First of all, thank you for this video. Second of all - forgive me if there is some gramatical & typing mistakes, clearly english is not my first language. As owner of American Vintage II 1961 olympic white Fender Stratocaster, I have to say that I had exactly the same issue with neck pocket and crooked neck like yourself. Also I have seen a lot of videos in which people were complaining about the same issue. Also, I have to admit, that from what I hear in this video, I like more how does the Fender American Original sounds like. It has that almost pre CBS - bell like deeper tone than american vintage II ... Thank you and God bless you !
2:14 mine had that too, you don't have to take the neck off. just loosen the screws very little, move in place, and tighten screws while maintaining pressure/position. I sold the AO60. Mainly for cosmetic reasons (clay dots and spaghetti logo), but I do love the neck on the AVII61.
I like the 7.25 radius also. My guitar is one of the earlier Road Work 50s and I LIKE the 7.25 radius with the soft V. Has the nice dark amber tint also. Kinda liking the looks of the AVii 61 slab though...
I’ve had a couple of the road worn series. They are indeed nice. Great value in those too seeing as how the next jump is straight to the custom shop if you want relicing
I have the shell pink AO 1960s Strat. I love the colour - it really evokes the 1960s design and flair to me. The neck profile is frickin’ amazing. I have it set perfectly and it just sounds amazing.
I had the exact misaligned neck issue on my Vintage ii, only my high E was even farther off the fretboard. Same exact guitar, same color and everything. My hypothesis, since I got it from Sweetwater and could see the neck was seated fine in the photos, is that since they come in a vintage case, it must have shipped handle-down. Have a look, and you'll see there's no support for the bass-side cutaway bout if it's facing down in a truck. So technically, I don't think that's a QC issue -- but just when we're talking vintage cases. It's just a theory, but if I look at the neck support pad bevel in the case, it's been smashed leftward a bit by the stress. Have a look and let me know if your case shows the same stresses, and I'll bet that's what went wrong.
Real talk - my case is buried and mixed in with a bunch of other cases in my garage, so I don’t have the will to go dig it out, but I will say that I had the same thing happen with a used Strat I got on reverb. The pictures specifically showed a tight neck pocket, but when the guitar arrived the high E string was hanging off the board and there was a huge gap in the neck pocket. I blame shipping
Just when I think I have a problem I watch your videos and realize that I do have a problem, but I’m not alone 😂 Both look and sound great. A bad choice can’t be made. If the AVii is speaking to you then you made the right choice. Plus it’s part of your AVii collection. Just return the AO and walk away. You can do it Nick!
The 61 has the best pre-CBS neck, I had a real 61 some years back. Also the 61 is a slab board the 65 type in pink has a 'veneer board' you'll see it is curved more at the nut.
Nick, you looked more at home and sounded better/smoother on the Original 60's. I get it you chose the vintage if you like the 7.25 neck. Everyone should have one 7.25 Strat.
Yeah I kind of regret bringing that one back. Only returned it because I was feeling a bit of a financial pinch at the time due to a flare up in gear purchasing.
Good call. It's nice to have some variety too. Most of my guitars have huge necks and the more I play this one the more I like the slightly thinner shape
Good decision on the 61. I have the exact same one and absolutely agree with you on the color and on that ‘something about it’ mojo… enjoy your new guitar! 🙂
Thanks! Yes, the American Original was the exact opposite. It was a perfect instrument, but for some reason it just kind of fell a little flat in the character department. I’m on the hunt now for an AV 65’ which is supposedly the neck profile they used for the American original, which was my favorite aspect of that guitar.
You don't have to take the neck off to adjust it in the neck pocket, just loosen the screws a few turns and gently push it in place. Not sure why you'd want to take the entire neck off. It can even be done while the strings are at full tension.
The American Vintage II definitely has a more aggressive tone that I think would be suitable for more styles of music. I do like the sound of the American Original as well, though, and I personally prefer a beefier neck. Both guitars are also very cool colors. A tough choice for someone to have to make for sure.
Thank you for putting this video together! I'm so surprised that there aren't more comparison videos between the AO and AVii out there! I bought one of each and ended up keeping the American Original. They're both perfect and it is just preference. I preferred the beefier neck and '65 pickup voicing, but no matter how hard of a decision it was, there really was no -wrong- one to make!
@@vyvynylification Both guitars had pretty amazing clean tones. The AO was definitely a slight bit fuller/warmer my ears, but the AVii had more articulation
Couldn't have said it better. I'm waiting on mine. The red one. Saved five hundred bucks on a demo,black Friday and Christmas sale all rolled in one. A couple more days.
Neck was crooked? Lmao 😆 Every Fender in the world will have a neck that moves. No big deal! Loosen it and move it in to position. Jeeesssus! 🙄🙄 The best guitar is the one that feels and sounds the best to you. Not anyone else.
Funny I was in the exact same situation and I ended up keeping both but I have to say my AVII 61 is so sweet I cannot put it down. Something very special about it.
In retrospect I probably should have just kept both. The AO had something special about it that I talked myself out of based on financial reasons, but now that I don’t have it anymore I do miss it.
Personally it’s splitting hairs but here’s my opinions. 1. Fiesta red kills! End of contest! 2. Why would I want a warmer sound I have a tone knob, you can’t add back bite if it’s warm to start with. 3. I prefer a skinny neck over a fat neck 4. 9.5” feels better to me. So egg shell pink for the sun here. 5. Vintage 2 finger board I think looks a little darker but I could be wrong. Overall I think you kept the nicer guitar. I’m sure you’re thrilled either way!
I've tried both in GC and prefered the 61. I like a round neck no matter the thickness and the 60's just had too much shoulder. The 60's also seemed heavier and darker sounding whereas the 61 is more resonate.
I just went to a store to try it out, and it had 3 issues: 1st, the E string kept choking from the 12th fret when bending it, 2nd the tip of the pickup switch kept falling, which never happened with my previous strata and 3rd, I found the rosewood to be pale (though it was very dry, so maybe it was because of that) I would like to know where are your thoughts on this and if you had any of these issues? Thanks
Interesting colours, my AO has no where near as much yellowing on the maple parts, and the red on the vintage ii looks candy apple rather than fiesta red.
The Fiesta Red finish on the one I played at the store was dead on. It was so pretty. It had that pale red with a touch of salmon. And the 7.25" board is the real selling point for me. I've been looking at all of these Custom Shop Strats that are really appealing until I get to the specs and find out they have a 9.5" board. Such a sticking point for me because I really love that vintage Fender radius.
Loving the video's you are putting out Nick. Must admit, I have spent a lot of time looking at the Custom Shop options, but the AVII 1961 Start, has all the spec's I'm after (except, maybe different Fret's). Anyway, after watching your video's and several other youtuber's covering the AVII '61 Start, I have decided to give it a go, and have one on it's way (of course in Fiesta Red). My concern was the -'ve comments I have seen about QC, but I can get the AVII at less then half the cost of a CS in Australia, so nothing a bit of work cannot solve. Anyway, keep up the awesome content.
Ahh man, thank you!! About your AVii…. I wouldn’t worry about it. In my humble opinion 99% of all the internet noise about the QC issues is just that… Noise. I have 3 AVii’s with a fourth on the way, and the only real QC item I’ve noticed was the misalignment of the neck on the 61, but that was so, so minor, and I’m pretty sure the one I got was a returned floor model, so who knows what happened to that thing before it came to me. I think I’ve had maybe 2 or 3 guitars in my entire life be perfect right out of the box. Congratulations on the 61’ !! I can confidently say that if you like vintage spec guitars you’re going to love this one.
My AV2 Strat neck is unbelievable. I love fat necks but it feels as good as my Custom Shop 63 neck, and much better than the AO 60’s that I owned. My AO 60’s Strat was not fun to play and the tone was lifeless. I felt guilty for selling it. My point is, go to GC and and play one. I’ve also got an AV2 Jazzmaster that is equally incredible.
If you use the Trem arm the Original stays in tune and that fatter neck resonates with the body perfectly. In any case we all know "You only miss them when they've gone" and they don't even make those "Originals" anymore. I bet they become sought after just for the neck. Awesome viddy, you basically had 2 many Guitars and that can happen to all Guitar players. When I was playing full time I would use anything thst I could get my mitts on and tried my best to get it to work. With all the choice available now we split hairs. Your dilemma is rampant amongst all musos now. Thanks.
Great synopsis. Yeah I love the AO neck. I’ll grab another some day. Lately I’ve been on a quest to collect all the strats in the AVi and ii line, so I think that was part of the reason for keeping the 61.’ Like you, way back in my 20’s when I played for a living, my guitar (American standard strat) fell out of the back of my pickup and I was too poor to buy another nice one so I finished out my career with a hw1 strat that was donated to me. Never liked it. Now I’m grabbing all the stuff I wanted back then. The irony being that I only play in the bedroom now 😆
That's alright as long as you keep playing Guitar and enjoying yourself! I am going to try one of those AV2s though, the pickups might be where that "Mojo" lives? I might get the pickguard with those 59 pickups and stick it in the AO . Mine is Olympic white and after almost 5 years the paint is showing those fine hairline cracks so I have really have played the Fudge out of it and made it my own. It aint perfect but it has "Character".
I had the same dilemma. Kept them both. They may both be trying to be Vintage guitars but the AO is more Vintage Modern and the AVII is Vintage Classic. Whatever way you go I hope it works out. Sad to say but someone would have to pry them out of my hands!!
Looks like the High E is still hanging off that V-II Really pisses me off I have a 5K Custom shop strat with the same issue....I guess that really is period correct!
@@bobpedone6168 this particular issue didn’t bother me. Could have just gotten bumped or loose screw or something. That said, I too have had issues 2 custom shop strats that I bought. This bothered me
I have the same pink Ame. Original, it’s a great guitar and I particularly enjoy the neck. I’m pretty sure mine has a high fret because it will fret out on big bends past the 15th fret (high E) unless I keep the action a little higher than I’d prefer. It does sound great though, the neck pup position sounds superb. That said, my older ‘62 Ame. Hot Rod is still my #1. Big fat neck, bigger than the Ame. Original and is def. the best sounding Strat I’ve ever owned. In fact, I’ve owned two of them over the years. I grew up playing the 7.25 radius also on an old MIJ 80’s ‘57 Reissue, so I know where you’re coming from…some players hate the vintage radius, but it still feels like home to me too when I pick one up, although sometimes they can be a bit tougher to bend on.
Hey I think I have that same guitar! Are you talking about a AVRI 62’ hot rod? I have that one too and I totally agree. BIG fat neck and very articulate sounding.
@@NickHandleyCreative I actually sold the other one years ago when I was going through my divorce, I absolutely did not want to sell it. But I always promised myself I’d find another nice condition one, it took a few years…it just sounds bigger, more open and more dynamic than the other one. Fender should reissue them, I really believe those were the best production line Strats ever built outside of the custom shop.
One thing that people don't realize is how often will a shell pink nitro finish come along from fender? I feel like the shell pink strats are going to be worth a lot in the future.
dude how do I play like you xD Im new to guitar, only been playing for a year, not really learning music theory because I don't know where to start but I love what you played when trying out the vintage 2. What pentatonic was that on and what style is that phrasing?
Right on! Nice of you to say. If I was teaching a person who’s been playing a year I’d say Dive into the major and minor pentatonics as these scales make up 95% of all guitar licks / riffs / noodling. I’d also say to pair the ‘lick learning’ with a deep dive into bar chords. IMO you can build an entire career out of these two things
I now have a newfound appreciation of my Fender CS with its compound 7.25 to 9.5 inch fretboard. We shouldn’t have to choose, lol. Anyway, out of curiosity, what audio/video setup are you using? I could definitely hear the tonal difference through my 6th generation iPad mini. Kudos from a fellow GenXer.
Wow that’s intriguing. For some reason I’ve always written off the notion of a compound radius, but I guess it’s because I always assumed it would start pretty flat and get flatter. Had not ever even considered a 7.25 to 9.5…. I will surely have to try one. As for the audio video, on this one I think was just using my iPhone 13 Pro Max. The amp is a 65 reissue princeton reverb with a 12” speaker. Be well GenXer!!
I like the American Original better between the two and like the vintage tone. But I agree on the 7.25 radius and I also love Fiesta Red (just bought a fiesta red custom shop Jazzmaster). I know you’ve decided and it’s too late, but I would keep both. I still want a shell pink Fender!
@@IDriveAnAudi oh my gosh. That’s next level! I was recently researching the idea of getting a custom made CS Strat to my specs, but apparently there’s about a 2 year wait for those 🤷🏻♂️, so I came off that idea.
@@NickHandleyCreative I went to a local shop last week that’s a custom shop dealer that ordered a run of 1962 vintage Stratocasters, Telecasters, Esquires, Jazzmaster and Jaguars for the store 65th anniversary in heavy relic vintage white and sapphire blue. So I went to try out a Jazzmaster for fun and was digging the vintage white one. Then he told me that they had a Fiesta Red one in the storeroom that wasn’t on the website, so of course I said I wanted to check it out. For some reason it was the only one of the three with the roasted maple neck and ebony fretboard, and it also clearly had a different shaped neck that fit my hand like a glove. So I bought it within minutes and had the shop check the setup and put on new strings. It’s a joy to play. Love your Stratocaster!!!
Yeah that pink AO was awesome. I basically ended up splitting the difference. Returned the AO and found an. AVi 65 which feels almost the same but has the 7.25” that I like
I feel completely the opposite. I felt like my American original had more of the custom feel to it. Pinning the strings was easier. I do have a couple of guitars with 7 1/4 inch but there’s just something about the American originals Mojo for me.
The American Original series was really special. I love most things about vintage Fenders, but the small frets are a no-go. I can live with the 7.5" radius if it has bigger frets, but man is it awkward for me to play small frets on a vintage radius fretboard. I have a 57 AVRI Strat from 2012 and I love it to death, but man, playing that thing after my Gibsons is ROUGH. Probably gonna get it refretted soon with medium jumbo or 6105 fret wire.
Everybody on here talking about radius, for me fret size has always been a bigger issue. If you give me any guitar with 6105 (narrow tall) frets I’m just gonna give it back to you. Medium jumbo is my favorite but Fender is using them less and less. I can “get along” with any except the 6105s, feel like railroad tie/speed bumps moving around the neck. Why they used the CBS transition logo on AO 60s is just a bone headed and out of touch move from Fender for people who want “vintage style” strats.
I think I'd choose the '60s in candy apple. But they basically don't exist anymore. I can't find them on used market. The AVII sounds ok but I'd much rather have different truss rod location + 9.5 in radius is my preference. I really love that fiesta red color though, it looks perfect.
Hey man, the AO is basically a 1965 Strat. It has the right logo, veneer board and pearl dots with the right spacing. I don’t know why Fender didn’t call it American Original 65 Strat, but my guess is the 9,5” radius.
I’d have to say keep both. Return the AO and put it on a gear card, financing it for 24 months. And then you could keep both without too much of a hit. I think the AO is closer to a custom shop spec and is also essentially a John Mayer signature spec other than big dippers pickups. Same neck profile, vintage spec, 9.5 radius. Once people catch on to that, these AOs will continue to climb in price on the used market.
Yeah in retrospect I probably should have just kept it. The gear card trick is pretty maxed out at this point otherwise I would have absolutely gone that route
@@NickHandleyCreative in the end, it’s all about what ultimately makes you lick up the guitar and play it more. Whether it’s the 7.25 radius or the neck shape, if you’re happy then you picked the right one. I have several of the AO models and they’re bangers. I too had a few QC things on my AVRIii tele but fixed it myself.
American original is the one for me. Spec wise, it's basically a custom shop. Sadly, the AO60s doesn't exist in a color I like and the AVII 7.25 radius is... Not my cup of tea let's say.
I never would have gravitated toward a pink guitar, but when I saw it in person it was really cool. You’re right. Basically custom shop specs. Actually, if I was blindfolded and someone put this AO in my hands and told me it was a custom shop strat I would have 100% believed it. Thing was sweet
@@NickHandleyCreative Is it still for sale? And where exactly is it for sale then because I can't find it anywhere? And yeah, I'm kinda hoping it's one of these colors you have to see in person, like fiesta red or texas tea.
@@vyvynylification I just looked on the guitar center website and unfortunately it looks like it finally sold. There’s definitely a few on reverb though.
Fiesta red is a fun color, like the name implies: it looks really bright red under certain lights, or pinkish-red under natural light to me... or even coral-ish (little more orange) at times.
Very well done comparison, though I like the pink one on every difference you pointed out. Keep that one, the 9 1/2" radius. I was raised on 7 1/4'" but in the '70s realized the 12" on a few friends' Gibsons was the deal, why they were so much easier to rip on a solo with. And a bit more meaty neck is nice. The pink isn't my cup of tea, but it just seems like a better guitar on several points, and I come from the old days when you'd go to a shop after a sunburst and leave with Olympic White because it was an extraordinary guitar. Prefer the more subtle tint of the pink one too. NICE JOB!
I went through a period where I stayed away from the 7 1/4 radius next, but I find myself playing my Strat with the 7 1/4 radius neck more. It just feels more broken in or something once it’s set up right works fantastic. That’s the thing you can have a crappy set up on a 9 1/2 and I’ll still play OK but if you have a crappy set up on the 7 1/4 ouch.
Totally agree. Whenever I get a guitar with a 7.25 I find myself fiddling with the setup for quite a while before I find the sweet spot. I do love them though. Something very satisfying about the rounded board.
@@Pegasus4213 I generally have the same sentiment toward red guitars. The fiesta red, though, just has something cool about it. I honestly don’t even see red when I look at it.
I haven't listened to your conclusion / decision yet, but from the playing comparisons, I preferred the Vintage II (the red guitar) from what I could hear from your video recordings. Soundwise, that would get my vote. Now I will play on and see what you decided.
If you like thick necks I hope you have an AO ‘50s Strat - it’s a baseball bat! I have both the AO ‘60s and the AVII’61. The QC issue on the AVII’61 was a neck pocket crack in the lacquer. I took the neck off and there is no crack in the wood so it is just a minor cosmetic flaw. BTW why do Fender Strats sound better acoustically once you have removed and refitted the neck? I’m a lefty so the AO’60s Strat came in just one boring colour so the AV11’61 in Fiesta Red certainly wins in the looks department - but they are both great guitars.
Yes! I’ve tried the AO 50’s neck. It was the profile I was hoping the AVii 57 had, which it didn’t, but then I grabbed a 56 in the AVi series and it has the big fat AO neck. I love it !
Can't believe all the love for the 7.25 radius... every one I ever played was unusable... fretting out whenever you go for some big bends at the 12th fret or higher. There's a reason why they don't make 'em like that anymore.
Yeah my resolution to myself was that I was going to return the AO and search out a 65’ in the 2012-2017 American vintage line. I think the 60’s AO used the 65 pickups and neck profile (don’t quote me on that).
My American pro ii just got sold on reverb. After getting the avii it’s just sounded terrible to me. The American pro ii has some nice modern features that I liked and I miss, but I just came to hate the sound of it
I think I know what you mean. I have an an American Pro i that I’m trying to sell (I actually have a video up of me demoing it) and it’s pretty bright. It’s a surf green limited edition strat that looks so cool, but I’ve just never been able to fully bond with it.
7.25 always made more sense on a fender guitar to me. Like, for a gibson, you get a wider (i know its flatter technically but it feels wider at the same time) radius but also shorter overall distance, then for fender you get a skinny-er radius at the cost of a longer fretboard so you have to stretch more. Having both a longer fretboard AND a wider radius makes the guitar needlessly harder to play IMO.
I haven’t picked up any of my gibsons for a while now, but I have a feeling it’s gonna be a bit of an adjustment period to get used to the 12” radius again after being on a 7.25” kick over the last 6 months
@@NickHandleyCreative Gibson style fretboards are pretty comfy. it's what I started on. definitely it's own thing. Like you, I definitely feel more at home on 7.25 in recent memory. 9.5 feels way too big in my tiny lil baby hands. Also fiesta red is such a sick color LOL. I know exactly what you mean when you say it's more coral in person. Might be my favorite strat color.
@@NickHandleyCreativeI’ve come back to you after a year, because I didn’t mention that I also have Fiesta Red Vii, which came perfect straight from the box with no issues. Also, I’ve since acquired a 2012 ‘62 AVRI in Olympic White, which is the predecessor of the Vintage 60’s. That is the 1998-2012 version of the AVRI’s, so one of the last. I can compare it to my ‘61 Vintage 2 like yours, & strangely the pickups sound the opposite to your comparison. The ‘62 definitely sounds snappier, slightly more aggressive. Otherwise the feel & quality is almost identical, It’s a great guitar, but my ‘61 Vii is still my go to. Incidentally, I’m lucky to have owned a 1982, ‘57 2 Tone Sunburst AVRI since 2008, which is a fantastic guitar, first year Fullerton made Vintage Reissue. The pickups on that sound very like the ‘62, but with the Fullerton contours & well worn nitro feels like the proper vintage guitar that it is. That said, I won’t be selling any of them. 👍🎸
There is absolutely no way a buyer should have to correct a misaligned neck on a guitar that costs over $2000. What in the world is going on with Fender's current QC practices?
Hoping the folks at fender see these kinds of comments and tighten up that QC because these really are special guitars and it seems like many folks instantly write them off because of little final-stage production fit and finish problems
@@NickHandleyCreative When the AVII production started, it was right around the time Fender laid off a whole lot of employees post-COVID. It makes me suspect a lot of the QC problems are because of the loss of experienced QC staffers.
I couldn’t speak to the pro ii but i do own a pro i. I like the AO better. I’m not a fan of those V-Mod pickups in the AM pro series. So incredibly bright!
@@Musicsports I got to hold one of those the other day. It was awesome! I have the AVRI 62’ hot rod which has a big fat neck but a 9.5” radius. I wish it had the 7.25 because I’ve grown to love that
Started the video rooting for the Shell Pink ‘60’s, but when you played them, there was an audible mojo in the AVII that I could feel even from here. Both sweet guitars, but that Dakota Red one seems special.
My American vintage ii came flawless out of the box. Such a beautiful guitar! Couldn’t be more happy!
The Clay dot inlays on the red one looks really good.
First of all, thank you for this video. Second of all - forgive me if there is some gramatical & typing mistakes, clearly english is not my first language. As owner of American Vintage II 1961 olympic white Fender Stratocaster, I have to say that I had exactly the same issue with neck pocket and crooked neck like yourself. Also I have seen a lot of videos in which people were complaining about the same issue. Also, I have to admit, that from what I hear in this video, I like more how does the Fender American Original sounds like. It has that almost pre CBS - bell like deeper tone than american vintage II ... Thank you and God bless you !
2:14 mine had that too, you don't have to take the neck off. just loosen the screws very little, move in place, and tighten screws while maintaining pressure/position.
I sold the AO60. Mainly for cosmetic reasons (clay dots and spaghetti logo), but I do love the neck on the AVII61.
Good tip! Next time I have to do it I’ll use this method
I like the 7.25 radius also. My guitar is one of the earlier Road Work 50s and I LIKE the 7.25 radius with the soft V. Has the nice dark amber tint also. Kinda liking the looks of the AVii 61 slab though...
I’ve had a couple of the road worn series. They are indeed nice. Great value in those too seeing as how the next jump is straight to the custom shop if you want relicing
I have the shell pink AO 1960s Strat. I love the colour - it really evokes the 1960s design and flair to me.
The neck profile is frickin’ amazing. I have it set perfectly and it just sounds amazing.
Thanks…. As if I didn’t regret getting rid of it 😆
Great video, I enjoyed how you described the difference’s between the two and cool playing too. Thanks very much 😃🎸
I liked the pink one, but it's just my liking.
I loved the pink one too. In retrospect I should have just not eaten for a few weeks so I could have kept them both 😂
I had the exact misaligned neck issue on my Vintage ii, only my high E was even farther off the fretboard. Same exact guitar, same color and everything. My hypothesis, since I got it from Sweetwater and could see the neck was seated fine in the photos, is that since they come in a vintage case, it must have shipped handle-down. Have a look, and you'll see there's no support for the bass-side cutaway bout if it's facing down in a truck. So technically, I don't think that's a QC issue -- but just when we're talking vintage cases. It's just a theory, but if I look at the neck support pad bevel in the case, it's been smashed leftward a bit by the stress. Have a look and let me know if your case shows the same stresses, and I'll bet that's what went wrong.
Real talk - my case is buried and mixed in with a bunch of other cases in my garage, so I don’t have the will to go dig it out, but I will say that I had the same thing happen with a used Strat I got on reverb. The pictures specifically showed a tight neck pocket, but when the guitar arrived the high E string was hanging off the board and there was a huge gap in the neck pocket. I blame shipping
Just when I think I have a problem I watch your videos and realize that I do have a problem, but I’m not alone 😂
Both look and sound great. A bad choice can’t be made. If the AVii is speaking to you then you made the right choice. Plus it’s part of your AVii collection. Just return the AO and walk away. You can do it Nick!
Cool video! I have the AO in Shell Pink and I love it, but those Fiesta Red Strats keep tempting me.
Yeah they’re both sweet. They still have the AO that I returned in stock. I’m seriously considering grabbing it again
@@NickHandleyCreative do it! Lol.
The 61 has the best pre-CBS neck, I had a real 61 some years back. Also the 61 is a slab board the 65 type in pink has a 'veneer board' you'll see it is curved more at the nut.
Nick, you looked more at home and sounded better/smoother on the Original 60's. I get it you chose the vintage if you like the 7.25 neck. Everyone should have one 7.25 Strat.
Now that it’s a year later, I really wish I had kept both guitars. That pink AO was really quite amazing.
Keep the '61
The 61’ is kept!
AMERICAN ORIGINAL 60´S!!! The best guitar ever.
Yeah I kind of regret bringing that one back. Only returned it because I was feeling a bit of a financial pinch at the time due to a flare up in gear purchasing.
like AO60 better
Keep the fiesta red, it sounds better and you might appreciate the skinnier neck as you get older
Good call. It's nice to have some variety too. Most of my guitars have huge necks and the more I play this one the more I like the slightly thinner shape
My AO 60's Stratocaster is the best Strat I've ever played.
It was the girl that got away in my case
I had the same 2 guitars. I sold the V2. I didn't like the neck.
Yeah, in comparing the necks I liked the thickness of the AO.
Keep both of them. A year later you won't even think about the money
Don't like the logo at all on the pink one, looks like the Mexican version. Red one for me.
Ahh man the logo was my favorite part! But alas, I preferred the red as well
I love that classic logo!
Good decision on the 61. I have the exact same one and absolutely agree with you on the color and on that ‘something about it’ mojo… enjoy your new guitar! 🙂
Thanks! Yes, the American Original was the exact opposite. It was a perfect instrument, but for some reason it just kind of fell a little flat in the character department. I’m on the hunt now for an AV 65’ which is supposedly the neck profile they used for the American original, which was my favorite aspect of that guitar.
You don't have to take the neck off to adjust it in the neck pocket, just loosen the screws a few turns and gently push it in place. Not sure why you'd want to take the entire neck off. It can even be done while the strings are at full tension.
The American Vintage II definitely has a more aggressive tone that I think would be suitable for more styles of music. I do like the sound of the American Original as well, though, and I personally prefer a beefier neck. Both guitars are also very cool colors. A tough choice for someone to have to make for sure.
Agreed. I prefer the beefier necks too. Love the AVii but I do with the neck was a slight bit thicker like the AO.
Is this not just the pups?
I've had a lot of guitars... red ones sound better.
Thank you for putting this video together! I'm so surprised that there aren't more comparison videos between the AO and AVii out there! I bought one of each and ended up keeping the American Original. They're both perfect and it is just preference. I preferred the beefier neck and '65 pickup voicing, but no matter how hard of a decision it was, there really was no -wrong- one to make!
Yes I preferred the beefier neck profile on the AO as well. Something about the AVii just spoke to me on a deeper level, but both are pretty amazing!
are the pv65's warm sounding and good for cleans? :-)))
@@vyvynylification Both guitars had pretty amazing clean tones. The AO was definitely a slight bit fuller/warmer my ears, but the AVii had more articulation
Lol if you cared bout budget u wouldve only buy one heheh keep both and call it a day
It’s that kind of attitude that I love …. And makes it so I sleep on the couch
The best guitar is the one that feels great in your hands, period.
And sounds best!
@@jamiemorgan4146 and looks the best. I mean, you need to "want" to pick it up
Couldn't have said it better. I'm waiting on mine. The red one. Saved five hundred bucks on a demo,black Friday and Christmas sale all rolled in one. A couple more days.
Yep. It doesn’t matter if it’s warped, has dead/wolf notes etc. it’s allll about how it feels in your hands. Period.
Neck was crooked? Lmao 😆
Every Fender in the world will have a neck that moves. No big deal! Loosen it and move it in to position. Jeeesssus! 🙄🙄
The best guitar is the one that feels and sounds the best to you. Not anyone else.
Funny I was in the exact same situation and I ended up keeping both but I have to say my AVII 61 is so sweet I cannot put it down. Something very special about it.
In retrospect I probably should have just kept both. The AO had something special about it that I talked myself out of based on financial reasons, but now that I don’t have it anymore I do miss it.
Is the neck on the AV II as thin as a Classic Vibe?
@@bluwng yes it is. The American Original 60s neck is quite a bit chunkier than the AVR2.
Personally it’s splitting hairs but here’s my opinions.
1. Fiesta red kills! End of contest!
2. Why would I want a warmer sound I have a tone knob, you can’t add back bite if it’s warm to start with.
3. I prefer a skinny neck over a fat neck
4. 9.5” feels better to me. So egg shell pink for the sun here.
5. Vintage 2 finger board I think looks a little darker but I could be wrong.
Overall I think you kept the nicer guitar. I’m sure you’re thrilled either way!
Great points. Yeah couldn’t go wrong either way. It was the best problem to have !
@@NickHandleyCreative Absolutely!
I've tried both in GC and prefered the 61. I like a round neck no matter the thickness and the 60's just had too much shoulder. The 60's also seemed heavier and darker sounding whereas the 61 is more resonate.
I just went to a store to try it out, and it had 3 issues: 1st, the E string kept choking from the 12th fret when bending it, 2nd the tip of the pickup switch kept falling, which never happened with my previous strata and 3rd, I found the rosewood to be pale (though it was very dry, so maybe it was because of that)
I would like to know where are your thoughts on this and if you had any of these issues? Thanks
The neck of the AVII is way too tinted, it's literally bright orange. In 10 - 20 years it will be red after it naturally yellows some more.
Interesting colours, my AO has no where near as much yellowing on the maple parts, and the red on the vintage ii looks candy apple rather than fiesta red.
The Fiesta Red finish on the one I played at the store was dead on. It was so pretty. It had that pale red with a touch of salmon. And the 7.25" board is the real selling point for me. I've been looking at all of these Custom Shop Strats that are really appealing until I get to the specs and find out they have a 9.5" board. Such a sticking point for me because I really love that vintage Fender radius.
I’m the exact same. I prefer the 7.25 over 9.5
@@NickHandleyCreativesame for me. I'm not a shredder at all but more of a rhythm player so it suits my playing much better, chords and so on...
@@danielferrera8773 indeed. I’d play faster if I could 😆
@@NickHandleyCreative hahah
My '61 came out of the box set up perfectly and was flawless. Can't put it down, light weight and love the neck.
Must be destiny! I love it when that happens
Loving the video's you are putting out Nick. Must admit, I have spent a lot of time looking at the Custom Shop options, but the AVII 1961 Start, has all the spec's I'm after (except, maybe different Fret's). Anyway, after watching your video's and several other youtuber's covering the AVII '61 Start, I have decided to give it a go, and have one on it's way (of course in Fiesta Red). My concern was the -'ve comments I have seen about QC, but I can get the AVII at less then half the cost of a CS in Australia, so nothing a bit of work cannot solve. Anyway, keep up the awesome content.
Ahh man, thank you!!
About your AVii…. I wouldn’t worry about it. In my humble opinion 99% of all the internet noise about the QC issues is just that… Noise. I have 3 AVii’s with a fourth on the way, and the only real QC item I’ve noticed was the misalignment of the neck on the 61, but that was so, so minor, and I’m pretty sure the one I got was a returned floor model, so who knows what happened to that thing before it came to me. I think I’ve had maybe 2 or 3 guitars in my entire life be perfect right out of the box. Congratulations on the 61’ !! I can confidently say that if you like vintage spec guitars you’re going to love this one.
My AV2 Strat neck is unbelievable. I love fat necks but it feels as good as my Custom Shop 63 neck, and much better than the AO 60’s that I owned. My AO 60’s Strat was not fun to play and the tone was lifeless. I felt guilty for selling it.
My point is, go to GC and and play one. I’ve also got an AV2 Jazzmaster that is equally incredible.
If you use the Trem arm the Original stays in tune and that fatter neck resonates with the body perfectly. In any case we all know "You only miss them when they've gone" and they don't even make those "Originals" anymore. I bet they become sought after just for the neck. Awesome viddy, you basically had 2 many Guitars and that can happen to all Guitar players. When I was playing full time I would use anything thst I could get my mitts on and tried my best to get it to work. With all the choice available now we split hairs. Your dilemma is rampant amongst all musos now. Thanks.
Great synopsis. Yeah I love the AO neck. I’ll grab another some day. Lately I’ve been on a quest to collect all the strats in the AVi and ii line, so I think that was part of the reason for keeping the 61.’ Like you, way back in my 20’s when I played for a living, my guitar (American standard strat) fell out of the back of my pickup and I was too poor to buy another nice one so I finished out my career with a hw1 strat that was donated to me. Never liked it. Now I’m grabbing all the stuff I wanted back then. The irony being that I only play in the bedroom now 😆
That's alright as long as you keep playing Guitar and enjoying yourself! I am going to try one of those AV2s though, the pickups might be where that "Mojo" lives? I might get the pickguard with those 59 pickups and stick it in the AO . Mine is Olympic white and after almost 5 years the paint is showing those fine hairline cracks so I have really have played the Fudge out of it and made it my own. It aint perfect but it has "Character".
I LOVE MY FENDER STRATOCASTER AMERICAN ORIGINAL 60S... BEST GUITAR EVER MADE,,,
I had the same dilemma. Kept them both. They may both be trying to be Vintage guitars but the AO is more Vintage Modern and the AVII is Vintage Classic. Whatever way you go I hope it works out. Sad to say but someone would have to pry them out of my hands!!
Yeah I’d say you have a perfect description for them both
Can you do a comparison between the AV59 and the AVII61? I have the old one and love it....but didn't have the chance to play the new one yet :)
Looks like the High E is still hanging off that V-II Really pisses me off I have a 5K Custom shop strat with the same issue....I guess that really is period correct!
@@bobpedone6168 this particular issue didn’t bother me. Could have just gotten bumped or loose screw or something. That said, I too have had issues 2 custom shop strats that I bought. This bothered me
I have the same pink Ame. Original, it’s a great guitar and I particularly enjoy the neck. I’m pretty sure mine has a high fret because it will fret out on big bends past the 15th fret (high E) unless I keep the action a little higher than I’d prefer. It does sound great though, the neck pup position sounds superb. That said, my older ‘62 Ame. Hot Rod is still my #1. Big fat neck, bigger than the Ame. Original and is def. the best sounding Strat I’ve ever owned. In fact, I’ve owned two of them over the years. I grew up playing the 7.25 radius also on an old MIJ 80’s ‘57 Reissue, so I know where you’re coming from…some players hate the vintage radius, but it still feels like home to me too when I pick one up, although sometimes they can be a bit tougher to bend on.
Hey I think I have that same guitar! Are you talking about a AVRI 62’ hot rod? I have that one too and I totally agree. BIG fat neck and very articulate sounding.
@@NickHandleyCreative Yup, I’ve owned two sherwood green ones…not letting go of the second one ever!
@@sixbladeknife44 I’m jealous. What makes the one you’re keeping better than the other?
@@NickHandleyCreative I actually sold the other one years ago when I was going through my divorce, I absolutely did not want to sell it. But I always promised myself I’d find another nice condition one, it took a few years…it just sounds bigger, more open and more dynamic than the other one. Fender should reissue them, I really believe those were the best production line Strats ever built outside of the custom shop.
I find pickup position 4 to be absolutely delectable on my 62’ hot rod. I don’t see those pop up very often for sale
Tengo una original 60 y una vintage ii 57, son tan distintas que se quedan ambas en casa, pero no me compraré la '61. Gracias por el vídeo!
One thing that people don't realize is how often will a shell pink nitro finish come along from fender? I feel like the shell pink strats are going to be worth a lot in the future.
I’m really hoping they do a FSR AVii in shell pink.
I’ve owned my 60 CS Shell Pink Strat for at least ten years, I’ll have to keep an eye for the peeling nitro finish. Nothing so far though!
dude how do I play like you xD Im new to guitar, only been playing for a year, not really learning music theory because I don't know where to start but I love what you played when trying out the vintage 2. What pentatonic was that on and what style is that phrasing?
Right on! Nice of you to say. If I was teaching a person who’s been playing a year I’d say Dive into the major and minor pentatonics as these scales make up 95% of all guitar licks / riffs / noodling. I’d also say to pair the ‘lick learning’ with a deep dive into bar chords. IMO you can build an entire career out of these two things
I now have a newfound appreciation of my Fender CS with its compound 7.25 to 9.5 inch fretboard. We shouldn’t have to choose, lol. Anyway, out of curiosity, what audio/video setup are you using? I could definitely hear the tonal difference through my 6th generation iPad mini. Kudos from a fellow GenXer.
Wow that’s intriguing. For some reason I’ve always written off the notion of a compound radius, but I guess it’s because I always assumed it would start pretty flat and get flatter. Had not ever even considered a 7.25 to 9.5…. I will surely have to try one. As for the audio video, on this one I think was just using my iPhone 13 Pro Max. The amp is a 65 reissue princeton reverb with a 12” speaker. Be well GenXer!!
Definitely 100% keep the Vintage 61 it sounds nicer.
Yep that’s 100% what I did! Although the AO was nice too.
I like the American Original better between the two and like the vintage tone. But I agree on the 7.25 radius and I also love Fiesta Red (just bought a fiesta red custom shop Jazzmaster). I know you’ve decided and it’s too late, but I would keep both. I still want a shell pink Fender!
Congratulations on the CS Jazzmaster. I’ll bet that’s absolutely incredible! Is it a 9.5” or 7.25” ?
@@NickHandleyCreative It’s a 7.25 radius roasted maple neck and ebony fretboard.
@@IDriveAnAudi oh my gosh. That’s next level! I was recently researching the idea of getting a custom made CS Strat to my specs, but apparently there’s about a 2 year wait for those 🤷🏻♂️, so I came off that idea.
@@NickHandleyCreative I went to a local shop last week that’s a custom shop dealer that ordered a run of 1962 vintage Stratocasters, Telecasters, Esquires, Jazzmaster and Jaguars for the store 65th anniversary in heavy relic vintage white and sapphire blue. So I went to try out a Jazzmaster for fun and was digging the vintage white one. Then he told me that they had a Fiesta Red one in the storeroom that wasn’t on the website, so of course I said I wanted to check it out. For some reason it was the only one of the three with the roasted maple neck and ebony fretboard, and it also clearly had a different shaped neck that fit my hand like a glove. So I bought it within minutes and had the shop check the setup and put on new strings. It’s a joy to play. Love your Stratocaster!!!
I agree with you, that fat neck on the American Original" adds to bouncy sustain, I won't part with mine.
Red Strats all the way!
Indeed. I liked the pink too, but the fiesta red has its own thing going on that is hard to resist!
That’s a tough choice but to me the pink one just sounds better but it’s more than just tone. It’s up to the playability in the end
Yeah that pink AO was awesome. I basically ended up splitting the difference. Returned the AO and found an. AVi 65 which feels almost the same but has the 7.25” that I like
I feel completely the opposite. I felt like my American original had more of the custom feel to it. Pinning the strings was easier. I do have a couple of guitars with 7 1/4 inch but there’s just something about the American originals Mojo for me.
The American Original series was really special. I love most things about vintage Fenders, but the small frets are a no-go. I can live with the 7.5" radius if it has bigger frets, but man is it awkward for me to play small frets on a vintage radius fretboard. I have a 57 AVRI Strat from 2012 and I love it to death, but man, playing that thing after my Gibsons is ROUGH. Probably gonna get it refretted soon with medium jumbo or 6105 fret wire.
Everybody on here talking about radius, for me fret size has always been a bigger issue. If you give me any guitar with 6105 (narrow tall) frets I’m just gonna give it back to you. Medium jumbo is my favorite but Fender is using them less and less. I can “get along” with any except the 6105s, feel like railroad tie/speed bumps moving around the neck. Why they used the CBS transition logo on AO 60s is just a bone headed and out of touch move from Fender for people who want “vintage style” strats.
I think I'd choose the '60s in candy apple. But they basically don't exist anymore. I can't find them on used market. The AVII sounds ok but I'd much rather have different truss rod location + 9.5 in radius is my preference. I really love that fiesta red color though, it looks perfect.
The pictures and videos don’t do the fiesta red justice imo. It has nuances in person that don’t translate to images.
Check the gear page. There is a 60's in candy apple there.
You'll find one. There are alredy loads of AV2 for sale used and little or no AO 60s, that must say something.
I would go for the pink one because its pink! Great vid by the way!
The pink was awesome! I loved how it looked with the mint pickguard and aged pickups too.
Hey man, the AO is basically a 1965 Strat. It has the right logo, veneer board and pearl dots with the right spacing. I don’t know why Fender didn’t call it American Original 65 Strat, but my guess is the 9,5” radius.
I’d have to say keep both. Return the AO and put it on a gear card, financing it for 24 months. And then you could keep both without too much of a hit. I think the AO is closer to a custom shop spec and is also essentially a John Mayer signature spec other than big dippers pickups. Same neck profile, vintage spec, 9.5 radius. Once people catch on to that, these AOs will continue to climb in price on the used market.
Yeah in retrospect I probably should have just kept it. The gear card trick is pretty maxed out at this point otherwise I would have absolutely gone that route
@@NickHandleyCreative in the end, it’s all about what ultimately makes you lick up the guitar and play it more. Whether it’s the 7.25 radius or the neck shape, if you’re happy then you picked the right one. I have several of the AO models and they’re bangers. I too had a few QC things on my AVRIii tele but fixed it myself.
American original is the one for me. Spec wise, it's basically a custom shop. Sadly, the AO60s doesn't exist in a color I like and the AVII 7.25 radius is... Not my cup of tea let's say.
I never would have gravitated toward a pink guitar, but when I saw it in person it was really cool. You’re right. Basically custom shop specs. Actually, if I was blindfolded and someone put this AO in my hands and told me it was a custom shop strat I would have 100% believed it. Thing was sweet
@@NickHandleyCreative Is it still for sale? And where exactly is it for sale then because I can't find it anywhere? And yeah, I'm kinda hoping it's one of these colors you have to see in person, like fiesta red or texas tea.
@@vyvynylification I just looked on the guitar center website and unfortunately it looks like it finally sold. There’s definitely a few on reverb though.
@@NickHandleyCreativesad... None to be found at all. I've been scouting reverb for about 10 months and never saw one. I'm from EU though
@@vyvynylification a couple sunburst on the guitar center website at the moment. They look pretty reasonable in terms of price. Good luck!
Fiesta red is a fun color, like the name implies: it looks really bright red under certain lights, or pinkish-red under natural light to me... or even coral-ish (little more orange) at times.
You cant get any original any were unless its used and more than it was new...only pinks left bahahahahaha
Very well done comparison, though I like the pink one on every difference you pointed out. Keep that one, the 9 1/2" radius. I was raised on 7 1/4'" but in the '70s realized the 12" on a few friends' Gibsons was the deal, why they were so much easier to rip on a solo with. And a bit more meaty neck is nice. The pink isn't my cup of tea, but it just seems like a better guitar on several points, and I come from the old days when you'd go to a shop after a sunburst and leave with Olympic White because it was an extraordinary guitar. Prefer the more subtle tint of the pink one too. NICE JOB!
I loved the pink color too! I'm sure I'll end up with another AO at some point
@@NickHandleyCreative Actually it wasn't the color I liked, but you just made it sound like a better guitar to me, spec-wise.
How is it that the original 60’s in the US have a tinted finish? I found the Original 60’s is pretty much a 65’ Strat. I’m yet to try the 61.
Yeah it is pretty similar to the ‘65 AVi. The AO is also pretty similar to the older AVRI ‘62 Hot Rod.
You can always take neck off and sell it and buy an AO 60s neck, even today the necks sell new.
60’s Original for the win.
No doubt that was one of the harder decisions I’ve had to make in my life of guitar. The American original was indeed sweet.
I just brought one the USA original in white great guitar took it out from the case , all setup great guitar love it.
only the red.....!!
sounds really good
the pink didn t have this good ton...
I went through a period where I stayed away from the 7 1/4 radius next, but I find myself playing my Strat with the 7 1/4 radius neck more. It just feels more broken in or something once it’s set up right works fantastic. That’s the thing you can have a crappy set up on a 9 1/2 and I’ll still play OK but if you have a crappy set up on the 7 1/4 ouch.
Totally agree. Whenever I get a guitar with a 7.25 I find myself fiddling with the setup for quite a while before I find the sweet spot. I do love them though. Something very satisfying about the rounded board.
When the neck is thinner the widest it feels in Stratocasters guitars … is just a brain fart
The vintage 61 two just has some magic the 60s doesn't have. My trouble is I hate red guitars! 🙂 Nice demo!
@@Pegasus4213 I generally have the same sentiment toward red guitars. The fiesta red, though, just has something cool about it. I honestly don’t even see red when I look at it.
The avii just has an addictive sound
Agreed. Something so very quintessential ‘Strat’ sound with the AVii
The red one is the winner for sure. Pink one sounds lifeless in comparison
I haven't listened to your conclusion / decision yet, but from the playing comparisons, I preferred the Vintage II (the red guitar) from what I could hear from your video recordings. Soundwise, that would get my vote. Now I will play on and see what you decided.
Correctomundo! AVii for the win in this particular case. I’m working on my long-windedness 😆😆😆
If you like thick necks I hope you have an AO ‘50s Strat - it’s a baseball bat! I have both the AO ‘60s and the AVII’61. The QC issue on the AVII’61 was a neck pocket crack in the lacquer. I took the neck off and there is no crack in the wood so it is just a minor cosmetic flaw. BTW why do Fender Strats sound better acoustically once you have removed and refitted the neck? I’m a lefty so the AO’60s Strat came in just one boring colour so the AV11’61 in Fiesta Red certainly wins in the looks department - but they are both great guitars.
Yes! I’ve tried the AO 50’s neck. It was the profile I was hoping the AVii 57 had, which it didn’t, but then I grabbed a 56 in the AVi series and it has the big fat AO neck. I love it !
Can't believe all the love for the 7.25 radius... every one I ever played was unusable... fretting out whenever you go for some big bends at the 12th fret or higher. There's a reason why they don't make 'em like that anymore.
Three thousand bucks for a misaligned neck?
Like you, love the 7.25 radius which all my Strats have with the exception of one. My problem is I keep them ! Oh well….
There’s got to be worse problems than guitar collecting, right? …. At least that’s what I try to tell my wife 😆
The pink one sounds the best of the two, based just on this audio.
I also, REALLY want a shell pink fender, have for years.
At the time I preferred the AVii, but man I sure do wish I just kept the pink one too. It was really nice
I have an AVII ‘61 and I like it but I will never sell my AO 60s in shell pink … there is something about these ‘65 pickups
Yeah my resolution to myself was that I was going to return the AO and search out a 65’ in the 2012-2017 American vintage line. I think the 60’s AO used the 65 pickups and neck profile (don’t quote me on that).
My American pro ii just got sold on reverb. After getting the avii it’s just sounded terrible to me. The American pro ii has some nice modern features that I liked and I miss, but I just came to hate the sound of it
I think I know what you mean. I have an an American Pro i that I’m trying to sell (I actually have a video up of me demoing it) and it’s pretty bright. It’s a surf green limited edition strat that looks so cool, but I’ve just never been able to fully bond with it.
AND taking a neck off a strat with a nitro finish
Damn I wish I had seen this earlier. I would have bought the shell pink strat in a heartbeat. Looking for one exactly like that.
At the time of writing this reply they have one for sale on the guitar center website for $1599
Tough choice but I would pick the pink for me, red for you. Enjoy 🎸🎶🎶🎶🎶
Deal! No, wait….. I want both !! 😆
Nice guitars! Just wanted to mention, that the am original 60s is not a hybrid of 60 specs but a 65 with flatter fretboard radius.
Oh gotcha. That makes sense. Its because of this AO ‘60’s that I grabbed a AVii 65. Love the fat neck!
I prefer the neck size on the 60s vintage but that red vintage 2 is gorgeous, quite a dilemma haha
Yeah I loved the neck of the 60’s AO. Nice and fat like the 65
I agree with you, the red one sounded much better!
PINK GUITAR SOUNDS BETTER
I'd keep the pink one if i were you, bro. I enjoyed the sound of it a little more than the other.
Sound advice. 3 months later I kinda wish I would have just kept them both
Personally, I'd keep the red Strat.
It just looks better to me.
Yep me too, although I like the pink too. Did end up keeping the red one
7.25 always made more sense on a fender guitar to me. Like, for a gibson, you get a wider (i know its flatter technically but it feels wider at the same time) radius but also shorter overall distance, then for fender you get a skinny-er radius at the cost of a longer fretboard so you have to stretch more.
Having both a longer fretboard AND a wider radius makes the guitar needlessly harder to play IMO.
I haven’t picked up any of my gibsons for a while now, but I have a feeling it’s gonna be a bit of an adjustment period to get used to the 12” radius again after being on a 7.25” kick over the last 6 months
@@NickHandleyCreative Gibson style fretboards are pretty comfy. it's what I started on. definitely it's own thing.
Like you, I definitely feel more at home on 7.25 in recent memory. 9.5 feels way too big in my tiny lil baby hands.
Also fiesta red is such a sick color LOL. I know exactly what you mean when you say it's more coral in person. Might be my favorite strat color.
@@gnoogie yeah I love the fiesta. I have a AVi 65 in Dakota red , which is also nice, but the fiesta with the clay dots is so so beautiful
Ha, good choice, you’ve bonded with the ‘61 immediately. That speaks volumes.
Yes I love it for sure!
@@NickHandleyCreativeI’ve come back to you after a year, because I didn’t mention that I also have Fiesta Red Vii, which came perfect straight from the box with no issues. Also, I’ve since acquired a 2012 ‘62 AVRI in Olympic White, which is the predecessor of the Vintage 60’s. That is the 1998-2012 version of the AVRI’s, so one of the last. I can compare it to my ‘61 Vintage 2 like yours, & strangely the pickups sound the opposite to your comparison. The ‘62 definitely sounds snappier, slightly more aggressive. Otherwise the feel & quality is almost identical, It’s a great guitar, but my ‘61 Vii is still my go to. Incidentally, I’m lucky to have owned a 1982, ‘57 2 Tone Sunburst AVRI since 2008, which is a fantastic guitar, first year Fullerton made Vintage Reissue. The pickups on that sound very like the ‘62, but with the Fullerton contours & well worn nitro feels like the proper vintage guitar that it is. That said, I won’t be selling any of them. 👍🎸
There is absolutely no way a buyer should have to correct a misaligned neck on a guitar that costs over $2000. What in the world is going on with Fender's current QC practices?
Hoping the folks at fender see these kinds of comments and tighten up that QC because these really are special guitars and it seems like many folks instantly write them off because of little final-stage production fit and finish problems
@@NickHandleyCreative When the AVII production started, it was right around the time Fender laid off a whole lot of employees post-COVID. It makes me suspect a lot of the QC problems are because of the loss of experienced QC staffers.
That makes perfect sense.
They both sound great, but the VII gets my vote for sound.
Yeah I think that’s what did it for me too. To my ears the AVii had a little more sparkle and the AO had a little more warmth.
How does the Pro II compare to the American Original 60s?
I couldn’t speak to the pro ii but i do own a pro i. I like the AO better. I’m not a fan of those V-Mod pickups in the AM pro series. So incredibly bright!
@@NickHandleyCreative I have a Pro I Tele I got used. I have a Duncan Hot Rhythm I put in it and will put in Hot Stack bridge soon! Excellent neck!
Claydots is just sexy.
So true
Love my original 60s bought the telecaster as well personal choice great video 🤘
I have the AO 60’s telecaster and when I die they will have to pry that thing out of my cold dead hands because i absolutely love that thing.
@@NickHandleyCreativeI bought one of the very last one made. Love that Tele so much.
@@carpetcrawler79 yep. That one is one of my lifer guitars for sure. Love the double-bound body. Surprised they didn’t do that on the AVii’s
I have a 62. So much better than a modern one. I hear that here also
A real 62, or an American vintage reissue ?
I have the AVRI 62' as well. Nice guitar. 7.25 Radius and 3 way switch.
@@Musicsports I got to hold one of those the other day. It was awesome! I have the AVRI 62’ hot rod which has a big fat neck but a 9.5” radius. I wish it had the 7.25 because I’ve grown to love that
Started the video rooting for the Shell Pink ‘60’s, but when you played them, there was an audible mojo in the AVII that I could feel even from here. Both sweet guitars, but that Dakota Red one seems special.
Oops-Fiesta Red! Of course it’s Fiesta!
It was a tough choice for sure. 2 weeks later I’m feeling like a made the right decision, but I’m still thinking about pinky a bit.
@@NickHandleyCreative The AO had fatter tone. Extra wood and those pickups.
@@RideAcrossTheRiver 3 months later now and I am missing pinky!
@@NickHandleyCreative I really want a white AO Strat. They're around but never close enough!
I LOVE my American Vintage II ‘61 Strat!!!! I got the Olympic White one and it has MOJO!!!!!
They are sweet! I have the 57’ as well and that one is awesome too.