What telecaster to get?

[Frank67]

I have decided that I'd like to add a vintage sounding tele to my collection and I am going back and forth about what to get. I have no interest in a true vintage instrument.

I'd like a 'no frills' tele, hence, for a change no bling or fancy woods or flames, 78 different sounds from four pickups or anything, just a nice sounding well playable instrument in butterscotch blonde or (preferably) natural. Not necessarily looking for 'bang for the buck' but I'm also not crazy for spending multiple grands on a plank (say, 2K would be ok, twice that not).

What I like
- vintage sound
- big chunky neck
- rather flat or compound radius

but I know I do not like
- 7.5 radius in a neck
- thin frets
- vintage Fender tuners

Here are the options:
- The american vintage nocaster's and blackguards have a great reputation but have a 7.5 radius which I do not like. Hence chances are I won't enjoy playing them
- The american elite models have a compound radius and a few other improvements in terms of playability. I am not sure about the noiseless pickups in term of sound?
- I could go the Warmoth route and build one with all the features I like. That is cost effective, I get what I want in terms of features and it doesn't break the bank. I have good experience with Warmoth. But that is an instrument essentially without resale value (not that I ever really sell my guitars, but it is not a Fender).
- I could get a cheapo squire or something like that and make it an upgrade project.

Any insight or advice ? (other than "go and check a few and trust your ears" - few music stores around here with sufficiently broad selections - and then their guitar setups are so typically so crappy that it is hardly worth the time and one is surrounded by shredding kids, disgruntled underpaid employees etc etc).

thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Frank

[Lobomov]

I'd look towards the used marked. I picked up a mint 2008 custom shop tele a year ago for what a new american standard costs.


That being said, I like the new Elites and also worth noting is that the am std series is being discontinued, so they are currently on sale.

[citizenk74]

When I read the options on the poll my first thought was "all the above".

If I had the budget, I'd go the Warmth route, to get all the specifics lined up. But there's that resale thing nagging away at the back of the mind. I rarely sell guitars, myself. Does Fender have an actual customize-your-new-guitar-within-reason option from the "Custom Shop"?

Another option might be to do what guys like Clapton have done forever. Buy a bunch of Teles which individually have one or more of the characteristics you desire, then mix & match parts to get what you want in one place, put the remaining Teles back together with what's left, and sell them or better yet, keep 'em, because, hey, more Teles! Tell the Missus all the cool kids are doin' it.

I have a Faux-Fender my better half bought me because it's tourquoise. Three pickups with a 21" radius and nicel wide and really thick. I absolutely love it. I've got to blow some dough on electronics to get the sounds I want, but why not? I'm putting scare quotes around the Fender Custom Shop decal so that when the time comes no-one will be deceived as to its' provenance. In the meantime, I'm lovin' it!

Good luck with your quest!

P.S. My '66 Custom Telecaster is still unbeatable, make no mistake.

[MikeTT]

There's a special edition of the 52 Tele with 9.5 Radius:
American Vintage "Thin Skin" '52 Telecaster | American Vintage Thin Skin Nitro | Wildwood Guitars

For this kind of money and a Jazz Tele I'd probably go the DIY route, because I'd personally want a neck humbucker, a "silent" bridge PU and a 6 blocks bridge (for a "Jazz"-Tele).

If I remember correctly there was also a version of the thin skin linked above with a neck humbucker, not sure if it's still made.

[AlainJazz]

I love my American special Tele. To me it's the perfect Tele. I love it for jazz,but use it for pretty much everything:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frank67]

Love your playing! Super tasteful and great tone and technique.

[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

... I find that it is really not so different from the Fender American Elite offering. Taking into account the total cost of the hardware and shipping and import tax the cost comes out to be pretty similar. Taking possible resale into account that would give a notch up for the Fender. Reviews are saying the 4th generation noiseless pickups do have a nice vintage sound (first hand experience anyone?) - and having no annoying hum would be a plus (I would not only do jazz on it). The bridge is either no big deal or easily swapped if necessary.

.... mmmh ... still thinking

... and then there are still the vintage reissues - on account of the tdpri the best teles around .... I could probably live with a 9.5 radius (but I am not paying a premium for the silly relic thing ...).

[Bach5G]

Check out Ron Kirn.

[petermelton]

Ron Kirn is a fantastic builder. I ordered a custom Strat from him a few years ago and it's still my only Strat. His prices are more than reasonable for what you get.

If you go the Warmoth route and want a vintage sounding Tele I would personally not recommend the contoured neck heal. Could be all in my head but I feel like every bolt on neck I've played with a contoured heal lacks balls. The bigger block of wood there seems to make the guitar resonate more.

[Al_F]

Classic vibe

[John A.]

I have decided that I'd like to add a vintage sounding tele to my collection and I am going back and forth about what to get. I have no interest in a true vintage instrument.

I'd like a 'no frills' tele, hence, for a change no bling or fancy woods or flames, 78 different sounds from four pickups or anything, just a nice sounding well playable instrument in butterscotch blonde or (preferably) natural. Not necessarily looking for 'bang for the buck' but I'm also not crazy for spending multiple grands on a plank (say, 2K would be ok, twice that not).

What I like
- vintage sound
- big chunky neck
- rather flat or compound radius

but I know I do not like
- 7.5 radius in a neck
- thin frets
- vintage Fender tuners

Here are the options:
- The american vintage nocaster's and blackguards have a great reputation but have a 7.5 radius which I do not like. Hence chances are I won't enjoy playing them
- The american elite models have a compound radius and a few other improvements in terms of playability. I am not sure about the noiseless pickups in term of sound?
- I could go the Warmoth route and build one with all the features I like. That is cost effective, I get what I want in terms of features and it doesn't break the bank. I have good experience with Warmoth. But that is an instrument essentially without resale value (not that I ever really sell my guitars, but it is not a Fender).
- I could get a cheapo squire or something like that and make it an upgrade project.

Any insight or advice ? (other than "go and check a few and trust your ears" - few music stores around here with sufficiently broad selections - and then their guitar setups are so typically so crappy that it is hardly worth the time and one is surrounded by shredding kids, disgruntled underpaid employees etc etc).

thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Frank

A friend of mine has an American Vintage Hot Rod tele, which hits most of your marks. The exceptions are it has the safe-t-post tuners, and a Duncan mini-humbucker in the neck position. Tuners are easy to change. The mini-humbucker, too, but I'd recommend keeping it. It's a great guitar. Either that, or an American Standard, which hits all your requirements.

John

[thrush40]

Given the thousands of teles on the market and the variety of appointments, your search should be easy.

You've ruled out a lot just with the radius requirements, and rightly so. And, as you know, the beauty of the tele is it's simplicity and easy of modification. So, for example, bridge plates and saddles are abundantly available.

My best advise is to put most consideration into the neck and fretwork. Buy a tele with good fretwork with a radius you like. The rest is easy peasy: pick ups and pot swaps.

The good news is that teles are pretty cheap. What's our budget? Boutique is super nice, but remember we're talking about the plank here. The higher you step up, the greater the case of diminishing returns.

I've owned a few teles, including Am Standard, G&L ASAT Classic, and a couple others. For me a 600 USD Highway One had the sound and the playability to make me happy.

Then (full disclosure) I had a custom 25" scale neck made in torrified maple. Zoinks!

[ThatRhythmMan]

I bought an American Standard that had some alterations done to the body. I parted and sold the body and used the cash to buy nocaster pups and electronics. I put the neck and electronics into a seafoam green Warmoth body and had my dream tele.

Another way to look at it is that I had a great tele neck for free. I love the nocasters. I highly recommended them.

[GNAPPI]

When I read the options on the poll my first thought was "all the above".

If I had the budget, I'd go the Warmth route, to get all the specifics lined up. But there's that resale thing nagging away at the back of the mind. I rarely sell guitars, myself. Does Fender have an actual customize-your-new-guitar-within-reason option from the "Custom Shop"?

Another option might be to do what guys like Clapton have done forever. Buy a bunch of Teles which individually have one or more of the characteristics you desire, then mix & match parts to get what you want in one place, put the remaining Teles back together with what's left, and sell them or better yet, keep 'em, because, hey, more Teles! Tell the Missus all the cool kids are doin' it.

I have a Faux-Fender my better half bought me because it's tourquoise. Three pickups with a 21" radius and nicel wide and really thick. I absolutely love it. I've got to blow some dough on electronics to get the sounds I want, but why not? I'm putting scare quotes around the Fender Custom Shop decal so that when the time comes no-one will be deceived as to its' provenance. In the meantime, I'm lovin' it!

Good luck with your quest!

P.S. My '66 Custom Telecaster is still unbeatable, make no mistake.

I'm sitting here trying to punch holes in that logic but I can't do it :-)

[GNAPPI]

A "vintage" story...

When the 52 reissue came out in butterscotch I went to the LGS to try one. Try as I may I just did not like it... it played and sounded NOTHING like the early 50's teles I have played.

While I waited for the sales guy to take it back, there was a used Mexican tele in a stand so I put the 52 in the stand, locked the neck in and started playing the $225 cheapo.

I fell in love and bought it on the spot, it had a bonus tweed case.

A co-worker friend joked about my liking a $250 git more than a $1200+ model. I told him to take it home and see for himself. Well... he "forgot" to bring it back, and wound up taking it to gigs that Friday and Saturday night.

Monday he wouldn't stop badgering me to sell it. After a couple of days he made me some trade offers I couldn't refuse and I even kept the tweed case:-)

The moral of the story is like what you like, the name or country of origin doesn't matter if it doesn't move you.

PS, it's one of the few gits I am sorry I let go.

[TKO]

You could hunt down a Richie Kotzen tele, and swap the PU's for something more vintage? Made in Japan, massive neck, jumbo frets, modern tuners, 12" radius etc.

Qualitywise should be one of the best artist models around. Or at least I've never read a bad review about them, except that the neck is a bit too large for some people..

[Frank67]

Thank you very much for all the replies and the good advice!

I think that it makes sense to focus somewhat on the neck and fretwork since so much hardware is readily replaced.

I had also eyed a hot rod tele with some sensible modifications on my local e-bay, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

In the mid price department I once had a Baja tele in the early days of my guitar playing and quite liked it, also the beefy neck. For some reason that I don't remember (guess I did not really know what I was doing), I sold it, but did regret it. Any experiences here? I did find a video on youtube where the baja was compared to a 52 reissue and a real vintage 52 tele. I thought they sounded a lot alike. But then, the sound was super bright and piercing for all of them (that is the way the person had set the amp). So I am not sure how it would have sounded in a jazzier setting.

I looked at the Ron Kirn teles - they look stunning and the prospect of negotiating with him exactly what I want is tempting. The prices are very reasonable too. But it would be another transatlantic business. I recently had an absolutly terrifying experience with a custom made product that I ordered from the US. But that is for another thread (after hopefully there is a happy end to this). I would need to regain courage to try again. Perhaps there are European luthiers that do similarly good stuff? I am aware of Schottmüller, but that looks a bit too far off from what I am looking for.

I am almost surprised how even the poll comes out. It looks like that these are all real alternatives and I still have not ruled any of the out. Sigh, I guess I'll have to still hit a music store and try to get past my multiple aversions.

anyways, keept it coming! I find the various perspectives all very interesting and inspiring!

Cheers,
Frank

[AlainJazz]

My next Tele is going to be an Affinity Squier. These are the absolute cheapest Teles fender makes (199$ list price) but I've tried a few and think they are really good guitars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Longways to Go]

When I bought my first tele, I went to a shop & played every telecaster on the wall -- from Squire Affinity to MIM to American. I found them to have much more in common than different (other than a couple with humbuckers). I ended up taking home the Affinity, because the difference in sound & playability was so much smaller than the difference in price. It was a good guitar, I probably should have kept it.

One thing in favor of the American tele choice, it's an easy guitar to turn into cash later on.

[jim777]

A great under rated Tele is the Hamer T-51. It has a Duncan Broadcaster pickup in the neck which I'm not terribly fond of, but the neck is flatter than an old Tele and much easier (IMHO) to play. Very high quality USA guitar if you decide to go that route.

My friend Nori Imai (NYC tech genius) has a real '52 (low 3K serial #), and it is not a great guitar by any means Most $199 Squiers would blow it away in terms of playability. Just throwing that out there

[Lobomov]

Since you're in europe, then Andertons have a sale on the am stds

Bad Request

Edit: Despite the bad request label my link has gotten, it does seem to work

[bohemian46]

I own and play a 2003 Hiway 1.. bought at a local GC on sale.

The reason is the simplicity and build quality and.. very important.. a full 1 11/16th nut with and a 9 1/2 inch radius.

Add to that the stock bridge was the old wide spacing..
I further modified that by replacing it with a GOTOH 6 adjustable saddles bridge.. which was a tad wider yet.
This because I am primarily a finger picker. I am not a fan of the usual three brass or steel barrels, either for tone or accuracy in set up and intonation.

I further modded mine with a proper aluminum jack cup and upgraded jack, and Bill Lawrence Keystone pickups.. made by him a year prior to his passing.
Installed vintage tuners and round string trees.

I have the tone and playability I want with the ergonomics needed for accurate, comfortable playing.

Mine does have a maple board.. I am considering changing this out for rosewood, also in a 1 11/16ths if not a 1 3/4.


I bought his guitar new.. triburst maple. I sold it and regretted it. The buyer moved 3000 miles across the country.

Within six months I bough an American Standard in the identical specs.. except the nut wasn't right, the neck wasn't right, the bridge spacing was narrow and without seriously chopping up the guitar.. options for wider bridges not possible. Plus I did not like the tone or playability.
I gifted it to my grandson who has needles for fingers and loves the guitar.

One day 5 years after selling my Hiway 1... in my little town of 1300... I see a guy walking to the post office.. it was the buyer of my guitar. I flagged him down and asked if he was willing to sell it back.. yes for the same (bargain) price which included my 1979 Fender Music Master Bass amp, cords, mics, stands etc. He was in town briefly "to get stuff left behind" which included the guitar. It had been here for the entire time unplayed.

My total expenditure at this point is well under $800.

The only modern Fender Telecaster I would consider would be the Nashville Deluxe because of the nut and saddle spacing and mod ability. I'd probably bag the center pickup and go for some upgrades.

[Boston Joe]

I own and play a 2003 Hiway 1.. bought at a local GC on sale.

I love my highway1. Bone stock except for the neck pickup, which I swapped out for a Porter 9-T. I may get some brass saddles for it at some point. When I do my P-90 partscaster build I'm going to look for the same specs in the neck, bridge, etc.

[Stringswinger]

Frank,

I own a 52 Hot Rod Tele and an American Standard Strat. I modified the Strat to use a single Neck Humbucker (Duncan 59). I love both guitars. Here are my thoughts:

The jumbo frets and 9.5 radius are great. You do not need a 12 radius or a compound radius. You will find the American Standard neck to be on the slim side. If you want a fat neck with the American Standard, you will have to replace the neck.

The vintage tuners on the Hot Rod are serviceable and hold tune quite well, but they make string changing a bit of a chore. I live with mine, but that is easily changeable. If you live with the vintage tuners, make sure to bring a wire cutter to the gig.

The mini humbucker on the Hot Rod is brighter than a full size PUP. As it would require routing the body to install a full size PUP, this would entail costs both ways. You would need to pay a luthier to do the install and at the same time, you would be diminishing the guitar's resale value. I find the tone with flatwounds to be very "jazzy". The mini works for me.

My suggestion is to buy a Hot Rod Tele and try it. It has some great features. The Thin skin nitro paint job is what they use on Custom shop builds. The neck is superb. The Bridge, with it's compensated brass saddles is what you want. If you like the mini Humbucker, you are in business. You will have acquired a somewhat rare, American made Fender Tele that will have great resale value.

If the mini-humbucker is too bright, sell it and try an American Standard. Put a humbucker in and get a fatter neck if you need to (and keep the original parts). They are great guitars and also hold value very well.

If you go with a custom build and do not love it, you will lose money.

That is my two cents. Hope that helps

[Gitfiddler]

Since you already owned a Baja Tele, you might check out a used one. They are VERY highly regarded by owners over at The Gear Page. Maybe you already had what you are looking for?

I was looking for a Baja, when I came across the Ritchie Kotzen Signature Tele. It is made in Japan and the QC is astoundingly good, especially since it is not a Custom Shop model. I bought one based solely on the specs (12" radius; scaloped forearm cut; rear body belly cut; DiMarzio P'ups, Modern Bridge Saddles; Gotoh Tuners and have zero regrets. You mentioned not needing 'bling'. Sorry, but this baby is gorgeous with a flame maple cap and gold hardware. But it is priced very reasonably, especially considering the finished product. I view it as a great Tele value.

The only mod I made was to add a stacked tone pot to the controls. Apparently Mr. Kotzen doesn't need a tone pot, and had Fender replace it with a mid-boost for his shreddy solos. Oh, and the neck is not chunky...is is big-ass-bat-fat!! If you have big hands (as I do), you will be in fat neck heaven. I put 11's on mine and love the jazzy-RnB-toRock-to-chicken pickin' tones.

Specs: Richie Kotzen Telecaster(R) | Fender Electric Guitars

Here's the stacked tone pot mod after installation.