(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

3 things...The nut wasn't cut deep enough and the saddle on the g string needs a very slight adjustment for intonation. And the round sticker over the trem arm hole did not come off clean.So why such a high rating... the closest guitar I played to this costs over $2,000.Little shave to the nut slots... takes a minute. Adjusting the saddle will take seconds after I file the nut. Some goo gone gets rid of the sticker. All very minor things. Everything else about the guitar is perfect. The pickups tone is great. I'd describe it as a kinda hotter retro 60's sound. Very good. Tone rolls smooth and works well throughout the range. Making good tones easy to achieve. I'm very critical of guitars... and this is a great guitar. Quality control can always be an issue... a bit more with mim fender and epiphone (from my experience). But mim and epi are great guitars when set up. So if you're buying tound these price points... id say invest in some basic guitar tools. Because a few bucks and a little time... can make your lower cost guitar play like a guitar double the price.

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

First off... let's be clear, this is made to 60's specs... later year 60's I feel. So, if your looking for modern, this isn't it. And action is a little higher than your average strat. Ok... so why 5 stars. And why I say unbelievable at the price. So if you're looking for a strat with an old school neck. You know prices on guitars with this radius are expensive... roughly double the price. Ok.. but now you're thinking, yeah but they are built in USA, have great pickups, great setups etc...This vintera sounds amazing. If I compare the sound to the USA pro ii, I prefer these pickups. Just a few minutes into my marshall and I was in love. You get the retro tone, feel, and playability for a fraction of prs silver sky, or fender USA. Looks great, sounds great, plays great. Only negative is, the action came setup higher than my liking. Not a huge deal, but, the only negative I have found. If you only buy USA built guitars, you'll probably just go for the US model, but if you're trying to save some cash... this is absolutely outstanding for the cost. I read a review before buying stating that this guitar sounds stratier than other strats. As someone who's owned USA player and pro, deluxe, and artist models... that statement is absolutely true.

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I bought this guitar several months back in Olympic white. I wanted to put it through it's paces before I reviewed it. I purchased this guitar through zZounds, which is my go-to retailer. First of all, the guitar is absolutely beautiful, was in perfectly flawless condition, and packed securely. The Fender gig bag that came with it is nice. I expected this guitar to need a setup; like with any brand new instrument. I can usually do this myself, but not this time. The intonation on the low E was going sharp on the first few frets. I suspect that this was due to the nut slot not being cut correctly, because I was able to intonate the rest of the neck just fine by adjusting the bridge saddles. Also, the fret ends were pretty sharp. So I took it to my repair guy and he got it dialed in perfectly. Once the guitar was set up well, I couldn't love it more. It plays and sounds fantastic. I was leery of the vintage specs, since I've not really played many vintage Fenders, and grew up playing "modern" style Stratocasters. The fret board radius makes for a different feel and takes some getting used to. However, once you get a feel for it, you come to appreciate how it makes you play. The pickups are great, nice and fat sounding with all those distinct Stratocaster tones. Can even get some great distorted rock tones by dialing the tone knob back some on the bridge pickup to smooth it out a bit. The neck feels great and the guitar stays in tune really well even with fairly heavy whammy bar use. The pots/electronics seem to be high quality, are not overly noisy and are very responsive. The radius makes it a bit harder to get the action super low and still be able to bend strings without the notes chocking out. However, the way mine is set up right now feels super silky and I can get full step bends with ease. Intonation is perfect and all notes ring clean and clear all over the neck. I love the mint guard, rosewood board, and the vintage style tuners and bridge. I have the bridge floating on it. Ive used it for dozens of rehearsals and a show or two and its become one of my favorite instruments. Can't wait to do some recording with it. I usually end up modifying my guitars to my liking, but I am happy with the stock specs of this guitar and do not plan on changing anything on it at this time. The only reason I'm not giving it a perfect rating is because of the lack of quality control. While I don't expect any new guitar to be perfect out of the box, I think an instrument at this price point should arrive in playable condition and only need slight adjustments. That being said, I really like this guitar alot and do not regret my purchase at all. Its a keeper!

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I was undecided about purchasing this guitar after getting mixed reviews and a local music store refused to sell this model giving it negative reviews so I did not have a chance to try one out first. I decided to pull the trigger and purchase it anyway. I am extremely glad I made that decision. This is one really nice guitar. I got the Olympic white to use for doing a few Hendrix covers in my show. It has all the features I was looking for and had that real 60s sound and feel. I love the slab Rosewood fretboard and the 7.25 radius is comfortable to play. It came set up with perfect intonation but the action was just a little too high which I lowered to my liking. I can still do high bends on the upper board without fretting out and the tone control for the bridge pup is a definite plus. I love this guitar! 5 stars across the board on this guitar!

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I purchased this vintera II in the 3 tone sunburst and it’s fantastic! The fret edges are a tad sharp. But that’s an easy fix. I’ve also purchased an American pro II and an American Vintage 61 and this MIM vintera is every bit as good for a fraction of the price. Sounds amazing and feels amazing. Def a home run for fender and a keeper! At the end of the day, the vintage 61 is a beautiful guitar but it’s not worth 2x the price over this 60s vintera II.

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I got this guitar about 6 months ago and wanted to play it for a bit before I put a serious review out. It is relatively faithful to the actual 60s Strat. The pickups sound very nice. The fit and finish of the guitar is terrible. When I received mine, the fret ends felt like a cheese grater, the neck needed some pretty serious adjustment, it would not keep tune at all, and mine arrived with cracks and scuffs in the finish that seemed like they put the polyurethane finish over. Bluntly stated, it plays terrible. I’m aware that most of this could be remedied by a setup, but why am I paying $1200 for a guitar that most that cost $500 come set up to play out of the box?