WantzChas
There are loads and loads of them on the Fender site and I am utterly confused.
I never thought I'll admit this, but I really like Telecasters and would like to try a few out to see if they play as nice as they sound and look (also something I'll never have done 3 years ago, I'm growing up).
Which should I try out? Which is considered the nicest Teles, affordable without selling a kidney?
AlanRatcliffe
Try the Baja Tele, but try a few examples if you can (they vary a bit) - that's the best value-for-money kickass Tele IMO. To be honest, there's nothing wrong with the standard Mexi or US models either, but the Baja has the right mix of vintage features modernised where it counts.
Moving up the scales a bit, the AVRI '52 and '62 Teles are awesome and the 51 Nocaster on the high end.
teleplayer
It all really comes down to what sound you are looking for.
I personally wanted that signature 'telecaster' sound when I was looking for mine.
I ended up getting an American Standard. Something about MIM just made me feel like I would always look back years later and wonder why I didn't just spend the little more, so I took the plunge. Don't get me wrong, the mexicans are great, sometimes better than the USA Fenders, the odds are in favor of the USA models, but not always the rule. I personally am not a fan of the Highway 1's, purely from an aesthetic POV(satin finish), I can't comment on the feel or sound though.
My brother has got the '72 deluxe telecaster and loves his guitar just as much as I love mine. So it's all about taste at the end of the day.
Go and play a few, make sure that the one you buy feels best to YOU!!!
If you're playing a few teles at different music shops, make sure you play through the same amp (yours, or the same model at each place) a different amp will change the sound and may put you in the position of buying a lesser guitar because the salesman plugged it into a better amp than the last store's guy did for you.
Best of luck!! I couldn't be happier with mine!!!!
afflicted
It depends what expensive is for you. A general middle ground is the Classic or Classic Player series, as well as the American Special series. I have a '72 Tele Thinline which is quite different from most Tele's with the semi-hollow body and humbuckers. It's a great guitar, but if you are looking for the classic Tele single coil sound then I can recommend the American Special Tele. I tried it out recently and was impressed. If that is too much then something like the Baja Tele or 50's Tele is a good option.
chris77
Teles and strats are my favourite types of guitar, because with a few mods you can change the look and sound dramatically and basically have a 'new' guitar whenever you do. The mods are mostly really easy to do and the parts relatively cheap and easy to get.
But all of that will mean nothing if you don't start of a solid base. You need a guitar with a neck that feels right and a body that's comfortable to play and rings out a bit . No compromises there, if you don't like playing it you've wasted your money - simple as that. So forget about what series or model or origin or whatever the guitar is and find one that feels right. You'll know it when you find a good one. And if it doesn't have vintage tuners or a 3 saddle bridge or whatever, so be it. You can add them later if you want, and it will be worth every cent because you will already have a guitar that you love playing.
Keira-WitherKay
great advice from all above......... i have an American standard tele bought it brand new ....... since it seems not too many tele's available on the 2nd hand market so if you see something 2nd hand grab it quick.......
i agree and am in the same mindset as teleplayer(see quote below) and it seems we both got the american standard's when it comes to choosing a made in mexico or a made in usa fender ...... i agree with what he said , unless i found a mim real cheap and even then i'd never be satisfied and want to upgrade at a later stage to a usa one
teleplayer wrote:
I ended up getting an American Standard. Something about MIM just made me feel like I would always look back years later and wonder why I didn't just spend the little more, so I took the plunge. Don't get me wrong, the mexicans are great, sometimes better than the USA Fenders, the odds are in favor of the USA models,
and yes i love the tele .... i've used it live on stage and in the studio and it has never been dissapointing .......with a good tele one never needs to fiddle with tone , as it sounds great with no tweaking and if you have a tube amp to plug it into it's instant good tone ........ even in the studio where the sound engineer and producer had to like my sound ..so it's not just my opinion ...........i plug directly into my tube amp and they love it ..everytime
well again budget wise a 2nd hand one will be the cheaper option .........and i saw a usa tele going for R6500 on gumtree a few weeks back .it's gone now tho ..but they are out there if you willing to wait
Zulublues
Before you pull the trigger, at least try out a Squier CV50. I and a few others have been more than pleasantly surprised by them. Mine is my #1 out of all my current fleet. The one that I would grab when running out of a burning house! Try one
WantzChas
Hi guys.
I've found a nice Tele in the Cape Town area on Gumtree.
Since I'm in Pretoria I was wondering if anyone in the Cape Town area would be as kind to help me out here. I need someone to go and check out the guitar and ship it up to me in Pretoria if the guitar is in good condition and plays lekker.
I would greatly appreciate it.
singemonkey
Maybe say where in Cape Town. I'm a little transportless au moment, but it'll probably be easier for a person who lives nearby.
Reinhard
Another vote to try a classic vibe tele. Surprisingly well made, never thought I would buy a squier but it came home with me.
singemonkey
Great looking Tele. Simon's Town. A bit far for me unfortunately.
dee
Zulublues wrote:
Before you pull the trigger, at least try out a Squier CV50. I and a few others have been more than pleasantly surprised by them. Mine is my #1 out of all my current fleet. The one that I would grab when running out of a burning house! Try one
Reinhard wrote:
Another vote to try a classic vibe tele. Surprisingly well made, never thought I would buy a squier but it came home with me.
The Telecaster forum (www.tdpri.com) raves about them, with many guys using them over their other "Better" Tele's. Apparently they are quite the gem in the Squier series.
afflicted
I saw a natural American Standard Tele on the Cape Town Gumtree classifieds a while ago with a maple board, would much rather take that if I were you.
I'd rather take the Classic Vibe 50's Squier over that rosewood Tele too, that's just my preference though. For me, Tele's should have maple boards.
Try out the Classic Vibe's. Very very nice.
Airguitar
dee wrote:
Zulublues wrote:
Before you pull the trigger, at least try out a Squier CV50. I and a few others have been more than pleasantly surprised by them. Mine is my #1 out of all my current fleet. The one that I would grab when running out of a burning house! Try one
Reinhard wrote:
Another vote to try a classic vibe tele. Surprisingly well made, never thought I would buy a squier but it came home with me.
The Telecaster forum (www.tdpri.com) raves about them, with many guys using them over their other "Better" Tele's. Apparently they are quite the gem in the Squier series.
I did the same, and I can't tell you how much I love this guitar.
However there is a SMALL issue with the CV Tele, which seems to be the same with most Tele's wether MIA, MIJ, MIM, or any other acronym you can think of:-
They sometimes CRACKLE while playing them, especially at high gain settings. The fix is easy. Take off the scratchplate by removing the 5 screws and using a piece of scotchbrite (Pot scourer) and soapy water, scrub the inside layer until it's no longer shiny.. Then put it back on the tele..
This is a 10 minute job and well worth knowing about. It works on all guitars with plastic scratchplates.
WantzChas
No worries, it has been sold.
I'll find something eventually, no hurry.
Rocker-Gramps
I bought a Baja Tele (Honey Blonde, black scratch plate), a few months ago. This is the bees knees.
recently had a little problem though, how or what happened, I don't know, but, the single ply plastic scratch plate
is badly WARPED! This guitar is looked after like anyone of my others, and this phenomenon I find, very, very disturbing!
To try and put a 3- or 4-ply on won't work because there are more screw holes on these and the neck pick-up gap
on those are too big! Baja's only take single ply plates, so, by getting another one, poses the same problem. "Catch22"
What to do? >☹
Gearhead
You don't know if the problem will recur until you know what the cause was. Plenty of single ply pickguards never move a mil.
If you are hell bent on getting a four-ply, get a blank and have someone copy the flattened original onto it (or make one up on the guitar).
AlanRatcliffe
Sometimes it's just from screw pressure - loosen the screws a little and see if it flattens out.
Otherwise you can find different thickness single-ply guards, in both 5 and seven hole (if you look around), IIRC, the thinner guards are .060 of an inch and the thicker ones are .090.
Keira-WitherKay
Airguitar wrote:
dee wrote:
Zulublues wrote:
Before you pull the trigger, at least try out a Squier CV50. I and a few others have been more than pleasantly surprised by them. Mine is my #1 out of all my current fleet. The one that I would grab when running out of a burning house! Try one
Reinhard wrote:
Another vote to try a classic vibe tele. Surprisingly well made, never thought I would buy a squier but it came home with me.
The Telecaster forum (www.tdpri.com) raves about them, with many guys using them over their other "Better" Tele's. Apparently they are quite the gem in the Squier series.
I did the same, and I can't tell you how much I love this guitar.
However there is a SMALL issue with the CV Tele, which seems to be the same with most Tele's wether MIA, MIJ, MIM, or any other acronym you can think of:-
They sometimes CRACKLE while playing them, especially at high gain settings. The fix is easy. Take off the scratchplate by removing the 5 screws and using a piece of scotchbrite (Pot scourer) and soapy water, scrub the inside layer until it's no longer shiny.. Then put it back on the tele..
This is a 10 minute job and well worth knowing about. It works on all guitars with plastic scratchplates.
sorry to be the stick in the mud but for as much as i'm sure the squire vintage vibe is great value for money ....which they are ...so no denying they nice guitars for the money ........ punching way above their weight (price range) .....however i truly can't see anyone realistically putting his/her american standard or better usa tele aside for the squire .... AND yes i've become quite a tele fanatic .....and i have played the classic vibe ........ on a few occassions......nice guitars but not "the holy grail" of tele's ............ and for all the hype i bet if i had to buy a squire classic vibe brand new or even a MIM tele in fact and offer to trade it for someones usa made tele (as long as it was 100% original and an american standard or higher model ) i doubt i'd have any takers ........ and that says it all
and the good news is that 2nd hand usa tele's are not that expensive if you can find em........... i seen american standards as low as R6500 yet i also have to admit i recently saw someone on gumtree trying to sell an american standard tele 2nd hand for more than i paid for mine new last year from a music store .. which is just crazy ....so don't take prices on face value shop around cos we all know discounted price and marked price are way different even up to 40% less which make a huge difference