Do you yearn for guitars that hearken back to the early days of Fender? Do you covet the instruments that were played by your favorite artists from yesteryear? Boasting traditional specs from Fender’s most well-loved instruments of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, the Vintera Series delivers this and more, at a fraction of the cost of an American Original or Custom Shop model. This series encompasses Fender’s most popular models in a myriad of shapes and sizes, with new models for Strats, Teles, Precision Basses, Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Mustangs, Mustang Basses, and Jazz Basses. Available in both Vintage and Modified configurations, these vintage-style guitars and basses began shipping in June 2019. All instruments include gig bags and are built in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
Tailor-made for classic Fender aficionados
Vintera Series guitars and basses are tailor-made for classic Fender aficionados. For those that fall into the Vintage camp, the period-correct neck shapes, 7.25″-radius pau ferro or maple fingerboards, and vintage frets provide a familiar feel and playability. The necks are also tinted for a classic Fender look. Plugging one of these into your favorite vintage-style amp will transport you back in time, thanks to the Tim Shaw-designed single-coil pickups and re-voiced Wide Range humbuckers with decade-specific tones. These instruments are available in a wide breadth of vintage colors, including Vintage Blonde, Mocha, Fiesta Red, Seafoam Green, Inca Silver, Burgundy Mist, and Ice Blue Metallic. Playing one of these Fender Vintera Series guitars or basses is like playing a carefully preserved classic!
As noted above, some Vintera Series instruments sport a Modified configuration — they look like vintage instruments but include modern updates that contemporary guitarists will appreciate. These guitars can really make an amp roar, by virtue of hot-wound single-coil pickups and humbuckers, along with special, model-specific switching that unlocks the full gamut of 21st century tones. What’s more, modern C-shaped necks and 9.5″-radius pau ferro or maple fingerboards, with medium-jumbo frets, allow for effortless playability. Quality hardware, such as synchronized tremolos and vintage-style tuning machines, give you everything you need for contemporary playing techniques, but with vintage style to spare.
Tim Shaw-designed electronics yield classic sound quality
Fender’s Vintera Series of guitars and basses are engineered to serve up era-correct vintage tone. Plug into any classic-sounding amplifier worth its salt, and you’ll experience the sound of a vintage Strat, Tele, P Bass, Jazzmaster, Jag, Mustang, Mustang Bass, or J Bass — custom-voiced for the ’50s, ’60s, or ’70s. Meticulously made-to-measure by Fender’s legendary pickup guru, Tim Shaw, these single-coil pickups, humbuckers, and bass pickups really deliver what they promise with spot-on, period-specific voicings. The ’50s-era pickups are spec’d with period-correct materials such as formvar wire, along with staggered, beveled Alnico magnets.
For the ’60s-era models, items like plain enamel wire and staggered, non-beveled Alnico V magnets were used. And the ’70s-era instruments are fortified with tonal ingredients — depending on the model — like polysol-coated or enamel wire and flat, non-beveled Alnico V magnets. If you’re craving classic Fender tone, the Vintera Series delivers it by the truckload — and you don’t have to shell out the cost of an American Original or Custom Shop instrument to get it!
Fender’s Vintera Series offers something for everyone
If you’re a player who can’t get enough of the feel and playability of a vintage Fender electric guitar or electric bass, you’ll have a very difficult time putting a Vintera Series instrument down. For ’50s-era instruments, Soft “V” Stratocaster necks, Large “U” Telecaster necks, and C-shaped Precision Bass necks fill your hand nicely, just like their vintage counterparts. And for ’60s- and ’70s-era models, C-shaped necks of varying thickness supply you with an authentic playing experience. What’s more, their 7.25″ fingerboard radiuses and vintage-sized frets are the real deal, nailing the feel and playability of a vintage Fender guitar.
But the Vintera Series isn’t limited to musicians who prefer vintage feel and playability. Thanks to the Modified configurations, contemporary players can also get in on the action. The modern C-shaped necks on Modified models are ideal for modern playing techniques, and their 9.5″-radius fingerboards ensure that you can bend anywhere on the neck without fretting out. A few of us here at Sweetwater have even gone all “Yngwie Malmsteen” on a Vintera ’60s Stratocaster Modified and found it to be an excellent fit for modern playing styles.
Vintera Series guitars and basses boast high-quality hardware, including vintage-style tuning machines and synchronized tremolos, depending on which model you choose. Colors range from Sonic Blue to Ice Blue Metallic to Seafoam Green to Fiesta Red — no matter what look you prefer, you’re sure to find one that you like. You even get a first-class gig bag!
Are Fender Vintera Series guitars worth the cost?
Fender Vintera Series instruments really hit the sweet spot when it comes to value, with prices ranging from $899 to $1,149 — less expensive than an American Original model, and much, much cheaper than a Custom Shop instrument. And when you consider that Vintera Series guitars and basses include custom-designed single-coil pickups, humbucking pickups, and bass guitar pickups, plus super-comfortable vintage-style necks, high-quality tuning machines and synchronized tremolos, durable gig bags, and cool vintage-inspired colors like Ice Blue Metallic and Vintage Blonde, you’re really getting a lot for your money. If you’re searching for a classic Fender, the Vintera Series is definitely worth a look. Check out all the Vintera models here, then give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700 and order yours!
