I just received my new Fender aqua marine metallic telecaster, I think it is awesome!! I was a professional musician for many years and have had many and tried many guitars in my career and now I just enjoy playing for myself, but I do know my guitars, lol! I never owned a genuine fender before and this new line of guitars intrigued me so I decided to order one as they were not readily available in my local guitar center stores to try, brand new for 2025 With such scrutiny, like all of us in the community, I wanted to decide for myself, I love my CV squier 50's Strat,I modded , so I wanted to see if they were the same or better or just a relabeled money grab! I want to let people know just how nice this guitar Really is, not a rebranded Squier, this is a genuine Fender spec'ed guitar and manufactured at Cortek in Indonesia, They produce PRS, and Cort there too , that's why all the static with this product! Fender Standards are really done to Fender specs, and not Squier parts or necks. I will vouch for this guitar! It is definitely worth what they are asking, with a good sale and incentives, you really can't beat it if you want a brand new tele or Strat .the poplar body is a little heavier, but it doesn't bother me, actually I like the weight seems like it improves the sustain.The neck on this is so nice too, it just has the feel you'd expect from a great Fender! It has no skunk stripe, but feels amazing, does not cheapen the quality of this neck, Fender ping tuners are great, I compared Mexican fenders including the player series too! If you look, the neck has got a slightly wider neck like a American standard which feels so nice, this is a nice standard in every way, fit and finish is excellent , I would be aware of butterscotch or burst will show the 4 piece body pieces through the finish which I didn't care for and why I like the painted finish best, but that's where they cut costs, doesn't bother me, and doesn't effect sound quality, The electronics, although are ceramic, hotter than Alnico , which I use mostly, but has a nice full sound and sounds different than my other guitars, doesn't muddy up with distortion, with good balance in tone which is awesome!! I Love the sound , and I will be using like this , for me , no need to change pickups, but nice too know I can with many options, actually controls work as they should and feel very good too! Definitely a great gig worthy instrument! I'm so happy that I got this one I love the new color! I tried the laurel neck as well, but is all preference IMO, they felt the same, but I liked the satin maple fretboard the best. Plus if you like to modify, this is a great platform for that too, routed for lots of options. Which I believe Fender kept in mind with this guitar, don't be afraid to try one of these! I am really enjoying this axe! I am pleasantly surprised, and very happy with this, I feel Fender is making this a great value for anyone looking to get into Fender guitar experience!