Fender’s American Vintage reissues (often abbreviated to AVRI) have long enjoyed a great reputation as high-quality instruments that are as near as you can get to genuine vintage Fenders south of the Custom Shop. And with Custom Fenders now routinely costing over three grand, the idea of a really accurate reissue costing a fair chunk less is very tempting. Over the past few years, fans of vintage Fenders have had to content themselves with the American Original range, which aimed to provide a general flavour of 60s Strats and 50s Teles, for example, while offering flatter fingerboards and other modern conveniences. While those were very decent guitars, the launch of the American Vintage II range marks a return to stringent period-correct details and guitars based on those made in specific milestone years. This time around, however, Fender has brought some of its deeper cuts into the range – including 70s electrics and more, as executive vice president of products, Justin Norvell, explains.
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