...so, were/are the Vintera II a failure?

[Pacafeliz]

...there was such an immense outcry of excitement when these were leaked. Burgundyburst and yellow Compstangs, rosewood necks, black block inlays, etc.
Now they've been out a while but other than 2-3 people on OSG or shortscale, i know of no one that got one.

Hot yes. But imho just too expensive.

I was one of the first to check one of the Jags out and reviev it, and by golly, I'm still GASing for one, but I'm NOT shelling out €1200 for a new MIM Fender, no matter how nice the black blocks.

Opinions?

[Meriphew]

I would have MUCH rather seen Fender release a Bass VI AVRI than the Vintera Bass VI. I won't buy the Vintera, but def would have purchased an AVRI version.

[Iffymiffy]

I may be wrong, but from the leaks to the actual release I got the impression people on here weren’t very impressed with the pricing and colours etc. Then It felt that as everything settled in and they started hitting shops, the reactions seemed more positive.

I am also seeing a lot of Vintera II Offset NGDs almost daily on my Instagram discovery feed.

[MrFingers]

The local musicstore also says there are some supply chain issues, with not a whole lot of them trickling into Europe. The interest is there, but there is nothing to actually sell.

Also: cost of living and inflation that spiralled out of control, people can't really splurge 1500€ on a guitar anymore like they could for a comparable guitar 10 years ago.

(I remember buying a Classic '60 Telecaster for 512€ brand new 16 years ago, that's now a 1200€ Vintera II model)

[Pacafeliz]

Oh ok.
I'm not on Instagram, so maybe...

[cestlamort]

The price point is a bit high. (I'm still trying to come to terms with the current prices across the boards: USA stuff is still stuck at less than $1800 new in my mind, with MIM around $700).

I was pretty excited for the Jazzmasters, but not a fan of the color schemes.

The mustang is the prettiest Fender reissue I can remember.

[ainm]

The Mustangs I’ve seen in store were very nice. I’ve seen the basses too, and they seemed good. But price-wise - meh.

When I look at the Jags at £1100 when I paid £850 new for my Vintera 1 Jags 2 and a half years ago, then consider how many problems have slowly crept into the necks on mine, I’ve little to no interest in the Vintera II’s. My Jags seemed great on day 1 too, but I’m now too suspicious about the quality of the Vintera line.

I came across a Vintera I Mustang recently that had a lacquer flaking issue and the wood underneath didn’t even look properly finished - very rough. Maybe it was a one-off - would certainly explain the flaking - but another thing that has me wondering.

Vinteras sound fantastic and hang well in store - I’ll give them that - but I just can’t consider grabbing a II when I’ve been bitten twice on the old line. Feels like I paid £850 each for two loaded bodies because the necks will eventually need replaced.

And is it just me or are colours are a bit niche?

Honestly, I think it makes more sense to grab a Squier to modify. At least the secondhand market on necks for them doesn’t set you back much, not that I’ve ever had an issue with a Squier neck beyond not liking it. Or issues with necks on any other guitar and heaven knows I’ve had plenty.

I already moan about my Vintera necks enough on here so I’ll leave it at that I truly hope I’ve been unlucky and that nobody else will see the same problems over time.

[redchapterjubilee]

I bought an orphan Vintera II Jazzmaster neck last week and dropped it onto a pink cvjm I bought a few years ago. It’s a pretty fine neck for the price.

[mekhem]

I think its way to early to tell.

Economy slowing down - people spending less on gear - right when these are getting released. Generally speaking I think they are pretty well regarded - but the new "Mid-Level" cost model is still being absorbed by people.

RE:AVRI versions - I think for the offset models, not necessarily the ASAT models, there really isnt a large enough market to justify a USA non custom shop model.

That said - I am still pondering an orange compstang and/or a Bass VI.

[Wucan]

I really dig the black Jag with the black block inlays but it boggles the mind how Fender is charging more for a tariff-free guitar made with cheaper labor than importing direct a lot of nice, brand new MIJ Fenders. I'm not gonna drop 2K on a MIM Vintera when I paid less for a MIJ Traditional 60's despite having to jump through several hoops. Sorry, it just feels like the corpos think people who buy offsets don't shop around or care about money as long as they're made to go on nostalgia trips.

Try making sense of this:

[PJazzmaster]

I got a B-Stock Vintera II JM and I love it --> lightweight, resonant, dark fretboard, vintage radius. I changed a couple of parts (incl. tuners) and now it's as good as any AVRI 62.

[GreenKnee]

I'm yet to play one of the Jags (the black one looks really nice and I want one!) but I played a couple of the Jazzmasters in a shop close to home and I wasn't really impressed.
Yes, it was a nice guitar but I feel like it was no nicer than a good Squier Jazzmaster to be honest. I did notice the non-rocking bridge which doesn't seem to have had much press, but it's a thing! And it's different! And interesting!
I feel like Fender have pushed these as a "real Fender Jazzmaster" without any real upgrades from the Squiers. Nothing against the Squiers or Vintera II, they're both good quality instruments but if your splashing out serious ££££ on a guitar you expect it to be something special. For me, they aren't something special.

The recent FSR Japanese jags and Jazzmasters are something special. Rare finishes, outstanding workmanship. Much better value for money. American and Mexican are on a par currently, but they have met in the middle - American a little worse quality and mexican a little better than years gone by. Japanese are still outstanding, great workmanship. Now they have the USA electronics and pickups they're just far superior to other Fenders in my opinion.

[sunburster]

The recent FSR Japanese jags and Jazzmasters are something special. Rare finishes, outstanding workmanship. Much better value for money. Now they have the USA electronics and pickups they're just far superior to other Fenders in my opinion.

Problem with the Japanese ones is most only have poly finishes (there is a "Heritage" line with nitro, though), and the nut width is 40mm on Jags and 41mm on JMs. That's too narrow for a lot of people (including me). Standard Fender nut is 42-43mm and that is what my guitars have. I sold the ones with narrower nuts (they were all Japanese, btw!).

AVRI/AV Jags and JMs are vastly superior to any Japanese ones, IMO. Japanese guitars are very much over-hyped (and over-priced) these days. They have good fretwork and come in nice colors, but beside the issues with the poly finishes (which I don't like) and the narrow nuts (ditto), I don't like the "U-shaped" neck on them, the trem is still that same junky Japanese trem, and the bridge is subpar compared to the USA bridge.

As regards the Vintera II, I think all of them are priced reasonably except the Jag which is too much at $1500 USD. The Mustang, JM, and Bass VI all look and sound great. If I couldn't have my American offsets I'd buy these Vintera IIs over their Japanese equivalents.

[JVG]

I think they look great.

However, as a lefty I give Fender a fail for these - just like the first Vintera line there’s not a single lefty offering. I guess this is consistent with Fender’s long standing approach of not giving a shit about lefties, so at least they’ve stuck to their guns.

[Iffymiffy]

I got a B-Stock Vintera II JM and I love it --> lightweight, resonant, dark fretboard, vintage radius. I changed a couple of parts (incl. tuners) and now it's as good as any AVRI 62.

This is pretty much what I am seeing on all the Instagram NGDs, as good as AVRI/USA and very satisfied with the fretboard and specs, pickups etc.

So I guess Fender would need to move the Classic Vibe series or the more desirable FSRs like the 40th JM closer to the old Vintera pricing in order for the increased MIM / USA pricing to “make sense”.

Just talking out of my rear end, but maybe this explains why Squier has been “on fire” for the past few years - being market tested/prepped for a tier bump