How does a '62 AVRI compare to the original?

[BTB]

Love my '62 reissue stratocaster; the chime of the 57/62 pickups, the 7.25 radius and I'm even coming to appreciate the small vintage frets. Has anyone compared this to a vintage '62 Strat? Is it even close?

 

[Jonny Hotnuts]

Close....in ways, not close in others.
I own an original 1963 and a '91 62 ri.
The 63 feels organic as it was built with more hands on and old school equipment. The RI was built with tighter tolerances; some would say this would make it 'better' but IMO just different.

The neck on my 63 is fatter than the ri....but not as fat as my EJ.

Pickups are way different; maybe they were closer when the 63 pups were new. The original pups sound better IMO....but the ri still sounds great, just not as woody.

This being said my 62ri is one of my favorite guitars. Its great in so many ways....but there is no confusing it with an original.

~JH

 

[theanthonyv]

I have an original '88 62AVRI (which at this point is practically a vintage guitar) and an early 1964 all-original strat with basically the same specs as an original 1962 strat. I love my AVRI, I've had it for nearly 30 years, but the '64 is the better guitar across the board. Better wood, better finish, better pickups. It feels better and sounds better.

The AVRIs are really good guitars. But, IMO, a good example of one of them pales in comparison to a good example of a real vintage stratocaster.

 

[VHS analog]

Bump for a good thread.

 

[=JL=]

It's worth mentioning that the above posters with AVRI and original guitars have reissues made before the 57/62 pickups were improved.
The later AVRI pickups, although they're a little too heavily beveled are much, much closer in tone to my '63 Strat.

 

[67blackcherry]

Just strats or teles too?
I didn't have a vintage Tele to compare to, but I do have a very nice collection of Cunetto Relics so with that in mind, I had a 62AVRI Tele Custom for a few years; it felt stiff, very stiff, compared to my Cunetto 'nocaster. I sold it and years later happened upon a CS Limited Edition Tele Custom relic that is a much better guitar.
62AVRI


2005 CS Tele Custom



Both purchases were used (all my purchases are used) and while there was a pretty significant price difference ($1100+/-) that CS guitar is such a better instrument by far.

 

[SouthpawGuy]

It's worth mentioning that the above posters with AVRI and original guitars have reissues made before the 57/62 pickups were improved.
The later AVRI pickups, although they're a little too heavily beveled are much, much closer in tone to my '63 Strat.

Just curious ... which year where the 57 / 62 pickups changed ?

 

[broken_sound]

Just curious ... which year where the 57 / 62 pickups changed ?

1998. I've got a pair of the new 57/62's and they're great. Plenty of chime and clarity in the bridge/middle and the neck pickup is unbelievably voiced.

 

[Thedude99]

In general, the newer American Vintage series are more accurate reproductions that the older AVRI series. Fender spent a lot of time dissecting and measuring old instruments and then rebuilding new tooling to accurately reproduce those instruments. Their attention to detail on the small things is impressive.

That said - the key difference is new vs 60+ years old. The AV guitar is likely to be quite close to what you would have walked out of a store with 60+ years ago. Not what that guitar is like 60+ years later.

 

[BTB]

Good point Thedude. Age has something to do with it, I'm sure. Old wood doesn't start out as old wood.

 

[Thedude99]

I'm not sold on the old wood argument - at least not for solid bodies.

For me it's the worn in feel. The feel of the neck in particular.

I've played a couple true closet classics and didn't love them that much.

 

[Totally Bored]

1998. I've got a pair of the new 57/62's and they're great. Plenty of chime and clarity in the bridge/middle and the neck pickup is unbelievably voiced.

Yup

I've got a 94 62AVRI and a 2010 62AVRI

Older pups 6.1k
Newer pups 5.65k

Both pickups sound great and the guitars compare very well to my 66 Strat.

 

[BTB]

For the record mine is a 2012 model and the pickups are definitely not high output. They are, however, very dynamic and chimy.

 

[kracdown]

I've done this test with Jazzmasters as I have a '62 and a '66, the AVRI was a '62 and the newer AV was a '65. The AV '65 is much closer feeling to my '66 than the AVRI '62 feels to my actual '62. If you go for an AVRI or AV, get one of the newer AV - they are far superior.

 

[Kmaz]

Dare I say, it doesn't compare.