Fender '68 Reissue Pink Paisley Tele

For a "Re-Issue", it has every feature the Original had except a "Made in America" label. For this, it gets a 10. Do i wish it had more, no. It's a great Tele. It do what a Tele do. I play Christian Blues and southern style rock. This is the perfect ax.

I run 10s for strings. I mainly use the neck pickup. I play through a Peavey Delta Blues and Peavey Classic 30 in Stereo through a Boss Stereo Chorus, Boss Acoustic Simulator, and some other Boss pedals. With this setup, i get wonderful rich tones.

But with the bridge pickup, i can get the crunch for our rockin tunes.

The fit and finish is great. I picked mine up in a pawnshop. There were some dents and dings. The damage i was was due to neglect and abuse. But with a little work, i got it back to great playing shape.

I can't say enough about the durability of this ax. I play everyday at home and out at least one day a week and many times two days. I have never had to change a Pot or resolder a joint. I know when i plug up that if my rig has a problem, it wont be with the Tele.

Purchased in a Pawnshop - I was paddling my own canoe.

I have been through a lot of gear over the years. This is one piece i would hate be without.

I am now looking for a second one or maybe a Pink Paisley Strat.

This is a Japanese-made reissue of the pink paisley telecaster, with all of the usual features (at least, when I first got it had all of the usual features). I traded it for a late 1970s telecaster. I don't know how to check the serial number for date of manufacture, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was from the first reissue run in the mid-80s. I bought one new in the 80s, and had to sell it in 1989. I always regretted having to sell it (and I'm sure all of us could fill a large warehouse with gear we wish we could have kept!!!), so when the opportunity came about to trade for it, I did in a heartbeat. The neck initially had the slightest bow to it--hardly noticeable--but the folks at Fuller's Vintage Guitars in Houston (where I found it) straightened the neck during the trade, and it's never needed any more attention in the three years that I've owned it. When I traded for it, the guitar had the transparent pickguard and all stock parts, including the barrel saddles (which were bronze). I have since done several modifications to the guitar. The first one was very simple: I changed the transparent pickguard for a "mint green" one. I first saw this on an original paisley Tele owned by Chris Difford of Squeeze. Squeeze came through Houston in the late 80s promoting the wonderful album "Babylon and On," opening for 10,000 Maniacs (awesome show, by the way!). Anyway, I had seen several people with the paisley reissue, but none with this pickguard mod. In my opinion, it brings the design of the paisley into better focus, instead of having an unbroken sea of pinkness. The second modification I did to the guitar was to replace the neck pickup with a Gibson mini-humbucker. The neck pickup was just too weak for my tastes, and the routing on the mini-humbucker doesn't take out much room at all. To me, it really adds to the versatility of the instrument. Very Stones-y sound possible. The last mod is to change the brass barrel saddles with compensated brass saddles. I'm not sure which set my guitar luthier put in, but they are already tilted, unlike the Wilkinson saddles where you can adjust the tilt. This is another great mod, and the guitar intonates beautifully because of it. I think the thick brass barrels are important for preserving the biting Tele tone of the bridge pickup. It seems like the most recent batch of reissues had steel saddles, if I remember correctly. I prefer the brass. Everything else on the guitar is stock.

With the mini-humbucker, the sound is really fantastic. The bridge sounds (of course) Tele-like, and the in-between setting sounds very like a Strat middle pickup. I play this guitar through a 70s silverface Fender Champ, and a 70s Music Man 212-HD amp. I alternate between using my Digitech GNX-3 or just plugging in straight to the amps, depending on how I'm feeling at the time. The Music Man really brings out all the nuances of tone, especially of the bridge pickup. I tend to play a lot of bluesy stuff on this guitar. However, it's not limited only to the blues; you can also get a great Andy Summers/early Police sound with this guitar, too.

Since the guitar was used, I really have no idea about factory setup, but the setup now is perfect for me. The construction of these guitars is very interesting. I know others on this site have speculated about it, but after examining the guitar closely, it looks like there might be a thin layer of clear plastic covering the paisley finish. It just seems too smooth to be a simple poly finish. Someone out there just might know the construction on it. I actually prefer the glossy vintage neck to modern necks. I love the orange/yellow color of the neck. It feels very comfortable, tto.

Reliable, lightweight (very resonant guitar), basswood body. I think, given decent care, it should last ages and ages. I try to take care of my instruments, so it should be around for a long time. I probably would gig with a backup (if I still played gigs) because of the solidity of the guitar.

Never dealt with Fender. Couldn't be worse than Rickenbacker's customer service, though! Service through Fuller's Vintage Guitar has been great.

Well, I would buy another if I had to. (Come to think of it, I did!) It's just an incredible guitar. I would modify it in the same way, too. I love its simplicity and the fantastic tones of the guitar.

Fender '68 Reissue Pink Paisley Tele; I believe this was one of the first; I got it in 1988. Made in Japan, classic Tele pickups, bridge, and tuners. I have several Telecasters, and this one is the lightest by far. The neck is the very thin 60's maple (I also have a Japanese '72 reissue with this neck) and is the glory of this guitar for me -- just a dream to play and stable as hell. The "8" rating reflects the fact that it's a basic Tele, not many bells and whistles.

This has been one of my favorite all-time guitars -- it sounds just like it's supposed to (i.e., classic Fender Telecaster). Plain and simple, I bought it to play Rolling Stones music with an "open 'G'" tuning. I only rarely used effects with it, but used it both clean and distorted, switching channels on my amp (a Peavey Blues 50 4x10, with a mid-60s Fender Super Reverb, also 4x10 with no master volume, as a 'slave'). It is kind of noisy, with the famous Fender 60-cycle hum, but that comes with the territory. A surprising variety of tones for such a simple instrument -- there's nothing quite like the high-end gain of the bridge pickup on a Tele! Whack!

The paisley design appears to be a kind of foil pressed onto the body, with pretty thick clear poly over it -- which hasn't yellowed, cracked, or anything else. Pretty much indestructible. Lowest action I've ever been able to achieve on any guitar, and it more or less came set up that way. The workmanship is excellent, and I've since arrived at the opinion that our Japanese friends make the best Fenders, having imported several more. Sad, but true.

I quit The Road almost 15 years ago, and this is the only axe that survived from my band days. It got pounded 200+ nights a year for its first 3 years and has been played regularly ever since -- and is still a great guitar, still completely original, no service ever needed. This is one of the very few electric guitars I've had that I would use without a backup. It looks all foofy and psychedelic, but is a total road animal!

Never needed repair -- I'm sure it was under warranty as I bought it new.

I've been playing for over 35 years, and have had hundreds of guitars/basses; I have about 20 now, along with a variety of other instruments (a theramin, several keyboards, saxes and horns, a sitar, etc., etc.) and gear. I think this guitar was an incredible value -- and still is; I'm watching one just like it (slightly newer) on e-bay right now, as well as the "blue flower" version, which is the same instrument. It looks like they'll both sell for around what I paid for mine back in 1988, and I'm considering getting one (more open tunings!). I would recommend this axe to anyone.

The 2002 reissue of the Pink Paisley Telecaster, crafted in Japan with a one-piece maple neck, bubblegum-pink metallic-flake finish topped off with the distinctive green and paler-pink on foil stick'ums on the front and back. As stripped down as it gets; single-pickup, exposed bridge, tone and volume control, lever-switch. That's it. And, really, it's all you need.

Very good for just about everything from country to folk to stadium rock. Metal might be a stretch but would certainly be possible with the right amp. Bright and clear sound when played unplugged, but the resonance just goes on and on and on; pick a string and the body sustains the tone for minutes on end. Could not discern any unwanted "noise".

The action is truly a wondrous thing to behold, very low indeed. Very easy to play, but I suspect much harder to play well, Hence, in my book anyway, the ideal beginner's electric. Fretting it is a dream. The fittings and finish are absolutely flawless; the aesthetic play between the pink of the body and the "whiter shade of pale" of the neck cannot be done justice in most photographs. If I have only one whine about the look, it's that Fender could have added a little blue to the paisley motif back in '68 and so played up the detail. Ah, well. :)

Finish appears to be durable, but since it is new time will tell the tale there. All the fittings, tuners, controls and connectors appear solid and will definitely last as long as the originals have with good care. If it can handle several hours of scales and chord study, a gig'll be a walk in the park.

I had been dabbling with the guitar for nearly a year when I discovered this unusual gem sitting on the wall at MusicStop. I fell in love with it immediately, swept away by its exotic yet youthful beauty, but kept putting off buying it because "I couldn't afford it" and "it was too extravagant a purchase just for _me_". One payday Saturday I again wandered to the music store and the Pink Paisley, now on sale and available on an installment plan. I would have sighed at its beauty, not being worthy of it, and would have let it go again but for the family looking for a guitar for their teenage daughter who, briefly, held that which I'd only dare to love from afar but could not bear to see in another's arms. Almost as soon as they had set it back on the wall, I picked it up and pledged my soul and $38 a month to it, and took home that precious jewel, without hearing it, solely on the looks and the label, at once so happy that I finally had something beautiful for me, yet fretful that none could share my joy. I had little to fear; the musicians with whom I shared this gem were impressed, amazed even, by its quality and ability to do just as they wished. The more I read about the Tele, too, the deeper my love for this guitar of mine grew. Now, I look forward each night to spending some serious quality time with it, and I found my passion for learning the guitar has gone through the roof. There is no greater motivation than knowing that you're playing a beautiful and extraordinary instrument.

This is a 2002 re-issue of the 1968 Paisley Telecaster. All vintage specs with a polyester finish. The heal of the neck sports a crafted in Japan decal. The tuners are most likely the Gotah/Klusen copies which are excellent. The bridge is your typical string through the back three barrel stainless steel set up. The body wood is apparently basswood with the paisley material glued to it. The electronics are passive and the neck is a one piece maple neck with 21 vintage frets. The truss rod is also vintage style. The only detail that I found different from the original 68 is that this one does not have the Fender on the neck plate. The orginal 68,I believe also sported an ash body.

I sort of took a chance when I purchased this guitar. Since I bought it over the internet, I did not have a chance to play before I purchased. I was astounded by how good this guitar sounds. It has a slightly more punchy, darker tone than your normal 50's or 60's tele. I played it through a Hughes & Kettner Triplex solid state and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp. I got a good overdrive sound in the bridge position and still got the good old tele twang as well. My music styles are ecclectic so my gear and effects are all over the map.My prime styles would be British style blues and reverb laden surf. This guitar seems to do both quite nicely.

This was a subject where I was at first apprehensive. However,when I unpacked it, I found this guitar to be impecably finished. There where strings already on it and when I tuned it up, it went right to pitch. I am not sure if it was pre set up or what. It was better set up than most guitars I have played off the wall in music stores. The only problem was that the tone pod was loose. I think that may have happend while being transprted by truck. Too much vibration. A quick tightening of the pod nut cured the problem. The action for me, was just right. The neck has a nice feel and better than a lot of new American standard teles that I have played. The paisley finish was beautiful. I am sure its not for everybody, but I have been attracted to these ever since they first came out in 1968. I am attacted to trippy and different guitars.

Other opinions on this guitar state that it is lightweight. I think that it is lighter then an ash bodied tele, however it isn't whimpy either. I think that a little weight is good. This one has a nice balance. All the hardware is your standard Fender quality. I am not playing live anymore but I am sure it would withstand many a gig as long as you are not using it as a battle axe.

Unless the neck is comming apart or something drastic, I wouldn't bother. Musicians Friend has a great customer support as long as it is taken care of in their window of time. Fender will send you to a low paid warranty tech if the problem falls within the warranty period. My suggestion would be to learn as much as you can yourself. Whatever you don't feel comfortable with, take to a professional tech or luthier. Believe me, it is worth the money.

I have been playing for over thirty years. Beginning on classical guitar and blues and rock for the last twenty years. I own and have owned a vast category of guitars, accoustic and electric.My current quiver includes a Rick 360 twelve string, a Gibson flying V, a Fender Lone-Star strat that I mounted Lindy Fralin pick-ups, A Stat and tele that I built from Warmoth parts, Martin D-1, Baby Taylor, Ovation Accoustic, Epiphone Jr. Various Boss, Vox, Electro-Harmonics pedals. I have played many a tele, and this is as good as any one I ever played. It is an incredible deal for the money, Unless you get a lemon, I think that any tele player would like it. I would at least try one out. Custom shop axes may have the edge over this one but not by much. What I like about this quitar is the attention to detail, the feel of the neck, and the tone. Tone can be subjective so be your own judge, but I can't find anything I don't like about this guitar. If I had the money, I would also but the blue floral version.

Simple, almost perfect, regular tele stuff

This is one of the best tele's I have ever played, next to a friends
Custom shop relic. this pink tele plays and sounds as good.
This is my forth tele in 5 years all the others were american and Jap
and this one has the sound..

action was perfect, just a little adjustment to the neck pickup..
Which is a pain to do considering you have to remove the pickguard..

I have replaced the strap buttons with locking ones..
the tuners are fine and I have no need to replace them

I will give this a rock steady 9.. The finish is as good as my PRS
but this thing has Mojo, and is not a stale sounding ..

pretty much the same as the guy's description above. Although the person above says he doesn't like the 3 way saddles, I have no problem with them. My '53 has them and they've worked pretty good, haven't they? (Question: Did you buy this guitar solely because of its finish???)

The person above states he doesn't care for the pickups - I can't see why one would purchase a guitar if it doesn't sound the way you want it, but I had intended to change the pickups before I bought it, since I know the manufacturer of the Japanese pickups and was fairly sure they would not sound as I wanted. I was wrong. I tracked this guitar in a studio within 3 hours of getting it and the pickups had all the snap that Teles should have. Pleasant surprise. Basswood body gives the guitar less thin-sound than an ash body (which some are).

Japanese stuff is better than the MIM or US stuff, hands down. This guitar came out in perfect condition. Period. And I have worked on 1,000's of guitars over 25 years.

Only thing I did was replace the strap buttons with Strap Loks. It's already seen three recording seeions and one gig within two weeks of ownership. Not bad for $400!

This is the 2002 reissue Japanese Pink paisley Telecaster. This guitar has a lightweight basswood body. Standard single coils in neck and bridge.It has a vintage 3 barrel bridge.Glossy all maple neck w/medium frets. vintage tuners( klusions I think).Body is a wall paper pink paisley w/ a pink sunburst on the edges. came w/a gig bag

The guitar would probably do it all except heavy metal! I am using a fender princeton chorus. the pick ups are very lackluster( on the weak side)...but this guitar plays wonderfully unplugged so it is a matter of changing the pickups( which I will do soon).

Guitar came set up beatifully!!! no flaws as far as finish goes.the tone knob seems to have become loosen a bit. I really don't care for the pickups and the 3 barrel bridge( that will be switched out too.I like to be able to intonate)

Seems like a soild guitar...but it won't see much outside action!!!

Haven't dealt with them so I don't know......

This is a great guitar...beatiful wookmanship and it just plays like a dream and is soooo grooovy( yeah baby). if it was stolen or lost I would cry and then see if I could find another one for a descent price( not Ebay!)....I wish it had a 6 saddle bridge and better pickups!!!