Somebody please explain all the teles for me?

[Nuclearfishin]

I'm in the market for a nice tele so I went to one of the typical online places and did a search and came up with 127 different telecasters. Man, I don't know where to start. I know there are teles made in the US, Mexico, and Japan--so when shopping, is it safe to say the US versions have the better pickups, electronics, etc., followed by Japan and then Mexico? If only using price as an indicator, this seems to be the case. Also, how do I tell if it's made in US or not? I know on the neckplate it will say Corona CA, or made in USA on the headstock, but when I'm browsing online, I have no idea where any of the guitars were made. Don't get me wrong, I'm not limiting myself only to US made, but as I try to figure out what the differences are, it would be helpful if I knew which models had the better hardware, pickups, etc. Anybody have an easy way to keep all this straight?

Cheers!

[XKnight]

Teles are great. That's really all there is to it. Try a bunch and buy one you like.

[Help!I'maRock!]

Originally Posted by XKnight

Try a bunch and buy one you like.

"if you pick up a guitar and it says 'take me home', then that's the one for you." - FZ

[Nuclearfishin]

Guys, I know all that "take the one that speaks to you" stuff--I've bought plenty of guitars over the last 35 years, lot's of LP's, just not a tele. What are the differences between all the teles?

[jpage]

Like with all bolt-on guitars, the neck/body pocket is important. If there is play, it effects sustain and, in extreme cases (alot of the Road Worns), playability. First step, figure out what neck carve you want/need. I know that having huge hands immediately eliminates about 90% of the available options for me. If a thinner neck works for you, it is a bonus. Check for play in the neck, and try them through your amp/rig--tele pickups can sound absolutely phenomenal through one amp and absolutely horrible through another. What works for one person may very well be the worst option for you. I don't mean to bad mouth the Road Worns--if you find a good one, they are worth every penny.

Pretty much, find the one that speaks to you.

[Jahn]

what's your price range? willing to buy used? that'll cut the choices down.

[gkoelling]

There are way to many possibilities to go through. If I only had one Tele, I'd want an ash body and maple neck.

What style of music will you use it for? What amp? Budget?

[Nuclearfishin]

Originally Posted by Jahn

what's your price range? willing to buy used? that'll cut the choices down.

No price limit, I just want to know what the differences are. Not to offend anybody here, but I know how to sit down and test a guitar to see if I like it. I guess to be more specific: Can somebody tell me the differences between US, MIM, CIJ as far as:

pickups?
tuners?
wiring?
pots & caps?
glue/joints?

[pedalcr8z]

Originally Posted by Nuclearfishin

Guys, I know all that "take the one that speaks to you" stuff--I've bought plenty of guitars over the last 35 years, lot's of LP's, just not a tele. What are the differences between all the teles?

........and I've done the same and you can add 5 years! Just do yourself a favor and buy a Nocaster as it's the "be all end all, quintessential Tele"...period!

[Moctzal]

Yeah, first decide on budget. That should narrow it down considerably.

Are there any sort of specs that you want? Neck profile/radius, pickup/control configuration etc?

G & L and Fender are good places to start, but they aren't all that's out there for good Teles.s

If I could take a friend to some shops to find a Tele with say a $1500 budget, I think I'd have them try a '52 American Vintage Re-issue, Fender Baja, Fender American Standard, Fender Tele Thinline (69 and 72), Squier Classic Vibe Tele, G & L ASAT Classic, Bluesboy and Specials (Solid or Semi-hollow both Tribute and American versions) to see what sort of features s/he likes and then go from there.

[Jahn]

no price limit? ok, let's stick with custom shop then, more specifically Masterbuilt. google any tele in any era with any config and any type of build, odds are that in some year, a masterbuilder has made that tele. so whatever you like, go for the top and get what you like! no need to slum it with the MIM, CIJ, MIA, thinskins, fender special runs and the like.

[Moctzal]

Originally Posted by Nuclearfishin

No price limit

Be careful saying that around here...

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/names...-30U-15883.htm

[jpage]

Originally Posted by Nuclearfishin

No price limit, I just want to know what the differences are. Not to offend anybody here, but I know how to sit down and test a guitar to see if I like it. I guess to be more specific: Can somebody tell me the differences between US, MIM, CIJ as far as:

pickups?
tuners?
wiring?
pots & caps?
glue/joints?

Pickups--if they sound good, they are good.
Tuners--any tuner on a Fender is going to adequately keep the guitar in tune and not detract from the instrument
Wiring--if it sounds good, it is good.
Pots and caps--if they sound good, they are good.
Joints--already addressed.

For someone who keeps claiming he knows how to sit down and test a guitar, you are asking some odd questions... If you need to know which Fender Teles have the 'best' of everything, go to fender.com and see what the CS teles have--those are the 'best'. Whatever that means.

[shark_bite]

As far as i'm concerned, most of those aren't Teles. They might say Telecaster on the headstock, but more than 3 saddles or the standard 2 pickups and you've absolutely lost me.

What it all comes down to is this... if you're looking at a Squier, you should be looking at the Classic Vibe 50s Tele. If you're looking at MIM, the Baja Tele, the Road Worn, Muddy Waters, or 69RI Thinline are probably your best bet. MIJ, the older RI Teles were great, and the 62RI is pretty good. If you're looking at low-end MIA, the Hwy 1 is good. Same with the 52RI and the AVRI 52 Tele. Past that, it's all a matter of taste because you're now into Custom Shop stuff. The Nocaster is great but then again so are a ton of the other CS options.

Variations on a theme, I guess. It's not so much an issue of which ones are good and which ones aren't. It's just more of a preference thing, like with Strats. What wood for the body, the fingerboard, what radius/neck carve, electronics/switching/pickups, and lastly, what finish options... that's pretty much the specs that differentiate each of the models.

I think you really need to start by figuring out what you'd do with a Tele and work your way backward. Style of music? Amp?

[OM Flyer]

Originally Posted by Nuclearfishin

Also, how do I tell if it's made in US or not? I know on the neckplate it will say Corona CA, or made in USA on the headstock, but when I'm browsing online, I have no idea where any of the guitars were made.

USA Teles are called American Standard or American Deluxe, or American Series. The '52 Teles are American. The Highway 1 Teles are American with some Mexican parts. Typically, an American Telecaster will cost $1000 and up. Most "modern" American Teles have 22 frets.

Mexican made Teles are the "Standard" series, as are a host of others, like the various '72 and '69 reissues (sometimes Thinlines), Baja Teles, and the Road Worn series. Prices range from about $500 for a Standard, up to about $900. Usually MIM Teles have 21 frets.

Japanese Teles are harder to describe this way. There are "Made in Japan" and "Crafted in Japan" Teles. They often very closely resemble their American counterparts, and can be priced similarly. The Aerodyne series, for example (now discontinued in the US), is Crafted in Japan.

Some Teles are made in Korea. They often have set necks, and more often have different pickups than usual - exposed-coil humbuckers, for example, or P-90s.

A few Teles are now being produced in Indonesia, like the Jim Adkins model.

When buying online, I would always inquire if you aren't sure. As for pots and caps, glue and wiring, you're on your own. If there's any consistency from model to model or year to year, I don't really know. IMO, if the this level of specifics is important to you, online buying probably isn't well advised.