If you’re wondering whether Fender American Vintage II Jazzmaster is a good guitar or not, don’t worry – you’ve come to the right place! In today’s in-depth review, I’m going to take a very close look on that brand new model. It’s a pretty expensive axe, but is it actually good?
The truth is that Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster offers an absolutely amazing quality. It has everything you need – the looks, the feel and the vintage sound. It’s not cheap, but it’s definitely worth the money.
Let’s dive deeper with research to find out what exactly makes this model so good and so interesting. Firstly, we’ll start with a quick overview of the specifications of that model. Additionally, we’ll investigate its biggest pros and cons. Of course, there will also be a few sound demos included as well!
Overview – Specs & Pricing
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazzmaster is a high-end axe created mainly for the pros. But even if you’re not a pro, you can still get it! It’s probably one of the best JM’s out there.
High Quality Woods
What makes it so good? Well, the guitar features an alder body and a 1966 C-shaped maple neck with an easy-playing rosewood fingerboard. As expected, the quality of these materials is VERY high. Kind of like a Porsche or Ferrari of guitars.
Hardware
Additionally, Fender equipped this model with a pair of Pure Vintage ’66 Single-coil Jazzmaster Pickups which give you access to the classic Jazzmaster tone. They have a really oldschool sound, so if you’re a lover of the ’60s and the ’70s music, you will be totally in love.
Color Versions
It is also worth mentioning that this model looks absolutely amazing in real life too. It’s available in three color versions: Dakota Red, Lake Placid Blue and 3-tone Sunburst. All of them look great, so anyone should be able to find their own favorite version.
Prices
When it comes to pricing, just like any other American-made Fender Jazzmaster, it’s not a cheap guitar. However, it doesn’t seem to be overpriced, especially when you consider how unique and versatile it is.
Sound Demo
Here’s the official sound demo – feel free to check it out below.
Pros & Cons
Just like any other electric guitar, Fender American Vintage 1966 II Jazzmaster has its own advantages and disadvantages. That’s totally normal! However, it seems pretty clear that the cons of that model are really subjective.
Pros
- Amazing Tone
- Feels Like A Vintage Guitar
- Beautiful Finish
- Hardshell Case Included
- Perfect For Professional Guitarists
Cons
- High Price
As you can see, this unique has a lot of advantages. It certainly looks, feels and sounds like a real vintage guitar that was made almost sixty years ago. It’s ideal for all professional guitarists and passionate guitar collects. Also, it comes with a high quality hardshell case, which is an another huge advantage. Who needs anything else?
On the other hand, the main disadvantage of that Jazzmaster is the undeniably high price. This is probably the biggest obstacle that you may face if you’re thinking about getting it for yourself. Surely, not everyone will be able to get it straight away without saving up.
But apart from that, there’s nothing to complain about. It’s an expensive guitar, but it’s definitely worth the money. Especially if you’re a lover of vintage guitars!
Who Is It For?
Fender American Vintage 1966 II Jazzmaster is suitable for guitarists of all levels. You don’t need to be an experienced guitar player to notice and appreciate the uniqueness and high quality of that model.
However, since it’s an expensive guitar, it’s mostly designed for all intermediate and professional guitarists who love offset guitars.
Just like any other Jazzmaster, it’s a really versatile guitar, so it can be used for a lot of different styles of music. It will work particularly well for blues, alternative rock, indie and grunge. It sounds absolutely amazing with a fair amount of spring reverb – that vintage tone is out of this world.
Additionally, this is a fantastic guitar to record or gig with. If you’re a working musician and you’re searching for the next guitar to record your next album with, this guitar will be a fantastic choice.
Overall, I’m positive that the vast majority of guitar players will really enjoy playin on that unique axe. It has a very unique vintage vibe, which is really difficult to describe. You just have to feel it in your own hands!
Any Alternatives?
If you’re not satisfied with the overall quality of this Jazzmaster or you simply can’t afford it right now, that’s not a big deal! There’s still quite a lot of other great offset guitars that also deserve a lot of attention. Of course, it all depends on your budget and your own personal preferences.
Here’s a few more guitars that you may also like.
Alternative Option #1 – Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster
Firstly, I highly encourage you to check out the Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster. Cheaper, but still legendary. I’m sure you’ll love it!
In my opinion, it’s one of the best Jazzmasters that are currently manufactured by Fender. It doesn’t have the same vintage vibe as the 1966 American Vintage Jazzmaster, but it still a SICK guitar. That’s why I highly recommend checking it out!
Alternative Option #2- Fender Vintera ’60s Jazzmaster
Alternatively, you can also check out the Fender Vintera ’60s Jazzmaster. This is a bit more affordable Mexican-made guitar which also offers a really good value for the money. I’m sure that a lot of you will immediately fall in love with it!
Perhaps it’s not as good as the American-made Jazzmaster reviewed in today’s article, but it’s still a fantastic guitar. In my opinion, it’s one of the best mid-range electric guitars that you can currently find on the market.
Alternative Option #3 – Squier Affinity Jazzmaster
If you don’t want to spend too much on a new guitar and you still want to find a good sounding electric guitar, you should definitely check out the Squier Affinity Jazzmaster. This is one of the cheapest Jazzmasters out there, but it’s still pretty good.
I personally own that guitar and I’m totally in love with its quality. It certainly looks, feels and sounds like a much more expensive axe. That’s why I have no hesitation in recommending it to all guitar players who are searching for a great sounding offset axe for the money. It exceeds all the expectations!
My Thoughts
I have to be honest with you guys – I played on a lot of expensive guitar throughout my so called ‘career’. I’ve seen vintage Gibsons, Fenders, Danelectros, Martins and more.
Real vintage guitars always have a very strange feel. Imagine that you can actually feel the history of a guitar. All the jam sessions in gigs in nasty pubs in 1970s and 1980s. That’s pretty cool, right?
The JM reviewed in this article is a modern guitar, so it will never have the same history. But it has a similar feeling. And you can grab that feeling and create your own memories with it. And that’s the sickest thing about it!
So summing up, I’m a huge fan of that model. This is the kind of guitar that you’d be very glad to pass to your grandkids someday. That’s actually a good idea. I might get it for myself at some point and then give it to my grandsons in 2070. Imagine how cool would that be!
FAQ
Where is Fender American Vintage II Jazzmaster made?
Fender American Vintage II Jazzmaster is manufactured in Corona, California.
What is the radius of that axe?
The radius of that axe has 7.25″.
How many frets does this guitar have?
It has 21 frets.
Where can I find out more about Fender guitars?
If you want to learn more about this legendary manufacturer of electric guitars, make sure to check out the official website of Fender.
Summary
As you can see, Fender American Vintage II Jazzmaster is an absolutely unique offset guitar which exceeds all the expectations. I have no hesitation in recommending this model to all guitarists who are searching for a high quality axe with a really unique vintage vibe.
What do you think of that model? Would you get it for yourself or do you think that it’s overrated? Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think, I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for checking out today’s review, hopefully it was helpful. If you enjoyed this article and you’re searching for more gear recommendations, you may also like:
