AVRI 52 Tele vs. Dave's Guitar Shop '62 Reissue

[jsegovia]

I've got a line on two Teles in excellent condition. One is an AVRI '52 Tele in butterscotch in pretty much mint condition with the case and all case candy and extras. The second is a Dave's Guitar Shop '62 Reissue in a beautiful yellowish finish with the original case in excellent condition, but there's a small paint chip somewhere on the edge of the guitar and I'm still waiting to find out about the case candy.

All things being equal, which guitar would hold its value better? As far as price, I think I can get the '62 for at least $100 and maybe $200 less so that's a factor.

For those of you who've heard both AVRIs and Teles with the Custom Shop Texas Special pickups, what's the difference going to be in tone? I've heard some folks say the CS Texas Specials aren't as twangy as traditional Tele vintage pickups and I'm not a country player, but I do want a traditional Tele tone - otherwise I'd just play my Strat or my Les Paul.

I know the AVRI has an excellent reputation and I owned one previously - I sold it and deeply regret it. It's just about a perfect guitar although the butterscotch finish isn't my favorite look for a Tele. It sounded great playing classic rock through my Marshalls and through my FX. I know I'll be happy with this guitar.

I've never heard of the Dave's Guitar Shop '62 Reissue until recently but I understand it's basically an American Original '60s guitar with a thin skin nitro finish and no base coat, with a modern 9.5" radius, medium jumbo frets and Custom Shop Texas Special pickups. The color looks beautiful - I much prefer it to the AVRI butterscotch or the vintage white you see on for example the Jimmy Page Tele. But it's got a rosewood board. For Fenders I'm very much a maple board man - this is probably the first rosewood Fender I've seen in years that I'm interested in. I want to say I'd like this more if it had a maple board but I'm starting to see that the rosewood really looks nice with this finish.

Which would you buy?

 

[TeleBrew]

The Texas Specials definitely have more girth than some other Tele pickups out there. But keep in mind that an original '52 wouldn't have been super twangy. The pickups got twangier toward the end of the '50s. So Texas Specials are probably a good match for a '52, but if you're looking for extra twang then that's not really their thing. The '62 will sound a bit darker with them than the '52 largely because of the rosewood 'board.

 

[James824]

My Dave's 62 is one of the best Teles I have ever owned. *

So much that I have sold all of my electrics except for my Daves and AV55 Thin Skin.

These are my end game guitars.

* full disclosure: I have owned many Teles (Am Std, AV, Custom Shop, Wildwood 10).

If you can find a good Dave's buy it.

 

[archetype]

If you get the Dave's '62, consider getting a set of Fender AVRI '62 Custom Telecaster pickups. They'll be closer to the way a 60s Tele originally sounded.

 

[dreamingtele]

If you get the Dave's '62, consider getting a set of Fender AVRI '62 Custom Telecaster pickups. They'll be closer to the way a 60s Tele originally sounded.

also, I never liked Texas Specials on any of them.. Teles and Strats... but thats just me..

 

[adjason]

I love rosewood and yellow type finishes so that would be the one for me but I have never played a tele with texas specials

 

[jsegovia]

The Texas Specials definitely have more girth than some other Tele pickups out there. But keep in mind that an original '52 wouldn't have been super twangy. The pickups got twangier toward the end of the '50s. So Texas Specials are probably a good match for a '52, but if you're looking for extra twang then that's not really their thing. The '62 will sound a bit darker with them than the '52 largely because of the rosewood 'board.

Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of that. Is that why Brad Paisley plays early '60s Teles? Do any country players play early '50s Teles? I think Danny Gatton did, right?

This makes a lot of sense. My last AVRI 52 didn’t seem very twangy. It seemed more like a great garage rock/blues guitar than a country Tele.

 

[jsegovia]

My Dave's 62 is one of the best Teles I have ever owned. *

So much that I have sold all of my electrics except for my Daves and AV55 Thin Skin.

These are my end game guitars.


View attachment 965269


* full disclosure: I have owned many Teles (Am Std, AV, Custom Shop, Wildwood 10).

If you can find a good Dave's buy it.

Thanks for the reply. Did you keep the original pickups in the Dave's? And how would you describe their sound?

 

[James824]

Everything is original.

As previously mentioned, The 62 is darker and not as bright as my 55.
Both are lightweight 7.0 and 7.1 lbs
If I was going to gig with just 1 guitar (which I do not), the 62 would be my choice.

 

[TeleBrew]

Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of that. Is that why Brad Paisley plays early '60s Teles? Do any country players play early '50s Teles? I think Danny Gatton did, right?

This makes a lot of sense. My last AVRI 52 didn’t seem very twangy. It seemed more like a great garage rock/blues guitar than a country Tele.

I can't speak for certainty about Brad Paisley, but it would make sense. (Danny Gatton was known for playing a '53 Tele, but he replaced the pickups with Joe Bardens). Don Rich is another guy who got some serious twang out of early '60s Teles. His famous champagne sparkle Tele was a '64, I believe.

Another early '50s Tele player was Roy Buchanan, and his tone isn't twangy at all, just like AVRI '52 Teles. I agree with you when you said that the '52s are more rock/blues sounding than country, for sure.

 

[sloppychops]

The AV has a 7.25" fretboard radius, right? And the Dave's has a 9.5. I think deciding between those two factors is your first dilemma.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Whichever one feels better.

I like the looks and feel of rosewood better than maple (fretboards), but my #1 guitar has a maple fretboard, so the overall feel and sound of the instrument is obviously more important to me.

Don’t get hung up on what pickups, switches, potentiometers, knobs or pickguards are on the guitars in question…all those things can be changed easily and (relatively) cheaply.