Fender Vinteras - your thoughts please

Chuffola

Having spent less than budget on a new Eastman acoustic, I have additional funds to now splurge on an electric. 

I've developed suspected arthritis in my fretting hand thumb and modern C profiles now give me grief, which lead to me selling my US Standard Tele.. I was planning on spending more on the acoustic but the Eastman is superb and has left me with additional funds (c. £900) to play with.

I was considering a "I have £900 sell me something" thread, but there's a couple of those already on the go which I'll keep an eye on. Any purchase needs to have a neck profile which is chunkier than the modern C type - the Eastman is relatively full without being particularly thick  and is a kind of C shape which causes me very little pain to play.  I've never really got on with Les Pauls so I'm considering a Vintera Strat or Tele. 

I've also never really got on with 7.25" radius necks, preferring a lower action than they usually need for bends up the neck - but frankly I think I could probably learn to live with it now if the neck profiles solved my problem. 

So, any experiences with the 50s Vinteras?  The Baja replacement is a possibility too.  I'm also curious as to the 60s Vintera which is listed as having a "Mid 60s C" - is this a bit more of a handful than the modern C or something similar?

Any experiences might be useful before I get to try one out, now that things are opening up again..

Other suggestions welcomed too. The PRS wide fat profile would probably fit the bill too. 

gusman2x

Can't help with the std Vintera series (I have a modified which is modern C), but @Merlin has a AVRI Hot Rod strat that is compound radius, and if I remember correctly, a more chunky 60s profile. I've been sorely tempted on it a few times myself.

RaymondLin

Last night when I was drifting off I had this sudden regret not buying a 50’s Sonic Blue Vintera Strat with maple neck from Boss Gone Mad Sale for about £480…..

hotpickups

I’m not that talented in describing details on guitars etc but all I know is I loved the feel of the vintera 60s strat when I tried it in the shop, so much so I bought it. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually like strats

 

crunchman

I have a Classic Series (predecessor to the Vintera) 50's Strat.  I love the soft V profile on that.  Good depth to it without being too big overall

If the Vintera is the same, it's definitely worth a look - although personally I'd look out for a second hand Classic Series.  Buying a new Vintera would feel like I'm validating the marketing idiots who came up with such a stupid name.

Chuffola

hotpickups said:

I’m not that talented in describing details on guitars etc but all I know is I loved the feel of the vintera 60s strat when I tried it in the shop, so much so I bought it. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually like strats

https://imgur.com/a/S8Dpo4k

That's a beaut and definitely my favourite Strat colours - Olympic White, Mint Green, Rosewood - but isn't that the Modified 60s? I think it just has the standard modern C shape neck. Nothing wrong with that but its the one that hurts me the most!

EdBoogie

Good, but I'd get someone to roll the edges on the fretboard. Feels cheap without rolled edges.

hotpickups

Chuffola said:

hotpickups said:

I’m not that talented in describing details on guitars etc but all I know is I loved the feel of the vintera 60s strat when I tried it in the shop, so much so I bought it. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually like strats

https://imgur.com/a/S8Dpo4k

That's a beaut and definitely my favourite Strat colours - Olympic White, Mint Green, Rosewood - but isn't that the Modified 60s? I think it just has the standard modern C shape neck. Nothing wrong with that but its the one that hurts me the most!

Yeah it’s a modified vintage spec. Not rosewood but pau faro which gets some negative opinions on here but I have no problem with it 

Kent747

Used G&L S-500? 12” radius. There’s a couple on Reverb for decent prices. 

Philly_Q

hotpickups said:

Chuffola said:

hotpickups said:

I’m not that talented in describing details on guitars etc but all I know is I loved the feel of the vintera 60s strat when I tried it in the shop, so much so I bought it. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually like strats

https://imgur.com/a/S8Dpo4k

That's a beaut and definitely my favourite Strat colours - Olympic White, Mint Green, Rosewood - but isn't that the Modified 60s? I think it just has the standard modern C shape neck. Nothing wrong with that but its the one that hurts me the most!

Yeah it’s a modified vintage spec. Not rosewood but pau faro which gets some negative opinions on here but I have no problem with it 

I haven't tried the Vintera models but if their "Mid 60s C" (on the "non-modified" '60s Strat) is similar to the Custom Shop or old AVRI models, it's a rounded C shape with a lot of taper - shallow at the 1st fret but fairly thick at the 12th.  So it's a bit chunkier than the Modern C - though not at the nut end - but certainly not a big neck.

The American Original '60s Strat has a 9.5" radius and what they call a "Thick C" profile - I'd guess similar to the Custom Shop '65 C profile, but that is only a guess.  And that costs £1,700, so presumably over budget.

hotpickups

As mentioned I'm not versed on these matters but the neck to me feels quite even thickness from nut right up neck on my Vintera 60s. Certainly not thick/chunky

Chuffola

Thanks for all the comments so far guys. Thinking to be done!

skunkwerx

For £200 over budget, the Les paul junior has a vintage 50’s neck thats quite chunky!

Blackbooks

I've got a Fender Baja 50's telecaster which is the forerunner of the current Vintera model.  That's got a chunky neck on it described as a soft V.  I'm the opposite to you...I've got used to the modern C shape neck  and now I find the Tele uncomfortable to play and it's fallen out of use at the moment.  Itmight be worth looking out for one of these or the newer Vintera equivalent.

Chuffola

skunkwerx said:

For £200 over budget, the Les paul junior has a vintage 50’s neck thats quite chunky!

Unfortunately, much as love the look of them the LP shape doesn't work for me. I've tried...

Blackbooks said:

I've got a Fender Baja 50's telecaster which is the forerunner of the current Vintera model.  That's got a chunky neck on it described as a soft V.  I'm the opposite to you...I've got used to the modern C shape neck  and now I find the Tele uncomfortable to play and it's fallen out of use at the moment.  Itmight be worth looking out for one of these or the newer Vintera equivalent.

Yeah, I think a Baja or new Vintera Modified 50s Tele might be on the list. I've had a couple of Bajas before and llked them a lot, although I seemed to get the heavy ones!  A lighter one would be nice for a change.  I got to try a new Vintera 50s Baja before lockdown and the neck was pretty comfortable for me. 

chrisj1602

I’ve got two Vinteras, a Jazzmaster with the 60s C, and a Strat with the Modern C.

The Jazzmaster does have a rounder, slightly fuller profile than the Strat.

If you want a fuller neck profile, the Baja neck is very nice.

brojangles

The unmodified 50s Vintera Telecaster has a big old neck on it. I wasn't too taken with the pickups, especially the neck pickup, but I guess that's a taste thing. The other Teles in the line have slimmer necks I think.

skunkwerx

Chuffola said:

skunkwerx said:

For £200 over budget, the Les paul junior has a vintage 50’s neck thats quite chunky!

Unfortunately, much as love the look of them the LP shape doesn't work for me. I've tried...

Blackbooks said:

I've got a Fender Baja 50's telecaster which is the forerunner of the current Vintera model.  That's got a chunky neck on it described as a soft V.  I'm the opposite to you...I've got used to the modern C shape neck  and now I find the Tele uncomfortable to play and it's fallen out of use at the moment.  Itmight be worth looking out for one of these or the newer Vintera equivalent.

Yeah, I think a Baja or new Vintera Modified 50s Tele might be on the list. I've had a couple of Bajas before and llked them a lot, although I seemed to get the heavy ones!  A lighter one would be nice for a change.  I got to try a new Vintera 50s Baja before lockdown and the neck was pretty comfortable for me. 

D’oh I should have read the question properly lol... you did say Fender!

Chuffola

Well, surfing last night on the iPad in bed I stumbled across a used but great condition Baja 60s Tele at Coda Music.. I played one before and *I think* it had a chunkier neck than the modern C - not as big as the 50s, clearly, but a bit more girth. Always loved the look of the Sonic Blue, mint guard, rosewood neck so I've bought it. Hopefully, it will do the job in terms of the neck but time will tell.

Thanks for the input chaps!

Funkfingers

brojangles said:

I wasn't too taken with the pickups, especially the neck pickup but I guess that's a taste thing.

The official product web page is vague about pickup specification details. I would assume Alnico 5 rod magnets and fully automated coil winding.

A good Tele neck pickup sounds almost like a small “Jazz” humbucker. This is achieved with a very particular combination of copper wire and magnet material, plus careful height adjustment. 

How the bridge pickup *should* sound depends on which production period it is hoping to emulate. 

The Twisted Tele neck pickup comes in more than one version. The one in US-made instruments is characterful. The budget version is not.

jamesoliver1234

i gig a vintera telecaster custom and i really like it.

here's a clip of me playing the guitar live.. i'm using deluxe reverb and jhs milkman pedal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6mHBIV9Jbc