Fender Telecoustic

Telecaster shaped thinline body, LAMINATED spruce top, 21 fret telecaster neck just like one off an electric guitar, 25 1/2 inch scale, rosewood fingerboard and Fishman Classic 4 Piezo p/u and pre-amp. Pre-amp has Vol. Mid, Treble, bass and Contour controls. Tuners are cheap-ish cast sealed units. Natural finish.

I expected a thin and quiet unplugged sound and a reasonable amplified sound, and that's exactly what I got.

Unplugged the small laminated top and thin body make for a thin, boxy sound, but that's actually pretty good for practice and song writing at home with two small boys asleep upstairs.

Amplified it sounds better than I expected. The small laminated top makes it less prone to feedback than larger guitars (my Yamaha APX for instance) and the Fishman 'tronics do a good job. It will never sound like a well miked-up high-end acoustic guitar, but can you expect it to for this price? I stuff it through a Zoom 504II Acoustic multi-FX unit straight into the PA. This is important as no acoustic will ever sound its best through a regular guitar combo. Played like this it sounds really good, and once embedded in the mix of drums, bass. keys and an electric guitar it sounds brilliant. The guys in the band all agree it sounds better than the Yamaha, plus it looks a lot cooler!

In summary, if you really need a top-notch acoustic sound, then buy a really good acoustic guitar and hire a talented sound engineer. If, like me, you play acoustic on a couple of numbers in a rock band (and can't even afford a talentless sound engineer)and bounce around like a kangaroo with crabs, then this is a great guitar.

The set-up straight out of the box was disappointing, but I adjusted the truss rod and shaved the saddle (it wasn't flat where it should be to contact the pickup) then shimmed it up to give a good action, and now I'm really pleased with it. The action isn't much higher than an electric, plus I use an unwound 3rd and 10 gauge strings to give it an electric feel. There is a little bit of fret tizzle (not as bad as a buzz) but that actually cuts through the mix when playing live and gives it a more "acoustic" sound.

The finish of the top is very nice, and the satin laquered neck is a dream. They've even rolled the fingerboard edges over to give it that played-in feel. The back is plastic, but they've made an effort and given it a rough textured feel, and the binding covers the join tidily enough.

The body binding is a bit sharp-edged, so I'll probably address that some day soon, but other than that it's fine. can't see any problems inside, but then I can't see much of anything inside!

So basically the factory set-up is quite poor, but any music shop worth their salt will set it up for you, so most of the time it shouldn't be an issue. I bought mine mail order, got it very cheap and so I can't really gripe that I had to set it up myself (I probably would have done so anyway, even if I bought it from a regular store). Once set up it plays really, really well. I can't believe all the guys below complaining about it when it seems they either don't know how to set it up or can't be arsed. my rating is for it after it's been set up. Straight out of the box I'd only give it a 4.

The whole shebang seems pretty rugged to me. It stays in tune nicely, it doesn't feel too fragile .... I guess time will tell. I'd be happy to gig without a back-up.

I've dealt with Fender in the UK before, and they're a bit slow but deliver the goods eventually.

By the way, I can't believe the guy below who says the thing's got all these problems, but hasn't bothered to contact Fender to bawl them out. Whatever happened to consumer rights? Give them a hard time about it!

I've been playing for twenty years (with a bit of time off to eat and go to the toilet!). I also own a Fender American Fat Strat Texas Special (what a mouthfull!), Yamaha APX5A Electro-acoustic, Tokai 60s Strat Copy, Yamaha Pacifica 112, Line 6 Flextone II XL, Line 6 Spider 112, Line 6 Floorboard, Zoom 505II, Zoom 504II.

What do I wish I'd asked before buying it? Can I have two,please?

If it was stolen I'd buy two more, then track down the thief and extract the price of my time to set them up again!

I love the fact that it plays almost like a regular electric guitar, I love the sound and I really love the cool looks. I don't hate anything about it.

It has asolid spruce top with white bindings and a plastic back. The neck is maple with 21 frets, a rosewood board adjustible neck anda non adjustible rosewood acoustic type bridge. It looks just like a tele neck. In fact I was told by a Fender man that the neck is actually a tele neck chopped off a little. It was made in Korea between 2002 and 2004. It has a Fishman pickup and a 5 slide control panel (volume, bass, middle, treble, and brilliance). I paid $249.00 for the guitar and $99.00 for the case new.

You can get a lot of sounds out this guitar and none of them are bad. However, only if it is plugged into to an amp or PA. As an acoustic, do not by this for anything but quiet practice. It has very little quality unplugged. I use a Fendure Princton Chorus and somtimes I mike it through a PA with some plate reverb. It sounds very nice through a good clean amp. I add a little more chorus and some delay via pedals and bingo just a nice sweet sound. It can go from nice and fat and chunky to thin and airy to just a brilliant chiming sound. The Fishman is not super high end but has a good parameter of sound. This guitar will even play through a tube screamer but do not turn it up real loud like this. I kid you not. It sounds like a tele this way. It will probably sound good through any overdrive pedal but keep the drive down some. This baby will feedback at real high volumes especially if you are too close to your amp. most electic acoustics do.

I had a major problem with the first one I had but these have lifetime warranties. Fender replaced it with a brand new guitar. On the first one the neck pushed the block back and cracked the sound board. It was bad from the factory. It never played right. The replacement guitar had a bad solder joint on the input. The problem was easy to correct. Also, the second one had a sting buzz at the middle of the neck and was also corrected by the Fender repairman. The fit and finish is actually quite good. Please note that the action on both of these guitars seemed high from the factory. When the truss rod is adjusted the action is nice but not real low like an electric can be. Some people have put shims in these guitars to fix the action problem. It probably isn't neccessary. Putting a shim in might cause slipping in the neck if it is not secured right. My rating is taking into account both guitars

On this first guitar the rating is 1. Ive only had the second on one day. I would gig with the new one.

They replaced my guitar with a new one after 2 and a half years!

I've been playing for 28 years. I own a Fender Princeton Chorus amp, pedals an Epiphone Spotlight and PA equipment. This is a nice sounding guitar. It also is a nice playing guitar when set up right. Maker sure you get a good one. You might have to send a few back. It is worth it. There is nothing out there like it. It really does have the feel and some of the sounds of a Tele. Fender needs to get that neck thing worked out. I suggest they either shim them from the factory, use a thicker neck at the base or put an adjustible bridge on them. Are you listening Fender?

Buy this guitar if you fit in any of the bleow categories:

1. Just stating out.
2. A Songwriter.
3. Want a back-up to practice on.
4. Want a comfortable acoustic that can also do electric.
5. Want something that is unique and may one day be a desirable item for collecting.
6. Love anything related to the Telecaser form.

Don't buy this guitar if:

1. You want afull sounding acoustic.
2. You will only own one guitar.
3. You never settle for second best.
4. You prefer a traditional looking and sounding acoustic.

If you have high expectations when comparing to a tradional acoustic - stop looking now..

If you are looking for a thin body acoustic (as I rate this) then you will be satisfied.

Remeber, you are buying a compromise at a fair price. That said my rating is:

Too soon to tell, but I tend to take very care of my isntruments, so I fully expect a long-term relationaship with this acoustic Tele.

Contrary to popular opinion, I have had great experience with Fender and their Dealer network.

If you know what your buying, you'll be happy. Read above and you will already know where I stand. Fender has offered the Tele lover's thin body acoustic. I am singer/songwriter and it fits the bill PERFECTLY for writing songs and home practice.

Thinline acoustic with spruce top. Manufactured in China 5 slide battery powered volume & EQ. Maple neck with mahogany fretboard.

This is my first acoustic guitar in many years. The acoustic sound is fuller than I expected.

The neck is nice, but the action is so sub-par that it makes the guitar virtually play-proof up past the 10th fret. Fender has dished out some absolute crap over the years and this is just their acoustic version of crap!

The action is so high and due to the neck being mis-aligned this guitar could only be used for live playing if you were going to shoot arrows off of the strings.

No contact.

I have been playing about 30 years. I own 9 other guitars all electric. I have not had a guitar this bad since my father who knew nothing about instruments bought me a no name POS in 1966. If this guitar were stolen I would pity the theif.
I did not compare this guitar before buying, I relied on the Fender brand for some credibility ( Big mistake)

Made 2002. Made in China. Top is solid spruce. Active Fishman preamp and pickup. Neck is maple with rosewood. Tele style.

I gave it an 8 because I was not expecting a dreadnought sound. I knew it would be thinner. But, wanted a thin body guitar. I tried a LOT of them. The Fender by FAR had the best unplugged sound. It beat all of the other thin bodies.

Action was ok. Finish was nice. Not problems in this area at all. No flaws. I do not like the plastic back.

It appears fairly reliable. But, if you gig you may want a back up.

By far the best thin body guitar I have played in this price range. I tried a lot of thin body guitars before buying this one. Ibanez and ovations. The Fender was the best. If you want a thin body, this is the one. Has a great look and good sound for a thin guitar. Good price too.

Year made???? Within the last year. Made in China...to bad. Top is solid spruce. Active Fishman preamp and pickup improves on sound. Body is pre-formed fiberglass. Neck is true, maple with rosewood, style Tele. High gloss red top.

Unpluged the sound was on the treble end of the scale. However, once plugged in the active preamp helped to bring the mids and lows into play. Used it to record a couple of tracks. With the help of a pro sound engineer unit sounded rather good. As for likes and dislikes...that's easy. I liked the neck. That's all.

Factory set-up? If you call stuffing it into a box for shipping set-up, it was great. Overall construction was what one would expect from a China piece of trash. Very poor bracing and top-to-body fit. My guitar was kept in an original fit Fender Telecoustic hard shell case. Never droped or mishandled. I only used light gauge strings. Yet top started seperating from body along lower bout after only 6 months of play.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? I doubt it. Are the strap buttons solid? Upper strap button pulled loose within first two weeks. Would you use it on a gig without a backup? NO WAY?

How long have you been playing? Just a little over 26 years. What do you love about it? The neck. What do you hate? Everything else. Anything you wish it had? Value for the dollar. At $249 I didn't expect to get a top quality guitar. However, I did expect to get a guitar that would out perform some of the entry level junk on the market. Anything else you'd like to share? Yes. If you are considering a Telecoustic........DON'T!!! Based on my experience all you will be getting is an over priced piece of China trash!!!

Unfortunately, China made, 2002. Sunburst, although I would've preferred the natural or the Inca Silver. Fishman electronics, fibreglass body with laminated top, bolt on smooth maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and el cheapo machine heads. I hate peg bridges, they make for difficult string changes. This one feels especially flimsy. Also: very neck heavy. The center of gravity does not make for very comfortable playing. But really, for the price, one cannot complain...

Unplugged: very thin and on the bright side, but i never expected a dreadnought sound from it. Sounds not unlike the Ovations, with the plastic-y twang to it. I'd rate it like about a 2.

Plugged in: the preamp does much to smooth the contour of the sound, adding the mids and a bit of bass to cover the brightness. I expected it to perform with the jangle one would find with a regular acoustic, but unfortunately the plastic factor creeps in. In a full band environment, whether on stage or in the studio, the telecoustic tends to be pushed back in the soundscape, and doesn't have a distinct enough tone to stand out. But maybe that's because I don't have a dedicated acoustic amp. When testing in the shop with a Marshall AS50R acoustic combo, it sounded acceptable, but it does not perform as well with electric amps. So, a rating of 6, which is the one that matters.

The quality control at Fender's China factory does need some looking in to. The build quality of the neck is perfectly fine, it feels and looks good. The body, however, looked like it was slapped together hastily. Although fine from a distance, close inspection reveals a badly finish inside, with sloppy joints and poor construction. The action was really bad, with the strings too high and the angle of the neck completely wrong. Another shim had to be inserted to correct this, and some truss rod adjustments. Still, it appears the the bridge on the high-E side, which is absolutely fine, is lower than that on the low-E side, which is only slightly better than the factory set up. Overall, not very impressive.

This guitar has had its first gig, and went through it without much trouble. It will probable last as long as the bridge remains in place, I have this fear of it collapsing or slowly breaking off. But I don't see it falling apart in the near future, and that's more to do with Fender's design than the China construction. And yes, I'll continue to use it for gigs, it'll take some time yet to find the optimal gigging set-up.

I haven't had to deal with Fender directly yet. If I encounter more problems with this guitar I might, but it won't stop me from buying another Fender.

I wish I had considered what I really wanted before buying this. I wanted an acoustic, but one that was portable. In retrospect, the sound of a proper acoustic would have been more of a critical factor, but I love the concept of an acoustic Telecaster, and I think it looks great, and the neck does play well. It's like an in-between for my Strat and a regular acoustic... And for the price... It's a brilliant price; I was given a sweet discount. I wouldn't get rid of it, cos I'm getting used to it and it makes for good casual playing, unless a better Telecoustic comes out. I wish it was just a bit more better constructed, and that is sounded better plugged in... The Fishman electronics seem like they're struggling to control the sound, and they're not doing that brilliant a job. But the price... Bottom line, it's good value for money. If you're looking for an in-between guitar that'll perform live or for casual playing (but definately not recording, unless you're after that particular sound) that's very cheap and looks great, with that wonderful Fender logo on it, look no further. But don't expect it to sound amazing, cos that's just leaving yourself open for dissappointment.

Features are very good on this guitar-my only gripe is that it was made in China.

The rating I give this guitar is for the sound it produces through a PA or amp- it is actually a great sounding instrument. Although you would not want to do an acoustic gig without amplificatioin the sound isnt there acoustically. I have this guitar haging around and is the first one I grab- not that I choose it over my Gibson J-200 or J-45 but it is convenient and actually plays nice like an electric.

the guiar was set up quite nice and te action was just right for me. I think the finish is pretty cool- Inca

I haved giged with this with no problem- I know she would handle a tour tour just fine as well.

Been playing over 30 years about 10 of those years as professional recording and stage work.

2002 Telecoustic - Made in China. (At least it still says Fender) Wood top with fiberglass back and bolt on neck. Fishman EQ. Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and back accent.

Plugged into the PA system, it sounds great, plugged into an amp it sounds more electric than acoustic. Got no feedback. It appears to
have a lot of volume,as I have to keep in turned way down. Sound value
depends on how you adjust the EQ. I play both finderstyle and strumming and sounds fine for both. I bought this guitar because I needed an electric but didn't want the extra weight or to have to always have it plugged in. This one also works great for a practice guitar, when I need to work on chords without disturbing anyone. It doesn't compare to my Martin (which has the excellent K&K Trinity System), but the varible electic sound gives me some nice options. After putting on a set of Elixer polyweb extra lights,it sounds and plays much better.

The action was high. Rather than shave the bridge, I opted to
shim the neck, using a couple of the sample pieces of counter top
laminate (from the local home store) Using the neck,I traced around the outside edges and used a grinder to reduce the blanks to size.
When they were narrow enough, I set them into the body cavity and
traced the proper length. After some fine tuning, you can barely see
the shim. After re-assembling the neck and strings, I found the action
just about where I wanted it. (your results may vary) There were a few
minor surface flaws, but nothing worth complaing about. (not for the money)

Seems to be built solid, but I have not had it long enough to
tell.

Fender has not been around this long for nothing.

I played a lot of solid body electrics, including other Fenders, Squier's, Schecter's,to name a few. (I even tried a Godin version of this guitar, but it was not that much better to warrant spending over twice the money.) I played this one last and it was the only one that I considered buying, because I discovered multiple benefits. (stated above) I have been playing over 35 years and have owned (or own) Rickenbacker, Martin, Ovation and played a lot of different types of guitars. This guitar is flexible and supports the several different types of music I play, It is light weight, easy to use, great for a travel guitar or for practicing. If it were stolen, I would definitely buy another one.

Chinese thing, totally unreliable piezo pickup, silver, ok neck

usually the first thing I grab, it's light and came with no case or bag so it's laying around. very thin accoustic sound, piezo is unusable cuts in and out, sometimes just noise.

actually plays ok, no sound quality

I hope it breaks I'll keep the neck and bolt it to a plank.

I sent the first one back, got the second and piezo control was completely different, Fender said bring it to authorized fender repairman some 50 miles away, right!

playing for 30 years, never felt real confidence. Have telecaster deluxe and epiphone dot, couple of basses. If it's lost I'll try to find the neck. Stolen, not unless it's really dark out. Wish I'd bought Ibanez thinline.