Looking For Recommendations

[Guitar Rand]

I want to acquire a Telecaster, but I have seen a lot of opinions flying around about this version or that version is crap and so on. So here's what I want, maybe I can solicit some up to date recommendations. I want a high quality one (no Squires or other brands, unless high-end. I prefer USA Fender but may be open to suggestions), I want a rosewood fretboard, three brass saddles, I do not particularly want a new one but will consider it, I want single coil pickups, I want the traditional body style (no belly cut), and standard switch & knobs. Have I narrowed it down too much or too little? I didn't come to argue, but am honestly looking for suggestions, or offers if you happen to have one you want to sell.

 

[Grandfunkfan]

The pro 2 is exactly what you're describing. It has all the traditional tele tones you'd expect, but the neck pickup is like a big juicy, strat neck pickup with a little more livelyness to it and the bridge is big and ballsy without the shrillness that comes with some teles. I run it pretty much wide open for hard rock and it's tight and responsive. I use the neck pickup for clean to edge of break up blues tone and rock lead with overdrive and I get nice round, flutey tone above the 12th fret, again like a good strat. The neck is as good as anything I've played especially on a tele. I bought mine because it didn't have to be controlled to get it to behave like most other teles I've played and because I can rock hard on it without any harshness.

 

[KATT]

If you want high end, then why not a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster. Many are based on a historic year of manufacture, so you will want one that is a 1959 or 196x as they will usually have a rosewood fretboard. They will probably not have brass saddles, but they will be very easy to change over in a matter of minutes from the steel ones.

There will be lots of variety on the used market for those.

Do you have any other preferences such as neck shape, fretboard radius, finish color etc?

 

[getbent]

https://www.davesguitar.com/collect...os/products/1960-nos-tele-custom-blue-sparkle

I think get this OR if you can, contact buckocaster here and have him make one for you.

 

[Tele-friend]

What is your budget?
You want a vintage or modern style?
The most affordable guitar for you would be one from Fender Performer series, then Pro II (modern style) or Vintage II (vintage style) and then sky is the limit with Fender Custom Shop.
Tell you what, Fender Performers are really well made guitars, they feel great to play and the Yosemite pickups are amazing.

 

[sadfield]

Tell you what, Fender Performers are really well made guitars, they feel great to play and the Yosemite pickups are amazing.

It was an easy choice for me. I wanted everything the OP listed, with the playability of the modern combo of c shaped neck and jumbo frets. For me, it's essence of what a tele should be. Functional.

 

[Highway 49]

Yes, from what you've said, Pro 2 or Performer would be great choices, or American Vintage II '63 Telecaster (and just change the saddles to brass if you want)... https://uk.fender.com/products/american-vintage-ii-1963-telecaster
[Edit: I see you don't particularly want a new one, so maybe check out the earlier models which for the American Vintage II would be the American Original)

 

[Guitar Bomb]

What type of neck shape profile do you prefer? Are you a U profile, or a Standard C profile, etc?

I prefer a meaty neck, but a '60s C or D will suffice. It might be worth factoring that into the equation as well. Rosewood fretboards are easy enough to find in most of Fender's current catalogue, but neck profiles vary from model to model.

A lot of the Japanese Fender models have been D profile for the last 2 or 3 years, which is good for me, as I like them a little deeper than a standard C.

The various Brad Paisley models (all maple fretboards, so no good for your desired specs) are larger profiles.

I would certainly look at what necks you prefer, especially if buying without playing first.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Check out the Classic 60s MIM model. Mine's got a real nice rosewood board - all you need do is take off the threaded steel barrel saddles and replace them with brass barrel saddles. I did it, didn't change the setup at all.

I find more quality difference, guitar to guitar among USA examples, than I do between USA and MIM models. But. The main thing is getting the FEATURES you want. We don't know if you'll like the neck carve or the vintage sized fretwire. By the way I have a mix of about 50/50 between USA and MIM Fenders.

Get something like this for now, play it for 6 months and then decide if you want something more precisely to your desires. I disagree with Getbent here as you don't exactly know what you want. Yet. Don't go Buckocaster or Custom Shop or Ron Kirn (etc) until you've determined more precisely what will work 100% for you.

 

[Texicaster]

Lots of options but you'll be looking at a 1960s model with RW board.

Most acclaimed Telecaster here at TDPRI are the AVRI 2012-2017 and AO which replaced it. There is a newer AVRI 2 but I don't see the same excitement over all about that.

Sweet deal on a '64 on Reverb....https://reverb.com/item/89214972-fender-american-vintage-64-telecaster-2013-2014-3-color-sunburst

 

[Highway 49]

Check out the Classic 60s MIM model. Mine's got a real nice rosewood board - all you need do is take off the threaded steel barrel saddles and replace them with brass barrel saddles. I did it, didn't change the setup at all.

I find more quality difference, guitar to guitar among USA examples, than I do between USA and MIM models. But. The main thing is getting the FEATURES you want. We don't know if you'll like the neck carve or the vintage sized fretwire. By the way I have a mix of about 50/50 between USA and MIM Fenders.

Get something like this for now, play it for 6 months and then decide if you want something more precisely to your desires. I disagree with Getbent here as you don't exactly know what you want. Yet. Don't go Buckocaster or Custom Shop or Ron Kirn (etc) until you've determined more precisely what will work 100% for you.

That’s very good advice to see what works and what doesn’t before investing in the big money.
I’ve got two MIM Classic Series ‘60s Teles, and I love them, and they can probably be had here in the UK for £600 secondhand with a bit of patience

 

[Cali Dude]

I would consider a G&L asat classic.

 

[Twangandy_]

Would consider the Japanese which are really good. Or a Vintage II

 

[anderson0172]

I'm a big fan of the American Vintage II series and the '63 Tele has the rosewood neck. It has the threaded barrel saddles but that's an easy swap to brass, I did that to mine.

 

[Maguchi]

I want to acquire a Telecaster, but I have seen a lot of opinions flying around about this version or that version is crap and so on. So here's what I want, maybe I can solicit some up to date recommendations. I want a high quality one (no Squires or other brands, unless high-end. I prefer USA Fender but may be open to suggestions), I want a rosewood fretboard, three brass saddles, I do not particularly want a new one but will consider it, I want single coil pickups, I want the traditional body style (no belly cut), and standard switch & knobs. Have I narrowed it down too much or too little? I didn't come to argue, but am honestly looking for suggestions, or offers if you happen to have one you want to sell.

I been playing the Fender American Performers and Professionals since 2020. I believe those will give you the best bang for the buck. Those 2 have traditional bodies with no belly cut, 3 brass saddles, great sounding pickups that are slightly hotter than vintage but not high gain by any means. The Pro and Performer have slightly larger frets than the Vintage Fender models, which have smaller frets and IMO don't play as smoothly as the Performer and Professional.

The Fender Ultra models have a belly cut, stainless frets and "noiseless" pickups, which I don't like the sound of. The Performer and Pro have either maple or real rosewood fretboards with rounded fingerboard edges and IMO the necks are really fast. My Performer came with a humbucker in the neck position, however Fender makes that model with 2 single coils also.

 

[acstorfer]

I couldn't imagine getting another Tele that wasn't made by Fender Japan, with the exception of possibly another Fender USA vintage reissue series. I loved my AVRI 52 Hot Rod, freaking awesome guitar, but i love my TL-69 just a little more.

If your heart is on a rosewood fretboard, you may want to look at a Fender Japan TL-62 if you don't mind binding.

 

[telekaster1999]

I know it's a lot of money for a MIM tele but the Jason Isbell tele is really nice. That bridge pu is something special.

 

[Supertwang]

Go to a large-ish guitar shop and play as many as you can. Your desired specs are featured in many Teles except many Teles have a 6-saddle bridge which can easily be swapped over to a 3-saddle bridge….I’ve done this bridge plate & saddle swap about a dozen times

 

[ThatTele335Guy]

The pro 2 is exactly what you're describing. It has all the traditional tele tones you'd expect, but the neck pickup is like a big juicy, strat neck pickup with a little more livelyness to it and the bridge is big and ballsy without the shrillness that comes with some teles. I run it pretty much wide open for hard rock and it's tight and responsive. I use the neck pickup for clean to edge of break up blues tone and rock lead with overdrive and I get nice round, flutey tone above the 12th fret, again like a good strat. The neck is as good as anything I've played especially on a tele. I bought mine because it didn't have to be controlled to get it to behave like most other teles I've played and because I can rock hard on it without any harshness.

Literally was going to be my response.. pro 2 is the answer

 

[Grandfunkfan]

Literally was going to be my response.. pro 2 is the answer

I always feel like it's not going to be fully appreciated until Fender changes em again. Years from now they'll refer to it as the golden age and disregard the new ones that'll be even better.