Fender American Original Series

Fozz

These have now been officially announced with prices and specs up on the Fender website:

https://shop.fender.com/en-GB/american-original

I think they hit a real sweet spot, vintage vibe with modern radius at a price comparable with the American pros. It definitely would make me think twice about spending £3k on a custom shop.

Shame they entirely replace the American Vintage though, rather than sit alongside it like the Mexican classic/classic players.

Babones

A strat in candy apple red!!! I did not see that coming.

So it's just a rebrand/slight tweak to raise prices, right? I assume Fender think that worked well with the American Standard to American Professional and so here it is again.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I like the look of these. Spec wise they seem like an American version of the MiM Classic Players - vintage looks and sound but without the 7.25" fingerboard and skinny frets. Plus they get a 6 screw trem, which always looked a bit out of place of on a supposedly 50s/60s Strat like the CP series.

I'd always fancied an AVRI Strat if I ever stumbled into enough cash to buy an American  Fender, but was always a bit dubious about the vintage fingerboard. This 60s model could be the sweet spot in the US Fender range for me. I'll take mine in Olympic White please!

Now to try and find a spare £1600....  

Neil

So have they done away with the AVRI's?

A '50's or '60's Strat with a 9.5" neck - ridiculous. Why even bother calling it that?

Wazmeister

When are these released ?

dindude

Yes smart move. I’ve often thought that if I were buying a Strat or Tele again I’d sooner go for AVRI and get it refreted and change the radius over a CS, as the CS don’t seem capable of making many NOS finishes (though supply and demand I’m sure).

jellybelly

I thought they’d have taken the opportunity to change up the colours on the offsets a bit more - how many white and sunburst Jazzmasters are there already in the world?! Why is Lake placid blue or fiesta red never trotted out?

Otherwise, a new neck and the same trem as the MIM classic player and that’s all that’s changed. 

Wazmeister

Ill answer my own question!

Due in at Andertons 

piercelmno

Hoping for an American Vintage blowout! Remember getting a 72 Thinline for £750 a couple of years ago, wish I never got rid of that now!

Fozz

Neil said:

So have they done away with the AVRI's?

A '50's or '60's Strat with a 9.5" neck - ridiculous. Why even bother calling it that?

I believe they have yeah. So you've gone from not having a nitro finished modern-vintage style in the USA line, to now not having a proper vintage USA line. 

It's weird that the Mexican line has both but there you go.

I get on ok with 7.25 radius but the vast majority of Custom Shop Fenders are bigger radius so there's got to be a market. 

Koa

I’ve always thought American Vintage ri’s were a bargain,especially second hand, watch the prices creep up now they’re discontinued.

Fozz

Yeah, especially used you can get them sub £1k. I think you're right that used prices will increase (especially now those eBay shops will list them as rare), as they're very well regarded. The 52 reissue Tele particularly always seemed to sell ok. 

dindude

A couple of very nicely done demos up here from our man @chrisv ;;;

Was underwhelmed by the Pro and Elite but these do seem to hit a sweet spot.

https://youtu.be/JdVXbnNmzw0

https://youtu.be/CnnSky_yhBU

Fozz

Great demos, love the Tele in particular. I'm not sure where I stand on bound Teles though...

brojangles

The Sunburst 60s Tele is basically an upmarket Classic Vibe. 

Don't like that they're all modern radius though.

RandallFlagg

All well and good but I don't think a Tele feels like a real Tele unless it has 7.25 radius and vintage frets. My AV52 really reminds me of the feel of my 1981 Tele, the American Standard Tele just never felt the same.

The cynic in me thinks that this move is to rationalise options on the Fender range of guitars and so save cost.

Also, I read on the Anderton's site that removing the year specific reference is less confusing, which is really just dumbing down isn't it?

IvisonGuitars

But this is a sick joke though, right??

https://www.gearnews.com/leak-fender-parallel-universe-jaguar-strat-troublemaker-tele-whiteguard-strat-jazz-tele/

dindude

Tough crowd

Musicman20

piercelmno said:

Hoping for an American Vintage blowout! Remember getting a 72 Thinline for £750 a couple of years ago, wish I never got rid of that now!

Aye! I kept mine...it's incredible!

I suspect we will see sales on them soon.

john_r

Mixed feelings about this, the fingerboard radius change makes sense but no 59/60 spec strat or late 50's tele? madness I tell you!

Strat54

I guess they had to announce this after all the leaks last week. I see as per the Custom Shop they have ditched all the nice vintage related case candy and docs now. Just wish they'd start a new set of serials for these because it that Vxxxxxxx number gets any longer it won't fit on the Tele bridge!