Fender Custom Shop "Tele Custom"... WOW!!!

[lightnin1]

I had the chance to play a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster Custom this weekend and was completely floored. It was a double bound candy apple red Relic with just the right amount of wear and checking. It was sooo light and resonant, and the sound.... Oh my!! This guitar could do it all, jazz, blues, country. It sounded great clean and overdriven. You could feel every note you picked, the experience was almost surreal. I played it for 2 hours and it sounded great through every amp it slapped around. It was just one of those special ones, those guitars that speak to you. Before you guys ask why I didn't buy it...$2800.00. Although I am thinking about it, that's alot of dough. Just had to spew off about it, thanks!

[lewis]

For the past 25-30 years I've enjoyed going into stores and trying out probably hundreds of guitars. Some times it's just one chord and I'm done or I'll sit for a while and feel things out.
Of those hundreds there's probably at most a half dozen that have really spoken to me but I didn't walk out with them because they were too expensive or I didn't have the cash at the time.
Sounds like you should beg, borrow but don't steal your way to that Tele.

Additionally:
Mr. Sepulveda's post below reminded me that my favorite Tele right now (that I did have the funds for at the time of purchase) is a $200 MIJ '84 Squier. Stock except for Stew-Mac saddles. Great guitar.

[jwells393]

Seems to me that for a lot less money you could get another Telecaster and make it play and sound as good as that one. ................. Just my opinion.

[Reno Sepulveda]

Go back and play it again in a few days if you still feel the earth move buy it if you can. I love stumbling upon a truly great guitar. For some reason a good percentage of them (for me) happen to be Relics.

I love those Tele Custom pickups but can't handle those sharp double bound edges digging into my ribs.

[lightnin1]

I have built real nice guitars for less than half. The thing is you never really know how it'll turn out until it's done. This one was just special. Maybe just the right combination of body, neck and pickups, played beautiful too. Reno, its the second time I played it and loved it even more. BTW, what pickups do they use in those?

[Reno Sepulveda]

Originally Posted by lightnin1

I have built real nice guitars for less than half. The thing is you never really know how it'll turn out until it's done. This one was just special. Maybe just the right combination of body, neck and pickups, played beautiful too. Reno, its the second time I played it and loved it even more. BTW, what pickups do they use in those?

Your right, you just never know. A magical guitar could be Chuck Prophet's $200 Sqier tele or a $2,500 Relic. You just have to play em and hopefully you can swing it financially when you find one. I only seem to pickup guitars that intrigue me visually though. So god knows how many great guitars get passed up because they're the wrong color or look dorky.

And I believe those pickups are unique to that model. The bridge is nice, warm and even sounds really good overdriven like you mentioned. And the neck has a woody quality that I like but I think the tone circuit probably has something to do with that.

reno

[AJ Love]

While I'm NOT doubting the greatness of that particular Tele, I think that one can get just about any good solid production Tele and make it amazing with the right Modifications, and come out way ahead of $2800

Alot of times it comes down to set-up, fretwork (especially fretwork!), a well cut nut, and pickups

[AJ Love]

Originally Posted by Reno Sepulveda

You just have to play em and hopefully you can swing it financially when you find one.

Playing 'em, imho, only tells you a very little about the Acoustic tone qualities of the wood. One in about 100,000 or so Fenders (including Custom Shops) have Fretwork that can't be dramatically improved...