really nice. Congrats it’s a really cool looking guitar 

Thanks! Yep, this one's dark enough and grained enough to make me forget it's not rosewood - I've not touched the fingerboard at all yet but I'll do a before & after when I restring it and wire-wool the back this weekend.


P.s. any news @dindude ?

HandwrittenHero

dazzajl said:

Congrats on a very nice Strat. I have a 50s version, also from Project and my write up, if I’d have bothered would have been pretty much the same as yours. I really do think that the upper levels of Mexi stuff are the best things coming out of Fender right now. 

Strong possibility it’s right at the sweet point where diminishing returns will kick in more as you’re going up. The critique that’s easiest to make of upper mexi is the time spent on the finer details is limited so it’s worth to be willing to do a little work yourself or pay for it. But on actual parts for your money etc I don’t think stepping into American is getting you better parts, or where it does they’re really small improvements - but mainly just that little more time finishing off

noisepolluter

Congrats @guitargeek62 - glad you got a really nicely finished one!
I agree re the relicing - the cluster of dings around the jack socket on these models is particularly silly. Fortunately I have actually managed to put my own unique genuine accidental dings on there already!

RaymondLin

HandwrittenHero said:

dazzajl said:

Congrats on a very nice Strat. I have a 50s version, also from Project and my write up, if I’d have bothered would have been pretty much the same as yours. I really do think that the upper levels of Mexi stuff are the best things coming out of Fender right now. 

Strong possibility it’s right at the sweet point where diminishing returns will kick in more as you’re going up. The critique that’s easiest to make of upper mexi is the time spent on the finer details is limited so it’s worth to be willing to do a little work yourself or pay for it. But on actual parts for your money etc I don’t think stepping into American is getting you better parts, or where it does they’re really small improvements - but mainly just that little more time finishing off

Totally, CS Strats don't give me GAS, mine pretty much have all the same spec as a CS one, including the electronics which the last owner has upgraded.

dindude

guitargeek62 said:

Alex2678 said:

Don’t know if it’s the bright lights that shops use that have put me off but I’m having my idea of what pau ferro looks like thrown into question by a few recent NGD posts, wouldn’t have considered it before but that looks really nice. Congrats it’s a really cool looking guitar 

Thanks! Yep, this one's dark enough and grained enough to make me forget it's not rosewood - I've not touched the fingerboard at all yet but I'll do a before & after when I restring it and wire-wool the back this weekend.


P.s. any news @dindude ?

Yup, mine arrived from Peach today. Same as yours a 60’s in LPB.

First impressions and your comments are pretty spot on. I’d add:

I like the fact the hardware isn’t rusty, just slightly dulled, always hated knackered metal on relics. 

Do wish they’d leave a little more finish on the back of the neck, just personal preference.
Plastics are excellent, just the right tonal colours.

Neck shape is perfect Strat for me, not thin, not baseball bat, just right.
Pau Ferro better than expected (darker than my Mex player mustang bass) and fingerboard edges lightly rolled.
Vintage radius and smaller frets feel great, was a little worried here but feels good to be outside comfort zone.
Haven’t had to tune it yet after several hours of playing, a good sign.
Neck pocket fit is perfect.
Pickups are very decent, quite hot with a potent midrange. 
Mine is 7lb 10oz so a decent Strat type weight, lighter than my Custom Shop Strat…..

Oh yes, I have a 60-ish NOS CS Strat here as a comparison. Reason for buying this is that since I picked up an American Pro II Pine Tele in January, my Strat has fallen from first position, can’t justify having it around, so likely going to sell, but do want a decent Strat still.
Compared to the CS, being NOS and CS it feels more refined than the RW, and it sounds a bit cleaner. But the RW has a great vibe, great neck shape, better weight, and sounds very good. 

Looks like it staying, if it does then I’d consider, in good time, a bone nut (nut is well spaced and cut but B string is cut ever so slightly lower), tidy up of the fret ends (not bad but have been spoiled by the CS), and upgraded electronics. Pickups aren’t desperate but always like to experiment in time with any guitar.