All user reviews for the Fender FSR Standard Telecaster Silverburst

Primarily a singer, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years, been in a band (drummer!), and have continued to record and play with other musicians on a non-professional basis. My styles range from folk to hard rock, with heavy power-pop leanings -- Big Star, not Green Day.

As part of helping my friend shop for her first electric guitar, I played two different copies of this, Fender's $370 Mexican-made Telecaster, at Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd. and Sam Ash on Crescent Heights in L.A., for about an hour at each location.

The two guitars I played varied wildly. The Guitar Center Telecaster was lively, complex-sounding, and responsive, with especially impressive left-hand feel, given that I usually play Gibsons exclusively. The Sam Ash Telecaster felt dead, heavy, and gave a caterwauling sound I detested. And I was testing on identical Fender Frontman amps.

The inconsistency in sound and feel between the two guitars is enough to make me suspicious. It certainly would be a risky proposition to buy this model on the web, without actually testing it in person. The Sam Ash Telecaster felt as bad as my first electric, a Squier Stratocaster that started falling apart about six months after I'd first bought it.

The aesthetics, woods, finish and hardware on both Telecasters were all right. The Sam Ash Telecaster, again, felt like dead weight, but the Guitar Center one was very comfortable. So again, quality seems to vary wildly in this range.

I love the Telecaster sound; it's nearly impossible to get that tone without actually playing a Telecaster. So I took my friend's shopping trip as an opportunity to try out the Telecaster extensively. As it turned out, if I didn't already have several guitars and had the money, I would've picked up with Guitar Center Telecaster without hesitation, while the Sam Ash Telecaster was uninviting to play, uninspiring, and reinforced my reservations about lower-end Fenders. My advice would be to never buy a Mexican Fender Telecaster without playing it. Don't buy off the web or eBay; go to a store and try as many as you can. You can probably talk store prices down to web prices, and you'll be much more comfortable in knowing what you're paying for.

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

I got this guitar as a backup for alternate tunings. I purchased it at Guitar Center for $300...it was a pre-christmas sale.

Well, first and foremost is the sound. While it is much more mellow than a Strat, it can definitely hold it's own on stage and recordings. It has the classic Tele twang. I actually am beginning to like this more than my Les Paul, which was 4x as much money. Another thing that I like about this guitar, is that not many people have them. It seems like everyone and their mother has a Strat, so this is a nice change.

Well my main comlaint about this guitar is the hardware. It has problems that the American series just doesn't have. The input jack is really loose, so the chord constantly falls out. Also, the tuners are horrible. I replaced mine with locking tuners immediately.

Like I said in the last paragraph, the hardware is sub par. I expected a bit more from Fender, but then again, it is just the standard series. Other than that, good looking finishes, GREAT necks...I am in love with the satin maple neck.

This is overall a great guitar. I love the bright, but mellow tone, the finishes are beautiful, and the price is definitely right. Do yourself a favor and but this guitar, you won't be dissapointed.

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

I picked this up at a local Guitar Center in late 2003. It had a small scratch on the side, dropping the price to 300 dollars.

I love the feel of telecasters. People say it's a country guitar, but it can be used for almost any style of music. I rock out with Led Zeppelin tunes, and I play a lot of Allman Brothers tunes on this baby. I love the maple neck, because it is fast. The neck pick up has that muddy sound great for playing blues. If you crank up the overdrive and put it on the neck pick up, it has a great Zeppelin tone. I also like the look of the guitar. I can see myself in the finish! It sounds and plays great.

It could be a little lighter. It also picks up a little too much noise when next to other electronics. I guess that's what i get for using single coils, but it could still be better. I would also like the neck to be set, but for the price... whatever.

Overall, the finish and construction of this unit is great. Like I said, I would prefer a set neck, but it is fine. It is also very thick and heavy, although I prefer something lighter, I guess it gives it a good tone. I like the neck construction and the headstock, as I've always liked all the tuners facing me.

If you play slow, muddy blues or raging Zeppelin music, I would reccomend you pick this baby up. I would suggest going for something with a set neck though, like the American series.

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

I'm very happy with guitar, it cost $500 CND and I bought it from L&M music here in Saskatoon Canada. The guitar its self is a good guitar, it takes a little breaking in.

when it comes to the sound, the bridge pickup is definetly the stronger sounding one, with alot of twang and punch, being played through a good amp such as a Vox it sounds awesome and sublime. The guitar feels lovely when playing the neck is perfectly shaped, it retains most of its width throughout the entire length. The Lower frets are a little wide, but it just takes adaptation.

The neck pickup is a different story, it has a more mellow sounding tone, that has less volume and in my opinion is weaker. The sustain is also a little lacking, older Telecasters had brass saddles, which probably give them more sustain, if it was just a little beefier and more loud with the neck pickup, it would warrant 5 stars.
The only other problem is the neck, the maple neck feels lovely on the hands and you can really make it play wonderfully. The only problem is that maple is a fairly soft wood, so the neck dents easily. Be careful with it.

The neck is solid maple with a rosewood skunk strip down the center of the back of the neck, the body is alder, and painted agave blue with a white pickguard. This guitar is a heavy thing, its body is very thick and it definetly has the appeal that the original telecasters had with its boxy feel and apperance. The construction is solid, and it definetly feels like a gun sometimes considering how heavy it is.

This is a good guitar and definetly worth the price. I think it depends on the music you play. I myself play stuff similar to the Smashing Pumpkins, June of 44, Sonic Youth, Big Black, and others. And while it can handle a fair number of their songs, it cant master many of them. Im personally up for changing my pickups when finances allow. But if you like to play blues, classic rock, punk or country, this guitar is for you.

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

I bought this guitar at a local Guitar Center.
I paid $200 for it brand new.

I love the appearance.

Mirror pickguard over a jet black finish...ominous.

Sound: Nothing compares to the original Tele...

Punchy rythms, searing lead tones, all kinds of textures.

I am still looking for something.

Construction is tops.

For those looking for a "budget Tele," this is the one!

I challenge anyone to find that much difference in quality between this and a Fender Standard Tele!

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

I was looking for a versatile, quality blues guitar that wouldn't put me into total bankruptcy. The tele was an obvious choice. I purchased it at music-go-round for $250.

I love the overall feel of it. The maple neck is smooth, no flaws whatsoever. The action is really low, but there's no dead spots, the guitar just feels right. The neck pick-up is perfect for laid-back blues or jazz. The bridge pick-up however, just screams, great for searing leads. The middle position provides a happy medium that I use a lot for Pink Floyd types of tone. It's not quite laid-back, but it's not screaming. Just enough bite combined with just enough smoothness makes it a great sounding set.

The ash bodies used for standard teles make them heavier than any guitar i've ever played. The swamp-ash used for american teles is much lighter. The volume and tone knobs' capacitators are tiny in comparison to the 60's tele's. You can roll off the tone like in days of old. Nothing too major though.

As with all tele's, this guitar could be dropped down the stairs (and has been) without major damage. I do not advise anyone to do this, however. It's made like a brick wall. The mexican made guitars used to be thought of as a cheap copy. I'm here to tell you this guitar is a quality instrument.

A fine instrument, if a little hard on the shoulders, quality made by a quality company. It's a great guitar for blues, rock, and even jazz.

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

it is a great tele and you can get it for a low price. i bought mine for 300 dollars at guitar center. i havent had any problems with it so far... i love it, it sounds great and can put out a nice overdrive tone and a nice distortion tone.

i like the color, i got mine in a nice mettalic blue. the sound is great and can go through alot without any damages. it is good for a begginer or an advanced guitar player.

there are only two things that i dont like about this guitar... and they are how the imput jack can get loose sometimes and that you cant use a wammy bar.

it is a great guitar to play and it is awesome looking, fender is a great company and puts out quality shit.

i recommend that you definitely buy this guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Paid $200. guitar store on-line.

To back up my ancient '63 Fender Tele.

It plays beautifuly.

Excelleny buy.

I've this guitar for 3 months now. I was thinking about replacing the pups. But now I've decided to keep the stock pups. Yes, it's a little noisy, but they're not noiser than other vintage single coils. I had also borrowed some Fender noiseless pups to try. But the sound is too sterile for my taste.

With noise-gate running. This guitar records beautifully.

I play mostly original bluesy and jazzy music. I do not use any effects, other than a little reverb on the amps, or try to sounds like somebody else (I know I will never sounds like Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Albert Collins, or Peter Green, no matter how hard I try. So... I just try to sound like myself ). I use it with an old Fender Bassman. A VOX AC-15, a VOX Patherfinder 15R, and a Behringer Ultrabass 300. It sounds beautiful with all these amps.






The jack socket pulls out with the guitar cord easily. But this is a common problem with most teles.

Other than that. No real complain.

It's a Tele. Teles are built to last.

It's beautifully made in Indonesia. Has all the standard Tele's tones and vibes. Fits and finishes are very nice. Better than some real Fender Standard Teles that I've played in local shops.

Action and intonation are just right-on. Except I had to re-intonated, and readjusted it again, after I restrunged it with D'Addario EXL-120+. A step that I do when I switch gauge on the strings on all the guitars that I own. The original Fender strings sux. I also raised the action for slide works.

I play about 2 to 3 hours daily. It stays in tune well. Only have to tune it once a week or so.


I've been playing guitars for about 35 years. Have an original '63 Tele, a '65 P-Bass, a '72 Fender Strat, an old Yamaha FG-350 acoustic, an old Gibson Hummingbird, a chinese Strat clone (by Jay Turser, very inexpensive, but beautiful in built and sound.)

Fender USA better put their acts together. This Squier Standard Tele can at least give a run for the money, for the Fender Standard USA counterparts.

This guitar will suits both amateurs and seasoned pros alike.

I would give it a 5 rating, if not for the jack socket problem.

I give it a 4.5 stars here.


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

I bought my Tele from a local music shop, in mettalic red for about £400, because I needed an upgrade from the £5 Encore I started with.

I like most things about this guitar, the tone has got to be the most likable aspect about it. With just the two standard pickups at the bridge and neck, you can achieve three very different tones, and just by adding a little reverb, you have three more different tones!

I like that unlike the strats, the controls are low enough not to get in the way when strumming.

About the only thing not to like about this amazing instrument is the weight, its not as heavy as a Les Paul, but thats only the Telecasters age showing.

This guitar is built beautifuly! It is so easy to play all the way to the last fret!

Beautiful! easy to play, lovely sound. If you want an nice sounding, easy to play not too exspensive guitar choose this.

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

I bought this guitar at perfect pitch music store to play/practice at home. I paid 300 dollars for this unit.

I bought this guitar because i know that this sounds more of an acoustic guitar and i love playing acoustic, which is true and of course when i'm tired of its clean tone i could still plug in some distortion. I also love the style, ice cream stick/lollipop shape, because i'm looking for a wholesome look for my conservative family unlike those goat-horn-shape guitars by bc rich, lols. It is very easy to use, if you dont like messing up with switches and knobs like me, this is the right guitar for you.

I like almost everything about this guitar, I paid cheap that's why i don't expect much.

I don't like the quality of this guitar, glue spills on fret board, the arm tube has a crack, i taped the plug to prevent more damaged, i taped the the arm coz it hurts my thumb. I like the arm coz it is not varnished, which shows the good quality of the wood.

I wasn't wrong in my expectation about this guitar that's why i dont have any regrets, and I still love its clean tone and its versatility with effects. This guitar can be a good display in your living room because of the vintage look.

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