Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster Electric Guitar - Fiesta Red Reviews

Words can't do this guitar justice. It's as beautiful sounding as it looks in Fiesta Red. Has mojo for days. I ordered the demo from Sweetwater and it was setup perfectly with 10s. Does the "strat" thing flawlessly. Still blows my mind everytime I play it. Definitely has the vintage feel with mojo for days.

My wife recently purchased an American Vintage II strat from Sweetwater for my 65th birthday. The guitar I purchased came with the Plek option Sweetwater was offering at the time. I cannot comment on the guitar prior to the Plek job, but with it I would have to rate as exceptional. The guitar plays great and the fret work is spot on. The setup was just as I had requested and the sound is pure strat. I have 2 PRS core guitars (594 and custom 24) which I consider to be standard for playability and this guitar is equal to those. If you are considering this guitar I would say go for it. I have been playing guitar for 50 plus years and will say this guitar is a keeper. The 7.25 in fretboard radius is also great. The neck itself is somewhat chunky, but not too much. Some may not like it, but I have no problems. I had a true 62 strat back in the 70's and 80's and as I recall this feels very similar. If you are looking for a vintage spec guitar I would tell you consider the Vintage II strat. I've seen and heard some less than stellar reviews, but I have nothing but good things to say about this guitar. One last thing. I got the fiesta red one and it looks great.

I love this guitar! It needed a little work done to get it into playing shape, but once it was setup, wow, it plays so nicely…and is gorgeous to boot!

Excellent guitar which oozes character. The wait was worth it! The guitar required a bit of attention when it arrived ie neck not seated correctly, truss rod and action. These are great but not everyone is willing or capable to setup their own gear and for the money it should come setup like a dream. Once setup it plays like butter, low action, no choking out, and sound absolutely amazing.

I understand you want perfection. We all do....but you are purchasing a reissue 61 Strat....in 2023. Lots of things have changed with wood quality, metal, you name it! So get it out of your head you are in 1960s. Not only that, but they make the guitar and ship it possibly across 4 time zones, 3 different climate zones. (thrown or flown) on a truck or plane.
Personally, for me, this strat is great! the pickups are so wonderful, they make you want to keep playing. pretty amazing! and YES you will most likely need to have it set up. Its not gonna come custom to your taste. I set mine up myself, didnt take 15 min, I dont do set ups all the time, not a pro. Anyway, new strings, plays great, yes did have some residue on my fingers first time playing...so i washed my fingers and moved on!? wth, I cant believe some of the complaints. If you dont like it send it back. Some of you dont think the case is perfect enough.....lol,.....wow.
To those of you who would like to buy this guitar, dont expect perfection. This guitar didnt sit in Mr. Jones Instrument shop on main street in 1962 and Mr Jones didnt set it up....It wasn't climatized...(wood breathes)....buy it, its wonderful, its already been on stage with me, no issue, stays in tune, even with trem bar, im happy. Thank you FENDER!

Personally, I really like vintage spec'd guitars and have only ever owned 7.25" radius necks on my electric guitars.

I think the negative reviews for this guitar come from people who might not understand what they are getting and how it will play compared to a more modern style instrument. The guitar is a vintage spec, so when you do your setup on the guitar you need to set the neck relief, string height, etc. to the recommended vintage specs in order for the guitar to play well and not buzz, fret out, etc. This will likely feel more clunky compared to a more modern style instrument, but it's part of the charm and experience of the vintage spec in my opinion.

Mine is setup to Fender specifications for a vintage spec'd guitar and it plays beautifully. The chime, clarity, and bell-like sounds that come out of these pickups are amazing. The trem stays in tune as long as you use it for little flutters and warbles and not dive-bombs - this is also helped by the bone nut. I love the neck profile, it's thicker than my other C-shaped Strat neck but not nearly as thick as my telecaster U-shaped neck. The tuners are great. The finish on mine is really great and looks beautiful with the slab rosewood neck. I am really into the Fiesta Red and rosewood neck combo, it makes me feel like I joined a club with Gary Moore, Mark Knopfler, Hank Marvin, etc. The guitar is very resonant. The pick guard color and fit and finish of the hardware is really great and everything together feels polished and premium. I'm not going to lie, I am a fan of relic'd Fender guitars, but the way this guitar looks in person is amazing - as though it time traveled off the assemble line in 1961 brand new - it's really something special to hold onto and play and it feels premium in its pristine state.

I'm not crazy about gloss necks, however, if you keep your neck clean then it's really not that big of a deal. My neck did come a little crooked in the neck pocket and my high-E string was really close to the edge of the neck, however, I think this was more of an issue with how the guitar handled shipping than it is an issue from the factory - I applied a little pressure to the neck and got it to straighten out really easily in the neck pocket and it hasn't slipped out of position since I made that adjustment. My guitar is a tad bit heavy - but, that's easily overlooked because of how great the guitar looks and plays - Full disclosure, I use a Fender vintage style leather strap that is only 1" wide, so the weight issue on my shoulder is really on me and my aesthetic over function guitar strap choice. Sure, the rosewood neck isn't as dark as old school rosewood, but this is what is available to manufacturers. In-person it's not that big of a deal and doesn't look bad - it certainly doesn't affect playability - I think that with time or even neck oil the wood will likely darken more if that is something you are worried about. The case that it comes in is okay - the latches are a little less than amazing and the lid for the storage compartment is a tad looser than I would like - however, I bought the guitar and the case is just an added bonus imo.

Overall I am loving the guitar and I think it is an exceptional instrument. It's my first American made Fender and it certainly feels superior to my old Mexican made Strat. I have never played a custom shop, so I can't compare it in that way. The proof is in the sound - I found myself saying that my guitar has no right to sound as good as it does - I'm really happy with it and I'm still blown away by the sound and premium feel.

Lots of shade cast on this , mine is killer. Tight neck pocket , the neck is a dream to play. Brad at sweetwater picked out a great player . 7 1/2 pounds with a very dark fretboard. I have 6 nice guitars at home this 61 is the best by far. Great musical instrument.

This guitar grabs me and makes me want to keep playing. Super high quality and sounds amazing. I regret nothing.

First off, I absolutely believe that this instrument sounds classic and feels like a quality guitar. It doesn't take on the toy-tone that some other more affordable Strats seem to emulate. Here are some things that are true about my recent purchase: The string action isn't easy..not on arrival.it was a fight for me. All the talk of how Stratocasters are "easy to play, with perfect form and function"…..um, no. I went straight to a professional to have it set up so I could at least play it. If dropping over 2 grand for a guitar that still needs another $ for a setup is disturbing, then you should stop here. It also bugs me that position four does not change then hum factor in any way. It's still 60 cycle fun-ness unless you face some odd angle and don't intend to move. I almost considered a different pickup set before realizing how much that would devalue my purchase. The stock pickups are extremely bright and brilliant, emulating the classic chime of a Strat, however position 5 is too brittle for me - still not a deal breaker.

Here's what doesn't bother me: the reddish swirl in the fretboard. I kind of like it. The guitar case - it's fine. Not recommended if you are tossing it on a bus and running away from bar fight. Sitting at home, or a weekender with friends in a jam band - it does the job. Yeah, you're thinking about that $ again, I know….but the case works.

The good stuff: it's a stunner. Beautiful fiesta red. This is the guitar I've always wanted. Yeah, I'm a huge Mark Knofler fan, so that's part of it. From what I hear from other players, Fender ought to be throwing a few coins Mark's way with the selling of this classic. Most of us will never afford the actual signature version anyway. The feel of the neck and gloss - yes, it feels a little sticky…but the thicker C shape feels perfect for me. It's not a baseball bat that my tele is. I'll be keeping it….and adjusting myself around it's specific qualities. There's lots to love about this Strat, but be ready to compromise a little. Also be ready for a well made looker that might be your favorite Strat.

I've been on a Strat binge the past 7 or 8 months, with over a half dozen Strats and a Silver Sky passing through my collection. I ended up keeping this S/S/S Strat out of the 5 I tried including the Silver Sky. I actually think the Silver Sky sounded a little better, but I prefer the classic look of a Strat and I liked the neck on this slightly better. The Silver Sky's satin finish was great, but the neck was a little chunkier and I preferred the slimmer neck on the AVII--and don't get me wrong, this neck isn't slim, it's just not quite on par with the fatness of the Silver Sky. But even though I settled on the AVII, it has some issues. Here are some notes on both the good and the bad:

- The neck tint is really, really orange. It's ridiculously dark. Why did they make it so exaggerated?
- The neck angle is such that the saddles had to be pushed up all the way. It plays fine, but there's no room to raise the saddles. They are maxed out in height. I don't like that because there's no way to adjust them higher if ever it is needed.
- The case is not G&G, it seems to be a no-name replacement.
- I did replace the pickups, but this was a totally personal choice. I think the stock pickups are good, but I wanted a little more of a mid '60s vibe. Frankly, I wanted something to match the amazing sparkle and oomph of the Silver Sky's pickups. I ended up with Bare Knuckle '63 Veneers, which I really like, although the Pure Vintage '65s I tried were also pretty good.
- The trem, nut, and tuners are all excellent. No complaints there.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone who wants something with these specs, but also suggest they very carefully inspect the guitar upon receipt. Fender's quality control is rather hit-or-miss these days.

I own a 62 Stratocaster Fender Reissue and they claim a c shape neck but they failed to say if it was a thick or a deep, modern, C shape. I was disappointed to find out the neck goes from a slim at 1st fret to dramatic change to a fatt neck at the 12th register. My '62 is the best Fender Stratocaster I've ever played. Fender got everything right was in 1962 the 61 falls short...

Bought the Lake Placid Jazzmaster a couple months ago and its a wonderful guitar. gave it a 4 to 4 and half star review partly just because the vibe is so ridiculous and it looks like a piece of art. also the tremolo is outstanding and it does the 60s surf jazzy instrumental jam stuff very very well which maybe my favorite music besides blues. Anyhow that being said I had very high hopes for this guitar and while it's still a cool guitar it was sort of a letdown compared to the JM. First off the tremolo is not nearly as good.. the arm is shorter and it doesn't really do the smooth up and down it almost feels like im having to force the arm up and down and im not sure if I just got one that wasn't set up proper or that's just the Strat thing.. my silver sky se came decked so I haven't even used the trem on the SS. Secondly the action is pretty ridiculous out of the box, I understand on most production guitars out of the factory its not gonna be a perfect setup and on a 7.25 you want the action a touch high and I actually prefer my action a touch high but this is a little past what an out of the box action should be in my opinion. My PRS Silver Sky Se has the best setup ive ever gotten out of the box only behind a Martin custom shop I picked up a couple years ago. The pickups sound very nice but again my silver skys pickups are really not that far off in terms of quality and accuracy to the Time period. Anyhow like I said its still a cool guitar but I will most likely be exchanging it for something else as my Jazzmaster is really just a better version of this and I don't need a lesser backup id rather have something different.

I like every thing about this guitar good craftsmanship great sound nothing bad about the guitar but the hard shell case is of low Quality for 2 grand you should get a G&G made in USA deluxe hard shel case not this cheap one

This guitar is a huge success for Gibson and rightfully so. It fill the gap between a $ plus custom shop guitar and a standard factory Stratocaster. I'm a big fan of this guitar but what I'm disappointed with is the decisions Fender is making. This is the second Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster that I've purchased. I purchased one last year and did an extensive Youtube review. At that time the included case was a G&G deluxe hard shell case. Today (May 2023) I just received my new AMII Strat and the included case is the lesser quality cheaper case. There is over a $ price difference between the two cases. This is an expensive guitar and Fender has been raising prices across the board and, at the same time, cutting corners.
On my previous AV2 Strat that I purchased last year I sighted that the Rosewood fretboards on the AV2 were not the high quality consistent dark color and often looked streaked and pale in color. Well the new one I just bought has dark Rosewood but it's been stained to look darker. I've got black dye all over my fingers after playing it a few minutes. Fender is using lesser quality wood and just dying it up to make it look like a better product. And it's not even a good dye. This trend really bothers me. I don't mind paying more for quality but I do mind paying more and getting less quality.