Arbor Telecaster Copy

A luthier told me this guitar probably came from the Ibanez factory in either the very late 60s or early 70s. It has a 21-fret, maple neck. Solid body, natural/blond finish. The controls are like a standard tele. Not long after buying it, a friend and I installed a DiMarzio in the bridge position for extra punch. A couple of years ago, I added a Fender Noiseless in the neck. The sound is unreal. I'm not sure what wood the body is...it's quite heavy. However, it has sustain for days. Since I've owned it, I've replaced the frets twice due to a lot of playing time. I also replaced the black pickguard with a custom tortoise shell version.

This guitar suits me very well. I play mostly rock, funk, and blues. The original pickups were a bit noisy, but as you know, I replaced them. Other players are blown away by this guitar's sound. It's very rich and full. Again, wonderful sustain. It's quite lound unplugged. I sometimes consider making this a 22-fret guitar, but why mess with a good thing?

I don't know the condition from the factory. The pickups were OK when I bought it. Since I bought this used, there were minor dings on it. But the neck is just fantastic. It plays so well...I actually like it better than the regular teles out there.

This guitar has never failed me. It is truly a solidly constructed instrument. As I've stated, it ways a lot and could repel anyone trying to get on stage...wink, wink. My Flying V is my backup guitar as a general rule (or my metal guitar).

Never needed.

I've been playing 15 years--in and out of bands for a while. I play this puppy through a Zoom 9050 and into a Carvin Legacy combo. I also own a Flying V, Fender P-Bass, and old Gretch acoustic, and a classical guitar. This is the first guitar I've ever owned and it's still my favorite. As far as I'm concerned, it's irreplaceable. If it was stolen, I would try to have someone recreate one for me and pay through the nose.

I traded a mandolin I wasn't using for the Arbor Tele. Don't know much about it or the company. In fact, I came to Harmony Central looking for info! It is a copy of a standard Telecaster with 2 pickups, 1 volume, 1 tone control, and a pickup selector. It is a black body with a black pickguard. Pretty basic, but that's what Teles are all about, right?

The Arbor is pretty quiet and it does sound like a Tele (I have a Feneder Tele Thinline, too) - so the pickups are decent quality. I am giving it a high score here because it sounds good for a $150 guitar. Compared with a $1000 guitar, the sound is mediocre.

Frets are not filed down, some extra glue here and there....

The Arbor is pretty solid.

I've been playing a long time and have owned lots of stuff. My primary setup right now is a Fender Tele Thinline via wireless to a Fender Vibro-King amp. The Arbor could be a backup with some upgrading (pickups, tuners) but I already have a backup! So, overall I am happy with this guitar as a fun knock around that didn't cost much.