NGD: Player Series Telecaster

[FuseG4]

Very impressed with the specimen of the player series tele I got today. Super comfy neck with no sharp fret ends. Pickups are an interesting mix of warm and steely. Getting used to them but so far I like that they have a little drive to them. She sounds like a tele so I'm keeping her.
I got a deal on it being a blem, normally my budget was classic vibe but this was worth it. Tiny pinhole dent in the headstock, otherwise flawless, and that dent saved me a lot of money. Love blems.
Haven't named her yet. Been playing since I got home and have barely had time to think!

[Old Guy]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

I love mine as well!! Such a great instrument for the price. I find the neck pick up a little dark. May switch it out, but the bridge pick up is sweet Tele goodness.

[Jeff_H]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

That's a beautiful Tele, really classy. The Player Series is generating a lot of positive reviews and comments since it's release. It's also a bonus that the OEM pickups sound good and make it "sound like a Tele." That relieves any pressure to have to replace the pickups right away. It nice to get to know the guitar and to get an idea if it even needs to be upgraded.

Congrats on finding such a great guitar.

[treyhaislip]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Awesome score! Really nice color combo there. Enjoy!

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

I don't know if there's surgical tubing on the neck pickup bass side. it feels a little loose. on reading the webz it seems others may have had this? Easy fix.
And yeah I feel like the neck pickup is dark but to me they all are except the fender nocaster neck pickup and the twisted tele neck. I think this is part of fender's idea that for playing with drive you want a little drive and treble knocked off at the pickup, and they have that sort of "heavy blues" tonality. I wish I had some old MIA standard tele pickups to compare. I feel like those had a brighter voicing but sounded *a tiny bit* more refined.
My last MIM tele I dropped in the '62 custom tele bridge assembly with the steel threaded saddles and bridge pickup. It was another two notches brighter than stock. It was maybe too much then, but these days I dunno I feel like I have more experience dialing things in to not be piercing. But the player series pickups do a little of the work for you for better or worse.
I do really, really like the Nocaster set. The neck pickup is bright and the bridge is a tad darker on that one, and fender a3 mags have a nice sizzle with gain and not too much bass. Sometimes still not enough but that's teles. A3 singles always sound sonically "interesting" to me.

[ArtieToo]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Everybody's getting Tele's. Nice score.

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

And it was either white or tidepool for me but I like the laidback look of the white, it lets the pickguard harmonize whereas white guards on blue or red look quite striking. Same with the maple neck.
Also I slightly miss the MIA satin neck finish, which is silkier.

[Old Guy]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

I don't know if there's surgical tubing on the neck pickup bass side. it feels a little loose. on reading the webz it seems others may have had this? Easy fix.
And yeah I feel like the neck pickup is dark...

LOL, wow...I have the same problem with my neck pickup and the tubing. The bass side is completely loose. I'm about to put a perloid pickguard on mine so will check to be sure, but I think that's the problem as well. I already have the tubing so can install it right away if that turns out to be the issue.

And, I also find the neck pickup a little dark for my liking.

I am looking at seriously splurging and and getting the Greg Koch Gristle Tone Fluency set to replace the OEM pickups eventually.

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

I am finding both pickups dark after swap to vintage bridge.
10.88k bridge pickup measured in circuit.
It reminds me of the highway one pickups but alnico 5

I have a fender original vintage neck pickup on the way
And a fender 58 bridge pickup, a5 mid 6k raised d and g

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

[Old Guy]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

I am finding both pickups dark after swap to vintage bridge.
10.88k bridge pickup measured in circuit.
It reminds me of the highway one pickups but alnico 5

I have a fender original vintage neck pickup on the way
And a fender 58 bridge pickup, a5 mid 6k raised d and g

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

Interesting. What is the new bridge made of? I've heard that brass really brightens the tone.

Eventually, the Tele I will get back will turn into somewhat of a parts project. I'm already looking at a new bridge and pickups. Have a new pickguard and locking tuners to install once I get the guitar back.

[RorySquier]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

That's a nice looking guitar with the all white and maple neck and fret board. Jimi Hendrix would dig it if he played Teles.



;>)/

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Interesting. What is the new bridge made of? I've heard that brass really brightens the tone.

Eventually, the Tele I will get back will turn into somewhat of a parts project. I'm already looking at a new bridge and pickups. Have a new pickguard and locking tuners to install once I get the guitar back.

It's a steel bridge, on the thinner side, with steel saddles.
traditionally, and even on my last mim tele, this is the recipe for bright ice pick, brass saddles supposedly are warmer but I don't know if anyone does a fully brass bridge.
but even when my tone knob is full up, I keep unconsciously reaching for it trying to turn it up lol so that was my sign to jump on low output pickups

If I was putting this in 5 string open g, I would actually leave it stock, the bridge pickup has some keefy heft, and picking near the neck joint is nice and round!

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[Ayrton]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Happy new Tele day!

[FuseG4]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Got new pickups!
The ov 52 neck pickup is how I remember. The low strings have an almost mushy quality and it took an hour of messing with height to get a nice output. Had to use wood screws to mount under guard cuz the holes in the bobbin are to wallered out for the screws from the pickguard mount setup. It's really sweet and warm and very very clear on the high strings if a little weak still.
Bridge pup is new to me. It's the fender pure vintage 58 that came in some American vintage, the Baja 60s, and was for a time sold as a set but i can't find them. I didn't measure it but it's mid 6 k and a5. The magnets are unbeveled and all raised a bit above the flat, and the d and g are even higher.
It's twangy and clear and loud! Nice snappy sound with a surprising warmth. It feels like the output of a Duncan broadcaster but less nasal mids like stl-1.
The middle position is pretty well volume balanced between the two and changing picking location varies the tone nicely.
I might find an a5 neck pickup to get some clarity back on low strings there. Gonna keep playing with it but not bad as I scored this set for only $70 and it is very very good, this bridge pickup was a great choice, I thought a long time about what I wanted from tele bridge position and get a set with that pickup.

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[SAguitar]

Re: NGD: Player Series Telecaster

Congratulations, Fuse! Everyone needs a nice Tele in their arsenal, and I'm glad you found one.