1950 Double Esquire or 70th Broadcaster?

The Double Esquire has an ugly finish IMO.

The Broadcaster is a thing of beauty.

The Double Esquire has a compound radius and slightly narrower and shorter frets (Jescar 50085s at .085" wide by .050" tall). The Broadcaster has a straight radius and Dunlop 6105s (.090" tall and .055" tall).

The frets nix both of them for me. If I'm spending like that, I want all the specs I like, no compromises. That means 6230 frets (.078" wide by .043" tall).

Why Fender is now insisting on putting non-vintage-accurate frets on guitars that are supposed to be like old guitars completely escapes me. The bigger frets feel awful to me. They're something I could compromise on if we're talking about a cheaper guitar...but not on something that costs thousands of bucks.

If not for the Gibson frets on them, I would already own a 70th Anniversary Esquire, and would be thinking about a second one in a different color in the future.

 

No.

 

I'd be leaning towards the CS 1950 Double Esquire. I like V necks a lot, they're my favorite profile. That would be the deciding factor for me....although I do like the Double Esquire darker color, but sunlight w/ eventually do that to the Broadcaster.
If the blend is something you want, that's another plus. I've never played one & I do use Tele tone controls a lot, I might not like it but for me the wiring is an easy fix.

Ultimately, the Double Esquire has the neck profile I prefer so it wins if it were me buying it....anything else I can change. The rarity of the Double Esquire compare to the Broadcaster is my second reason.

 

I'm not sure I understand the rationale for spending that much on a "double Esquire" (unless there's something else about it) since it's essentially a ... Telecaster.

 

Unpopular opinion, but I think if you already bought a guitar that came out this year, sold it, and are looking at buying another of the same one, you probably should take a breather. Try to remember why you bought it in the first place, and then remember the reasons why you let it go. Are you going to end up selling it again in 6 months? If it was truly special you wouldn't have ditched it.

 

Also, I haven't seen anything in the specs or marketing on these that say the Broadcaster finish is flash coat nitro. It just says Nitrocellulose Lacquer. So it could very well be nitro over poly sealer like the current AO series are.

 

Get another 70th Broadcaster and be done. If the CS had a U profile I'd say get that one. V necks and myself don't jive.

 

Yup. The 70th models don't use Flash Coat. The lacquer is indeed sprayed very thinly these days (so thinly that I wonder whether human beings are applying it), but it is over a thin urethane sealer, and the color and clear coats don't use extra thinner like the Flash Coat mixtures do.

When Fender uses Flash Coat, they make sure to tell you. If they don't explicitly spec Flash Coat, then it's regularly thinned lacquer over urethane sealer.

 

Do you want a Telecaster or an Esquire ?

 

didn't the 70th anniversary broadcaster just come out 6 months ago?

You should definitely buy the custom shop...just look at all the cool stuff you get in the case....Don't touch any of though, you'll want it when you sell it the week before christmas.

Maybe for the new year you can get a masterbuilt...

I think you need a masterbuilt at least, maybe two.

I just slapped together a tele with the blend wiring, it is cool... GET THE CUSTOMSHOP!!!

 

Wait, that second photo is an Esquire? It looks like every other 50/51/52 Broad/No/Telecaster reissue.

 

I agree that the 70th anniversary broadcasters are better than their price point might suggest.
I’m downsizing any way, but I sold my master built and with the broadcaster, I don’t feel that I’ve missed a step.

 

I would go for the 70th broadcaster.

 

Typed my post for me.