The American Vintage II is an incredible series that brings you closer to custom shop without spending a fortune (just half of it!). The quality of the built is great but not perfect, there are minor things - for example mine had a small finish crack next to the strap button - but the reality is that you will want to age those guitars fast, that's the point of the nitro finish. Sound wise, they are amazing. Mine is a '51 reissue and has all the character, attack and sparkle typical of this very first solid body, but I did try other in the series and they are all great, really, with different characters based on the era, most of the demos you can find online are revealing of the amplified tone, but the guitar sounds great and is very balanced also acoustically, with great body resonance and sustain. The weight is very balanced, and in my case at least it is not too heavy, I did play a '63 that was heavier though, I'm not sure if it's a specification change, or just variation between builds, nonetheless they are great guitars, way better than the normal series for just a small price premium in my opinion. The pickups are fantastic, and not too bright either, and I have a '65 Twin Reverb so I know bright and sparkle ;) It takes pedal very well too, but sits best in the amp-overdriven territory. Add a tape delay like the Echofix and you'll love this one!
