Fender American Elite Thinline - Thoughts?

Me too!

 

You haven’t tried the neck yet? It only matters if you like it.

 

The necks, like most Fenders, vary a lot.

I've shopped for them before and necks ranged from .79 at the first to .85 at the first.

12th fret measurements also vary but tend to be .88-.92 with no real rhyme or reason.

It'd be awesome if manufacturers started putting those measurements on the back of the headstock.

 

I have an Elite albeit not Thinline. Although I’ve been told it doesn’t make a difference I believe the neck makes ALL the difference. It was the first thing I noted the first time I played it at GC. And I didn’t know what a compound radius neck was until I read up on it AFTER I played it on successive days.
Buy it.

 

Me too!

 

Any comments on the "suspension" bridge? If you take all your strings off, does it simply fall out? I have an archtop with a wood bridge, so I'm used to that!

 

I don't like the neck. But I tend to like a much thicker neck.

I'm wondering if Loaded Bodies will become available at reasonable cost. I've avoided Stratosphere so many years - but would a small bid be a wrong thing to do?

 

Yes I would.
In 2019 neck pocket gaps are unacceptable.

 

I don't know what you paid for it, but those qould not necessarily be deal killers to me. Many vintage guitars have neck pockets like that and still play well. Of course a tight neck joint is preferred, but if the joint is flat and well-mated on the bottom (I prefer bare wood or a very thin coat if sealer), it might still be okay from a playing perspective.

The edge of the F-hole is a kinda ragged, but again, does not affect playability.

As far as a set up, yes it would be nice if they came set up great out of the box. And a bad setup is a problem the factory and store should have dealt with before shipping. But to me, a setup is also pretty personal, so l advocate that we all should learn to at least do the basics of doing your own setups. Things like action, truss rod adjustments, maybe nut slot depth (good fret slot files are a little pricey, so I'm not pushing that).

To me, the big question is how does it sound? Do you like the feel of the neck? Does the range of tones give you what you want? Those are the things that would be make-or-break for me.

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I think the unique top loaded bridge was a misstep for this generation of elite thinline telecasters.

 

I don’t like the top-loader bridges on Teles either.

The neck pocket gap on a premium priced instrument would really bother me. My Squier Tele Deluxe doesn’t have that issue.

I would send it back and get a used one in mint condition if you like that model.

 

Yeah, it seemed like a solution in search of a problem.

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I purchased a Natural Elite Thinline on Oct 20/19. It was the first thinline I ever held or played and did not plug it in until I got it home.

Over the years, bad posture and aging shoulders have made playing a heavy guitar not fun. My old tele partscaster worked well and was my main guitar for over 10yrs. I knew I liked the shape and size of teles and the search for lighter weight, lead me to the Thinline. I sold off three instruments and bought the Elite.

My impressions? Mine is well made, with a better neck joint than the one that pictured above. It is a lovely looking guitar.

I have not gigged with it yet, but in rehearsal, through my DRRI, it sounds like I expected it to sound. I now play fingerstyle, jazz and pop standards, so usually on the neck pickup but use the bridge for some twangy spice. I don't ever see using the middle position in either series or parallell. Neither setting would be a sound I would use.

I like the feel of the neck. It is similar feel to me, as my old partscaster Mighty-Mite neck was. Although I'm sure the carve is different.

Changing strings meant removing the bridge, easy, as it falls out. Easy to put back in. No idea if it has a positive or negative impact on tone.

Overall, this guitar is and will be the workhorse I expected. It is nicely made with a good feel and a lighter weight. It is not as refined as other guitars I have owned and was more expensive. But it is all the guitar that I'll need for a long time.