American Deluxe Tele QMT = HEAVEN

[dablues]

Howdy folks,
I've been reading this forum for a long time, and I think it's time to contribute some eye candy of my own. I'm continually impressed by everyone's gear, and now I've got something to be proud of too.

I've long been a G&L guy, but now I'm switching over to the "good" side (Fender). G&Ls are almost the finest made guitars out there, but there's something about having a Fender that floats my boat. They just have a "vibe", so to speak.

Here's my new baby: a new American Deluxe Tele QMT. I'm pretty sure these are disco'd, and I'm glad I got it when I could. I can get that sweet tone somewhere between Cropper, Toy Caldwell (I know he's a LP guy), and Roy Buchanan. I know it's a very different kind of tele, but it still has the tele sound when I play it, not at all like my Les.

If anyone can tell me more about these beasts , I'd be very appreciative. I traded it for my G&L Legacy and a Tribute Tele, neither of which really did it for me like this guitar. Also, if anyone has any opinions about humbuckers in teles, fire away!
Thanks!

[magnatone1960]

There was a thread a few months back when MF was blowing these out at very good prices. Seems that the people that received them liked them.


http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...669-%40mf.html

[boris bubbanov]

Yes, I agree. G + L guitars are fantastic.

[Mark-00255]

Hey dablues: I'm a neighbor to the south of you in the Oly area! Good to hear from another Washingtonian on the TDPRI!

I have a cousin to yours - a 2002 Squier DF Telecaster Deluxe. Here's a shot of it string-less, mid-mod a couple weeks ago while I was changing the tone circuit - I've since also installed some graphtech saddles.


Mine is a carved top, solid mahogany that pre-dated the Fender branded maple capped models. The red metallic finish is rich and just stunning, I think! The Squier-branded solid mahogany guitars were made in the Korean Cort factory until about 2004, when they were changed to Fenders with flame, quilted, or just recently spalted maple tops.

I love the neck on mine, and the neck pickup is decent - nice warm jazz tone, especially split. But I have fiddled with the bridge pickup and tone circuit a bit and think I've finally got the tone I'm after. I put in an SD Pearly Gates, which I think yours has, and it's very rich, and great for blues - especially with an improved tone circuit and better saddles. I think with yours the maple cap probably brightens the tone.

Short story for me on this guitar - the neck and playability are to die for. Even though it's got the Squier label, it's a fantastic guitar. I'm sure yours is even that much better with the stock SDs and maple cap - yours looks absolutely beautiful! Nice score and welcome to the Tele world!

[dablues]

Hey, thanks guys! I'm sorry that I didn't get back to you guys sooner. Mark: that's quite the looker there. I'm thinking that you're right about the maple cap brightening the tone, but I won't agree with you that my guitar is "better". Yours looks just fine to me! How do you like those saddles? Did they do anything to the tone?

[Mark-00255]

Thanks dablues - The graphtechs are feeling like the final piece of the puzzle for this guitar. They evened out the tone - I had killer tone from the D up through the high E string, but the lower E and A always sounded a little bottled up. And I don't know that the harmonics overall on the guitar were satisfying - I just wasn't getting rich sustain throughout. Now, the tone and harmonics are consistent string to string. A lotta bang for the $35 ...

Now that you've had yours for a little while, how are you feeling about the tone? What are you playing it through, as well? I use an old off-brand mid-60s dual 6V6 amp that I bought in Seattle in 1979 ...