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Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
VS
Playability
70
Sound
76
Build
75
Value
59
Score
74
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Playability
72
Sound
72
Build
72
Value
57
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster vs Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood

Reasons to Get
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster over Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood

Release Year
2022 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Pickup Mods
Parallel Split vs None
Connects pickups in parallel to brighten tone
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
SSS vs SS
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Value Score
59 vs 57
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood over Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster

Compound Radius
7.25" to 9.5" vs 7.25"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Pickups
SS vs SSS
Beautiful cleans
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Other Key Differences
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster vs Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood

Bridge Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Special Design Single-Coil Strat vs Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 11/56 Single-Coil Strat vs Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Birdseye Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood

Shared Features
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster vs Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
21
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
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
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood's 72 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood is the better choice.

The Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster meets only 5. 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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Overview

  • From Fender Custom's 2022 Custom Artist series
  • Johnny A. Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Select Alder with Offset Seam body
  • 3A Birdseye Maple neck
  • Round-Laminated 3A Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Special Design Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 11/56 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 11/56 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo bridge
  • 1965 C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style with Fender Logo tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Overview

  • From Fender Custom's 2018 Vintage Custom series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" to 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Offset Seam Alder body
  • Rift Sawn Maple neck
  • 3A Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Threaded Steel Saddles bridge
  • 1959 Large C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • 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

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster

Birdseye Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Birdseye Maple

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

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.

Winner: Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster has an SSS configuration while the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood has SS pickups.

SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

On the other hand, 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.

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

The Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood gives you 3. This means that the Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Parallel Split.

The Parallel Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in parallel. When wired in parallel, the result is a very bright tone. This is the wire technique used in most Stratocaster guitars, and it's what gives them their signature transparent and clear sound. This is because the pickups' inputs and outputs are wired together, which reduces the signal's travel distance to the output jack.

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's switch options
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood'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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 76
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster compares to the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

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.

Winner: Tie

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.

In this case, both have Bone nuts. 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.

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.

The Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's brige is a 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.

On the other hand, the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's are Vintage-Style with Fender Logo while the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood'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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Parallel Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • 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 Tremolo
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
Quality of materials 66
Features 60
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 75
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
Quality of materials 56
Features 60
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 72

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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Nut Width
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood has the wider nut with 41.9mm (1.65'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 0.6mm (0.025'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood, 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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster and Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood'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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Neck Profile
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's neck profile
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Neck Profile
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood'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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster and the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood 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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's Fingerboard radius
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Fretboard Compound Radius
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood's Compound 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.

In this case, the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster favors large hands more than the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Frets Size
Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster's Frets Size
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood Frets Size
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood's Frets Size

The Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood's Medium 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 Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 70
Fender Custom Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster vs Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
General Fender Custom Johnny A. Signature Stratocaster Vintage Custom 1959 Telecaster Custom Rosewood
Brand: Fender Custom Fender Custom
Year: 2022 2018
Configuration: SSS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Custom Artist Vintage Custom
Colors: Gold, Yellow Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: 2-Piece Select Alder with Offset Seam 2-Piece Offset Seam Alder
Bridge: Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Threaded Steel Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style with Fender Logo Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Round-Laminated 3A Rosewood 3A Rosewood
Neck Material: 3A Birdseye Maple Rift Sawn Maple
Decoration: Vintage Clay Dot Vintage Clay Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: 1965 C 1959 Large C
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 7.25" 7.25" to 9.5"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Special Design Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 11/56 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 11/56 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '58 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: Parallel Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1