My new Modern Player Thinline Deluxe

[Boyd]

After reading Lewddude's thread about this guitar (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...om-w-p90s.html) I got so interested that I decided to check one out in person. Several Guitar Centers in the area had the sunburst model in stock, but I wanted the transparent black version. Guitar Center's website indicated on in stock at a store a couple hours away, so I made the trek.

Arriving at the store, it turned out that the website was wrong; the store didn't have one and never had one. The salespeople started comparing their actual inventory of other items that the site showed in stock and found a number of mistakes in fact.

But they did have one of the sunburst models, so I spent a little while playing it and was impressed. I was thinking I might need to order it online, but I really prefer to see an instrument in person before buying, so on my way back home I swung by Sam Ash Music. Didn't see one there either, and was heading out the door when I noticed a guitar down a dead-end isle that I had missed. It just looked like black telecaster, but when I got closer I realized it was what I was seeking!

The color of this guitar is very unusual. Under indoor lighting from a distance, you might easily mistake it for black lacquer. But up close it looks more like dark stained walnut.

Have not even had this guitar for a full 24 hours yet, but I love it! Very impressive for a $400 guitar. I'm not very knowledgeable about different kinds of pickups, but these sound really good to me. I prefer the neck pickup most of the time, and sometimes feel the wide range humbucker on my Classic 72 Thinline is a little dull. But the P90's on the Modern Player seem to have a much broader frequency response. They are much brighter sounding than my Classic 72. I like playing open chords with clean amp settings, and it works very well for that.

The 9.5" radius C-shaped neck is thinner than my 72 Thinline's 7.25" radius U-shaped neck and feels great to me (I have medium sized hands). I don't have a clear preference between the two yet, but I enjoy the contrast between them. The neck also has a very pretty amber-ish finish that looks sort of like it has been aged. You can see the difference between the light maple color on the 72 thinline in the photo below.

It appears to be well made with nice attention to detail. There are slight differences in the hardware - for example the bridge saddles have a smoother/shinier finish than my Classic 72. The slots in the tuning pegs are a little wider and shallower than my Classic 72. When I string the 72, I use a little wooden wedge to hold the string in place. It was too thin to stay in the peg on the Modern Player, and the shallower slot also made it harder to wedge something in there. No big deal though.

I left both guitars side by side overnight and in the morning the Modern player was still in almost perfect tune while the Classic thinline had slipped just a bit. All in all, I really like this guitar. And it's amazing that for the same price as an American Vintage Thinline, you could buy 4 of the Modern Players and still have $50 left over.

Here are some pictures - it's hard to get good shots of this unsual finish - a polarizer would have helped but I broke mine awhile ago.

[goonie]

That's a beautiful guitar. And you paid $400? Try ~$650 in Australia (RRP $850), and our dollar is supposedly stronger than yours. I got flamed for taking a gentle poke at the US a few days ago but let me tell you I would like to live there.

[Bob Arbogast]

Beautiful guitar; strange saddle alignment. How's the intonation?

Bob Arbogast

[Boyd]

Thanks!

Yes, it is strange. That's what I had to do to get the intonation right after changing the original 09's to pure nickel 10's. I need to look more closely at this once the strings get broken in. I had to crank two of them down to the limit where the springs are totally compressed. Did not have that kind of problem on the 72 thinline.

The action also seems rather high to me, although I don't mind it much. I will want to do some tinkering eventually.

[soulman969]

That is a nice finish. Different but looks good with that black pickguard. These MP models don't price out much differently than the Squiers so I'll be interested to see how those two lines compete with one another.

[Boyd]

I tried a Squirer thinline in the store yesterday for the first time. I really did not care for it, although the setup was terrible with buzzing strings. I also prefer the humbucking pickups.

The Squirer Thinline was $378 IIRC and the Modern Player was $400. Both are "crafted in China".

[Lewddude]

hahaha! Congrats! glad you found one! I still love it myself! It's just a joy to play and look at! And the $50 instant rebate brings it in just at $399! Like I said in my thread, the only thing I could find wrong with it was it was crafted in China!!! but if it didn't say that on it, you would be hard pressed to tell.

Lewd

[Bulldog87]

Cool looking guitar! I'd love to see a video!

[gypsyseven]

Wow, after i saw these pics i had to order one!
Yesterday i was searching for a new guitar with P90´s and as i always wanted to get back into the "Telecaster Family" i just ordered one and will receive it tomorrow!
I think this will be the perfect guitar for rather clean to crunch tones in that alternative/indie band i´m playing in...
I was also looking at more expensive guitars, but i think i could always do some upgrades like better P90´s and stuff to this amazing looking and hopefully amazing playing guitar...

Of course i´ll start a NGD thread tomorrow after the band rehearsal with my new guitar.
I also ordered a Hardwire TR-7 to get some nice tremolo and leslie sounds...

[musicalmartin]

The Modern players always get good reviews over here .I agree the action looks high .the saddles look like strat ones to me .you can always shim the neck a tad which is standard practice on all my Fenders for me (except Japanese ones )as I like a low action .Looks a great guitar.P90's and a thinline looks like a great recipe ..China are making high end guitars these days as well as very low end still .

[gypsyseven]

Originally Posted by musicalmartin

The Modern players always get good reviews over here .I agree the action looks high .the saddles look like strat ones to me .you can always shim the neck a tad which is standard practice on all my Fenders for me (except Japanese ones )as I like a low action .Looks a great guitar.P90's and a thinline looks like a great recipe ..China are making high end guitars these days as well as very low end still .

As far as i don´t need that super low action like shredders do, i don´t care too much...

[Tony474]

I've just bought one of these too, just the other day, about which I opened a thread; the OP Boyd has posted there.

It really is remarkably well-built and in common with other Chinese Fenders and Squiers I've seen it has a particularly excellent and very even fret-job. Chatting about it with fellow-member Rick J, we came up with the idea that the factories might have a Plek machine or something similar as a part of the production process, to ensure top quality and accuracy in that regard.

Whether or not that is so, the guitar is superior in that and other respects to many a much more expensive instrument I've encountered. As I write I still haven't gigged it yet, or even set the action to my exact preferences, but just as it is it plays and sounds great so far.

[stinkey]

After trying it out in a guitar shop, i can easily say, it's my favorite Tele. Of course i already have an regular and one with HB in the neck, but even if i didn't i think this one would be my number one choice.

[gypsyseven]

AAAAAAAAhhhhhh.....i can't wait to get mine!!!!!!

[oldteleguy]

got one a few weeks ago-really love the sound and feel,Also.the burst is absolutely beautiful!

[Boyd]

Still loving mine. I spent awhile getting the intonation right but didn't make any changes to the action, it seems easy enough to play the way it is. The p90's on this guitar are really nice, they definitely have a flatter and wider frequency response than the wide range humbuckers on my 72 thinline RI. In fact, now I am not so happy with the sound of the 72 anymore. But using a graphic EQ I am able to get 72 into the same ballpark.

But I still don't know about the skinny vs fat neck thing. The fat neck on the 72 thinline feels really good when I pick it up after playing the MP for awhile. I am going to restring the MP thinline with DR pure nickel 11's. I switched to them from 10's on the other guitar and really like the tone and feeling better.

One little glitch I've noticed on my MP thinline is tuning the high E string. Sometimes it doesn't move immediately when you turn the key. At first I thought there might be a problem with the key, but now I think it's just friction on the string retainer disk. Some kind of lube (graphite? machine oil? silicone?) would probably help.

[5am5]

@ Boyd - beautiful pics - are the first proper images i have seen of that finish - very nice

[Stratty]

Nice Tele! Makes me GASsy!

[Boyd]

Thanks! It really is a very handsome looking guitar.

[randecarl]

I concur! I just got the exact same guitar after a 3 month back order wait. Love the sound, feel and weight. I even get the jangle I want out of the middle position!