What telecaster to get?

**Frank67** · 11-26-2016, 03:21 PM

The conclusion was to build a Warmoth guitar.

The partscaster build thread is here:

Building a Partscaster tele

**Uncle Vinnie** · 06-10-2018, 10:08 PM

I'd surf ebay and Reverb for an older '62 reissue, great guitars. And no matter which one you choose, consider going with a rosewood fretboard over maple to cut down the highs and the tininess a bit.

**Greentone** · 06-10-2018, 10:19 PM

There's a 62 MIJ for sale on the for sale list of the forum. It looks teriffic for jazz , rosewood board, sunburst.

Every MIJ I have ever played...I gigged steadily with one 25 years ago and loved it...I found to be excellent.

**Uncle Vinnie** · 06-10-2018, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Greentone

There's a 62 MIJ for sale on the for sale list of the forum. It looks teriffic for jazz , rosewood board, sunburst.

Every MIJ I have ever played...I gigged steadily with one 25 years ago and loved it...I found to be excellent.

I'm gonna check it out right now. Thanks.

Every comment I've heard about the MIJ Fender guitars is that they're excellent.

ETA: Checked it out. Sold. Bound body too. Very nice looking axe.

**gmek** · 06-11-2018, 05:24 PM

I'm perfectly happy with my modded MIM, but this looks like a real nice one: Model C — HAHN GUITARS

**p1p** · 06-11-2018, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by guitarmek

I'm perfectly happy with my modded MIM, but this looks like a real nice one: Model C — HAHN GUITARS

just read the specs - not sure I’d like their thin application of nitro. I get that some would love this because it would show wear and “relic” pretty quickly, but if this was my #1 I’d be through that finish in no time.

**jaco** · 06-11-2018, 07:01 PM

Very happy with my Nash with Lollar pickups. Miss the '53 Tele I had as a 15 year old. And the '53 Gold Top Les Paul, and the 69 L5, '65 Strat...someone shoot me.

**whiskey02** · 06-11-2018, 07:28 PM

Ron Kirn.

**aleksandar** · 06-12-2018, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Gitfiddler

Here's the stacked tone pot mod after installation.

Do you find it easy to do volume swells and the wah-wah effect with a stacked pot like that? I am thinking about doing a mod like this on my Tele, so that I have independent, LP-like controls. Though it looks kinda ugly to me.

**Dhango** · 06-14-2018, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by Frank67

Thanks for the input so far everybody - Keep it coming!

If I compare what I would do for a Warmoth build:
- Compound radius boatneck
- 6150 medium jumbo frets
- swamp ash body, maple neck, nothing exotic
- body contours and shaved heel for comfort
- Butterscotch blonde, possibly black binding
- ABM 3 saddle brass bridge
- Fender nocaster pickups
- Jerseyshore guitar garage garage pre-wired "Fender serial killer" harness

Body contours on a Telecaster are sacrilege. The technician/designer who introduced the body contours to the Telecaster at Fender is bound to hell as soon as he dies ¿would you want to go to hell along with him?

**h1pst3r88** · 06-18-2018, 10:58 AM

'52 Hot Rod Tele with the Duncan mini humbucker in the neck -OR- any Ron Kirn Tele.

**Esport** · 10-28-2019, 02:13 PM

My Classic Vibe Tele is outstanding, not even considering the sub $500 price tag. I’ve seen a few on CL for around $300 and one for $225 that I almost bought just because they’re so good for such little money.

**Gitfiddler** · 10-29-2019, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by Dhango

Body contours on a Telecaster are sacrilege. The technician/designer who introduced the body contours to the Telecaster at Fender is bound to hell as soon as he dies ¿would you want to go to hell along with him?

I agree with the above sentiment. Tele bodies typically have way too many sharp edges.

That's why I love my Fender Richie Kotzen Tele (MIJ) with its comfy Strat-like ergonomic contours on the front and back of the body. Its the most comfortable Tele I've ever played. The chunky neck isn't for everyone, but it works for my big hands.

Check out this belly cut:

**Gabor** · 10-29-2019, 05:14 AM

I vote on get a cheapo, and my reason is especially this. I do not own this, but I definitely will give it a shot. Even if the dozens of reviews are overstatements, still... around $150...

Harley Benton TE-52 NA Vintage Serie E-Gitarre – Musikhaus Thomann

**christianm77** · 10-29-2019, 05:36 AM

Vinteras sure look nice

**Byrdman** · 09-23-2022, 07:30 PM

I have way more than a few "Telecasters", including Fender (USA, AVRI, CS and Masterbuilt), Thorn, Gustavsson, Anderson, DeTemple, and a partscaster. I look more closely at a few specific aspects of Teles when purchasing one:

* How do the neck and fingerboard feel and play? I prefer quarter sawn and 5/4 sawn necks, they are a little stiffer and less prone to warping. I also like 6100 and 6105 frets and a 9.5"-12" fret board radius.

* Light weight, but not anorexic. A little under 7 lbs is nice, but 6 lbs is too light (IMO).

* Pickup routing. I like to try different pickups, if I'm not in love with the ones in the guitar. Many types of neck pickups can hang suspended from a Tele pickguard, but the body has to be routed to allow them to fit. That's one good reason to select a partscaster - you can have it routed for a variety of pickups and swap them around. Or start with a humbucker or P90 in the neck and try other pickups with the same form factor.

I don't think the OP has offered what I would choose in buying a Tele. That would be a Fender Custom Shop Tele with the above considerations, and I prefer modestly aged guitars that have a broken-in feel right out of the box (e.g., Andy Summers Tele). While a Fender Masterbuilt guitar is generally a nicer build, the CS instruments are a much better ker-chang for the money and there more of them to look at. Fender prices have become stupid in the past couple of years, but they seem to be doing well.

**jazzgtrl4** · 02-15-2023, 02:19 PM

I Just picked up this Sadowsky T-Style..its great..here is a video of Chuck Loeb (RIP) playing it.

**Skip Ellis** · 10-07-2023, 11:46 AM

Just get some wood and build your own - it's not rocket surgery. Necks are a pain to build so buy a good one from Allparts (I've got a couple that are going on 30 yrs old, been heavily gigged and are as good as new). Pick the parts you want, bolt it together and hit the stage. I have not bought a factory made guitar (except pedal steels) since the 80s (other than some archtops, classicals, and a PRS, all of which I sent back. I've made them out of everything from Home Depot 2x8s to African mahogany, to Alder and they all sounded fine with decent pickups. TBH, I think the one I made out of 2x8 southern yellow pine with a 1/4" curly maple cap and Bill Lawrence Keystone pickups is probably the best sounding one I ever made. So much of what you read and hear about this or that particular bridge or pickup is just so much advertising hype, IMHO, of course but I've had a lot of experience with these things. Heading out to the shop shortly to work on another 4 or 5 alder bodies that need sanding. Can't have too many Telecasters.

**m_d** · 10-09-2023, 02:22 PM

I'm not sure I need a Telecaster or another guitar but going to Japan (hopefully) next year it'll be impossible not to look at some Fender Japan models.

**jim777** · 10-10-2023, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by m_d

I'm not sure I need a Telecaster or another guitar but going to Japan (hopefully) next year it'll be impossible not to look at some Fender Japan models.

Don't forget to try a Momose or two while you're there