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Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster
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Playability
68
Sound
75
Build
60
Value
73
Score
68
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Playability
68
Sound
72
Build
69
Value
60
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified vs American Original 60s Telecaster

Reasons to Get
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified over American Original 60s Telecaster

Release Year
2019 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Fender Soft V vs Mid 60s C
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Pickup Mods
Phase Out vs None
Interesting thin tone when combining pickups
Switch Positions
4 vs 3
More tone options
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.825'' (21mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.99'' (25.1mm) vs 0.975'' (24.8mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Value Score
73 vs 60
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster over Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Profile
Mid 60s C vs Fender Soft V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.825'' (21mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.975'' (24.8mm) vs 0.99'' (25.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands

Other Key Differences
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified vs American Original 60s Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele vs Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Twisted Single-Coil Tele vs Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified vs American Original 60s Telecaster

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
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
SS
Beautiful cleans
Number of Frets
21
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Vintage Tall
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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Fender American Original 60s Telecaster Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 70 compared to the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified's 68 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender American Original 60s Telecaster wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster is the better choice.

The Fender American Original 60s Telecaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified 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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Original 60s Telecaster
  • 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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified Overview

  • From Fender's 2019 Vintera series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Twisted Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Chrome Barrel Saddles bridge
  • Fender Soft V Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender American Original 60s Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2018 American Original series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Double Bound Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Steel Saddles bridge
  • Mid 60s C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Vintage Tall frets
  • Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe 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

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 Original 60s Telecaster

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 Original 60s Telecaster.

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 American Original 60s Telecaster'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

The Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified gives you 4 switch options while the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified comes with some kind of pickup modification: 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.

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified's switch options
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster'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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster
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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified compares to the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified is built in Mexico while the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster is made in United States.

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.

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: Fender American Original 60s Telecaster

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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified has 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.

On the other hand, the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster comes with 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.

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

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified's are Vintage-Style while the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster's are Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe

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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Phase Out Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • 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 Original 60s Telecaster
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • 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 Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster
Quality of materials 61
Features 50
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 69

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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified and Fender American Original 60s Telecaster'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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified Neck Profile
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified's neck profile
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster'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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified 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 Original 60s Telecaster, 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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified 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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified and the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster 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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified favors large hands more than the Fender American Original 60s Telecaster.

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified Frets Size
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified's Frets Size
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster Frets Size
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster's Frets Size

The Fender American Original 60s Telecaster has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified'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 Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 50
Playability 68
Fender American Original 60s Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 68

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified vs American Original 60s Telecaster
General Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster Modified American Original 60s Telecaster
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2019 2018
Configuration: SS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico United States
Series: Vintera American Original
Colors: Blue, Green Sunburst, Blue, Pink
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Double Bound Alder
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Chrome Barrel Saddles 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Steel Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe
Fretboard: Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot White Pearloid Dot - 7mm
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Fender Soft V Mid 60s C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.99'' (25.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.825'' (21mm) - 12th Fret: 0.975'' (24.8mm)
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Twisted Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 64 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 4 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Phase Out None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1