Ever get a Real Telecaster that did not measure up to your expectations?

Yes, never played a Fender that I got along with. Aside from the 60's roadworn highway one strat that was a dream. Played Mexican and American tele's and we just don't bond. CME has spoiled me a bit with being able to play vintage fenders with a short drive.

 

I have played many I didn't like. But, that goes for a a lot of Guitars, not just Teles.
I only have two, both had the same effect on me: I had to buy them as soon as I played them.

 

Had a 59 top loader back in the day. Neck pickup was microphonic nearly unusable but bridge pickup screamed. This was way before I knew wonky stuff was easily fixed. The screaming single coil wasn’t my jam at the time so I sold it for $850, probably around “77 or so. That was a buncha dough back then. A local country pro player was really excited to get it. It certainly deserved to be in his talented hands vs mine at the time.

I guess I’d like it now but the transfer of happiness and $850 in my pocket to buy a nice 71 Jazz Bass was all good.

 

I played Nashville Deluxes at two different stores. The first one impressed me. It played and sounded fantastic. Loved it. The second one just had no life to it. I have heard American Teles that sound the same way. My Vintage Blonde Squier 50's Classic Vibe sounds incredible and plays great. Bought it used(two weeks old) for $275. Couldn't be happier.

 

My first was a '61 Esquire. It's been all downhill from there. I've been a partscaster guy for a long time and am pretty happy with what I've got. If I was looking for one off the rack, a 50's R/W would do.

 

I’ve only owned one Fender Telecaster and it’s a 2017 Deluxe Nashville. I love it. I’ve played many in stores that I wouldn’t want to take home.

 

I have a Nashville. As usual, I didn't like the pickups, but I did really like the neck & body. So that's all that is stock.

New bridge, electronics & pickguard. A lot of people say you should just buy a guitar you like, but for me those aren't on the rack. Even if I were to spend the money on a custom made instrument we'd like be where I was with the American Deluxe Strat. The cost to enjoyment ratio would be out of whack. Especially since I enjoy modifying guitars.

 

I've pretty much found that with every Telecaster too.

I have a long list of specs that make me not like a Tele.
Thin neck
V neck
Counterclockwise twisted neck
Small frets
Medium frets
Any neck pickup
Too heavy
Too light
Ugly color
Locking trem
Non locking trem
Humbuckers
Noiseless pickups
Hot pickups
Thin sounding pickups
Worn out tuners
Cheapo tuners
Cheapo hardware
Cheapo lumber
Flexible/ weak neck
Relic/ sanded neck
Over beveled fret ends
Overly rolled fingerboard edges

Can't say I've ever found a Tele on the rack that had none of these terrible features.
But a good number had good enough bones to buy and make into a perfectly great Tele.

 

Interesting. For me, I would have just said scale length and ugly body shape. Most of the rest of your list is easily remedied.

 

I bought an Ash Natural Finish MIM Telecaster in 2005. It had a horrible ski-ramp past the 12th fret and spectacularly and uncomfortably huge jumbo frets that stuck out way past the edge of the neck like little knives. I sent it back and have shied away from MIM's in particular and Tele's in general since then. I know it's not rational so I've been giving Tele's another shot and I'm actively looking for one again. I hope I don't get another bad one, it took 14 years to get past the last one.

 

I borrowed a friend's Fender Nocaster relic he wanted to sell...

... I wanted to buy

I had it one afternoon and had a long rehearsal with my band and the Nocaster I wanted to buy. Well... it sounded almost exactly as my Fat Tele but I liked more the neck humbucker. I wanted to like that guitar but the lack of balls at the neck made me reject that

So I didn't buy that guitar. The guitar was OK but nothing new under the sun and really expensive

 

I had an absolutely beautiful bound sunburst deluxe telecaster (they call them Elite now). It was the prettiest guitar I ever owned. I wanted that guitar to sound as good as it looked but it never did - I think it was the noiseless pickups. My love for fatter necks lead me to a parts caster, that while not as pretty, has the sound and feel I love.

Not saying there's anything wrong with the deluxe - i moved it on to a mate who loves it and records with it. It really is horses for courses!

Cheers

 

I have never been disappointed by a Fender Telecaster or a G&L ASAT that I've purchased.

FWIW, my examples of the above are:

- '02 Custom Shop spec-built N.O.S. Esquire (Desert Tan whiteguard) - original owner (though I am not the one who custom ordered it; he changed his mind and stuck the shop with it).

- '04 Aerodyne (Black) - original owner.

- AV '58 Reissue (2TSB) - original owner.

- '16 ASAT Classic Nitro (Clear Orange) - original owner.

These are still stock, and staying that way, aside from the Aerodyne, which I have just decided to start screwing with after 15 years of ownership. The worst aspect of any of these guitars is the neck pickup of the Aerodyne. But it isn't really a disappointment, as I did not expect the electronics on the guitar to be any good. Typical MIJ Fender: excellent craftsmanship, but outfitted with poor quality electronics throughout. Both pots went bad, and the switch gave me trouble, before the guitar was all that old. That said, I love the bridge pickup, and it isn't going anywhere.

The rest are/were home builds/assemblies.

I have a Page Mirror Tele incoming. That one has certainly got the largest setup for disappointment out of any Tele I've ever purchased. We'll see what happens.