Vintage Owners I have a Question

That's actually a fairly interesting way to put it. I picked up my '62 AVRI that is right at 20 years old. However, it's more of a "closet classic" in that it is fairly pristine.

And yes, there is definitely some magic that can not be replicated in terms of real deal 62 production vs 1999, but it definitely feels like a just worn in guitar with some years on it. Sounds very sweet acoustically and the pickups don't disappoint. It's enough to scratch my "vintage" itch. But I also have no experience with the real deal.

 

I have also tried lots of crappy pre cbs guitars and I absolutely dint say that they are all good. They aren't all good. I was speaking about the good ones. The ones that started off the vintage frenzy. I stand by my statement

 

Then you should have clarified your statement, because this is what you wrote:

It seemed as if you were making an absolute blanket statement.

I'm sorry if I misread you.

 

While not ideal (deal. I need to learn to look at what I type.), you're one of those who heard a clear difference between my 65 and my 83 JV Squier.

Just because its old doesn't make it stellar.

 

Absolutely, and you are one of the guys that understands what I am talking about.

 

@fezz parka

Of course, IME, you could make a broomstick and a rubber band sound pretty good.

Your dad, and your teacher may have had something to do with that.

 

And half a century of doing the work before having the fun.

 

There is no doubt that guitars "break in" and feel better over time. You can even feel that picking up a 30 year old guitar. But I think if you were to take an AVRI back in time to a brand new 1962 Strat it would most likely stack up if not exceed the quality of the original. I know many people put vintage guitars on a pedestal, but it's not rocket science replicating what they did at that time.

 

I'm not sure that was the question posed in the OP.

I don't get that it was a query about a comparison between the first generation of reissues, which were simply called "vintage reissues" from their introduction through the nineties, and the pre cbs instruments.

my take is that the OP is asking whether there will be a noticeable difference between a pre cbs instrument and a 62 AVRI, which i interpret, due entirely to the choice of the name the OP used, to be the reasonably current production model.

and i still think that there would indeed be a noticeable difference. note that i didn't make any distinction regarding quality, merely that the difference would be noticeable.

 

I dont believe in magic. There were good and bad strats in 1959 and good and bad strats now. However, Fender today doesnt even resemble Fender of old. The company, materials, tools, people ... nothing is remotely the same. The Custom Shop and "master builders" are just another new Fender marketing ploy.

There are many private luthiers making a far superior product to the custom shop today.

One thing that kinda bothers me is when people use new reissue as "vintage" reference. There is nothing vintage spec about a new Fender "vintage" RE. The cuts, hardware ... they spin a real web but nothing matches vintage when you compare in hand.

 

The whole " vintage " thing came about because of the poor quality in general of guitars in the late sixties and through the seventies. If you wanted a better guitar you had to play an older one because there simply weren't any others available. There was no choice, unlike today. All the big three companies, Gibson, Martin and Fender got complacent through lack of competition. Once the Japanese began producing good quality copies Fender had to up their game. The guitars made from the early eighties onwards are much better, and had they been made in the seventies the " old guitars are better " statement would never have been heard. Many of those players that had no choice but to go back to the older versions don't play them now.

 

Don't forget that Jimi Hendrix's played late sixties Strats. They mustn't have been all that bad

 

To be fair, Hendrix could have played a late thirties coal shovel

 

Perhaps, and then perhaps not. I think there are many on these Strat forums who might think Fender and the Custom Shop produce a pretty superior product, far more than a "marketing ploy". Certainly there are private luthiers producing some fine products, but if I'm in the mood for a vintage style Strat or Tele, only a Fender will do. Some of these are a very close match. I grew up with the vintage guitars of the 50s and 60s. Many of them are deserving of their "grail" status, but I play the modern versions now, since not being able to justify a guitar costing the value of a house onstage in a bar or nightclub. I find I can still play and sound as good and or better than ever.
Don't really get why you have just joined this Strat forum and have such a condescending opinion of Fender and some of the members here.

 

Yes, and our Bazz plays a Custom Shop Nocaster!

 

I have been playing Strats for around 40 years. I've played a few amazing pre CBS Strats but couldn't afford them at the time. Now there are too many fakes around for me to feel comfortable buying.
Although I know that Pre CBS neck profiles and body contours vary one hell of a lot, I have noticed that all of the new Fenders, including the CS models somehow feel generally 'bulkier' in some indefinable way. I have wondered if it was my imagination but have discussed this with a few players who feel the same.
Some pre CBS Strats were featherlight with very very slim necks, and I have found these to be the most resonant and best playing and sounding.
One real 62 I played had a neck profile as slim as my Ibanez JS 1000 !!!! It played like butter! In fact I have read that Satriani based the neck profile on his favourite Strat.
Nothing Fender makes today seems to avoid the modern 'bulkiness' with the guitar as a whole, not just the necks.
Would be interested for other opinions on this.
I have 4 CS Relic Strats which I love to death and are superb guitars, but definitely not the same as vintage.
Having said all that, the Strats Hendrix played were mostly pretty current newish guitars of the day. So this rubbish about 'old wood' and 'old pickups' certainly was not a factor in Hendrix's amazing Strat sounds.
When Rory Gallagher was at his peak, his guitar was what? 10 to 12 years old?
Hardly vintage.
Even SRV's guitar wasn't really that old in the scheme of things when he first started making his legendary tones.
So, do vintage guitars 'feel' different? Yes certainly!
Do they sound different, not necessarily.

 

I agree with much of what you say. Been playing Fenders since 1961 and have had some light weight "airy" feeling ones (a 59 Mary Kay was one), but most of them have been pretty medium to heavy. I remember the first Strat I owned (coming from a 61 heavy Jazzmaster) was a 63 and in the days of playing 5 sets a night for 6 nights a week, my shoulder would get pretty painful after a couple of sets.
The main problem I had was with the slim necks. They were beefy enough from the 4th or 5th fret on towards the body, but down by the nut I could not get a C or D chord to note properly on the high strings as they were too close together, or my fingers blocked some strings from ringing. That said, my 59 had a slightly bigger feeling maple neck that was roomy for all the chords and licks.

I now have a 50s AO that has that kind of maple neck, roomy and comfortable, with the 9.5 radius that I always railed against, until I actually played one. It is a pleasure to play. I have a few other Strats . . . a Classic 50s , a Squier CV 50s and they have the slimmer necks. My Classic 50s Tele has a pretty fat, round neck and then, there's my 94 '54 RI that has a deep U neck that is pretty ok, but the AO takes the blue ribbon. They all sound very similar. Like good Strats!

Guess it depends on the individual guitar and the size of the player's hand and fingers as to what's best for their particular needs (and price range).

 

So I have a client who has the largest collection of guitars I’ve seen anyone person have. He has a 59 burst, two original 50s nocasters, and original broadcaster and so on and so on and so on. Let’s just say it’s a nice collection.

He’s super cool and let’s me play one or two whenever I’m over. Next time I go over I plan to bring my 1993 62 fiesta red AVRI and we are gonna a/b with his original 1962 fiesta red actual vintage.

I’ve played both and prefer the feel of mine but the sound of his is just....I don’t know deeper maybe. Just more there.

If we ever get the side by side set up I’ll post thoughts here.

The guitar itself is fantastic but the sound is where the mojo is. To me at least.

It’s really so subjective.
The two nocasters which were made with in months of each other have completely different feels as well and one of them is perhaps the smoothest feel and sound of any guitar I’ve ever played.

 

It ain't like the custom shop doesn't have plenty of the old originals to make an exact copy from, inside and out. I owned and played a 59 strat for a long time. It was my all-time favorite guitar. I have a 2006 classic 60 strat with Klein epic 59 pickups. I will say its darn close to playability and sound to my 59 as you can get. I don't intend to ever sell it.