Fender American Standard Telecaster

Blimey caramba, what features? It?s a 1994 lipstick-red rosewood-fretboard Fender Telecaster. It?s a plank, a canoe paddle, everything that everyone says it is, and it?s the best electric guitar ever made. Therefore, it deserves and gets a 10 from me. What I can single out about the American Standard is the individual string saddles, which I gather are kinder to strings than the three old wotsits sitting on the bridge plate, that would cut your hand to pieces.

I think there?s a reason why the Telecaster has never gone out of favour in over fifty years, something even the great Gibson Les Paul can not claim. Considering the Tele is armed only with two weak-ish single coil pick-ups, and no fancy stuff, it?s one of the most versatile guitars I?ll ever have fun playing, whether rhythm or lead. My only complaint is that it produces 60-cycle hum from my MusicMan 212-65 amp under fluorescent lights, but they can jolly-well change the lighting, I am NOT modding my lovely Telecaster. Obviously, don?t expect to shred on a Tele, but otherwise there are not many musical genres into which the Tele won?t fit: it?s more versatile than I am! Some people drop in souped-up p/u?s or add a Bigsby (arghhhhh!), but I won?t be changing anything. The p/u?s have all the bite and twang I?d ever want from a Fender Telecaster. Isn?t it odd how it cuts through a mix better than the powerful p/u?s on more fancy, expensive instruments? I don?t often use the bridge p/u on my other guitars, but this one is not too harsh, the neck p/u is warm and bluesy and both together give me that sweet-toned jangle (think Chrissy Hynde). Through my tweed Blues DeVille, it sounds very ?60s R&B, like Steve Cropper, not the kind of music that ever intrigued me, but a nice tone!
I play it through the following effects:
Boss Blues Driver
No-name Wah
Boss OD1 Overdrive
Boss Flanger
Boss Digital Delay/Reverb
Boss Noise Suppressor
?into usually my 1979 MusicMan 212-65, or sometimes:
Fender mid-?90s Twin
Fender mid ?90s Blues DeVille 410
Fender late ?90s Pro Jr.
There?s nothing to dislike about the sound of this Telecaster. My only gripe is the 60-cycle hum, but that?s single coil p/u?s for you, and the thing still sounds bright and snappy, so I?m quite contented.

I remember when I found this Tele in the guitar shop. The neck fitted into my hand so naturally that you?d think God had designed it ergonomically perfect. Not having compared it with different neck shapes, I don?t know if it would be considered a C- or U-shape, but it is eminently comfortable. It would be nice if the body was contoured, like a Strat, but it?s a Tele, so it isn?t, so what the heck! The tuners on all three of my Fender guitars (this Tele, a US Fat Tele and an American Standard Strat) are GREAT. I have never had tuning problems when playing live, which is more than can be said for my Gibson and Epiphone guitars. Leo Fender certainly knew how to make working instruments. There were no flaws when I bought it, and it didn?t need a set-up (unlike my US Fat Tele). I was, and am, very pleased with it.

It?s solidly built, so I would have to do something careless or stupid to wreck this guitar. If the finish gets cracked at some point, so what, it?ll just add even more personality. I have a pair of little red plastic ergo locks instead of strap locks. I bought them years ago when I still lived in England, and only now am I seeing them advertised here in America. I highly recommend them, as they are cheaper than anything else ($1 each from one music supply web site!), and completely reliable.
Gigging without a backup guitar is foolish, so I usually bring a humbucker-equipped beastie along for those songs that require it.

I only ever called Fender once, years ago, and asked someone if they were going to reissue the Jaguar or the Jazzmaster (that WAS a long time ago!). It must have been his lunchtime or something, and my name is not Eric Clapton, so he very abruptly said ?No.? So, a 1 in this category. Maybe they are friendlier now. I always get repairs done by a friend living in Yucaipa, CA. He knows his stuff and is more affable than the gits at Fender!

All right, children, it?s story time with Uncle Stephen: many years ago, before I really got to grips with one, I used to look upon Teles with some disdain (what a featureless plank, not sexy, too workmanlike, not stylish, etc, etc). Then one day, I was in a guitar shop and behind me, one of the clerks was demonstrating a guitar to a customer. I wasn?t paying attention, busy browsing, and the clerk hit a big bright major chord, BLAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNGGGGGGG! I turned around, and it was a Telecaster, with a beautiful bright, ringing tone, with a hint of overdrive from the amp. From then on, I was intrigued, and after I bought a Squier Tele, I was hooked. I had to sell the Squier before I came to California, but I bought my current Fender American Standard after a few years, and I can?t imagine ever parting with it. If it was stolen, I?d cry, but I?d be able to replace it pretty easily, as it?s one of the most common electric guitars. I?ve been playing for over 30 years, and I?ve played this Tele in a variety of musical situations: country, blues, power-pop, worship music (my current gig, which incorporates different musical styles). The Tele is always the right guitar at the right time, while some other guitars are good for only a few musical applications. I go through phases in which I?ll play another of my guitars exclusively for a while, but I always come back to this Telecaster, as it can handle different styles. My favourite features would be the comfortable neck and the tone. When I tried it out on the day I bought it, I A-B?d it with a Mexican Tele, and there wasn?t much to choose between them, but the American Standard had the edge, and was worth the extra money.
Here?s another story (okay then, skip to the next review if you don?t like it). I was in San Francisco in 1988 (I think) and was trying out guitars in a music shop there. The clerk was very friendly and kept thrusting guitars into my hand. We were having fun! I don?t remember all the instruments I tried, except one was a PRS, and I wondered what the fuss was about. Out of all the guitars I tried, the one that really spoke to me was a nasty-looking old Telecaster with a horrifying blue paint job that had probably been applied with a roller in 2 minutes. All the other lovely beasties in there were good, but this grotty old plank just shone. They wanted $500 for it, which I couldn?t afford, so some other guy walked in sometime later and got himself a gem.
I have to say that, if you?ve ever thought about getting a Tele, for that single-coil biting twang, don?t hesitate. You won?t be disappointed.

Brand-new, 2003 American Standard tele, maple neck, 2 p-u, no-load tone control, alder body, string-through six-saddle bridge, Fender Schallers, with hardshell case. Standard stuff, exactly what one expects: as many features as any Tele.

OK, I pretty much did the A/B comparison between this American and every other tele in the store, including the Mexican Standard, the US Highway 1, the '52 re-issue, and a thinline F-hole semi-hollow. I really ended up liking the sound of the Mexican pickups better than the American. They had, to me, anyway, a more "vintage" Tele sound. But I wanted an American built guitar. So the Highway 1 does this; it has Mexican electronics on an American body. Problem is, the Mexican hardware totally blows, tuners especially. Plus the three-barrel bridge is no way to really dial in the tuning beyond an approximation. Additionally, while it may appeal to some, the Highway 1 finish looks thin and cheap to me. The Mexican Tele has the six-saddle bridge and the vintage pickups, but the bridge is NOT the same as the American, and the rest of the hardware, as noted, blows, it's made out of poplar, and comes with a gigbag. No thanks. So, to get the good hardware, finish, and body wood, I had to get the American, with the pickups that sounded a little too "fat." Guess what? Playing through my Hot Rod Deluxe with a little treble adjustment, I can get the "vintage" sound I was looking for anyway. The no-load tone control is interesting. On "ten" there's a detent that circumvents the whole tone capacitor, giving it a very bright tone. When not on 10, it works like a regular tone control. Neat-O.

Watched the guy set up the intonation; very close right out of the box, but tweaked to perfection with a brand-new set of 10s. Flawless in every way imagination. Great neck.

Hardcore. A tank. Words escape me. It's a Tele, for God's sake.

n/a

I usd to hate these things. Now I can't imagine how I did without one. I've been a Gibson guy since 1979, very fond of Les Pauls and the like. My last electric was an Epiphone Alley Kat (reviewed here elsewhere), and while it was certainly a fine instrument, I put a lot of stock in the whole "pride of ownership" thing, and a genuine, USA Telecaster is one to be proud of indeed. I've been playing for over 30 years, and as my tastes have turned from hard rock to punk to pop to more rootsy, singer-songwriter, southwestern (Calexico, FODM) styles, I find that the old single-coil workhorse Tele just suits me better. Can't put my finger on it, but this is the first guitar since buying my Martin that I actually woke up the next day and put it on the stand to look at while I ate breakfast. I think, that after all is said and done and all the "modelers" and effects pedals have come and gone, that at the real heart of rock and roll sits a Fender Telecaster and a Hot Rod Deluxe. For less than a grand, I have found the truth.

1999 USA standard tele 3-colour burst, maple neck bought new in UK. Frankly it was and is the only quality left-handed guitar available in the UK apart from a Strat (which I don't like) and Les Paul, which I already owned a de-luxe. Came with a nice case for #700, approximately one-third the price of a left-handed les paul.

The tele is a versatile guitar - the original plan was to play slide on it but as I started messing about, I realised I enjoyed playing it too much to alter the set-up - and so I stopped playing slide and just enjoyed it. The clean sound and tone was a revelation - but by messing with the tone and the pick up selection you can get a great bluesey growl and throw in some distortion and you can get pretty heavy. Fingernail harmonics sound particularly stinging. I'd like to try a fat tele with a single-coil and a humbucker - but you guessed it, they don't come in a lefty

The guitar was set up by the shop and everything was perfect. I love the neck - after I got to know the guitar I found it so much faster and agile than the les paul de-luxe - which, incidentally, got relegated to slide duties (it's a brilliant guitar for slide - see my review elsewhere).

The tele is solid as a rock and so much lighter than my Les Paul.4 years and several gigs later I notice that the frets are losing some of their top layer of coating and that the fretboard is cracking a bit in places, despite regular cleaning and oiling - though it doesn't seem to affect my playing. A guitar maker once told me if you have 'sweaty hands' a rosewood fretboard is better than a laquered maple one and maybe one day I'll swap it. Never had a problem with strap buttons but I don't jump about much on stage.

Never dealt with them - it came with the usual limited warranty.

I've been playing for 20 years. The tele is a great guitar because it can do most things really well. It is the most playable, rockable guitar I've ever owned and I love its honesty and simplicity. Its an easy guitar to play. If it were stolen I'd have to replace it but I'd get someone to fit a mahogany-fretboard, a tremolo of some kind and maybe replace the neck pick-up with a humbucker - the thing about guitars is that they are all unique, maybe another tele wouldn't want to be my friend like this one - maybe I'd try a flying V instead.

Typical American Telecaster. Standard fretting, standard dual single coil pickups and all the normal telecaster stuff. It has the Maple neck and I got it in the Olympic White just to see what I thought of having a white guitar. Standard Fender tuners. It came with a nice hardshell case, strap locks and a strap. I highly recommend strap locks on any guitar, and Fender is doing the right thing by providing them a standard equipment. Fender gets a healthy pat on the back for that one. Are you listening, Gibson? (I also have and love my Gibsons, too, so no bias here.)

I wanted Tele sound. If you've been playing for a while, you can hear the difference in a Strat versus a Les Paul versus a Telecaster from a 100 miles away. I wanted Tele sound; I got Tele sound. And, it sounds GREAT. I did not want the blond model because of the looks, so I took a risk and bought the cheaper American Tele. I'm completely satisfied. It is a real sweetheart and gives me the sound I sought. I give it 10 with the understanding that I was seeking that unique Tele sound and am 100% satisfied with what I received.

I have two Fender Telecasters--one is the Thin Line (a unique and different sound all by itself), and now this American Tele. The workmanship on both has been nothing short of perfect. Fender has managed to impress me completely, and I have been a Gibson player for years. The look of this white Tele is unique and stunning. I haven't found a single flaw. My Mexican Thin Line was the same way. Attenuation was perfect, too. That wasn't true on my Thinline, but was on the American Tele. Good job, Fender.

Telecasters are simple, like we've all heard a million times. I'm expecting it to last. As mentioned above, the strap locks are a highly intelligent move by Fender. Protecting your investment is standard procedure for anyone that has played for a while--you're always going to get a hardshell case for your guitars/bass if you're smart. I've come to feel the same about strap locks, and here's Fender throwing them in with the guitar from the start. That is a direct contribution to ensuring the instrument will last and not be damaged. I would play with this guitar and no back up (though you'd get nothing but that tele sound all night long!), but I haven't had it long enough to really say how durable it will be. I'll give good credit though for the forethought that went into packaging this instrument as something that SHOULD last.

I have only dealt with Fender once, and that was for my Cyber-Twin. I have heard bad things, but my experience has been the opposite. They would not rest until I was satisfied. From that ONE-TIME experience, they have so far earned my allegiance--unlike SAMICK. I will NEVER buy another instrument from SAMICK for the rest of my natural born life. Fender, however, took very good care of me.

I've been playing guitars for about 36 years, but I did take a huge break (about 3 decades) from playing live, recording, and playing in bands in the middle. I have resumed playing and recording and I have about 5 guitars. I also play bass. I usually play a Gibson ES-135 through a Cyber-Twin, and now I will play the Tele, too. If the Tele was stolen, I would get another. I love the maple necks and the tele tone. I think the guage of strings that come with the tele are bit too thin, and I stepped up one guage. The best feature of the guitar is that you do indeed get that wonderful Tele sound without having to buy the Blond model. The Blond costs more, but my personal taste tends away from that butterscotch blond and black look. I am completely confident that I get a sound that compares very favorably with the blond Tele. I love the white and maple combination and others have commented about its look, too. I think the black model with the maple neck would also be very attractive.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am really, really pleased with this guitar. It was even better than I expected. It gives you that single coil sound, so I use the ES-135 on the aft pickup whenever I want humbucker crunchiness, but I use the Tele when I want clean, Tele twang. I don't think I just got lucky, either. My Mexican Tele was also a very pleasing guitar, so I think Fender is doing something right.
This guitar will not disappoint you.

2000 American Standard Tele, Swamp ash (3 pieces), transparent finish, rosewood neck. The usual controls, standard pick-ups, simple as it should be .... Need I explain more? The guitar came with a good case, strap, tools and cable.

I play in a fast ska/rock/surf kind of band and the Tele suits this very nice. Actually, I find it suits almost any musical style except metal. I play my guitar through a 50W Koch Twintone head and 2x12 cab. I have a few stompboxes in the line, which I only use now and then. The main sounds (clean/distortion) come from the amp and the guitar. The output of the guitar is a bit hotter than my other (cheaper) guitars, but that is probably just the quality of the pick-ups. Both pick-ups sound good by themselves, but when combined the sound is truely awesome, especially for rhythm work. The chords start to ring and shimmer and the sound has this "acoustic guitar" quality except its got way more balls... I suspect that this has something to do wih the Swamp Ash body, since it really sounded different and more lively when compared to other Teles in the shop.

The guitar was already set-up by the guys from the shop and they did a very good job. As standard service they swap the .009 strings for .010 on all Fenders right out-of-the-box: good thinking!. Intonation and set-up were pretty much OK for me right from the start. Of course I do not have an opnion on the out-of-the box guitar set-up. Finish and electronics were almost flawless.

Well although it is a Tele, mine scores some minus points in this category
First of all, the screws of the strap buttons came loose after a while, but this could easily be fixed with the matchstich-trick. Also I found that the adjusting screws of the bridge saddles are not totally resistant to my playing-sweat... they have started rusting a bit. The bridge and saddles are all stainless steel, but I guess they forgot these little parts... Anyway, this can easily be fixed as well.
I was a bit more disliked by the fact that the edge of the skunk-stripe on the back of the neck started working during its first summer and some small cracks in the finish appeared. The guy in the shop told me it is a common problem on Fenders. Anyway, he fixed it very nicely at no cost and a year later there is still no sign of further cracking or anything.

I carry a back-up guitar to gigs, but this is only for when I break a string. Hardware-wise I would certainly gig without a back-up!

The warranty was one year, but the shop where I bought did minor fixes for free even if the warranty had expired. I never dealt with Fender themselves.

I've been playing for about 10 years now. Before this I owned an Epiphone Sheraton and an Ibanez Talman, but I really wanted to invest some money in a better instrument. The Tele is my main guitar anywhere. Our band plays gigs about once a week and it has never let me down. I would defenitely replace it if it got lost or stolen. I tried some other guitars before I fell in love with the tele-model. It is so simle and effective, yet it sounds like no other guitar. And of-coarse: single-coils RULE! I also tried a few strats, but it just wasnt it(Although I wouldn't mind owing one). Last tip: try as many different models as you can in the shop... they vary.

1999 model made in USA; 22 frets, solid ash (not swamp ash - way too heavy), blonde finsh, white pickguard, original pickups, maple neck with rosewood board... everything else is standard stuff; (crappy case included - is solid and works fine, just looks cheap).

I'm rating this category low since the Tele is NOT a do-everything guitar: you want Tele tones, get a Tele... if you want something else, get something else.

I also subtracted another point since the comfort of playing just ain't there. Strats are much more comfy to play.

It suits my style right up until I go to play some kind of insanse single-note sort of thing that requires the fatness of humbuckers, but I may be able to add a pedal for that, too. Who knows. For the most part, though, this guitar NAILS everything I need. I'm a rock and roller and was going for a Springsteen kind of tone: perhas a bit heavier at times, and the guitar has responded extremely well. I use a Mesa Nomad 55 head, going through a Genz Benz 212 for my live rig; (no effects) Channel 3 of the Nomad is very "Marshall" and the Tele sound like a monster through it. Channel 1 is clean, and the bridge pickup sounds great there.

The tone knob MUST be used on a Tele... if you're not a country twang player, just turn back the tone a bit. That's all it takes.

Pickups... I figured I'd be changing them, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how little noise they make: I have no desire to take them out.

I got it used and it was set up just fine. I gigged with it the day I got it, and haven't had a problem. I got the guitar based on the specs: ash body, rosewood fretboard, American made; other than that I didn't really care. I was apprehensive about the blonde finish but it's actually grown on my considerably. No noticeably flaws. No guitar is more "fit" than a Tele either. 10 here.

Tele's rule... you can use 'em as a canoe paddle and then go gig without missing a beat. My friend had a Les Paul take a dive and crack the headstock... (OUCH!) That can be fixed, but is expensive and ruins the whole vibe. If my Tele's neck were to break, I'd just get a new one and bolt that one on. 'Nuf said. I've taken to going back by our drummer and whacking a cymbal once in a while when he does... I love this guitar: you can be the snot out of it, and who really cares: it wasn't meant to be pretty in the first place. It was meant to sound good, and it does, and a few nicks here and there aren't going to change that. I'd give the Tele an '11' here if I could.

n/a - I hear bad stuff about Fender, but I won't need their help here anyway... I could buy the parts for a Tele and put it together myself from scratch if I needed to.

I've been at it over 14 years... gigging live for almost half of it. I've played many guitars, but I've come to the conclusion that I don't need that much. This Tele has tone for days, and that's what counts... all I need to go with it is something just like it, but with humbuckers and a whammy bar. I'll have to customize something in order to do that, or maybe go the Carvin route, who knows.

Great guitar... if it falls to pieces, yes, I'd get another with the same basic specs.

my guitar was made in the united states of america. beyond that, i know almost nothing about it. features?! who cares?! it either sounds good or it doesn't, right? and in this case, it sounds damn good. it gets a 8 because mine is in a really pretty 3-tone sunburst! w00t!

my music style....i like rock music. i don't like musical genres, cos they are typically nothing but a hindrance for bands with any sort of ambition, and they're usually determined by the way you dress. i guess you would call what i listen to most emo. i'm into all types, though: a listing of my top 5 favorite bands would be comprised of 01.) saves the day (dave soloway is the reason i looked into telecasters in the first place, to be perfectly honest with you) 02.) led zeppelin 03.) silverchair 04.) sex pistols 05.) weezer. so there you have it, my uber-varied taste in music. i must say, though, that my telecaster gets the job done. beautiful instrument, it is. it's nice and bright, and sounds thin-ish and harsh and nasty and nasal, it's BEAUTIFUL! without a doubt a 10 for tone.

i bought mine second-hand, so it had already taken some (very minor) wear. the previous owner told me he had it setup for .09's, but it still needs some setup work (but then it would after being shipped, wouldn't it). again, i give it a good rating because of the beautiful finish.

reliable!? HA! i can rely on this thing to keep my ass in check whenever i get fancy or think about pulling some big trick! telecasters tell it like it is, man. this one time i was playing "a praise chorus" by jimmy eat world (great band, don't hold their stint on trl against them), and i cut the holy hell out of my hand on the bridge while palm-muting. i had been using a strat and i guess the change in feel just threw me off. but anyways, i was getting all wild and stuff, and the telecaster bit me to make sure i knew IT was using ME to rock out and not vice-versa. it was like, "keep bleeding, bitch. tell them what's up!"

no seriously though, i have all the faith in the world in this guitar. i've used it several times without a backup. it stays in tune beautifully, and i'm very confident that it will hold up over time.

fender is a pain in the ass.
the only reason i didn't give those assholes a wopping 1 is because the fender forum (www.fenderforum.com) is a very valuable tool. it's unofficial, so fender actually has nothing to do with it, but it's still a nice resource to keep in mind. i've also got a tech in town that loves his fender stuff, he's pretty sharp and keeps my gear in shape.

i have been playing....geeze....almost 3 years lol, so i'm still a stupid punk kid who can't play for shit (atleast to older guys). i do know tone though, and i can talk gear with the best, so i feel my opinions of gear are valid. before i bought this guitar i tried several other models. like i said, my taste in music is crazy-varied, so it was hard for me to settle on a guitar. i tried strats, les pauls, sg's, and telecasters and the telecaster was my favorite. i'm not sure what it is about this guitar, it just feels like we connect. i've gotta bounce though, homes, SNL is coming on in like 4 minutes.

My Telecaster is a 1999 American Standard with 22 frets. It was made in USA and features the swamp ash body with clear poly finish. The neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. Pickups are stock as are the bridge and tuners. The guitar came with Fender moulded case and included nil accessories.

The swamp ash body seems to provide a very resonant tone and this thing has a magic ring when played acoustically. I have tried this guitar in a number of amps including a Fender Stage 185 (tranny), a Fender 30 (1980's tube amp), a Vadis 40 watt tube amp (a piece of 1960's Aussie history this one) and also a Behringer modeling amp. The guitar sings when plugged in direct to any of these amps. I also use a Korg Toneworks AX1000G modeling signal processor to add a bit of variation. I'm stating the bleeding obvious here when I say that the sounds this guitar can make is more dependent on the fingers (expertise) of the player than the guitar itself.

Since this guitar was second hand I cannot comment on factory set-up. It came with 10-46 strings which suit me perfectly as I often play finger style and like something meatier than the 9's that most of my friends use. I had the guitar set-up by a luthier and now the action is perfect for my needs. I do not like super low actions as it makes string bending too difficult. This guitar was about two years old when I bought it and was in as new condition, apparently traded by a guitar collector who wanted a vintage strat instead. In the two years I have owned it the skunk stripe had to be re-glued as it detached itself from the neck in a couple of places. The neck finish has also begun to fracture in two spots just behind the third fret. This doesn't affect the playability but you have to admit it says something negative about quality control at Fender.
The swamp ash body is two piece and is almost flawlessly matched. Body finish is typical high gloss poly and looks like it can withstand my three year old son's greasy mauling for some time to come. Hey I want him to start early and he should get to touch if he likes don't you think?
I have also had trouble with the jack socket which doesn't grab the plug tightly enough and I use high quality cables. I've been meaning to replace it with a stereo socket in the hope that it eliminates the noise. Another thing I have to mention is that the volume pot has also become scratchy and requires attention (when I replace the jack plug).

This guitar is heavier than my friends Am Std Tele with ash body and is built like a tank. Despite some quality control problems the basic guitar is typically a Tele and will withstand anything even a thrash merchant could dish out.
I have used it live in some amateur musical productions and it was great, holding tune virtually all night.

N/A

I have been playing guitar since 1974. For all you Aussie readers I was taught by Ian MacNamara of "Australia All Over" fame. My guitars in that time have included an SG Gibson Standard, an Ibanez Strat copy, a 1973 Telecaster, various acoustic and classical guitars including a Maton CW80 which I have had for 23 years. This guitar is certainly not as well finished as the Gibson was but I like the Tele sound better, you just cannoy get the twang on a Gibson. As you can see I am not really a gear freak and if I was I'd still be buying Tele's as they are simply the first and the best electic guitar despite what some over hyped boutique guitar "craftsmen" want to tell you.

Made in the USA 2002. The color is Black with a maple finger board. The rest of the features have been stated. Great neck! I love the feel of the frets on the rolled back edges. Fender has finally come throught with some decent quality workmanship!

I play mostly Rock, and Blues. This guitar is great for both. I play through a Fender Cyber Deluxe. It has a killer sound throught the tweed, and blackface amps. I love that classic Tele spank sound.

I'm sure the music store I bought the guitar at made some adjustments. Fender is notorious for crappy setups. I did have to adjust the intonation of a couple of the strings.

This guitar is a tank. It will definitely hold up. I would use it on a gig without a backup, but that would be stupid!

I give this guitar a 9.99 juat because I don't think any guitar deserves a ten except maybe a few PRS guitars out there. This guitar is a great player guitar, and I would buy another if it were stolen. I really think Fender has come through with a quality instrument with the 2002 feature upgrades to the Telecaster. Thanks Fender.

3-Color Sunburst...2 Single coils...you know that basics....but most importantly MADE IN THE USA!

Decent from the factory...lots of hum from the tone know when wide open...Decided to replace the pickups with dimarzios...very nice...clean sound...bright distortion (only draw back not too much low end...but hey its a telecaster.) changed the saddles to graphite ones...sounds great now

Decent not impressed...changes everything on it!
-Changed to .11s instead of .10s
-Graphite Saddles
-Dimarzio Pickups
-DR Strings

Its a fender.

Never have to use them...dont plan on it.

after a few mods...truely a great guitar...would definetaly buy anothing one....i kinda have a bond with it!