Fender American Standard Telecaster

Made in 2007, purchased December 2007 to replace a MIM Tele which I had ???outgrown??? but which had done me proud for a number of years. This is a US Standard Tele, colour honey blonde with black pickguard (looks very much like the old ones from the 50s in fact.) Built in Corona, California.

A Tele doesn???t come with fancy features or any bells and whistles, it was never meant to! Why are you reading this bit?

I play mostly classic rock, use the Tele mostly for cleans and a modded PRS SE for distorted/lead-oriented work. Sound can either be a 9 or a 1, depending on how you use it. I can understand how some players don???t get on with these; the secret is a Tele isn???t a shred machine and was never intended as such. The neck is quite ???slow??? and will fight back in certain situations, therefore if you aspire to being Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen or Joe Satriani, then this is not the instrument for you. But here???s the catch; unlike many ???boutique??? guitars costing 4 or even 5 figures, the humble ???plank??? designed in the 1950s has soul, it has character and expression in bucket-loads. ITeles are notoriously un-forgiving to play, they will reward the nuances of your playing and punish mistakes, but used appropriately a Tele can become a thing of sonic beauty.
Needs to be paired with the right amp; due to it???s boomy bass and piercing treble the Tele tends to become very mushy when played through certain amplifiers (I noticed this is a particular issue when paired with Marshall amps; being primarily designed for hard rock & metal, they also tend to have exacerbated treble/bass frequencies and less mids, which when paired with a Tele makes the resulting mix almost un-controllable!) This particular instrument likes small, old-fashioned, no-frills valve amplifiers, for best results I play it through a Laney VC15.

Don???t like the 50-cycle hum but this is all part of the guitar???s old-school vibe, trouble is if you retro-fit a set of noiseless p/ups to one of these to get rid of the hum, the sound loses its edge and becomes sterile (I deliberately left my Tele stock for this reason.)

I had it set up when new to take 0.11 gauge strings, these are harder to play but give a far superior tone to anything lighter.

Been playing it about 2 years, nothing???s gone wrong with it apart from the iron ferrules at the back aren???t glued in and keep popping out when I change the strings (minor gripe, everything else seems un-breakable.)

This thing will survive a nuclear holocaust (and probably still come out of it in tune!) It???s a TANK.

I usually have a back-up purely in case I break a string. Have been playing 15 years and this will probably be around long after I pop my clogs.

Never used them, hopefully won't happen

Been playing 15 years, some bass but mostly electric (also own a PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow which has been modded with PRS Dragon II pickups, phosphor bronze nut and a coil-tap.)

Be warned, Fender don't make consistently good products; when I bought this in 2007 I spent about 2 hours in the shop and tried 10 brand new Fender guitars in this price range (5 Strats, 5 Teles) and out of these 10 only 2 played/sounded any good. ALWAYS TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, THEY VARY WILDLY.

If it were stolen, I'd hunt the thief down, get my guitar back and club him round the head with it (would hurt the thief much more than my guitar I suspect!)

Purchased New March 2009
Alder body, sunburst finish, rosewood fingerboard
Fit and finish is excellent

I use this guitar in a church worship band and use primarily a Fender Hotrod Deluxe amp. The guitar's bridge pickup gets an incredible tone with the treble rolled of slightly on the guitar, the amp's volume on about 4, and with mid-point tone settings on the clean channel. I don't need any pedals with this tone. I also like to play jazz, and I found the neck pickup will generate a very satisfying tone comparable to any good semi-hollow body electric. I found the .009 strings that originally came with the guitar were too light for my playing style, and were quickly replaced with .010 strings. I use a Princeton Reverb for clean tone and practicing. I use the Hotrod Deluxe when I need a warm, overdriven tone for playing in the worship band or sitting in with another band.

This is my second telecaster. My first was a 1961 Telecaster that I obtained while a teenager through a trade with a Gibson ES-330. That was nearly 40 years ago. At that time I played it through a black-faced Fender Concert amp with 4 ten-inch speakers. That guitar was a completely different instrument than the current model. I am very happy with the current Am Std Telecaster, and believe it is a more versatile guitar than the '61 Telecater I had previously. If I had to use only one electric guitar, I believe it would be this American Standard Telecaster. I can cover a lot of musical styles with this instrument. I rate it a 9 only because of the single-coil hum that is inherent with these pickups. I can virtually eliminate the hum by controlling the tone setting on the guitar.

This is a quality instrument, and the differences between this and the other Telecaster models can become very subjective. The difference between this model and the Mexican model range can be heard through a good amp. The Somarian-Cobalt pickups of the Deluxe Telecaster are too dark sounding for my taste. I think the polyurethane finish will be more durable than the nitrocelulose finish of older Fenders. Most of the finish of my '61 Telecaster had worn off by the time I aquired it. The guitar's intonation is perfect, and it is very stable in staying in tune. When it starts slipping out of tune, it is time to change the strings.

I have owned Fender products for over 45 years. I have never had a Fender guitar break down on me. I am confident the dealer will provide good support if and when I need it.

This again, is a very subjective opinion. I have been playing for nearly 50 years and have had the good fortune to own a 1961 Telecaster, a 1964 Gibson ES-335, a 1964 Stratocaster, and a mid-1980's 1962 Stratocaster reissue. I play fingerstyle, and really like the sound the American Std Telecaster provides through Fender tube amps. I have played this guitar throuh a silver-faced Twin Reverb, a Blues Junior (which ended up being traded for the Princeton Reverb RI), the Hotrod Deluxe, and the '65 Princeton Reverb reissue. I think the guitar sounds best through the Hot Rod Deluxe amp for my playing style.

am stadard tele - I have the last series of american tele and it is no comparison - this is junk ! I dont see how anyone who plays guitar well and is a pro can pick one of these up and like it. It feels just like a jay turser with a fake plasticky feeling neck and the malple neck is fine for anyone who wants their fingers to slide while making bends thats to say if you can even make a bend without it fretting out and going dead. Piece of junk.

Sounds ok I guess its just the cheap construction and cheap feel adn the higher price? Charge more for less - yes the american way.

action and playablilty is terrible - feels like a cheap copy - I dont know how anyone can like this guitar and people who play the $2159 dollar hot rod tele and say that neck is good ? I dont get it . Its sticky slippery and slow? All that for $2159 dollars! yes raise it 500 bucks ! But the american fenders are crap !Im buying a new tele but its one thats been in a store that is the last version of the american series with a maple neck that isnt like a skating rink slippery.

dont know

this guitar should cost 399 the highway one is better.

This is a review of the new Fender american standard Telecaster.
3-Color Sunburst with maple fingerboard (9.5??? Radius) on alder body. Made in 2009.
Standard telecaster features, with the addition of the Master Delta Tone.(high output bridge pickup and special No-Load tone control).
New bridge design, 22 frets and a Bi-Flex Truss Rod System. Very lightweight yet sturdy case included.
The rest of the features can be found in the fender website.

I was looking for a versatile, high quality guitar that would cover all the ground my humbucker equipped Epiphone Riviera could not, well i admit i got even more than i expected.
Playing in a very strange project this guitar covers everything from jazz to indie, garage, electronica, ambient.
From clean to fully overdriven to fuzz, from dry to 100% wet, It does all that very well. The sound will retain definition, even through heavy use of FX, perhaps a little more definition than someone (like me) would like.

I've been using this guitar mostly through a Laney VC30 but have also used it on a Fender Deville and Hot-Rod Deluxe with very good results.
The definition of the notes is excellent and there is lots of sustain. The sound is full and well balanced, very good bass response without ever being muddy, the high frequencies are definitely there, but by no means is the sound overly bright even on the bridge pickup which was indeed a pleasant surprise.
If there is one thing i disliked in some telecasters, is their thin sound,how irritating the bridge pickup sounds and how many unmusical high frequencies exist in the spectrum.
Of course that could be purely a matter of taste but by switching from a semi-hollow Riviera to this guitar with stock pickups, I did not compromise in any way the fullness of sound i was looking for. The sound now has the body i was looking for, but with a lot more detail in the midrange and clarity. It can get bright, but it will always make sense musically.
Both the pickups are very dynamic responsive and well balanced in terms of frequency response and I believe it will not be a problem finding your desired sound in a good amp.
I cannot really comment on the output levels as I usually adjust my levels by using the 2 tubes of my Zoom G9.2tt preamp (no modeling used) to slightly overdrive the clean channel of my VC30 . This might sound a bad choice by some people but it works perfectly for me.

The noise level is fairly low if you play in a proper environment, but yes if you have a 100 watt halogen light bulb over your head you will hear some noise but has nothing to do with the quality of the pickups. If the middle position is indeed hum cancelling, i cannot hear any difference. Very quiet. Never used a noise gate.

Versatile and well balanced is the bottom line.

Straight from the factory the guitar sounded, well.. BAD. The volume level of each string was not consistent, nor the 2 pickup levels. Intonation was mediocre and the 0.009 fender strings is a bad choice for my taste. It is a shame trying out a guitar in this condition as it can be missleading.

When the guys from the shop properly set it up with 0.011 strings and did all the necessary adjustments, I was blown away.
The action was so low (with no buzz at all) that i actually had them raise it a bit. The feeling when you play is so satisfying and i'm actually getting better in my playing as this guitar does not limit you in any way.

I did not see any flaws except probably 1-2 loose tuning keys, but that is not really a flaw.
Overall a joy to play with.

The only reason i choose this guitar over the cheaper models fender makes (in US, Mexico, Japan) is that i immediately felt this is a GREAT instrument, of a different level that will last for a very long time and is worth the extra money.

It is primarally the neck and body that make a reliable instrument and assure playability as the years go by and this guitar takes a staight ten in this department. The Bi-flex truss rod also makes me feel more certain that if i have any unusual problems with the neck i will be able to fix it.

The controls, bridge,electronics and tuners all seem very solid. Everything on this guitar makes it feel of proffesional level. I'm only using this guitar now.

I've been playing for 15 years. I am not the kind of player that will change guitars every year so i take extra caution when choosing one. I had been in the search for over 5 months reading everything there was in the internet trying out a lot of guitars, planning on super upgrades and fancy mods etc. All that has ended for me now. I am very satisfied and i won't even change the pickups on this guitar until i feel there is a genuine need to do so. Sometimes i get a feeling by reading some of the reviews here, that people actually spend more time talking of specs and mods than they are actually playing. This is a guitar to play with and that is what I intend to do from now on. No upgrades no mods just play. I am done with that.

American Standard Telecaster Natural Maple neck

I was somewhat worried about the singlecoil pickups hum, but it sounds great. It??s got a clean sound with a natural sustain, it sounds louder unplugged than my deluxe stratocaster.

It looks and feels solid and durable.

I??ve been playing for twenty discontinuous years. I own an american deluxe stratocaster and a Fender Princeton Recording Amp. If it were stolen , I would try to find the thieve and recover the guitar after killing him but if not I would miss the guitar like a valuable and lovable thing I??ve lost, I??d start thinking of saving money to buy a new one. I chose this guitar because it has the sound that only a telecaster has.

There is not too much one can say about "features" when reviewing a Telecaster. But the American Standard version has quieter pickups and wiring than earlier versions I have owned, a bit more punch - especially from the neck PU - and something called "Delta" controls that supposedly prevent tonal loss when one lowers the volume.

The wood on my transparent-finished version is very fine as, indeed, the finish itself. The fretboard is "hand rolled" which means, I believe, that the fretwork edges have been given particular attention.

What the words and phrases mean this is a beautifully crafted guitar - far better than any of the other Teles I've owned over the nearly fifty years I've been playing.

In a word: Superb. All the Tele bite and clarity one could wish for but with a solidity and fullness a bit above its breed.

Of particular note is the neck pickup which is better balanced in output than my previous Teles. Indeed, this will the first time I don't find any need to replace the stock neck PU.

Perfection. Truly. I'd read that Fender had made a great step forward in the quality of their American made instruments in the last year or so, but I was not prepared for the excellence of this guitar. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

As solid a piece as this will likely never need service. And if it does there is a limited lifetime guaranty.

I have no idea and I expect I never will. However a personal "thank you" email for the unexpected excellence of this guitar went unanswered by Fender. Thats a foolish business practice if nothing else.

I've been playing since the very early `60s. I started as a Gibson man, added a Tele a few years later, and have always had at least one in my stable ever since. This one is so perfect that it is quite naturally the one I reach for when I feel like playing or writing. And that's out of a collection of about a dozen electrics.

My main amp is a Line 6 Duoverb with a 2nd 2/12 cabinet. It does so many things so well that I've sold off a couple of classic Marshalls and Fender amps. Now I just hit the foot pedal and get all the Marshall crunch, Fender burn and Vox bell tone that I need - or even two together.

My main sound is a mix of Marshall 800 and Fender Twin, both with a hard-driven emulation. The "Fender" gives me a good bottom to which the "Marshall" adds texture and warmth.

The only other things I'll mention is the new case. Upon ordering my guitar I thought of asking to trade it for a classic tweed type. But immediately upon delivery I was glad I hadn't. This case is so strong, so light, and so lovely that it too is perfection. What more can I say? If you love Teles you're gonna love this one!

I'm a professional musician, not a collector, so absolutely authentic vintage details mean little to me. Don't get me wrong, I love vintage Teles! Why? Because they SOUND so good, not because they have "vibe" or "mojo" or whatever.

Anyway, the one I bought has an ash body w/ maple fretboard, color is 2-tone sunburst.

I rated this category high because although it's just a simple Tele, it has just the right number of "extras" that I like. E.g.:

Delta Tone
Excellent new design ATA hard case
Staggered tuning pegs
Great new bridge saddle design
Rolled fretboard edges

I knocked off a few points because the neck is thinner than I prefer and it has a rather ugly dark streak across the front.

I bought this for the tone first and foremost. It's just great classic Telecaster tone.

The build quality is flawless and the fretboard feels great to my fingers. It sets up beautifully. I would prefer a thicker neck.

Excellent hardware and electronics, feels very sturdy.

Years ago I had given up on Fender providing a simply designed, well-made, great sounding, ash/maple, AlNiCo 5 single-coil, American-made Telecaster that would sell new for under $1000. Heck, even just a new Tele that sounded halfway decent! This one had me from the moment I picked it up, and the price tag clinched the deal. I don't remember playing a new Telecaster this nice for a loooonnnng time, not even Custom Shop jobs at 3x the price.

2001 American Standard Tele with maple fingerboard, burst finish, and white pickguard. Its all stock .

It has that wonderful sound that only a Tele can produce. I use a variety of amps with it. A blackface Fender Champ, Epiphone Valve Jr. with Bitmo mods, and a Fender Pro Reverb reissue. I dont use any effect but, I do love to crank up the gain for some serious crunch. To me , when played through a clean channel, it is the classic Fender tone, nice an bright but, smooth as glass.

I bought it used and the setup was poor on it. I do my own setup work as I am a full time luthier. The fretwork was lousy from the factory with several high frets which i had to level and dress. The fit and finish is excellent though on the neck and body. The neck profile is wonderful.

Its seems very solid to me. I think it will last a long time. The controls are excellent as are the stock PU's. The finish has held up very well so far. I added Schaller strap locks, otherwise, it is bone stock.

I use to own an American Standard Strat but for my taste, I much prefer the sound and feel of my Tele. The thing plasy so easy and it so lightwieght that it is a joy to own. I would definelty replace it with another juts like it if it were stolen. I wouldnt mind adding a butterscotch '52 RI to my collection.

This is one of the new 2008 American Standard Tele's. Mine has the natural ash body with a rosewood neck. Its a tele so I don't want to bore you with the details you all know them.

The sound out of the box was thin to me. It came with 9's for strings and one I put on 10's it fattened up considerably. The stock pickups were not bad but I swapped them out for Jason Lollar Specials which are a vintage pickup that is slightly overwound. I like my tele a little darker for more of a rock sound and those pickups are excellent. I also swapped out all the electronics for the RS Guitarworks Vintage Tele electronic upgrade pack which has really made a diffrence with the pickups there is almost no noise at all and after a professional set up this baby is primed and ready to rock.. The sound after the changes is a 10 before the changes I would have gicven it an 8 this is my 5th tele over the years and my first with a rosewood board I actually like the rosewood better both for feel and look. Played through a good tube amp preff Class A this baby sings and sustains like a good les paul I would know I have an R8. I play it through a Victoria 5112 amp and they are made for eachother. Think classic stones ala stcky fingers/exile on main st sound. With a pedal you can approach modern rock if thats your taste as well. All in all this baby is solid and I am glad I purchased it guess the 5th time is a charm.

Out of the box the action was ok when I put the 10's on I had to adjust a bit but all in all it was not bad since my set up it is great. Low action and great sustain as well (a trait of an excellent guitar) The fit and finisg as well were spot on I have owned many USA fenders and have never seen poor build quality on any of them.

It is a tele

Overall I am very happy with this guitar like I said earlier this is my 5th tele overall and the only one I own now. In my opinion after all the upgrades it is the best tele I have ever owned beating out a deluxe ash tele with the Samarium Cobalt pickups and s 1 switching. Currently I own this tele a 2007 Gibson Les Paul R8 and a 2007 Martin HD-28V as well as my Victoria amp. For now I am satisfied with my tone search. This tele is VERY versatile more so than the LP sweet cleans and very good overdrive as well but clean this baby is the Sh*t.

Mine is a brand new 2008 American standard with a sunburst finish Alder body, maple neck and fingerboard. Two single coil pickups, a switch to select them, a volume and tone control and a 1/4" phono jack. Nothing fancy, nothing special. The Broacaster was the first commercially manufactured electric guitar in history. It's name changed to Telecaster as television became popular. Honestly, it hasn't changed much in over 1/2 a century. Sure, people can argue about minute details but basically a Telecaster is a Telecaster. The new 2008 model is just like the original Broadcaster (details aside) in my view.

You don't buy a Telecaster to show off. You don't buy one for it's beauty and modern design. You don't buy one for its innovation. It was innovative in the 1940's but not today. You buy one because it sounds like a Telecaster. Sharp attack sounds from single coil pickups, an almost metallic twang from the bridge pickup and a surprisingly sweet tone from the neck pickup. Of course you can have both at the same time. I bought the guitar primarily for playing blues. Connect it to a tube amp of your choice and I doubt there is anything better for everything from Delta to rock blue styles. I use it with an AC 30. It is magical. Give it just a tiny bit of overdrive and enjoy. If you like to spend money on after market pickups help yourself. But, personally, I think the 2008 Tele is right on the money in terms of tone. I don't expect to do any "upgrades." I bought it for its sound and its sound is what makes it special.

The guitar came out of new inventory at the store. It had never been opened or played. The setup was just fine for me. I score it a 10 in terms of playability and action. It was adjusted to factory specs and those specs work for me.

The guitar itself has nothing particularly amazing in the finish department. The Tele is a block of wood designed in the 1940's. As I said, you don't buy a Telecaster for its appearance. I give it a 7 on fit and finish.

My new guitar hasn't been anywhere yet but it's hard to imagine a guitar that could be any more sturdy or reliable. The marketplace is not filled with horror stories about Tele failures. In fact the opposite is true. I'll give it a 10 based on the experiences of others.

No dealings with Fender.

The American Standard Telecaster is a musician's tool. It isn't a rare collectible. It isn't a museum piece. It is a reliable, great sounding instrument with great action and playability. Fender has had a long, long time to perfect it. They've done well.

Its only equal in the playability department from my experience is the Gibson Les Paul. Not may guitars play as nicely as the Telecaster.

I mark them down to 9 only because I think they should provide a bridge cover with the instrument. Yes, I know, nobody uses them. But not using them should be an option.

It's always been a great guitar - a music industry standard - and still is. Of course, I would buy another one if this one were lost or ruined.

New for 2008 - American Standard Telecaster. Crimson Red Transparent ash body with a rosewood fret board. Standard Tele features and tuners. The beauty of this guitar lies in its simplicity. Included is a "TSA approved" case which is nice, and the usual Allen keys for making adjustments. Had to purchase strap locks separately - wish Fender would make these standard equipment like their deluxe series guitars.

Awesome full Tele sound! I was never really a Tele player prior to owning this, but as far as I can tell it sounds as good as its predecessors. The bridge pickup is edgy and aggressive, and the neck pickup is woody and full. The middle position gives a nice blend of both. This guitar is simply a tone machine - with a little configuration you can easily dial in just about anything. I play through a Mesa Express 5:25 amp and the tone is awe-inspiring.

I love the playability on this guitar. I play GHS .11 Boomers and had it initially set-up with these strings. Plays like a dream.
The finish is also perfect. I like being able to see the grain of the wood through the finish, leads me to believe that the guitar can "breathe" and resonate tone better.
I was a little skeptical about the new coated fret board, but on the rosewood it feels good and plays as good as my '04 American Strat with a rosewood fret board.

As far as reliability and durability I have no concerns. This baby will probably last as long as I will. The only concern I have is that after playing for a few hours the black pick guitar is noticeably scratched, which I suppose is to be expected. I bought this guitar for tone and playability, not to look at.

I had to wait about four months for this guitar because I initially ordered an ???old??? American Series Tele that was discontinued and had to change my order to and American Standard. The guys at Dave Phillip's Music and Sound in Phillipsburg NJ were great. Never had to deal with Fender directly - they took care of everything.

I've been playing four years and in addition to this I own a '04 American Strat and a '06 American Deluxe Strat with a QMT. All great guitars.

This Tele makes a great addition to my collection as it enters into a more unrefined tone realm that my Strats don't really get into.

If it were stolen I'd definitely look at replacing it.

2006. You know the specs. Mine's a black with rosewood. I chose this one because it had a darker sound than others, even those with rosewood. Not that it doesn't have definition, just a bit more mid and groiwl than some. I think I played about 10 to choose this one.

I give a 7 because tele's have everything you need, and they have above average finish and hardware compared to everything out there. This is a work horse guitar, nothing to get emotional about, it just does it's job really well.

Let's be honest here. Nobody buys a tele to sound like dimebag or to look good. At the same time, remember that Page used one, so did (or does) Tom morello at times. Now I'm a guy that does a gig a week, and has to cover every style - i mean EVERY style. I can't do wammy dives, but a tele set up well, with a sensible amp, can cover just about any sound you want. If it can't then you haven't thought about tone, sound, pick attack, timing and all the other things that come in to a live sound. I'm not suggesting tele's do everything well, but for a live application you can get away with it. That, to me puts it close to a 10. What gets it there is that when you have a need for blues to rock overdrive, there is nothing as expressive. There is so little in the way between your fingers and the amp that it all get's through, for better or worse.

Modern teles don't have the same tone as vintage - there's no doubt. They lack the really bitey twang and tastey clean. They are however, a more versatile instrument. As a working muso I can't see myself playing anything else for quite a long time. I feel that PRS, Gibson and other similars just don't have the cut. Ibanez don't have a neck i like and custom made axes are way too precious. Strats go out of tune.
Each have a big place in rock, but I find the tele more solid and more expressive.

Finish is good. I set the action myself to suit the combination of slide and fingers that could be called on at any gig. The overall condition is what you expect for the money. Not going to set the standard out there, some of the scratchplate screws are a bit on the angle, but nothing that upsets me.

Fender turn out factory instruments that work. Not beautiful works of guitar art. Don't kid yourself into comparing the finish on one of these to a PRS - no comparison.

Fallen off of the stand twice. Stood on by the other guitarist once. Dropped by me twice. Dropped my pedal board on it once.

What else can you do this to, pick it up and it's still in tune. You just play on. Like a rock. The only guitar i've ever found like this.

Who knows. What would you try to contact Fender for anyway. If you can use a screw driver, an allen key and a soldering iron you can do anything you need to.

Everybody should try a tele, just to understand how simple it can be. They're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but theres a reason that your average joe working muso tends to own either a strat or a tele. For me it's a tele just to get that extra bass in the sound.

Finish - Inca Silver
Body - Alder? Telecaster solid body
Bridge - 6 piece telecaster bridge
Tuners - stock non-locking (Fender branded Schallers?)
Neck/Scale - Maple neck, c shaped, 25.5" scale
Plastic molded hard case included
Made in 1999 in the USA
Two stock tele single-coil pickups with the "Delta-tone" tone-knob that removes the tone pot from the circuit when full up.

I play 60s inflected rock -- anything from byrds to zep to the who. Also some Jazz comping and only occasional country picking. This amp works very well for the rock stuff. Jazz comping is not too bad with the tone turned down on the neck pickup. It's great for country, unfortunately I'm a terrible country player. Usually just use the amps reverb, trem and a variety of overdrive pedals. It is a very bright guitar compared to my others (all gibson), so maybe I'm just hyper aware of the brightness because it's my only fender. Even though it can get very bright, I feel like a tele can be used in pretty much any type of music. Lots of twangy attack on the strings, really versatile sounds.

One of these days I'll get around to putting nicer pickups in this guitar. The stock ones are fine, but new pickups could really make this guitar something special. It's an overall solid sound that I'm always comfortable using.

Bought it used, so I don't know about the factory setup. It's currenly set up really nicely for me. Good low action, it stays in tune reasonably well. no fret buzz.

I couldn't break this guitar if I tried. It is as sturdy as a guitar can get. It's my one guitar that I don't fuss over in terms of durability. Whenever I'm playing in a situation where I anticipate...well...shadiness, I bring my tele because I know it will survive pretty much anything. It's a super workhorse.

I dunno

Been playing 12 years and own a number of gibsons. This is my only fender currently. If it was lost, I'd get another tele for sure. I love that it fits in pretty much every situation. Nothing really to hate. My favorite feature is its simplicity. I had played a number of teles over the years and never really loved any of them...I'm not sure if they were MIJ, MIA, MIM or whatever, all I know is that I sat down with this tele and it just felt right in my hands, so I bought it. I'm glad I did.

Maple neck, olympic white (it's starting to turn green a little). The body and neck are perfect. The finish on the neck is wearing off, but does not effect anything. The body is a good weight and though the paint is starting to turn greenish, it's not a problem.

I've changed out all of the hardware, cuz it really sucked!! I prefer the vintage style tuning machines, so I changed those out right away (it's a pain finding the correct sized casings, but I eventually found them). The bridge is crap: no sustain and the saddles are too soft and break strings too easily. I originally used graphite saddles, but eventually found a custom made-vintate style 3 saddle bridge.

The pups were crap, no tone. I got a Van Zandt Vintage for the neck and SD Lil 59er for the bridge.

The volume and tone nobs were crappy, so I got custom ones. When playing live, the nobs need to stay on tight, otherwise you end up pulling them off!

So, body and neck is great, but all of the hardware is not really road-worthy. I don't abuse my guitars, but I do play them hard!

After the hardware changes, I feel my tele sounds as good as the best tele out there. I absolutely love it. But, the stock guitar sounded only average. So, I'm rating it a 7, since it requires some custom work to be done. I sure wish Fender would sell it without the crappy electronics and hardware for a few $$ less...

The stock setup didn't have enough... not enough bite, highs or lows. It sounded too "smooth" and the pickups had sort of a compression/limiter/chorus-y effect, not a RAW vintage fender tone. I don't think you can get the classic tele tones -Keith Richards, Albert Collins, Jimmie Page, Burton...

As perfect as can be expected. The finish on the neck is wearing off a little, but that is to be expected. Frets will be replaced within the next 12 months, but have lasted me 7 years of solid playing. I use 11 strings and play pretty hard, blues/rock, so guitar has been through a lot and still sounds great.

Again, body and neck is great. Hardware had to be changed out... especially the bridge.. the saddles only lasted a month or so before I started breaking strings.

**Note, I NEVER break strings. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I broke a sting... I change them regularly, I file down the saddles, make sure my guitars are intonated. My band rehearses once a week and we gig 2-3 times a month (though we did about 10 shows in august). I bring three guitars to most my shows- tele, LP, strat. With the stock bridge, I was breaking strings alomst every practice once the saddles started wearing out. Once I changed everything out, never a break! I've been using this as my main guitar since Jan of 2000.

NA. Guitars are very prone to wear 'n tear. The manufacturer can't really help you, that's not their job. It's up to you to maintain it and/or take advatage of local guitar techs.

I hate to be a sellout and give a perfect 10, but it really is. That is if you are willing and able to maintain it and get the parts that are right for you. The hardware was way less than average, but even the highest grade hardware will likely wear out over time. I ended up putting $500-$600 in upgrades ($240 for the bridge, maybe overpriced, but it's likely the best on the market), making it close to a $2000 guitar (I think the stock price is up near $1500 or so... I may be off a little). But, even you bought a $2000 tele from guitar center, you'd still have hardware which is not the best on the market (I'll let you decided what the best means).

But, the neck and body is 100% solid and quality, so there's where the value lies. I would never replace this guitar, and will play it til the day I die, assuming it can be re-fretted from time to time without destroying the neck!

Made in USA Tele, rosewood board, standard pickup selector switch, single coils. The feaures I like most about Tele's over Strat's is the fixed bridge. Pretty basic instrument in the features department, this guitar is meant to be played. it has all the features you need on the guitar, if you need fancy there are plenty of pedals out there for tricks and gimmicks.

Tele's are not very pretty, and aren't going to get chicks just because they look cool. In fact, it is almost the simplest block of wood that you could attach a fretted neck to. This means the only reason to own this instrument is for the sound. You can tell the boys from the men by those that are even willing to look at a Tele. It is a tough guitar to play well. It is not at all forgiving, and will not hide any sloppiness It can provide great drive tones, but will quickly point out a player that hasn't yet learned how to really dial in knobs. You might ask "Why go through all this trouble when a humbucker equipped guitar will make you sound "big" no matter what?" The Tele player's reward is incredible control over the nuance. Tele's are very expressive, the majority of it's character is going to come from your hands, pick attacks, releases, string pressures, etc... It can be made to play rich thich tones that can be as impressive as a humbucking guitar, yet can have character and definition that the humbuckers can't dream of touching. Want the blues? LP's can't dream of the sound thes can pull for blues. I bet more rhythm tracks have been recorded on a Tele than any other. These guitars have great mid range, and despite the stereotype of being too twangy/country, it can totally be dialed out.

Tele's play very solid, look as decent as a block of mildly carved wood can, and the finish is about as interesting as it was 60 years ago. But there are guitars that this isn't a foregone conclusion on, so I'll give it a 9.

Seriously, of any guitar in the world, how can you mess this thing up? It is a block of solid wood, with about the fewest parts you could ever put on a guitar and still have it function. If this gutiar ever lets you down, it's your own fault for dropping it, hitting something with it, etc...

I've dealt with Fender for a few other things, but never the Tele. I have no opinion here.

This is my desert island guitar. I can't live without Tele's. I used to be a die hard humbucking LP player, and still own the LP for certain harder sounds, but all in all the Tele see's the majority of the playing traffic. This is one guitar that is a great fundamental to build your tone around, and then other guitars can help fill out the Tele tone. But for a single guitar sound, this is it!

standard stuff...2006 model...changed the pickguard for cosmetic purposes....its a tele

its sounds ok....the body and neck are nice...the pickups are so-so....im going to swap them out for some kinnmans...teles feel and play great....you just gotta get to that special place tone wise

feels great, looks great!

cool

american fenders vary greatly from guitar to guitar....check out a bunch if you really want one, cause they aint all the same....i found one that was light, was setup well, and had a good fret job....im going to change the pickups, but i had planned on that before i bought the guitar.....overall mine is great, but like i said, they all can be very different, so choose wisely...haha

2002 model made in USA
Standard American Telelcaster electrics (i.e. including delta-tone)
7.6 lbs Alder body, maple neck with 25.5", 22 fret rosewood fingerboard.
Chrome Red included case but no candy
String through body. 9-42 strings

How do I rate the features of a telecaster? It's is a pretty basic guitar but everything is you need is there - good timber, electrics, sound, finish and quality components. And it's made in USA.

I used to wonder how Keith Richards got his guitar sound. Now I know. The tele is a tone monster. The Telecaster, Stratocaster and Les Paul are definitive rock sounds. It's a great rock - blues guitar and well suited for rhythm guitar work. The pickups don't have a lot of sustain so it doesn't get used as much for lead guitar. Still this didn't stop Jeff Beck.

I use the tele with a Fender Hot Rod DeVille it it sounds great (this amp is really well set up for the strat and tele - which is no surprise).

Single coil pickups are a bit noisier than humbackers but not much.
Jimi Hendrix said the Telecaster had only one good pickup. I guess he meant the bridge pickup which is hotter the neck pickup. However, the volume difference the bridge and the neck is not as great as it used to be. The defining telecaster sound is twang.

The chrome red finish is similar to the code red Satriani guitar (JS1200). It's hard show up the depth of the finish in a photo but it looks great in the flesh. While that guitar was second hand, the action, fit and finish looks fine with no indications of bad quality anywhere.

The guitar was being used by a band in Sydney. It still is in real good shape which I guess says a lot about the durability of the guitar.

Everything about this guitar is solid.

If I could have only one guitar at a gig, of all my guitars, I would feel most confident with the tele.

I bought this guitar for my son, who wants to learn guitar. I already have a few guitars including: Fender Strat, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Flying V and PRS Custom 24. So, we wanted to get a good guitar to learn on but something different from the guitars we already have. I also wanted a reliable guitar for gigging that I wouldn't worry about knocking about.
Some of the guitars we were interested in were the Ibanez JS100 and PRS SE range.

It's not a guitar I was thinking I've buying for myself but I'm playing it more than any of my other guitars at the moment. It's easy to play, light weight, small neck, 9-42 strings and it stays in tune.

I've spent a lot more on some of my other guitars but the telecaster is best in terms of value. Nothing plays, sound, feels or looks like a Telecaster and if does, than it is just copying the original.

Purchased new, 1999, approx. $300., Mexican made, Standard Telecaster, White with maple neck, 6 saddle bridge

Play garage psych, country, blues, jazz. Sound is okay - maybe a little thin. Humming and buzzing through the amp is noticeable.

Set-up was fair, pick-ups were okay. The materials used to manufacture this guitar seem to be low grade. The assembly of the instrument was a bit off here and there. The neck is not set properly, and the body shows a lack of precision. The hardware seems cheap.

This is an unreliable guitar because I am contantly breaking srings. I've stopped using it. Had the same problem with the American Standard Tele also.

Never paid attention to the warranty.

-Been playing for over twenty years
-Have a Gibson 335, Rickenbacker 360, GFI pedal steel, American Standard Telecaster
-I am sorry to say that the Mexican Fender Standard Telecaster is a waste of money. I strongly recommend that you put your $300.00 towards a higher quality instrument. There are decent low-end guitars available.
-If it were lost I wouldn't care.
-Its a waste of money.

2005. Clear ash body w/ maple neck. White pickguard. Stock American Standard pickups. Usual volume and tone control.

The Telecaster helped me get more of a sparkle for pop music that I was looking for. I used a Les Paul for years (still do in fact), but the Tele has become my main instrument for this application. With Ash and maple, this guitar can get very bright with a punchy attack. I run it through an Evans JE150 jazz/steel solid state amp. Because of this amps incredible EQ and warmth, I can get any tone I need. For me, the Treble pick up is hot enough for distortion, even 80's metal - but with less foreboding darkness that a humbucker can dish out. But usually, I use this guitar for clean and medium gain work. Overall, it is very responsive, the EQs work well, and the fretwork is excellent - very even with no fret buzzes. One complaint - the pickguard can get a static sound with my hand rubbing against it in certain situations. This means that that the shielding under it is inadequate. TIme to buy some copper foil shielding and put it underneath. This is a minor complaint, but I paid just under a grand for this, I would expect it not to be an issue. Overall, this is my "go to" axe for pop/rock covers of all styles.

I set this guitar up after I bought it since it had wimpy 9's on it and too much relief on the neck. I put 10's on, straightened the neck to a very slight relief, set the bridge intonation, then finally the pickup heights - awesome playability. No one should pay a tech to do this...it takes about one half hour and is very easy. It's like paying someone $75 to check the air pressure in your car's tires!!

Structurally, the instrument is sound. For instance, if you bend a note, the neck won't snap! This category is strange to me since, I don't look for guitars to be durable like my car's engine. Unless you want the Tele to withstand abuse (leaving it outside in the rain, tossing in on the driveway, etc.), it will basically last forever (except frets).

Through the dealer, Fender stands by its products if you keep the receipt.

Solid guitar, simple and playable with great tone. WOuld buy it again. Its a workhorse that is always fun to play through a variety of amps. It mates real well with an Evans amp!!

Just an update on my five-position switch modification. To do this you need the Fender (or equivalent) Five Way Super Switch.

I wired the guitar like so:

Switch Position
1 - Bridge
2 - Bridge & Neck, in series, in phase
3 - Bridge & Neck, in parallel, in phase
4 - Bridge & Neck, in series, out of phase
5 - Neck

Positions 1, 3, 5 are the same as factory. Position 2 gives you a high output, warmer tone that lends itself well to jazz and blues. It definitely takes the twang out of the guitar. Position 4 give a very unique tone that to me makes the guitar sound like a semi hollow body. Works well for a few different things and definitely makes the guitar sound rather unreocognizable from a regular Tele.

All in all, a worthwhile modification.

If you need more information send me an email

Shop around, don't get hosed on the price of this switch. I paid 15$Cdn (13$USD) but have seen the same thing for twice that.

Mine is a blonde 1993 with a 1994 neck (more on that later) with all the standard features. The tone control has a middle detent on it which I discovered after loosening the knob when cleaning. Very useful feature, friends' Teles don't seem to have this so not sure if it is unique. Came with Fender flight case and all the goodies. Dealer tossed in guitar strap and extra set of strings. Set up with GHS strings too.

What can I say? Its a twangy guitar! That's why I bought it. I use older tube amplifiers only. The only thing I can say bad about the tone is that the bridge pickup isn't suitable for some kinds of music hence I own a Stratocaster also. I going to install the Fender super-switch shortly which will give me 5 pickup settings (N, B, N+B, N+B in series, N+B in series out of phase). I gather this is what the Hellecasters have done to their guitars. I'll write more on that later.

Factory setup was good, but local dealer re-adjusted everything before I picked up and that was fine. The overall quality of the guitar is very good. No blemishes. The body is made from 2 pieces of wood and if the light hits it the right way you can tell. I was a little disappointed to find this out but I gather this is typical of these guitars. After about 3 months of playing the finish started coming off the fretboard - to which I was shocked. I took it back to the store and they told me to pick it up in a couple of days. They claimed that this was caused by very low temperatures during shipping. What the hell, now its got a 1994 neck. After 11 years of playing the neck looks pretty much like it did after 3 months except now there's lots of fretwear. No complaints, I play this guitar a lot. In my opinion, you don't necessarily get a higher quality instrument if you opt for the coveted Made in USA sticker. :)

This guitar has been 100% reliable. It has never failed to work and strings seem to last forever on it too. I've even played for an hour straight and it stays in tune.

When I had the neck problem it was delt with immediately under warranty. The only thing they could've done better was to give me a loaner for a couple of days as it was my only guitar at the time. If I were Joe Gigging Musician I would've needed to rent something.

If someone ripped this guitar off I would go out and buy another one.

I got a deal on this 2003 or 04 American Standard, used but mint. This one is Candy apple red, Love that color, with rosewood fret board.Every thing else has aready been said. Usual Tele features. Single tone and volume....but that's all you need. I'm only giving a 9 out of 10 because it's just not a big "features" guitar

You can make this simple ax sound like anything you want, from the twang of country to the moans of Blues. Not sure about heavy metal but I did run through a couple old Who standards and believe it would even work for Metal. The tone is the thing that blows me away. What you can do with just the tone and volume control is amazing. I?m using a couple amps, a spider 210 and a Behringer GMX212. I tried a couple other Tele?s on a Vox AC30 at a local music store just to see how it would sound on a real tube amp. I like everything about this guitar

The thing is built well and feels super, the balance is perfect, Set up from the guy I brought it from was close to right on. Not that he ever did anything with it. I had a bit of buzz on the low E that was easily adjusted.

This ax seems rock solid. I've never had trouble with any American made fender I've owned (never had trouble on the mini strat that was made in Indonesia for that matter).

Never needed them

I've been playing off and on for 30 plus. Not a professional but a decent player. This is a great guitar and if I had to do it all over again I?d buy a new one at the retail price. Should have a long time ago. If it was stolen I would hunt the piece of crap that took it down and (you don't want to know the rest). That's just the kind of guy I am.
Amen,
Reverend Colin

Made in 1998 in the USA. 21 Frets. Solid top (or at least it better be since it cost almost $700 used). Standard simple tele features, one tone and one volume control, 3 way selector switch, 2 single coil pickups, does the job. Standard Fender Tele pickups, passive electronics. Body is made of alder I suppose, maple neck, white (but more like a beige color), tele body style, tele style bridge, string through body, standard schaller type tuners, nice fast neck, medium frets, rosewood fretboard, came with a hardshell case, cord and strap. A tele isn't known for its features, it's just a chunk of wood with strings on it and some pickups.

I play lead guitar in an all Filipina woman band (I'm half Filipina)and this thing sounds awesome. Mostly what I love is alternative country music, classic rock, blues, punk and some hard rock. Our band has to play quite a bit of soft rock and jazzy numbers because that is what people here in the Philippines want to hear. This guitar does it all very well. At home, I'm running this through a VOX AD15VT Amp that I just bought a couple of months ago. Before that I was (and still do occasionally) using a Peavey Blazer 158. Here in the Philippines, the clubs we play at provide the amps, and we gig 4 times a week at 4 different clubs. One of the places has a Carlsbro GLX100, which is solid state, another place has a Fender Pro Reverb, which is all tube, another place has a VOX AC30 (WOW!!) and the other place has a Peavey Transtube Bandit. It sounds the best on the VOX AD15VT I have at home and on the Fender Pro Reverb and the VOX AC30 in the places I gig. I only use a ZOOM 707II Pedal for effects occasionally, and also use the footswitch for the amps I gig on. It isn't very noisy, just the hum that you expect from the single coils, but no noise in the middle position. Bridge pickup has that nice bright Fender twang, great for country and classic rock, think stones if you back off the tone knob a little bit, and in between the bridge and neck pickup you get that great Hendrix/Dire Straits sound, especially with some good reverb. Middle position also sounds great in the acoustic mode of the ZOOM 707II, neck pickup is great for blues and jazz. This not the most versatile guitar in the world, but it sounds awesome and of course, there is a sound you can get from a tele that you simply cannot get from any other guitar.

It was flawless when I got it and it still is. I take good care of my guitars.

I have been gigging with this guitar since 2000, so I suppose the answer to the first question is yes. It has never broken down, although several of my other Fenders and Gibsons have. Yes to all the questions. I don't gig without a backup. What if I were to break a string? This thing is built like a tank.

Never dealt with Fender.

I've been playing guitar since I was 5 years old, so that makes it 30 years, as I'm 35 now. My dad started me at it at an early age. I've also got a Fender Squier Series Standard Stratocaster (made in Japan, early 80's), a Yamaha Studio Lord Les Paul Copy as well as a Washburn KC600 and I have a Gibson Hollow Body Les Paul Copy made by a company called Rockstar. I've got an Epiphone Hummingbird and an Epiphone Chet Atkins Acoustic Electric, and several Takamine Acoustic and Acoustic Electric Guitars. I've got about 20 guitars all together, and my husband who is American and lives here has another 25, so we are one guitar family. If this were lost, I would cry. Love everything about it.

Mine was made in 1999 in USA. All the features have been covered, so I won't go through all that shit again. Mine is 3 tone sunburst, with a maple fretboard. Great guitar. I can't max it out because Telecaster's don't have a lot of features, but I think a 7 is fair. I'm not being hard on the guitar. This part is about features. Telecasters are simple guitars.......and that is where the beauty of them lies.

Well, I have a lot of guitars. I've been collecting them for 20 years now, so I have them broken down to where I use certain guitars for certain kinds of music. This is where this mother fucker shines. You can absolutely great blues and blues rock on this guitar. Great for Yardbirds, early Zeppelin, Stones and a lot of other things that just jump out of my head. This guitar does it all from country, blues, to rock. I only use Marshall Amps. I have a little MG10CD in my bedroom, I have an MG15RCD in my living room and I have an AVT 50 in my music room and that's the amp I gig with. Not much on effects, but I do use a boss distortion pedal and occasionally a ZOOM 707 effects pedal. Just a little single goil buzz, but not enough to notice. Nice bright twangy sound on the bridge pickup, mellow bluesy sound on the neck. Don't ever use the in between. As versatile as any tele can be. I can also max this out with no conscience pangs whatsofuckin ever.

FLAWLESS

Well, I play with it every Friday and Saturday night. I'm American living in the Philippines and we play at a bar......for whatever tips people give us and for free beer. Mostly I do it just for fun. We are all Americans, all of us retired military and all of us are 60's children, so our music is from that era. No pop shit, just pure no nonsense blues and rock. Everything is solid as a rock, in fact this is the only thing I can give it a 10 on. I never gig without a backup.

Never dealth with Fender. Never had one of my Fenders fuck up.

I've been playing since the late 60's. I have this Telecaster, I also have a Fender American Standard Stratocaster Stratocaster. I've got an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and I've got a Rockstar Solid Body Les Paul Copy as well as a Rockstar Semi-Hollow Body Les Paul copy, as well as a Rockstar Fat Strat Copy and Telecaster Copy which I put a humbucker off of a wrecked Gibson 335 at the neck position. I also have a Fernando Stratocaster Copy and a Fernando Copy of a Kramer 1984 Eddie Van Halen model, with a Floyd Rose, locking tuners, single humbucker and only a volume control (which is one of my favorite guitars) all of which are good guitars and I will do a review on them. I have an old Harmony Acoustic Guitar made in 1945, the year I was born which is a great guitar, as well as an Epiphone Hummingbird and an AJ18 Epiphone Acoustic Guitar. I've got a shitload of other guitars, but it would take up most of Harmony Central's space to put it all here. I plan on reviewing about 20 of my favorite guitars on here though. This is definitely one of the best guitars I own.

2005 (?) American Standard Telecsater model, made in the USA. 22 medium jumbo frets. Rosewood fingerboard, maple neck, alder body. Schaller tuners. C neck. Included case, Fender "pack of goodies" (a strap, cable, cloth, manual, etc). Poly finish: 3-Color (brownish) Sunburst.

It's a Telecaster, with all the features of a regular Telecaster. No more, no less.

I play modern and/or classic rock music.

I play this guitar through a Deluxe Reverb Reissue amp. I use these pedals with my set-up: Fulltone Full-Drive 2, Ibanez TS9, Boss SD-1, Z. Vex Fuzzfactory, Line-6 Delay Modeler.

It is about as noisy as: Single-Coils Pups -> OD boxes -> Tube Amp. Some buzz, some hiss. Single coils hum, that's natural. Over all, the noise level is just fine for recording, which I do a lot of with this set-up. By the time I approach power tube saturation levels, the S/N ratio is no real problem at all.

The sound is just about perfect stock. Being a Telecaster, it's pretty bright on the higher strings. I will be trying some different Pups in the future in oreder to counteract this. The basic sound of the Pups are great, however, other than the "bright-brightness". Nice and full, great articulation. Good output level for driving the tubes. Not crazy hot, but certainly not wimpy. Responds very well to picking dynamics. "Tone is in the Fingers" kind of thing here. Sounds nice clean or with OD: Plenty of fat, plenty of sparkle either way.

Sounds like rock'n'roll to me.

Was already set up nicely. Intonation pretty much spot on. Action a little on the higher side, but not a problem at all. Neck feels great; it's fast but still "sturdy" feeling. Fretwork looks fine. I might have the fret edges sanded down a little more in the future, but nothing major at all. No nasty burrs or anything. Hardware looks fine, tuners work just fine for now. No problems tuning with a strobe tuner. Everything is nice and tight. I love the 3-Color Sunburst finish.

A nice playing and sharp looking baisc Telecaster.

I have owned this guitar for only a short time, but have owned other similar guitars in the past (Strats, etc.). It will hold up just fine with normal care. I don't plan on abusing this guitar, so I'm sure it'll be around for quite some time...

Gigs:
I bring my Strat as a backup, if only because strings can break at any time... you know: Murphy's Law, right? No fault of the Tele at all.

I'll depend on it.

I have not dealt with Fender directly.

The shop where I bought this guitar has wonderful Customer Service and Support. Totally friendly, knowledgeable, etc. SO... this rating is for Willies American Guitars in St. Paul, MN.

I've been playing guitar for 14 years. Other gear? Martin Acoustic Guitar, Fender Bass. I also own a modest home/project studio. I wish I would have bought this guitar sooner! If it were stolen or lost, I'd get another one ASAP. This guitar suits my wants and needs. The only slight problem is the brightness inherent in my set-up, but I'll be putting in some new Pups soon. I tried several other Teles, all American made, including Ash, Deluxe, and a G+L ASAT. This one felt and sounded right. Price wasn't a major factor in my choice, but this guitar represents an amazing value to me. A fair price for a professional piece.

This is all just my humble opinion.

AS ALWAYS, LET YOUR HANDS, EARS AND EYES GUIDE YOU IN YOUR CHOICE.

well after owning several telecaster type guitars made by fender and others {I had an earlie 80's tele made by tokai} they go for big bucks today.
I thought I would give my opinion on this one in a compartive way. what I have is a 1999 matellic ocean blue/green AST w/rosewood fretbord. I went to my local shop to trade for a sunburst maple neck AST but when I got there someone else had bought that one but he had just got this one in.
This one is stock with nothing added. looks like it was played for a while and put under the bed. the neck and body was so dirty that you really could not see the real beauty of the guitar.

of all the few teles I have owned this is the most balanced in sound, I think it may have the deltatone system. no othet tele I have owned has sounded this full and rich. I love the neck pickup and the bridge. I have always been partial to the neck on a tele but this one blows me away with its bluesy sound and slightly compressed sweetness.it is the only one I will keep as I am mostly a strat player and have two fine ones. I am a hater of the American standard Strat pickups BTW. might as well throw them away if you by an AS STRAT. why couldnt fender have made the american standard strat pickups to sound as well as they did the telecasters?

this guitar is flawles in terms of work. I don't like the neck as it is small but theres nothing that I can say against it in workmanship. I just make mistakes with it that I would not make with my Strats

as good a tele that was ever made, should last with no need of a back up. most old players from the time the tele was made could not afford another guitar.just don't break strings{-; fenders are made to last.

ha.ha.ha.
I hope they have got better since the mid 90's.

been playing since 79 I don't own but four electrics now and a few acoustics, I have tried to cut down on unnessesery{cant even spell the word[-;}redundant guitars. well as far as this tele goes yes I wish it had a maple neck that plays as well as my strats but I don't hate anything. just wanted to share my thoughts on this fine guitar. I don't understand why anyone would want to change the pickups out for something else but I am sure someone has or will, people are never satified.

1992 Fender Tele, sunburst with stock pickups and maple fretboard, alder body (one piece)- everything stock- you know what it is.

THere is really very little this guitar can't do... I've played everything in the past 17 years from blues to jazz to funk to country and rock, and if you're smart about amps and settings this thing will do it all. Played through a 70's Princeton reverb, Peavey Classic 50 4x10, and '68 Silvertone (great amp for cheap). Effects include dunlop wah, danelectro daddy-o, tube screamer, fulltone choralflange (oooh), korg dynamic echo, and various goofy pedals I bust out once a year.... I actually think having a few things in the chain helps tone down the treble in the guitar a little. A little hum but that's what you get with single coils. Sounds full when I want, twangs when I want without sounding brittle like a lot of teles and strats in the bridge postition.

I do all of my own set- up, but this particular guitar plays like a million bucks... Had it a few years now and have her right where I want her. I slowly gravitate towards heavier strings for the sound and the snap... Construction is great, one of the better examples I've seen... From what I understand Mr. Suhr was still at Fender during this time, but more on that later.

Never had a problem, and I've played it hard- but I'm not into destruction either. Never play without a backup.

N/A, although I hear their customer service is suspect these days.

I looked at a LOT of teles before buying this one- it's the one that spoke to me. If I were to lose it, I would be absolutely beside myself- my wife can vouch for that. It's the guitar that is never in the case because it's always on the couch next to me. I've written so many songs with this guitar...

OK, now for the soapbox. In my opinion, the early to mid 90's were the last years that Fender made consistently good instruments (and by consistently I mean about 60- 70% of the time), and the good ones were really good. Now it seems whenever I play new Fenders in the stores, which I do a lot, the set up is bad, or the sound is subpar, or the construction is suspect. I'll find one that is built as well as mine about 10% of the time. I think maybe they focus too much on seeling those Squier Strat Packs to parents of thirteen year olds who'll let those things sit in their closets after they can't figure out a Limp Bizkit song... In addition, with the price of American FEnders going up, they are creeping into territory occupied by G&L and Suhr, who in my opinion are making the REAL Fenders these days. These two makers are simply blowing away Fender in terms of build quality and sound. And with foreign guitars getting cheaper and cheaper, Fender may be digging themselves into a hole. I guess there's always room for the mediocre.

So, I'll give my particular guitar a 9 ( nothing's perfect) but I have to give Fender a 4 for their recent efforts.

2003 american telecaster, bought at a local shop, vintage white with a maple fretboard. nothing about this guitar is particularly amazing; just a pickup selector, volume knob, and tone knob, nothing else. the only 'special' feature is the delta tone pickup system, which leaves you with completely pure tone when it's clockwise. i can't say i've ever wanted or needed more, but it's pretty plain regardless.

the appearance is kind of a drag to me; i find it awkward that the pickguard just cuts off in a flat line above the bridge, and that there's a metal plate surrounding the tone controls that just kind of looks out of place. i wish it had one of the pickguards that elegantly stretched down to the end of the body as they did in the seventies, but whatever.

this guitar can sound practically any way you want it to; i've been able to mimic every sound i've ever heard, from the beatles to pink floyd to radiohead to the pixies, ect. the pickups give you a wide enough range of sound to create any tone that you need, and all of them are beautiful. once again though, it can seem plain in some respects; it's wonderful, but not like it's the best guitar you could use for every job.

this is the reason i bought this guitar; it feels completely natural and smooth every time you play it. you can slide all the way from top to bottom in a split second without burning your hand, and everything always feels perfect. it's also the fastest guitar i've ever played.

i've only had it for a year, but it has not so much as a scratch on it. i've dropped it, knocked it over, blah blah blah, and you still can't even tell someone had ever used it before. (some of the 'new guitar smell' even remains)

fender's policy is apparently to let authorized local stores handle all repairs and whatever else, so it's impossible to rate as it varies from store to store.

i do love this guitar, and it will do whatever you want it to do, but if you're absolutely anal about the way everything you play sounds it may not be the right guitar to buy. i've found myself wishing i had picked out one of the 70's variants of the telecaster instead, which have more defined sounds and, not that it matters, body styles more to my taste (a black telecaster deluxe is freaking awesome). if it were lost, i would not buy another one. it's just that this guitar doesn't really give you anything special that makes you want to bond with it; it gets the job done, but it's a little boring. if you're into that sort of thing. huh?

Well, I stumbled across a kick-ass deal with this one. A friend of mine started getting into guitar three years ago, and he just got GEAR CRAZY. Bought this brand new Fender American Tele a few years back just so he could have the maple neck with the ebony fretboard >.< Crazy, if you ask me. Anyway, the Tele sat in the closet, with everything on it, minus the neck. Meanwhile there was also a Fender American Strat body with nothing in it, and a Fender American Telecaster with also nothing in it. In this whole deal came 12 tuners, various bridges, a set of Tele pickups, and a '97 Telecaster neck. The neck is rather worn down, but I bought a neckplate and bolts and bolted the neck to the Tele with everything on it.

Now I have a Fender :-D

As far as features go, it's a Tele. Does as designed. Electrical problem, though :-\

Sounds very bright, especially in comparison to my $110 Essex Tele. I actually like that one better ... the bridge is microphonic on my copy, but the pickups have a warmer sound, and a hotter output. I like weaker pickups, but the ones on this Fender are very weak.

I won't put it down for that, though. There is an electrical problem where the neck pickup likes to cut out ... seems to work if I tap the pickup or fool with the cable connection on the input jack ... eh, whatever.

Still sounds very bright, as most Tele's do. Check out this track I recorded with only this Tele, a Digitech Multi Effex pedal and then into the computer: www.soundclick.com/BrendanS.

Well, hard to say. The body's brand new (still has stickers and everything) but has an electrical problem ... sometimes. And the neck's from a '97, which is very beat.

I can't even rate this, it's not a brand-new Fender :-D

Aside from the electrical problem, I like it. I can make it work, so it's not a problem. Just needs a li'l fiddlin'. Seems to go away the more I play, so I guess I HAVE to play (wink). Neck isn't connected properly, though. Could by my fault, there's a little gap there, but it still works fine with 9-46's.

Emailed them about the proper neck to use, blah blah, never answered.

Playin' since May of '03, have an Essex Tele, Samick Les Paul, Samick Acoustic, this, and I'm soon to turn the Fender Stratocaster body into a hotrod with 2 p-90's as soon as my neck comes in the mail.

This is an all right guitar, they seem expensive new, though. I wouldn't pay that much when I like my copy better, but to each his own.

I've been playing a variety of guitars around the $700 price range and after much consideration the American Standard Telecaster made the final cut. Solid tuners, best version of the tele bridge, solid neck and great playing guitar. Standard 3-position switch. I pulled off the white pick guard and replaced it with a black one. It is now all black and chrome and real slick looking. At the end of the day it is a solid guitar that has a few great sounds and plays awesome.

The stock tele neck pickup works well with my taste in music.(Although, I'd like to get the same sound better shielded) The bridge pick-up is a little too brassy for me. (I pulled it out and replaced it with a Seymour Duncan "Little '59" - it now ROCKS on that selection.)

Action, Fit and Finish was solid from the factory. Did a little tweaking of the neck and intonation pulling off the bridge to install the new bridge pickup. It was what you would expect from an american made guitar. Well put together.

It came with strap-locks and a strap. Time will tell on the live playing , finish, etc. Looks solid so far.

I took my time before buying this one. I'd be pissed off if it disappeared. Plays, sounds, looks great. Keep playing.

1992 American Std. Tele. Bought used in 1998 for $450.00. Vintage White (yellow) color, Rosewood neck. I changed out the pickups in 1999 to Texas Specials for that extra mid-range growl. I play exclusively thru my 1978 Fender Twin. Very clean, tight sound.

I play Traditional Country/Rock-a-billy. Play thru a 1978 Fender Twin Reverb amp. It truly put out that wonderful Bakersfield Sound of Buck Owens/Buckaroos and Austin Twang of The Derailers. I've been playing Strats up until 1998 and haven't looked back since I bought this Tele in 1998. It's the perfect guitar for me. Great sound, fit/feel and very well made. No dislikes, whatsoever. It alwyas "cuts" thru.

I bought this guitar used in 1998 from my local Fender dealer, so it was set up properly when I bought it. I just didn't quite get the sound I needed/wanted with the stock pu's, and changed over to Texas Specials. Great neck and finish.

I gog with this guitar every weekend, exclusively. Everything always works and it is extremely versatile. I would recommend this very highly to any wanting a versatile, well-made, user-friendly guitar. This guitar was built for the working musician! Very Reliable!

I haven't ever needed their support.

Before settling on this guitar, I knew I wanted to change over from my old '62 (real '62) to a Tele. I tried a few out and even took home two, but didn't quite like them. I kept coming back to the one I finally bought and finally decided it was right in just about about every way. My only hesitation was the color (Vintage White (yellow)). I learned to live with the color and like it, because it plays and sounds like nothing I've ever played before in my 40+ years of playing. If it were lost or stolen, I don't know what I'd do, because this guitar is the "perfect" fit for me. I know it and it knows me. It couldn't be replaced.

This is an 2002 American standard telecaster. My first guitar was a mexican telecaster, and I still have it today. Honestly, the mexican telecaster ain't that bad and all. Most people would agree with me on that. But the american telecaster is the next step. I got mine at guitar center for 780 u.s. with plastic hard shell case. 3 color sunburst, maple fret.

I run this tele thru a Fender Twin Amp. Sometimes I'll go thru a boss GT-6 for the effects but.. to get the real sound.. go stock! The sound on the neck pickup is sweet, mellow, and full. But I was somewhat dissapointed on the b pickup. I was expecting a scream, but it turns out a little to dull (compared to the mexican one). But still good: bright, clean, and brassy.

The action was a little too low from the factory so I'm getting it setup soon. The sunburst finish is wonderfull. So classic. so shiny. The neck is so great. smooth and slippery (compared to the mexican one) I wanted a rosewood fret board but this is the only one there at the time. but still good.

Had it for 1 month now. no problem but one mark on the finish cause by my carelessness. Well... it's a tele, nuff said. Can't go wrong with it. By the way, the mexican one still rocks. These teles would outlive my grandchildrens.

never dealt with them

I've been playing for 7 years now and I have never owned any other guitars. I was thinking of getting a strat but the tele can do what a strat can't do. Sorry strat fans. As for the shape.. well.. I admit that the strat looked so much better but now, the tele is my one true love. The tele is a guitar that grows on you. the older it gets, the better it plays, and the better you sound.

99' left handed, Am st. tele.
The best.
22 frets maple neck, you know.

Delta tone systym is the best.
the neck pu sounds bright and usable ala strat neck pu.

sounds best with 10-38 dean Markley F-150 strings.
low action, Early Marshall amp style (BluesBreaker Combo)
Cranked with bass on 0 , treb 6, mid 5, pres. 5-1/2. vol. 8
(bright high channel)
Fuzz face

so good

so well built

The best guitar i have ever owned.
LP, Strat Dano, 335, 12 sting , bass, etc.
this thing is solid.

This is an American made fender telecaster with Alder wood, 22 frets etc. etc.

I bought this baby just a few hours ago and as soon as i plugged it into my Marshall Avt100 i was in music heavan, the clean pickup delivers that classic Telecaster tone, and to me, thats just the perfect guitar sound you can have.
My main two styles of playing are country/bluegrass and heavy metal - My current setup is an NJ warlock going into an Engl Powerball and now i got this beautiful Telecaster going into my Marshall.
I've shredded the shit out of this telecaster and it actually sounds really great - it struggles abit with the fast halenesque picking, but that`ll soon change when i stick in a S-D hotrails into the bridge (alla J5 Custom shop tele)

The action is really amazing on this thing, i just can`t put it down - it feels great!

I have noticed a few off things with it though, the tone knobs seem to be really lose, everytime i touch them it feels like there gonna fall off! Also, the pickup selector is real flimsy - i mean, for fucks sake, its an american tele, this sort of thing shud be checked!

Well, i`ve only had it for a couple of hours, i hope it lasts for a long time! i`ll definelty be tearing this thing up though, i`ll let you know how it fares!

Haven`t dealt with them yet - don`t intend to either.

I`ve been playing for almost 10 years now and i own an NJ warlock, Engl Powerball and a Marshall AVT100 - and now this fender tele! -- Its a great addition to my collection and ill definatly be using it for upcoming gigs and sessions - i love it!
Not only will i beable to play country music on this thing, but when in need, ill be able to shred on it too - its something different, but i think it sounds great!
Im left handed, and unfortunately fender only do their range in a maple, i would have liked rosewood, but its no biggie - it still plays great, infact, the neck is thinner now, so it plays better!
And if anyone stole it? - Well i wouldnt buy a new one cos it cost me close to a grand, but instead, i`d scold there face on my Engl powerball!

Basic '88 American Standard Tele. Maple neck. Arctic white finish. O.H.S.C.

Only a Tele really sounds like a Tele - I had a '58 that was figuratively stolen from me when my high school music teacher threatened to flunk me if I didn't swap it for a bass to play in his dance band. The sound is almost identical. Particularly bright and still with that smokey contour when played in the neck pick-up position and picked away from the bridge. Wanna play like Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan? Buy a Tele and play it for three ot four hours a day for a hundred years.

Piss-poor for an American made instrument. Skunk stripe was poorly fitted into the cavity in the back of the neck and there was a flaw in the way that the maple neck was cut that caused a buzz in the first four frets in the high E, B and G strings that endless hours in a neck press could not eliminate. Grooves in the nut were cut way too deep. Tried to get a slight bow in the neck until the truss rod was rattling freely inside the neck and still had a backbow.I bought it used and discovered why.

After EXTENSIVE repairs to the neck by the world's most understanding guitar tech it plays well and could back up as a canoe paddle.

Roll the dice with Fender - If you're Buddy Guy or Richie Sambora they'll kiss your ass on the steps of city hall. If you're Stevie Ray, they'll build themselves a monument with your picture on it. If you're a working stiff and you have a problem with your Fender axe, you're screwed. My tech tried to get a neck to replace the badly flawed one that it came with and they essentially told him to take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut and refeered him to where he (I) could purchase one for slightly less than the pice of a new instrument. Customer Support?? Gimme a break, they're FENDER and they don't give a shit after it leaves the factory because if you don't like it someone in Japan will pay a fortune to keep it in a closet. Used to be that Fender made the performer look good. Seems that now the reverse is the rule. Poor Leo must be spinning in his grave.

I've been playing for forty years and this is definitely the most poorly constructed and disappointing axe I've ever had the misfortune to own. I love Fender guitars and own/have owned several in the past, all satisfactory (and the '58 which was absolutely precious), but the company is defintely resting on their laurels. God forbid that you'd ever get a bad one because they seem to have no warranty that extends beyond the USA and from the American reviews that I've seen, apparently not beyond the shipping doors of their factories. There are too many excellent instruments on the market today to take a chance on a Fender unless you've got a very understanding guitar tech or a zillion dollar recording contract. BUYER BEWARE

Mine is a 1999 Natural Ash with the Delta Tone pup's

The Delta Tones break up well into my Tremoverb combo. On the blues setting it has a very sweet sound and since I play mostly blues this is what I was looking for

Absolutely beautiful finish, the natural ash has impressed everbody that has seen it. The action from the factory suits me just fine( I like a very low action) and that's how it came set up. Once in a while it gets a little fret buzz, but nothing too bad. The finish is just great and I think the quality is pretty evident

Had no problems so far, but I'm very gentle with all my guitars. I would have no problem gigging without a back-up, but would never do that.

No idea, have not had to deal with them.

I've been playing on and off for twenty five years. Used to teach and had formal classical training. If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy it again in a second.What I really love about this Tele is it's just so easy to get a great sound out of it. I compared it to a 70's thinline reissue and the parts quality on that didn't seem to be as good.
The new Amer Series Teles aren't IMHO any better and their more money. I jsut love this guitar.

94 red usa tele. purchased used, actually traded my usa strat. it came with the standard 2 delta tone pickup config. I really enjoy the tone of the tele, but I did add a middle position texas special strat pickup, just for the heck of it. this is a perfect guitar. stays in tune,crys,sings,screams,growls.

I play crunchy raw rock and blues, with a hint of garage raucous. I use an all tube blues junior with my boss os, and my vox wah. although the tele is popular for its twang; i actually prefer the neck pickup for its dark tonality. this is such a versatile instrument. from blues to country to metal. not a bad thing to say about this guitar.

as mary poppins would say,"practically perfect in every way".

solid built, has been dropped and is still perfect, despite the paint chip or chips. this guitar is more dependable than me, which says alot.

playing for years and years. i will always own a tele, probably this one. it is the most dependable guitar i have ever owned

Mine is a 2000 American standard white blond rosewood neck

It has all you'd want from a Tele.

Of course it has all the twang and treble you'd expect from a Tele but this baby's got bass and depth too.Trough my Twin reverb 65 reissue it sounds just like I tought it would...great.

I received the guitar set up with 09-42 and I don't really like that cause I usually play gauge 13-60(on a Gibson semi-hollow)but I haven't put new strings on it cause I only owned for a couple of days and I think I'm gonna have it set for at least 10-50 or something like that.But just for the finnish I'm gonna go with a ten here.It's that beautiful white blond color and you can really see the wood through the finish and that's what I was looking for.

I didn't play with it live yet but it's a Tele for god's sake!!

Didn't have to deal with Fender.

I'm 24 and I've been playing for 10 years.I work as a security guard in a high school where I also teach guitar.I'm also writing songs for an upcomming band I want to form.I'm a big fan of The Beatles,Zeppelin,Stone Temple Pilots,Radiohead,Big Wreck,Foo Fighters,Tool,Prince,S.R.V.....
I also own a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion(reviews on this site) and a Mexican Strat wich was my first''real''guitar.My amp's a Twin reverb 65 RI I wanted a Tele and I chose this one cause it has the finish I wanted.Now,writing all this made me want to play it so see ya when I buy something else;)

1991 (I believe) black american standard 22 fret telecaster, came with a strap, hardshell case, and a cord.

Sounds like a tele and sounds great, it will twang or scream.

It was setup ok when I got it but broke alot of D strings, I was on the road playing a week in Grand Junction, Colorado and a guy downtown there that owns a music store and builds and sets up guitars did an awesome job on setting the neck and action up and even dremeled on the bridge a little and I quit breaking so many D strings... and charged me virtually nothing, Thanks again. Since then I've played it so much the screws in the bridge pieces have corroded and are non adjustable.

I've taken this guitar around the world a few times, on probably 100 flights where it's been thrown in with everyone elses luggage with the case duct taped shut. I've seen it fall over face first onto marble floors, the paints kind of chipped off at the bottom of the body from the junky fold up stand I use, but I don't care. I used to use it as my main and usually only guitar with no backup.

Though the guitar is a little chipped up at the bottom, and there's cigarette burns on the headstock by the tuners, I could still sell it at a moments notice for more than I paid for it to a couple musicians I know that love the guitar. My Tele has held its value, though I'll never sell it.

Never had any reason to need customer support.

I've been playing about 12 years, have played all over the world, and can play anything from albert lee country licks to van halen and yngwie malmsteem, classic rock, noise, whatever. Currently playing it through a probably 10 year old all tube 4x10 peavey classic 50 reissue, with an old digitech processer.

I would replace it with another tele if it were lost or stolen, but not with just any old tele, i'd have to find one that liked me.

You know Teles. I bought this one new in 1992 w/ rosewood fretboard, maple neck w/ satin finish that feels good, alder body, usual modern Fender overthick finish on body. Nut needed filing to accomodate 10-52s. Stock pups immediately discarded in favor of Seymour Duncan Broadcaster at bridge and at neck a Duncan Seth Lover humbucker mounted into pickguard after body route. Resulting sound is wonderful, especially the middle position mix.

With pickup mods, the guitar has spank/twang and ballsy mid-oriented blend, not to mention the Lover sound on its own

Learn how to set up your guitars, you'll save money and end up tweaking it to perfection. There are lots of great books on the subject.

No problems w/ reliability in the American Standard series, and they are a steal now on E-bay.

Never dealt w/ any manufacturer in 27 years. As I said, you'll do better tweaking/adjusting/fixing on your own. I've dealt w/ every situation from refrets to regluing busted Les Paul necks to installing my own pickups. Don't be afraid. Buy a cheaper guitar to learn on and your confidence will grow w/ each task learned.

Been playing almost 30 yrs. This guitar sounds great and I'd never sell it. It fits a sound niche that I really enjoy. I have a '74 Tele that I string for open G 5-string (Stones, blues, originals) also w/ a Duncan Broadcaster and a stacked humbucker. Also have a Les Paul Gem with P-90s (a Duncan in the bridge) and G&L ASAT classic (a nice guitar w/ bigger balls than an American Standard Tele. Try the p/u mod I've described and learn some Albert Collins riffs.

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!