Fender's Classic Series has long been the company's mid-level, vintage-inspired line of guitars, with models like the '72 Telecaster Thinline and Fiesta Red '50s Stratocaster serving up period-correct details from Fender's past with Made-in-Mexico affordability. (This is distinct from the Classic Player series, which takes these models as their starting point and adds more contemporary features like flatter neck radii, larger frets, and upgraded hardware.)
Today, Fender has announced that it's overhauling the entire Classic Series line and remaking it as the Vintera Series.
The Vintera line has the same general appeal—with best-of-the-decade Teles, Strats, offsets, and basses—but each of these vintage-inspired models also has a "Modified" counterpart. Now, buyers will have numerous choices for new features or colors within each model. Retail prices will range from about $900 to $1,050 USD, with most coming in at or just under $1,000.
In our video above, you can hear Reverb's Joe Shadid, Andy Martin, and Jim Tuerk play a selection of the new vintage-voiced Vintera models, including:
- '50s Telecaster with a maple fretboard, natural finish, and black pickguard
- '60s Telecaster with pau ferro fretboard and a Bigsby tremolo unit
- '70s Telecaster Deluxe with humbuckers, jumbo headstock, and Mocha finish
- '50s Stratocaster with a maple fretboard and light-blue pastel finish
- '70s Stratocaster with a maple fretboard, jumbo headstock, and natural finish
- '60s Jazzmaster in an Ice Blue Metallic finish with matching headstock
- '60s Mustang in Lake Placid Blue
- '60s Mustang Bass in Fiesta Red
- '70s Jazz Bass in Shoreline Gold
The new Vintera Series will be shipping soon, and pre-orders are already available for all of the models featured above and more. Find all of the new Vintera Series on Reverb here.