REVIEW FENDER VINTERA II OFFSETS
Can’t afford a vintage Fender? Neither can we. So until we win the lottery, the Vintera range aims to satisfy our lust. Let’s jump on the offset train and go back in time…
FENDER VINTERA II ’50S JAZZMASTER, ’70S JAGUAR & ’70S COMPETITION MUSTANG £1,149, £1,229 & £1,049
CONTACT Fender Musical Instruments EMEA PHONE 01342 331700 WEB www.fender.com
The second collection of affordable vintage-era Fenders, the Vintera II range, was introduced last year and to say we were impressed with the ’50s Telecaster and ’60s Stratocaster we reviewed is an understatement. But could we get our hands on the new trendy offset models? Not until now.
While the first wave of Vintera offsets centred on the 60s, the second wave jumps either side with the 50s Jazzmaster and 70s incarnations of the Jaguar and Mustang and –as we reported in that previous review –style aside, the primary changes are the switch back to rosewood fingerboards from pau ferro, a pickup upgrade across all the models and, yes, a slight price increase.
Viewed today, it’s quite remarkable how these offsets are not only cohesive designs but how different they are in looks, feel and sound, too. Plus, although we have a ’50s Jazzmaster alongside a ’70s Jaguar and Mustang, we’re not comparing different decades or styles of manufacturing –a leveller that makes a contemporary comparison of ‘vintage’ Fender designs that much more interesting.
Basic Style
So, while the Jazzmaster retains the classic ‘long’ Fender scale length of 648mm (25.5 inches) and fret complement of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, the Jaguar and Mustang both drop down to a shorter 610mm (24-inch) scale with an extra 22nd fret. It’s a fundamental change that noticeably affects both the feel and sound, and aside from copies, we can’t recall any other-brand electrics that use this scale length today. Historically, of course, the Mustang was also originally offered with the even shorter 572mm (22.5-inch) scale like the single-pickup Musicmaster and dual-pickup Duo-Sonic, although from the introduction of the Mustang in 1964 those models were also offered with the longer 610mm scale.
Viewed today, it’s quite remarkable how different these offsets are in looks, feel and sound
Both the Jazzmaster and Jaguar, of course, share the same body outline, which is 42mm thick with its classic smoothly domed forearm contour, ribcage scoop and large edge radius. We can’t see any wood –or how many pieces are used –through the opaque finishes of either. The Mustang scrapes into the offset category courtesy of its waist and slightly offset base, and is slightly thinner in depth, closer to 39mm, again with the heavily radiused edges, lighter contouring and those more, well, Fender-like body horns.
