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TNO · November 16th, 2009, 08:03 PM

I knew it was going to be a light one when the UPS guy handed me the box. I mean featherweight! Overall the guitar looks good. No mistaking it for Jazzmaster, it almost looks like there's some non-reverse Firebird DNA mixed in. The routing in the cutaways is pretty lumpy. The neck doesn't look like anything special but it feels great-a lot like a Fender JV. Fretwork is very nice. Electronics where really noisy until I looked under the hood and found the ground wire from the neck pickup had come loose due to a cold solder joint. The guitar sounds nice acoustically but I'm not crazy about the pickups. The bridge pickup is really bright and lacks body. The neck mini is decent but I'd like something with more clarity. It would be great if GFS offered pickguards for these routed for other pickup styles. So far the tuners seem fine but I wish they came with kluson copies. Overall it's a fun guitar and very comfortable to play.

toadman · November 16th, 2009, 08:11 PM

nice post, but it's all for naught without pictures!

Brian Krashpad · November 16th, 2009, 08:18 PM

pics!

TNO · November 16th, 2009, 08:24 PM

I won't have time for pics until after Turkey Day. Work keeps getting in the way. I might find time to stick a Tonerider in the bridge though :)

TNO · November 16th, 2009, 09:00 PM

Couple more things...
The control plate is pitted with corrosion and the bridge mounting screws are un-plated zinc. The neck pickup only meters at 3.6k. The green and red wires from the neck pickup are taped together but not connected. I guess it's wired as a coil cut and if that's the case I don't think I'd like it much in series.

TNO · November 16th, 2009, 11:17 PM

So I pulled the strings off and a big chunk of the nut fell off. Between the wiring issues and the broken nut I wonder if GFS will make it right...

bowlfreshener · November 16th, 2009, 11:25 PM

Sorry to hear about the issues, but which finish and neck of the ones being sold did you get?

TNO · November 16th, 2009, 11:46 PM

I got the cream/tortoise with rosewood board. Corrected the wiring and the neck pickup sounds pretty nice.

bowlfreshener · November 16th, 2009, 11:50 PM

Thanks! I am probably going to order one of the Surf Green ones tonight...Glad to hear its working a bit better now too!

Stuco · November 17th, 2009, 01:41 AM

I guess a little tweaking is to be expected. That sucks about the nut. Probably still worth the $ though. I hope you find time to post pix!

bowlfreshener · November 17th, 2009, 01:50 AM

I just ordered a Surf Green one...My birthday 34th is on Friday...happy birthday to me!

TNO · November 17th, 2009, 08:21 AM

Happy NGD/NPD.

Durtdog · November 17th, 2009, 09:54 AM

Wow, this seems strange to me. TNO has posted a review with quite a few negatives. My interpretation of his statements is that this is a cheap piece of crap guitar. No offense intended, just my opinion from what you've said about the guitar. Yet you guys are still going to buy them?

Like I said, it's strange to me, especially since there are so many nice inexpensive guitars available with much higher qulity.

bowlfreshener · November 17th, 2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durtdog

Wow, this seems strange to me. TNO has posted a review with quite a few negatives. My interpretation of his statements is that this is a cheap piece of crap guitar. No offense intended, just my opinion from what you've said about the guitar. Yet you guys are still going to buy them?

Like I said, it's strange to me, especially since there are so many nice inexpensive guitars available with much higher qulity.

What part of the final statement did you interpret to mean its a cheap piece of crap guitar?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNO

Overall it's a fun guitar and very comfortable to play.

Yes, there were issues, but from my experiences after buying nearly a dozen or so guitars in the $100-$350 price range in the past few years is that pretty much every guitar in that price range has some sort of issues or tweaking that need to be done...Plus I read 2-3 other reviews I found elsewhere, and didn't have the issues TNO had...If everyone had issues, and the same issues, I wouldn't have bought one...

tuuur · November 17th, 2009, 10:31 AM

Durtdog, I guess they think the price is still right, plus they like to tinker with their instruments and think the basis is ok.

Durtdog · November 17th, 2009, 11:16 AM

No need to be defensive, guys, just making my own observation.

I didn't interpret the last statement to mean it was junk, it was what I gathered overall. I just read a LOT of issues in his review that I haven't read about most Squiers et al. That's all.

Carry on.

Doug 54 · November 17th, 2009, 11:33 AM

all 'bout how it looks....

how it sound??

TNO · November 17th, 2009, 03:19 PM

This thing is not CV Squier quality but it's a lot of guitar for the price. GFS is going to make it right for me so I'm happy to keep the guitar. I'll make a nice bone nut to replace the broken black plastic one. The mini-hum sounds fine now that it's wired in series. I've adjusted the bridge pickup to where it sounds acceptable. The pots are 500k which is good for the neck pickup but too bright in the bridge.

November 16th, 2009, 08:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	Got my GFS Telemaster I knew it was going to be a light one when the UPS guy handed me the box. I mean featherweight! Overall the guitar looks good. No mistaking it for Jazzmaster, it almost looks like there's some non-reverse Firebird DNA mixed in. The routing in the cutaways is pretty lumpy. The neck doesn't look like anything special but it feels great-a lot like a Fender JV. Fretwork is very nice. Electronics where really noisy until I looked under the hood and found the ground wire from the neck pickup had come loose due to a cold solder joint. The guitar sounds nice acoustically but I'm not crazy about the pickups. The bridge pickup is really bright and lacks body. The neck mini is decent but I'd like something with more clarity. It would be great if GFS offered pickguards for these routed for other pickup styles. So far the tuners seem fine but I wish they came with kluson copies. Overall it's a fun guitar and very comfortable to play.

November 16th, 2009, 08:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
toadman Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: andoverandoverandover,ct Age: 46 Posts: 1,525	nice post, but it's all for naught without pictures! __________________ toadman the plank spanker www.slugnickel.com www.zydecohogs.com "The ultimate result of protecting man from folly is to fill the world with fools" Herbert Spencer

November 16th, 2009, 08:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Brian Krashpad Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: GVL FLA USA Posts: 804 39 Photos	pics! __________________ Visit Crash Pad at: http://krashpad.fortunecity.com http://www.myspace.com/CrashPad Gear List/Pics: http://krashpad.fortunecity.com/brian.html

November 16th, 2009, 11:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
bowlfreshener Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 34 Posts: 2,060 6 Photos	Sorry to hear about the issues, but which finish and neck of the ones being sold did you get? __________________ RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

November 16th, 2009, 11:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
bowlfreshener Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 34 Posts: 2,060 6 Photos	Thanks! I am probably going to order one of the Surf Green ones tonight...Glad to hear its working a bit better now too! __________________ RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

November 16th, 2009, 08:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	I won't have time for pics until after Turkey Day. Work keeps getting in the way. I might find time to stick a Tonerider in the bridge though :)

November 16th, 2009, 09:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	Couple more things... The control plate is pitted with corrosion and the bridge mounting screws are un-plated zinc. The neck pickup only meters at 3.6k. The green and red wires from the neck pickup are taped together but not connected. I guess it's wired as a coil cut and if that's the case I don't think I'd like it much in series.

November 16th, 2009, 11:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	So I pulled the strings off and a big chunk of the nut fell off. Between the wiring issues and the broken nut I wonder if GFS will make it right...

November 16th, 2009, 11:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	I got the cream/tortoise with rosewood board. Corrected the wiring and the neck pickup sounds pretty nice.

November 17th, 2009, 01:41 AM	#10 (permalink)
Stuco Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: GA Posts: 4,225	I guess a little tweaking is to be expected. That sucks about the nut. Probably still worth the $ though. I hope you find time to post pix! __________________ -"You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do" J. Garcia

November 17th, 2009, 01:50 AM	#11 (permalink)
bowlfreshener Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 34 Posts: 2,060 6 Photos	I just ordered a Surf Green one...My birthday 34th is on Friday...happy birthday to me! __________________ RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

November 17th, 2009, 08:21 AM	#12 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	Happy NGD/NPD.

November 17th, 2009, 09:54 AM	#13 (permalink)
Durtdog Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 3,896	Wow, this seems strange to me. TNO has posted a review with quite a few negatives. My interpretation of his statements is that this is a cheap piece of crap guitar. No offense intended, just my opinion from what you've said about the guitar. Yet you guys are still going to buy them? Like I said, it's strange to me, especially since there are so many nice inexpensive guitars available with much higher qulity.

November 17th, 2009, 10:31 AM	#15 (permalink)
tuuur Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: the Netherlands Age: 41 Posts: 1,830 7 Photos	Durtdog, I guess they think the price is still right, plus they like to tinker with their instruments and think the basis is ok. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/tuuur

November 17th, 2009, 11:16 AM	#16 (permalink)
Durtdog Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 3,896	No need to be defensive, guys, just making my own observation. I didn't interpret the last statement to mean it was junk, it was what I gathered overall. I just read a LOT of issues in his review that I haven't read about most Squiers et al. That's all. Carry on.

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November 17th, 2009, 11:33 AM	#17 (permalink)
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November 17th, 2009, 03:19 PM	#18 (permalink)
TNO Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 484	This thing is not CV Squier quality but it's a lot of guitar for the price. GFS is going to make it right for me so I'm happy to keep the guitar. I'll make a nice bone nut to replace the broken black plastic one. The mini-hum sounds fine now that it's wired in series. I've adjusted the bridge pickup to where it sounds acceptable. The pots are 500k which is good for the neck pickup but too bright in the bridge.

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