Fender Custom Shop and American Vintage ii, how big is the difference? 

That is the conundrum, the feel is such a big part - I'd argue it's most important.

I actually really like the big frets too, I have two guitars with vintage radius but big ole' frets on them and I find them very enjoyable to play. it's nice to have options so to speak and all invoke different parts of playing

@@AudiomoMusic , truth spoken…✨

Thank you Stephane I really do appreciate that compliment. Earlier in my guitar life, I never paid attention to the "feel" part - perhaps because I wasn't playing nearly the sheer amount of guitars I've played over the last decade. It's something that's hard to explain to people but there really is a value there when you find a guitar that really hands on time dedicated to it to ensure you are getting an outstanding instrument. The feel is so much of everything, and while the audience wouldn't care if I played a Custom Shop, AVii, or Squier Telecaster, having that feeling often inspires the best performance out of me and that alone makes this "addiction" of sorts we all seem to share worth it.

Hell yeah man that's great! Such a cool color you have great taste

So.... how is it?

I returned it. The constant C up and down the neck just wasn't for me plus a couple of QC issues like credit card space between neck and pocket. However, exchanging for the '51 model @ under 7lbs (I'm old) so we shall see! Guess I have become addicted to coke can necks :) @@AudiomoMusic

@gregperkins7723 man I’ve seen that with the neck gap on several AV ii’s. Bummer about the quality control hope the 51 is a better fit and better made

Got my 6lb 10 oz '51 AVii in my lap. PURE HEAVEN! The neck pocket was off on this one too with the high E almost off the fret board at upper frets. Loosened the neck screws 1/3 turn and it literally "popped" back in place. All is perfection now and thanks sooo much for your fantastic reviews! @@AudiomoMusic

That's like the nicest thing anyones ever said on here man, I really appreciate it haha

Yeah it’s super clear yet powerful when you want it.

It's a great guitar to have, I would just strongly recommend finding one in person - they are very hit or miss and not a guitar I would feel confident buying blind honestly.

It's fun to "fight" with a guitar sometimes, it's part of the appeal to vintage spec Fenders to me. I love em and congrats man!

Agreed the custom shop sounds really great

Thanks!

Thanks for watching!

I am currently looking at a brand new AV ii listing right now for this exact guitar that has the Jimmy Page telecaster neck on it and the shop didn't even catch it. Fender USA is a total mess right now, I wouldn't buy anything sight unseen from them.

@@AudiomoMusic Totally agree. I've heard that Dealers are fed up with the current QC issues because they are at the sharp end with Customers but Fender has promised to improve and only time will tell....

It appears that the CS Tele has the Custom Shop Twisted Tele pickups. The sound coming out of the neck pickup is picking up wider range and putting out more sound. Fender says in the CS Twisted Tele product description " The neck pickup's taller bobbin is designed to accommodate more windings." If you want the Custom Shop Sound, it might be worth trying the CS pickups and see how that goes before thinking about getting the CS guitar.

@LinuxGruven This CS tele did not have twisted tele pickups, they were handwound 58s

I listened back to this the other day and I have to say, they really did a great job with these new pickups. The CS are more hifi sounding for sure, but I agree with your assessment.

It's crazy to me because it's such an easy fix, you leave the bass side of the neck really rolled so thumb over is easier and more comfortable then just don't roll the treble side nearly as much and boom - problem solved.

It's just something I've never dealt with, I've played Fenders for the majority of my life and it was never an issue until they started rolling the hell out of the fingerboards. Plays so well when the string isn't slipping off at least haha

@Audiomo Music Yep, aside from the slipping, mine plays and sounds great. Such a versatile guitar.

@@AudiomoMusic I've had a similar issue on a custom shop. It was my first custom shop and was put off by it. I got another custom shop and it was not as bad but still there

Happy Birthday AMIN!

Absolutely for lead playing it will be noticable depending on just how low you want your action. On the vintage radius I prefer it greatly because I'll trade off the bends higher up the fretboard for a nice low action from the 12th fret and below, but if I was buying a telecaster to play lead and have a more comfortable action I'd be buying one with the modern radius.

I had a roadworn 50's tele in a few months ago and the neck itself did feel outstanding in terms of shape and the way they aged the back of the neck - albeit it had possibly the worst fret work in terms of level, smoothness, and nut cut I've had on ANY guitar ( even the 140 dollar harley bentons were substantially better )... taking it in to get the fretwork done would have made that thing one hell of a player and i knew it straight away. It's just a shame that you spend a grand plus on guitars that in some instances come unplayable but pass QC. That's kinda the risk you take with the MIM line in general and lesser so with the USA production line but there are absolutely some gems in there right out of the box. At the end of the day though, even with fretwork paid for it's still a fraction of what an actual FCS costs and you're right there. In neck feel I'd agree.

@@AudiomoMusic totally agree .. the fret work on the mine really let it down , I was going to swap out the neck and turn it into a good parts caster , but decided to pull the neck off and open spend some time on the frets , and a bit of work on the bk of the neck ... I felt the pickups lacked something , maybe this was because I was playing bk to bk with my CS I swapped them out for some hand wound made to order Texas T from House of tone .. they are more to my liking ... the guitar now feels great and im more than happy ..

I’m thinking it’s gotta just be inconsistent work from Fender then. I have an AO 60s here that is far less rolled than this or any other CS I’ve played and the e doesn’t slip outside of a FCS mustang I had for a bit

Absolutely, either one would do juuuuuust fine.

It's a good learning experience when assembling guitars to try out higher end models back to back, it gives you an idea of what you could do to improve what you do going forward or focus on as well as give you an appreication for your own work

I agree they both sound really good in their own right, it's just a matter of preferences for the other things

To me it's not just about sound though and I really only post the sound clips because it's what people want on youtube for obvious reasons... it's all about feel. This custom shop felt much, much, much better than this AV ii and it was pretty significant difference in person. That being said I agree with your analysis of the pickups. Different kinda flavors but the custom shop is definitely the more "modern" sounding guitar

@@AudiomoMusic If by "modern" you mean higher gain, then you are right. You are also right about feel. That's the whole ball of wax to me. A guitar that sounds very good but which does not feel right and does not inspire me to play it is not one that I will own. I have no problem with newer Fenders that have higher radius fingerboards. As you know, an original 7.25" radius fingerboard on a guitar that is set up with low action is comfortable for playing full bar chords, but it often frets-out when bending strings at the higher frets. The original Fenders weren't designed with such bending in mind as that was not in vogue in the early '50s, however, as playing styles having progressed, the higher radius fingerboards work better. I have an Eric Johnson Strat with a 9.5" radius fingerboard that plays like a dream even with the action set pretty low. That said, I also have an all original '62 Strat with the usual 7.25" radius fingerboard that also plays like a dream. I have to the higher strings with slightly higher action to avoid fret-outs when bending, but that is a reasonable compromise for the overall excellence of the instrument. Of course, I would never modify it, but If its fingerboard had originally been a 9.5" radius or more, it would be even better than it is. Oh well...

Would I rather have a custom shop or a nice vintage reissue? I'd take either but if I had to choose, probably the custom shop. Just because they feel better in the hands.

All the what I find ridiculous relicing aside, you're absolutely right - the necks on the custom shop absolutely feel better in the hands as they should considering they cost double. Love that you went with the warmoth option, really lets you do whatever it is you want and you definitely have some cool specs on that neck

@@AudiomoMusic only thing about warmoth is the polyurethane finishes, necks are not rolled. Have to do it myself. Which is ok on a rosewood fingerboard. But a maple neck, we have to finish it ourselves. The neck consistency has been a little shaky. Sometimes the heel is a little narrow or a bad bow. It's a little hit and miss. But only $1800 a pop including pleking. What I do like is it like extra parts. Can mix and match parts, bodies and necks. Can get one piece bodies, and yes you can get a customized neck, not mentioned whatever electronics and hardware. But be prepared to put in the work. Soldering wires, copper shielding, buying Luther tools, rolling finger boards, even painting. At that price we can swap a neck, body, pickups. Basically keep modifying until you are happy. After a while everything is just parts even these custom shops, American vintage ii , I'll mix parts. If it is going to sound play better. Kind of like a framkencaster.

Basically two kinds of telecaster people. The ones who are stock fender people. It's all about original parts, resale value, collectiblaty. And the modders. The ones who only care about the best playing experience at all costs.

The modders are a happy bunch they get the enjoyment of playing awesome guitars, but the collectors never lose the value of the instruments?

Ah, you just said it!!

Always waiting for you to get to that part of the video hahaha

The Custom Shop guitars are hand made by either a Master Builder, Apprentice, or as a team build with several people doing individual parts of the process. The American Vintage are straight up assembly line production guitars

I didn't think it sounded or played that much better than a Fender Japan Telecaster Custom I have in right now, kind of surprised me on that end. I'll likely never know on the MIM comparison unless someone lends me one to try it against, I very rarely buy and resell MIM fenders.

Sound is relative and the pups make a big difference. My 2014 lefty TeleMex has McNelly's and it sounds as good as its USA/Japan brethren. I took out modern bridge and added brass 3-saddle vintage. And I always remove the tone pot from the neck pup on my Teles...did my CS yesterday...I prefer the clarity and output improvement it offers.

It just wont sell, its actually annoying at this point 🤣

@@AudiomoMusic price it to sell...lol anything I sell sells within a few hours....

@@sooparticular It's the cheapest 1960 CS by 500 dollars on all of Reverb, I am not asking anywhere near what the "norm" is these days. If i still lived in Socal it would have sold in 2-3 days cash in person but theres no market where I'm at in Florida for it.

@@AudiomoMusic thats weird even on reverb its not selling? gear page? I usually break even or take a 500 dollar loss....it works for me because I used the guitar for months...good luck!!!

@@AudiomoMusic i go to miami alot what part of florida are u???

I don't think I've ever met anyone that bought a telecaster and ended up regretting it so I think you'll find it's really a wonderful instrument no matter which version you end up with

It's Surf Green btw......

They both sound pretty good, the difference really is in the hands, and in that sense they are pretty far apart.

When I was actively looking for a NOS with the vintage specs, I could not find a single one available in the USA in a non sparkle or over the top paint job. The only place I can see them on a somewhat regular basis is on the Japanese used market strangely enough. It's a shame, because the feel really is substantially better on the CS than the AVii. I don't think the AVii is a bad guitar at all, but it's not even close in that department. Sounds can always been tweaked and modified, but that feel is much harder to replicate. Congrats to you for finding those guitars!

You're gonna have to find the guy that bought it and make him a decent offer I imagine, it sold a few months ago

Yep, kind of a bare minimum requirement for me too

They have such an incredible neck feel, the production guitars are nice but out of the box the CS are superb.

@@AudiomoMusic and also That punch and presence!!!

I kind of feel like that about production USA Fender too, only I'd say it started after they switched from the last American Vintage series to the American Originals. It's been extremely few and far in between i've played any great USA production model. The prices of new custom shops are so outrageously high and never offer the specs I'd want so I don't even consider them at this point haha

I can see the appeal for both, if I wasn't in this business I'd have just been perfectly happy with my run of the mill Japanese Fenders I had at the time for the most part. I've done more actual gigging and recording with those than the majority of stuff I have on this channel haha

Yeah if you skip the playing comparison you will hear talking pretty cool right