Yamaha 1511MS

This one is a MIJ 2004 Model of the 1511MS, which is the top of the line Mike Stern edition tele from Yamaha and not the cheaper 311. Ash body with Maple cap. SD Lil '59 Hum at neck and Hotrail in Bridge. 6 Saddle bridge with string thru body. Neck is satin Maple with truss rod adjustment at the joint just like and old school tele.
3 way selector, volume and tone. Exactly what you are looking for in a tele.

Blues and some rock. This guitar easily handles it great sustain due to the ash and string thru. Extremely quite with a bright sound. You can also get a twangy sound although not quite as twangy as a Fender American Tele. The guitar is ran through a MAgic Stomp and a Laney 60 Watt

Fit and finish are typical Yamaha - Excellent plus. Neck joint is super tight, not a single imperfection on the finish. Frets are highly polished and the controls are tight. Action was medium low and it is spot on for tone. I recently played a brand new Fender American tele and the fit was no where near the level of the yamaha. Yamaha is the biggest musical instrument company in the world for a reason!!!!!

Although this is a new guitar I would have to say based on construction quality and past experience with Yamaha products this will be a 10 longterm. The hardware is simple, basic and very high qaulity. Plus there is a life warranty.

I have only dealt with Yamaha one time on an effects pedal issue and they were super helpful. I called them directly and was put in touch with their marketing manager. This was beyond my expectations of support. Their website could use a little help but its is useable.

I own a G&L SC-3; Dean Cadillac, Ibanez S Classic and this guitar is now my favorite out of them all. The tele body is well balanced. Satin neck is a joy to play. Controls are high quality. I would definitely buy again.

Made 2002 in Japan I think. Its got yr regular 22 frets, body ash, frets, etc maple. Mine is stained a pretty horrible orange colour but I live with it as I like the guitar and it came at a good price. To tell the truth I'd been guitar shopping so long at the point when I bouhgt it I didn't care so much about the looks as long as it did what I wanted sonically and was comfy to play. As others have mentioned its got two pretty dramatically different pickups, a tele hotrail and a 59 seymour duncan. The mix of those was what I was after, though I had no idea who Mike Stern was whos signature guitar it supposed to be till I picked up a cd after gettng the guitar, very rock guitar sound for a jazz guitar guy.

I was shopping for something that would do a standard or maybe even super twangy tele sound but be able to do a range of other sounds also. I'm mostly playing in the studio doing film soundtrack work and I put this through a behringer v-amp most of the time though sometimes I mike it up through a little honeytone amp. I'm finding I tend to gravitate toward a heavily effected single note style (kind of classic big tremelo through a fender twin with more twang than anything else) with this guitar. Something about it doesn't lend itself to rock chord playing, perhaps the complexity of the tone, doesn't just meld together like a gibson SG or somesuch. Its sounds fantastic doing blues though.

great build quality, I've not got a proper setup done yet, i think it could use it especailly the bass intonation which sounds a bit weird to me.

I don't play live but it does seem like you could drive a truck over it and it would just require a retune.

No idea how long the warranty is, probably over by now, I've had a few yamaha keyboards in the past and nothing ever went wrong with them. I used to feel Yamaha acoustics guitars especially were a bit flat & generic sounding though pretty (compared to a Maton for instance) but this guitar has quite a unique tone & look going on.

Been playing for 20 years or so though not all the time. I kind of wish I had held out for a nicer colour! I'd get something similar if not this same guitar, ie - tele sound with other variety (tele nazis would probably not consider the tele sound "pure" no doubt). I was mostly comparing this guitar to the fender custom tele range with humbuckers, in the end though I found them a bit generic where as this guitar was a little more kooky and not stuck in some idea of classic americana.

great features ,,,,,,,,ours says made in korea,its a ms311 telle shaped unit,,with binding on the frent edge,,,,,,,strange one!!!,,i never saw another one like this ever,,,,,,,

we bought seymor duncan 59 humbucker for the neck,and a duncan hot rails for the bridge,,,,,we can also split the entire both pickups into single coils,,,,,,,,,great,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,chickin pickin,,or whatever,,,,,,it sounds like a hot les paul or a telle,,,,strange but true,,,,,,,,we didn,t even play the yamaha pickups,,,,,,,who knows maybe they are good as is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,we had a full setup from frank grabisa, who said this guitar is equal to a $5000 custom unit like he builds,,,,,,,,sounds mad through,, either a marshall jcm900 or a fender super

we had the action and intonation,,setup ,,,,wow ,,, what a rig,,,,,,,,,,this guitar is as good as as it gets,,,,,,,,,,,we have many american and ibanez units all pro setups,,,,,,,,,,this is the best,,,,,,,,,timber is first class,,,,,,,,,tuners are great,,,,,,,,allways in tune,,,,,,,,,,the small adjusting screws in the bridge were changed,,,,,,,,,,,now they dont stick up,,,,,,,,,,,,,made better than my 1996 (1957) fender reissue

super reliable,,,,,,,,,,,no problems ,,,,yeh it plays,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,who cares who made it,,,,,,this sucker plays and its easy to play,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the action is lowwwwwwwww,the pickups mild to wild,,,,,,,,,,,,,the finish ,,better than a fender,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it plays like mad!!

yamaha make everything good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it wont need fixing,,,,,,,,i am confident,,,,,,,,,yamaha dealers have good support from yamaha,,i know

we looked at the issues that make a good guitar,,,,,
1,,,,,,,,,maple,alda
2,,,,,,,,,rosewood
3,,,,,,,,,solid tight tuners
4,,,,,,,,,build quality
5,,,,,,,,,electrics
6,,,,,,,,,PRICE!!!!!
this had all of the above,,,,,,,,except we changed the pickups,,,,,,,,,now its even better,it howls,,,,,,,,,,,,,,metal to country,,,,,,,,,,,,she does the lot,,,,,,,,,,,,sustain like madness on steroids,,,,,,,,,,,,clean as les paul himself,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yes we will buy more like this,,,,,,,,,,,,and hot rod em,,,,,,,,,,,,top unit,wow

This guitar is a current model made in Japan. It has a beautiful solid ash body with a natural finish allowing the grain to stand out, as this guitar is "tele" (body shape) the controls are straight foward; 1 tone, 1 volume and a three way selector. Seymor Duncan pickups in the neck (a '59' Humbucker, I think) and bridge(Hotrail). The neck is very nice, 22 frets, maple and very speedy. This axe, for the price, is packed full of goodies, and looks awsome.

I am a young player of 5 years, I play Jazz/Fusion and Blues, this guitar gives me all the sounds I need; from dark Jazz tones, to bright country twang, and every thing in between. The pickups are as quiet as you could imagine and stacked full of tone. I am using a basic rig consisting of; amp, a fender dual showman (100w tube head and quad box), a DS1, and a crybaby wah, and the 1511ms sounds amazing. The only things i would change would be a balance control instead of the 3-way as the middle position is bias towards the neck pickup, and a coil tap would be nice in the neck to get that strat tone, but hey, this axe was designed for a jazz guitarist.

The guitar was not set up at the factory well at all, I have put it in to a proffesional to set up, the intonation was out and the action was poor (it sounded awsome so I had to have it). Apart from that everything was flawless, no complaints as I prefer to have it set up by some one I can trust.

It will withstand a lot of action, the hardware is very strong and won't break under normal live playing situation. I would depend on it, but if you think you gig with out a back up, you should get yourself checked!!

1 year warranty, but never delt with yamaha