2008 Am Telecaster

[rdnzl]

I stopped at GC on the way home from work, and did some serious browsing. I spotted this new '08 Am Telecaster. I was expecting to be underwhelmed. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I played it for about a half hour, and decided I had to have it. The workmanship is excellent. The neck feels great, and the pickups are very nice. I'm very impressed with it so far. Came with a real decent case, too.

I'll post more about how it plays after I spend some serious time with it.

For now, here are some pics.
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1303/dsc06057mj9.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7663/dsc06067ke0.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/828/dsc06073vk9.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/3511/dsc06077rk3.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8858/dsc06069lp4.jpg

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1941/dsc06072sd8.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6387/dsc06081sd0.jpg

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9970/dsc06094iy4.jpg

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/1681/dsc06098qn3.jpg

[Jayou]

These are the new 2008 models that are at NAMM. How is the finish? The Fender website said that it's a thinner like a Thin Skin. Looks really great anyway you look at it!

[padavis]

Yea, that thing looks very nice! Nothing amazing or super out of this world but I'll tell you what, I never get sick of the classic colors and classic shapes. That Tele is certainly beautiful. I just got a Standard SG and its just one of the classics like your new beast. Good stuff!

[ReddRanger]

Looks good! It'd probably look even better with a blackguard :)

Wow, case looks pretty tough...look at those latches!

[rdnzl]

My flash photos make the white guard look too bright. It is white, but not that bright.

It has a nice finish. Shiny, but it doesn't seem like a fat layer of clear, like the older models.
The wood has nice grain. The fretboard has a nice glossy finish like the vintage models. I like that.

The first thing that struck me when I picked it up was how nice and light it is. I'd guess 7 pounds. It also is quite loud when played unplugged, and it has great sustain.

The pickups are very responsive to a light touch. Sometimes I play with my fingers very lightly plucking the strings, and it is much louder using that technique than my AVRI '52. And when I really jump on it, it really twangs like a mofo.

It came set up perfectly. Nice and low, and intonated spot on. The guy at GC said that they had their in house luthier go over all these, and he said they were ready to go. i think Fender wants no bad ones getting out to give bad impressions.

They had another one, in wine red, but I stuck with the more traditional look. They only thing I wish they had done, was use vintage tuners. I'm spoiled by them. But as long as it stays in tune, I'll be happy.

The case seems like a major improvement, as well. Nice and sturdy.

[Todd Lynch]

Nice review; congrats on the new axe.

[JUSTJOB]

Sure looks sweet ! Enjoy! :^)

Those cases sure look nice, definately a move in the right direction!

[Curly]

thanks for the review

I like my old US tele, but I'd like to check out the new ones.

three questions:

How do you like the neck?

How do you like the saddles?

How do you like the pickups?

[guitarfish]

Great score man !!!

[rdnzl]

thanks for the review

I like my old US tele, but I'd like to check out the new ones.

three questions:

How do you like the neck?

How do you like the saddles?

How do you like the pickups?

The neck is great. 9.5 with a nice satin finish. the fretboard is gloss finished. Looks pretty classy. The fretwork is really well done.

I'm going to venture a guess, and say that the saddles and the new bridge plate are a huge part of the improved (imho) sound.

The pickups are quite good. It'll twang real nice, or mellow down...

[Lucidology]

What are the pickups on this new model?

[rdnzl]

Here are the specs, from Fender:

Alder body with Polyurethane Finish
Maple Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard, 9.5 inches radius (241mm)
22 medium-jumbo frets
American Tele Single-Coil Pickup (Neck), American Tele Single-Coil Pickup (Bridge)
Master Volume, Master Delta Tone controls
3-Position Blade Pickup Switching:: Position 1. Bridge Pickup; Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups; Position 3. Neck Pickup
American Standard Telecaster Bridge with 6 New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles and Stamped Brass Plate
Fender Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines - machine heads
Chrome Hardware
3-Ply Parchment Pickguard
25.5 inch (648 mm) Scale Length
1.685 inches (42.8 mm) Width at Melamine Nut
Unique features include Tinted Neck (Maple Fingerboard: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Front; Rosewood Fingerboard: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Headstock Front with Buffed Fretboard); New Bent Steel Saddles with Elongated String Slots; Chrome Plated Brass Bridge Plate with Fender Stamp and Extra Mounting Screws; Thinner Undercoat Finish for Improved Resonance; Rolled Fingerboard Edges; Staggered Tuning Keys
Fender Standard Tension ST250L, Nickel Plated Steel Strings Fitted, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-0250-203
New high-tech molded SKB case, cable, strap and polishing cloth included with this guitar.That means the pups are Alnico V's

[03hal]

Nice!

And it looks like they're finally shipping them with a case worthy of the guitar.

[Jack Dotson]

I wish one of our dealers would get some in soon. They both have the Strat's, but no Tele's. RDNZL said "i think Fender wants no bad ones getting out to give bad impressions", however, all three of the Strats at our GC had issues.

They had a white model which had a green stain in the paint. The model I wanted, burst finish with RW FB, had three small chips in the finish on the front of the guitar that had been finished over, and the set-up was quite different on all three.

The only Strat that didn't have an issue that I would be willing to pay new money for had a maple FB, but the bridge tremelo was out of wack. The front of the bridge was higher than the back and the saddles were adjusted about as high as the could be adjusted on the high and low E strings. Made me wonder if this wasn't why the front had been raised. And the rear wasn't close to the body either, just eyeballing it I would say at leat 1/8".

From what I have read I was expecting these to be the best ever and close to custom shop quality, but unfortunately that was not the case with these. They do look awesome and I could live with the one if it's just a set-up issues, but I'm disappointed to see that the QC doesn't seem to be up to snuff. IMO a guitar that street's for a grand should be set-up properly and have no issues out of the box.

I just hope this is a result of them rushing production to get the new models to market and not the new "American Standard".

[rdnzl]

No issues here. Stick to Telecasters!!!

;)

[guitarfish]

IMO a guitar that street's for a grand should be set-up properly and have no issues out of the box.
One thing I've come to understand more and more as I watch some of the factory tour videos is that new guitars do NOT come "setup" from the factory. The come ready to play, yes, but everyone has different tastes, with regard to string height and other things. So personally, I do NOT expect a new production guitar in the $1,000 range to come from the factory setup perfectly.

On the other had, QC issues like the finish, fret work, etc. - I ABSOLUTELY expect PERFECTION there, or I pass on it.

[rdnzl]

It makes me wonder if maybe they dialed this one in a little. I have purchased quite a few guitars in the past, and this Tele is as close to perfect as I have yet to encounter. I have had some that were decent, some so-so. I would change nothing on this Tele. It is nice and low, with no buzzing, and the intonation is perfect. Even the strings sound good. The guitar center I buy from has a real luthier that has a shop there, so maybe they did tweak it, or maybe Fender got lucky. No QC issues at all. the finish is flawless, too.

[GTRJoe]

I played a new Strat and Tele yesterday. Neither had any issues. The Tele was really nice. Looks like Fender has taken a few more steps toward making them like the did back in the day. I felt both guitars were more resonant and just generally sounded better than the previous Am Std's. Going to NAMM today to check out more stuff.

[brentrocks]

:)nice tele man!!!

[rdnzl]

What really stands out, is the resonance of the body. This Tele is quite loud when played unplugged.

I think what Fender has to say about these features, is pretty true.

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................

American Standard Tele® Bridge Gives sought-after tone with modern improvements (no ashtray edges, 6 saddle adjustability). Redesigned plate features a classic styled Fender stamp on chrome plated brass. Brass and steel are the secrets to the Tele sound! Bridge Component Specifics American Standard saddles- The original vintage-style Fender bent steel adjustable saddle is one of the components that give vintage Fenders their tonal mojo . Fender conducted tone comparison tests, and fell in love with them all over again. They have a wider tonal range and more character many other saddles. Then Fender improved them; narrowing the spacing to afford more room (and complement the bigger frets and rolled edges), and also elongated the string slot to reduce friction and string breakage, while improving the string break angle over the primary contact point.

Bridge plate- The combination of steel saddles with a brass plate harks back to the magic combination of the most sought-after vintage Tele guitars (which had steel plate/brass saddles). The plate also features two extra mounting screws to improve resonance and body contact (as well as eliminating squeals ), and a stylized Fender logo to class up the instrument and nod to the design of 60s era Fenders (like Jaguar and Mustang bridges).

Neck Gloss and Tint
Seemingly a small or less important feature, this is a major feature. The old necks were satin all over primarily for the feel of the back of the neck. On these American Standards Fender kept the satin neck back, but still gave the rich tint and luster of a gloss finish to the front. When looking at the old and new side by side in comparison, there is no arguing that these necks look classier and more detailed and finished .

Thinner Body Undercoat
An undercoat serves to give the paint a smooth surface to adhere to so you have a nice looking finish The thicker the undercoat, the more glass-like the finish, but the more constricted the guitar s body wood, which could affect tone. Fender switched to an undercoat that is thinner, and that allows the body to flex and resonate more, while retaining the cosmetic advantages of an undercoat.

[rdnzl]

Nice!

And it looks like they're finally shipping them with a case worthy of the guitar.

Stackable, too!

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5886/543494sr6.jpg

[FusionFan]

I played one of these at our local GC this afternoon. It was fresh out of the box. It was the sunburst finish with maple neck. I really liked it alot.

I almost walked out the door with it but they were selling at full price and I figured I would wait until they have another sale.

This would be my first Tele. I have always liked them but just never bought one.

I sold everything last year because I was done playing. But, I am never really done. Now that winter is here and I am stuck indoors most of the time I wanted to start noodling around again. I wanted a no frills all round guitar and it seems like this Tele is it for me. Blues, jazz, rock, fusion, country twang, it is all in there.

I tested this Tele with the Blues Deluxe first and it sounded very nice. But then I wanted to see how it would handle something with more drive. I have been wanting to try out the Line6 Spider Valve. This was a great combination. The Tele handled the overdrive channels just fine.

This is a pretty cool guitar and this is the model I hope to get when I start playing again.

[rdnzl]

I wouldn't expect a sale real soon. At $999 its a bargain.

I play mostly through a Blues Deluxe. Excellent amp for Telecasters.

Winter won't be over for you until...........May?

:)

[XKnight]

Congrats! Looks great.

So, how much are the leftover 07 models going for?

[rdnzl]

They had a well handled mahogany chambered USA Tele for 799. It played well, but the new model kicked its ass.

[FusionFan]

I wouldn't expect a sale real soon. At $999 its a bargain.

I play mostly through a Blues Deluxe. Excellent amp for Telecasters.

Winter won't be over for you until...........May?

:)

I suppose you're right. The sales guy told me $980. I liked it enough to buy it right there and then. It was brand new/right out of the sealed box. I was curious to try one with a rosewood fretboard though and maybe see a few other finishes.

I was trying to be responsible and not make an impulse buy on this. I know what I am looking for in a guitar and this Tele was pretty inspiring.

I have bought and sold a lot a high end gear, and while it was great, none of it felt like "home" to me. That is what I am looking for in a guitar.

I can't go wrong with a Tele.

[Griz]

Very nice. Looks like they've corrected the bulbous look of some of the recent USA Tele headstocks. Bridge looks different too.

Enjoy! :D

[jbgordon]

I had a chance to play a strat and a tele yesterday at the OKC Guitar Center and I really liked them both. The Tele was just amazing though, and I also almost walked out of the store with it right then. The neck was very comfortable and the frets were dressed oh so nice. The action was superb as well.

I left thinking of what gear I could sell so that I could afford it. The guy told me $1025 out the door.

[macmax77]

I stopped at GC on the way home from work, and did some serious browsing. I spotted this new '08 Am Telecaster. I was expecting to be underwhelmed. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I played it for about a half hour, and decided I had to have it. The workmanship is excellent. The neck feels great, and the pickups are very nice. I'm very impressed with it so far. Came with a real decent case, too.

I'll post more about how it plays after I spend some serious time with it.

For now, here are some pics.
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1303/dsc06057mj9.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7663/dsc06067ke0.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/828/dsc06073vk9.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/3511/dsc06077rk3.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8858/dsc06069lp4.jpg

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1941/dsc06072sd8.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6387/dsc06081sd0.jpg

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9970/dsc06094iy4.jpg

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/1681/dsc06098qn3.jpg
:D
man i got this too:
It doesn't look good in pictures , but in person it looks great, thou the purists might not like this color i took it to a rehearsal the very same day i bought it and everyone loved it.

it sounds very , very good too, better than some more expensive ones at the store, i love it.
As i said, you can't really see the color thru the camera lens:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/macmax77/tele.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/macmax77/DSC00425.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/macmax77/DSC00424.jpg

i bought it at the Dolphin mall in Miami and i put it on hold for half an hour, hehehheheheheh, they say it was the fastest lay away they've seen, ahhahahhaa.

[macmax77]

No issues here. Stick to Telecasters!!!

;)


+1000,000

[macmax77]

It makes me wonder if maybe they dialed this one in a little. I have purchased quite a few guitars in the past, and this Tele is as close to perfect as I have yet to encounter. I have had some that were decent, some so-so. I would change nothing on this Tele. It is nice and low, with no buzzing, and the intonation is perfect. Even the strings sound good. The guitar center I buy from has a real luthier that has a shop there, so maybe they did tweak it, or maybe Fender got lucky. No QC issues at all. the finish is flawless, too.

Last post, i must say mine is perfect!
Everyone at the store dropped their jaws when i bought it,it didn't even had the price in the tag printed, but written in hand since it had only been at the store for a short time.

When i bought it i could listen to the the guys talking about the guitar and that the "ugly dude took the beautiful sounding candy cola tele home"

It has no issues, the other guitar player in the band asked me how in hell and why was that guitar so easy to play, he even asked

Why does it come with 008's, and i told him , are you kidding me? these are 10's......

The guy plays another Tele and a custom made Carvin, and all of those who have played a Carvin know how comfortable those are, then again, this friend of mine was truly amazed with this Tele.

[The Pup]

Cool!

[rastus]

Man, that is a good lookin' Tele! Just a classic workhorse guitar that will suit just about any material you'd ever want to play. Congrats, and play it in good health!

[rdnzl]

Yes, it's a really nice guitar. It does play very easily.

They got it right.

[Jack Dotson]

Well I bought one of the new Strat's. As I said previously, two of the three had issues, but one only needed a minor adjustment on the tremolo height and this is the one I bought.

Fortunately, it was the one I wanted to start with, three tone burst finish with maple FB. I've been playing the heck out of it the past couple of days and couldn't be happier.

They're going to call me when the Tele's arrive. I plan to buy one in the same finish as my Strat. My wife is going to throw a fit, but hey, it's not like it will be the first time.:D

[rdnzl]

There ya go!!

[BlueVeins]

Well I bought one of the new Strat's. As I said previously, two of the three had issues, but one only needed a minor adjustment on the tremolo height and this is the one I bought.

Fortunately, it was the one I wanted to start with, three tone burst finish with maple FB. I've been playing the heck out of it the past couple of days and couldn't be happier.

They're going to call me when the Tele's arrive. I plan to buy one in the same finish as my Strat. My wife is going to throw a fit, but hey, it's not like it will be the first time.:D

Where the heck do you people get this kind of money for guitars? I mean come on 2 brand new matching Am. Fenders? Where do you get the nerve? [/jealous]

[macmax77]

Where the heck do you people get this kind of money for guitars? I mean come on 2 brand new matching Am. Fenders? Where do you get the nerve? [/jealous]

:roll:D:JAM