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Fender Introduces New American Vintage Series Guitars

The new guitars are the American Vintage ’56, ’59 and ’65 Stratocaster models, ’58 and ’64 Telecaster models, ’65 Jazzmaster and ’65 Jaguar.

Scottsdale, AZ (August 21, 2012) – Fender’s American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender’s roots—preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating how many of the most desirable instruments of the past can be expertly recreated in look, feel and sound.

The American Vintage Series has long presented some of Fender’s best-selling guitars (their early-’80s introduction, in fact, was one of the first signs that Fender was "back" as the CBS era ended). Today, Fender has boldly cleared the slate to make way for a fresh American Vintage series with new features, new specs and the most meticulous level of vintage accuracy yet. Rather than just replacing the previous models with different ones, the entire vintage-reissue concept has been completely and comprehensively re-imagined—restoring original tooling dies, voicing new pickups, reformulating vintage colors and more—based on actual vintage guitars designers tracked down to ensure even greater accuracy.

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.

The new guitars are the American Vintage ’56, ’59 and ’65 Stratocaster models (’56 model also in left-handed version), American Vintage ’58 and ’64 Telecaster models (’64 model also in left-handed version), American Vintage ’65 Jazzmaster and American Vintage ’65 Jaguar. Also, the American Vintage ’52 Telecaster returns to the fold (in right- and left-handed versions) with body, neck and pickups refined with the best features—tones, curves, perimeters, radii and more—from a handful of extraordinary ’52 Telecaster specimens examined by Fender craftsmen.

The most distinctive features of each individual model are listed below:

American Vintage ’52 Telecaster (and left-handed model)
• Ash body with slightly lighter Butterscotch Blonde finish and singe-ply black pickguard.
• Large maple neck with re-sculpted U-shaped profile and comfortably rolled edges.
• All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound.
• "Barrel" switch tip and knurled chrome domed control knobs.
• Vintage-style bridge with three brass saddles.

American Vintage ’56 Stratocaster (and left-handed model)
• Lightweight 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.

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.

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.

American Vintage ’58 Telecaster
• Lightweight ash body with single-ply white pickguard.
• Early-1958 large maple neck with comfortable "D"-shaped profile.
• All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound, with early-1958 staggered bridge pickup pole magnets.
• Solid steel "barrel" bridge saddles.
• "Top-hat" switch tip and flat-top knurled aluminum chrome control knobs.

American Vintage ’64 Telecaster (and left-handed model)
• Lightweight alder body (ash on White Blonde model) with three-ply white pickguard with eight holes.
• Slimmer, more rounded maple neck with "C"-shaped profile and round-laminated rosewood fingerboard with larger pearl dot inlays.
• All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound, with staggered bridge pickup pole magnets.
• Threaded steel "barrel" bridge saddles.
• "Top-hat" switch tip and flat-top knurled chrome control knobs.

American Vintage ’65 Jazzmaster
• Bound round-laminated rosewood fingerboard with larger pearl dot inlays.
• White "witch hat" control knobs.
• Three-color Sunburst and limited Aztec Gold finishes.
• All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound, with classic dual-circuit wiring and controls.
• Vintage-style floating tremolo with lock button.

American Vintage ’65 Jaguar
• Bound round-laminated fingerboard and larger pearl dot inlays.
• Three-color Sunburst and limited Candy Apple Red finishes.
• Classic Jaguar shorter scale.
• All-new pickups wound to period-correct specs and sound, with classic dual-circuit wiring and controls.
• Vintage-style floating tremolo with lock button.

For more information:
www.fender.com


     

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Comments

 (17 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Icarus
on 10/12/2012 		I just went to the NYC Guitar Center on 14th because a guy working there assured me they had one of these Teles just in. I specified the American Standard Vintage Models I just read about in Vintage Guitar. After going all the way there, it turned out the guy didn't realize the one they just got is NOT part of this retooled series. From my experience I would recommend you NOT attempt to buy one of these from GC, because (some of ) the people working there are functional morons. The vintage guitar dept. is a bit better at 14th St. Of course they want my phone number so they can call when they get one of the series in. That's just what I want; their calling the NEXT time something ships in that they THINK may be the new revamped models. I guess I have to go directly to Fender.
Daniel't
on 09/05/2012 		And how are we supposed to distinguish all of these maternal fornicators?
Cash
on 08/31/2012 		Here's an update to my 1st post.I tried about 4 different Fender strats from the newest vintage series line.Out of the four that I tried out,I only liked one which was a 59 suburst model with rosewood neck.This was my favorite because of the vintage tone that it produced.The other three didn't cut it for me;although the feel was great on all four.I think however, that it had a lot to do with the amp I was using.It was a modern fender amp,but didn't come close to the older vintage ones as far as sound quality.I own an original 1965 Super reverb amp which I think I'll use next time to try out these new vintage guitars.So my recommendation is: don't buy the first one that you see,but comapare diffrent year models until you find the one you relly like.And if possible,take in your favorite amp and use it to test these new line of guitars.
Cash
on 08/30/2012 		It's about time Fender did something right and that was: to dig deep into the roots of their original guitars and recreate them brand new;or so it seems? They sound good on their videos, but I still have to try them out for myself; in order to remove all doubt.Now if the videos prove true,then all Fender has to do now is continue the same process on other Pre CBS models/years including Basses and amps.Anyone who has owned/played a fine orginal pre cbs model instrument (excluding the occasional lemons)would agree that up to this point Fender hasn't being able to duplicate the original sound,quality and feel of those older models.Maybe,just maybe they finally did it right this time?
Artie
on 08/27/2012 		They have "vintage style" frets, bridges, and tuners. Fender evolved from these guitars because they were inadequate for evolving guitar players' styles. I’m not in a 50s or 60s tribute band. The only things I would like to keep from the old guitars are the pickups and finishes, everything else probably inherits the problems that the original guitars had. I don’t want a guitar with small frets that goes out of tune every song. I want to be able to adjust the neck at the headstock instead of having to remove the pickguard. I don’t like the old guitar cases either, their edges get tattered and the tweed gets ripped, the locks and keys on vintage cases were/are useless and junky. Fender's new plastic hard cases by SKB are better than any "vintage" case. Fender should offer these paint finishes and pickups on their American Standard guitars, with better adjustable necks, better "Medium Jumbo" frets, better bridges, better tuners, and better cases.
Numero Uno
on 08/27/2012 		Fender is going to do this forever because this is what they do. Since they own Charvel/Jackson you can go to those brands for the shred stuff. A 2012 Charvel body is basically a Fender Strat body anyway. Fender has many sub-brands and every price range. Keep it in the family and you're there forever.
K Dove
on 08/25/2012 		I like the concept,because I dislike old guitars. As a guitar tech, I have seen more jacked up, so-called, vintage prizes that play and sound like crap. I think if you take your time and look, you can find production guitars that are affordable, play and sound good. Depending on the price, these guitars may be what a vintage player is looking for.
Marc
on 08/24/2012 		I wonder what happened to those Samarium Cobalt (SCN) pickups. They were dead quiet and sounded beautiful. (Would you expect anything less from a Bill Lawrence design?)
Gary Jennings
on 08/24/2012 		I don't understand why they don't put the bigger headstock on all of them. Bigger is better!
brooks
on 08/24/2012 		Just having some fun -no hate here. I love Fenders, especially the ones they are remaking. And the amps of old, too. Leo really, really, really hit it out of the park right from the get go. I even like the new ones. And the more they make the cheaper they are used.



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