For electric guitar obsessives, drawing inspiration from the craftsmanship of a bygone era is usually a winner. With its American Vintage II series, launched in 2022, Fender promised to do exactly that – zooming in on period-accurate bodies, necks, and hardware, as well as premium finishes and year-specific pickups that capture the unique voicings of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.
Adding to its burgeoning line, Fender is now introducing the American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster and 1965 Stratocaster, both of which the legacy guitar brand confirmed at this year's NAMM.
As the name implies, the new Tele harks back to the very first blackguard Telecaster that rolled off the line in 1951 – after the now-infamous saga in which Fender renamed its Broadcaster following a cease and desist from Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co.
Available in a very limited Prototype White finish, it features an ash body with a substantial ’51 “U”-shaped hard rock maple neck, a 7.25” radius fingerboard and vintage tall frets – plus a triple brass saddle bridge and single-line Fender Deluxe tuners.
True to the production practices of the time, the 12th fret face-dot spacing is narrow, while the Phillips-head fastener is at the truss rod nut. The guitar also comes fully equipped with Pure Vintage ’51 Telecaster pickups, guaranteeing a “classic twang and authentic Fender style.”
The all-new American Vintage II 1965 Stratocaster joins the existing ’54, ’57, ’61 and ’73 models, but differs in that it manages to capture an era where the instrument was “on its way to becoming rock's greatest electric guitar.”
Available in attractive Candy Apple Red, Shoreline Gold, and Sonic Blue colorways, the Strat features a distinctly 1965 “C”-shaped maple neck, with an era-specific round-laminated rosewood fingerboard and larger pearl dot inlays.
Staying true to its source of inspiration, it sports an 11-hole three-ply white pickguard, vintage-accurate bridge saddles and tuner spacing, and a set of "gray bottom" Pure Vintage 1965 pickups wound to a period-correct sound.
Even the logo reflects the changes taking place at Fender during that time – being much chunkier and in a different font than the earlier spaghetti logo.
And for the aesthetically-inclined, Fender is also rolling out new finish options for some of its existing American Vintage II models.
The 1960 Precision Bass and 1957 Strat are now offered in Olympic White and Black, respectively, while the 1966 Jazzmaster is getting a Sherwood Green Metallic makeover.
All models and finishes are available now. For more information, head to Fender.
The company has also given its more affordable Player II series its own makeover, introducing new sparkle finishes for its most popular models.
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