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Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
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Playability
70
Sound
72
Build
72
Value
61
Score
71
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Playability
70
Sound
75
Build
64
Value
65
Score
70
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Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Reasons to Get
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster over Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster

Reasons to Get
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster over American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster

Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Value Score
65 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster vs Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster vs Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
SS
Beautiful cleans
Number of Frets
21
Same maximum octave
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
7.25'' (184.2mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Vintage Tall vs Vintage
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's 70 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster is the better choice.

The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2022 American Vintage II series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Bound Round-Laminated Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Pure Vintage Jazzmaster with Threaded Steel Barrel Saddles bridge
  • 1966 C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Vintage Tall frets
  • Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2020 Artist series
  • Troy Van Leeuwen Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jazzmaster Bridge with Nickel-Plated Brass Mustang Saddles and Tremolo bridge
  • LEEUWEN C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Vintage frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 8.05lbs (3.7kgs) and 8.6lbs (3.9kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are SS. SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

They both share the following switching options:

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster and Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster and Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 75

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster compares to the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster is built in United States while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster is made in Mexico.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster's are Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's are Vintage-Style

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
Quality of materials 66
Features 55
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 72
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 64

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.1mm (0.004'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster and Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Neck Profile
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster's neck profile
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Neck Profile
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster and the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster and the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster have the same fretboard radius of 7.25". This type of radius is considered vintage because it's a lot shorter than what is used in modern guitars. It'll make chords easy to play without muting the strings because the curve will give more space for your fingers, and it adapts more naturally to your hand. However, this comes at a disadvantage. Bending the strings will be more difficult because you will have to adapt your bends to the curve. Also, you won't be able to set the action of the strings low because your strings will ''fret out'' and get muted when bending due to the curve making the string hit the other frets.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Frets Size
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster's Frets Size
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Frets Size
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Frets Size

The Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Vintage frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 70
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
General Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2022 2020
Configuration: SS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States Mexico
Series: American Vintage II Artist
Colors: Sunburst, Blue, Red Orange, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: Pure Vintage Jazzmaster with Threaded Steel Barrel Saddles Jazzmaster Bridge with Nickel-Plated Brass Mustang Saddles and Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Bound Round-Laminated Rosewood Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Block Black Block
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: 1966 C LEEUWEN C
Frets: 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver 21 Vintage Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 7.25" 7.25"
Nut: Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1