Fender American Vintage 62 Reissue Stratocaster

1962 Fiesta Red (Nitro finished) reissue Fender Stratocaster made in 1997. The look, feel, sound, and finish of this guitar are just about flawless. Go to Fender.com for all of the technical info. on the guitar.

I've been a Blues player all my life - and, it's always been the Stratocaster that has been the guitar, to help me to find my "voice" when playing Blues leads or rhythms....To me, a Fender and a Gibson, feel like completely different instruments. I could never get a Gibson to "light-up" in my hands - The Stratocaster is so much more Soulful and Funky, I guess that's why I've never put one down for the last 30 years, and it perfectly fits the style of music I am drawn to.

The '57/'62 pickups have that classic vintage Fender shimmer which I love, and of course, have the classic/frowned upon 60-cycle hum as well. I use all of the positions, however, the Neck and Neck/Middle are my favorites. In my opinion, the very best of a Stratocaster shines through with songs like "Lenny" and "Riviera Paradise". (Neck-Neck/Middle position - The Heart and Soul of the Strat) The Bridge is just too bright and sharp for my taste.

There is nothing that I "dislike" about the guitar, however, the '62 C-shape neck is a bit harder to play than the newer 9.5 radius necks, and I would prefer if the edges had been "rolled" for the comfort factor. Also, the vintage size frets are just too small - the medium-jumbos are perfect for my style - Blues, with a lot 1 and 2 step bends.

This '62 reissue came through like something from the Fender Custom Shop. The Fiesta Red finish in Nitro. Lacquer is Flawless and Stunning. (especially, with the white pearl pickguard added) The vintage amber tinted neck just adds to the Vintage Vibe of an authentic '62.

It's a Stratocaster - Just about Bombproof...

I've had a contact at Fender that I occasionally e-mail. I've been dealing with him since '97, and he has returned every one of my concerns with great detail, and has been a pleasure to deal with. Thanks John W.!

How long have you been playing? On and Off for 30 years!

What other gear do you own? Original '67 Fender Blackface Super, Original '64 Fender Champ, '97 Fender Blues Jr., '97 Olympic White Lone-Star, Vintage Vox Wah, Tubescreamer TS-9.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
NO - I knew what I wanted.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? YES, I would replace it with a Custom Shop Fiesta Red 60's reissue.

What do you love about it? Its Curves, Feel, Balance, Looks and Mostly - the Neck/Middle Position.

What do you hate? 60-cycle hum

What is your favorite feature? Everything - It's PERFECT!

Did you compare it to other guitars? I've had close to 50 Stratocasters over the years, and this one, another '62 reissue in Candy Apple Red, and the 1st year American Standard in Olympic White w/rosewood were my favorites.

Why did you choose this one? Because Fiesta Red is the coolest Fender color ever, and I Love the 60's circa Stratocasters!

Anything else you'd like to share? A Great guitar and Great gear are an inspiration to play, however, I feel that the gear is only 10% of the formula - the real Tone comes from the player himself... His/her feel for the instrument, their attack, their left hand/right hand technique, and most importantly - their energy with the instrument. Ph.4:13!

62 vintage reissue, black, 2003 model

All the hoop-la over the new 57/62 pickups is just that...they sound ok, but Ive heard better. I'm not one to screw around with a stock piece, and usually I dont, but I had a brainfart the other day, and went with it for shits and giggles...GLAD I DID! Took the guts from a Jimmy Vaughn strat (yes, Mexican), and attached them to the 11 hole pickguard or the 62. The Tex-Mex pickups are probobly the BEST stock Fender pickups made at this time! (GO FIGURE, the're American made, along with the rest of the guts). Having a tone control for the bridge pickup produces a sound I've NEVER heard on a strat before, (and I've been a strat freak for 33 years!) The neck of the Vaughn model is to DIE for, and makes my Fender custom shop strats look bad! ( Yes! you read right!) So I bolted the maple v-neck on the 62 as well. When Fender gets a hold of this, We'll all be paying alot more I'm sure! (Rat Bastards!)

Perfect in EVERY way (NOW)

Its a strat, Nuff Said!

Not bad, if you dont mind waiting 6 months.

Playing for over 30 years, too many guitars to list, suffice to say, Ive gone through some money in all those years! Currently own 41 guitars, vintage and new. This little axe has it all, and breaks my heart at the same time. (look at the money I wasted!) Who knew? I wish someone out there had tried this before me, it would have saved me alot of bucks!

bought new for 1109.

Has all that were discussed. my only gripe is with the action. the guitars I tried in the store played great and the one I ordered (3 color) feels like it's fighting back when I try to bend or slide around the neck (familiar with the sticky neck too). had it set up right away to lower the action to help this , needed a neck adjust from weather also), but still fights and now it may be too low and below the 12 fret it buzzes as I fret.

Anyone have this problem ? recommendations. I'm thinking of thinner strings an the vintage may be too 'iron' like.

sounds great. now noise.

again my gripe is with the action. any help?

seems solid.

not used

great but fighting with the action/ bending

Hallo there, I'm from Italy, so...excuse me for my bad english! Well...I've bought this guitar about ten years ago and I've found it very good. It's american vintage 62 Stratocaster I've played not for so many time 'cause I've preferred my Gibson Les Paul Artisan for blues. But now I'm playing rock in a band, so I think this is PERFECT!

Oh...the sound is fantastic...U can play it in a Marshall or in a Fender ampli...it's the same...it has the sound you think for a strato...eventhought U are strong, U have to give TEN!!!

Well...I think the best in this guitars are the keys...it's always tuned even after a strong use, but I think the bridge is not perfect...in other words...U have to set very well if U wanna each string plays at best!

Yes...I think this Fender is well made...your fingers will slide along it easily...

I've bought used...

actualy this is an addition to my review from 7/10/03, a black american 62 reissue. i'm addding a few things below in the action fit section and sound.

i just wanted to share my expirience with my guitar. At this point i feel that it's very critical how high you set the pickups.

After trying a few heights i've decided, that the LOWER the pickups are, the sweeter the strat sound i get. Try for very low and see how it is, then raise a bit but take notice of how it changes your sound.

I've refretted my guitar with larger frets, the same ones they put on american standarts. to be honest - i'm not sure yet if it was a great idea. the nect that was tiny has become more like an american standart size, bigger. I think it did good for the sound...

Finish - be carefull with it. It is very easy to ruin it. I've jammed around with my jeans with out even wearing a belt, when i afterwards lookd at the back of guitar it had many lines and shitt ruinning the finish. in five minutes a guitar that was completly new become 15 yeares old.

The E sting is "sitaring", and i guess it's the string tree behind the nut.

i will be happy to share these noted experiences with anybody who wants, my email adress is below.

this is a 2002 model ocean turquoise finish
everything has been already said about it : small frets, 57/62 single coil pu, C shape neck rosewood. It is the exact replica of Fender age of gold strat!
the guitar is supplied with a few funny accessories : ugly and cheap ash tray, useless vintage strap, vintage cable you wouldn't trust normally.
In my opinion these accessories are a good testimonial of how these guitar were delivered in the '60 but are totally useless.

the 5 position switch is a good thing (though an anacronism!)Personally I will let the 3 position switch in place for you can have access to the "out of phase dual pu" with it (a bit less practical though!)

The neck is a boulevard !

Well I love the sound!
It is exactly what I expect from a strat : clean, dirty and crunchy sounds. You can't achieve heavy saturation with it (grab a Les Paul for that!). By heavy saturation I mean limp biskit, ....
Deep Purple sound is at reach though.

Whether you play blues, rock, pop you can get a great variety of sounds. hmmmm except heavy metal (which I don't like)

It's the perfect guitar for jamming, playing covers.

If you

not too much 60 Hz hum (well all my guitars hum)probably thanks to low level out of the guitar.

Factory set up is OKAY
Fender always mount faggets string on their guitars.
I love to mount 10/52 or 11/52 gauge. This will increase overall level and sustain.
pick ups were a bit low but it takes 5 minutes and a screwdriver to improve this.

I basically play pop and rock.
I have a '79 strat, a '92 special Les Paul, A '72 Mex telecaster, a 2002 Mustang bass limited edition, A Charvel model 6 (which I never use)
I play more in the studio than at gigs.
I intend to have a wide sound rnge that fits my own projects and the cover band i play with.

I am going to use the '62 on stage and let my '79 at home where she can better bear better conditions!

This is just another Fender : it will live longer than me!

never dealt with them.
I bought the Strat in the US because American companies tend to consider European countries (and especially France) as goldmine.

Guitars are godamned expensive in my country.
Thanks to a strong euro This was a great opportunity!

i have been playing for 25 years and owned only the guitars I mentioned! I am quite faithful to guitars indeed and hate to sell!
If it was stolen, I'd go back to the States and grab a new one!

For me the American Vintage '62 strat is THE STRAT. I have been dreaming all my life to own a real '62 but it is now too late for it has become overpriced.

Do yourself a favor! Get this strat if you want the real strat sound!

See the other reviews for details; mine is the same.

I play classic rock style, but also a bit heavier stuff. The sound is great for classic rock (nice clean knopfler sound), and suprisingly good even playing power chord and some gallop. The pickups are single coil so they have 60 cycle hum, but not very bad. The only thing is that maybe it could have a bassier sound like the american standarts, if it had bigger frets and/or different pickups. I gotthe guitar today, so far it seems to satisfy my aural needs.

Great. mo gaps between the neck and body like on the american standarts. finish is great, nice rosewood neck, this guitar is built well. My guitar has a very low action and doesn't buzz. Neck is small which suits me well. the only problem i noticed is that the high e string gets a bad buzz when plucked upwards - i don't know why. it probably can be repaired. Also, the sound vibrates when playing an "A" note on the g string on the 14th fret. But it's a strat, they are wild animals, they always give problems here and there.

I think that strats are strong guitars that will last. I'd always use a backup offcourse, what if i break a string?

never dealt with them

I've had a few American strats in my life, Ibanez, A Gibson SG special, squier strats... i've been playing for about 19 years (my god) I didn't realy plan to buy a guitar like this but it was so cheap i had to. My plan was to buy an american standart and put fat 50 pickups on it. I don't like the small frets 'cos they're harder to play, i think that even stevie ray and eric johnson have/ had really big frets on their guitars.. Except for that - it's a suprise, this guitar handles distortion well, not like the american standart that have a horrible sound, having pickups that i think are useless. I like the craftmenship, it's well made. I got lucky.

this 62 reissue is sunburst, purty. I don't know what year it iz. I bot the guitar new. I looked up Fender serial numbers, but i can't make heads or tails out of the vintage reissues !. If someone knows, contact me at motokev@networld.com. I have had many strats, and currently have the ERIC CLAPTON, 2003 model, a Highway 1 strat, a custom warmoth, and the 62. in the past i have had the SRV signature also. I must say, out of all the strats i've had, this one provides more of the SRV vibe than any other guitar. I don't think the SRV signature uses the correct pickups, instead of texas specials it should be the 62 pickups. THe guitar provides that fender BELL RINGING tone we all love. I play currently through a fender HOT ROD 4-10, which i love. I like the vintage look of the bridge, has a old look to it. I give this "feature" section a 9 because of the great pickups and the option for a 5 way switch that came with the guitar and the tremelo cover

For SRV tone (bell ring tone) with some BEEF i'd have to say this is the guitar !. like i said, i have played many many strats. non really impressed me for fender pure tone, but the 62 strat does it for me !
for vintage tone, i don't think there's a better strat
thus, i give it a 9 for vintage tone

the guitar setup when i bot it was shitty
i think fender's quality really is going down hill
Fender, if i pay $1200 for a guitar don't u think it shood be set up correctly ?
anyway, did it my self
thanks god the truss rod didn't need adjustment !
since its difficult to get to

I've never had problems with FENDERS
they last for ever
the old ones anyway
new ?? who knows
time will tell
they look and feel solid, thus most likely

don't know
never dealt with them
i'm hoping my fender hot rod last with out problems
from what i've read, fender is a nightmare to deal with !

I like this strat. I was at the geeetar store playen some other strat.
the salesman herd me playen some SRV
he says, hey want to hear a great guitar for SRV tone ??
i said "hell yeah" anyway, handed me the 62 strat
fell in love with it that moment
thus, bot one !
i think this guitarr is great for that vintage fender tone and the SRV tone !! great fender strat

I believe this is '97 or '98 American '62 Reissue. It has a beautiful sunburst finish that I paid extra for, and I swpapped out the 3 way selector for a 5 way selector. The pickups with most of my playing in the bridge position, but have a deep appreciation for the 2nd and 3rd positions, and am becoming a bigger fan of the middle posiiton as well. I do use use the whammy bar relatively frequently and have had no issues with it going out tune. I cannot however say the same for the several other strats I've owned in the past. Make no mistake this guitar is it!!! I feel extremely lucky to have it. What originally hooked me about the guitar was the neck, which I fell instantly in love with!!!! I am not a feature type of guy, and that's why I like Strats!

I play blues and some jazzier funk type stuff through a Fender Deville, and frequently through a Fender Frontman (apartment life) What I marvel most about this guitar is that it sounds incredible through the tiny little Frontman, though must have a at least a little reverb. The sound is dependent on the amount of coaxing can be silky smooth or soulfully rich. I guess is I am forced to name one thing about the guitar that I could say is a negative sometimes is the hum. But, also know that the hum is what makes this baby bite a beautifully as she does. This guitar makes you want to play, and sometimes makes you marvel and relish the sweet sounds that she makes even while you're playing it. Overall, if you want to step into a blues club, and leave the customers sitting in awe, this is the guitar for you. It inspires great music.

I had the guitar professionally setup w/10's. I know absoultely nothing about setting them up. I do have a higher action, which I dig. I don't really have a good grasp of all the details of the setups and finish technicalities. All I can say is I've owned several Strats w/several different ypes of necks, a PRS C24, and two LP's. I have enjoyed all of them, but in the 15 years that I've been playing, this is the one. Plus, I've always been a Strat guy, but just recently excepted it.

One thing that I thought was chincy was the Fender logo, and custom body writings on the headstock are like stickers. This guitar has withstood live playing, and I play with a lot of force. Basically, tough love, but have no issues, and feel very confident in the craftsmanship. Would/do use it of ten without a backup. As long as you're playing with a fresh set of strings.

Never dealt with Fender at all.

Like I said, I've been playing for 15 years, and have in the past owned a lot of different guitars. I am a minimalist when it comes to gear, basically, amp, TS-9 w/808 mod, and this new V Wah thing (not sure if I like it). If stolen, I'd cry, then mourn, then buy another one. I LOVE THIS AXE!

Neck date is Mar 01, body is May 00. It's a 3 tone burst with Nitro finish, 3-piece alder body, and your typical strat features. It came with a three way switch installed, but included in the package is a 5 way switch, strap, "ashtray" cover, cable, and brown tolex case. The neck radius is 7.25 with 21 vintage frets. The hardware is vintage style, nickel plated--tuners being kluson-style gotoh/fender and the bridge has that steel block. Also has Aged covers and knobs, with a mint green pickguard. I rate a 10 because it's a 62 reissue and the features are all in accordance with that fact.

I bought this guitar to play the blues and a little bit of classic rock. You could also easily cover surf music. This guitar is PERFECT for ME. If you're after a vintage strat tone and vibe, you can't go wrong here. If you like maple fretboards, get the 57 reissue. The pickups are sweet-sounding, but low output which is not a bad thing. I wanted a little more midrange and higher output so I threw in a set of Van Zandt blues. However, I've kept the stock 57/62 pickups and they'll probably end up going back into the guitar one day. You get 60 cycle hum out of the pickups of course, but they're single coils and since they are low output, the noise is minimal. There is no reverse-wound, reverse polarity pickup because that feature wasn't available in 62. I play through a Super Reverb, primarily with no effects. I'll occasionally use a TS-9 for some overdrive or a DS-1 if I just want to rock. This guitar gives me every type of sound I could expect from a strat--now that I've swapped pickups. The stock P/U's didn't sound "beefy" enough for me. But those are my ears doing the judging. I've heard many others rave about these pickups.

The body was beautifully matched--I've really got to strain my eyes to make out the seams. The neck fit is exceptional. The sunburst is beautiful--not too much, not too little if you know what I mean. Just the right amount of wood showing. The nitro finish is evenly applied with no runs, drips or errors, though the glossy neck isn't exactly my cup of tea. It gets sticky after playing on it awhile. Problem easily solved with some 0000 steel wool. The finish is nitro so it isn't going to be as sturdy as the standard poly finish that Fender uses on their modern strats, but that was one of the key features for me when I was guitar shopping. It will relic nicely over time. The factory setup was actually quite good. It came with .10-.46 strings, which I changed out for .11 guage. But the action was set nicely, even properly spaced to correspond with the curvature of the fretboard. Truss rod needed a little bit of fine tuning, but I attribute that to climate differences between the factory in California and the hot and muggy Georgia summers.

It's a Fender--built like a tank. As stated above, though, the nitro finish won't take the same amount of punishment that a poly finish would. The strap buttons seem solid, but if you gig on a regular basis, you can't go wrong with a set of strap locks.

Never dealt with them. I go straight to the dealer with repairs.

I've been playing for 2 1/2 years, and have owned two other strats. This one by far is the best one. I've also got a Les Paul Standard and a few stomp boxes. My only gripe is the size of the frets. They're a little small for my taste and I'm not sure if I really dig the fretboard radius either. But that can be changed. Overall, I'm very pleased with this guitar. If lost or stolen, I'd cry for a week and start saving up for another one. Probably go with Olympic white the next time, though.