Fender Telecoustic

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.

Bought this is second hand from a music store 200 miles from me. Got it with ill-fitting acoustic case but c'est la vie, it will do.

The body is fibreglass, with a solid top, finished candy apple red. It has a standard Fender electric(maple) neck and fishman electronics. The EG has treble, middle, bass, tone and volume.

For a small bodied acoustic it makes a great sound. It was my first guitar and I ahev no reason to change it. The only thing is that make sure you out medium strings on. I recently put lights on and it sounded terrible. Has a really nice 'boxy' sound, not a pure acoustic but very passable.

Plugged in it sounds great, can feedback a bit but thats normal, especially if you stand too close to your amp!

Mine was a shop demo, so don't know what they'd done to it. When I got it, it played straight away.

Only just chanegd the strings after 2 years. Strap button has come off but that was my stupid fault! Frets feel smooth still, stays in tune great.

N/A

Fantastic guitar for the price, definately worth it for a electric player who wants to tincker on an acoustic. Make sure you change to medium gauge strings and you're on a winner.

A fairly new design,Telecoustics are really a cool looking guitars- they have the body and neck shape of a telecaster, but they're acoustic! they almost have a standard fender tele neck (minus a couple frets) with a rosewood or maple fretboards.
The top of my guitar appears to be plywood with a plastic body, this dosen't seem to allow for as much resonation as a wood body, but if you want to get louder, it can always be pugged in - it has a wicked battery pack! A slightly odd feature about this guitar is that , being a mostly plastic body, and being fairly small, it is light in weight. The neck is also the heaviest part of the body, so it has a slighly unusual center of balance.

Unplugged, this guitar has a decent sound, fairly bright, but not as warm as I would like. Once plugged in, however, the battery pack controls allow you to set the tone to your liking.

When I got this guitar, the action was so high it was nearly impossible to play. The action has been lowered 2X since then, and is still high. The only problem other than that which I''ve had is with a faulty battery pack, but that has long since been replaced. As for the finish - it's cool, and all else was properly fitted.

I've never used this guitar for a heavy- duty gig, it is more or less my drag around the country with me guitar, but I have played live (MOSTLY UNPLUGGED) and doubt that it would fail me. As for the finish....only time will tell

I never delt directly through fender, but through the local authorized dealer. I ran into difficulty with my battery pack, and although it was repaired without a huge bill, I waas a little chocked when I had to pay to have it shipped back from vancouver!

A good beater guitar!

Made in Japan.Telecoustic. 1 piece (Not a Bolt on neck) 22 frets.oval sound hole. String thru. Dark Sunburst. Passive pick-up. Volume- Treble- Bass control. The inside back of the guitar does not look like wood. I know the stratcoustics are solid one piece. What do I have? Thanks for your time lvroom@snowcrest.net Larry

Good sound. Pickups not equal with every string. I use a Crate gfx 212. Slight echo

Action good -- poor pickups

If its a Fender it`s great!

Playing 38 yrs. Great neck

c est une telecoustic de 2002 grise pailletee.......y a pas a dire elle a de la gueule

bon ba c est pas une guiatre pour jouer unplugged masi brancher elle s en tire bien....bon c ets pas une martin ( le prix non plus ) mais bon le son est plus que correct et le preampli fishman est vraiment efficace

c facile a jouer ( un manche d electric a peine plus epais et encore... vraimen tres agreable y a ps a dire!
les cordes sont un poil trop haute a mon gout mais plus ca va plus je mi fait et o pire ba un petit cou de lime au sillet et c reparti!

eu ba a vrai dire je crois que ma grat a un probleme car elle est vraiment mal equilibre en effet quand je jou debout elle pique du nez ( le preampli n y est pas pour rien) donc ba ce petit detail insignifiant devient embetant car i fo tout le temps la retenir et par consequent c un effort qui au bou d une heure de jeux est pesant........fo que je pense a y mettre un contre poids ;-)

eu j en sais strictement rien

ca fait un petit moi que je l ai masi je ne suis pas au bou de mes surprises je pense car franchement pour un chanteur gratteux c tres agreable car on est pas encombre par une grosse grat acoustic....celel la est legere et ne tien pas bcp de place c cool ca!.........ceux qui veulent faire d ela pure acoustique c a dire non amplifie passer votre route ca sonne plutot comme un banjo ou une guitare d enfant( caisse de resonance en plastoque masi tres agreable lol)

A nice thin body, acoustic-electric. 2002 model. Mine's in candy apple red. maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, fishman eq pickup, tele shape and head stock, chrome tuners, 21 frets.

I think it sounds great. I'm not a professional so acoustically it sounds just right for me. I run it thru a Fender Frontman 25R Amp and it sounds terrific. Nice full sound. I don't like big body acoustics. This guitar gives me a thin body acoustic and an electric too. Perfect for me. And it's a Fender.

I got the Deluxe gig bag with it, and it was set up perfect from Fender. All ready in tune. Action was just right. No flaws or defects of any kind.

I just play for fun. So it is the ideal instrument for me. The finish is beautiful, solidly built. Very rugged.

I did not have to deal with the company on this guitar, but, I have in the past on other items, and Fender is top notch, first class.

For me, the perfect guitar for the perfect price. I would replace if lost or stolen. I plan on buying a Stratacoustic next. I've been playing, off and on, since 8th grade, since 1965.

All the standard features listed by everyone else. I purchased the hard case for it as well.

Sounds pathetic unplugged. Plugged in it's actually surprising. I use a Pig Nose 30 for practice. Sounds very electric when plugged.

Don't get me started! What was Fender doing? Where is the quality control person ? The setup reeks ! If the action were any higher I would need a step ladder. I shaved the bridge as far as I could and adjusted the truss rod into infinity, but still the strings are too high. Need a C-clamp at the rear just to get the action low enough to play. This is my third Fender and absoloutly the worst.

The fibergalss body takes a beating and keeps on ticking. But makes for a terrible whiny sound. The tuners are cheap as can be and won't hold tuning.

None available. I work in Bosnia.

Been playing on & off for many years. Decided to stick with it and actually "Learn" to play. But not on the TeleCoustic. Damned thing makes my fingers bleed in 20 minutes of playing. If it were stolen or lost it would be doing me a favor. Can't compare this to others. I wish the action were lower out the box and the unplugged acoustic sound deeper. I like the style, and it would be a good guitar with some quality control on Fenders part.

What will the Chineese put together next?? I have always loved the classical line of the Tele. I do a huge amount of road work and thought it would be fun to pick up this piece. Standard tele neck maple with rose wood fret board. 21 Frets. the intonation is nice , The fret board is plays mre like an electric than acc. No nearly as nice as a Classic Tele. But, it is cost effective and eaisy to manover the fret board. The pickup is piezo the electronics need some work. This is a thin-line approx 2" Laminate top with molded fiberglass back & sides. The accouctic tone is substantialy resonant. Yet no bottom or end nice mid's to speak of. Unfortunatly this carrys over to the electronics as well. This is a very bright guitar. +++ Crome tuners very nice and stable. Hold well.

This is a bright guitar - You can work out some great slide leads and the picking is very clear and bright. A nice lead instrument sound, if you do not require thoes heavy lows. The mids are punchy. The lows are easy to feed back at about 7+ with some gain. (for the Price)

The set up was nice. Some minor truss rod adjust. THe guitar was flawless in the workings.

This guitar taks a beating on stage and lives to play again. It is a really fun guitar to play. The price is right. The overall tone is somthing to be desired. But, I have a great appreciation for the diffrent tones. I generally will switch out two and three guitars a night any way. The tone is great for bright euro sounds-Radio head etc. Great for country leads and bluegrass also. This is not the be all end all for tonal guitart efficinados but it's fun and fills a great nich.

I have been playing for about 18 years. Most of it live. I baby my inst. at home and abuse them on stage. It feels soild , no glue problems. I will get back to you I see any. I wanted a slim body el. acc and it fit the bill the price is right the on board electronics blow but they work. I have a great support system to back that up. It is a fun guitar and for two hundred... I have spent more on the bar tab.

Everyone pretty much knows the specs. Mine is a 2001 chinese model

After a lot of work from my guitar repairman, it works well. Sounds horrible unplugged but I am using it as a backup guitar that will only be plugged in. I plug it into a DI box and then into a PA. It sounds really good plugged in...more low than I anticipated.

Action was horribly high from the Factory. I had a bone nut put in. The bridge had to be lowered a lot to make it playable. I figure this is the routine for a budget price guitar...spend $230 and $100 at the repair shop and you have a great guitar. This strategy has worked well for me. Don't buy this guitar unless you know a good repair man. The wiring inside floats around a lot. At least it doesn't contribute to any rattling

I think this will be a work horse. Not as sensitive as most traditional acoustics.

I've learned my lesson about trying to work with manufacturers. I don't even try.

I've been playing for 26 years. Recommendation...don't order this from a catalog. Try it out in the store.

I have about every classic guitar. This one is good enough for a backup.

Information would be a repeat of what most of the reviews indicate. Solid Spruce Top.

I wanted a guitar with the feel of electric and the sound of acoustic electric. Without amplification it is not loud, but that is why I have a trace acoustic amp.

I had the ability by going to the House of Guitars in Rochester NY to choose the best of their stock. One for instance the neck was not bolted on center and action bad. I will of course have this set up right away. Saw no flaw, but the shop will take care of me if they notice anything I didn't. Action is Fender great. I also have a
Gibson Les Paul Studio and I feel like I have a nice combo.

Waiting to see. Will defer this response until I have had it longer.

Not had to deal with any problems as of yet.

I have been playing for about 18 years. I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio, Gibson Tube Amp; This new telecoustic and a Trace Acoustic Amp. I would buy this again if it got lost or stolen. I really wish Fender would make an "American" not "Japanese" solid wood hollowbody telecoustic. If you are a beginner or have played for years this is a great little inexpensive guitar to enjoy! I you want a big body sound of an acoustic this is not for you. If you like the electric feel with excellent acoustic sound go for it.

I won't repreat what is already been said. I bought a red telecoustic to fit between my Telecaster and my acoustic guitar, Fender Malibu. I bought it in March 2001. I had to buy a gig bag. The salesman didn't give me any of the paper work (I thought it was in the gig bag.)

I play blues guitar. When plugged into my Fender acoustasonic 30, it sounds great. A better range of sound than my 35 year old Telecaster.

When unplugged, disappointing. I've tried both light, medium, and heavy gauge strings. Middle range, .11 on the high e. seem to provide the most volume. For anyone above a beginning guitar player, I would recommend not buying this guitar. Spend the extra money for a real electric acoustic guitar.

The action was terrible. The store did a set up and got the strings closer to the neck. I shaved the saddle down to improve the action. The only problem was when playing at the top of the neck (near the body) the strings hit several frets. I had to flatten them down a bit. Also, I don't think the frets are set correctly, especially the bridge at the other end. I can tune the strings using an electronic tuner, but when playing up the neck, the strings are out of tune. If you're looking at a Telecoustic, play the strings at the 12th fret and the bottom to see if they are OK. I now realize they don't harmonize like they should so there is little that can be done.

If you want a part-time guitar or your a beginner, the Telecoustic will be OK. But if you want a guitar with a great quality acoustic sound, look somewhere else.

I bought the guitar in Richmond VA from Mars Music. I'm from West Virginia. When I got the guitar home, I found a small crack on top between the neck and the sound hole. I don't know if it was there when I bought it or the stores setup caused it. I called Mars but was never able to get through their voice mail. So, I'm biting the bullet and selling the guitar locally. Hopefully, to a beginnig guitar player who won't notice the poorly set frets.

Fender has its American built guitars - Excellent quality.
Fender has its Mexican built guitars - good quality
Fender has its Taiwan built guitars - mostly good quality
Fender now has its Chinese built guitars - poor quality
The telecoustic would be OK in a Sears or Penny's catalog.
But for professional or frequent musical use, don't bother.

2000 model, red spruce top with synthetic back/sides. Maple neck, rosewood board. Fender's version of Fishman electronics. Close your eyes and it feels like a lightweight Tele.

Louder unplugged than I expected, so it's OK for practice. The unplugged tone doesn't sound good, but I never intended to use it unplugged anyway. Plugged in to my Acoustasonic 30 amp, it shines. As a matter of fact, it's got the hottest signal from it's piezo I've ever seen. It takes a little getting used to, to tweak the signal and get tones you want, being that it's a little harash in the midrange, but the controls are simple and it can be learned easily. I'll give it an 8 because it does what Fender says it's supposed to do. They never bragged that it was an acoustic guitar first. BTW - don't expect this guitar to sound like a Telecaster. It won't, but it has other virtues.

Factory setup was OK, but not great. I replaced the nut with bone and lowered the action very slightly in the process. I also improved it somewhat with a string change to lighter guage acoustic strings, 11-49's instead of the telephone poles it came with. :) The tone got a little thinner when I left the 12-53's behind, but since I'm not worried about it as an acoustic guitar, I was easily able to EQ the new strings to my taste.

This guitar had one tiny nick by the soundhole. I touched it up with some of my wife's fingernail polish and I can't find it anymore. Otherwise, it has the finest bookmatched red paint I've ever seen.

The hardware is good quality middle of the road stuff that isn't cosmetically impressive, but it works. I changed the bridge pins to some I had around that have pearl dots, just to dress it up a little. I also added strap locks.

I haven't taken it to gig with. Mostly, I use it to record, but I think it could take a beating. The wood top is the only part of it that I wold consider fragile, but I bought the hardshell case for it anyway. Most Fender dealers don't know there is a case specially made for it, but Fender Consumer Relations gave me the model number and Musician's Friend got it to me within a couple days. It's one hell of a well made hardshell case with very good hardware on it. I tend to use it to carry my regular Telecasters around, throwing a towel in the bottom to take up the extra depth.

Not really applicable, but they were very helpful in locating a case for me and they asked for my opinion on the guitar when I called. Their interest level was pretty interesting.

I've been playing nearly 40 years, mostly country, blues and old rock & roll. I have 10 other guitars, every conceivable species and model for whatever purpose they are intended.

When I got the Telecoustic, (Plastic-caster, as we call it at home), it wasn't really what I was looking for. I wanted something bright to record with and was thinking more along the lines of an acoustic, but this fit the bill when I tried it. The electronics are hot and took some getting used to, but it was such a fun guitar I decided I was going to try and I haven't been sorry. Along with my Danelectro Hodad, the two of them are more fun than anything else with frets.

Like someone else previously mentioned, I do wish it came in more colors... white with a maple fretboard would be my favorite. The only other thing I wish it had, though it would probably raise the price, is more traditional Telecaster controls down on the lower bout.

As far as the lost or stolen question, I'd have to get another one, Tele model or Strat model wouldn't make a difference. They're just a lot of fun.

The built in EQ works great, and the neck feels great. Very easy to slide along. The classic tele shape makes it all really.

Play it without an amp, you are gonna get a shit sound, but what do you expect from something with absolutly no depth at all.
Plug in baby, and it will sound as sweet as you find an Elctro Acoustic guitar, and as said before, the EQ helps.

Mine is fine. No flaws as yet, apart from a big chip I made throwing my capo across the room to my friend who was playing the guitar at the time. Such bad hand-eye co-ordination for a guitarist.

If you treat it right it will last. the fiber glass makes it stronger. I would use it live without a back up. Dependant as Dependant Dan. Is he a cartoon character? He is now.

Never spoke to them. Guess they are nice.

This is my favourite guitar i own. despite being the newset which usually works in it's favour, it is quite versitile and easy to use in the type of music i play. it suits me to the ground. will it suit you? I dunno, but it is a fucking good guitar, and the red finish makes it look so nice. Get it. It is cheap if you think about it...........

basically nothing less than you can expect from an acoustic-electric guitar. There is only one thing that fender could improve: more colors for this model. A just plain natural finish would give it a classier look. If they wanted to give us only two choices, why not just plain black or white?

ok, for what it is as far as acoustic, great when used as an electric. But you are smart enough not to expect the fulliest sound around, so...

action sucks. I had mine taken to a shop and after some good amount of work the action got great! strings are almost leveled to the neck (what i love) and just a little buzz (what i don't mind, especially when plugged in).
finish is ok. definetly some flaws. nothing that can be done, just look at some before you pick yours. I noticed that finish quality may vary. But as everyone knows, it looks great.

too new to know already. But definetly worth of a try. If it lasts, it is a great buy!

Well, at least they returned my call promptly. Talked to fender just once about this guitar. They don't care too much about it. It is cheap, so they don't want to spend too much time on this one. But that's ok since it doesn't give you problems. Who wants to have to call them anyway? Go play your guitar!

It is a great guitar for the price. I owned so many instruments that i don't even remember all of them, but this one i will definetly keep it. I adjusted so much that I won't be able to find another one so perfect. It wasn't expense to fine-tune this instrument so in the end i paid very little for a great guitar. Unfortunately the neck is not interchangable with the electric guitar ones. yet.
If you don't mind work on your guitar a little (read "customize") go for it and have lots of fun!

First run telecoustic...although I don't think they've changed anything judging from the reviews I've read. Everyone else has pretty well covered the features, which are pretty basic. BTW, someone complained about short battery life...I have not had to replace a single battery even I left the guitar on by accident a few days.

I hate to sound negative, but it sounds like a cardboard box. One reviewer I noticed compared it to a kids toy guitar. That is not too far off. It sounds fine as an electric...but I already have 2 electrics. I want decent acoustic sound. I have been able to get it to sound OK when recording through the judicious use of effects (ie enhancers, EQ). Luckily, I have some sentimental attachment to it since it was my first guitar and the crappy sound doesn't really bother me, but I can see where a professional musician might get really steamed. I have some suggestions for improving it which I'll get to in the next section.

Here we are in the next section! Quality of paint was good, I agree with the other person who said it was unusual to see the back of the neck without any finish on it... big deal, though. The strings that it comes with are about the size of a typical high voltage power line. And with all that tension it can really bend the neck...truss rod and all. I kept putting on lighter and lighter strings until finally I ended up with the lightest D'addario acoustic strings. It has been about a year now and the neck has been stable...so I think that's the ticket. I had to have a luthier to some adjustments to get the action down...those strings were way up high. I don't think Fender had a guitarist actually try playing on of the prototypes...everything was wrong, but at least it is workable for me now.

Since it is pretty much fiberglass it should be durable

haven't dealt with them

Well, now I can tell everybody I own a Fender. So there is some status. But thanks, I'll take my Danelectro DC3 any day. Looks cool, too. I don't know what Fender was thinking of with this one. Actually, I do know. They were in love with the concept...and I will admit it is a cool concept. However, the concept did not translate into reality very well. This is not the kind of guitar Fender built a reputation on...although it may be one it ruins it's reputation on! If it doesn't add, it subtracts. And this subtracts. I don't think we'll be seeing Eric Clapton performing with this one. Having said that, I do play it a lot because I rarely want to plug in. I want to be able to go to any room in the house and practices modes, and this is well suited for that. As I mentioned before I have some sentimental attachment to the guitar, and it could be worse. It reminds me of Ford motor company. They made the fabulous 1955 T-bird...but they also made the Pinto. Guess which one this is?

read the review above

I'm 13, this is my first guitar. I wanted somthing cheap that could do everything well not perfectly. This was the perfect guitar. The unpluged sound wasn't great, but then it's one of the only guitars I have ever palyed. But when I pluged it in sounded great, just like an acoustic guitar.

looked good to me!

didn't have it long enough yet

never needed to use it

Really great.

Chinese produced thinline acoustic-electric hybrid with Tele-shaped body, 21-fret maple/rosewood neck, Gotoh-style tuners, saddle-transducer w/three-band eq plus "contour". Spruce-top, finished Candy Apple Red, binding on top, synthetic body material similar to lyrachord (Ovation). Matte finish on neck, high-gloss on soundboard (most likely catalyzed urethane).

Using this strictly as an acoustic, it has a predictably thin, (though amazingly loud for it's size)uninspiring sound. I then ran the guitar through a Boss GT-3 (using the acoustic/electric presets with no modification), and into a Roland JC-120. Aha...all the difference in the world. Other than a mild lower-midrange "honkiness" to it, the Telecoustic has a very useable amplified acoustic sound. I forsee no difficulty in using this guitar live.

The nit-picky stuff (and is it really justifiable, considering it only cost $250??): the first-position string height was borderline ridiculous...the nut was actually a LEFT-HAND nut that was put on backwards, completely reversing the angle of the slots, causing the elevated action. The problem is, the admittedly cheap plastic nut used on the model is not readily available in Charleston, WV (or probably anywhere else, for that matter). And of course, the slot was FAR too wide to drop in an actual Fender or a TUSC replacement nut. So, after a rather tedious job of reshaping, reangling, and reseating the existing nut, the guitar plays considerably better. The overall action (as shipped) is most likely too high for the average elctric-guitarist; there again, this is easily corrected by reducing the overall height of the saddle.
The finish-job is satisfactory on both the neck and the top, with the only quirk being an unexplainable 'tackiness' on the inside edge of the soundhole.

The neck is a bit chunkier than my electrics Teles', but for a 'budget' instrument, every bit as true. It came to the door with just the right amount of relief, and surprisingly, little if any fret buzz. Overall, the guitar seems fairly well built.

not able to answer due to no contact with vendor.

I think I've answered this question above. To reiterate, I really enjoy playing this guitar. It sounds good amplified, doesn't slip out of tune like one would expect a budget instrument to do, and is visually appealing. For Tele players needing an acostic for that occasional song, this critter is perfect.

this is a new 2000 guitar.6 string acoustic/electric. thinline 1 piece fiberglass body. SOLID spruce top ( don't know why the other people say laminated,other than they don't know what they're talking about because they didn't take the time to read the specs b4 buying!!!) electric type neck (bolt-on,maple with rosewood fretboard). onboard pickup/preamp (fishman classic 4) 22 frets. traditional fender headstock.i think jumbo frets.my color is candy apple red. factory strings are phos-bronze ball end xl.10-48.

i play a bit of everything except metal. the acoustic sound isn't great but passable. plugged in the acoustic sound is clean & strong and i can still get a good electric shred out of it using the sliding tone controls on the guitar in combo with either of my amps (line 6 spider & a tech 21 trademark 10)-i also tried it thru an inexpensive rogue 20r & it wasn't too bad. i mostly fingerpick and this guitar is fun--the neck is thin & fast-not as wide as an acoustic,more of an electric feel & that makes chording more challenging,but i like it. the action is just right for me- no fret buzz or electronics hiss either.- i liked the tone better when i switched the strings to dean markley blue steels xl (10-48)

the guitar was setup fine..the saddle had a couple burrs but i litely sanded them away with no problem. the red paint job was flawless. frets were finished pretty good.this is a low maintainance piece of equipment. the only thing i can find on mine is the neck is just a hair (a very thin hair) off center-doesn't affect playability. i like the way the string pins are positioned on the bridge in a curved manner instead of straight across ( don't know if it affects anything-i just think it looks nice)

this is a playing guitar...not just for admiring it. use it and don't worry. you can't hurt the body. the neck is a little heavier than the body,so be careful how you stand it up. i don't gig anymore, but it seems dependable. if you are giggin' you should always have a backup- you never know whats gonna happen (no matter what brand guitar you play).

never had to contact them.

i started playing about 11 yrs. ago. i also own a takamine ef341c a/e-an ibanez gax70 electric and a route 101 custom strat.i checked this guitar out at my local music shop & compared it to a few others and then ordered it online. if lost or stolen i would get another 1 because it is so much fun to play and not havta worry about scratching it or something. this 1 sits in my living room at the end of my couch so i can grab it anytime i feel like it. i compared it to the ovations and i bought this 1 because it had a better sound/feel (the round back on the ovation kept sliding away from my body,while the fender is a traditional shape) and the cost difference sealed it for me. you can't go wrong with this 1 as long as you don't try comparing it to other guitars - take it 4 what it is and enjoy it. its not a $2000. gibson & not intended to be. --oh...also...there IS a fender hardcase designed & available for this guitar.great fit & finish. i got mine from musiciansfriend for $89.00. don't always take what you read as gospel--alot of guys engage mouth b4 brain.

The Fender Teleacoustic is a Telecaster shaped round hole acoustic electric guitar with an eq section and active electronics. It's a very light bodied instrument that is also neck heavy.
It's made somewhere in Asia....probably China. These overseas instruments are pretty much entry level. Nothing on this will have rain forest advocates picketing Fender for having destroyed valuable trees. The body is plastic or plastic like. Tapping the body is like tapping a hard plastic beer cooler.
If you like the feel of an electric guitar neck and can handle string gauges starting with .11 or .12, then playing a Teleacoustic wouldn't be difficult.

I know sound evaluation is subjective.
Anyone that thinks this "guitar" sounds remotely well is just blowing smoke up your ass or has never played a quality instrument. You'd be better off buying a plywood entry level Martin than wasting your $'s on this. It's just a horrible hard plastic sound. Nothing woody or tonefully yours here. This is a novelty that should be smashed on stage during a Spinal Tap performance.
Segovia or Michael Hedges couldn't make this thing sound good.
Please save your $'s.

Stiff guitar.
Bad fret edges.
Bookmatched either means photo flame or naturally flamed wood.....and it ain't here.
Cheap electronics on just just a dreadful piece that looks like a guitar.

Who knows.
Who cares.
It may be functional as an oar.

Leo Fender was a genius thinkerer who cared about the people who bought his product.
The current regime has a department store mentality....."pile em high,
watch em fly".
The post CBS Fender customer support is not good.
I guess warranties are important...but only on quality.

Kramer came out with this Telecaster acoustic knock off in the 1980's.
Those were made in Asia too but out of wood.
They were'nt good either but were light years a head of Fender's Teleacoustic in sound quality.
PT Barnum once said..."a sucker is born every minute".
PT is smiling with every Teleacoustic sold.

Locking tuners, solid spruce top, 4-band eq, piezo pickup.
I got the Inca Silver witch is like Danelectro's metal flake finish.
Fiberglass body. 21 fret, electric guitar style neck.

Acousic: Lacks bass, mid-range is very heavy. Overall tone lacks in quality. Fiberglass sound like a toy.
Electric: Exellent. It's got just the right amount of punch. It doesn't sound any different than a top dollar elecric acoustic system.
This is where Fender wanted to win here.

Action was a little high when it came, no biggie. Close-up, the finich had some flaws, but this was designed to be seen from a stage.
Wonderful guitar for my gigs.

Again, this guitar is designed to take road abuse. It's gunna last for a while.

Fender takes good care of customers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not a guitar for big time acoustic freaks. It wasn't designed to be, it isn't. This was created specificly for the gigging musician.
1. Light wieght fiberglass body for those long gigs...goes easy on shoulders. Also greatly reduses feedback at "drummer gone wild" levels.
2. Electric guitar style neck. Also for long gigs..goes alot easier on fingers.
3. Finish types. These are very flashy finishes. The metalflake looks even better under stage lighting.
4. Solid spruce top and one piece fiberglass body to live longer on the road.
5. Pluggability to play on stage. The pick-up sounds REALLY GOOD. Un-plugged sound wasn't even an issue when they created this. If you want to record or play acoustic in front of some, get a dreadnought.

If you want an acoustic guitar, buy a real acoustic. If you want a playable electric with decent "acoustic" tone, this may be your guitar. Mine almost went right back into the box, but I decided to change the strings and I'm glad I did. I installed electric 9's and greatly improved playability and surprisingly, it also sounded better unplugged.

This rating applies only to how it sounds plugged in.

A good value for under $300.

Well made, should be OK.

Hope I don't have to find out...

Good value for the money. (Just keep it plugged in...)