My Belly Cut MF buying experince (2012 Telecaster)

[cobalt6300]

I treated myself to a new American Standard Tele not realizing they had a belly cut. I am traveling and have not see my new guitar yet in person--its at my home now.

My first email to Musicians Friend asking if my guitar had a "Belly Cut".

Thank you for your recent inquiry. Fender's 2012 line of American Standard Telecasters will feature a "belly cut" for improved comfort and lower weight. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused!

Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or concerns, or if you are not completely satisfied with the service you have received from us today. We appreciate your feedback.

My response to the above message:
Hello, thank you for your reply. I feel like I would like to exchange my 2012 AM. Standard for a 2011 model. I will not be back at my home until June 9th. The box will remain unopened and untouched. Can this exchange be arranged? I'd like to have UPS come and pick it up and send it back and have a 2011 model sent to me (same model...natural ash, maple neck, black pick guard?)
Please let me know. I have always have terrific service from Musicians Friend!

MF response:
Thank you for your recent inquiry. I sincerely apologize for the misinformation - the guitar you had purchased was a model prior to the Fender 2012 American Standard Telecaster. Your guitar should not have a belly cut on the body. Because the guitar was purchased on 3/17/2012, you only have today and tomorrow to exchange the item per our 45-day return policy. We'd be happy to set this up, however, you will be responsible for the return shipping to our warehouse. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused!

My response:
Hello again,
just one more question: Since the guitar I ordered does not have the belly cut and is not a 2012 then I can assume it does not have the "twisted" neck pickup? I will be keep the guitar anyway just like to have clarification on the neck pickup.
Thank you for answering all my questions.

MF response:
Thank you for your recent inquiry. You are correct - the guitar you ordered should have Alnico V pickups, not the "twisted neck" pickups that come with the 2012 American Standard Telecaster. Let us know if you have any other questions about our products!

So, in the end I am getting a 2011 guitar with no belly cut and the pickups I wanted. But it was advertised as a 2012.

Anyone have any thoughts on all this?

[jmaul]

my first thought is this is a very weird string of communication and I wouldn't be confident in anything until the box was opened.

my second thought is wondering why you would purchase a decently expensive guitar online when you knew you wouldn't be able to open and inspect it within the return period.

[cobalt6300]

I guess I am a risk taker? I left out the first email I sent to MF.
Here is my first email below. Also, I never imagined they would put a belly cut in a telecaster and it was not indicated on their specs page either at the time. And...I wnated the 15% discount at the time...so I bought it.
1st email.
Can you tell me if my Telecaster has the "Belly Cut"? I have not had a chance to return from my travels to open the box yet.

[Jupiter]

You'll never know until you open the box. Exciting!

[cobalt6300]

It is driving me nuts actually. I can't sleep, eat...I pace around mumbling--not all the time.

[rangercaster]

the guitar should be what the order confirmation and invoice says it is ... if not, then MF should eat the return shipping if they shipped the wrong item ... but they can't be held to that forever ... i do my research before i spend my money !!!

[cobalt6300]

My email invoice does not denote the year.

[nickd]

I've had good experiences from these guys, TWICE exceeding my expectations, that or I have a very low threshold of excitement.

Anyway, feel free to complain, but just sweet-talk them a little bit into throwing in extras / discount / shipping for being devious about things.

Either way, I had a strum on a 2011 tele in a shop, and I can assure you it is still a great axe.

[cobalt6300]

I have never had a problem with them. A 2011 will be nice to see. If its a 2012 somehow I'll find a way to like it too!

[BrettC]

This is interesting, as I ordered a new American Standard recently here in Australia and it turned up a 2011 model. I am happy with this and presume that Fender want to clear "old stock". I am really glad that the guitar delivered is a non belly cut model. The guitar plays brilliantly and I have no complaints at all. I do feel relieved that it is the 2011 model. Lucky I guess.

[JohnK24]

http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargall...m/sUS11286863/

Well, some 2011 American Standards got the "belly cut" too...appears later made guitars got the new body profile. See the pictures in the sweetwater link above.

[Jupiter]

I thought I read somewhere on here that the 15% discount was for the purpose of clearing out the 2011s....

[xtrajerry]

15% discount aside wasn't the price raised with the 2012 models? What was your prediscount price? 2011's seem to be selling for $999 & 2012's for $1099.

[drb1346]

I've never, ever had any problems with Musician's Friend, they're a great company (as is Sweetwater) and terrific to deal with!

[Toto'sDad]

I don't think you'll be disappointed either way. I have a near new 2011 AS Tele, I do really like the neck pickup it's clear as a bell, and if you lean on it, has a tinge of twang, (unbelievable I know), I can't imagine the twisted Tele being better. I may change the bridge pickup, but I may not. Thought I would for sure at first, but now, I dunno, it's really quite, you can pull twang out of it, and it's just killer in the middle position. Everyone says the 2012 is really good too, a guitar can only be so good, I'm happy with the one I have. Neck is perfect on mine.

[Mission]

Originally Posted by JohnK24

http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargall...m/sUS11286863/

Well, some 2011 American Standards got the "belly cut" too...appears later made guitars got the new body profile. See the pictures in the sweetwater link above.

I noticed this too. I asked Sweetwater about it and haven't got a response yet. The Blizzard Pearl is nice.

[cobalt6300]

The prices ranged from $999-1099, but with different prices depending on color. MY natural ash was the higher price but i got a 15% discount.

[cobalt6300]

it seem the whole thing between 2011 and 2012 models if they have belly cuts os not very defined.

[dconeill]

Do you live alone? Is there someone at home who could open the box and inspect the guitar for you? If you don't live with a guitar player, could you ask a guitar-playing friend who you trust to go to your house to inspect your guitar? That way you could get eyes on the guitar before mid-June.

[Jack FFR1846]

I guess that's an advantage of using Sweetwater. They post pictures of the actual guitar. I just looked at one of their 2012 natural standard tele's and one of the pics of that specific serial number had a turned side view that made it very clear that it had a belly cut.