Telecasters

[Andrew W]

so i phoned the shop and it was indeed a 60th anniversary i tried out. the specs say a modern C shape and 9.25 radius. feels good enough for me as far as the radii goes, but the back of the neck feels too flimsy!

I've been repairing guitars for a while and setuping them too, if i went the warmoth route (I'm based in canada so it's closer for me than it is for most of you) it would be a pretty decent alternative as well...

The only downside of the Warmoth approach is that you don't know whether the neck and body will play nicely together until you get and assemble them. If you buy an off the shelf Tele you can make sure you get a really good resonant one. When I got my Dubreuille Tele (this one) I tried CS, Nash and McGuire ones that were as expensive or more so and, to my hands and ears, the one I bought was the best of the lot. So I put a lot of store by being able to actually go and play an instrument before I buy it. If you want something a bit oddball though, Warmoth and DIY might very well be the way to approach it.

[Sancho]

I've got an American Standard with an ash body. Great guitar, but like with American Standard Strats the pickups lack character. I replaced them with a set of Dimarzio Area T's and I can now indulge in my Roy Buchanan fantasies whenever the mood strikes me :mrgreen:

[Telerocker]

I've got an American Standard with an ash body. Great guitar, but like with American Standard Strats the pickups lack character. I replaced them with a set of Dimarzio Area T's and I can now indulge in my Roy Buchanan fantasies whenever the mood strikes me :mrgreen:

Exactly. They're well made and the used woods are good. Just the pu's were a little thin and bland to my ears.

[38thBeatle]

Mine is a humble MIM 1950's r/i. It has been somewhat neglected-at least until about a month ago. At the moment it is the guitar I play the most-the tone is superb(the Country Boys help in that regard).

[Keven]

i do have plans to treat it with a proper '' the boss'' set :) so stock pickups don't bug me. i just want a good plank! but it's true that trying out the guitar will help with an educated purchase!

[Ian Price]

Definitely try out the guitar. If the basics are there acoustically, a new set of BKPs will only enhance the experience. I'm interested in The Boss set and nearly bought these until I was talked down by my fellow BGF50 BKPers.

I tried a few Bajas and some Classic Players before settling on my Baja. There was a definite difference in acoustics on them - I went for the one with the clearest, springiest tone. I didn't even try it through an amp in the shop.

Happy hunting!

[Keven]

i do wish they still made the richie kotzen telecaster. i got my paws on one and the neck was perfect!

[Philly Q]

Try the Vintage Hot Rod '52 model if you get a chance.

It's like a '52 reissue, with a good chunky neck, but with the 9.5" radius and big frets.  It has a minibucker neck pickup, but of course that's easy to change if you want.

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/products/search.php?partno=0100232850

[Keven]

hey! now that actually looks pretty decent!

[Mr. Air]

Any thoughts of the MIM teles. There seems to be a good deal in a town not too far from me?

[Telerocker]

I like the vintage hotrod 52. Not a cheapo though, but quite versatile.

[Nephilim]

i say go to Warmoth. They've been licenced by Fender to make their guitars so you'll get the perfect Fender, with your specs, for a great price. You can also get compound radius :) nothing like customising your own fender to your exact specs. Check it out www.warmoth.com

[BigB]

If you plan on changing pups, MiJ / CiJ Teles are usually a very safe bet - good woods, nice workmanship, and really consistent quality - and can be found for a decent price tag around here in Europe (can't tell about your local market). The necks are supposedly a bit thinner than US ones, but if you go for a 50s RI (ash / maple) model this shouldn't be such an issue, these are way thicker than the 62s.

Warmoth might still be a good option if you know exactly what you want and don't have too much shipping and tax fees.

[Nephilim]

If you plan on changing pups, MiJ / CiJ Teles are usually a very safe bet - good woods, nice workmanship, and really consistent quality - and can be found for a decent price tag around here in Europe (can't tell about your local market). The necks are supposedly a bit thinner than US ones, but if you go for a 50s RI (ash / maple) model this shouldn't be such an issue, these are way thicker than the 62s.

Warmoth might still be a good option if you know exactly what you want and don't have too much shipping and tax fees.

I'm actually curious about this. I know Warmoth P&P is like $100 to the UK. But do you have to pay anything extra to have it shipped to the UK in terms of import fees, etc?

[doomcaster]

I think a Warmoth Partscaster has the possibility of coming out better than an american Fender if done right.


I'm waiting for Roo to find this thread and call you a ****