Experience with Temu/Aliexpress Guitars?

[Masta' C]

Well, the Tom Delonge Strat-a-copy arrived from Temu today and honestly? I dig it!

Out of the box, I'd rate it a solid 7/10. The plastic nut is garbage, the frets desperately need a polish, the stock strings feel like they were borrowed from a toy guitar, and the electronics are rather cheap, but that is pretty much to be expected.

However, it's quite nicely finished, balances very well on the strap, is moderately resonant, and sounds pretty dang decent plugged in. The bones are actually pretty great...body, neck, etc. I don't know if the fretboard is real rosewood, but it's a wonderfully dark reddish-brown wood with a nice, tight grain. It looks and feels rather premium! Plus, the tuners seem to hold tune fairly well.

I feel like the neck profile is a touch thicker than most modern Fender "C" necks I've played, but it's certainly close. It might feel closer in hand once I replace the nut and adjust the action down a bit. As of now, there's no concerning fret buzz or dead spots that I can find, but we'll see what happens after a proper adjustment.

Without any mods, I'd say it compares well with stock guitars in the $300-400 range. Kind of feels like a Mitchell from Guitar Center or an entry level Jackson, to be honest...maybe a mid-level Squier. However, with new wiring, a new nut, some minor fret polishing, a fresh set of strings, and an adjustment, I have a feeling this thing will play as good as any stock TD Strat at 4-5X the price!

As a reminder, I paid $225 shipped for this, but I also got $200 credit back to put straight toward another purchase...crazy stuff!

Here are some pics straight out of the package...

 

[uOpt]

That guitar would totally stand on its own even without the logo and serial number.

 

[ehdwuld]

That looks beautiful
Love the seafoam

Bit of a single volume, single pickup, hardtail like the one @Rex_Rocker just ordered

How thick is the body?

 

[Chistopher]

If they spent as much effort on the rest of the guitar as they did trying to dupe the decals, that would be a better guitar than a real one.

 

[Masta' C]

That looks beautiful
Love the seafoam

Bit of a single volume, single pickup, hardtail like the one @Rex_Rocker just ordered

How thick is the body?

Standard thickness, about 1.75"

 

[ehdwuld]

Did you pull the pickguard to check the route?

I still ain't done that with my new acquisitions

Online images for mine say one is SSS route for the IYV and HSH for the Fesley

 

[Masta' C]

That guitar would totally stand on its own even without the logo and serial number.

There is a trend where many of the newer guitars on Temu/Aliexpress are shipping without logos and serials. Of course, you can find plenty with, but a lot of shops are starting to exclude them, not just cover them up to try and pass customs inspection.

Oddly enough, the serial number on this one comes back as:

JIM ROOT TELECASTER WHT

03/2014

 

[Masta' C]

Did you pull the pickguard to check the route?

I still ain't done that with my new acquisitions

Online images for mine say one is SSS route for the IYV and HSH for the Fesley

Not yet. I'll pull it apart this week and take some pics.

I know it could benefit from a better pot and jack and I'd like to check out the pickup, also, but definitely curious what things look like "under the hood"!

 

[Chistopher]

There is a trend where many of the newer guitars on Temu/Aliexpress are shipping without logos and serials. Of course, you can find plenty with, but a lot of shops are starting to exclude them, not just cover them up to try and pass customs inspection.

Oddly enough, the serial number on this one comes back as:

JIM ROOT TELECASTER WHT

03/2014

They probably all come with that serial number

 

[Top-L]

Nice. The fretboard is probably amaranth. They use it on cheap jacksons and imo it looks better than alternative woods, even rosewood sometimes.

It might be semi manufactured or dyed to look that way. Check your fingertips after playing.

This quality level looks like it was made in same factory as other name brand entry level guitars, but you aren't paying premium for marketing, etc.

Only thing that would irk me long term is the fret ends. They chop them steep but don't do any shaping. There really isn't a way to shape them when they cut them like that. But that is no different than real Fender/Jacksons from asia.

Its kinda a bummer its a clone, but at this point real Fender quality is so bad I feel like they deserve it.

 

[Masta' C]

...Only thing that would irk me long term is the fret ends. They chop them steep but don't do any shaping. There really isn't a way to shape them when they cut them like that. But that is no different than real Fender/Jacksons from asia.

Agreed. I actually feel the same about Warmoth necks and the way they leave their fret ends chopped and sharp. Drives me nuts, especially with larger frets!

The only saving grace here is that there's plenty of space to do a nice rounded fretboard edge and soften the fret ends for more of a "played-in" feel, which I plan to do.

I think my biggest worry is just the quality of the fret material itself. These arrived a bit rough and somewhat tarnished, which makes me wonder if they're on the softer side and might wear quickly.

Your insights about the fretboard are quite plausible. Looking at it more closely, it's definitely not Rosewood. Too dense and fine-grained.

 

[Chistopher]

They are definitely good platforms to learn some of the scarier elements of luthiery

 

[Top-L]

Agreed. I actually feel the same about Warmoth necks and the way they leave their fret ends chopped and sharp. Drives me nuts, especially with larger frets!

The only saving grace here is that there's plenty of space to do a nice rounded fretboard edge and soften the fret ends for more of a "played-in" feel, which I plan to do.

I think my biggest worry is just the quality of the fret material itself. These arrived a bit rough and somewhat tarnished, which makes me wonder if they're on the softer side and might wear quickly.

Your insights about the fretboard are quite plausible. Looking at it more closely, it's definitely not Rosewood. Too dense and fine-grained.

What is the total weight?

I got a cheapo Jackson that is sub 6lbs, even with a Floyd. It is supposed to be Poplar, but who knows? It is so light that the tone is compromised. It is incredibly resonant, be we all know that doesn't mean what most people think it does.

Your guitar looks great. There seem to be two ways you can go with it. 1) If it sounds good and is made with "credible" body wood, refret it and enjoy it long term 2) Use it as a nice looking backup that will probably never be played.

 

[Masta' C]

This one measures 6 lbs 13 oz or ~3.1 kg

Feels light on the strap, but not feather light. I think if the body was any lighter, it would definitely neck dive, but as it is, it's surprisingly balanced.

I generally prefer guitars close to or just under 7 lbs, so this one is spot on!

 

[JMP/HBE]

I have to take the Indo / China stuff case by case. Some has been great, some not so much.

 

[idsnowdog]

I have used their parts often. A mixed bag, no worse than eBay. Temu has a minimum order of $20 for shipping, and they use random pricing plus discounts. So, it's a game where they offer discounts that force you to order more just to get a qualifying order. So, potentially you can get more for your money with Temu, but you have to buy a bunch of filler to get a qualifying order. However, with their random pricing, you can find the same thing cheaper; you just need to wade through a lot of crap to find it.