Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue

This is the '72 MIM reissue in Walnut finish, 2 humbuckers, you know the deal. Like so many here, I replaced the neck pickup pots to 500k, and am very pleased with the difference.

I play rock (think Sonic Youth, Neil Young, Stooges, Polvo, etc) and i guess i cosider myself a "fender guy". I use it with a '67 blackface bandmaster head and avatar cab. like i said, i replace the neck pots but also the switch. one thing the reviewer before me pointed out is that the wire that runs from the switch to the output jack is unshielded - i've found that this creates hum when you're not touching the guitar. probably a good idea to replace this with some nice shielded cable. otherwise i love the sound - i was looking for a humbucking alternative to my main guitar, an american g&l asat classic.

i got this guitar secondhand, but came pretty well set-up. in fact, i may actually give it more neck relief cuz it buzzes a bit. i'm a little torn, because it's not so bad and the action is fantastic. finish is beautiful, it's one of the nicest looking guitars IMHO. neck is nice although slightly thicker than i was used to, but i've grown to really like it. i even like the huge 70's headstock.

after the mods i can see this becoming one of my main guitars. i'm a firm believer in reasonably-priced guitars and i think this is a killer value for the money. it seems as reliable as the most expensive guitars i've owned, but you have to be able to open it up and check it out. the slightest adjustments improve it greatly.

second hand, not really applicable.

i've been playing 20 years. i own a G&L asat classic, '67 bandmaster, blues jr, tech 21 practice amp, various pedals - some that i've built. it's a great guitar, but do the mods (i know, broken record, most people seem to agree). i don't think it's necessary to change the bridge pots.

This guitar has two Fender humbuckers (which are NOT replica's of the Wide Range pickups found in the originals), 21 frets, Les Paul style switching and overall configuration, decent tuners, great glossy finish (which can get a little sticky when it comes to the neck), excellent fretwork and the neck joint was excellent. Compared to an original '72 Deluxe, this neck is considerably wider at the 1st fret as the originals tapered off a bit.

Ok, I'm writing the review because I recently had all the pots replaced with 500k CTS pots. I was skeptical about whether the difference would actually be a positive one, but I decided to give it a shot based on the fact that the stock pickups were quite muddy (particularly the neck). Needless to say, the difference was night and day, it's a completely different guitar now. The output is hotter and clearer, with excellent string clarity. Also, be careful, the wire running from the pickup selector is unshielded, replace this wire as well. Right now, with the mods, this went from being a great playing guitar that sounded pretty good, to sounding great and more open while being less noisy. The tone controls work great, but now the bridge pickup requires me to roll the tone a little bit (I keep it at 8) due to the added brightness there. With the mod, I'd rate the sound of this at an 8, without, I'd give it a 4 or 5. My rating in this category reflects it post-mod.

The action, of course, needs work as the factory setup wasn't great. The finish and everything else was excellent, though I'd also recommend removing the pickguard and cleaning out the body cavity if you've just bought it as the inside was a little messy. I actually haven't had any problems with the tuners at all, and find that the stock tuners hold tuning as well as my 2008 American made Strat neck, and better than my 1995 American made Telecaster.

This guitar is heavy and still feels solid after 5 years. The hardware has held up great, and so has the finish. There's no reason to provide anything other than a perfect rating in this category.

Haven't had to deal with Fender so I have no opinion in this category.

I've been playing for about 15 years now, and have 5 electric guitars, a few basses, and two acoustics. I don't gig anymore, as I've been focusing my efforts on engineering and production. With the mods I just had made, I feel like this guitar has been brought to life. It finally sounds as good as it looks. I still wish Fender went further in replicating the original guitars with this reissue, but if you disregard the differences, you'll find that with a few changes, this will become a modern classic. Unfortunately, this guitar now costs about $250 more than when I first purchased it. At $700 it was a great value, at the $940 it retails at the time of this review, it's less of a value as the mods and labor involved in having a good tech install them, will put this guitar at over $1,000.

09 MODEL--MADE IN MEXICO--21 MEDIUM JUMBO FRETS--2 VOL/2 TONE CONTROLS--FENDER 'WIDE RANGE' HUMBUCKERS--MAPLE NECK AND FRETBOARD--2 PIECE ALDER BODY--HARDTAIL BRIDGE--STAGGERED VINTAGE TUNERS(F STYLE)

THE DELUXE IS A GUITAR I'VE HAD MY EYES ON FOR A WHILE, AS IT COVERS A BROAD RANGE OF MUSIC--I RUN THIS THRU A M BOOGIE RECTOVERB--VERY WARM AND FAT SOUNDING--

I HAD THE TELE SET UP BY A TECH, AS ALL GUITARS OUT OF A BOX NEED THIS--THE FIT AND FINISH IS REALLY VERY WELL DONE, AND FENDER'S MEXICAN MADE INSTRUMENTS IN GENERAL ARE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER--THE NECK POCKET IS PERFECT, THE BODY IS 2 PIECE CENTRE-JOINED ALDER-UNUSUAL IN A MID-PRICED FENDER--THE TUNERS, PICKGUARD, FRETS ARE ALL WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, AND BELIEVE ME, I'M REALLY REALLY PICKY ON THIS STUFF!!--THE ONLY THING I CHANGED WERE THE BRIDGE SADDLES--I UPGRADED TO A SET OF GRAPH-TECH STRING SAVER SADDLES--

ABSOLUTELY IT WILL WITHSTAND GIGS--THE FINISH IS A POLY FINISH, BUT NOT AS 'HEAVY' AS SOME OTHER FENDERS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING--I WOULD DEFINITELY PLAY THIS W/O A BACKUP--

FENDER HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL TO ME IN REGARDS TO ANY QUESTIONS I MIGHT HAVE

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR ALMOST 42 YEARS, AND HAVE OWNED A NUMBER OF GUITARS IN GENERAL, AND TELES IN PARTICULAR--I REALLY LOVE THE DELUXE!!--IT IS BALANCED, WARM, BIG SOUNDING--IT COVERS A LOT OF GROUND MUSICALLY, AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY--AND IT'S A GUITAR YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TOO MUCH--THE OTHER TELE I OWN IS A 50'S 'ROAD WORN', RELEASED THIS YEAR FROM FENDER, AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT ONE EITHER

Made in 2007 in Mexico. Walnut finish.
Two wide range humbuckers.
Large strat headstock.
The neck is quite wide, and I really had to get used to it after playing a Gibson SG for years. I still prefer the Gibson neck.
It came with a Fender deluxe gigbag.

I have used this guitar on different tubeamps and it works fine on all of them. I now use an Voc AC30. I use some overdrives (visual sound route 66, MI audio crunch box and blue boy, EH big muff), MXR micro amp. Artec analog delay and a Ibanez weeping demon wahpedal.
I play all kinds of styles but mainly Blues, rock and garagerock. It suits this styles perfect.
Because I wanted a more versatile guitar I changed the volume pots into 500k push pull pots.
I don't really hear a difference in the change from 250k to 500k, although it might sound a little clearer, but I love the sounds when I puh it to single coil. Specialy with the bridge pup as abucker and the neck pup to singlecoil gives a vey nice 'kinks'sound with some overdrive. Love it.
Although I made some changes I still give this guitar a 10 for the price.

Except for a loose contact in the pick-up selecter it iss perfect.
Action is ok??, although, as i stated before, ot has not my kind of neck.
I minored the points for this in the features cathorogy already.

The knobs an pick-up switch seem not to be of the best quality. The rest of the guitar seems to be ok?? imho.

no idea how customer support is. I went back to my dealer with the gigbag which had a zipproblem, and with the guitars loos contact. HThey directly gave a new gigbag and fixed the loose contact. I don't know whether Fender was involved here.

I've been playing for about 30 years. I got vox and fender tube-amps. I also have a Gretsch archtop.
If it was stolen I probably would buy me another one (however there are so many fabulous guitars in this world).
It is not quite as noisy as a Fender mexico standard tele, which sounds nice also. Also compared it to a Ibanez jetking 2 Upgraded with GFS dream 180 pickups: the Fender is much fuller an the Ibanez is thinner in sound but plays easier imho.
Can't really compare it to the Gretsch, which is a totally different guitar, with a totally different sound (but also a very good guitar).

Made in 2007 in Mexico. Walnut finish.
Two wide range humbuckers.
Large strat headstock.
The neck is quite wide, and I really had to get used to it after playing a Gibson SG for years. I still prefer the Gibson neck.
It came with a Fender deluxe gigbag.

I have used this guitar on different tubeamps and it works fine on all of them. I now use an Voc AC30. I use some overdrives (visual sound route 66, MI audio crunch box and blue boy, EH big muff), MXR micro amp. Artec analog delay and a Ibanez weeping demon wahpedal.
I play all kinds of styles but mainly Blues, rock and garagerock. It suits this styles perfect.
Because I wanted a more versatile guitar I changed the volume pots into 500k push pull pots.
I don't really hear a difference in the change from 250k to 500k, although it might sound a little clearer, but I love the sounds when I puh it to single coil. Specialy with the bridge pup as abucker and the neck pup to singlecoil gives a vey nice 'kinks'sound with some overdrive. Love it.
Although I made some changes I still give this guitar a 10 for the price.

Except for a loose contact in the pick-up selecter it iss perfect.
Action is ok??, although, as i stated before, ot has not my kind of neck.
I minored the points for this in the features cathorogy already.

The knobs an pick-up switch seem not to be of the best quality. The rest of the guitar seems to be ok?? imho.

no idea how customer support is. I went back to my dealer with the gigbag which had a zipproblem, and with the guitars loos contact. HThey directly gave a new gigbag and fixed the loose contact. I don't know whether Fender was involved here.

I've been playing for about 30 years. I got vox and fender tube-amps. I also have a Gretsch archtop.
If it was stolen I probably would buy me another one (however there are so many fabulous guitars in this world).
It is not quite as noisy as a Fender mexico standard tele, which sounds nice also. Also compared it to a Ibanez jetking 2 Upgraded with GFS dream 180 pickups: the Fender is much fuller an the Ibanez is thinner in sound but plays easier imho.
Can't really compare it to the Gretsch, which is a totally different guitar, with a totally different sound (but also a very good guitar).

i want to make the upgrade to 500k pots on the neck pickup as it does sound muddy........anyone out there got info on the pots used,part no's etc,.........i live in the uk, any help , advice,info and links to uk sites would be greatly appreciated.

billygaffney@hotmail.com



would get a 10 out of ten if the neck pickup wasnt so muddy

this is a great guitar .ive used many over the years but this one is a little bit special.if you thinking about getting one.......just do it!!!!

this is a 2004 reissue mim tele deluxe. for the last 13 years i have regretted selling my original 1972 original black on black tele deluxe. i was young and stupid and sold it for about 300 to black market music in san francisco because i needed rent money 1994. in 94 these resold for about 700-800. enough about my regrets this tele plays as good as the one i used to own. it feels a little heavier, but the sound is there. you all know the specs on this guitar.

i cant tell you how good this tele sounds. i play it with an old 1965 gibson ga15rvt watt tube and a 1482 silvertone mid 60's what i like about this guitar is its dynamics. i can change its sound by how hard i hit the notes. goes from clean to dirty almost instantly. this may be playing through 15 watt vintage amps. still i love this sound

i bought it set up so i'm not sure, but everyone should get their guitar set up for them. so i'll give it an 8. low action plays perfect. i hear all fenders need a set up.

seems dependable but i no longer play live. i would bring myt les paul if i were playing a show. the fender tuners have been doing quite fine, but if they become tired i will replace them with grovers.

bought it at a guitar show. i trust guitar tech's more than companies

i play this with an old 60's gibson and an old 60's silvertone. both are tube gems. i also have a fender twin that my brother has had for the last 7 years. when i get that one back it will be the right amp for this guitar.

Already posted in all the other reviews. Mexican made, gibson controls, two wide range pickups. Maple neck, string thru body......

This guitar sounds great for everything but high gain music. Use it with a tube amp and u will love the way it sounds. Very nice fender sound. It sounds the way it should sound. Everyone says to change the pots, but do not. 250k pots are perfect for this guitar, These are not a humbucking pickups, they shouldn't have 500k. You lose the sound of the guitar if you change the pots. If you have changed the pots already, you may as well have bought a les paul or something. I cant stress this enough, dont change the pots. If you want a different sound, buy a different guitar. Leaver the way she is, and she will sound great.

Fender doesn't set there guitars up at all. They just eye out the intonation and actions. Don't believe them when they say they set them up before they go out. The don't set them up , barley any companies truly set their guitars up. So you need to set it up when you get it. The electronics were all good. Finish was good. Everything put the action, intonation and lack of fret polishing was good. But im gonna give it a 5 , because all guitars sound horrible if there not set up.

Built like a volvo. The tuners are not going to last. Fender is to cocky, or to proud to put grovers on there guitars. They only use fender products. But I guess I cant blame them , its good for the image. Very dependable. WOULD I USE IT WITHOUT A BACKUP?? strings break, you need to have a backup.

Never dealt with it. I heard its bad though.

Over all a great guitar for the money. Very modest, mean tele sounding, beast. Definitly a workhorse and something that will last you a long time. I would recommend it to anyone. DONT CHANGE THE POTS. change the tuners if you have the money, and.... set it up when you get it. For the money i would give it a 9.

Mine is a MIM '72 Deluxe Reissue. 2 Fender Wide Range pickups, 21-fret maple fretboard. Gibson-style wiring with individual tone and volume for each pickup, 3-way selector, belly contour on the body. Bought mine used from Ebay for $440(may as well have held a gun to the guy, haha). Mine is bone stock, all the features have been covered here multiple times. Mine came with the crapola gig bag, which was immediately replaced with a G&G Tweed case.

Alright, it's been said here that changing to 500k pots is a recommended mod for this guitar. May I say that this is the biggest understatement of all time. If you don't make this change, you're a fool. I swapped all pots except for the bridge tone for 500k. Before the change, the neck pickup was muddy and dull and really didn't add anything. However, dropping the 500k pots in there brings out a bluesy lead tone that will cut like a knife. I play blues and rock, and played straight through my Peavey Classic 50 this guitar is a tone monster. So much thicker than my Strat. I played it live for the first time this week and got tons of comments and questions about my tone. It is somewhat...ok, completely ridiculous that Fender didn't just send this thing from the factory with 500k pots already installed, because it's just another guitar without them. I don't even use the bridge pickup...don't need it. That neck is so thick and warm that you can get any bluesy tone you want out of it with some tone and volume manipulation. It really will blow you away. The middle position will give you great rhythm tone as well. Think Keith Richards tone there. There is a minor hum problem, which will most likely be corrected when I line the cavity with shielded tape. This guitar isn't as versatile as say, a Strat, but it does blues rock and does it damn well. It didn't replace anything so much as it added a new sound to my reportiore. I'm digging it.

Ok, so it's a MIM, so I didn't expect Custom Shop levels of fit and finish. That said, it's very solidly built. The pocket is tight and the wires are neatly run under the pickguard. Mine is walnut with a black pickguard and nickel hardware(mojo city, baby). As with all my guitars, I had my luthier set it up for .10s when I got it. After the setup, it plays like a dream. As a devoted rosewood fan, I'm having to get used to the thick maple neck. I think that the thicker neck adds to the tone, though. I'm docking it here for not having 500k pots from the factory, but other than that it was very nice.

Can't really comment on this, since I've only been gigging with the Tele for a week or two, but it feels solid with no electrical issues. I don't have a backup but once the Strat comes out of the shop I'll have it for different tonal situations.

I've had no dealings with Fender Support.

As I said, after the simple potentiometer upgrade, this guitar comes alive. I probably won't change anything else unless I decide to drop a Seth Lover in the bridge or something. This guitar has all kinds of tone, but it shines on blues leads. I was able to stand all over the Strat players with this guitar. I've been playing for about four years. I play a Peavey Classic 50 4x10 with a Tonebone pedal for distortion when needed. This guitar slid right in and works with everything I play. Very impressive.

something has to be said here... when i read the other reviews, it seems that a lot of peole expecting a humbucker sound out of the deluxe... well... THERE IS NO HUMBUCKER IN THE DELUXE... those pups are fender wide range which are quite different... those pups are very nice and are the real interest of this guitar... replace with humbucker is really dumb... in my opinion...

but, as some said THE POTS MUST BE CHANGED TO 500KHOM OR 1MHOM... if i find the fender guy who decide to put 250k in the deluxe i'll kick his *** 'till his eyes get out of his head...

so to the other users of this superb guitar, change the pots and then judge...

set-up factory sucks
i put a 5 'caus of the pots

a tank

Black model, made in mexiko. alder or ash body, I don??t know. maple neck with early 70??s strat headstock and "Fender micro neck adjust" screw below neckplate. two fender humbucker pickups, gibson style elctronics. I bought it new and it came with a so called "luxury" gigbag which is useless to me. the rockbag I use is far better and anyway a proper case is the best home for a guitar. I would have loved to get a lower price when leaving the bag in the shop but they did not want to keep it either. the manual is standard for all models and sais nothing about the "micro neck adjust" feature. they could have kept it either. I give it an 8 because of a poor "luxury" gigbag and pretty useless manual.

After testing the guitar I found the neck pickup too muddy, got 500k potis and made the mod just as so many people recommended here. after that the neck pickup sounded fine but the bridge pickup was ugly! much too harsh. So I wired the bridge back to 250k and now everything is fine. the bridge pickup is round and warm, the neck bites, and with both PUs on it gets rather funky. the response and dynamic is also very good. I play mostly instrumental styles from 60ties vintage to experimental sounds, also as part of a techno duo. I have use for the dynamic as I have a lot of acoustic space in the music to create long repeating ever changing riffs and sounds and go with the "drama" of the dance music.

Unlike other reviewers I find a lot of tele type bite on this guitar. I never owned or used any other tele but I am surprised about how much bite this one has despite the humbuckers.

the neck was not put in straight. the E string could not be played on high frets. luckily the guitar freak at the local store showed me how to deal with that - loosen the neck screws a bit, push the neck into the right position and tighten the screws again. also, the neck is very low. I use 009 - 042c strings and to my surprise when loosening the neck bolt the tension is not enough to push the neck up. it is ok but I hope I figure out a way to deal with that. maybe experiment with the neck adjustment screw below the neckplate. exept from neck position everything else is fine.

No opinion yet...

no idea.

I love the early 70??s strat neck and headstock, probably because I play a customised Fender Bronco from around that time ever since I was 19. I feel at home on this guitar. also I like the bastard style of this guitar - a tele body with strat neck and gibson style electronics. You can??t be less puristic.

Being a single coil player all my life I am surprised how important the wood is for the sound. This guitar gives me classic US country rock sounds which makes me laugh as it is so cliche. I put Seymour duncan phat cat single coils into a mahagony Gibson Sonex Deluxe and they have less "bite" than the humbuckers in this guitar.

I give it a nine because of sound and playability. I hope I do not need to sell it for a long time.

Mine is a Black 2005 CIJ (Crafted In Japan) model. It differs from the Mexican made models in the following ways:
Ash body instead of Alder
Fender WR Humbuckers are 12.4k (bridge) and 12.6k (neck) stock, compared to the ~10.2-10.5k pickups in the MIM models.

I have rewired the guitar with Gibson 500k pots ("59" wiring) and knobs, Hovland musicaps and Mallory tone bleeder caps. With the even-hotter pickups, the stock 250k pots and tone caps sounded muffled and 'cardboard'.

Also installed Sperzel locking tuners. The stock ones were mediocre on stability and were very sensitive compared to other Fender tuners.

Stock I give it a 8 due to the pots and sensitive tuners, a 10 in its modified form.

On electric I play mostly blues-rock and rock'n'roll. This guitar is far more sensitive to touch and input cues than any Les Paul style HH I've ever played. Through different amps, this guitar can cover non-twangy country to Jimi Hendrix to pre-Pyromania Def Leppard to Judas Priest with disturbing authority and authenticity. This guitar definitely does not have any of the twang associated with traditional Telecasters. It provides an extremely wide-band richness in neck and middle positions, and soulful, womanly wails on bridge solos. The neck position loses some of the bass, but does not get harsh in the mid-to-high range at all.

I play it most often with a modified Fender Blues Junior, though I sometimes play through an 80's Marshall JCM800 2203 into Vintage Modern cabinets.

The factory set-up was about an 8 - better than most of the USA made Fenders. I've made some adjustments to the pole heights on the pickups and put a quarter-turn into the neck truss when I set it for 11's, otherwise the string clearance and intonations are stellar. Within the year I'll probably replace the factory nut (they're always mediocre at best), but I'm not in a huge hurry.

Being a CIJ guitar, the fit and finish are simply unparalleled. I brought my Tele Deluxe into two major music stores to compare side-by-side with multiple MIM models. There was simply no comparison. Even the techs were shocked by the degree of craftsmanship.

The only problem I had was the pickup selector switch's screws were loose, so the contact plates didn't always make a great connection. I replaced the switch with a spare.

It's very heavy, noticeably heavier than the MIM Alder-bodied ones. I've gigged with it, I'm never worried at all about it. Of course, strap locks are required hardware on any gigged guitar if you want it to last more than one show. :)

If a guitar is physically built well, there's no use for a warranty. The electrics are so simple (and I ALWAYS modify them on any guitar I have) that the only thing to really worry about is physical damage, and that's not a warranty issue - that's a too much whiskey issue!

I've been playing 12 years. I love acoustic guitars most of all. These days I have an Ovation 12-string, a Yamaha classical guitar and an Ibanez HH electric which has become wall art since buying my Tele Deluxe. I've been through a lot of guitars and never found a solid-body electric that I liked enough to really keep until now. After owning a CIJ Tele Deluxe I don't think I could own a MIM model, but it's not that the MIM model is bad. I'd rate the MIM an 8 overall. But this one's a 9.

First of all there is need to say that I'm from non english speaking country so I'm sorry for my english!

This guitar rocks!!! I have had several guitars and this one suit me very well. Lp style pots, humbuckers, sexy black body, fantastic neck... I have to say I have had never problems with tuners - my guitar staying tune for days!

Only two very very bad thing are the switch (I replaced it after 2 days - it was one of most horrible switches I have ever saw) and the second (very very very important) thing is 250K pot everywhere - i have played my guitar for few months and there was something with its tone. Neck pickup was too muddy, bridge was nearly ok, neck+bridge=disaster... i read this reviews and they told me that I should change the pots from 250K to 500K. I did that and the guitar is fantastic now!!! I put 500K for both volumes, 500K for the neck and I kept 250k for bridge cause i like it (don't like very very bright sounds, with 250K at bridge tone is guitar very well balanced - bridge, neck, neck+bridge are very well balanced compared to each other).

So there I want to say this: "DON'T WAIT AND CHANGE THE POTS !!!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'ARE MISSING !!!"

I think that this is very good guitar for it's price... I don't mind it doesn't sound like original 1972 tele - this reissue is great!

The 9 is only for bad pots and switch...

(after changing pots)

My setup:

This fantastic tele -> wobo buffer/booster -> Fulldrive II -> Turbo RAT -> DS-1 Japan + DD-3 Japan 1st version (both BOSS'es are looped with Toadworks Looper - I like true bypass pedal chain) -> VOX AC15 CC1

The guitar has very very rich sound. It's like a wave! Fantastic!

Neck pickup is great for soloing, it sounds very full and WARM. It's great with little overdrive (very little drive :) ) I love it for its very clear nearly acustic sound.

Bridge pickup is not very tipycal for telecaster - It's humbucking sound, maybe there is some twang... It seems to be thicky for my - cause of this I am always playing through NECK(8/10 at volume) + BRIDGE when I wanna be loud and and play dirty tones - this add neccasary kick and the guitar is like a hammer (not for metal but very good for alternative/indie/classic rock).

Finish was great. Guitar is made in mexiko, but it has pricise look.

i don't worry about action - first thing which I do is that I change strings and set the action and all on the guitar for me.

I have problems only with the swith - the switch was really horrible!!!

I have never contact them so I don't know...

This guitar is great for everyone who want something different. It suits very good to alternative, indie, pop, classic rock. The first thing which you HAVE TO do is go to your luthier and change the pots!!! This is the main reason why I decided to write this review - because of pots changing!!!!!

Reedici??n japonesa de 2003 en color walnut con el golpeador negro. El cuerpo es de aliso y el m??stil de arce. Trae de serie dos humbuckers "wide range" de Fender, que vienen a ser como las "Seth Lover" de Seymour Duncan. Hay que tener en cuenta que estas humbuckers son de mayor tama??o que las humbuckers normales y que es muy dif??cil encontrarlas en el mercado. Las grandes marcas pastilleras no las fabrican, ??nicamente R??o Grande y Fender.

La 72' Deluxe es tremendamente vers??til y me atrevo a decir que vale para cualquier estilo de m??sica, desde jazz hasta metal. Yo toco rock-pop con un Hot Rod Deville 212 con Vintage 30. Esta guitarra funciona estupendamente bien con cualquier distorsi??n que le pongas: Rat, T-Rex M??ller, Big Muff...
Las pastillas son muy limpias y no tienen demasiada salida, lo que permite controlar muy bien el sonido.
Eso s??, de Telecaster s??lo tiene el nombre: suena c??lida, con un cuerpo incre??ble y tiene bastante sustain, por lo que su sonido anda muy cercano a una Les Paul. No en vano, Fender sac?? este modelo para competir con Gibson en los setenta.
Quiz?? la pastilla de graves deber??a ser un poco m??s brillante y no tan opaca, pero de esta manera viene bien para usarla con wah-wah o con fuzz sin que el sonido se vaya de agudos y resulta ideal para arpegios y jazz.

El m??stil es comod??simo, como el de una Strato y los acabados... ??Hace falta decir c??mo trabajan nuestros amigos los japoneses?. Pues eso, acabados pefectos, sin m??cula.

Esta guitarra da la sensaci??n de ser pr??cticamente indestructible. Tan robusta como su sonido.

Afortunadamente no ha habido necesidad de contactar con el fabricante.

Llevo tocando trece a??os. Tengo una Gibson LP Standard y otra LP Custom, una Fender reddici??n del 52 y una Epiphone Riviera. Pues bien, la 72' Deluxe se ha convertido en mi favorita, por versatilidad, por comodidad, por est??tica y por lo bien que suena.
Lo ??nico malo de esta guitarra es que no venga con estuche r??gido de f??brica.

Mexican made Tele deluxe - walnut finish on alder body.. mine has a beautiful maple neck.. I picked the best one in town, some had minor flaws in the grain. It has 2 humbuckers 2 volume and 2 tone controls, and a 3pos. pickup switch.. the fender humbuckers have staggered poles on the top to add brightness to the high strings and warmth to the low strings, and sound very nice and smooth. The bridge is vintage style hardtail. The neck is very nice for us with big hands.. it has the old strat style baseball bat neck with a big headstock.. some people have dissed the headstock in reviews because it is either clumsy or it isn't a tele headstock, but it serves its purpose (added sustain) and this is what the original tele deluxes came with. I love the neck and the smaller frets.. it feels like a 70's strat neck.. which is what made me fall in love with fender to begin with. I should give it a lower rating due to some of the cheap hardware and electronics that are on this guitar, but I love the neck and the pickups so much.. I give it an 8

I play in an instrumental experimental rock band... we use a lot of different tones and sounds.. I bought the tele deluxe to get warmer tones for certain songs that my 87 G&L ASAT3 won't do.. I use a Laney GL50 single channel 50 watt tube amp with 4x12 cabinet and no effects.. this thing screams bloody murder all night long and the range of tones you get is really really nice... I absolutely love the things this guitar can do and it feels great doing it! OH WAIT, I mean they are NOW!!! I bought this guitar for the neck, the body, and the pickups.. the rest of it HAS TO BE REPLACED.. it is not an option.. with the original 250k pots you have almost no volume control and the tone is horrible.. HORRIBLE! you can get some nice muddy tones... if that's cool with you, and all you need then fine, but I replaced all the pots with 500k CTS pots and put sprague orange drop caps in it as well.. I also changed the pick up switch and put nice shielded wiring in it.. I also had to get new knobs, the ones that are on it are screw-down type for solid shaft pots.. and the CTS pots are split shaft.. the only thing i didn't replace is the input jack which seemed solid enough. Why go through all this trouble? why buy the guitar at all if you have to do all this to it?? Well it sounds amazing now.. looks and feels great.

The only issue I have now with the sound is getting to the right volume knob while I'm playing.. It's a bit of an adjustment if you are used to strat or tele setups..

I give it a lower rating just for making me have to work for the sound

I don't think they even try to set up the mexican fenders at the factory.. I am assuming that anything done to this one was done at the store.. some of the guitars I've seen right out of the box had action all the way against the neck.. I adjusted the poles on the pickups to get a nice balance on the strings, adjusted the action and truss for a heavier gauge string.. and then I get to the intonation.. and the low E will not intonate at all.. so what now? replace the bridge as well?? the slots on the nut seem a little too shallow, which may cause some intonation problems but mainly, the saddle set screws will not allow you to screw the saddle back far enough to get it intonated properly.. It will go right into the string.. I don't know if this is a problem with every gauge string, but if you use anything bigger than 9's, you will probably run into this problem.. I am replacing the bridge with the modern style that has offset screws..

I will definitely play this guitar live, I would without a backup as well, but I usually have 2 guitars anyway.. the tuning pegs may not stand the test of time, but the rest of the guitar is solid! I believe it has a lacquer finish which wears nicely.. I will depend on this guitar to get me through the night with no worries.

dunno.. I do all my own repairs, but I have heard nothing good about fender's customer support.

I've been playing for... 21 years? I have a g&l asat with 3 pickups (like strat.. not the soapbars) and an american strat.. and the laney amp.. I bought this guitar because I wanted that nice gibsonish humbucker power without paying those gibsonish prices.. This guitar really delivers that power, without the fender tones.. the gibsons can get muddy and hard to control.... but with the staggered poles on the humbuckers, the maple neck, and the longer scale of this guitar.. it loses no brightness on the high end... you really get a nice range of tones and a completely different sound.. and with the new pots and caps, I can even get that telecaster tone. If it were stolen I would try to replace it, but i would be really mad about having to track down all the modifications I would need to actually replace it.. over all this guitar is a great value.. even after replacing the pots, caps, knobs, wiring, p/u switch, and the bridge... a grand total of $94 which brings it up to almost $800 ...it is still about $1000 cheaper than a good gibson.. and $2000 or so cheaper than the original goes for these days..

the deluxe has an interesting history that i won't bore you with here, suffice it to say that it was fender's attempt to combine the best elements of the best guitars at the time to make an 'ultimate' guitar so to speak. it retained the body style and, vaguely, the sound of a telecaster while including the neck, bridge, and contouring of a strat with the electronics layout of a les paul.

the reissue replicates most of the features of the original with a few exceptions-

the tuning machines and bridge saddles are not the same, as the parts used in the 70's are now obsolete and no longer produced. fender substituted them with parts that are period correct, using the slotted 'f' tuners and vintage strat saddles. if you want the guitar to perfectly resemble the original you can easily change it using american standard tuners and bridge saddles, which are very similar to the original parts.

the most notable change is that the pickups are no longer manufactured using cunife pole pieces as magnets. it seems cunife is also obsolete these days... instead, they're completely typical humbuckers with alnico bar magnets, and for reasons i don't understand the guitar comes wired with 250k pots, which winds up muffling the sound of the neck pickup. this is the only misstep i feel fender made with this guitar, and will require you to replace the pots if you want the neck pickup to sound as it should. 500k will do....

the pickups have a very full and lush sound, and the way they attenuate strumming noises makes the guitar perfectly suited for playing rhythm. i feel more satisfied with the neck than the bridge, but i think both are formidable pickups. the guitar will fill more space than a typical fender, which i think suits it better to sparse and minimal music. overall the sound remains somewhat fenderish only with more impact and size.

the guitar plays beautifully, even more so than my american standard tele. the neck is a little thicker than most, but is very comfortable and easy to get used to. the nut comes set very high, as it does on most guitars, and will likely need to be filed if you ever want to play on the first fret.

the guitar feels very solid and i've had no worries that anything will give out on me. again, the construction matches or exceeds my american standard; the neck pocket is actually tighter. i have to say that unscrewing some hundred screws to get the pickguard off is unreasonable, but it's worth it for the sake of looks. often when i play i get a feeling that the guitar will age into an incredible instrument someday.

i wouldn't know

the guitar has a few annoyances but it's become my favorite fairly quickly. fender did the best they could to capture what made the original great, and although they couldn't nail it perfectly they made a guitar that's great in it's own right. if you have the opportunity to test the guitar keep in mind that the neck pickup can sound much better than it does stock with some simple surgery and be sure to inspect the bridge before making any decisions.

I'm sure you've read enough about that in the other reviews, but I will repeat the important facts: Alder body, maple neck, 21 frets, Mexico made, 2 "Wide Range"-Humbucker, big Strat headstock.
It was made in 2006. Too bad the tuners are total crap. They have grooves in the poles which makes it really difficult to change strings. That makes me really angry sometimes. In addition, the tuners get stuck when you roll them and don't keep the strings in tune very long.
I gave 7 points because it has the crappy tuners and didn't have a bag or a case which I would expect in this price range.

I love Indie Rock (Franz Ferdinand ...) and thats why I bought this one. I'm using a small Marshall solid-state. The tele sounds as sparkly and bitchy as i've expected. I only use the neck pickup because I like the sound better than the other ones, the bridge humbucker sounds a bit fuller and warmer and is good for rhythm guitar. But that's not what I've bought this guitar for.
The sustain is okay, not overwhelming, but pretty nice.

The wood workmanship is really good, everything is smooth and nice as it should be. The frets are soft and comfortable.
The factory set up was a bit too low, so I pushed it up. The intonation was good, I didn't have to change the bridge settings. Too bad there was a grout in the bridge which caused that the B string broke very often. Besides, everything was fine.

This one seems to be really solid and will last very long I think. Strap buttons, cable jack and neck joint seem indestructible.

I didn't contact Fender.

Overall, this is a really nice guitar with a cool, chunky sound. The workmanship is great and it feels nice to play it. Too bad the tuners are so bad and it doesn't have a bag or a case.

Everything as stated below. The brown one.

As i really dont like the thin sound of Fenders, but as i needed a backup guitar for my PRS Santana and i thought it could be different, i bought this Fender reissue as the original version are used for sonic Youth, Isis and thats the sound i was after. After first impresions when everything seems ok, i found that the stock pickups were week and muddy. And i really love dark sound as i play through Sovtek mig and orange cab. But they were in lack of power. I was about to buy some new higher output pickups as these wones are not at all like the ones for original. these are regular pickups in just bigger nickle cover, but then i read that the originals had 500k pots, but this version came with 250k. I didnt believe that it could change a lot, but the pot change was really impresive. The guitar came more open, more presence, more power and now i am super happy for its sounds sonic youth clean and has brutal and powerfull distortion like Isis. Not for metal like zack wylde or stuff which i hate, but for sludge metal very good.

No matter what, its good to take guitar to your guitar tech to change some crappy stock things, like the wires inside were a comlete mess and so on. But its no problem for me. outside it was perfect.

Extra solid simple guitar. Just change the pots, pickup switch.

Dont know.

Would suggest for some heavy indy band or for some soffter stoners, sludge type of music. Try to change the pots to 500k. i didnt believe the change it made.

This is the black version. See other reviews for the configuration, 'cause there's only one for the Deluxe. I was never a Fender guy, but the features of the '72 Deluxe were exactly what I was looking for, and I have big hands and LOVE the super-chunky neck and the heft of this beast.

This is a MEAN axe. It's got a dirty, fat tone that's great for rock rhythm playing, and I like to play the occasional bluesy solo with that low-tone Les Paul sound, and with the tone cranked down and the neck pickup on, you can get that tone perfectly with this git. I must admit it's a little noisy/buzzy when I do direct recording into my Mac/Logic Express setup (with an M-Audio MobilePre input device), but through my Tech 21 TM60 amp, it sounds freaking awesome. Two points off for the noise, but tone-wise it's a 10 all the way.

The setup was fair out of the box, but a little buzzy. The finish was great. The knobs were seated a little weird (and it was huge pain to get all the plastic coating off the pickguard and out from around the knob posts). The neck was beautiful. Unfortunately, the high-E tuning peg was completely screwed up, but I must be honest and admit I let the axe slip and fall over the day I bought it, so I don't know if it was already broken or if I did it. In any case, I wasn't a big fan of the vintage-style open Fender tuners, so I took it to good old Subway Guitars in Berkeley and had them replace the tuners and set it up. Now it's solid as a rock, but I do have to deduct a few points for the knobs and tuners.

This thing is a tank. I would have no qualms about using it without a backup. I did put strap-locks on it, but to be honest I didn't even pay attention to whether the original strap buttons were good or not. In any case, super dependable.

I've been playing for 22-23 years, mostly music on the harder side of rock n roll. This axe isn't exactly a lead guitarist's dream (I do confess I've always been bugged by Fender's continued use of 21-fret necks), but for rhythm work and the occasional fatassed solo, this thing is just what the doctor ordered. If you want a solid, pro-level axe that will last for a jillion years, you should keep this one in mind.

mexican 72 reissue. pretty standard fender neck, wide board and thin in the back, skunk stripe. 2 really unique humbuckers - 2 volume 2 tone switches one 3-position switch (b, bn, n)

volumes on this thing are f'd. on the bridge+neck setting, if you turn one volume to the "almost off" range is starts cutting both pickups off. but why do you really need to do that anyway? Just hit the switch

everything else is just as you need

i am a bass player and producer. i got a guitar to learn chord and help my band write songs, improve my versatility. But my guitar player keeps trying to steal this one (he plays a mid 90's les paul and a newer telecaster usa deluxe). It ends up on more recordings than the other guitars in the studio.

The sound, as cliche as it may seem, is just right. Both pickups on its a les paul with a tele bite. A perfect blend of the two. Bridge pickups only through a deep solid state and you're lee ritenour. neck pickup is nasty with a little grit.

This is not a lead players guitar though. To me, it doesn't have a great singing lead tone. No Trey, no SRV here. It is 70's Keith richards if you want it to be, depends on the amp/setting. If you're into that thin, twangy "early" lead style -- you can get it.

As a rhythm guitar you can seemlessly do americana rock, funk, jazz (maybe..but.. if you're serious you probably should get a gibson hollow), etc. but WITH CHARACTER too.

I set up my own stuff and i got it how i like it. I can't remember how the factory setup was but who cares.

In terms of small details. I would ask that they do a little bit better in fret dressing; it doesn't really matter sonically but the rough edges make the guy look cheap. And, how much more would it cost to do a satin neck finish?? I just think that a thinner satin neck finish is such a nicer feel but poly must be a cost cutter ... so that's what i get for the price

small contruction details i would change but its sturdy.

i haven't dealt with them for this particular instrument ... but fender customer support is okay. They are helpful to a point. They are just really protective of replacing big parts. Headstock got snapped in the van door? You're waiting about 8 months and going through a lot of hassle to get a new one. I think they are smart -- they are not in the business of selling necks, bodies, and pickups to people who are making custom guitars --- its a little annoying and accusatory --- it kind of makes you understand how allparts and warmoth came-to-be

I knock it on some other ratings but: new for around $700? ... its really a great allround guitar and i strongly recommend checking it out. The guitar plays well and sounds great.

This is an amendment to my review immediately below, in which I said that the neck on the '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue is very wide.

Actually, it is not. I compared it with the necks of my other electric guitars, and it's not the narrowest, but it's not appreciably wider than any of the others either (three Fenders, two Gibsons, and a couple of other beasties). The girth is in the neck PROFILE. I don't know what constitutes a C-shape, U-shape, or any of the others, but the "chunkiness" is either side of the skunk stripe, between it and the edges of the fretboard. So, if the neck has a bit too much chunk for your tastes, that's where you'd need to ask your favourite luthier to shave it down for you (hey, Jimmy Page has done it...).

Walnut finish (a classy dark brown, not as reddish as the Fender promo photos would have you believe), black scratchplate, four ugly amp-type vol and tone knobs that I'd like to replace with "proper" metal Tele-style knobs, two humbuckers, a really wide fretboard on a chunky neck - so beware! - and the ugly 70s-style Strat headstock.

In other words, the only feature this guitar shares with other Telecasters is its body shape. It really is not a Tele, either in feel or tone. I gather Fender originally wanted to produce a guitar that would compete with the Gibson Les Paul; well, it bears the two required humbuckers, but it ain't a Les Paul either. It really does stand alone, so I recommend you approach it with no preconceptions.

Mine is a 2006 Mexican Deluxe, and I had to replace the initial one I bought from my local Git Centre after a week or two, as the Gibson-style p/u selector switch kept cutting out (it's not a high-quality switch, feels a bit flimsy, really) and the action was high because Fender hadn't cut the nut notches deep enough. Come on, muchachos! The replacement is nice, though. No probs so far.

I play worship music at church, and also blues, for which the Tele Deluxe is fine.

The humbuckers are reasonably powerful without being muddy, but power is not as important to me as tone. On the worship team at my church, I find that this guitar is best deployed in a set in which I won't need to switch guitars, as an amp tweaked for the Deluxe sounds too bright if I then plug in a Strat or other Tele. I usually turn up the amp's treble to compensate for the relatively dark tone of the Deluxe's p/u's, compared with bright single coils.

At church I use a 112 Fender Blues Jr, and at home I use a Twin, 410 Blues DeVille or 212 MusicMan Sixty-Five. It sounds yummy through them all, and the 'buckers still have a certain twang and delicacy of tone if I set the gain for not too much grit. As with traditional Telecasters, using both p/u's at once gives a sweet jangly tone, one of my favourite Tele features.

The p/u's are much less noisy than single-coils, obviously, and will yield some richness and yet some twang, depending on what you want. They are versatile, and I actually can not fault them. As I said above, you can't compare the tone with another guitar, it does stand alone, so you'd have to try one out to see if you like it.

What really did astound me was playing slide on it. What an amazing sound! I use a glass slide, and didn't turn up the amp's gain too much, but the Deluxe really SANG. Completely beautiful, and something I'll definitely explore further with this beastie.

The set-up is good (better than the other Deluxe this one replaced) and the p/u's are decently blended. Nice bridge, different from other Teles. No dangerous screws sticking up to rip your flesh!
The only thing I'd want to replace at some point (beside the vol/tone knobs) is the period-specific tuners, but they are adequate right now.

Somewhere around the 9th/10th frets, there's the tiniest bit of fret-buzz on all strings, but a luthier friend of mine can fix that, and I can't hear it through an amp.

It's a good guitar for the blues I play, but I don't have the longest fingers, so the fretboard width prevents me from really FLYING on it, as opposed to my other two Teles with "normal" necks. I don't mind the neck's chunkiness, but I could live without its width. Other reviewers here say the neck is the guitar's best feature, but for me it's the only drawback. If you have small hands, it is not for you.

Like all Telecasters, the Deluxe is built like a brick outhouse, so it will indeed last. Beware of the p/u selector switch and the tuners, though, the only sub-standard hardware on the guitar. Some people don't like the three-screw neckplate on the back of the instrument, but it doesn't bother me.

The plastic sheet covering the scratchplate comes off easily when you first buy it, but leaves unsightly shreds of itself under the knobs, hanging off the screws, etc, a pain in the neck.

The strap buttons are good, and I have to struggle to attach the new, stiff, strap! So I doubt the guitar will fall off my shoulder while I'm playing it.

I always use a backup guitar when gigging, either at church or when playing the blues (I have a Christian blues ministry). However, this Tele Deluxe really is a dependable instrument.

I think Fender warranties last five years. I only ever called the company once, years ago, and they were not friendly, so I take any problems to my luthier pal. When I needed to replace the Deluxe I bought first, I returned it to my local Git Centre, and they were decent enough to give me another that they had in stock, so kudos goes to them, rather than to Fender.

I've been playing for over thirty years, since I was a kid, and own several other Fender guitars, and amps. This Deluxe really is an oddity in my small collection, with a personality of its own, particularly in its feel. I tried a few Deluxes for several months before buying this one, comparing it with its sister, the '72 Reissue Tele Thinline (also two humbuckers) whose frets were too shallow for my tastes. I do feel ambivalent about this one. It's a guitar for certain applications, not quite as versatile as either of my other Teles (a mid-'90s American Standard and a late-'90s Fat Tele).

I did want a two-humbucker Telecaster, and wonder now if I might have been better off with one of the new FMT (or is it QMT?) Teles, with a "normal" narrower fretboard, and two 'buckers. They don't have this guitar's personality, though.

Things I love: the full, complex tone; the lovely dark walnut colour.
Things I hate: the big ugly headstock and unnecessary four knobs.
Things I neither love nor hate but am learning to live with: the really wide neck. If you play rhythm, it won't matter to you, but I play a lot of lead, so it's quite an adjustment for me.

It will never be my number one guitar (that is my Fat Tele) but it's enjoyable to play. If it was stolen, I'd look for a different two-hum Tele rather than another Deluxe.

Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue, 2 humbuckers, nice black finish. Bascially see the fender site for spec... its what comes as standard with the deluxe.

I have a Gretsch Electromatic & Fender Jagstang already. Both seemed to get lost when we were at practice under the noise my friends Gibson Les Paul made. Not only that he's had some new chunky pick ups put on it, which basically drowns me out. This fender is special. The sound is immense. If you are looking for that choppy sound of The Jam or Indie rock bands look no further. Not just a one trick pony it can also give you beautifully warm tones & sounds great with lots of distortion through it.

Tele's are great anyway, this one the head stock on it reminds me of the Strat which is unusual. The action of the strings is perfect, really low making it easy to play & chord changes or lead a pleasure to play. The pick ups are as the factory set them up, from this ive found them good, maybe i might take it in soon and have it set up. They can sound a little bit muddy at some settings, but don't be put off at all! This guitar is great.
The way i play (badly) i keep catching the pick up selecter switch, im not sure if this is because i'm crap at guitar or whetehr it's slightly lower than im used to. Either way it doesnt matter....

Mines pretty new but i imagine this guitar will last. Tele's tend to. Joe Strummer was still using the same guitar from his clash days until his untily death, these guitars last. The actual feel of the guitar is great, feels really robust and the weight is fine. If you dropped it you wouldn't expect to damage it too much. Infact i have seen a guitarist throw his deluxe during a gig, and use it again the gig after.... robust!

Not had to deal with Fender as yet, hopefully i never will!

For it to be a 10 it would have to be perfect, but this guitar to me is the guitar ive been looking for. After frustrating sessions with others which didnt have that cutting sound i wanted, Fender Deluxe does it all.

I love this guitar, for the price ithink it's great!

this is the Mexico manufactured re-issue of the 72 deluxe - 2 humbuckers, strat body carve, large strat headstock, etc. - alder - walnut color

cover band mostly - all the goofy stuff peole dance to - mostly like strats + tweed - but wanted to try this particular tele. Very quiet - more punch than typical tele for sure. It didn't work out for me - I missed that strat out of phase sound big-time sfter a while - this was generic sounding.

Nothing good to say here - particularly don't like the neck - don't get me wrong - a 12" radius can be great ( it is divine on my EJ strat ) but it doesn't work for me on this one. Also ( and this is the clincher ) I could not get this to intonate properly after much tedious trying ( I'm good with guitar set-up ) . For me another problem was that the large headstock got in the way of reaching for behind - the - nut bends ( I realize most wouldn't care about this - but I do )

I only kept it 1 week - store took it back without question. It seemed solid

?

have played 40 yrs

other gear I own - everything you can imagine

bottom line ( this might sound dumb I know ) - a guitar either wants to be picked up and played or it doesn't. My strat and my old 64 tele keep me up late this way - they want to be touched and played with ( like my wife )

this thing never told me to pick it up and play it.

Check Fender's website-- it's a reissue of the '72 Telecaster Deluxe. Cosmetically, it looks the same as the original. However, the electronics, specifically the pickups, are not accurate reproductions of the original Seth Lover designed Wide Range humbuckers. But I could care less because I'm not much of a gear snob.

Unplugged, this is a bright sounding guitar, as all Teles are. It also resonates very well, which means it will sound even better through a good tube amp.

The stock Wide Range humbuckers add a definite fatness to the tone, making this guitar a perfect candidate for jazz, blues, and rock, especially. After about two months of playing around, I concluded that the stock neck pup was too muddy for my tastes, while the bridge pup was simply lacking balls. I decided to ditch the stock pups in favor of some hotter output Seymour Duncans: a PG-n and a Custom-b. However, I've finally come to the conclusion that most humbuckers will sound like crap in the neck position of a Tele. Way too muddy. I'm gonna try to get one of those hum-sized P90s and see how those work in the neck.

The main things that impress me about this guitar are its sexy looks and awesome feel. This guitar is just so damn comfortable to play, I can actually justify spending a ton of time (and money) experimenting with different pickups (see above). The maple neck is nice and smooth, ergonomic is the key word here. The medium-jumbo frets are perfect for bends, and chording is a breeze.

I was a little dissapointed with some of the hardware, namely the pickup selector switch, which had a flimsy feel to it and has since been replaced. The stock bridge saddles, although true to the original, make palm muting tricky. The saddle screws also do not hold intonation very well. You better believe that I'll be putting some GraphTechs on this in the near future.

This guitar is very solidly built. I'm sure not all of these guitars have the hardware flaws that mine did, but again, it's not like these can't be upgraded. I would definitely gig with this guitar, if not for the risk of it being stolen. But I'd still gig with it anyway, because its playability is unsurpassed compared to all the other guitars I've ever played.

This is probably one of the best guitars in its price range. If I had to do it all over again, I would physically go to a music store so I could actually inspect the guitar I was planning on buying. But I would still buy this guitar regardless, because it is awesome.

This is a reissue guitar and all specs are to match a 1972 tele deluxe.

This guitar has mojo, especially for gigs! Dual hb's make it quiet however it still has some tele characteristics, like the bite. Honestly I never wanted a tele until I saw and played this one. Neck pu has god bass with clarity, middle pu is a good phased type of sound w/ some bass and bite, and bridge pu cuts thru the mix and has some good bite without piercing. I use this guitar with a Mesa Boogie DC-5 and a fender musicmaster bass amp. BTW this is not your typical tele neck, very similar to my 78 LP Deluxe.

This guitar needs a set up (pu's and action) and some .10's right out of the box. My setup wasn't bad but I have certain preferences.

The workmanship on this guitar is excellent, not custom shop excellent, but it rivals my usa made strats. The neck joint is tight and there were zero flaws in the finish.

This is simple guitar and should stand the test of time. I always bring a backup guitar.

The walnut color rocks, especially with the large black pickguard! Mojo!

Arctic White polyester finish
Telecaster shape
2 humbuckers
2 volume and 2 tone knobs (retro, BIG numbers)
3-way switch on top horn
Strat style fixed tail (6 saddles) with through-body string holes
Fender tuners
12-inch radius maple neck
Strat style headstock
Fender gig bag
Hecho en Mexico

I play through a Blues Junior and get great breakup, you know that kind of dark, crunchy texture from the 2 humbuckers. The tone is way darker than my bandmate's standard '71 Tele (vintage). Basically this shares a body shape with other Teles and nothing else. I personally like the dual humbucker, Les Paul-like sound that goes great with my not-so-technical (read: sloppy) style.

Set-up is very good. Especially in comparison to the Gretsch Pro Jet I bought last year. A couple of things, though: #1 E gave off a lot less volume than the other 5 strings, easily fixed with a little adjustment. Also, moreso than any guitar I've ever played, the fingerboard is very finicky about finger placement. I've noticed that each of my guitars plays truest when my fingers are in a specific place and it always takes a little practice to get that perfect sounding chord when you're playing clean, but this one takes a bit more care and precision. Might be just this guitar.

The neck joint is perfect and the paint and chrome look great. Love that smooth, wide maple neck and fretboard. Factory action is low.

Only had this one for one weekend, but it seems to live up to Fender's quality. It's solid and very heavy (it IS a Tele after all). I replaced the strap buttons immediately with locking buttons. I'd never gig without a backup because strings and I have a rocky relationship at best, but I'll say this one seems reliable.

I bought at a reputable store and got a 1-year warranty. Haven't had to repair it yet.

I've been playing for about 14 years now and have owned quite a few guitars. Most of them have been cheap but effective. I love this Tele. It is really the first mid-range guitar I've owned that I feel can stand up in quality to a higher priced model.

I got the limited arctic white model with a black pickguard and it is quite striking. It has a fat Strat-style headstock that looks cool. The fat neck suits my style of playing.

I had been looking at Strats (even though I don't like the look) and Les Pauls for a couple of weeks before the salesman suggested this guitar. The sound is perfectly individual, and suits my style.

pretty basic: dual humbuckers, two tone controls, two volume controls, alder body, maple neck and fretboard with polyurethane finish, 70s strat neck, fender deluxe gig bag

This guitar is AWESOME! It sounds great for rock, blues, and jazz. Although it's not as beefy as a Les Paul, it has terrific warm and distorted sounds. Its sound is between a Les Paul and Strat.

Great! I played the floor model and took it home. It has great action. My only complaint would be that it is a little heavy, but at least it's not a brick like a Les Paul. Also, I switched out the .009s for .010s.

No problems.

Awesome guitar. No wonder it's gaining in popularity. At this price, it's unbeatable. And, you don't have to dish out two to three grand for a vintage one.

This one was made probably late 2005 because i ordered it in febuary and it came in on a shipment in early March. This is a beautiful sun burst model and from the front the joining of the three pieces of wood is un-noticable. It has some beautiful fiddleback in thewood of the head stock so i was really happy. As soon as i got it i replaced the strap pins with lockers cause those things look like they wouldn;t hold anything. only problem is its very heavy and i dont like the stock .009 strings

THE SOUND IS BEAUTIFUL. I play alot of rock and alternative stuff like Muse. this guitar suits anything really apart from metal which is good casue i hate metal. I also playalot of jazz and the kneck possition sounds so creamy and mellow that it makes me want to cry. this baby can do screaming highs and crushing lows.i havn't found anything i dont like about the sound yet.

The guitar was set up really well except that i dont like the stock strings

Seems very reliable but like any guitar if u drop it its not gonna come up un scathed

Absolutely beautiful guitar with a very original sound. It's a tele mixed with a les paul.

2005 model, Sunburst (the only real color) all other features have been well covered. Purchased off of ebay with aftermarket Grover tuners installed. It did come with a molded hard shell Fender case.
All the stock features are top notch and very unigue to this model of Telecaster...that is if you want a Tele with a 12" radius fret board, which I don't think many Tele lovers really want.

This is THE sweetest sounding Telecaster that I've ever owned, and I've had/have plenty. Really, this guitar sings both acousticly as well as plugged in. Teles have always fit my style of pop, punk, folk, indie, classic rock. I always thought that the nicest Tele I'd ever owned was an original 1976 Thinline, or my "Hard Promises" cover Tele (about a '78), but this guitar has tone like NOTHING I've ever played. Maybe I just got a good one?
This guitat arrived unplayable and not in really great shape, but the beauty of Fenders is that almost anything can be repaired and made playable. After a few hours of dialing this thing in, it just captured me! No 60 cycle hum (humbuckers) but all the full, sweet Fender jangle that you would never expect from any humbucker. If I remember correctly, the hums on my '76 never sounded this good...but they did sound great! My amp sounds "perfect" with just a strait cord into the amp. I can't say this with my other guitars. It will pull off heavy rock sounds, but make no mistake! This is NOT a Les Paul in Fender clothes. An all-mahgany, set-neck guitar achives a certin sound that Fender will never get. But...an Alder-bodied, bolt-on maple neck Fender will give you tones that no other guitar can touch! Nothing here to dislike except that you will have to reset your amp's EQ to get deep, darker tone. But then again, it's a frickin' Fender!

Whatever you've read about Mexican Fenders can be thrown out the window with this guitar. The last Mexican Tele I owned was a '97 Nashville that was built with care and perfection, but had a few corners cut. My luthier commented on how sweet that guitar was and this '72 Deluxe is way nicer! I've never seen a tighter neck pocket...ever! I'd be afraid to pull the neck becasue it looks like its set in. The maple neck is flawless as is the beautful sunburst finish. The body wood is way nicer than my '98 American Standard and although this came with Grovers (and sweet to have) I can't imagine the stock tuners were anything but great.
My only complaint...and its a big one, is why can't Fender put the correct sized hight-adjustment screws in their bridges!?!? There is nothing like raking the meat of your hand over sharp (cheap) long-ass screws sticking out on the bridge! This is frickin' unacceptable!! Figure it out Fender. Guitar player's rest their hands on the bridge and cuss you a lot every time they hurt their hands on your crappy bridge screws!!
I really want to give this guitar a 10 for fit and finish as it's one of the nicest Fenders I've every owned, but those bridge screws bring it down to an 8!

Come on! It's a Telecaster with a polyurethane finish. Beat the hell out of it and enjoy it for life! No back up needed but I always have one. Something with a totally different flavor just to mix things up.

Fender is great as long as you have your original recipt, which I don't.

After 24 years, I've figured what works for me and what dosen't. I enjoy having different kinds of guitar for different tones and flavors as I play a mixed bag of stuff. The one thing that I prefer all my guitars have is the same neck radius (12). I actually like 9.5 to 10 necks, but it seems Fender and PRS are the only ones who make those. My other guitars are a '78 Takamine acoustic, a Dean '79 V and a Gibson SG Classic. They all serve me well, and I only keep what turns me on so there is no junk in my music room. But nothing classic or collectable either. This Tele is just one of those great guitars and I feel lucky I found it. As my son says..."it a keeper, dad!"
I play all of my stuff through a Pignose tube head and a 4x10 Carvin cabinet with a few pedals for some flavor.
I'd definatly buy this same guitar again and am fighting the urge to get another one right now. I get this urge with all the guitars I keep.
Although this guitar is VERY stable due to the "hardtail" bridge, I'd like the abailty to install a B-5 Bigsby but don't think it would look as good as a traditional Tele setup. My favorite feature would have to be the neck on this baby. And the sustain, which, I swear, is more impressive than my Gibson. The SG has the classic, spongy, open-cell-like sustain while the Tele has a tighter, singing sustain. Just awesome!

If you're reading this, you should already know what features this guitar includes. I give its features a nine, only because it doesn't have a tremolo bridge and that is important to some people. Mine is the 3-tone sunburst finish and it's very pretty.

I play a lot of folk rock, classic-sounding rock, and bluesy stuff. I really like the sound of this guitar for all of the above. I play it through a Fender Blues Deluxe amp with a Maxon 808 reissue for overdrive. I've actually had two of these guitars in my posession recently (the first was a loner) and the one I have now sounds better than the first - every guitar is a little different.

The bridge pickup gives great lead sounds and I really enjoy driving it for Clash-like tones as well. The neck pickup is nice and warm, but still keeps a lot of the bright tones as well, which I like. It gives really nice bluesy leads, and is good from jazz chords as well. One thing that I've heard other people mention about this guitar is that the bridge pickup is too bright and thin sounding. Well, the other day when I was taking off the annoying pickguard plastic that comes on all Fenders, I had to unscrew the pickup screws a little to get the plastic out from underneath them. When I did that it meant I had to re-tighten the screws afterwards to get the pickups back to their appropriate height. I got them back to the way they came, but then I thought, why not mess around a little more? So I lowered the bass side of the neck pickup just a little more, and raised the bass side of the bridge pickup. I'm much happier with the sound of the guitar now. The bridge pickup is just slightly fuller, leaving all the bite, but taking the ice-pick quality out of it (which some people have accused it of having). The adjustment to the neck pickup took out just enough mud to make it a very punchy, still very warm sounding rythm pickup. The middle selection also benefitted. I didn't care much for it when I first got the guitar. It just sounded too bland to me, but now I think it sounds really great. Sorry, that's not a good description of the middle selections tone, but you'll just have to mess with it yourself and see what I'm talking about.

Whatever you do, don't buy this guitar in place of a Les Paul, or one of the staples of Fender. It is it's own guitar. Yes, I guess it does fall somewhere inbetween a Les Paul, Strat and Tele, just like other people have stated, but that description does you very little good, unless you can perfectly hear what that mutant guitar child would sound like in your head - and even then, it will probably sound a little different. I give it an 8, because I like it a lot, but I'm not dillusional in thinking it's God's give to guitar players.

Mine came with a small dent in (bummer!), but I liked it anyways and the dealer gave me a discount. The neck needed a bit of adjusting. Other than that, everything was good. Love the feel of this fretboard. It is really comfortable to my hand. I think it's a u-shaped neck. Also, gotta love the tele shaped body, but with the Stratocaster's contour on the back. Again, very comfortable.

And again, try adusting the pickups height if you're not totally satisfied with the tone.

Mine goes out of tune really easily. That's a bit of a pain if you're playing live. Other than that, I don't see how you would have any problems with it.

Reissue of the 72 tele de luxe. "Mexican" made. features 2 volumes and two tone ctrls and a 3-way switch for both fender special wide humbuckers. Body is alder or ash depending on finish... im guessing mine is alder since it has the black finish. The body style is tele, but with a neck pocket to fit a 70's style strat neck, it also features the tummy cut contour, which normal tele bodies dont have. the bridge is fender style thru-body. The machineheads are vintage with chrome finish. The neck is fat as hell, 70's big boy headstock, the frets are big, gloss finish on neck and fretboard.

This guitar is pretty versitile, great for hard rock and plays clean very well too. the bridge pickup can get pretty bright and twangy, close to a tele twang. the neck pickup is very full sounding. overall it has great sustain too. If you havent already i suggest you go to a music store and try one out for yourself...

The action was pretty good from the factory, i switched from fender 9's to ernie ball 10's, the pickups were adjusted fine, and the overall fit and finish is top-notch, I was impressed, the neck pocket is tight, the electronics are quiet, everything feels solid as a rock. Its a very comfortable guitar, it is heavy though.

This guitar would most definately withstand live playing. Its a rock and heavy as hell (i think i neeed a wider strap with this thing) the hardware seems pretty high quality, the finish is tough, the strap buttons were solid ( i switched to dunlop strap-lok anyways) I would probably gig without a backup...

ive been playing for 10 years, ive owned alot of guitars, never really was a fan of fenders until recently, I was planning to hold out and save my pennies for a real 1970's tele deluxe, but I noticed this one for sale at my local music store, it was new but had been dropped and had a few chips in the finish next to the input jack, i wasnt too worried about it, i expressed and intrest in it and i was offered a significant discount. I couldnt resist taking this one home. I am really glad i bought it, its one of the best guitars ive ever owned.

2005 Sunburst Tele Deluxe Reissue. 2 Wide range humbuckers. Maple strat neck.

This guitar rips. It has a "bark" to it that I haven't heard from many other guitars. Bridge Pickup is clear and bright, neck pickup is more mellow and bassy, but blending them together is the key to some great tones. Not exactly twangy like a normal telecaster. the sound is actually quite ballsy and well suited for rock. I play it through a Peavey classic 30 and it sounds great.

Good setup, but with light guage 9's. Will eventually swap them for 10's or 11's, but the factory setup was definately adequate. No complaints. Guitar is aesthetically beautiful and plays great. I was a bit skeptical of a MIM Fender, but as soon as I played it my concerns were alleviated. This is a really nice guitar,especially for the price.

Seems really solid to me. Fenders and cockoaches, as they say. Stays in tune, even after i dropped it.

n/a

Own a blond Washburn HB35, '93 Japanese Jaguar, and an old fernandes strat. This might be my favorite, but the washburn is pretty nice too. Overall, this is a really impressive guitar and value. I definately recommend checking them out.

2005 Tele Deluxe (in black), you all know the features, if not checkout Fender.com for the detailed specs.

What I can tell you is that this is a very versatile instrument with great tones and a great vibe.

SOUND! Boy does it have it. My styles are Blues/Rock/Fusion. I run it through my Mesa Dual Rec, Mesa F-30 and my Guitar Port.
The pickups are excellent, they are low-medium output which to me is the way to go. The sounds are clear and balanced with overdrive, even with screaming gain. I never fell I am falling into that "muddy" sound even when everything is cranked. The clean tones are equally impressive. They are clear and bright, and can get downright jangly for humbuckers when dialed in right. The sounds fall perfectly between a Les Paul and a Strat - not to dark and not to bright. This guitar just begs to be played, its a rock machine.

Finish is black and have nothing to complain about.
The factory setup was fine (stock 9's) and will do my own setup with 10's to get to my personal specs. Also i love the fact that there is a belly cut (like a Strat) makes it very comfortable to play sitting or standing. Neck has a nice carve to it as well. Controls are in easy reach and since i have been playing LP's for 20 years its not an adjustment to me at all.

Very confident in the construction, feels very solid.
This is my 4th fender and never had an issue with any of them.

Never had to deal with them so I can't comment

I have been playing for 20 years now. I have always wanted one of these and always held off. Now this has become my number one guitar, it just has that "Mojo" that people talk of. Its very comfortable to play and sounds great. As i mentioned above - its a Rocker, you pick it up and you just go! There is just such a great vibe with this guitar I can't put it down. My other guitars are a LP Standard, LPDC Standard, Ibanez AS-120, Ibanez AWD82T, Fender American Deluxe Strat, and the 72 Tele Deluxe. This guitar fills the void i had between the strat and my LP's. It a great guitar. and would get another without hesitation.

Cut in U.S., assembled and finished in Mexico
2005 model, 2 Fender wide-range humbuckers, alder body,
maple neck, vintage tuners, 1972 version headstock (large, fat),
"C"-shaped neck cut, "bullet" truss rod adjuster, large frets,
contoured back-body, 2-tone pots, 2-volume pots, black gloss finish,
"fast" laquered neck, 3-way pickup selector located on upper bout,
1972 version large pickguard, 3-bolt neckplate, tight neck joint,
vintage 1972 style bridge, set-up for .009 guage strings,
chrome plated hardware/pickups, black canvas gig bag,
black nylon strap, three hex key tools for adjustment,
22-frets, one-year Fender guarantee

Everything included on this guitar makes it extremely variable, and versatile for an unusually large amount of musical styles and tastes. If anyone were to have preferred nu-metal or hardcore musical styles, they could achieve this by simply switching the pickups to extreme-output models. Amazingly, this guitar is able to be used for any kind of music, like: jazz, country/bluegrass, reggae, hard rock, classic rock, indie, pop, new-wave, industrial, progressive rock, and even classical if you wanted to.

This guitar can suit any style if you use the pickups suited for that style. The included pickups are remarkably versatile, with a large range of tones to discover by rolling the volume and tone pot knobs to different combinations.

Played through a:

Fender Twin Reverb- exceptionally clean and bell like 3-D sounds
Vox AC30 w/mild gain- very rich and complex distortion, not muddy
Marshall JCM 800 w/lots of gain- sharp, full-bodied grind, singing
Mesa Dual Rectifier w/gain- deep, extra-sustaining, screaming, full
Fender Bassman w/mild overdrive- wailing, crying, moaning, sustaining
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe- sparkly clean, with brilliant clean sustain
Line 6 Flextone III on "insane" model setting- absolutely screaming

This guitar seems to have the ability to make effects stand out as well. Played through an Ibanez Tube Screamer on a clean Fender Twin Reverb, it sounded exactly that: "screamy". Small adjustments on all of your rig with this guitar give you many resulting tones, from cascading swan-dives, to twangy slapping, to beautiful deep bell-tones.

The pickups make little-to no noise at all when left untouched, but can create a huge array of feedback types if desired.

The only factors that could vastly improve on the factory settings would be if Fender would have included a coil tap for both pickups for single-coil variations, virtually doubling the available tones that this guitar outputs, smoothing out the rather sharp hardtail bridge, and using grover tuners instead of the factory vintage ones.

Overall this guitar sounds beautiful.

Factory settings were almost perfect for this guitar's nature. Every player requires a different action, neck-cut, and all guitars need intonated and tightened. Out of the box it was very well set up by Fender's Mexican assembly plant. The paint job was smooth and pristine, with a high-gloss black finish. The neck is maple, and laquered to provide a "fast" feel. The hardware was clean, unoxidized, and the pickup switch was tight. The nut was cleanly cut. There is no fret buzz when properly set up, and the intonation was perfect with high-fret chording, as well as single-string riffs.

The guitar is weel-built. It has a tight neck joint, and rugged hardware. Everything on this guitar is built to last a very long time. All guitars that are intended to last should be taken care of, however. It could easily be used without a backup, but it is always wise in case of string breakage with harder playing styles to bring a back-up. There should be no worries of durability here.

Fender is very fast for response, and sends things faster than most guitar companies if necessary. Parts, labor, and warantees are well-respected with this company. They have strict guidelines, but when followed, you recieve great results. It is best to register all of your Fender products if possible.

Overall, this guiat is well worth the mid-ranged price. It is easily modified, well-constructed, extremely versatile, "fast"-playing, rugged, and mildly affordable to most money-saving people. It is very comfortable, and has exceptional sustain, with, deeply rich, complex arrays of tones.

The features are the selling point of this guitar for me. It takes my favorite parts of three major guitars and puts them all together: the cool neck and headstock of a 70's strat, the single-cut of a tele, and the pickup configuration of a Les Paul. Tuners are great. This guitar stays in tune better than any I've ever owned.

I'm pretty disappointed with the bridge pickup. The highs bite too hard, and the bass response on the low E just plain sucks. The mids are smooth and not overpowering though. There is great clarity and resonance when played unamplified, so I know there's great sound potential here. The neck pup sounds fine, but I rarely use it. I'll eventually swap out the bridge pup. I'm pretty happy with the tone controls--very smooth and responsive.

Set up was decent but not outstanding. Definitely major differences in contruction and quality control with this (made in Mexico) vs. my American standard tele. The American tele just feels like a solid guitar when you pick it up. This one is sturdy, but the truss rod is definitely weaker and neck is less resonant. I was a little disappointed with the waxy finish on the neck. Huge globs of wax were left on the string saddles.

So far, so good. I've had nothing but great luck with Fender.

Never been an issue in the 10 years I've played Fenders

I love the look and features of this guitar, and that alone was the selling point. In hindsight, I should have just saved up and bought an original 70's American tele deluxe, but this one will be fine after a bridge pup swap

2005, MIM Telecaster Deluxe Reissue. Black finish, two Fender "Wide Range" humbuckers, two volume and two tone controls, 3-way toggle switch, "CBS-era" Strat-type headstock and neck, 21 Jumbo frets, countoured body.

This guitar totally suits my style, which is very influenced by Keith Richards. With 2 humbuckers, this is a very powerful sounding, yet noise-free guitar. It has a much thicker tone than standard Telecasters, but it is still capable of some Tele-esque "twang", as well. It is an extremely versatile sounding guitar and perfect for Rock 'n Roll!

My Tele Deluxe was setup perfectly and in was very well made and assembled. Everything is very solid and sturdy.

It's built like a tank, and I can definitely use it without a backup. In fact, it is now one of my main guitars!

I have owned Fenders since 1979, and have yet to contact them for any support issues.

I own 19 guitars, including 5 other Teles and 4 Strats. My new Tele Deluxe is now one of my main guitars, along with my '72 Telecaster Custom Reissue. The Telecaster Deluxe and Telecaster Custom are the ultimate Telecasters ever made!

mine is a 2004 model and it is simply awesome. same features as everyone else says: good humbuckers, seperate tone/volume knobs, 3-way toggle switch, blah blah blah you get the idea. (i like using the toggle as an on/off switch.

im not going to lie, i hate Fender with a fiery passion. i play styles that i feel give the humbucker an upperhand and never even considered single coils. when i played this guitar i was in awe. ive never played a guitar that gave a creamy smooth sound for the blues and still had the balls to truly rock out. excellent excellent sound and ive never regretted buying it.

my other axes are a Cort M200 and a Les Paul Jr. which i run thru a Marshall with a Boss Overdrive and Crybaby Wah. this guitar blows the others away. im addicted to playing this (until i buy a Gibson Les Paul Custom hehehe)

this guitar is set up like a Tele but with contours similar to a Strat. the only thing i didnt like was the bridge but i can live with it.

this guitar is as reliable as the sun rising.

never had to deal with Fender

for the price of a midrange guitar this plays like a high end one. cant do much better for $650

2004 Mexican tele 72 deluxe in black. For a run down of all the specs.... Alder body with strat contour on back, C shape Maple neck with bullet truss rod and 21 med jumbo frets, 70's Strat bridge, three-bolt microtilt neckplate, 70s Strat headstock, two Wide Range humbucking pickups.

The neck is great and was the real selling point for me of this guitar. I love the big hendrix stylee 70's headstock. The medium jumbo frets are super comfy to play on, compared to my standard mexi tele, and the neck plays pretty damn fast and smooth even though laquered.

The tuners are decent enough, one thing i would maybe change though is the bridge saddles as i keep my action fairly low and the saddle screws rub into your hand quite a bit when leanin on them. Graphtechs maybe needed??

The sound out of this guitar is nothing short of beautiful. Think glen hansard - the frames, snow patrol, thom torke - radiohead, franz ferdinand. All keen users of this excellent guitar. The pickups deliver a clean crisp tone that just sings. I play through a Marshall AVT 150 at home, then wen in uni halls, an old Vantage vg-15. The pickups however, it is worth mentioning are NOT hot, i would say more of a medium output. This is not a bad thing, but if you are playing metal, then this probly aint the guitar for you. But for literally everything else, this guitar is very very flexible. My sound is indie/indie-rock/rock'n'roll and this guitar is perfect for it. The clean tone on this guitar is probably one of its best features. The bridge pickup although perhaps slightly too bright has a surprising amount of tele twang to it, although being a humbucker. However this is a good thing, you get the best of both worlds, twang and clarity that you can also overdrive and distort buzz free! The neck pickup however is my favourite. Its smooth and perfectly voiced and what some people have said about it being muddy is rubbish as ive tried this on my 2 amps and a couple of others and this is not the case. I love the light jazzy tone with nice bottom end but still well defined, probably due to the slightly lower output.

I play mostly through the clean channel of my marshall with the clean gain turned up a fair bit, then into a boss OD-3 which is a fine, fine overdrive for this guitar. I also use a crybaby wah and the OD 1 channel on the amp for more of a distortion. Compared to the epiphone les paul (with seymour duncan jazz and JB) which i sold to get this, the tone is very different. At higher distortions the sound is definitely not as thick, however i rarely play this heavy and for everything else like the milder distortions, overdrive and clean, this guitar is far better. Compared to my standard mexican tele, it does share a lot of the tone characteristics, but definitely sounds richer and can push a lot more sounds.

The factory setup was actually really good. I have only dropped the action very slightly. The truss rod was set perfect and the neck was as straight as a ruler. I have heard and sometimes seen the mexican loose neck pocket problem. This is not the case on my standard tele nor on this 72 deluxe. In fact the neck fit is super tight and you really couldnt even slip a piece of paper down it. This is as is should be, as the sustain on this thing is awesome.

The guitar stays in tune perfectly as well, and i havnt had any string breakage problems. The strings however, from factory are fitted as 9's which are a little too bright for this guitar in my opinion. I play with ernie ball regular 10's and sounds perfect IMO. The knobs are fender amp style and very cool, no complaints there. The switch is an american part as well as the humbuckers which is always good. As i mentioned earlier, the bridge saddles arent the best (just uncomfy) and the tuners although ok in my eyes could maybe be bettered.

Well here's were i have to slightly critisise the guitar :( Although im sure my guitar may have been a one off problem, i had serious diff's with the neck pickup cutting off. This did not happen at all at first until i adjusted the height of it slightly. (Bridge was fine by the way) I just wanted to drop it slightly as i thought it was overpowering the bridge a tiny bit. Wen i did, i noticed the pickup would start cutting out completely, at random times. VERY FRUSTRATING! I put up with this for a while, and even found the pickups height sweet spot and it wouldnt do it as much. However i would say to anyone with this prob to send it back to where u got it under warrenty asap. I left mine too long and had to get it repaired at academy of sound. The probly wasnt massive or costly, however it turns out there was far too much bunched up cable running from the neck pickup to the pots. This was pulling and putting strain on the pickup solders. As a result the connections started breaking. Im sure this was a one off with this guitar however be warey. The luthier cut the excess wiring and resoldered it for me. And also replaced the cable from the switch to the jack and pots. This was unsheilded!!??.

Now all is playing perfect again i would have no doubts about reliability whatsoever. Teles are solid and can take some serious wear and tear. The gig bag that comes with it however is pretty useless apart from covering it if in your room. If you are going to spend this much on a quality guitar, do what i did and spend the money on a good case for it. Standard hiscox liteflite is the way forward - #70

never contacted fender

Ive been playing guitar for about 7 years now and this is my 4th electric, and the best guitar ive had to date. (squier strat, epiphone les paul with seymours installed, mexican standard tele). Overall this is a brilliant guitar and the fact that it is mexican made should not put people off. The components are mainly american and you are getting a guitar that can compete in both sound and finish to any other fender or similar guitar in a much higher price range. I nearly went for the 72 tele custom, but im glad i held out back last year and got this. Ive played both lots, and the neck on this is way way better, plus a nicer colour of wood. The contour on the back on the body like a strat is much comfier, and the strat bridge looks and feels better. As far as value for money go and features and sound, this could be the best #500 odd you ever spent. And who could deny how damn good this thing looks in black with the 3-ply pickguard and big chrome humbuckers, along with THAT neck.

GET ONE

2003 model. I got a significant discount on it because it has a huge gash in the body. That don't confront me none. Mine is black, alder body. Love the flat (12" I think?) radius and larger frets. Neck feels awesome, not sticky at all though it is lacquer finished. Two buckers, with individual tone and vol, nice for turning down one pickup and flicking the switch on and off. Huge headstock is a plus for keeping bassists in line.

These buckers ROCK. I doubt I'll swap them out, they sound really creamy and phat. Great for rock n roll. The middle position is great for rhythm work, very convincing Stones tones there. Tone controls are good rolled back about 1/3 way; past that, it's muddy. Vol controls work nicely; roll back and does a good job cleaning up without soundy wimpy.

Flawless save the major ding. Neck is airtight in the pocket, love that. HEAVY guitar, which is fine with me, but a lot of people like their Teles light. Fretwork nice and clean, paint is so shiny you could use it as a mirror. Neck has some nice figuring to it.

Seems very solid. I've had good luck with Fenders, this one should be no different.

Don't know.

I really dig this Tele. Great rock n roll guitar.

The guitar is a 72' Telecaster Deluxe Reissue- its got 2 Fender chrome humbuckers (unlike the double single-coil ones found in the fat strat), maple neck, 3 way toggle switch for the pickups, two volume and two tone controls (one for each humbucker- not found in any other Fender), made in Mexico, included deluxe gig bag. All the other features explained in other reviews.

I'm in my developing stage of guitar playing, so I'm playing through my original begginers amp a Vox Pathfinder 10. Its a small practice amp, but even through that 60 dollar amp this guitar sounds amazing. For a clean sound, when its put to the rhythm toggle the sounds is warm and rich, and when you switch it to the treble you can still get some of those twangy tele sounds. I also use a DS-1 for distortion, and these humbuckers really make the most out of this guitar. I usually leave it in the center position here, and it really gets the kind of sound that I want. I play mostly Zeppelin, Floyd, Guns n Roses and the like, and this guitar really hits that classic cruch tone perfectly.

Everything on the guitar looks pretty good- nice action, and you can feel the Fender quality whenever you play it or fool around with the switches and knobs. The top humbucker might be a little off, but I think that could be adjusted pretty easily.

You can feel the durability on this guitar, as it is a Fender which is obviously known for its quality. I would definately feel confident gigging with this without a backup. Seems that it will last a while.

I have only been playing for about a year, so you should take every other review before mine, but they seem to all say the same thing- this guitar kicks ass. As said before, I play it through a Vox Pathfinder 10 (but im looking to buy a Ad30vt) and a DS-1 distortion pedal, and I also have a Marshall MG10CD and my starter piece of crap, the Squire Bullet. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would have to pay off the debt that I owe for the original one and probably buy another one. And I'd hunt the guy down and kill him. By far the best thing about this guitar is how it seems to combine everything from all the great guitars- it has the Strat headstock and maple neck and fretboard, the Tele name, and the most important Les Paul humbuckers and toggle, along with the Les Paul sound. Trust me, I've looked around a while to find something that could get all of this stuff in, and this was by far the best and only one to do it. This guitar is just awesome- go out there and buy it!

2004 Mexican reissue. Maple Strat neck (with the groovy, fat 70's headstock) with 21-frets (why - why!?! - does Fender not add a f***ing 22nd fret to their necks? I'll never get that). Black finish, alder solid-body. Two Fender humbuckers with separate tone & volume for each, 3-way pickup selector. Bolt-on neck, old-school Strat-style hardtail bridge with string-thru-body. Fender/Schaller tuners.

Comes with the 'deluxe' Fender gig bag, and Musician's Friend threw in a Fender PT10 stage tuner pedal for free. Whee!!

This guitar sounds flat-out MEAN. I've only had it a week or so, and so far I've just been playing it straight into my Tech 21 Trademark 60 combo amp. I dialed in a "Clean Fender" sound on channel 1, and a "Dirty Marshall" sound on channel 2. Through channel 1, just by tweaking the tone knobs and switching pickups I can get everything from a bitey Tele tone to a nice, warm, round clean rhythm sound for strumming. But the evil nature of this beast comes out when I switch to channel 2 - it quite simply screams, howls, and generally hacks off the neighbors. GREAT rhythm sound, and again, the tonal variety is pretty amazing - I can throw it on the neck p/u, drop the tone, and get a sweet, creamy Les Paul style solo sound, or throw it on the bridge p/u and get a sharp, metallic crunch. Yum.
Only minor complaint - it is a little noisy, i.e. hums, when I'm using distortion and mute the strings. I was a little surprised by this, seeing as it does have humbuckers. But seriously it's not enough to bother me much; just enough to keep it from a 10 rating.

Nice action out of the box. The neck pickup had some sort of adhesive residue on it, but that's easy enough to get off with a little naptha. The strings are a wee bit lighter than I usually play, and the action's pretty low, so I'll probably have to get it adjusted at some point. No flaws in finish, neck, electronics.
BUT - there may be an issue with the high-E tuning peg; I've only had it a week and I haven't changed the strings yet, but one day when I was tuning up it seemed to just stop going - as in, I kept turning the key, but the pitch wasn't going up. I'm not overly concerned, as I have a 1-year warranty and there are several Fender-authorized shops in my area.

My only other concern is with the hardtail bridge - there are no problems or malfunctions, but I guess I didn't notice when I was playing in the shops how sharp some of the edges are on that sucker. I'm going to have to be careful, because I can totally see myself thrashing around onstage and accidentally flaying my hand on that puppy.

It feels like a tank. The finish looks like it's a mile thick, the neck joint is massive, the neck is comfortably fat, the switch and knobs are solid. Even the stock strap buttons are nice and wide (although I may go ahead and throw some straploks on there).
I've played many a gig with only one guitar that was far less well-built than this, so yes I would if necessary play without a backup.

Only had it a week. I'll post again if I do have to get that tuner replaced.

I never thought of myself as a Fender guy, mainly because I tend towards a fatter, humbucker sound and those are rare on Fenders. When I was guitar shopping this time around, I just kept picking up this axe in every shop I went in that had it. The neck just felt right to me (I have really big hands), and the tonal variety is, again, stunning. It's like Fender genetically merged a Tele and a Gibson Les Paul. I always wanted a Les Paul, but honestly I'll never spend over $1000 on a guitar. Especially now that I have this baby.
My only warning is that, if you're primarily a lead player, you might not want this axe because of the slight awkwardness of getting to the upper reaches of the fretboard - I can do it, but I have really long fingers and it's even a challenge for me.
But if you're a rhythm player, or want a Les Paul but can't afford it, this is the guitar for you.

2004, Black, Made in Mexico, 2 wide range humbuckers, alder body , maple neck, set up like a Les Paul-2 volumes and 2 tones.

This guitar really sounds good. It is much fatter than a regular Tele due to the humbuckers but it still sounds more like a Fender than a Gibson. I like to vary my tone with my volume knob and I found that this guitar sounded great wide open (ie volume on 10) but lost a lot of high end and volume below 8.5. I added a .001 cap and a 150 K resistor between the hot and ground on both volume knobs and now I can back the volume down in the 7-8 range for rhythem playing and it still retains clarity and has a more open less muddy tone.It sounds almost like a single coil on the back pickup when it is set on volume 7-8. I then can crank it to 9 or 10 for lead and it is the perfect amount of increase to take a solo. I read about this mod in a repair book and both my strats are set this way and it really give you alot more useable volume range on any guitar. This is a very versatile guitar and sounds great clean or dirty. You can really get a good old Billy Gibbons tone (pre MTV). It sounds like humbuckers but this guitar can still get a nice fat hollow twang through a fender tube amp. If you play a fender,this guitar will be comfortable to you in how it behaves. It has more power and mids than a strat or tele but it is still a Fender in overall personality.

I had a hard time finding this guitar locally so I rolled the dice and ordered it from Music 123. They had a 45 day return policy.
It was set up about like any Fender would be at a music store out of the box. The action was good, intonation was close, pickups a little high for my preference. It came with 9's - I put on 9.5s and set it up and it is really primo. The neck pocket was real tight and the neck is strait grained and had the perfect amount of relief. Guitar stays in tune bigtime. I was a little concerned about the 3 bolt neck after owning a 3 bolt strat that absolutely would not stay in tune( late 70's) but this tele seems real solid. It also intonates better than any guitar I have. I can play a chord anywhere on the neck and it is perfectly in tune. The Tele is dead quiet when you are touching the strings or bridge and I get a little buzz when not grounded- not as bad as single coil but additional sheilding might eliminate this- its not bad but it is not dead quiet like a high end Gibson. For a $600 guitar, way above average `

I have played this guitar out twice so far and it perfomed extremely well- stayed in tune and sounded great. I did put strap locks on it because my only strap has them. One place I played is notorious for 60 cycle hum from tvs etc. and the Tele was dead quiet when grounded to your hand and much much quieter than my strat when I took my hand off the strings. I will use this guitar exclusively in real noisy rooms. it is the only humbucker guitar I own.

Don't know - My 2 strats are an 84 and an 88 and have never messed up

I have been playing 26 years and out for around 20. I am not a full time musician but still play gigs every month or 2, I also play at at a large Contemporary Church 1 or 2 times a month and hit a jam night every once in a while. I play and record at home almost every day. I play blues , rock and roll, country and bluegass. This guitar will handle 3 of the 4. I run through a 67 Princeton reverb(church) or Blues Jr or a GDS 18 watt Marshall clone that I built depending on where and with whom I am playing.
This guitar works with all my amps and is extremely verstile- I give it a 9 overall vs my 84 57 reissue strat which is a 10. Vs other guitars in the under $660 price range- definitely a 10- blows Schecter ,ibanez etc

I just bought a new black '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe reissue and I couldn't be happier. I've always wanted an original 70's Deluxe, but after I realized the chances of getting my hands on one were slim, I decided to order the Mexican reissue, and I'm so excited to finally have it. (Even the guys in the guitar store were excited when the guitar came out of the box; I guess these guitars don't come through the store that often). Bottom line... this guitar is quite possibly the best electric I've ever played. I guess that's why you see it in the hands of Thom Yorke (Radiohead) and Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand)... even Chris Martin of Coldplay uses one once in a while. (I'm calling it the "britrock" guitar)

Specs? Just look on the Fender website. Everything you need to know is there.

I use this guitar for alternative/indie rock, and it's amazing. The bridge pickup can give a nice bright tone when needed, and the neck pickup gives that nice fat sound. My own setup includes a Tube Screamer and Voh Wah through a Fender Twin. It's ideal for the music I play.

Fresh out of the factory box, this guitar played great. The action was decent and the pickups were set up well. Was it perfect? No, but it wasn't far off. Personally, I think any brand new guitar needs a setup.

I think any Fender guitar could withstand a nuclear bomb and still be playable. Ok, maybe not, but you get the idea. Case in point: Stevie Ray Vaughan's #1 Strat... that guitar looks like it had been through the proverbial ringer a few times. Honestly, I think these guitars last a long time, abuse and all.

The warranty on this guitar is 1 year, as issued by the guitar dealer. Haven't had to use it yet.

Overall, this Telecaster is amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better guitar. My favorite feature is probably the neck (who doesn't love that huge Strat headstock?). Even without that, the neck is fantastic. It has a great feel; definitely thicker than other Fenders I've played (especially Strats). The sounds that this guitar is capable of producing are great.

I've been playing for eight years, and my main electric up until this point has been a Les Paul. I think that's about to change...

I picked up this reissue on Friday, and haven?t put it down. I made the mistake of my life selling my ?78 tele deluxe and have been waiting for a reissue. (Guitars last forever - some relationships don?t.....)

Basic features true to the original - two big wide range hummbuckers, two volume and two tome pots, big 70s strat headstock on tele custom body, three way switching.

This guitar was made to push amplifier tubes - no over the top stinging treble tele tones - lots of grit and grind outta the two big hummbuckers. Having played the blues semi professionally for more than 25 years through strats and a variety of overdrive pedals, I won?t require any more wall warts! I turned it up through the clean channel on my Peavey Delta Blues and its got just the right bit of crunch. Select the neck pick up, roll of the tone knob and its creamy. Switch to the bridge and its classic drive. Kicking in the drive channel, and unbelievably there?s still more tone!

Plugging direct into the PA board, the guitar still carries its tone through the solid state circuitry, (less the pick attack and some diminished warmth) Pugged into a Behringer V2 it's outstanding - the Tele Deluxe Reissue screams - in a really great sort of way! Through a 70 deluxe reverb it?s just tone heaven.....

Out of the box the fit and finish jumped off the page - it gleams. Black on black, maple and chrome.... hummmmm..... very sexy. Although tunned down for shipping, the set up and intonation were bang on when tunned up to pitch. The neck is fast and slinky, and frets are all spot on - no buzzing or high spots. Tough to play slide on without raising the action. It?s very, very fast. Tunners are vintage - replace them.

Lost of less than complimentary things have been written about Mexican made Fenders. This is the third one I have owned over the years of a dozen guitars of various makes of both middle and high end axes. Simply stated,MIM Fenders are are good value for money. The 72 tele deluxe reissue is no exception. I have played my other MIM's live and had tones of compliments - they are road worthy and hold their value. I'll take this one on the road with me - it's my new "Number One".

In summary, this is a very affordable, well made, great sounding reissue blues/ classic rock guitar for intermediate and serious players alike. Consider changing the tuners. Well done Fender!

No problems - my dealer is great - there was a loose pickup screw on delivery - fixed on the spot before I left the store! Very appologetic for the inconvenience - they threw in a set of strings!

In my 25 years of performing I've had several guitars. This is the first one I have taken insurance out on through American Federation of Musicians! It's irreplacable! If you like the strat feel and tones, but want that big sound only two full range hummers and ten pounds of solid wood can deliver - this is your axe! Compare it to the 72 Thinline and the Deluxe kicks butt. Consider changing the retro tuners, and upgrade the gig bag to a hardshell case.

In summary, the 72 Telecaster Deluxe re-issue is a very affordable, well made, great sounding blues/ classic rock guitar for intermediate and serious players alike. Well done Fender!

Firstly, the fender 'wide range' humbuckers stand out on this buetifiul guitar. This guitar has the clasic tele shape with a contoured body fot comfort (like a strat) and a large headstock (also like a strat). This is a quality guitar, very pretty and it surely caught my attention when browseing my local guitar shop.Maple neck and vintage tuners add to the unigue look. This guitar is basically a fender les paul with a tele shape, but half the price.
Bullet truss rod.
Many little features that just make the guitar glow.

BUT does the guitar sound better than it looks? Well, almost.For #600 I cant can't complain. The humbuckers sound very warm when in clean. Its music to my ears and when you turn on the distortion this guitar sings. U can get such a range of sounds from blusey to classic and hard rock. But if u seek metal distortion- this guitar is not 4 u.

The guitar was set up well when I first played it. But like most factory settings it needed a few refinements which the guitar shop sorted out for my. I got it intonated for free by the shop owner. Everything else was fine- just as you would expect, really. Nothing to write home about.

Like all teles this guitar is tough. This guitar will last my lifetime and probably live on when im 6 feet under. The finish is very good and thick. But as with all guitars you should avoid scrachtes and bumps by bieng carefull.
This is a solid guitar. But I predict trouble with the pick-up selecter switch. I have heard that they are pretty likely to break within a few years. But mine seems fine. For now.

n/a. I'l let u know when if I ever contact them.

I feel this guitar is well worth every penny. Especially when compared to guitars in the same price range.
U get the jist of it.

The best thing about this guitar in my opinion is the body and the neck. The electronics are fantastic, but the body and the neck are awesome. I really like the way the body forms to you. It is much more comfortable than the straight cuts. The neck has the larger frets that Gibson like to put in their Pauls. They last forever and make bending easier.

The sound of the '70's Deluxe is one of pure beauty. The wide-range humbuckers are not overly hot, but they are plenty for anyone except those who are numbers freaks. You kow the kind: The higher the number goes, the better the pickup is supposed to be. ANyone who knows anything about guitars knows that that is simply not true. I got TWO ORIGINAL Fender 76 humbucker pickups from a man who worked at a dealer in N.Y. for NOTHING. He threw them in with the ORIGINAL 76 Deluxe I was buying from him. He had replaced them with Duncans. Stupid man. He said that the Fender pickups were not any good because they were so weak and that i could have them for free. I checked them when they arived and they are reading the same as they did 32 years ago! Stupid Stupid man. And this fool works at a music store.

These guitars are setup much like most other Fender guitars from teh Mexcan line. Nothing to shout about, but still very good right out of the box. You will notice that I said "Mexican Line" I will explain in the overall rating section.

I would not hesitate to play this guitar at a gig. I have played Fenders most of my life and have owned on or another of them for more than 32 years. I have an Original 76 Deluxe that is so easy to play that I only have to look at it and it starts playing itself.:-) As for playing without a spare: I had to do just this for the vast majority of my playing years and not one time did ANY of my Fender guitars EVER let me down.

I have bothered the fine folks at Fender more than I care to mention and they have always gone out of their way to help me. This company has to have the best customer service that I have had the pleasure to deal with.

I have been playing for 40 years and have owned Fendrs for 32. I own a 76 Deluxe, 76 Mustang, 73 Tele Bass, 81 USA Bullet, 03 Standard Tele, 02 Standard Tele, 03 Standard Strat, 89 Fender Acoustic, 04 Johnson Acoustic, 89 Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and a tiny Fender Tele replica that I put togther and refinished for fun.

The law in my state says that I can do whatever I deem necessary to protect my home, family, and property. Enough said. As far as replacing my guitars: I don't plan on losing them, but I will probably add to them in the future.

If anyone out there likes the sound of humbuckers and the feel of the Fender body, this guitar is for them. Feels great, sounds great, plays like a dream.

One thing that I feel this guitar could do with out is a set of the tone/volume buttons. Really folks, we only need one tone and one volume button. Yes I know that the sound can be adjusted ookoo many ways with the four buttons, but who out there REALLY takes the time to do this? I just crank mine up and play!

Now for the part about it being in the "Mexican Line". I hope that you guys know that this guitar is cut at the same factory that the American guitars are cut at in Corona California. It is sent to Mexico the be finished and assembled. I really hate that "Made In Mexico" crap. I asked a Fender dealer what the difference was between a "Mexican" Tele and it's "American" counterpart and he said "about 60 miles". The frets on the Americen guitars are slightly bigger and the electronics are "supposed" to be slightly better. His words, not mine. Also, some of the American models have the Nitro finish on them. But that is mostly on the Custom Shop pieces.

So, if you know anyone who wants a quality guitar, ANY of the "Mexican" models is a great value. If you know someone who wants a quality guitar that screams and will blow your walls down, something that combines a Les Paul and a Fender Tele, tell them to get the 72 Tele Deluxe.

72 Telecaster Deluxe reissue: Walnut finish on Alder body. Usual 72 Deluxe features. Maple neck. Came with Fender deluxe gig-bag.

I bought this guitar simply because it is:

a: a Tele
b: has 2 x humbuckers (which is out of the ordinary in terms of my other guitars)

Even now (July 04) it is still incredibly difficult to get this model in the UK. Towards the end of June I was looking all over for one and the one I bought from Germany via eBay was the only one I found. Consequently this is fairly uncommon in the UK and I like that!

I was not sure what to expect from a Mexican built Telecaster. I own or have owned American and Japanese Fenders, but this is my first Mexican. All I can say is WOW. Even with arbitrarily selected volume and tone settings, through my Hot Rod Deluxe amp it sounds wonderful.

A little reverb and delay, or some slight overdrive and it just sings. I am not into the technicalities of sound - I simply know what I like and I like this. I can't praise the sound enough. It's exactly what i was looking for, hence 10/10.

I ran this guitar by my friend who is a luthier and he just gushed at its quality. The body is beautifully sculpted and fitted well to the neck. Everything seems solid and plays very well. The walnut finish is a beatiful almost mocha colour and compliments the guitar very well. I just LOVE the strat headstock.

I notice another reviewer mentioned a slightly off-fitting nut. I think mine is also slightly mis-placed. Maybe a fraction of a mm towards the bottom of the neck. I'm mainly a rhythm player so at this stage I am not unduly concerned, though it's a shame that more care is not taken. Hence 9/10.

One thing I hate though is pulling the protective plastic off the pickguard and leaving the little straggly bits of plastic under screws/around pickups etc. This is not a criticism of Fender particularly, and I realise it's there for a good reason, but I feel compelled to remove screws etc to make sure I get all those little bits of leftover plastic off my guitar. What a pain.

The other Fenders I have or have had have always been ultra reliable. You look after them, they look after you. Simple as that. I don't expect this one to give me any trouble.

It has already been used live and will be gigged in rotation with my other Teles. Therefore it will not get beaten through massive use.

Not yet dealt with Fender c/s.

I knew exactly what I wanted, and finally found it. Currently not many of these about and I like the exclusivity of it. Even more unusual Walnut finish adds to the look of the guitar.

A fairly rare guitar anyway I think - Fender have made a genuis decision in my opinion in re-issuing this guitar.

I would still like an original one and hope to get one in the future.

I like something a bit different and this is it. Don't EVER be put off by a Mexican made Fender. If all their output is as good as this one, then you will be pleasantly suprised.

2004 MEXICAN RE-ISSUE OF THE 72 TELECASTER DELUXE. I HAD ONE OF THESE ON BACKORDER FROM 3 PLACES FOR ABOUT 3 1/2 MONTHS. EVEN CALLED FENDER A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH NO ANSWER AS TO WHEN ANY WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. FINALLY SEARCHED A LOT AND FOUND A DEALER WITH 2 OF THEM WHICH I PROMPTLY BOUGHT. ALDER BODY WITH MAPLE NECK WITH THE LARGE STRAT HEAD, TWIN HUMBUCKERS, 3 TONE SUNBURST (BOTH), 21 FRETS, STRAT HARDTAIL BRIDGE, AND SEPERATE TONE/VOL FOR EACH P/U, BULLET TRUSSROD AND MICROTILT ADJ FOR THE NECK. THIS IS A REAL WINNER!!

I ENJOY ALL KINDS OF MUSIC FROM COUNTRY TO POP TO CLASSICAL AND USE CRATE GFX-212 AMPS. THE GUITAR WILL SUSTAIN I BELIEVE UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER. I CAN GET ABOUT ANY SOUND I WANT FROM IT AND IT WILL RING LIKE A BELL. SINCE I CAN'T AFFORD MY OWN BAND OR ORCHESTRA I PLAY LEAD USING KARAOKE SONGS WHICH WORKS GREAT. I SET MY STRINGS SUPER LOW AND IT HANDLES IT.

I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY GUITAR FROM THE FACTORY THAT IS TOTALLY SETUP PROPERLY. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TOTALLY RIGHT FOR THE MOST PART BUT THEN AGAIN EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN IDEAS HOW ONE SHOULD BE SET UP TO SUIT PREFERENCES. I WOULD SAY THEY WERE SETUP FAIRLY DECENT. I RE-ADJUSTED A FEW THINGS TO SUIT MY STYLE...NO BIG DEAL. ONE OF THE GUITARS WAS EXCELLENT, HOWEVER, THE OTHER ONE HAD THE NUT INSTALLED ABOUT .030 OFF CENTER AND I HAD A PROBLEM SOMETIMES WITH THE LOWER "E" STRING DROPPING OFF THE SIDE OF THE NECK SINCE I PLAY USUALLY MID-NECK OR HIGHER. I TOOK IT TO JEFF AT IRC MUSIC IN INDY AND HE REPLACED IT IN LESS THAN A DAY UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU COULD NEVER TELL IT HAD BEEN TOUCHED. BEAUTIFUL JOB AND IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE OTHER ONE NOW. I GIVE THIS A NINE ONLY BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ONE GUITAR. THE OTHER IS A 10.

FIT AND FINISH ARE EXCELLENT. STRAP BUTTONS ARE OKAY BUT ANYONE WHO HAS ANY BRAIN AT ALL AND VALUES THEIR GUITAR WILL TAKE THEM OFF AND INSTALL STRAPLOCKS. I USE JIM DUNLOP ON ALL OF MINE. YOU HEAR A LOT OF HYPE ABOUT HOW MUCH BETTER JAPANESE GUITARS ARE THAN MEXICAN ONES AND IT IS A TOTAL BUNCH OF CRAP AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. I HAVE 9 TELE CUSTOMS OF WHICH 4 ARE JAPANESE AND THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. AS A MATTER OF FACT A COUPLE OF THE MIM'S SOUND AND PLAY BETTER.

NEVER BOTHERED WITH CALLING FENDER ON THE NUT REPAIR. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE WARRANTY DEALER AND IT WAS PROMPTLY CORRECTED AT NO COST.

HAVE BEEN PLAYING OFF AND ON SINCE AGE 14. I HAVE A TOTAL NOW OF ABOUT 25 GUITARS OF WHICH ABOUT 95% ARE FENDER. I DESPISE MOST GUITARS BECAUSE THEY PUT THOSE STINKING KNOBS AND ADJUSTMENTS RIGHT BELOW WHERE I PLAY AND THEY ALWAYS GET IN THE WAY. I HAVE TO HAVE GUITARS LIKE THE LES PAULS OR THE FENDER CUSTOM OR DELUXE WHICH ARE SET UP LIKE THE LES PAULS. IF THEY WERE STOLEN (PROVIDED THEY CAN GET BY MY ROTWEILERS, A .357 MAGNUM, ADT SECURITY SYSTEMS, THEN BREAK INTO MY FIREPROOF SAFE) OR LOST I WOULD REPLACE THEM IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER. I WOULD HATE TO RUN INTO THE THIEVES, IF ANY, SINCE I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL FOR ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO KILL....'NUFF SAID?? I THINK I SURELY NEED ONE EACH NOW IN WALNUT AND BLACK!!

Well it's 2004 but Fender wants us to think we're back in 1972 with the 72 Telecaster Deluxe reissue. This new classic is made in Mexico but it might as just might have been built the custom shop. I'm not sure what possessed Fender to reissue the 72 Telecaster Deluxe but they've got a real winner!

The solid alder body comes in black, walnut (the color I got and it has a nice wood grain) and three color sunburst gloss finish. A big black pickguard wraps up the package.

It has a C shaped maple neck and fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets. But hold your hats because the headstock is like a 70's strat...big...not the traditional super slim skinny model. The action is low and fast but I pulled out the slide and no fret noise.

But enough about appearance. What kind of engine is under the hood? Two crome covered Fender Humbuckers that growl, snarl and sound downright nasty. Oh yeah! I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT SUSTAIN... it will probably still howl long after the amp is turned off and the kids are sleeping.

The three position switch gives you the choice of the neck, bridge or both pickups. This is not your father's country music Tele even though the bridge pickup can be set to approximate the familiar bright sound of Tele. But this guitar is about rock, blues and muscle. Each pickup has a separate volume and tone top hat knob,

The strings start in the back of the body and run through a hardtail chrome bridge with Fender etched into it. Resonance is not the The strings wind up into the old style tuners (also etched with the Signature "F") that has a string slot and center hole in the posts. This may be the easiest guitar to string and it stays in tune even after being pounded.

The package is nicely wrapped in a gig bag and has three hex keys. All in all for playbility, sound and value this is a winner. A wonderful powerful racehorse that evolved from well mannered showhorse.