NEW REVIEW - Pure Fender Tone

Well, I was researching guitars to buy, and after several weeks I decided on a tele. I was going to go with a MIM Classic Players but when I saw mine on the used section of guitarcenter.com I new I had to have it. i never played one before but something told me i needed this guitar. when it came in i almost cried, it was beautiful. it fit perfectly in my hands and it screamed when i plugged it into my original blues deluxe amp. i have owned and sold more than 30 guitars in the last 5 years and this one's a keeper. my only complaint is the person who traded it in didn't have any of the candy in the case, and the only thing i will be doing to this guitar is swapping out the bridge pickup for a seymour duncan 59' lead and a new pickquard because mine came very warped(i understand that this is normal, i'm just picky). i recomend this guitar to anyone who loves teles, and always make sure you get the candy!!!!!!

Reviewed by Steve on 11/19/2009 who plays Psychobilly, Blues, Metal, Rock.

THE Tele

I recently purchased a 52 reissue Telecaster custom with a bisgby hardtail tremolo. From the factory, this has been the best set up guitar I have ever seen (owning 7 guitars). The sound, amazing. Deep warm to that Tele twang everyone loves, its there. Playability, frets so easy you could hammer on/ pull off a whole song and no one would even know. The neck was so smooth and fast, and the slim taper neck just makes it so much easier. The beautiful butterscotch finish is impeccable and there were no flaws on the guitar when I recieved it. I happen to own one with a Bigsby licensed Fender hardtail tremolo which makes this one sweet guitar. The only thing I would say that some dislike (personal preference) is that you cannot select both pickups at one time. It has a back pickup position. A front pickup position. And a front pickup with the highs rolled off, not both pickups. I prefer this classic wiring, but Fender makes a cheap kit to convert the wiring into the standard tele while keeping the same vintage sound. Overall this is the best Telecaster that you can buy, beats out all their custom shop ones. Highly Recommended

Reviewed by GuitarGuru on 7/6/2007 who plays Rock, Metal, Blues, Rockabilly, Fingerpick.

A second chance.

My ex wife had free legal services from her teachers' union in Philadelphia. Suffice it to say she routinely took me to family court where each time I was obliged to pay for my own legal council. During one of these outrages I was forced to sell an original '52 Fender Telecaster for $twenty five hundred bucks. Last year my new wife saw me reading a Musician's Friend catalogue and offered to buy me this '52 Telly reissue. Though less valuable than my origianl guitar it looks, feels, and plays exactly the same. This guitar is nervana! It has both the growl of a Les Paul and the classic twang of a Fender. I swear this instrument is better looking than Angelina Jolie. The old saw "you get what you pay for" lives in this axe - buy it!

Reviewed by Elvis' natural successor on 7/11/2006 who plays all.

50's Twang Deluxe

I often drooled over '52 Telecasters at guitar shows but I can't justify buying a guitar for the price of decent used car. There is also the theft problem: gigging with a collectable guitar is a magnet for crooks. Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen have security staff to watch over their gear but I don't. It would be a crime not to play a cool old guitar but it's not practical to keep it handcuffed to my wrist off stage. When Fender came out with the '52 reissue Telecaster my prayers were answered. I have played originals and this reissue feels, looks, plays, and sounds like its namesake. It even comes with the original tone capacitor that most everyone removed back in the 50's. The finish is immaculate, better than many of the originals I've seen. Fender got it right in '52 with Butterscotch Blonde and the reissue is true to the original. The hardware is the same as the '52 original too, which some people may not like. Unlike modern Telecasters there are three brass bridges so string length is adjusted in pairs. I've seen people bend the adjuster screws to get slight differences for each string but I like the simplicity of the '52 bridge. I'm sure some people can hear intonation flaws but it's "good enough for jazz" as far as I'm concerned. The '52 reissue also comes with the "ashtray" bridge cover but, like most Tele pickers, I damp the bass strings with the heel of my palm so I leave it in the case. If you want the sound, look, and twang of a 50's Tele you need this guitar. It's perfect for Country, Rockabilly, Blues, and Rock 'n' Roll. I love mine!

Reviewed by DentonBlueBoy on 11/14/2006 who plays Roots (Blues, Rockabilly, Zydeco).

Amazing Tele Twang

I recently went into a Guitar Center looking for a Tele that had all the specifications, sound, and playibility that I wanted without a price tag heavier than the guitar. I went through several in the Guitar Center in Scottsdale including a Highway One, Baja Tele, Ash Deluxe, '72 Custom, and several other excellent guitars but none of them stood out like this one did. I have had my eye on it for a while but was questioning the vintage tone circuit,and the finish (which looks slightly ugly online). So when I saw it in the Fender room I didn't know whether it was the same guitar because the finish looked so much better (and so less orange). I picked it up and sure enough it was the '52 Reissue. I played it for about an hour manipulating sweet blues tunes, and then some heavy jazz and the guitar continued to match every style I hit. It was a brilliant instrument and was already set up perfectly. For some reason the one I picked up had already had the circuit "modernized" but the three saddle bridge was still on it so it still had that unresistable vintage look and feel. Definately a guitar worth the price tag. I completely recommend it to all aspiring or current blues musicians, although it handles rock extremely well too. This will most certainly be my next guitar and shall match up to my Gibson Les Paul quite well. Fender did an excellent job with this great guitar. A++++++++++++

Reviewed by Goldtop26 on 3/6/2007 who plays Blues to Rock.

Surprisingly Versatile

I picked up this guitar looking for that vintage tele sound I know and love and I was astounded I put it on the neck pickup and found a warm sound that sounded downright jazzy. Surprised, I switched to the neck pickup and was met with that good ol' tele twang. Naturally I purchased it, took it hame and plugged it into my deluxe reverb and it sounded great. As far as playability goes it also delivered. While it wasn;t the fastest neck it was still great. In short I recommend this guitar based on its playability and sound. It also looks great and I feel like Keith Richards and Bruce ASpringsteen When ever I play It. It is easily one of the best tele's fender has made.

Reviewed by pmeinecke on 8/16/2006 who plays Country, Rock.

Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!

I have this Guitar and it is really awesome. I just got this yesterday and it is really old but still has a good sound, it was made in 1989 the year I was born and I got to tell you, this guitar is really awesome, it?s one of the best guitars I ever played.

Reviewed by Eddy1989 on 8/24/2007 who plays Christian tock.

Starting purely aesthetically, this guitar is quite the looker. To be honest, often times I find myself hard-pressed to notice a difference, visually, between most high end Fender's and their Squier counterparts. This, however, is an entirely different case. This guitar looks amazing, from the butterscotch blonde finish, to the laminated maple neck. Past the visual aspect of things though, the sound is what really matters, and this USA-made tele does not disappoint. I'm A/Bing it with a Roland JC-120 and a B-52 AT-100 stack, and they both sound amazing. I've never been interested in playing open and barre chords on an electric guitar, but with this one, I can hardly help myself, they're just so articulate, and you can really hear every note. When I use my Line 6 DL4, it's the sound I always dreamed of. If you're playing rock n' roll or some weird stuff, this is your guitar. The twang is there, the bite is there, and tons of extras as well, like the modern 6-saddle bridge, and neck pickup wiring kit.

Reviewed by Zach Leybick on 8/17/2006 who plays Experimental, Indie.

what a guitar!

I bought this guitar a few months ago and it rocks. Perfect for twangy kind of tones.Also has that true tele feel! I would recommend this to any serious guitarist.

Reviewed by chuck berry fanatic on 8/2/2009 who plays blue grass,rock,blues.

one banging guitar

I have owned many teles and i love them all but my favorite thing about this one is that it seems to be more versatil while still keeping the simplicity. The rhythms are alot smoother in the mid position but at the same time you can switch to the bridge to get a real tele bite. Also the tone know seems to work more like a volume in the 8-10 positions, this really comes in handy for switching from rhythm to lead. Highly recomended guitar not for everyone but deffinatley for me

Reviewed by RagTop on 2/13/2007 who plays TX Music.