First Telecaster Search

[Aenima7988]

So here's the deal, I need a main guitar. A really good main guitar. With humbuckers. Not going to be a fender.

But I reallly want a Telecaster for the diversity. So I'm looking to spend main-guitar-money on something like a Gibson Les Paul, or whatever I find that really fits my style, and I'm looking to spend secondary-guitar-money on a telecaster.

I had been looking at the Fender Standard Telecaster (MIM) for $400 new, $300 used. I really like the midnight wine finish, and that's way within my budget. But I don't want another cheap crappy guitar (I already have four, and they're all noisy because of crappy wiring, and they're fun to play, but I have enough cheap guitars already) so I'm worried about purchasing a MIM entry level Tele.

But I just noticed the Highway One Telecaster for $750, which is apparantly MIA, with Alnico pickups, and it's in that same awesome finish! So, how is this guitar? Do you think it's what I'm looking for quality wise? And how cheap do you think I could find it for used (granted I find it in that exact color)?

What are your experiences with the Highway One Telecaster (not texas)?

[Ron S]

IMHO you could not possibly go wrong with either of those choices.

Warning: after a few hours spent with a good tele you may wish you'd saved the Les Paul money and spent it on another tele

Good luck searching.

[Dennis68]

Oh, put the primary money on the tele!

I recently picked up this new '07 Highway 1 Blackguard. It was a limited run and has Nocaster pickups in it. What an awesome guitar! It's the best guitar value I have ever found.



If you're considering a Highway 1 I don't think you can go wrong as I think these are real nice guitars. If you like their finishes and feel it could be the perfect match for what you need.

Regarding your search for a humbucker-equipped guitar there are many choices out there, including some Teles. Have you also played any P-90 equipped guitars? Lots of choices there too and you may find you're a P-90 aficianado after all...

Any particular body shape and weight you prefer?

Here are just a few of my own personal favorites for humbuckers and P-90's for under $1k:

J Mascis Artist Series Jazzmaster (albeit a single coil, sounds fat)
http://www.fender.com/products//sear...tno=0255800550

[Dennis68]

con't...

'72 Telecaster Deluxe


PRS SE Custom

[Lost_N_Austin]

(not texas)?

Well, I'm from Texas but welcome to the forum anyway.

My advise - Buy a used MIM Telecaster in the color, weight and neck that suits you and add the pickups that you are looking for to match the sound in your head.

I think most MIM's are routed in the neck position for a humbucker. At least mine was. This will get you into modifying your guitars yourself and you can go back and "fix" the other guitars you own so they can be traded for more telecasters.

[Doug Ferguson]

The MIM Classic '50s and 60's are excellent tele's, a little more than the MIM Standards, but about $50 less than the Highway 1's. They also run (very good) Alnico P/U's, wound to vintage specs. Welcome, and have fun tracking down a tele!

[Dennis68]

And I forgot to add, Welcome to the forum!

L-N-A makes a good suggestion too with a used MIM and swapping out pups to get what you desire as well...


New Low to high...

[Aenima7988]

thanks for the welcomes, i guess i should have introduced myself before asking 20 questions

honestly, the original plan was to buy the $400 MIM telecaster and then switch out the pickups, but i don't want to feel like i have a second (or third or fourth or foiwehfw) class guitar. Even though the Highway 1 still isn't an American Standard or whatever the top of the line Tele is, at least it's American made. But if you think the sound difference would be indiscernable, I'd rather save the extra $$

Sorry guys, I'm a metal/hard rock guitarist at heart, so the main guitar has to be humbucking. But not a tele with humbuckers- I refuse to get one of those. I want that single coil tele sound! I don't want a tele that wants to be something else haha

[PJ]

If you want something that ships with more tonal felxibility that a truckload of guitars, check out the Nashville Power Tele. It's a three-pickup, 5-switch-stop Tele with a piezo bridge. Love mine. Found it pre-owned and it didn't look like it had been played much. His loss, my gain. Terrific guitar. It'll give you Strat & Tele tones and the piezo bridge works well for some stuff. I wouldn't be without it.

[newey]

Aenima-

but i don't want to feel like i have a second (or third or fourth or foiwehfw) class guitar

Then don't feel that way. What most of the above posts seem to be saying is that, if it's solely a matter of playability, go with the MIM, possibly w/ a swap-out of the pups.

If, in your own mind, the "USA" label has some meaning, and you can afford the premium you'd pay for it, then go that route. But recognize that you're paying that extra bit mostly for cachet, and perhaps a better resale down the road.

I'd say, step one, go to a guitar store, play both and see if you discern enough of a difference in the Highway 1 to merit the extra coin.

I'm a metal/hard rock guitarist at heart, so the main guitar has to be humbucking.

This herd of Tele guys probably can't help you much there. Maybe something like this?

From here:
Guitars LA

[aznrambo481]

Just remember that with the best wiring, and best shielding, a single-coil guitar will inherently hum with really high gain. That's the nature of the beast. Since most factory guitars do not have the best shielding jobs, depending on your playing style, there may be too much noise with regular single-coils. Try before you buy?

[Aenima7988]

yeah, i'm trying to retain my self control until I can go to a guitar store and try them about, but heres the thing- i'm at college in oneonta right now, and there's a good deal on a wine fender mim standard tele just an hour north. but i can't actually try out guitars at a guitar store until i get back to long island. so i either stay smart and wait till i can try guitars out, but I lose an opportunity to get my color really cheap.. or i jump on the opportunity without giving myself the chance to try out others.

[Aenima7988]

Originally Posted by newey

This herd of Tele guys probably can't help you much there. Maybe something like this?

From here:
Guitars LA

haha, i think a les paul would do. it seems i can find a studio for 6-700 if i bide my time

[mistermullens]

+1 on a 50s or 60s Classic.

[bobthecanadian]

Ok, Ritchie Kotzen and Jim Root both play Telecasters. The Ritchie Kotzen model looks and sounds great. If what you want has to have humbuckers, then check out the Jim Root model. If you want a different set of specs, then build yourself a partscatser.

Good luck!

Bob


BTW - Regarding the Highway One Telecasters; I own one and really like it a lot. I replaced the pickups, shielded and rewired it. Sounds great! If you 'cheap' guitars aren't sounding good because of poor wiring then I would suggest going to www.guitarnuts.com and checking it out. With some solder, foil and glue you can fix a lot of what ails you on your other guitars.

[dilbone]

Hey aenima welcome...I'm new here too and this has been an invaluable place to hang and out learn.

I have always hated fenders...strats though were all I had ever tried and since I didn't like them I figured the tele was out of the question. Then I picked up a tele and have never turned back.

I actually have an '05 midnight wine MIM standard and I love it. I put in a GFS lil puncher(modern vintage) in the bridge and an alnico fatbody in the neck. It is the best tele tone I've been able to get.

I also have a squier custom deluxe with dual buckers(GFS dream 180's along with many other upgrades) and I've been surprised how "les paul/SG-ish" the sound is. I just outfitted it with push-pulls on the tones for series/parallel switching and it has an amazingly wide range of tones.
Honestly...it "feels" just like the MIM and you'd never know it was a squier. I wouldn't worry a bit about the MIM being a "second" class guitar. Like all the guys here have said, get to the store and play a few...you may like it more than you thought.

[newey]

Ae-

so i either stay smart and wait till i can try guitars out, but I lose an opportunity to get my color really cheap.. or i jump on the opportunity without giving myself the chance to try out others.

Or grab the MIM, and if later you like the Hwy 1 that much better, you could always unload the MIM. If the price is good now, you probably wouldn't take a bath on it if you sold it after minimal use. Might even be able to trade it in on the Hwy 1.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Aenima7988

Sorry guys, I'm a metal/hard rock guitarist at heart, so the main guitar has to be humbucking. But not a tele with humbuckers- I refuse to get one of those. I want that single coil tele sound! I don't want a tele that wants to be something else haha

Given your background, you may be interested to know that the Highway One was aimed at distortion friendly players, especially when the Highway One was "upgraded" in mid 2005. The Alnico 3 pickups were substantially overwound, and all the promotional material demonstrates what the H1 Upgrade Tele sounds like with gobs of distortion.

So while I find these pickups very undesirable ( I always felt if a guitar sounded really great clean you could add the dirt in later ), you may find they're perfect for you. You're accustomed to real high gain; these might be the ticket.

Welcome.

[Ira7]

Why do you say $400 new and $300 used. How? Did you find a used '08?

Keep in mind that the 08s are shielded, and have different pups than the last few years models.


Getting to the "core" of your question, I think, is the answer that a $400 MIM is not a piece of crap, and you won't be buying anything substandard. Basically, it uses the same parts as an MIA that are shipped to Mexico for assembly.

[Aenima7988]

i finally got to the guitar stores and tried out some teles. Didn't really like the MIM- it's a good guitar, but it doesn't have any twang. For me, the whole point is to have a different sounding guitar, so the MIMs out. I tried the Highway 1 and it definitely had that twang. The finish didn't look great, but I don't need to get one in sunburst and it may be tele finishes in general. I tried the american standard, and it sounded as good as if not better than the highway1. if i play some more and the standard doesn't impress me any more than the highway 1 I think I'm gonna save the $300 for an LP!

[Thekillertree]

Originally Posted by Dennis68

Oh, put the primary money on the tele!

I recently picked up this new '07 Highway 1 Blackguard. It was a limited run and has Nocaster pickups in it. What an awesome guitar! It's the best guitar value I have ever found.





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Hot damn is that butterscotch? whered you find that and where can I get it?

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by Aenima7988

Sorry guys, I'm a metal/hard rock guitarist at heart, so the main guitar has to be humbucking. But not a tele with humbuckers- I refuse to get one of those. I want that single coil tele sound! I don't want a tele that wants to be something else haha

FWIW, the metal guy at my local Guitar Center says the only Tele he has ever liked is the Highway 1.

Right now, I have two Highway 1s -- 1 rosewood and 1 maple. The main appeal of this model for me is the bigger frets; gives the guitar a very distinct feel, which I like.

I agree with you about having variety. I want each of my guitars to be different (so I'm probably going to let the rosewood go).

If you want something really far away from the Les Paul vibe, you might want to look at things like the Classic 50s model, or the 69 Thinline. I could argue that the Highway 1 is "a tele that wants to be something else."