Educate me

[moga]

I am trying to get fender telecaster, and while researching it I lost.


There are more than 10 different kind.

master built (many masters!!!)
vintage.
classic
diamond.
deleuxe, standard(which I got it)
60, 70, 80
and now got more confused with relic..
custom built
closet (??)
reissues..and so on.

I went to fender forum and I got all mixed up again~..

help me~
I am ready to listen~

[terrapin]

It basically boils down to the fact that they are all the same guitar with their own unique "bells and whistles". Different body and neck woods, different pickups, different finishes. The Telecaster is about as basic as an electric guitar gets, and IMO that is a major reason that they are so user friendly and versatile. In trying to decide which to buy the decision becomes one of which "bells and whistles" do you want and are willing to pay for. Being a person who does not have alot of love for contemporary Fender pickups I would (and have) tend to go with a basic American Standard and modify the electronics and pickups to suit my taste. You can also get GREAT deals on the Made In Mexico models and the Squier series, but it becomes more important to hand-pick as you are losing some of the consistency offered by the Made in America models. It is also VERY important to know what shape neck works for you. Fret size is also a major consideration for me.

The minor things like body wood choice (ash, alder, pine), finish (nitro vs. poly) are best left to those willing to pay more for minimal return or the "Cork Sniffers"....................

Personal Opinion-DON'T blow money on a Custom-Shop! That extra $ buys you very little but bragging rights.

[oldmanonthebike]

A lot more than 10 !! And with due respect to Russ, the Custom Shop makes some fantastic Telecasters. I would say you need to determine how much your willing to spend and needs you have in a Tele. ( I like bells and whistles )
I'm guessing your going to want something nice. The Crafted in Japan Teles are nice but their prices are right there with the USA made guitars. Custom Shop Teles in fine condition can start a little over a grand and go sky high.
I have found both USA standard models and Custom Shop guitars from the
90s to have good prices and high quality. If anybody has any experience with Teles of other makers ( King Bee, Nash, ect...) it would be cool to see what they think.

Good luck with your search and don't leave us hang'n, Post some pictures when you've pulled the trigger.

I've decided to keep and play mine. After the first ding she's a keeper anyway.

[Dru Edwards]

Hi Moga, just so you know you're not the only one that gets confused with all the models. It's not just Fender Strats ... Gibson Les Pauls too.

What's your budget? That will help point towards some models.

Also, are you looking for 3 single coils or do you want a humbucker? (I'm assuming single coils).

EDIT: Sorry, I initially thought this was about a Strat. Still, my comments apply except for the 3 single coils.

[terrapin]

No implication that Custom Shop guitars aren't nice............just not worth the money IMO.

[Paully]

Be sure to check out the Squier Classic Vibe Tele.
It's a big bang for the buck and if you decide that the Tele is your thing you can upgrade then.

[moga]

Thanks guys for comments and recomendations.

My range is 2k max. I will use it through t-rex magnus.

I jst dont want to invest the same thing more than twice..

I played some tele at local stores . i kinda like deluxe version ash body..
But other ones were great too..

Jst need more time to test and research..

And guess what jst found there is thin body tele ..argg..and some tele with bigsby(?)..

Darn..resaerch started again..

[Bob Womack]

I just went through this and wrote up my results. I settled on an American Standard. You can read them HERE.



Bob

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I just went through this and wrote up my results. I settled on an American Standard. You can read them HERE.



Bob

OP, I would agree that the American Standards are great guitars, I have frequently regretted trading mine, and it is a lot of guitar for the money.

If you go used, you can get one in the $800 range. If you decide you want to squeeze everything you can out of $2000, I suggest you look at used Tom Anderson, Suhr, etc over a Custom Shop.

[Tadpole]

That was a useful and interesting review. Congrats on the great find!

[HHP]

Get the one that plugs into an amp. You should be fine.

[moga]

Thanks very good resource..

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by moga

I went to fender forum and I got all mixed up again~..

help me~
I am ready to listen~

Nothing against the Fender forum, but tdpri.com is the Telecaster place and one of the best guitar forums in existence if not the best.

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by HHP

Get the one that plugs into an amp. You should be fine.

If there was a Like button on AGF like Facebook I would hit it for this! A bit overstated, but Good humor!

[EoE]

ok im lost. 2k for a tele when a 600 dollar Ibanez is a better instrument. I had no idea people actually paid that much for those .