Fender American Vintage II

Roundwound

Mike58 said:

Well, I think  what would push me into buying is if it was CS nitro finish, not nitro over poly.
neck size on ‘61 Strat is about .80 -.930 so sadly ( for me) just an oval C size but no idea of shoulder profile.. that makes a difference.

Interesting. My CS ‘61 journeyman seems to have little in common with these 61s. 10” radius, medium jumbo frets and a 65c (.82 - 0.97) neck profile!

It shares wood type, a 3tsb finish and the ‘61 screw configuration on the pickguard, that seems to be it.

RaymondLin

Roundwound said:

Heavy. My 2017 AV tele 52 was under 7lbs. I really should have kept it. One of the new peach AV 51 teles is 8lbs 11oz.

Which is why I wouldn't let go of my Roadworn, same weight, there is no point unless going up to a CS.

chris78

Gerz6558 said:

I've ordered a fiesta red strat and lake placid blue jazzmaster from Peach. I'd been preparing myself to fold for a few weeks.

I'll be interested to compare with my AO jag and 50's strat. I expect they will be the same, just a different radius. I am fine with that, because I am one of the few that didn't think the AV's were all that they were built up to be. Much prefer the AO's I've owned.

I was going to order a fiesta red, then I heard the silver sky last night and it was such an unreal sounding Strat, I need to try a 61 against the ss.
Hope you post a review as I thought the 61 as played by Jack at Peach sounded seriously good

Whitecat

idiotwindow said:

Whitecat said:

As mentioned, Fender has a four-year cycle anyway, and they need to differentiate enough with the new stuff to help justify the price increase…

Surprisingly, these appear to have a current street price around the same (or even a little lower) than the last of the AO Strats and Teles this year.

It's hard to get excited about the new line – they are essentially the AO guitars with a 7.25" board and in some new colours. I do quite like the look of the foam green '57 Strat but I don't want or need one. I'm vaguely in the market for a Tele but the AVII ones look a little too heavy and shiny to interest me.

Yeah, it looks like the RRP is higher but that there’s some actual competition happening on the street price, so that’s good. The Jazzmasters though are a touch higher I think - last ones I saw were around £1879, now £1950ish. But good weight on the two I’ve looked at so far…

Lewy

PAL said:

 I await the keyboard warriors !

So far you’re the only one telling people what they should and shouldn’t think….

rpr

Jonathanthomas83

There are so many people unimpressed by this...Fender have done everything but this in recent years so I ask those who still aren't happy...what the fuck will make you happy? 

They cover everything now, Am ultra (the best modern appointments), Am pro (a modern guitar), Am vintage and CS. What more is there to do?

LPManic said:

Looking forward to watching these vids later. The fiesta red 61 does appeal - but really it’s all much of a muchness these days.

On the one hand, these guitars do make sense in terms of filling the 7.25 vintage spec gap at this price point. But on the other hand, I do wonder who plays these guitars in all seriousness? If you are starting out or a hobbiest or starting your first band you’d go MIM or cheaper American. If you are a nerd or working musician on any level surely you go CS or second hand CS. Or a second hand standard?

I'm a nerd and I wouldn't go CS or second hand CS. These are right up my street. Frankly, I don't understand why you or anyone else would think there's no market for these.

euan

Jonathanthomas83 said:

There are so many people unimpressed by this...Fender have done everything but this in recent years so I ask those who still aren't happy...what the fuck will make you happy? 

2002 prices I think

Jonathanthomas83

If only.

My AVRI was £600 cheaper when I bought it in 2013. Unfortunately, those days are gone. Fortunately though, that spec is back in shops and I'm chuffed to bits about that.

GavRichList

I do find a couple of the choices slightly odd. I don’t understand why they’ve reverted to all period details in the main, whether preferable or otherwise (in the case of the Poly 70s ones) but kept the vintage tall frets from the AO range, which were absolutely the worst bit about them for me - they’re horrible to play. Doing the big headstock for the pertinent Strats and teles but missing the JM seems a bit lazy too. And yes, we all get that prices have gone up - I still think even with that considered, they feel a bit northerly. I don’t think anyone would grumble too much at around £1800-1850, but 2 and a quarter street price for some of them is very hard to swallow, when I can’t actually see where there’s a single improvement over the AV line that predated the AOs? 

Mike58

Roundwound said:

Mike58 said:

Well, I think  what would push me into buying is if it was CS nitro finish, not nitro over poly.
neck size on ‘61 Strat is about .80 -.930 so sadly ( for me) just an oval C size but no idea of shoulder profile.. that makes a difference.

Interesting. My CS ‘61 journeyman seems to have little in common with these 61s. 10” radius, medium jumbo frets and a 65c (.82 - 0.97) neck profile!

It shares wood type, a 3tsb finish and the ‘61 screw configuration on the pickguard, that seems to be it.

Yes but you have a customised guitar, not a reissue clone attempt.

And I’ll bet it plays superbly.
if I could get a total nitro finish lefty Strat, 9.5 radius, ‘65 neck Fiesta red and rosewood slab board with med jumbos for the price of an AV11 ... bring it on
 M

tomajoha

https://www.peachguitars.com/fender-american-vintage-ii-1972-telecaster-thinline-maple-aged-natural.htm

Check out the two '72 pictured, doesnt the second one look to have some funky alignment issues going on? At first I thought it was due to the slightly skwiffy angle of the photo but the more I look at it, the more it looks wrong?

carlos

tomajoha said:

https://www.peachguitars.com/fender-american-vintage-ii-1972-telecaster-thinline-maple-aged-natural.htm

Check out the two '72 pictured, doesnt the second one look to have some funky alignment issues going on? At first I thought it was due to the slightly skwiffy angle of the photo but the more I look at it, the more it looks wrong?

Looks fine except for the bridge pickup.

Gerz6558

GavRichList said:

I do find a couple of the choices slightly odd. I don’t understand why they’ve reverted to all period details in the main, whether preferable or otherwise (in the case of the Poly 70s ones) but kept the vintage tall frets from the AO range, which were absolutely the worst bit about them for me - they’re horrible to play. Doing the big headstock for the pertinent Strats and teles but missing the JM seems a bit lazy too. And yes, we all get that prices have gone up - I still think even with that considered, they feel a bit northerly. I don’t think anyone would grumble too much at around £1800-1850, but 2 and a quarter street price for some of them is very hard to swallow, when I can’t actually see where there’s a single improvement over the AV line that predated the AOs? 

I ordered the 60's strat at just over £1800 and the jazzmaster just under £2k, which is more or less sticking to the recent increase on the AO line. What models are you referring to?

I don't know why so many have an issue with the frets either, but I personally don't have too much trouble using whatever I'm given. I presume they have used them to help dial in a nicer action with the 7.25 radius. But yes, it's not period correct. 

Jonathanthomas83

The frets thing is irksome, I agree. I have a 2021 70th Anniversary Broadcaster with vintage tall frets and it's great and the frets don't get in the way of a lovely guitar, but it does stick in the throat when you want it to be perfectly accurate and happen to enjoy just regular vintage frets on a 7.25" radius (unfathomable, I know!).

The only other thing I want to find out for myself are the issues of weight and finish. I'm off to GG today, so I'll report back.

GavRichList

Gerz6558 said:

GavRichList said:

I do find a couple of the choices slightly odd. I don’t understand why they’ve reverted to all period details in the main, whether preferable or otherwise (in the case of the Poly 70s ones) but kept the vintage tall frets from the AO range, which were absolutely the worst bit about them for me - they’re horrible to play. Doing the big headstock for the pertinent Strats and teles but missing the JM seems a bit lazy too. And yes, we all get that prices have gone up - I still think even with that considered, they feel a bit northerly. I don’t think anyone would grumble too much at around £1800-1850, but 2 and a quarter street price for some of them is very hard to swallow, when I can’t actually see where there’s a single improvement over the AV line that predated the AOs? 

I ordered the 60's strat at just over £1800 and the jazzmaster just under £2k, which is more or less sticking to the recent increase on the AO line. What models are you referring to?

I don't know why so many have an issue with the frets either, but I personally don't have too much trouble using whatever I'm given. I presume they have used them to help dial in a nicer action with the 7.25 radius. But yes, it's not period correct. 

Ah, peach have changed their prices since first listing. The JM went up at £2249 I think. 

marxski

So I was going to grab the lightest 61 Sunburst Coda had listed but someone beat me to it! Can’t travel at the moment to try any out so I’ll have see if some more weighed examples are listed by other dealers. 

If anyone gets a 61 and has some callipers it would be really useful to know the depth of the neck at the first fret. I assume it is either .79 or .81? In old money.

Gerz6558

marxski said:

So I was going to grab the lightest 61 Sunburst Coda had listed but someone beat me to it! Can’t travel at the moment to try any out so I’ll have see if some more weighed examples are listed by other dealers. 

If anyone gets a 61 and has some callipers it would be really useful to know the depth of the neck at the first fret. I assume it is either .79 or .81? In old money.

There might be a clue for you in the specs for this one: https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/V2212346/american-vintage-ii-1961-stratocaster-3/?cat_id=22032 ;

RaymondLin

Is it just me but I haven't seen any Strat under 7 and a half lbs or close to 7lbs in this batch.  I also saw a tele on Peach that is closer to 9lbs than 8.

marxski

RaymondLin said:

Is it just me but I haven't seen any Strat under 7 and a half lbs or close to 7lbs in this batch.  I also saw a tele on Peach that is closer to 9lbs than 8.

No you are correct with the odd exception.