So, Squier's doing a version of the 72 Thinline Tele

[HyakuShiki]

Earlier this year, I was GAS'ing for a Fender '72 Thinline Telecaster bad. My local guitar shop had one, and that thing sang. The problem, though, was the $800 price tag. Way too high for me at the moment, but that thing was calling my name. So imagine my surprise when I suddenly see this on the Fender website:

http://www.fender.com/squier/guitar...d-72-tele-thinline-maple-fingerboard-natural/

It's everything I want: ash body, Wide Range humbuckers, even a 4-bolt neckplate over the 3-bolt. And it's listed for $299, an absolute steal! I can't wait to try this one out, because if it plays even close to what the Fender MIM version sounds like, I'm buying it fast.

 

[dazco]

Wow, i just sold a MIM version, but not because it wasn't great. I had to get a set of boutique pickups because the fender ones were so bad. But they since re-designed the wide range humbuckers and supposedly they're a lot better. If these have those new ones this guitar will be a major hit. Probably will anyways. I think i heard they are still using the old ones in the MIM and the new design only goes into the USA version. Hope i'm wrong and hope this one has them, but i doubt it. I'd consider one if they did but w/o them i'd just have to go the boutique route again and thats about as much $ as the guitar itself. One thing i like is no bullet truss rod. I hate those, as they always seem to give the guitars that have them a muddy fuzzy low end. That right there would have me buying one of these over the MIM.

EDIT: oh wow.....9.5 inch radius and medium jumbo ! Nice ! List is not $299 however, it's $499.

 

[HP Hovercraft]

EDIT: oh wow.....9.5 inch radius and medium jumbo ! Nice !

Bummer. And no bullet truss rod.

 

[dazco]

Bummer. And no bullet truss rod.

Thats the main reason i ended up selling my MIM. Just like every bullet rod fender i've owned, the low strings were mud. Would have been a killer guitar if not for that. Had the '72 MIM RI strat too....exact same issue. Truss rod types have a very real and often profound effect on tone, and guess what era the bullet rod is from....yep....fenders greatest era, the 70's LOL! Not a coincidence IMO. This squire will likely have a much nicer low end than the MIM thinline.

 

[HP Hovercraft]

Thats the main reason i ended up selling my MIM. Just like every bullet rod fender i've owned, the low strings were mud. Would have been a killer guitar if not for that. Had the '72 MIM RI strat too....exact same issue. Truss rod types have a very real and often profound effect on tone, and guess what era the bullet rod is from....yep....fenders greatest era, the 70's LOL! Not a coincidence IMO. This squire will likely have a much nicer low end than the MIM thinline.

I like my MIM 70s Strat just fine. Never noticed that at all.

The 9.5" radius/med. jumbo frets take the Squier out of contention for me (and most, if not all Squiers actually). Lack of a bullet truss clenches it.

 

[HyakuShiki]

Wow, i just sold a MIM version, but not because it wasn't great. I had to get a set of boutique pickups because the fender ones were so bad. But they since re-designed the wide range humbuckers and supposedly they're a lot better. If these have those new ones this guitar will be a major hit. Probably will anyways. I think i heard they are still using the old ones in the MIM and the new design only goes into the USA version. Hope i'm wrong and hope this one has them, but i doubt it. I'd consider one if they did but w/o them i'd just have to go the boutique route again and thats about as much $ as the guitar itself. One thing i like is no bullet truss rod. I hate those, as they always seem to give the guitars that have them a muddy fuzzy low end. That right there would have me buying one of these over the MIM.

EDIT: oh wow.....9.5 inch radius and medium jumbo ! Nice ! List is not $299 however, it's $499.

I meant to type "Retail" instead of "List." My bad!

 

[fretless]

These are getting rave reviews over at TDPRI ( tele forum). I cant wait to try one out. Hard to beat the price.

 

[monty]

If the neck has some beef to it I'm in.

 

[rummy]

Sign me up. Can't wait to try one out.

 

[Judas68fr]

I have the Squier '69 reissue (Classic Vibe Thinline), and it's a great axe for the bucks! Neck is on the thine side though, you have to try it first before buying it (it's not crazy thin but it's far from being a baseball bat!).

 

[HyakuShiki]

If the neck has some beef to it I'm in.

From what I've read, this one is rocking a moderate to soft V. I don't think it'd be a baseball bat, but I've read from several owners on TDPRI that it's very comfortable.

 

[MattTele]

I JUST BOUGHT ONE!!! I'll upload pics in a bit, but its FANTASTIC the pickups must have some kinda extra juice in em because they sound amazing

 

[dazco]

I saw a pic of the underside of the pickups at the tele forum and they look exactly the same as the old reissue wide range humbuckers that many like myself feel sound pretty lousy. So i'd be wary about those being better till you try them, and REGARDLESS of the reports so far. Because there were some people that even liked the old reissue ones. These appear to be exactly the same, tho they are made i believe by a different company, the GB pickup company that also makes the PRS humbuckers for the SE korean line. I think they were likely commissioned by fender to make copies of the first reissue WRHB's for the squier. I can't imagine they'd put better pickups in the squier than they do in the MIM classic series, which by all accounts still uses the original reissues few like.

 

[MattTele]

I saw a pic of the underside of the pickups at the tele forum and they look exactly the same as the old reissue wide range humbuckers that many like myself feel sound pretty lousy. So i'd be wary about those being better till you try them, and REGARDLESS of the reports so far. Because there were some people that even liked the old reissue ones. These appear to be exactly the same, tho they are made i believe by a different company, the GB pickup company that also makes the PRS humbuckers for the SE korean line. I think they were likely commissioned by fender to make copies of the first reissue WRHB's for the squier. I can't imagine they'd put better pickups in the squier than they do in the MIM classic series, which by all accounts still uses the original reissues few like.

Honestly I A/B'd an MIM Classic and my Squier and the Squier killed it, its also lighter, has a nicer neck and it was like night and day sound wise.

 

[dazco]

Honestly I A/B'd an MIM Classic and my Squier and the Squier killed it, its also lighter, has a nicer neck and it was like night and day sound wise.

Could just be the guitars too. I've always found bullet truss rod necks to have a muddy undefined low and and my MIM 72 was no exception. That said, the pickups could be different. But I've seen the new redesigned version and the original 70's version and they look completely different, while the new suiers look exactly like the MIM ones. But yes, they still could be better. They are apparently the same design but maybe different windings, magnet, etc.

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

I would be interested in checking this out! I'll have to run by GC.

 

[motis1953]

I'm more interested in the Squier as the Fender has those tiny little wimpy vintage frets. The price is right. Are the electronics any good or do pots and pickups need automatic replacement?