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Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
VS
Playability
68
Sound
77
Build
69
Value
71
Score
71
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Playability
72
Sound
77
Build
67
Value
72
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster vs American Performer Telecaster Hum

Reasons to Get
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster over American Performer Telecaster Hum

Release Year
2022 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Thick Soft V vs Modern C
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Pickup Mods
Phase Out vs Coil Split
Interesting thin tone when combining pickups
Switch Positions
4 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
SS vs SH
Beautiful cleans
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Avg. Weight
7.425lbs (3.4kgs) vs 7.875lbs (3.6kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Reasons to Get
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum over JV Modified '50s Telecaster

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Modern C vs Thick Soft V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs Phase Out
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Pickups
SH vs SS
Very bright bridge tone and a very warm neck pickup
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Value Score
72 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster vs American Performer Telecaster Hum

Bridge Pickup
Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele vs Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele vs Fender American Performer Double Tap Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster vs American Performer Telecaster Hum

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

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

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • 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 Performer Telecaster Hum is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum wins when it comes to playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster is the better choice.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum meets only 6. 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
  • 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2022 JV Modified series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles bridge
  • Thick Soft V Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style Locking tuners
  • Weight between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Overview

  • From Fender's 2019 American Performer series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender American Performer Double Tap Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Fender ClassicGear tuners
  • Weight between 7.5lbs (3.4kgs) and 8.25lbs (3.7kgs)
  • 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

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.

Woods Used in the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Woods Used in the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum

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.

Winner: Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has an SS configuration while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has SH pickups.

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.

On the other hand, SH is a more versatile version of the classic telecaster (SS) configuration. The bridge pickup usually produces a bright and twangy tone, while the neck Humbucker gives you the warmer tone you'll need for more Jazzy/Bluish solos and chords.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum'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: Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster.

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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster gives you 4 switch options while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum gives you 3. This means that the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster offers Phase Out.

When the Phase Out option is activated, the pickups will ''work against each other'', meaning that they will cancel out their shared frequencies. The result is a very thin sound, instead of a full, rich tone. This is an interesting sound for genres like reggae or funk and has also been used in classic Hard Rock.

On the other hand, the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum comes with the following: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's switch options
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum'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: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 77
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 77

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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster compares to the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster is built in Japan while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum is made in United States.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

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.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster 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 American Performer Telecaster Hum 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: 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

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster.

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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Phase Out Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 69
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Quality of materials 61
Features 55
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 67

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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster Nut Width
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Nut Width
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Nut Width
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.9mm (0.035'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum, 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster and Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum'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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's neck profile
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Neck Profile
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has a V type of neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

The Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum, on the other hand, has a C 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster and the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum have the same fretboard radius of 9.5". This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster favors large hands more than the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Frets Size
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's Frets Size
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Frets Size
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's Frets Size

The Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's Medium Jumbo 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 JV Modified '50s Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 50
Playability 68
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster vs American Performer Telecaster Hum
General Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster American Performer Telecaster Hum
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2022 2019
Configuration: SS SH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan United States
Series: JV Modified American Performer
Colors: White White, Sunburst, Green, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Alder
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Locking Fender ClassicGear
Fretboard: Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot White Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Thick Soft V Modern C
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender American Performer Double Tap Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 4 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Phase Out Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1