best tele for the $$$

[elms2988]

I'm thinking about buying my first telecaster, I play mostly rock/alt rock stuff, looking for some U2ish shimmery kind of sounds but with enough versatility to be used for clean chords and some heavy-ish rhythm. I have *about* $500 to spend. I've looked at the Nashville Tele and some of the other standard MIMs. What are you guys' opinions?

 

[Kac]

Re: best tele for the $$$

I think you're on the right track. What I did for my first tele was buy a used squier, then, new neck, new bridge, new pickups.... So I'm gonna be spending about $500 and still not have as good as a body wood as MIM Fenders, so I basicly suggest you don't do what I did...

Rock On ~ Kac

 

[Scott_F]

Re: best tele for the $$$

The MIM stuff is pretty good quality. A lot of folks like to changte out the pups and switches, but I think they are good values.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: best tele for the $$$

If you can squeeze another $300 into your budget and are patient, for $800 I sometimes see the made in USA Fender '52 Telecaster used on Ebay. Have to look everyday and be patient though. One real big plus with that guitar is that you can resell it easily for what you paid for it. In any case, your money will go further buying USED...not new. Some of the 80's Made In Japan Fender Teles are really worth looking into too. And if you can find an 80's Fender MIJ Squire Tele those can be had for as little as $300 sometimes. They're top loaders but an excellant guitar none the less. Lew

 

[elms2988]

Re: best tele for the $$$

thanks guys. any feelings on the ash body vs. alder (or whatever the standard is)? I looked at the lite ash tele standard with duncan alnico 2 pickups, MIK i think. I've heard both good and bad things about MIK guitars, any thoughts?

 

[WhoFan]

Re: best tele for the $$$

The MIM Nashville Tele is a good guitar for the buck! That tele and the JV strat are the 2 best guitars coming out of the Mexico plant... The Nashville tele has the middle pickup plus nicer larger frets then the MIM Standard....

I only own a MIM Standard tele and i like it a lot... nice for the bucks i paid used....

 

[flank]

Re: best tele for the $$$

my MIJ 80s Tele (62 reissue) is an amazing guitar. I'd easily take it over any MIA tele nowadays. coolest guitar i've ever played, i got lucky to find it

 

[ErikH]

Re: best tele for the $$$

If you can swing a little more $$$, check out the Highway 1 Tele as well. For the current going price ($629 is what I've been seeing), you can't go wrong. I'm considering one myself rather than building right now. I've played one and they are really nice. Super resonant too. MIA body and neck, MIM electronics and hardware.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: best tele for the $$$

thanks guys. any feelings on the ash body vs. alder (or whatever the standard is)? I looked at the lite ash tele standard with duncan alnico 2 pickups, MIK i think. I've heard both good and bad things about MIK guitars, any thoughts?

I like alder or swamp ash. I wouldn't go for one with heavy Northern White ash...lightweight Swamp Ash sounds better...more resonant, not so bright and not so heavy. Alot of alder, IMO, is brighter and heavier than most light weight swamp ash but not as heavy as most Northern White Ash. My Tele Custom that I keep set up with high action and which is my slide guitar is alder...it's brighter and just a little heavier than any of my swamp ash Teles, including my old '54. But if you find a guitar that really turns you on, don't even worry about what it's made of...just play it. :laugh2: Lew

 

[Imp]

Re: best tele for the $$$

my MIJ 80s Tele (62 reissue) is an amazing guitar. I'd easily take it over any MIA tele nowadays. coolest guitar i've ever played, i got lucky to find it

bang on! MIJ fender all the way! a used early one (1980-1993 or so) will run circles around a new MIM tele, and it'll be about the same price as a used MIM example

tom

 

[elms2988]

Re: best tele for the $$$

what specifically do ya'll like about the MIJ '62 reissues? These seem to be well within my price range, but i probably wont get a chance to play one before i buy it (since itll probably be from the 'Bay) How's the action, sound, electronics, etc. compared to a newer mim standard?

 

[Imp]

Re: best tele for the $$$

the pickups in the new '62 RI didn't impress me at all tbh.. i preferred the aerodyne tele's sounds!

the '62 tele is a great no-frills, high quality tele.. perfect for a set of duncans

nice neck (the MIM ones always felt a bit 'mass produced' to me, i dunno how to describe it, but i can tell without looking..), and from my experience at least the MIJ fenders use nicer wood for the bodies (2/3 peice bodies, and no veneers!)

as for action, it all depends on the peice in particular.. just remember the associated risk with buying sight unseen

tom
tom

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: best tele for the $$$

Check out the Fender "Lite" tele's. Natural finished ash body, birds eye maple neck and SD pickups standard. I think they are right around $600. IMO, this or the Hwy 1 tele are the best bang for the buck.

 

[bloodswords]

Re: best tele for the $$$

If you can swing a little more $$$, check out the Highway 1 Tele as well. For the current going price ($629 is what I've been seeing), you can't go wrong. I'm considering one myself rather than building right now. I've played one and they are really nice. Super resonant too. MIA body and neck, MIM electronics and hardware.

+1 for the Highway1 tele, IMO a no frills tele which everyone should check out.

i've played some of the Jap teles, they have above-average playability & tone but the overall weight of the guitars is a little 'wrong'.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: best tele for the $$$

i say go for the nashville

i picked my sunburst one up for $550 and love it. The neck pickup is...fantastic, the middle, eh, actually i don't care for it & will replace it one day, and the bridge is good, i prefer the hot rail i have in there now but the stock one was still really good

plus by the sound of things you're wanting a rosewood fretboard & not all teles come with those

 

[Falstaff]

Re: best tele for the $$$

I would try to find a used MIJ/CIJ Tele (Crafted in Japan is just a different way of saying MIJ). The newer Japanese Teles are usually referred to as CIJ and are of excellent quality, so there's no need (IMHO) to look for an older one. But the older one are excellent, too. The CIJ '62s have an amazingly nice neck.

Another option would be to find a Tokai. I have an older Tokai 62 clone and it hangs with any other Tele I have had. Those can be had for $400 or so if you can find 'em.

Good luck!

If you want to spend more, I would order a *new* Tele from Japan before I would buy any of the MIA ones other than custom shop. YMMV, of course.

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: best tele for the $$$

I'd save a little more cash and look at used MIAs as well as the MIJs. I've heard great things about the Highway one stuff but also that the finish/paint chips very easily which would be a turn off for me.

 

[DesertRose]

Re: best tele for the $$$

The older guitars looks more responsive.
I would too invest in one old Fender, selling at my local store for like .. emm anyway ever thought of the thinline 72' ?
I thought its something worth getting, abit costly though

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: best tele for the $$$

These sound and play great for the money - more Coldplay than U2.

Fender 72 Telecaster Thinline Electric Guitar (Maple)
$690
shipping The ’72 Telecaster Thinline features a warmer and rounder semi-hollow Ash body, a C-shaped Maple neck, bullet truss rod, ’70s vintage hardtail strings-through Strat bridge, 3-bolt neckplate and 2 Wide Range humbucking pickups.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: best tele for the $$$

Just get a good MIM tele and mod the living hell out of it.