Glossed up the neck & added some solid brass hardware to my new American Performer Tele

[Tele1580]

Very satisfied with my new 2025 Honeyburst American Performer that I got 4 months ago. It has turned out to be a keeper. I highly recommend this model as a great instrument for a fair price.

I recently removed the tuners and hand polished the neck and headstock to a full gloss, as I do with all guitars that come with a satin finish on the necks.

I started running onto some nice brass parts, and decided that they look pretty sweet with the Honeyburst finish. I'm going to leave them un-coated & un-polished so they will darken naturally with time, sweat, and dirt.

Grabbed a few photos that include the polished neck and the following new parts:

1) Solid brass low rider knobs & switch tip with a nice criss cross pattern that I like.
2) Solid brass strap buttons & screws.
3) NOS 1980s solid brass neck plate by Kahler.
4) Solid brass pick guard screws.

Had to tweak the truss rod and action a bit after it acclimated to my environment & 11 gauge strings. It is starting to feel like "mine", yea baby. Telecaster #7 in my group, and is probably my 2nd favorite at this point. I'm just going to play the heck out of it for a while, as I've been doing.

Hope ya'll like lots of pics.

 

[Gladhander]

Nice axe! I dig that switch tip.

 

[Tubedrt3000]

I love machined brass. Guitar looks great, Enjoy!

 

[brookdalebill]

Cool!

 

[sammy1974]

That's a beauty

 

[El Tele Lobo]

That’s a gorgeous telecaster. One of my favorite new Fender colors. The brass hardware really complements the color nicely.

What is the weight like on those? Are they Alder or Ash bodies? What is the neck thickness and profile? And do they come with three-way or four-way switching?

 

[Dukex]

I didn't think I was going to like it, but I really, really do!

 

[Vibroluxer]

I love unfinished brass, and nickel, they look so wonderful as they age.

Yours is looking gorgeous with the new brass, it's gonna be jaw dropping when it's 5 years old.

 

[Memphis Soul]

Awesome! Looks great!

 

[BigJohnSC]

Super nice guitar! I had one just like it, but couldn't get along with the jumbo frets.

 

[Memphis Soul]

Super nice guitar! I had one just like it, but couldn't get along with the jumbo frets.

Thats what keeps me from buying a Performer series. The jumbo frets. I don’t know if I would like them or not and no one has one local for me to try. Maybe guitar center does but they keep the MIA guitars up near the ceiling where you can’t tell what it is.

 

[John C]

Nice - the brass parts really look great with the honeyburst finish.

 

[Blue Bill]

Wow, that's super gorgeous, nice work! All you need now is a brass nut. I have one on a Strat, I love how it looks, but I don't detect any difference in how it sounds. I can at least pretend it sounds more sustain-y. I love the glossed-out neck on yours. I usually polish out any "satin" finished parts on my guitars too.

 

[Ljislink24]

Looks great ! Did you just polish the Fender clear on the the neck ? I'm just guessing but doesnt the Performer have a satin polyurethane finish. If so that neck polish looks great, I didn't think you could get a satin poly to level of gloss.
Nice job !

 

[Tele1580]

Thanks folks. The Tele thanks you kindly for the compliments. To answer a few questions/comments:

@Gladhander - Switch tips with a set screw are the greatest!

@El Tele Lobo - I'm sure the weight can vary, but mine is around 7 lbs. and Alder, which is what attracted me most to it. I have lots of Fenders and G&Ls, and my best sounding ones are always the lighter weight Alder ones. The Performer also comes in a Timber model, with a choice of spruce, sassafras, or pine. The neck is the "modern C" profile with 9.5" radius. I grew up with early 70s CBS Fenders, and I like the feel of the neck.

@Dukex - Same here. I'm not usually a fan of hardware that's not chrome or black, but I like the brass on the honeyburst.

@Vibroluxer - I agree. I'm not sure how long it will take to darken, but that's going to look cool. I definitely won't be polishing them.

@Memphis Soul - I think a lot of people agree with you in not liking the jumbo frets, and I'm not completely sure why. I have lots of guitars, with different heights & widths of frets, and it's never been a big issue for me. Seems easy to adjust once you play it for a day or two. Actual width of the nut & neck width affects me way more than fret variations. I mostly look for lighter weight guitars that resonate well and sound the best to me. Frets can always be replaced with different wire. It's more incentive to wear out the first set on a guitar that sounds great. And ... make one of those GC zombies put his phone down and get off his ass and get you some guitars down from the ceiling when you want to play one!

@Blue Bill - That's an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. It would look cool, for sure. I'll have to look into the sound implications. I had a graphite nut on a Strat once, and went back to bone, which is what I usually prefer.

@Ljislink24 - Yes, I just hand polish the satin urethane with some flannel cloths and fine compound. The finish is there, but the manufacturers are saving themselves time and $$ by leaving out the final step and telling you that it has a "slick satin" finish. I've done many necks, many headstocks, and a half dozen or so Martin bodies & tops, with great results. To me, they look and feel so much better. However, the finish is sometimes thin, so I only do them by hand, as an electric buffer will burn through easily. If you've ever polished aluminum Harley Davidson engine cases, wheels & forks, guitar necks are a piece of cake. Here is a pic with a little more light on the neck.

 

[Greenmachine]

GAS attack! I love brass. And that color and finish!

 

[helmiriffs]

Beautiful! Congrats.

 

[Twangandy_]

Thats what keeps me from buying a Performer series. The jumbo frets. I don’t know if I would like them or not and no one has one local for me to try. Maybe guitar center does but they keep the MIA guitars up near the ceiling where you can’t tell what it is.

Are they not narrow talls?

 

[Twangandy_]

Thanks folks. The Tele thanks you kindly for the compliments. To answer a few questions/comments:

@Gladhander - Switch tips with a set screw are the greatest!

@El Tele Lobo - I'm sure the weight can vary, but mine is around 7 lbs. and Alder, which is what attracted me most to it. I have lots of Fenders and G&Ls, and my best sounding ones are always the lighter weight Alder ones. The Performer also comes in a Timber model, with a choice of spruce, sassafras, or pine. The neck is the "modern C" profile with 9.5" radius. I grew up with early 70s CBS Fenders, and I like the feel of the neck.

@Dukex - Same here. I'm not usually a fan of hardware that's not chrome or black, but I like the brass on the honeyburst.

@Vibroluxer - I agree. I'm not sure how long it will take to darken, but that's going to look cool. I definitely won't be polishing them.

@Memphis Soul - I think a lot of people agree with you in not liking the jumbo frets, and I'm not completely sure why. I have lots of guitars, with different heights & widths of frets, and it's never been a big issue for me. Seems easy to adjust once you play it for a day or two. Actual width of the nut & neck width affects me way more than fret variations. I mostly look for lighter weight guitars that resonate well and sound the best to me. Frets can always be replaced with different wire. It's more incentive to wear out the first set on a guitar that sounds great. And ... make one of those GC zombies put his phone down and get off his ass and get you some guitars down from the ceiling when you want to play one!

@Blue Bill - That's an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. It would look cool, for sure. I'll have to look into the sound implications. I had a graphite nut on a Strat once, and went back to bone, which is what I usually prefer.

@Ljislink24 - Yes, I just hand polish the satin urethane with some flannel cloths and fine compound. The finish is there, but the manufacturers are saving themselves time and $$ by leaving out the final step and telling you that it has a "slick satin" finish. I've done many necks, many headstocks, and a half dozen or so Martin bodies & tops, with great results. To me, they look and feel so much better. However, the finish is sometimes thin, so I only do them by hand, as an electric buffer will burn through easily. If you've ever polished aluminum Harley Davidson engine cases, wheels & forks, guitar necks are a piece of cake. Here is a pic with a little more light on the neck.

View attachment 1400301

I am huge fan of glossy necks and this look great !

 

[Tele1580]

Are they not narrow talls?

Jumbo frets.