• A definite buy for tone, feel, and quality at value!

  
  As reviewed by Raymond Wood on 12/29/2011

  I bought this guitar new just over a year ago and have continually been impressed. The tone is incredible as is without going through effect. However, running the Texas Specials through a B.K. Butler overdrive alone opens the world up on warm yet crunchy tone (a touch of Butler overdrive in any of the p/u positions will land you on the Allman Bros. tone in "Ramblin' Man" or "Melissa" as an example without having to search). The tone pot is quite responsive. I have the Olympic White and thought it looked a bit plain when I purchased (GC did not have black), but it just grows more beautiful to me every time I play it. I actually was looking for a '72 Custom (for the single/humbucker mix), and then I played this. I would put it down and go play other guitars, but I kept going back to this because this guitar (tone and, more importantly, feel) was just such a pleasure to play. It really is a guitar that makes you want to play more and more. The neck is very fast and feels like playing butter when bending and you hear the tone. The weight and balance are great, and the set-up from the factory was surprisingly dialed in (I still have not changed it, SERIOUSLY! That was how good mine was, though that may be different on yours). The sustain won't be the same as a humbucker on a Les Paul, but it will last as long as you need (particularly with just a touch of good overdrive). Even without it's versatility in incredible tone (from twangy bite on the bridge to warm fuzzies on the neck) this guitar would be great to play (to be honest, even low quality guitars set up right can just about get whatever sound you want will all the various effects and computer modeling you can throw on these days), just because it feels so great in your hands and makes you want to play more. That increases playing time and practice which increases your skills and makes a better player. My playing has improved beyond what I would have thought in the last year simply because I love playing this guitar so much (did I mention it's so EASY to play?) that I play much more and try things I normally wouldn't. The problem is that I now tend to neglect my other guitars. I know I am gushing, but while this may not be the most expensive (or best, by typical classic standards) guitar I have owned, it is the most fun to play and matches any others for both warm and bite in tones. Now, two bad marks. First, I would rather have the p/u switch up high (like on the '72 Custom) or just somewhere else so it doesn't interfere with the right hand. Second, within a month of having it, the top strap button stripped out from just normal use. I thought an AMERICAN Fender should have higher quality control than that. I called Fender about it and the guy on the phone gave me real attitude about it, so Fender's customer service can use a real overhaul in my view. However, an easy fix myself, and the guitar is a great value for the price!

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• My do-it-all guitar!

  
  As reviewed by Kaleb Romero on 11/8/2011

  My guitar is the one with the tortoise shell pickguard on the User Photos, and to me that just makes this guitar even more beautiful! This guitar feels great in your hands and sounds SOOOOOO good...I play many different styles, but to me this guitar shines in blues and rock. The tone is gorgeous. I own a Fender American Standard Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Classic and if I had to take only 1 guitar to a gig, it would be this guitar. I can cover a lot of tonal ground with this one. The neck pickup is warm and full, while the middle will give you a strat-like twang which I love (still full by the way), and the bridge will give you that classic rock bite. The tone circuit is fantastic as well as the volume. I can easily dial in exactly the same tone I have in my head on the fly. I play through a 90's Peavey Classic 30 (with the black speaker, not the blue marvel one) and the sound is incredible. This guitar even came perfectly setup! I took it to Guitar Factory in Orlando, FL and those guys are pros at what they do, the best in Orlando, and the guys were surprised at how well this guitar was setup, specially since it has a 3 saddle bridge system. Guys, this guitar will not disappoint you. It's more affordable than most teles and it sounds incredible! Seriously, don't think too much about it and get it...you wont regret it :)

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• Great

  
  As reviewed by Selsaral on 7/13/2011

  I didn't really want to buy this guitar but I couldn't help it. I've enjoyed the MIM teles that I've bought in the past, and my friend's Highway One, but I played a few of these at several stores and I found a superb example at the local GC. Excellent construction, excellent frets, excellent finish. The satin urethane finish on the neck is really fantastic and it is the first thing I noticed when I picked the guitar up. The jumbo frets are also superb; they are extremely tidy and neat with no overhangs, sharp edges, or uneven frets. Excellent traditional telecaster tone. Sustain is average for a telecaster, but the tone of the attack is special. Clean and spanky with tons of character, particularly on the neck pickup. I love digging in on a clean amp with a heavy pick on the neck pickup. The guitar rings beautifully all the way up the 22nd fret on all 6 strings. I like the volume pot a lot, it rolls off very fast (way faster than my strats) which makes riding the volume knob easy. Love the white finish on the body. Intonation is fine on the 3-saddle traditional bridge. Just a great telecaster.

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