What happened? Did the American original 50s telecaster replace the AVRI 52?

[peteb]

Is there no longer AVRI series?

is there no longer a reissue of the 52 tele?


The product line used to seem so stable.


https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...n-original-50s-telecaster-butterscotch-blonde

 

[TeleBrew]

It was replaced by the American Original series in 2018.

 

[Fiesta Red]

There’s also a new president and a nasty bug going around, in case they didn’t tell you since you woke up from the coma…

(I’m kidding—it’s hard to keep up with all the different models!)

 

[BobWithOneO]

It was replaced by the American Original series in 2018.

I just looked. Yikes!
Looks like my AVRI 52 is going to go up in value rather quickly.

 

[peteb]

since you woke up from the coma…

I actually was in a coma, back in 82, from a head injury.

for one week. In January, a week after New Years.

I’ve also have had a broken neck, 87 or so.



I have had Better health since then.


Bad decisions.

 

[jfgesquire]

Is there no longer AVRI series?

is there no longer a reissue of the 52 tele?


The product line used to seem so stable.


https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...n-original-50s-telecaster-butterscotch-blonde

Actually it had not been called AVRI since 2012. From 2012-2017 it was just the American Vintage '52 Telecaster, with an all lacquer very thin finish.

It was the AV series that was replaced with the AO series.

Many people consider the AV series to be the most accurate production repro not by the custom shop, more than the AVRI which used some kind of poly sealer under the lacquer.

Is yours the AVRI or the AV?

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

It was replaced by the American Original series in 2018.

A damned shame.

 

[Killing Floor]

They typically offer a model in 3 colors and maybe a special 4th one. So that means within 3 years they are out of colors. So they change the model name. Y’all please don’t act like you didn’t know this is how Fender has done for 60 years.

 

[Texicaster]

Actually it had not been called AVRI since 2012. From 2012-2017 it was just the American Vintage '52 Telecaster, with an all lacquer very thin finish.

It was the AV series that was replaced with the AO series.

Many people consider the AV series to be the most accurate production repro not by the custom shop, more than the AVRI which used some kind of poly sealer under the lacquer.

Is yours the AVRI or the AV?

What about the "Pure Vintage" models? I thought the 2012-17 were the PV's.....

 

[mimmo]

What about the "Pure Vintage" models? I thought the 2012-17 were the PV's.....

They are the 2012-2017 AV models. AV = PV.

 

[Blackshadowrider]

World is changing but the Telecaster basically stays the same. Thanks for that
Give me a vintage set up Tele and a Deluxe Reverb and I am good to go since the 70's

 

[Fiesta Red]

I actually was in a coma, back in 82, from a head injury.

for one week. In January, a week after New Years.

I’ve also have had a broken neck, 87 or so.



I have had Better health since then.


Bad decisions.

Good Vibes to you, and I hope you know that was just a joke…

 

[Dacious]

They are the 2012-2017 AV models. AV = PV.

Didn't it go
1983-1997 American Vintage Reissue
1998-2012 American Vintage.
2012-2017 Pure Vintage.
2017-current American Original

 

[RadioFM74]

Truly and sincerely meant: it's refreshing to read a post by someone passionate about guitars and teles, but immune enough from our general nerdiness to have missed that particular transition

I think it's sad that they discontinued AVs but I also think they'll swing around sometime soon. Meanwhile, MOs are excellent if you prefer a 9.5'' board.

Options for the "full vintage spec" fiend (i.e. me):
- get a used AVRI or AV (more on this below)… there's plenty, but prices seem to be creeping up. You may still find some that are sitting as NOS in some shops… I was lucky enough to find my 65 strat like that.
- Vintera 50s are in my view the best vintage-spec'd strats and teles ever to leave the Ensenada factory.
- there are some rare artist or limited run models carrying on the legacy, e.g. the beautiful Jimmy Page mirror tele, or the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster, but they're pricey

Many people consider the AV series to be the most accurate production repro not by the custom shop, more than the AVRI which used some kind of poly sealer under the lacquer.

I own a 2011 AVRI 52 tele and a '56 strat, '64 tele and '65 strat from the AV series. I love the post-'12 AVs: they're my favorite Fender guitars ever not counting golden era instruments, but I also think that far too much is made of this. FWIW Leo reportedly used whatever was at hand as sealer during his run at Fender. Plus, and that's what matters, old AVRIs (52s and 62s) are wonderful teles and every bit as good as the AVs if you happen to like their specs, colors, …

Didn't it go
1983-1997 American Vintage Reissue
1998-2012 American Vintage.
2012-2017 Pure Vintage.
2017-current American Original

According to this very cool page (https://paulreno.com/52-telecaster/) the sequence is "U.S. Vintage Series" ('83-'98), "American Vintage Reissue" (1998-2011) and then simply "American Vintage" (2012-17).

PS: of course, in a site like this compiling corporate literature, there's bound to be some marketing hype creeping in. It's stated that AV52s have "more vintage-accurate sounding" pickups than AVRI52s. For having A/Bd quite a few: not true IME – they sound identical making allowance for factory tolerances and set-up differences. … To the extent that there is ongoing discussion whether the "Pure Vintage" 52 pickup found in AVs is in fact one and the same with the old and venerable "Original Vintage" PU found in AVRI52s.

 

[Jazzy-Will]

A damned shame.

Agreed. The American Vintage Series (2012-2017) Teles were the best ones made in over 50 years.

 

[mimmo]

Didn't it go
1983-1997 American Vintage Reissue
1998-2012 American Vintage.
2012-2017 Pure Vintage.
2017-current American Original

Fellow @RadioFM74 gave you a perfect answer

 

[John C]

What about the "Pure Vintage" models? I thought the 2012-17 were the PV's.....

They are the 2012-2017 AV models. AV = PV.

Didn't it go
1983-1997 American Vintage Reissue
1998-2012 American Vintage.
2012-2017 Pure Vintage.
2017-current American Original

Truly and sincerely meant: it's refreshing to read a post by someone passionate about guitars and teles, but immune enough from our general nerdiness to have missed that particular transition

I think it's sad that they discontinued AVs but I also think they'll swing around sometime soon. Meanwhile, MOs are excellent if you prefer a 9.5'' board.

Options for the "full vintage spec" fiend (i.e. me):
- get a used AVRI or AV (more on this below)… there's plenty, but prices seem to be creeping up. You may still find some that are sitting as NOS in some shops… I was lucky enough to find my 65 strat like that.
- Vintera 50s are in my view the best vintage-spec'd strats and teles ever to leave the Ensenada factory.
- there are some rare artist or limited run models carrying on the legacy, e.g. the beautiful Jimmy Page mirror tele, or the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster, but they're pricey



I own a 2011 AVRI 52 tele and a '56 strat, '64 tele and '65 strat from the AV series. I love the post-'12 AVs: they're my favorite Fender guitars ever not counting golden era instruments, but I also think that far too much is made of this. FWIW Leo reportedly used whatever was at hand as sealer during his run at Fender. Plus, and that's what matters, old AVRIs (52s and 62s) are wonderful teles and every bit as good as the AVs if you happen to like their specs, colors, …



According to this very cool page (https://paulreno.com/52-telecaster/) the sequence is "U.S. Vintage Series" ('83-'98), "American Vintage Reissue" (1998-2011) and then simply "American Vintage" (2012-17).

PS: of course, in a site like this compiling corporate literature, there's bound to be some marketing hype creeping in. It's stated that AV52s have "more vintage-accurate sounding" pickups than AVRI52s. For having A/Bd quite a few: not true IME – they sound identical making allowance for factory tolerances and set-up differences. … To the extent that there is ongoing discussion whether the "Pure Vintage" 52 pickup found in AVs is in fact one and the same with the old and venerable "Original Vintage" PU found in AVRI52s.

Just to flesh things out a bit further:

"Pure Vintage" was Fender's marketing tag line for the revised series that came out in August 2012, not it's name in catalogs and price lists. But Fender doubled-down on confusing people by actually naming the revised hardware as "Pure Vintage" in the accessory shop.

As for the various generations and the names:

• 1982-mid 1998: First Generation. Went by several names, mostly "U.S. Vintage Series" but sometimes "U.S. Vintage Reissue". Interestingly enough it was officially renamed "American Vintage Reissue" in January 1996, some 2.5 years before the model was updated.
• mid-1998-August 2012: Second Generation. American Vintage Reissue was the name
• August 2012-2017: Third Generation. American Vintage name used on the new models
• 2018-present: American Original series replaces the AV series with some modernized specs; I don't consider it a "generation" of AVRI/AV but a new replacement series.

Fender does cloud things because sometimes they included "Reissue" in the series names in one piece of literature but not others - so the word "Reissue" might appear in a catalog but not the price list or visa versa. The name "Reissue" was dropped completely when the Third Generation series debuted in August 2012.

 

[Larry Mal]

It's worth bearing in mind that the "American Original" is differently spec'd than either the AVRI or the AV series were, the Originals have the 9.5" radius on the neck and not the 7.25". That might be important for some people.

These are all very good guitars, though- I have an AVRI. I would agree that the American Vintage has the better finish, though, and if I was walking out the door with money in my pocket for a new vintage spec Telecaster it would be for an AV if I could find one.

 

[Jazzy-Will]

I have two AV 64 Teles and I did own an American Original 60s Tele at one time. The AV64 is a far superior instrument and obviously more historically accurate. The AO 50s Tele, however, is a nice guitar and compares well to the AV 52 Tele. The only negative is the hokey 9.5 radius neck on a 50s Tele.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Many people consider the AV series to be the most accurate production repro not by the custom shop, more than the AVRI which used some kind of poly sealer under the lacquer.

I never understood this statement. The CS vintage style guitars are not vintage accurate at all. Fender even stated that 95% of the CS guitars have a 9.5" radius and large frets. Look at literally any 51 Nocaster - 9.5 radius and 6105 frets.

The American Original 50's Tele is basically a tweaked version of the AV52. They updated the fretboard radius to 9.5" and have slightly taller frets. The finish was changed to a poly sealer (NOT Poly undercoat) to better help the nitro adhere to the body after they got too many complaints about the Flash Coat lacquer being too brittle. The finish on the AO guitars is WAAAY thinner than the pre-2012 AVRI's.

Anyway, I don't quite get the complaining. The Wildwood "Thin Skins" are highly regarded and the AO's are pretty much identical in spec. Not to mention the 9.5" radius and taller frets are basically CS spec. American Originals are basically the production line Custom Shop (without all the relicing).