Open Box Fender American Ultra Telecaster Rosewood Fingerboard Electric Guitar Level 2 Texas Tea 197881394943

So after owning and playing this guitar a lot over a year or more here's my thoughts...it is one of the most beautiful telecasters ever made... even more beautiful than the ultra ii since it has binding... and I prefer the ultra neck to the ultra ii neck. People say that noiseless pickups didn't sound good or organic, but I think there's noiseless sounds very good. But with all of this said I sold this telecaster recently. I started with a squire affinity then classic vibe then moved to a USA performer then USA professional ii, then an ultra. But I finally realized after all of this time and buying expensive teles that I'm really not a traditional tele guy lol...so sold them all and after almost giving up on them altogether bought a used USA performer hum telecaster with a humbucker in the neck and tapable single coil in the bridge. And wow this was the sound I was looking for all of these years and didn't know it. The blend of the two pickups gives the perfect balance in the middle position where it retains the single coil clarity but a with more warmth and fullness. I absolutely loved the beauty and curves of my ultra... and all of the USA teles I owned and mentioned sounded great. I don't think they're is any quality difference between any of these models they are all stellar...it just boils down to the time you are after. If I played with overdrive or distortion more then Amy one of these are great options and the differences are very subtle but I okay down 90 percent so wanted the model that sounds best clean... and in my opinion the performer hum sounds hands down best. And the old ashtray bridge gives you more bite and tang than the saddle on the ultra... again depends on the time you are after they are so great for different reasons. Am I sad I sold my ultra for a lower model. No... the performer hum is every bit as good but sounds better clean... but I do miss the beautiful curves and binding on the ultra. I would still give the ultra five stars... but I'd give the performer hum an extra star for better tone...

I picked up the Texas Tea, which is an outstanding color, and combined with the brushed aluminum pick guard, this guitar is a true beauty. Tone was fantastic. Nothing to complain about there. In fact, I loved the tone. Fit and finish were perfect and I could find no manufacturing imperfections worth mentioning. The included case was outstanding. The neck, however, yeah, I just couldn't hang with the neck. The "modern D and rolled fretboard edges" were something I couldn't overcome. I love that someone finally figured out compound radius necks. Seems like Warmoth was the only maker to crack that code until recently. Unfortunately, the neck profile and shape were very strange to me. I put a little heavier gage set of strings than the super lights it came with and that really accented everything I disliked about the neck. Perhaps 'dislike' is too kind a word for how uncomfortable this neck was. I played this Tele, trying to get used to it, up to the last day I had of the trial period and back it went. Everything else about this Tele was above average, so it killed me that the neck was so uncomfortable.

Fender Teles rock, hands down. However, the Ultra I received was having grounding issues.

The Telecaster Ultra is a great guitar. Easy player, stunning color.

Long story short, a total home run! Never been a fan of Tele's. I played a Texas Tea but I wanted white. I did a minor setup - cuz that's all it needed - and added StringJoy 9-42 signature strings and now….. oh my… my my my… ummm hum, dats my baby! lol. I have 12 other electrics but this one is taking center stage. This guitar has some real mojo. It's, dare I say, magical. I can barely put it down, Heck, I dream about playing it. I'm not really into blast, though I occasionally peel the paint off the walls. I much prefer quality over magnitude and this baby covers a lot of the soundscape. It produces these deep lows and at the same time, these shimmering highs. Every time I play it I'm wondering, is this one just special? Did they have a hot blonde rub her ta ta's on it before they put it on the case? I don't get it. I just know it's my new favorite now. It's like the counter part to my 2021 Gibson ES335. Both have this magic that stands out from the others. The devil and the angel I suppose. lol. I'd suggest you try one out before you dismiss it. Plug into an AC15 or something like that. Feel the love…! If you'd like to see it in action look for wickedoil reviews on YouTube

Played one at GC Alpharetta today. Just felt lifeless compared to my Pro 2 with a maple neck. Lighter than the pro 2 and didn't like the neck. Lacks character. Doest seems worth the markup.