Fender Vintera III Late 50s Stratocaster 3-Color Sunburst

Since I chose the Stratocaster as my favorite electric guitar back in my early youth, I’ve owned quite a few models of this type over the course of what are now six decades. I’ve parted ways with many of them, but a select few remain in my possession. Among them is a beautiful Fender Vintage II ’61 in Fiesta Red with a rosewood fretboard that sounds absolutely fantastic. As a counterpart to that, I’ve been looking for a nice ’50s reissue Strat with a maple fretboard and have now found it in the Fender Vintage III Late ’50s Stratocaster 3-Color Sunburst.

The guitar exudes that vintage vibe the moment you unpack it. The 3-tone sunburst, combined with maple and a white pickguard, along with just a few subtly aged white plastic parts, looks simply CLASSIC. I can easily imagine how guitarists in 1959 must have felt after buying a guitar like this. With a feel like this, this guitar really belongs in every guitarist’s collection. Otherwise, a Strat collection just wouldn’t be complete.

The guitar’s craftsmanship is beyond reproach. There isn’t even the slightest flaw to be found. Flawless finish, a neck that fits snugly in the pocket, impeccable fretwork—nothing is sharp-edged, and the pots are neither too loose nor too stiff. Particularly noteworthy are the vintage-style tremolo, which comes factory-set to “floating” (great) and works really well, as well as the vintage tuners, which—with an 18:1 ratio—respond very sensitively, turn smoothly, and hold their tuning very well. For me, these outperform any type of locking tuner.
The real standout, however, is the neck shaping (listed as a vintage D-shape), which works superbly with the 7.25'' fingerboard radius and the slightly higher frets. Both chords and solo playing—including bends—go as smooth as butter all the way up to the very high registers. It’s a joy to play.

Weighing exactly 3,550 grams, this beautiful Brownie is well-balanced in the mid-range with good sustain. Like all my guitars, I’ll play it with a matching soft leather strap, and I’m sure it will be comfortable to handle.

Fender has once again hit the mark with the pickups. Very bell-like, balanced, and—as expected for a ’50s Strat—just a tad gritty, they deliver exactly the tone I’d been hoping for. In a direct comparison with the Vintage ’61 Strat mentioned above, this guitar delivers a bit more rock ’n’ roll, thanks in part to the pickups. The ’61 model has a broader sound, while the ’50s model is more direct—it gets right to the point.

Overall, Fender has authentically reproduced a late ’50s Strat here without completely sacrificing sensible improvements. You don’t have to do without a 5-way switch or the tone control on the bridge pickup. The tuners also have a better gear ratio. Before buying, I tried out a Vintage II ’57 and a Vintera II ’50. Those aren’t bad guitars either. What kept me from buying them, though, was the V-shaped neck profile that both guitars have. Now that I’ve bought and played the Vintera III Late 50 extensively, it comes out on top in terms of both sound and build quality. Here’s a reminder: expensive doesn’t always mean better. And this is especially true for Fender guitars.

The included gig bag isn’t worthy of the guitar. I knew that even before I bought it, so I’m not even going to waste a thought on it. Here’s a tip for Kirstein: why not offer a bundle with a decent hard case or soft case? I’m sure many people would be willing to pay the extra few euros for that.

Bottom line: The Fender Vintera III Stratocaster Late 50 is a successful reissue of the popular Strat from the late 1950s. It’s impeccably crafted, comfortable to play, and sounds authentic and “damn” good! Thanks to the guys and gals at Kirstein for the—as always—smooth transaction.... Let the good times roll.