Broadcaster Reissue, AO Tele, or American Performer for First Tele

Whichever has the neck for your preference. everything else is mod-able.

 

Broadcaster and AO50s are basically the same neck. One with 7.25 radius and one with 9.5.

If you are worried about the narrow nut, the AO is spec’d a bit wider but they vary.

As always, get to stores.

The AO Thinline and AO60s are great. They consistently feel better and play better to me than the 50s.

 

The Broadcaster is the much better investment, since it’s a one year only thing. Fender used to sell the pickups in it as an aftermarket set for $500! It’s an amazing sounding guitar.

The nut is narrower, but the back is thick. For me, it feels like it has the same amount of neck in the hand as a 9.5 modern C, just distributed a little differently. It took much less time for me to adjust than I was expecting.

It’s easily the best Tele I’ve ever owned.

My advice is get one if you can. You’ll either fall in love with it or it won’t be your cup of tea, in which case you can hold onto it for a couple of years and sell it for what you paid.

 

I'm no help because I'm no authority on how one differs from the other not having played them all or having the taste you're after. I did just take a shot in the dark and ordered the Performer about a month ago. I had to up the string gauge to 11's for my likes. I'm still feeling my way around it to get comfortable. I do like the yosemite pickups as it doesn't have that icepick sound, sounds good in any position but I'm just a home player and into clean tones, no distortion or loudness for my likes

 

Yes, but not only the section of the neck, but also the fret size. A lot of youngsters take to the newer huge frets, but some old timers like me suffer a bit trying to play Super or 6000 wire.

I don't think the O.P. should swing for the beachers on his first Tele. I'd start with a MIM with features I liked, then once I knew more, then I could be more informed as I approach the final decision on the expensive model. I mean, what if the new fellow had bought a $ 4,000 Gibson Les Paul only to find he didn't care for LPs? Luckily he invested only a small sum, in the Epiphone and learned, probably, the very same lesson.

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Welcome! to the new guy from Washington!

 

I would suggest looking at the Fender Vintera line. They would save you a few hundred dollars vs the Performer Line and the necks would be in the ballpark of your two most expensive options. I would think the tones should be roughly in the ballpark also.

If you can't get to a store to try one out in person (who can right now?) I would suggest purchasing from one of the large reputable dealers who have a generous return policy such as Sweetwater, Chicago Music Exchange, Musician's Friend, etc.

 

I’ve played a Gibson les Paul for years with the 60s neck, recently got myself a Broadcaster. The necks feel similar to me, certainly not enough difference to bother me.
Before the Broadcaster I had a Squire classic vibe, now that did have smaller neck - I couldn’t get on with that at all.

No regrets for me going for the Broadcaster - It’s my first Fender, and although not cheap it’s a very special guitar.

 

I like the feel of the neck on my Broadcaster, and my other main guitar is a Les Paul R9.

 

If this is your first investment in the Tele world, I would recommend goin MIM for the first one. Preferably an early Baja. If it turns out not to be your thing, the loss will be minimal.

 

I have a Broadcaster. I have big fingers and have no problems with width at the nut. I've felt crowded with other guitars that had a similar nut width but not this one. It is bright but (especially the neck) it seems to have more of a "rounder" sound than my other Tele that has the Twisted Tele/Broadcaster combo. I hate describing sound, so ymmv. Definitely try stuff out ahead of time and/or use a merchant that has a no muss no fuss return policy.

The Bajas mentioned here are excellent as a stopgap, or you might decide it is enough! People are asking a lot for them these days, but they still turn up in the $500 range if you vigilantly stalk used sites. I had one that was pretty good, and one that was excellent and probably every bit the player as my Broadcaster. Or at least good enough for a lot less $$$. That said, love my Broadcaster.

 

One other thing to consider is that Fender is discontinuing ash bodies.

 

Used Bajas?

@mbc220 has been saving up for a big ticket guitar purchase and listed off a few USA Teles. How do used Bajas, or even Vinteras or any other MIM Tele, fit that description? That’s like recommending used Mazdas to someone who’s been saving up for a new Mercedes.

Now, I agree a Vintera is more bang for the buck compared to the Performer, but I would discourage the Performer altogether. The Performer is less for a reason. Polyurethane finish, synthetic nut, Ping tuners, and a gig bag, and they’re not available in ash anymore. It’s basically a US made Player Tele with vintage style Pings and vintage style bridge and nowhere close to being in the same league as the Broadcaster or AO50s.

@mbc220, trust me, if you want a great big ticket US Tele, the Broadcaster is your best bet. It’s only $150 more than the AO50s, has much better pickups, and will have a great resale value if you ever decide to sell it.

 

Unless you have played the AO or Broadcaster and really prefer them or hate jumbo frets there is no way to logically justify spending $700-$800 more for one of them over the Performer. Maybe if one is available in a color you prefer.

The lower end American Fenders hold their value better than any other Fender models.

 

If you're shopping in that high end of the Fender budget range, consider a used Custom Shop or AV (the 2013–2017 American made reissue line, which was basically a de facto replacement for Custom Shop NOS level instruments, in terms of quality). They will be excellent instruments, and will retain much of their market value, if not all of it, or more, in future decades – a good feature if you should decide to swap out for a different guitar some day. Resale is an important consideration if it is your first guitar of a certain type, especially if it's going to be something expensive. You don't yet know if that guitar will become a mainstay of your arsenal.

 

I’m always surprised when folks coming from a Gibson choose a Tele instead of a Strat. That said, if you like more substantial necks, I would think the Broadcaster would be the ticket or even the 50s Vintera.

 

For you, maybe. There are a lot of reasons to justify the extra money: Ash bodies, nitro finishes, G&G tweed cases (that’s like $200 right there), bone nuts, Gotoh tuners, better pickups, and ashtrays. They cost more, but they use better woods, better materials, have greater attention to detail, and include more. As for retaining value, since it’s a limited release, the Broadcaster will be highly collectible.

By comparison, the Performer feels like something one settles for more than seeks out.

 

I agree with this. I purchased my first Tele in May ('52 AVRI) and it has 6105 fret size, which are tall frets. Don't like 'em. Underestimated quite drastically the topic of fret size (it's the height of these at 0.055" that bother me). And, as far as I can tell, Gibsons and Epiphones use medium-jumbo fret wire, which are quite short in height. So coming from the Gibby side of the house, it might be a slight shock if your Tele came with the 6105s. Also, a poster before me suggested Vintera. I hear and see nothing but good things about that particular line. My opinion is that there is a ton of variations in current Telecasters and you really have to physically play each one (I do understand the challenges with that). Good luck in your quest, it sounds like fun! And welcome! And keep us posted!