Fender Made in Mexico #7
Fender Vintera Series
VINTERA I & II: VINTAGE STYLE FOR MODERN ERA
Vintera I Series
From Classic to Vintera Series
By the late 2010s, Fender’s long-running Classic Series had been on the market for nearly two decades. While it was respected for its vintage-inspired specs and affordability, it had started to feel dated compared to newer Fender offerings. The line was ready for a refresh—not only in looks but also in concept and player appeal.
“The Classic Series was a great workhorse line,” Justin Norvell said, “but we wanted to make something that felt truly period-correct—down to the neck shapes, colors, and hardware—and give it the soul of those old guitars.”
In the summer of 2019, the Vintera Series, whose name probably referred to the “vintage style for modern era” motto, took the place of the Classic Series, entering the made in Mexico Stratocasters catalog with low-cost models that reprised the main features of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, reproducing classic finishes and historically correct necks.Fender aimed for the new line to sound, feel, and look as close to authentic vintage instruments as possible.
With the help of pickup designer Tim Shaw, the company introduced newly voiced pickups using era-correct materials and winding methods. This gave each decade’s model a distinct tonal identity—something the Classic Series never fully emphasized.
Fender also updated packaging, marketing, and NAMM presentations to appeal to younger vintage enthusiasts.
These guitars were joined by the Vintera Modified models, which replaced the Classic Player instruments. Vintera Modified Stratocasters were offered in the ’50s and ’60s versions. They were closer to the needs of the guitarists thanks to the Modern “C” shaped neck, 9.5” radius fretboard, and medium jumbo frets, to which were added new tone possibilities, such as the S-1 switch, which gave the option of activating the neck pickup in positions 1 and 2.
Pickups
Vintera ‘50s Stratocaster Pickups
Tim Shaw had designed pickups to replicate the distinctive tone characteristics of the respective reference periods.
The Vintera ‘50s Stratocaster pickups used Formvar-coated magnet wire, AlNiCo 5 magnets, and beveled, staggered pole pieces on black fiber bobbins. They featured vinyl-coated wiring. The middle pickup was reverse-wound and reverse-polarity, eliminating hum in the in-between positions while preserving the classic single-coil tone.
Tom Shaw explained, “The coating on Formvar is the thickest of any we use. This changes a property of pickups called distributed capacitance. Simply put, pickups wound with Formvar seem to have more ‘air’ in them.”
DC Resistance:
Neck: 5.7-5.9 kΩ,
Middle: 6.0-6.1 kΩ,
Bridge: 6.0-6.3 kΩ
Inductance:
Neck: 2.4-2.8 Henries,
Middle: 2.4-2.6 Henries,
Bridge: 2.6-3.0 Henries
Handwritten white pen markings:
Bridge: 939-010,
Middle: 938-010 (or 933),
Neck: 894
Other markings:
Sometimes stylized bird wings;
Sometimes red marks on pole bottoms.
Wire Color:
Neck: Yellow,
Middle: White,
Bridge: Yellow (rarely Red),
Ground: Black
Vintera ‘60s Stratocaster Pickups
The Vintera ‘60s Stratocaster pickups used Enamel-coated magnet wire, AlNiCo 5 magnets, and non-beveled and staggered pole pieces. Each pickup was wound and calibrated for its specific position. They included vinyl-coated wire and fiber bobbins for period accuracy. The reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup ensured hum-free operation in positions two and four.
Tim Shaw noted, “This coating [Enamel] is a bit thinner than Formvar. These pickups don’t have quite that amount of ‘air,’ and Fender was also putting a bit more wire on the coils. The overall tone has a bit less chime and a bit more focus.”
DC Resistance:
Neck: 5.7 kΩ,
Middle: 5.9-6.0 kΩ,
Bridge: 6.4 kΩ
Inductance:
Neck: 2.32-2.6 Henries,
Middle: 2.58-2.9 Henries,
Bridge: 2.75-3.1 Henries
Handwritten white pen markings:
Bridge 942,
Middle 943,
Neck 895
Wire Color:
Neck: White,
Middle: Yellow,
Bridge: White,
Ground: Black
Vintera ‘70s Stratocaster Pickups
The Vintera ‘70s Stratocaster pickups featured flat, non-staggered pole pieces, gray fiber bottoms, and plastic-coated leads, reflecting classic ’70s Fender design.
The pickups used polyurethane-coated magnet wire, the thinnest of all Fender’s coil coatings, delivering an even more focused tone.
The reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup provided hum-free operation in positions two and four.
They were marked “952” (bridge), “951” (middle), and “950” (neck).
Vintera Modified Stratocaster Pickups
The Vintera Modified Stratocaster pickups were reconfigured for higher output. Tim Shaw moved the standard Vintera bridge pickup to the middle position, the middle pickup to the neck, and designed a new, hotter bridge pickup. The new pickups were typically marked “940” for the 50s model and “946” for the 60s model, and both used a red lead wire.
Vintera Road Worn
When Fender replaced the Classic and Classic Player Series with the Vintera line at Summer NAMM 2019, it didn’t go unnoticed that relic’d Road Worn finishes were nowhere to be seen. However, this absence was temporary; Fender would soon introduce new Road Worn models under the Vintera banner.
In August 2020, Fender unveiled the Vintera Road Worn ’50s Stratocaster and the Vintera Road Worn ’60s Stratocaster, with availability set for September 10 of that year.
These new models shared the same specifications as the previous year’s Vintera Series, but their aged finishes added a touch of vintage flair, now featuring refined lacquer checking and more vintage-correct wear.
Vintera II Series
Return to Rosewood and the Launch of the Vintera II Series
In September 2023, Fender officially launched the Vintera II Series. The lineup offered players a new assortment of vintage-inspired guitars and basses in a selection of classic Fender finishes, as well as the return of rosewood fingerboards, which replaced the pau ferro used in the previous Vintera lineup.
All Vintera II models featured new neck shapes, vintage tall frets, and revoiced pickups. The lineup introduced the Bass VI, Tele Deluxe with Tremolo, and the maple-neck Mustang. All models used solid alder bodies, except for the Thinline Telecaster, which had a semi-hollow ash body—a feature previously reserved for flagship models.
To launch the series, Fender released a comprehensive creative campaign that included the video series “Best of the Decades” and vignettes featuring vintage-era-inspired artists. Each video paired a contemporary player with a legendary artist. Together, they performed iconic songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Fender’s social channels revived their ongoing social series, “History in a Hot Minute,” which featured a 60-second video exploring the history of their iconic instruments from decades past.
On 20th September, Fender celebrated the new Series by reviving London’s iconic Marquee Club for one night only. The club, first established in 1958, had hosted artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols, Genesis, and Jethro Tull. The one-night-only exclusive show featured Soft Play, Nova Twins, and Lambrini Girls. The event also included a DJ set by Simone Marie of Primal Scream.
Vintera II Road Worn
Road Worn models had moved in and out of production over the years. The last limited Road Worn guitars had appeared in the first Vintera range. Still, in mid-2025, Fender introduced a new run of Limited Edition Vintera II Road Worns—a ’50s Jazzmaster, a ’60s Stratocaster, a ’60s Telecaster, and a ’60s Precision Bass. According to Fender, these instruments used a “new subtle aging process combining light checking, gentle wear patterns, and a semi-gloss finish.”
However, compared to earlier Road Worn versions, these looked much less aged: the nitrocellulose finish checking was very subdued, and no artificial dings were present. Upon closer inspection, however, numerous fine cracks were visible across the body and on both sides of the headstock. Additionally, unlike the polyester finish, the nitrocellulose continued to age naturally with use.
Turning to the hardware, it had not been heavily relic’d, yet it did not appear brand-new either. Aside from the aging and finish type, the Vintera II Road Worn models adhered to the specifications of the standard Vintera II ’60s Strat: an alder body and a slab rosewood fingerboard with a 7.25” vintage radius, paired with slightly taller Vintage Tall frets.
