Best Telecaster

[chad_svt]

I think i have made my decision on what my next guitar is going to be. I want a Fender Telecaster and my question for you guys is, of all the models available, which is your favorite and why? as of right now i am leaning toward the reissue 72 delux. I value you opinions and i think it go a long way to helping me pick just the right guitar.

 

[Rich_T]

my fave is the mexican '72 custom, all black with the oversized neck humbucker. awesome guitar that.

or the japanese ones with binding, they are pretty sweet too.

 

[kmcguitars]

The 72' RI Is a sweet guitar IMHO. I have my Tele setup with
that PuP configuration. The Fender RI humbuckers don't sound as good as the original's IMHO (there a bit muddy) But both PuPs
sound great together. The cool thing about the the deluxe is that
it's a unique looking guitar. Have you tried one out yet?

 

[Curly]

I have an AS tele that's great.

I'm also partial to the G & L ASATs - especially the fat pickup Specials.

 

[Gearjoneser]

I want a G&L Z-3. So many Tele players have jumped from Fender to G&L for a variety of reasons. The bridges are sturdier,
the necks are sweet, and the pickups are better. G&L's stock
pickups are just as good as Duncan IMO. I could get shot for saying that here! LOL Half the time, they ARE Duncans.

I'd get one with a slightly thicker gun oil tinted birdseye maple neck. Those are some of the best necks I've ever played!
Their Teles come with about 4 different types of pickups.
All of them are good. The Z-3 has 3 pickups that look almost
like Jazz Bass pickups called magnetic field pickups, whatever that means. Before Leo died, he said he thought Fender made a mistake by not using some of the pickup designs that eventually made it onto the G&L's.

 

[Curly]

I want a G&L Z-3.

you mean like this one?:

even though they're top loading bridges, they have plenty of sustain

I just find a higher percentage of G & L's with great playability

 

[captain cavman]

I really dig ash bodied teles with mapple neck and a humbucker in the neck pos.

But I'm much too influenced by Keef !

 

[Gearjoneser]

Search the used market for a 70's Tele with very little playwear.
They're out there, and will probably be about $400 more than a
late model Am. Tele. K. Richards would be proud.

 

[Hoss]

G & L's rock!!!!

thick and sturdy...nice necks...i really dig em!!!

 

[rhmcfarland]

MIM

MIM

I got a MIM Tele. Its great because the guitar has tremendous acoustic resonance, a ferrous bridge, and comes with CTS pots. The neck plays well, even with the stock radius. I played it vs. an American version, and found that the MIM was more playable, and just needed good pickups, and brass saddles (which I got from Lew, here on the forum). The list for the MIM was $539, considerably cheaper than the other one. Highly recommended!

 

[Lewguitar]

I think the Custom Shop Nocaster is about as close as you're going to get to going back to 1951 and buying a brand new Tele. Great pickups too!

But I highly recommend the Made In Mexiso Fender James Burton model. They're around $400 new and have jumbo frets, and play and sound just great.

The pickups are very decent....Texas Teles Fender calls them...they are NOT USA made Texas Specials, but they're very good.

We swapped the pickups in my buddy's MIM James Burton for some Fralin Blues Specials and made his guitar even better...a set of Duncan Antiquitys would have also been a great choice.

Anyways, the MIM James Burton is my favorite inexpensive Tele and I think it's a completely professional playing and sounding guitar. I'd like to have one myself!

Lew

 

[Curly]

I really dig ash bodied teles with mapple neck and a humbucker in the neck pos.

But I'm much too influenced by Keef !

then you, sir, would probably like a G & L Bluesboy like this:

'cept maybe in blonde, eh?

 

[Hoss]

that is the exact ASAT i want.......same color and all...:32: :34:


jeez the g.a.s. i've been getting in here lately is becoming close to lethal!!!!!!!! :eyecrazy:

 

[Curly]

I admit I'm partial to the honeybursts, too. IMO, G & L does some of the nicer sunbursts.

I had an ASAT Classic in honeyburst with a maple neck, and cream guard that was one of the nicer looking guitars I've owned.
Unfortunately, as with some of the ash, it was too heavy for me, so I let it go.

 

[Hoss]

i saw that exact guitar in the woodwinds and brasswinds up in south bend indiana a few weeks back...didn't plug it in though...should have!!! it was three times better looking in person than the picture, if you can imagine that!!!

it was solid though...you're right about that!!!

 

[butnut]

A lot of buzz on TFF for the MIM Muddy Waters Tele. Limited color choice but a lot seem to love it. I actually bought a Burton neck from Ebay...I wanted a fattie, but the seller later told me about a small carck. I got a Warmoth boat neck with jumbo frets instead...it's not a baseball bat...it's a LOG! And I am digging it. As with any guitar, gotta play 'em all and get the one that speaks to you.

 

[Jonny R]

Ooohh that Bluesboy looks awesome

I have a MIM Deluxe Nashville Tele

It's a 3 single coil pickup tele, which I have Duncans Vintage Stacks in, with custom switching to allow both strat and tele pickup combinations.

Only Tele I have experience with, and it's really nice. I also play a G&L Legacy, and I'd have to say if you can find a Bluesboy of similar G&L at a good price get that.

 

[That90'sGuy]

That's almost EXACTLY the look I want. Clear orange finish, except with a vintage maple neck, aluminum pickgaurd and grey competition stripe.

 

[Jonny R]

Wow

 

[Curly]

I think the cream guard is perfect with that orange finish

and yeah, the gun oil rubbed necks are awesome. Those are unique to G & L, as far as I know.