AVRI’s Are they some of the best out there?

According to A.R. Duchossoir's Stratocaster Book (1988) the production line that built the early American Vintage line, did become the basis for the CS models. But, after owning both CS and AVRI models, I see more vintage accuracy in the AVRI line. And quality is certainly not short of the CS builds. You aren't going to go wrong with either.

 

So are these from Wildwood considered AVRI?

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product-category/electrics/fender-usa/american-vintage-thin-skin-nitro/

 

I believe the thin skin series was only available from certain dealers and had different specs than the so called true to vintage correct AV series. They are actually a really cool series, full nitro but with 9.5 radius and medium tall frets. They had all kinds of different models not available in the AV series.

 

Thanks.

So where does one go to buy an AVRI?

 

True, Norlin and CBS got very lawsuit happy. Largely because the Japanese guitars were on a par, if not better than, the American made stuff. Gibson unfortunately is still very lawsuit happy.

 

They’re actually not super rare so you can pretty much pick them up anywhere. I mean depending where you live I guess. If you’re after the AVRI series specifically they are probably more available than the AV series. People tend to not let those ones goes. I’ve been looking for the AV and they do pop up but usually way more than I want to spend.

 

It’s supposed to be a much better guitar on Custom Shop line, than any other products, even from the same factory. But I dare to compare those two lines of products and found out that FSR is a very, very good quality guitar, VERY comparable to much expensive guitars, like Custom Shop line.

 

The new American Original '60s are actually '65 reissues, strats that is. The only different thing from vintage is the 9.5 inch radius.

 

I don't think the quality of the AVRI/AV/AO line is any better or worse than the American Standard/Professional line (there may have been exceptions over the years, e.g. the Fullerton AVRIs).

The difference is in the specs and the finish. I like vintage specs and nitro so I have an AVRI Strat and an AO tele. I like them both but they're far from perfect. They're production line guitars built to a price point.

 

Even if I do not want to fundamentally contradict these assertions and can well imagine that there are models to which this applies, I would like to contradict the generalist presentation.

I own a 92-93 54RI MIJ, an 83 JV 62RI and a MIA AV57 from the year 2000/01.

The 54er is probably made of basswood and this wood is not of inferior quality, nor does the guitar sound bad because of it. This wood is sometimes also used for very expensive instruments. The neck is really a fat V-profile, but I think that's very close to the original. The paint on the neck is by no means applied too thickly.

The neck profile of the JV Strat is the slimmest of the three guitars described. It has a Rosewood fingerboard and therefore of course no varnish on the fingerboard

The AV also has a V-shaped neck. But overall it is much thinner than that of the 54s and the V is also much less pronounced. What you get along with is probably just a question of getting used to and taste. I like all 3 guitars and their different necks. But I think the JV has the highest manufacturing quality of these three instruments.



"thick poly" at my 54RI MIJ, obviously not thick enough:

 

Expensive instruments made from basswood are somebody elses guitars. I can also respect that you like and are still using the stock pickups and electronics in your Japanese strats.

 

Please do not generalize here either. Not all guitar electronics from Japan are bad.

 

I think the finish is slightly different too.

 

I avoid any guitar that has "re-issue" in its name.

 

Yes the AO series had a 9.5 radius and narrow/tall frets. The finish is also like the AVRI series with the polyurethane and nitro top coat.

 

Not as much as Rickenbacker! John Hall still obsessively hunts down any used Tokai Rockinbetter that gets listed on eBay - very few listings run their full course.

Fender & Gibson don't bother, as long as you don't use their trademarks in the listing. There's really no need, a Tokai Goldstar sells on it's own merits, people know it's a Strat without the need to use the name.

 

Most of the AVs don’t