Both are awesome, which is best to you? Get a Fender American Professional II Telecaster 🛒Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/n1kRx7 🛒 Guitar Center guitar-center.pxf.io/e49RW6 🛒Amazon geni.us/TelePro2DK 🛒Thomann bit.ly/3u3Vvb1 Get a MIJ Fender Telecaster here: 🛒 Reverb reverb.grsm.io/gpuv8wvdgd1p Timestamps: --------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Blind Tone Challenge 4:38 - Side by Side specs 5:10 - Comparing all the specs in detail
The point is that it’s not a question of US guitars decreasing in quality, it’s just that overall technology is helping guitar producers around the world to make high quality guitars. You have great guitars coming out of China and Indonesia today, Mexico, Korea and Japan have done so for decades.
I did get it right, but it's all subjective. Bright vs Warm is a personal definition that isn't truly commonly shared. I picked X as Hybrid 2 as soon as you started the Y Neck tone. To me, the Hybrid 2 seemed brighter as the tone seemed to have a narrower tonal spectrum. Y Pro 2 neck seemed to be warmer or have a broader tonal spectrum. Like I said, it's all subjective. Given that, the Japanese Hybrid 2 would be my preference.
That Hybrid has a bovine quality to it I can't put my finger on because I don't fondle cattle. Both are tough to beat for quality. Oh, yeah, I thought X was a Fender and Y was a Tele. Call me psychic!
I had no idea which was which. I guessed the other way around to the result. They both sounded really good. How did the feel compare? How is the build quality? Was there anything about the American Pro ii that made you feel like it was a bit better quality?
Cool. Got it right. I had a Japanese Strat where the pick ups were warm and a bit less bright than my US Strat. I applied the same logic to the blind test for the Tele’s.
I absolutely love MIJ guitars. My only issue with them is their colors. They tend to stick to very traditional colors. Lots of black, white and sunbursts.
Y had more clarity, more brightness. X was like the tone was rolled down a little bit. I'm not sure, which one I prefer, but with the tone knob you can make Y sound more mellow, you can't make X sound brighter.
Great video Landon I am also a fan of the Pro 2 tele my only complaint is the 3 barrel saddles I prefer the 6 individual ones for better intonation. But the Japan tele is sweet.
I will say I have the hybrid 2 and it sounds great and feels great my main gig guitar, my only complaint would be some fret stuff that needs smoothed out and the tuners/string tree I would recommend upgrading thinking of doing a slight shim in neck for angle and maybe a compensated nut but I’m picky with my notes
I bought Fender Aerodyne strat last month and found it slightly heavy for my taste but loved the overall finish. The sound is very subjective. I’m thinking of getting the tele pro 2 to keep the Fender classic look but in a modern finish. Aerodyne tele is tempting since I do like the look very much but I want one classic Fender for sure. Dude, after viewing your channel, I bought 2 guitars and now a tele is definitely next 😅
@Landon, thanks for making this video! Very helpful as there are few videos out there comparing these two models. Question, how would you compare the neck carve of the two? Is MIJ model more slim than the Am Pro 2?
I've played both, and found the Pro 2 just much nicer overall. One thing I really did like about the Japanese one is the body shape, but I'd much rather have the satin neck finish.
Are you sure those are “locking” vintage style tuners? (6:35). They look just like the ones on the Classic Vibe series (which are very good, btw). I just installed a set of Fender locking tuners with *vintage style knobs* and they have the little thumbscrews at the back. Anyway, I liked the sound of Y. Tighter, with a little more clarity. Cheers.
Nice. I preferred the sound of the brighter Shaw-designed pickups on the AM Pro II, but the Hybrid seems like a great guitar, too, and so much cheaper. Thanks.
MIJ and MIM Fenders are usually 1 5/8" at the nut. USA Fenders are usually 1 11/16". The difference is minimal to some but significant to me. I go USA every time for this reason alone.
Hi Landon, a very good and valid approach "remember all you're hearing is recorded pickups through an amplifier, so that Doesn't tell you which guitar is better, a lot of people are, that's the best guitar because the way it sounds". Take care.
In here South Korea, you can buy MIJ Hybrid2 Teles or strats like 1,500,000 ~ 1,600,000 KRW(Korean Won) and AmPro2 Teles like 2,600,000~2,800,000 KRW. You can almost buy 2 Hybrid2s like one Tele and one Strat for your AmPro2 budget.😂Not because of physical distance, but because of CRAZY US $ exchange rate. Many ppl actually buy Fender American line up from Japanese shopping websites. Because Korean authorized Fender dealer (one and only) uses this crazy exchange rate, raising prices like fxxkin merciless. In April 2022, AmPro2s were like 2,400,000 KRW, Now you must pay more than 2,800,000 KRW (Up almost 574 CAD). Pretty Crazy, hah? So ppl buys tax+ imported products and it's even cheaper than official Korean distributed stocks. Korean players really need official Fender Korea. I insist. Fxxkin Guitarnet, they taking advantage of poor players.
I’ve had probably 100 guitars over the years. Having spent considerably more money than the pro ii series costs on several different guitars… Honestly nothing touches them. They’re too damn good. Fender.. please don’t change anything on the Pro II Series! Just make more traditional colors!
I picked y and I don't know y, but for 3 points and a grand less, I could live with the hybrid 2,heck you could even buy a set of mod 2 pickups,for the money you save.
I heard the Japanese Fenders are metric, whereas the American ones are imperial, which makes changing parts on the MIJ more tricky. Not 100% sure this is true, though...
I have an Am Pro II and am happy with it -- great neck, lightweight, beautiful colour, excellent pickups -- but to be honest, if it had been as easy to buy a Hybrid II, th price might well have swung it, because you're still gettting a high quality instrument.
Only have MIJ guitars..... so, I cannot compare now. I did have a couple Gibson SGs in my youth (including an 1961 Les Paul). MIJ guitars are the best bang for the buck. The quality is SO close to that of the U.S but at a fraction of price. Been fortunate enough live here in the land of the rising sun for a few decades and have been collecting since I bought my MIJ Epiphone SG70 back in 1999 (domestic only modal). I have early 80's Fernandes Revival and Yamaha strats, some 90's MIJ Burny's and Epiphones and even the more recent Cool Z (which was discontinued in 2017 - built by Fujigen for one of the largest retailers here).
Great comparison! I have the black telecaster hybrid ii as well , added a vibramate bigsby and the things a monster. Very comfy to play too coz of the body cut.
On strat comparisons along these lines. The American Pro 2 and the Vintage mod 60's Japanese models. Both of mine feel great and sound / look great to me; American Pro having a "Blackie" Clapton vibe and the Japanese Vintage Mod having that Woodstock Hendrix vibe. The American model feels more substantial somehow and the J Mod 60's more get up and go - light and handy feel. It's kind of like a sedan vs sports car thing. Both sound and feel great and Straty. If you gig a lot or travel to lessons in person, the Japanese model will feel easier. The Japanese model is a step up, I feel, from some of the Mexican Made models both in sound and in tone to me. Lastly if you have a youngster who has had an Affinity or the like for a while and needs a promotion, I would get him or her the Japanese Model I speak of here or perhaps one of the others. I have only had experience with the Mod Vintage Japanese model in Olympic White.
I like the Japanese one better I think the American Pro looks good don't get me wrong I own a limited edition made in Mexico Telecaster Deluxe Ash it's really nice
They're both very good guitars. The only thing I don't like about the Japanese one is the angles of the saddles in the bridge - much prefer the neater look of the American saddles.
I can tell you that in 80's the better Guitar was the MIJ but in late 80's after Fender was bought from CBS the Quality of American made Fenders turned around, but truthfully one of the Best undervalued Guitars is a MIJ from the 80's
I have a friend who swears by the early 80's MIM strats. I got most of the MIMs in the later 2000's both Teles and Strats and the quality was inconsistent as hell. Any experience with MIM strats earlier than 2000s? Do you agree with what I was told ? I too have heard many good things about MIJs during the 80's. What do you think of the more recent MIJ models?
@@cmkilcullen8176 You have to remember that other than Wood and Machinery the Same Workers were working a Shift in States and another in Mexico so built by same hands, just using different parts, The Black Label MIM were when American plant had to send blanks and necks to Keep Mexican plant open when burnt to ground, The Black labels are ones to watch for
Same with Epiphone its made in China some scream ok the building sits in Qingdao but they don't realize who's actually in that building lots of American luthiers and master builder named Scott Lewis..and the building is owned by Gibson/Epiphone
One version of the chair: Nope, just can’t get with it. Factory should be somewhere else besides an enemy country. Another version of the chair: Ok, I’m listening. So, who owns the property? Who gets the real estate tax payments? Who receives the rent? Who receives the utility payments? What exactly is the makeup of the employees that work there? Who receives the associated payroll taxes? Who receives their income taxes?
@@Lowtech14 well then in that case we shouldn't buy MIM Fenders because the building sits in Mexico..we're the building sits has nothing to do with what's going on when you by Epiphone your supporting a American company...the Qingdao facility is state of the Art and Owned completely by Gibson/Epiphone
@@Lowtech14 I could say the same thing about Japanese Fenders it's in Japan except they don't have a American Master Builder or American luthiers on site like the Qingdao Epiphone facility does
@@mr.astrophysics9115Disagree. Mexico isn’t our enemy. And by your comment it’s obvious you didn’t read my comment. I wouldn’t buy MIC Fender either, fwiw
People like to say that but I don't think it is true. Japanese are certainly high quality but not better than American Profesionals or American Standards. That said I have Hybird ii Jazzmaster and I love it, but I wouldn't say it is better than my American Professional Jaguar. There might have been a time where American Fenders quality had dropped for a while and at one stage MIJ/CIJ were better (except for the electronics) but American made Fenders have been excellent all througout the 2000s and into the 2020s.
Can honestly say. As soon as I heard x and the warmth on the neck pickup I knew it was the Japanese tele. I don’t know why it just sounded like my Japanese strat as warm as it was 😅
I was right! My parents would be so proud. My wife would be annoyed lol. My thoughts are this: I like the MIJ better because in my experience, the build quality out of the south pacific is basically top tier, their electronics however are not my favorite. I replaced the pickups on my MIJ Tele and I love it soooo much. Great video bud!
You said dooty....HAHA Honestly though, I really couldn't tell much difference in the two. Maybe it's my cheapo speakers, I dunno, but I'd take either one actually.
Great as always! Impeccable information. All the things I want to know in such a test. Most ‘VS’ videos are all about listening to a tone that’s transmitted through RU-vid compression. It’s hard to say which sounds better. They both sound good. I loved the way you rated them with your subjective opinion added. A great value when assessing whether I want to try a guitar or not. Thanks!
Will there ever be a day when Japanese guitars catch up with American guitars? Due to price issues, I own a Fender Made in Japan, but would love to get a Professional II someday.
17 million seems a little unrealistic Landon, but I respect you for your positive expectations! I like them both but like the Japanese model 879 USD more! It’s not about the bells and whistles, it’s about the neck and pickups that create discretionary tonal pleasure for the user.
