Murphy Slaw
Former Member
I'm lazy.
What's the difference?
What's the difference?
Specs? Crook Vs American Standard Telecaster.
- Thread starter Murphy Slaw
- Start date
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Murphy Slaw
Former Member
Ha.!
I can do without both of those!
Murph.
I can do without both of those!
Murph.
Crook
The difference is that Mr.Crook is a custom builder, he will custom build your guitar to your individual tastes using the knowledge he has gained in building a considerable number of instruments, where as fender is a mass producer of musical instruments , while there is nothing wrong with being a mass producer of musical instruments history has shown that limiting yourself to a few models tends to directly effect quality in a postive way ie...... early years of Fender -50s and early 60s considered by most as the the golden years were known for few models and amazing quality and workmanship.
Fender has produced some amazing instruments thru the Fender Custom Shop in recent years Cunnetto Relics, Fred Stuart, Alan Hamel and a host of other master builders ,any comparison with Bill Crook's guitars would have to be with one of these. I have owned both Crook's and Fender Custom Shop Teles and they compare very well in quality with a nod in value to the Crooks for being players instruments, only time will tell if they maintain their value as well as say a Cunnetto Relic.
Alot more difference than just finish and B-bender to American Standard Teles.
As always just my opinion probably worth exactly what you paid for it.
The difference is that Mr.Crook is a custom builder, he will custom build your guitar to your individual tastes using the knowledge he has gained in building a considerable number of instruments, where as fender is a mass producer of musical instruments , while there is nothing wrong with being a mass producer of musical instruments history has shown that limiting yourself to a few models tends to directly effect quality in a postive way ie...... early years of Fender -50s and early 60s considered by most as the the golden years were known for few models and amazing quality and workmanship.
Fender has produced some amazing instruments thru the Fender Custom Shop in recent years Cunnetto Relics, Fred Stuart, Alan Hamel and a host of other master builders ,any comparison with Bill Crook's guitars would have to be with one of these. I have owned both Crook's and Fender Custom Shop Teles and they compare very well in quality with a nod in value to the Crooks for being players instruments, only time will tell if they maintain their value as well as say a Cunnetto Relic.
Alot more difference than just finish and B-bender to American Standard Teles.
As always just my opinion probably worth exactly what you paid for it.
[B]ADVANCE DISCLAIMER[/B]: For the money an American Series is unbeatable! I own an American Series that I absolutely love! However, sitting it by a Crooks is like sitting a Camaro by a Corvette. Crooks is a GUITAR. If you can afford $2500 then hands down Crooks. IMHO 
1charger69
Tele-Meister
Bills the best lutheir hands down....very knowledgeable.. and one hell of a nice guy to boot!! a guy like bill is getting more and more rare in the industry thses days
Everything is dfferent on a Crook custom as compared to an AM std except the basic body shape.
Murphy Slaw
Former Member
Exactly.
Just like everything is pretty much different from a 52' to a new Standard.
That was my point from the spinoff. (new standard/old standard)
I love you guys and didn't mean any disrespect. Sometimes tounge in cheek humor doesn't work on a keyboard.
Actually..... Most of the time.
Murph.
Just like everything is pretty much different from a 52' to a new Standard.
That was my point from the spinoff. (new standard/old standard)
I love you guys and didn't mean any disrespect. Sometimes tounge in cheek humor doesn't work on a keyboard.
Actually..... Most of the time.
Murph.
What’s the difference . . . attitude!!
Every custom builder I have ever spoken with approach their guitars with the same dedication. Each feels their work is an extension of the person whose name is on the guitar. Each speaks volumes about the person that built the guitar. And we’re real people.
So you spring for a guitar from one of the big manufacturers, sure it’s probably going to be a decent guitar. But you will have to take it to a good tech to get the level of performance out of it a quality musician will demand, but it can be done. It’s a shame that it has to be, but it can be accomplished. The Custom builders would never ship guitars unfinished, yep, I chose the word correctly, unfinished, like the major manufacturers do. But. . .
If you do have a crooked bridge, a funky pick guard, dud tone, a buzz here or there, whatever, who ya gonna call? Orville Gibson is long gone, Leo left, approaching 20 years ago, so who’s to blame? Ya call the warranty repair department, speak with someone that really doesn’t care, and make the necessary arrangements to have someone else that has never seen your guitar, and certainly doesn’t know you, fix it, fix it the way he thinks it should be fixed. Woo Hoo.
Sure you can plop down the big bux and walk away with a CS or Masterbuilt, but the guy (or team) that actually assembled your guitar is a nameless employee or team (hehehe) of employees, sitting at home suckin’ down a beer and watching TV when you are trying to figure out who in heck, let this out of the factory. That doesn’t happen with those of us that build ‘em one at a time. The phone is 18 inches away.
Above, I said the biggies ship ‘em unfinished, if you wonder what I mean, consider, you walk into the local BMW dealer, put down 60,000 for a sweet M3… you walk out to the lot, hop in turn the key, and it cranks, and cranks, and cranks…. You ask the salesman ‘sup? He replies, “It needs gas.” You wonder, these guys couldn’t drop 10 bux worth in it to get you out of the lot? He says, BMW ain’t no Gas station…you’re ticked…. Then. .
You get a spot of petrol in the tank and crank ‘er up… it lopes, spits, runs like crud…. The sales man says, oh yeah, you gotta get ‘er tuned to performance specs too, that’ll be a few hundred bux… and we CAN do that.
How does that relate? You buy a 2000 guitar, and it is not setup, no fret leveling, no crowning, no polished frets, not much of anything, other than screwing a bunch of parts together, and some guy giving it a few minutes getting it to a point the strings don’t buzz.
Really . . . what’s the difference? The difference is the difference.
Ron Kirn
Every custom builder I have ever spoken with approach their guitars with the same dedication. Each feels their work is an extension of the person whose name is on the guitar. Each speaks volumes about the person that built the guitar. And we’re real people.
So you spring for a guitar from one of the big manufacturers, sure it’s probably going to be a decent guitar. But you will have to take it to a good tech to get the level of performance out of it a quality musician will demand, but it can be done. It’s a shame that it has to be, but it can be accomplished. The Custom builders would never ship guitars unfinished, yep, I chose the word correctly, unfinished, like the major manufacturers do. But. . .
If you do have a crooked bridge, a funky pick guard, dud tone, a buzz here or there, whatever, who ya gonna call? Orville Gibson is long gone, Leo left, approaching 20 years ago, so who’s to blame? Ya call the warranty repair department, speak with someone that really doesn’t care, and make the necessary arrangements to have someone else that has never seen your guitar, and certainly doesn’t know you, fix it, fix it the way he thinks it should be fixed. Woo Hoo.
Sure you can plop down the big bux and walk away with a CS or Masterbuilt, but the guy (or team) that actually assembled your guitar is a nameless employee or team (hehehe) of employees, sitting at home suckin’ down a beer and watching TV when you are trying to figure out who in heck, let this out of the factory. That doesn’t happen with those of us that build ‘em one at a time. The phone is 18 inches away.
Above, I said the biggies ship ‘em unfinished, if you wonder what I mean, consider, you walk into the local BMW dealer, put down 60,000 for a sweet M3… you walk out to the lot, hop in turn the key, and it cranks, and cranks, and cranks…. You ask the salesman ‘sup? He replies, “It needs gas.” You wonder, these guys couldn’t drop 10 bux worth in it to get you out of the lot? He says, BMW ain’t no Gas station…you’re ticked…. Then. .
You get a spot of petrol in the tank and crank ‘er up… it lopes, spits, runs like crud…. The sales man says, oh yeah, you gotta get ‘er tuned to performance specs too, that’ll be a few hundred bux… and we CAN do that.
How does that relate? You buy a 2000 guitar, and it is not setup, no fret leveling, no crowning, no polished frets, not much of anything, other than screwing a bunch of parts together, and some guy giving it a few minutes getting it to a point the strings don’t buzz.
Really . . . what’s the difference? The difference is the difference.
Ron Kirn
Murphy Slaw
Former Member
Wow.
I never thought of that. But I do my own setup. Always have. But you have a good point for people who can't.
Best of luck.
Murph.
I never thought of that. But I do my own setup. Always have. But you have a good point for people who can't.
Best of luck.
Murph.
I haven't played an American Standard.
But I can say, like I have said many times, that my Crook is the best new T-style guitar I have played.
I aspire to get my Buckocasters to that same level.
It ain't gonna be easy.
But I can say, like I have said many times, that my Crook is the best new T-style guitar I have played.
I aspire to get my Buckocasters to that same level.
It ain't gonna be easy.
Murphy Slaw
Former Member
You CAN say that you HAVEN'T played an American Standard.
But the Crook is the best you've played.
Okay......
Best of luck.
Murph.
But the Crook is the best you've played.
Okay......
Best of luck.
Murph.
Yup.
I live about 70 miles south of Dave's Guitars in LaCrosse.
I have played LOTS of new Telecasters. Have played lots of old Telecasters. Funny how living relatively close to a place like Dave's makes that possible.
Can't recall playing an American Standard. I guess they (American Standards) have never been on my radar screen. Can't recall any new Telecasters that have tripped my trigger like the Crook. That doesn't mean they're bad guitars. I will admit that I am partial to the Crook. Other people may view things from a different frame of reference. Shoot, just putting a new set of my favorite string gauge on one of them may have made me fall in love. All of this "best guitar" stuff is so fuzzy. But it is undeniable that Bill Crook puts together a fine guitar.
If you know what I mean.
It's great to be alive in a time when so many good guitars are widely available.
It is also great to be alive in a time when the components to assemble very good guitars are so accessible.
As my buddy Barry says so often, "Life is good."
sudancat
Tele-Holic
+ 1 on Ron Kirn. I will add,
I,like many of you, have bought Fender and assembled partscasters to our likings.I have 2 that I couldnt imagine would feel better,sound better or even play better. I have had the the chance to play Fender CS,Crook,Rice,Tomkins and a Tom Anderson all of which were superb custom built teles,and they were way better than any I have. They all looked like a tele but there was something extra there that is hard to describe. They were setup to the owners wishes,built and finished per owners wishes. They sounded and played terrific. I still like what I have, but I will own a custom tele one day.
I would think that Bill and Rice and other hand custom guitar crafters build a guitar for a customer, if any thing at all is not perfect or up to par,including the sound, they discard,repair or whatever it takes to make it right. I've heard alot of war stories about some of the Fender CS teles leaving Calif. and were just terrible. I dont know,never owned one.
However when the day comes that I can afford to pay for a custom built tele, I'll be looking at these guys who put there heart and pride into a masterpiece.
There is definately a difference, Quality and Pride.
I,like many of you, have bought Fender and assembled partscasters to our likings.I have 2 that I couldnt imagine would feel better,sound better or even play better. I have had the the chance to play Fender CS,Crook,Rice,Tomkins and a Tom Anderson all of which were superb custom built teles,and they were way better than any I have. They all looked like a tele but there was something extra there that is hard to describe. They were setup to the owners wishes,built and finished per owners wishes. They sounded and played terrific. I still like what I have, but I will own a custom tele one day.
I would think that Bill and Rice and other hand custom guitar crafters build a guitar for a customer, if any thing at all is not perfect or up to par,including the sound, they discard,repair or whatever it takes to make it right. I've heard alot of war stories about some of the Fender CS teles leaving Calif. and were just terrible. I dont know,never owned one.
However when the day comes that I can afford to pay for a custom built tele, I'll be looking at these guys who put there heart and pride into a masterpiece.
There is definately a difference, Quality and Pride.
