Fender Friday got me

Talk about all other types of guitars. Jazzmasters and basses go here!

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jeff
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Fender Friday got me

Post by jeff »

The temptation was too great and I caved in. Classic Player Thinline Telecaster Deluxe for $499. I've really wanted a thinline tele, and at that price I'd be hard pressed to find a used one. Darn you, internet, for feeding my addiction.

Here is the full list if anyone is interested. I think I got the last CP thinline.

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe
walmunt - $499.99 - item # 511141
regular web price: $899.99

Fender American Standard Telecaster
candy cola (maple neck) -- 699.99 -- item # 515750
regular web price: $1,199.99 - $1,349.99

Fender Jim Root Artist Series Telecaster
back - $699.99 -- item # 514652
regular web price: $1,199.99

Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster
sunburst $499.99 - item # 512767
regular web price: $1,109.99

Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe
black - $499.99 -- item # 501918
regular web price: $939.99

Fender Deluxe Lonestar Stratocaster
3 tone sunburst $499.99 -- item # 515526
regular web price: $699.99

Fender Deluxe Series Nashville Telecaster
candy apple red (maple neck) $399.99 -- item # 510067
regular web price: $739.99 - $789.99

Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster
artic white $399.99 -- item # 515525
regular web price: $699.99

Fender Artist Series Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex Stratocaster
olympic white $399.99 -- item # 510057
regular web price: $869.99

Fender Artist Series Mark Knopfler Stratocaster
hot rod red -- $999.99 -- item # 515120
regular web price: $2,019.99

Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS
midnight wine (maple neck) 299.99 -- item # 501160
regular web price: $499.99

Fender Stratocaster XII 12-String
burgundy mist -- $499.99 -- item # 515107
regular web price: $939.99
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izodiak
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Post by izodiak »

A Deluxe Telecaster in walnut for 500$?
where?
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
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jeff
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Post by jeff »

Musician's Friend, telephone only: 866-926-1929.

I feel like a drug pusher now, a little dirty.
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izodiak
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Post by izodiak »

haha..
but thats super duper deal.
is something like this every friday?
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
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BoringPostcards
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Post by BoringPostcards »

Yea that's a great price. I too have always wanted a thinline telecaster. The f-hole and pickguard style really enhances the otherwise plain look of a Telecaster. I like regular teles too though.
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izodiak
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Post by izodiak »

Its just a great guitar design.
hope to get one soon.
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
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Post by damienblair17 »

kinda want the Jim root tele. Not so much because i'm a fan of SLIPKNOT MOTHER FUCKER, but because I like teles and EMGs, so why not both at once?


Edit: Also lol at autoformat.
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dots
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Post by dots »

tele deluxe is tempting!!





remember, if you buy anything from musician's friend, click on the link at the bottom of the forum first as your purchase will help pay for site costs. =]
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Post by gaybear »

dots wrote:tele deluxe is tempting!!





remember, if you buy anything from musician's friend, click on the link at the bottom of the forum first as your purchase will help pay for site costs. =]

good point!
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Post by jeff »

It's here!

Image

I haven't been able to plug it into an amp yet but my first impression is that it looks amazing and sounds great unplugged. The neck tint is much darker than in the pictures I'd seen, which is a good thing. And the neck seems thinner than on the '72 reissues I've played, which also suits my taste.

The build quality is very good overall, with a couple of small quibbles. The neck joint is rock solid, and the factory set up is quite good with the intonation only off a hair on 2 or 3 strings. Not bad at all. I'd seen some complaints about the F tuners used on these, but they seem like a big step up from those on my CIJ '65 Mustang.

There is a tiny ding on the back of the neck on the treble side behind the first fret. Normally a ding on the back of the neck would be a dealbreaker for me, but this is tiny and in a place where it won't be noticed. Also, the screws on the bridge pickup don't line up very well with the top 3 strings. I'm reserving judgment until I can plug it in and leaving the plastic on just in case.

Anybody else had a chance to play one of these yet?
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Thom
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Post by Thom »

Looks great. Seriously nice guitar, glad youre happy with it.
Get it plugged in and let us know how it really sounds!
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Post by serfx »

dots wrote:remember, if you buy anything from musician's friend, click on the link at the bottom of the forum first as your purchase will help pay for site costs. =]
that is the first tiem i have ever actually seen that MF banner down there... WEIRDNESS!

wait a minute.. so buying dwarfcraft from MF (if it happens) can help shortscale two-fold?
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Post by jeff »

I think I'm in love. Exactly the sound that I've been looking for. The bridge pickup has a good twang to it, and the neck almost sounds like a piano. Closer to my Ric than any Fender I've played, and maybe even better.

But I think my Mustang is not taking it well. After playing the thinline for a while, I picked up the mustang for the sake of comparison, and while I was tuning it up the plastic button broke off from the tuner on the high E string. Wonderful.
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Post by BoringPostcards »

sexy. I played a sunburst one the other day and if I had the money I would have snagged it right then and there, because it was amazing. Definitely gonna pick one up sooner or later. I played it through a princeton reverb and it was really nice. The wide ranges sounded really good.
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Post by Bacchus »

I thought that was a list of guitars you owned. I was going to ask you about the Jim Root tele.

Never mind.
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jeff
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Post by jeff »

No, that was the Fender Friday call-in special from Musician's Friend last week. Try calling them tomorrow morning and they might have that model again.
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Post by izodiak »

Looks like a very nice guitar.
(review!!1)
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Post by jeff »

I'll do a review tomorrow and take some better pictures. I'm already starting to think about a couple of mods (500k pots, almost definitely) but I want to take the time to set it up properly and play through an amp at a decent volume before I make any hasty decisions.
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Post by Pacafeliz »

oh good lord that's one of the hottest guitars i've EVER seen!!!!!!!!! whoa wow

damn if i ever sell my '78 deluxe i'll DEFINITELY get one of these!!!

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Post by jeff »

Now that I've spent some more time with it, I'm sure of two things. It's definitely a keeper, and it's going to take a little bit of effort to get it set up and sounding its best.

First off, the neck is really perfect. It looks good, it's substantial without being too fat for my smallish hands, and the frets are finished well with no sharp edges. I could play it all day. The finish doesn't have any obvious flaws, and the black body looks awesome with the parchment pickguard.

The factory setup wasn't quite as perfect. I was concerned initially that the bridge pole pieces didn't line up well with the strings, but after playing it I don't think it makes any difference. It might on the original wide rangers, when the pole pieces were actually magnets machined into screws. But the volume is well balanced across the strings, so I think it's fine.

The pickups were initially much closer to the strings on the treble side, especially the bridge pickup, but I've evened it out now. Fender recommends 4/64" distance between the pole pieces and the bottom of the strings, but that seems way too close to me. Does anyone with more experience with these pickups have a recommendation?

Since I'm still fiddling with the pickup height, it's a little tough to evaluate the tone. It really seems to have a great range from tele bite to a much smoother bell-like tone in the neck. The neck is smooth without being dark. The range of tones really suits my playing, and all three positions are usable. But, they are lacking in clarity a little bit--there's not as much definition between strings as I had hoped. The consensus seems to be that these guitars should have shipped with 500k pots, and I agree so far.

Other little things: the switch is okay but not great. There's a tiny crackle when switching. And there was some whitish crud around the edges of the f-hole, but it came off easily with a little rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.

So to get it to really sing, I need to change the pots and possibly the switch, and figure out the right height for the pickups. And put some 10's on it and adjust the intonation. The only real question is whether to do it myself or bring it to my tech.

All in all, if I had paid regular price for this I might be a little disappointed with the factory setup. But for what I paid, I'm quite happy.

A few more pictures:
► Show Spoiler