Austin AU762FTS

This is an Austin 62 style Telecaster copy guitar. The guitar was made in Korea probably sometime in 05. It has a solid wood string through body of unknown type and a Maple neck with Rosewood board. Vintage type tuners and standard S/S pickups. Paid only $150.00 as it was sitting on the shelf along time and I was looking for the Tele type sound. Nice looking guitar with a photo-flame burst finish, and a fatter neck. The neck doesn't have a heavy finish on the back so it is pretty smooth up and down the neck. Most of the components are cheap sorta' what you would expect on a guitar like this. Gave it a 7 due to having all the features of a Tele but the components are cheap.

The guitar sounds like a dark Tele. Raising the pickups helps this dark sound but the pickups sound in my opinion weak and dark but the bridge does have a twang and a brass, looks brass, bottom plate. I think the pickups are ceramic type as they are very tall once you go to replace them. The stock pickups were not so noisy, just a typical single coil buzz but it wasn't as bad as my Texas Specials in my MIM Strat. The guitar would be fine stock but it being soo dark I had to replace some components. !st I changed the stock 500K pots to CTS type, didn't help much. I then replaced the bridge pickup with a Fender HOT Alnico 3, the stock ones on some of their newer guitars, and this made the Austin tele come alive. Sounds great now, raised the neck pickup to make up for the increased output of the new bridge pickup. The 7 is for the guitar stock, now it is a 9.

The guitar was sitting on the wall at the store for years so I cannot say about the factory setup. I took the guitar to a luther for a pro-setup and some good 10 guage strings. There is a buzz in D tuner when you play a little agressive and after the setup the neck played very well, still had the tuner buzz although. There was a bit of oversprey on the back of the headstock and I found one bent screw when replacing the bridge pickup. The setup is key on any guitar I've had, even the more expensive ones. The tuners are a weak link but if you tune it before you play it stays in tune, they are just sloppy. The guitar is built strong, very few major flaws, everythings straight just some bolt on things and mine needed a setup.

I've never played live, I just play around the house to keep me from drinking, gotta' have something to keep you from goin' crazy. This guitar is a solid heavy duty guitar, I think you could try to bust it up like Paul Stanley for 10 to 15 minutes before you got anywhere.

I called the Austin guitar's new owners, they don't know much about them. I think this guitar was built in the Samick factory. 1 year warrenty so I wouldn't expect much from the company, try your dealer. I don't expect this guitar to break, just the bolt ons will need to be replaced in it's lifetime, Allparts stuff isn't too expensive.

I've been playing for a few years and own an Epi Paul with Seymore Duncans, MIM Strat w/ Texas specials, a Yamaha SA 500 and an Alvarez RD 20 S, oh and this Tele. Overall this guitar is very good, it is the wood you need to be good. The bolt on parts work fine to play with but I couldn't help but open it up and replace some things. After the setup it plays really well and is much better than any Squire I've picked up.

Made in Korea - 62 in the model indicates it's 1962 Telecaster replica.
Flamed tobacco sunburst finish - Contoured body is not true to Tele, but is very comfortable to play.
Neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. Feels great!!
Sring thru body, vintage style tuners and 62 style bridge all add up to a great appearance.

I love the sound output from both the neck and bridge pick ups. I feel that the neck has a jazzy warmth to it and the bridge is good for the blues and classic rock I try to play.
I'm playing through a Tech21 10 watt amp.
I find the pickups quiet. Quality of sound is extraordinary for a budget guitar!!
I replaced an Ephiphone Special with this guitar because I didn't like the muddy sound I percieved. Absolutly no regrets.

No adjustments needed. It was probably adjusted at the shop I purchased it at. Store was helpfull and knoledgeable. They were able to show and demonstrate to me the differences in the various styles and sounds that their products produced. I was able to make my purchase with confidence.

The build quality seems very high. A step up from the entry level
Epiphone Special I traded in.

I'm just a beginner. I've only been playing for a few months. Also own
an EPI 310 junior w/P90 pickup. A Samick acoustic rounds out my collection.
I like the simplicity of this Tele copy. I'd rather have a G&L version I heard at the store but my budget was limited. No regrets - I think