Fender American Telecaster Ash [2003-2007]

Bought new from Musician's Friend online in 2002 for $799. Came with a hardshell case.

Telecasters are built like tanks and have a unique sound all to themselves. They are simple to operate and don't have a lot of features. Controls are limited to a tone control, a volume control, and a 3-position pickup switch -- that's it. Since it's built like a tank and has a bolt-on neck -- you don't feel guilty about getting down and getting rough with it. If you break the neck -- get a new one and bolt that puppy on! If you want to customize it to your tastes -- go ahead -- it's hard to screw one up and if you do -- you can fix it somehow.

The tone is unique. It's not a heavy metal axe really. However, if you're into producing vintage guitar tones -- you have to have a telecaster in your arsenal somewhere. In spite of it's unique sound, you can get Blues, Country, classic Rock, even Jazz out of it!

The American Telecaster model has the six-saddle bridge and medium-jumbo frets. The fretboard is wide at the nut, so you can play a B7 chord without a lot of fumbling. This isn't true with the Mexican made Tele's (which by the way are great too) -- that have the more traditional smaller frets and seem to have narrower fretboards at the nut.

NO TREMOLO BAR! So you have to do it all "with your hands" and your playing style -- which is cool anyway.

Nothing. Wish it was a different color (this one is Ocean Turquois) -- but I'll probaly strip it down and paint it surf green one day anyway.

Construction is Good. Any tele has a few flaws -- but those only add to the character of the tele. I can see where the wood was joined under the finish on the back of the guitar if I look closely -- but that's about it for flaws. I did a side-by-side comparison of this American Tele with a Mexican Strat that I also own and the tuners seem to be MUCH improved on the American Tele. The Mexican Strat's tuners are a little loose. The frets on the Tele are well finished, while the Strat frets need some work. This is not a scientific comparison -- but it's what I've observed with my own guitars.

Great guitar. Every serious guitar player should own one at some point because it produces a wide range of tones that are hard to reproduce on any other guitar. I would also rate it high as a beginning guitar -- due to it's simplicity and construction.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought the tele from an established shop in St.Paul Minn. It the American made in the natual finish, maple neck.
I have always liked tele's and was looking for a good, rock solid simply guitar.
I paid 799.00

I love the tone and the the live feel - the way the entire guitar vibrates and enhances the sounds it produces. The neck is great! It is a very comfortable, versatile guitar.

The truss rod was so loose that it buzzed. Not hard to correct but it should have been caught at the store. Also, the strings were very used on it and it didn't stay in tune that well.
I had a bit of an argument with the store as to who should do the set up, me or them.
They did the set up at their expense - intonation, neck adjustment, with a string change from 9's to 10's and it is great now!!
Wish the quality control at Fender and the store would have caught the obvious problems ahead of time and saved me a hassel.
I don't think the customer should have to do the quality control on item like this.

The guitar is beautiful and seems to be of high quality. Love the finish.
Sounds great and is very easy to play now that the set up is right.


Would buy a tele again - they're super.
I have heard a lot of negatives about Fender's quality control and I guess I would have to agree. Too bad. The design and sound of the tele is so great, it's too bad the consistency in checking them over isn't very good.
>Take time to check it over at the store and don't take it if it isn't right.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

When I think of great singing classic singing sustain from a ash wood body guitar I generally think of a Fender Telecaster. They have such a great unique organic voicing that really caters towards the clean and medium gain tight guitar player. They're not aggressive guitar but their necks are very slim which lends them to be a good solo in lead type guitar which in turn is why many country players for for these guitars over others.


This guitar is a simple guitar in its entire makeup. It has to single coil pickups which are very good because in my opinion Fender guitar pick ups are pretty lousy. You have a volume control knob and a tone control knob as well as a pick up selector. There's not a whole lot of features and not a whole lot of extra stuff on this guitar. It's a basic slimmed-down just rock instruments.

UTILIZATION


Neck Shape: Modern "C" Shape
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Position Inlays: Black Dot Position Inlays
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" (24.1 cm)
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Gloss Headstock Face with Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck
Nut Width: 1.685" (42.8 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Neck Plate with Micro-Tilt
Truss Rods: Bi-Flex Truss Rod System
Truss Rod Nut: 1/8" American Series Nut
Electronics
Pickup Configuration: S/S
Bridge Pickup: American Tele Single-Coil Pickup
Neck Pickup: American Tele Single-Coil Pickup
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Special Electronics: No-Load Tone Control
Controls: Master Volume, Master Delta Tone
Hardware
Hardware: Chrome
Bridge: American Tele with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles and Stamped Brass Plate
String Nut: Synthetic Bone
Switch Tip: "Barrel" Style Switch Tip

SOUNDS


I love the tone of the Fender Telecaster primarily with the medium gain or clean amplifier. My perfect set up with these guitars has to be a good old Fender Bassman or a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amplifier. Something has a vintage voice that I can throw a good overdrive pedal in front of and maybe a analog or digital chorus or delay pedal in front of as well. It has a great voicing for that Thai style of operation and rig set up.

OVERALL OPINION


You can find these guitars anywhere you look for musical instruments. Pretty much any retailer will carry a Fender Telecaster guitar of some kind. Just depending on which reissue style or which style of neck or paint job you prefer will depend upon where you buy it. You can find them online and they're very easily to be found in the using classified sections. These are great guitar for the money and because they are American built and you know they're going to feel good and sound right.