Vintage Reissues See Biggest Changes in Years
Fender’s Vintage Reissue series Stratocasters have been one of the mainstays of the product line for decades. And now they’re being “reissued” to provide greater accuracy and more period correct specs. This has happened before, of course, which has been both good and sometimes controversial. See, Leo Fender was always changing his guitars right on the production line. Feedback from players, dealers and salesmen would spur various changes to make the guitar sell better, look better, play better and last longer. And, so these changes were incorporated as running changes.
What this means is that the true “vintage Stratocaster” is not just one thing. It’s a wide range of ever changing specs. To this end, Fender has revamped the entire American Vintage Reissue line — and not just Stratocasters, but Telecasters, jaguars and Jazzmasters, too. We should note that Fender quit calling this series the “Reissue” series a while back. They are now called the American Vintage Series guitars even though many of us still call them the Reissues.
Since the Strat-Talk is a Stratocaster website, we’ll cover the Strats and you can check out our other sites for more detailed info about the other models. The big news here is now there are a number of new American Vintage Stratocasters to choose from: American Vintage ’56, ’59 and ’65 Stratocaster® models (’56 model also in left-handed version).
Pauline France, of Fender’s PR department, says, “All the new American Vintage Series guitars feature thick and slim necks with profiles and edges carefully re-sculpted to reflect even greater period-correct authenticity, with both maple and rosewood fingerboards, vintage-style frets and bone nuts; all-new vintage-style pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound to accurately reflect specific model years, and even specific periods within specific model years; retooled pickguards, parts and hardware designed to accurately reflect specific model years (and again, even specific periods within specific model years), and standard and custom-color finishes re-formulated for even greater period-correct authenticity.”
Here are some more of the details of each model:
American Vintage ’56 Stratocaster® (and left-handed model)
- ightweight alder body (ash on White Blonde finish model) with deep contours.
- Mid-’56 thick maple neck with soft “V” profile and comfortably rolled edges—one of the most popular Fender neck styles ever.
- All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound.
- Single-ply white pickguard with eight holes.
- Vintage-accurate bridge saddles and tuner spacing.
MSRP $2,874.99 – $2,299.99 “Street” Price (MAP)
American Vintage ’59 Stratocaster
- Early-1959 model in faded Three-color Sunburst, with slim-profile C-shaped maple neck and single-ply white pickguard with eight holes.
- Later 1959 model in faded Three-color Sunburst, Black and limited faded Sonic Blue, with slim-profile D-shaped maple neck, dark rosewood slab fingerboard and three-ply mint green pickguard with 10 holes and vintage-style edge bevels.
- Lightweight alder body.
- All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound.
- Aged plastic knobs.
- Vintage-accurate bridge saddles and tuner spacing.
MSRP $2,874.99 – $2,299.99 “Street” Price (MAP)
American Vintage ’65 Stratocaster
- Lightweight alder body in Three-color Sunburst, Olympic White and limited Dakota Red (left-handed model in Three-color Sunburst).
- Thick C-shaped maple neck with round-laminated dark rosewood fingerboard and larger pearl dot inlays.
- All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound.
- Three-ply white pickguard with 11 holes.
- Aged plastic knobs.
- Vintage-accurate bridge saddles and tuner spacing.
MSRP $2,874.99 – $2,299.99 “Street” Price (MAP)
Watch for these to be available soon at dealers everywhere. And look for the “old” model American Vintage Series guitars to be reduced in price right now as well. Left-handed players will no doubt notice the inclusion of a lefty model for the ’56 model only.
Instead of complaining about prices, I just bought a AVRI 62 after these were announced.
I’ll second that!
Good job Fender, keep the vibe going & thank you for employing American workers.
the only original thing un tuched in an sound production (now days)
must be this hard worke to Replikka the originals
from ? Fullerton and? ?
the only original frome were it all started
wil be the alnico magnet Fender-
all the other things trying to be cheeper and better .
the amps,should not have gotten in to this rase-
I suport the Fender Company !00%
by sole -
hope you find out about your sientiffic about the mic´s-
maybe its a little hysteric bout the raving about the pickups ?
i dont belive so personly-
ofcourse tis exelent guitars, long before it reaches Cosum level!!!!!
its needs corecture yes- so sorry bout my writing!
expensive! I’ll pass!
Actually adjust for inflation the price of the 59 reissue is the same price as a new strat in 1959.
Checkout this inflation calculator. http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi
What cost $300.. in 1959 would cost $2282.69 in 2011.
People never had the priveledge of owning 19 guitars. back in the day you bought an instrument with the idea of keeping it for many years. Musical instruments should not be treated like disposable electronics.. but unfortunately most are.
Fender has been making reissues for years , why has it took the usa this long to pay attention to detail of the originals when there old jap versions had far more correct detailing than the usa version had.
Sounds like a marketing ploy.
So you are damning them for not paying attention and for paying attention?
Sounds like you just wanna hate on fender to me.
Very happy to see them make the effort. They have STILL missed some obvious(to me) visual
details though.
List the obvious please?
why can’t fender just be less corperate and more customer orientated..
hmm.i like a soft V…but in a 9.5 radious..and in maple oh..suddenly its a custom shop?
why not make a line for the average Joe..you want a olimpic white strat with a CBS head stock..maple cap.
or a 57 with a 2 tone burst and a sioft V..9.5..
no problem…
start with a few deffirant necks and bodies..colors..
any pickups you want….
id pay 1200 for one…instead of 2000+ to have that CS stamp..
then i bet theey would sell alot of those…
i say ditch the CS and start a average Joe shop…
get with the it fender…anyone sould be able to get what they want,..I bet Leo would go for it.
Fender offers, IDK 70-80 different models of guitars as stock models. Just ’cause they don’t offer the ’65 ri in Shoreline Gold (my preference) is no reason to get upset. But…by definition you’re asking Fender to BE the Custom Shop. They have a division that makes every combination possible…the Custom Shop. By your own definition you are looking for a non-stock item…hence a custom item. I’m sure every one would pay $1200 for one…until Fender went belly up. Manufacturers need to cover costs and make a profit…otherwise they wouldn’t be manufacturers for long. After looking at ’65 Strats for 12-20 GRAND…these are a bargain.
I’ve never had the privilege of playing a vintage era strat. The oldest one I have ever played is my SRV signature that I bought back in 1997. I think that Fender is putting out some fantastic instruments these days and I’m glad they are doing these vintage series.
ya gotta get my visa down..i want a 59 white with mint pick guard