I played the new Telecoustic Deluxe Today

[Ira7]

Here are my thoughts, and if you get a chance to play one in the store soon, I'd like yours too:

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1) I went to Sam Ash, and the sticker says $599. Online through them and everywhere else in The U.S., it's $499. I tell this to the "salesman" (a kid with bad acne) and he says, "Oh yeah--we can give it to you for $499.

So right away, I enjoy another wonderful Sam Ash experience. These bastards are actually trying to rip off unsuspecting people for an extra $100.

2) The neck is an actual Tele neck. It is a JOY to hold, solid and dense, and the action is SUPERB. Intonation was perfect, and not a buzz or bad note in sight.

3) As expected, unplugged, it's hardly an acoustic--but it's MORE of an acoustic than a lot of the other acoustic thinbodies I've heard. It' s all muddy sounding bottom and mid--no highs. But my guess is if you went with a lighter gauge, brighter string, you could live with it for practicing.

4) It feels amazingly comfortable to hold, nice and light, and surprisingly well-balanced, despite what I write below about its overly thin (woodwise, not depth-wise) body (#6).

5) Plugged into a Fender Acoustisonic, I just loved the sounds--but what do I know? You need hours to pass judgment on stuff like this.

6) The body seemed disproportionately thin and light compared to the neck. Again, this light aspect can be a good thing, but it just seemed kind of a mismatch to me. As a whole, you simply don't feel like you're holding something substantial--aside from that fantastic NECK!!!

5) The neck pup is recessed into a body cavity in the most lazy and disgusting way imaginable, and considering that the top is so thin, it really sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, the soldered leads to the pup are horribly visible. EEECH!

Plus, that pup cavity is a disaster waiting to happen in the way it's going to collect dust and my cigarette ashes.

But...maybe they HAVE to do it this way to make pup replacement easier. Just think it needs some kind of removeable trimpiece to hide that ugliness.

6) Finally, the Fishman preamp (bass, mid, treb and tuner) has a simple, easy to use slider where you balance the output levels of piezo and standard coil at the neck. Move it one way and its more piezo and less standard coil at the neck, and vice versa.

Maybe I'm wrong, but for $499, I would expect a little more versatility in use of the pups. Or perhaps this is more than enough for what this guitar is supposed to do.

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So my summary is...

With all of these negatives, I still loved playing it. And I still want it.

Yep--even despite the negatives, and despite the fact that it should be selling for about $100 less:

When you look at an MIM Tele, and you look at this thing made in Indonesia, I don't know how they can justify a $500 price for it.

[Ricko79]

uhmmm.... so why do you want it??

[Ira7]

Originally Posted by Ricko79

uhmmm.... so why do you want it??

Good question--and I've been trying to answer that for myself as well.

It just seems to be the closest thing out there to filling my preference for acoustic with Tele action and style.

[casterway]

Godin Acousticaster

They also come in natural, s/b, black, and a few other colours...Mine is natural.

[Ira7]

Originally Posted by casterway

Godin Acousticaster

They also come in natural, s/b, black, and a few other colours...Mine is natural.

They don't make that any more, so I was also considering their new A6 Ultra. And even used, the Acousticaster is too expensive for me.

Plus, I just can't get pass the fact that there's a buck in the neck of the new A6:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godina6ultrap.html

My guess is that quality wise, the Godin is leaps above the Fender.

[Ricko79]

Do you have any dreadnought acoustics?

[Ira7]

Originally Posted by Ricko79

Do you have any dreadnought acoustics?

Yep--2 sixes and a twelve. One of the sixes is a concert size, which I really like.

[cknowles]

Just did a google search for Fender Telecoustic and found one with a pickguard. Looks better than the new model without the guard.

Hmm, maybe a pickguard is still available as a spare part . Looks like a modified Tele guard to my eyes.

[PJ]

If it plays (or sounds) anything like the previous Tele-coustic offshore thing, I'd pass on it. Where's this new model made? The Godins are nice, and they're available used for not a crazy amount of $$.

[Ira7]

The new one comes in two finishes--the red one pictured above which has a pickguard, and the Sunburst, which doesn't.

Does it get any more retarded than that? Where is the logic in this?

And it's made in Indonesia, I'm pretty sure, or a similar rice-crazy country.

To me, once I hear Korea, China, or Indonesia...I think "Same thing," so I didn't take note of the exact Asian country. I just know it ain't Japan.

[freddie]

I play my wifes talman acoustic I bought for her and it's ok as an acoustic type of tele. I still want a pink paisley Telecoustic though



freddie

[teletele]

This new telecoustic looks kinda retarded with that off-beat pickguard. The Squier version of the`old telecoustic is woeful!

[Oakville Dave]

The Godin Acousticasters - and the A6s (I've owned both) - are fine guitars that'll get you that acoustic sound with virtually no feedback (but you can if you try!!). Plus you can pick up one for about $400 bucks and the build quality, playability and tone is excellent (better than any Telecoustics that I've played). Plus IMHO the Acousticaster looks a whole lot more like an actual Telecaster than the Telecoustics do!

I had a black Acousticaster and stupidly sold it to a former band mate, bought an A6 - great guitar - in natural finish, but I just had to get that sexy black acousticaster vibe back on stage, so the A6 is being sold and a black acousticaster is taking its place tomorrow!!

It'll be the acoustic twin of my Aerodyne Tele...