Tele hell

[Rusty Stauffer]

Been shopping for a really really good telecaster. Probably be the last one I’ll ever get. I know exactly what I like with a degree of flexibility.

Wow what an awful experience so far. All purchased online or via Reverb. Buyer beware! As follows:

Ordered a well known boutique brand butterscotch “t-style” from a high end shop in the southeast quadrant of USA. When it arrived the neck pickup was jammed into the mounting hole. After adjusting it up, it was significantly quieter than bridge pickup (it’s usually a bit louder due to amplitude of strings there). No adjustment of either pickup cured the issue. The tone control rolled off a lot of volume - way more than any of a dozen tele style guitars I’ve owned. And the middle switch position only played the bridge pickup. Yes I am positive. Returned it and dealer claimed there was nothing wrong and charged me shipping both directions.

The second item was bought at a boutique shop and is made by a small company (but fairly known) brand. When it arrived the pickguard hole for neck pickup was cut wrong (too small) and the pickup is severely binding in the cutout — doesn’t adjust freely. The guitar has massive intonation problems and some tuning stability issues (yes I replaced stock strings but with same size). Despite obvious undeniable flaw in manufacturing the dealer is charging me shipping both directions for the return.

Both guitars had a wonderful neck - I’ll say that for them. But they weren’t checked or qc’d at all. And they were $$$ almost custom shop prices.

Would be real interested in your experience with online shopping at boutique stores. Please send your views?? Seems like the only safe way to buy a hard to find model is to drive halfway across the country to one of the few shops who sell them and try in person.

My bottom line is that when you see folks say “I wouldn’t buy a guitar unless I held it and played it in a shop”, they are giving wise advice. I haven’t named names because I’m more here to help and warn other buyers than to flame any sellers or makers.

 

[Fretting out]

I’ve bought many a guitar on reverb, I guess I’m lucky in that out of 100 or so transactions (all as a buyer not all guitars) I’ve only had one or two hiccups and they were with pedals

I’ve always received what I expected

I always make sure to do research first and ask questions and try to stay with the tried and true, so far it’s worked

I’m curious about other peoples experiences too

Wish you luck on your tele hunt

 

[Engine Swap]

DIY

 

[bcorig]

Not exactly boutique story but after a fruitless search of Southern California stores I located my MIC Epi Casino from a shop in GA. It arrived in the original box in excellent condition except a pot was defective. The shop sent me a credit of $60 to cover replacement.
Seemed like a fair deal And I’m satisfied.
In 1998 I got a new LP Studio on EBay @ 40% markdown because of some neck blemishes. Took me 10 years and 2 Luthiers to get that one right.
Both times I bought unseen were problematic but I worked both out with time and patience.
In your case it is surprising 2 boutiques sent such poor quality out and wouldn’t back it up.
As far as the Tele hunt, I found my ‘17 Elite locked on a wall at GC. I just looked across the room and boom!
”Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger across a crowded guitar room.“

 

[tbp0701]

It's been a while since I've bought a guitar, but I only had one hiccough, from a classified ad in another forum. The guitar was worse than described and had various parts in the case. When I asked the seller about them, he was vague and said "it plays, doesn't it?" But it was a decent guitar for a good price, so I still have it. Never bonded with it, though.

My other guitars were bought from MF (First guitar marked a "blem," and I didn't realize how badly it needed adjustments and a proper setup for a while); Maury's Music (good experience); Ishibashi Japan (okay experience, but more import/bank fees than expected); Dave's Guitar (spectacularly awesome); Seattle Guitar (okay); and a used rack at a GC (okay, but it has become my favorite guitar).

So I'd try Dave's if they have anything that works for you. They were helpful picking out a used guitar and accurately describing its condition. I also had excellent experience buying from Elderly, but haven't gotten a guitar from them.

Other than that, yes, visit local stores and check them out.

 

[Jakedog]

All of my best guitars have been found by accident. Clearance items that just seemed cool and got me to make an impulse buy, one I just wanted to try because it was very controversial and I figured if it didn’t work out I could send it back. One of the best I got as part of a big multi-piece trade deal. I didn’t really want it, but when I did the math I figured I could flip it for twice what I was technically “paying” for it. A year later it’s still here and one of my top two main gig guitars.

That said, I don’t buy cheap bargain stuff. It’s real nice gear. But not necessarily crazy expensive. The trade guitar that has become a fave is probably worth 12-13 hundred bucks.

But I’ve never set out on a mission to find “the one” and been successful. Every time I tried that I got nothing but failure. They happen when they happen. Of their own accord.

Same thing happened with my wife. I wasn’t even looking. But there she was, and it’s been awesome for twenty six years. With no end in sight.

My advice to everyone with these sorts of questions is to stop looking. It’ll find you.

 

[fretknot]

Bummer that you've had such a hard time with finding a keeper online. I've got to consider myself lucky for the most part, although two guitars purchased from the same big seller were unplayable when they arrived, several years apart, but they were mid-priced and I was able to make the necessary corrections I felt that I should not have had to do as much work on a new, reputable brand guitar.

Since then, my basic rule is anything near, or over $1,000.00 I buy in person and definitely check return policies before buying anything that I feel is a risk. Sometimes that means a short road trip.

On the used market I only had one experience where I got something that was rough, but the low price for that particular guitar and the seller's lack of knowledge about it made it okay. It was a great guitar that the daughter of the late owner inherited. It was played hard, but easily brought back to life.

On used item or demo/blems I lower my expectations and ask for as many pictures as it takes to get a good idea of the condition. Some flaws don't photograph well and that's been the case in a few instances. Then there's the seller that doesn't properly pack a guitar that left in better shape than it arrived. I've experienced that a few times and it was a disappointment. It's a jungle out there, I tell ya'...

 

[fretknot]

But I’ve never set out on a mission to find “the one” and been successful. Every time I tried that I got nothing but failure. They happen when they happen. Of their own accord.

Same thing happened with my wife. I wasn’t even looking. But there she was, and it’s been awesome for twenty six years. With no end in sight.

My advice to everyone with these sorts of questions is to stop looking. It’ll find you.

Good advice.

Same here, I had a few spontaneous purchases that worked out great....and the same goes for my wife. I wasn't looking - in fact the opposite, but there she was at a friend's soiree'. Two days later we went on our first 'date'... that was fifteen years ago and we're still going strong.

 

[loudboy]

All of my best guitars have been found by accident.

My buddy called me up last year and asked if I wanted a '92 MIK Squier Strat he'd found at Goodwill. It was a little hacked up, but the neck was straight and the frets were good. $40.

I did a fret level, replaced the awful tuners with some $12 Musiclily Kluson knock-offs, and put some knock-off vintage-style Fender saddles on it. New pickguard and set of PUs that Wolfe McLeod had traded me for an oscilloscope, when he was starting out.

All in, I might have $75 into it?

I can honestly say, it's about the best-sounding Strat I've heard, and plays as nice as any guitar I've owned. Rings like a bell, sustains forever, just crazy good. All others who've tried it or heard it agree, in spite of themselves.

 

[middy]

Non-issues for me, but I guess not everyone likes to fiddle with guitars.
I see every guitar as a work in progress…

 

[radiocaster]

There's no point in buying stuff like that on reverb. The prices range from normal (not often), a little higher than normal to way overpriced. Very few bargains.

I've even seen the same dealer marking up parts, like from $119 on ebay to 149 Euros on reverb.

I've only bought one guitar on reverb, an Epiphone LP-100. It was a bit higher priced than the cheaper ones I've seen locally, but there weren't any ones for sale locally that I could find at the time, plus the reverb one was nice and came with a nice hard shell case.

Usually I've bought hard to find stuff like pedals no longer made, at prices 10 or 20 Euros higher than what I would consider normal, but it's not like I can easily find them locally. Bought a few parts too.

I've abstained from even buying another 200 something Euro guitar because I'm not sure I would like it and the return policy. If you want a guitar you might want to return, buy from a reputable dealer with a liberal return policy, on their own site.

 

[Rusty Stauffer]

All of my best guitars have been found by accident. Clearance items that just seemed cool and got me to make an impulse buy, one I just wanted to try because it was very controversial and I figured if it didn’t work out I could send it back. One of the best I got as part of a big multi-piece trade deal. I didn’t really want it, but when I did the math I figured I could flip it for twice what I was technically “paying” for it. A year later it’s still here and one of my top two main gig guitars.

That said, I don’t buy cheap bargain stuff. It’s real nice gear. But not necessarily crazy expensive. The trade guitar that has become a fave is probably worth 12-13 hundred bucks.

But I’ve never set out on a mission to find “the one” and been successful. Every time I tried that I got nothing but failure. They happen when they happen. Of their own accord.

Same thing happened with my wife. I wasn’t even looking. But there she was, and it’s been awesome for twenty six years. With no end in sight.

My advice to everyone with these sorts of questions is to stop looking. It’ll find you.

I was thinking back on my best outcomes and you’re totally right. It’s kismet, fate, luck, divine providence and can’t be forced. That, and in-person, hands-on, try before you buy.

 

[darkwaters]

I’ve bought amps and pedals on line, but I’d never buy a guitar. I’ve got to hold it and play it first. Just the other day I dropped up to the local guitar emporium to check out a Gretsch that i was interested in. It looked pretty and played fine, but it was doing nothing for me. I left without it. Instruments are an extremely personal thing.

 

[FuncleManson]

My experience is similar to @Fretting out. I've bought almost 40 guitars online, mostly used, with no serious issues. I always expect to have to do some tweaking to my preferences. It helps to do your homework. Look at photos (it seems like some of the OP's issues could have been spotted with detailed photos), check seller's feedback, etc. That's just my experience though. YMMV,

 

[Alex_C]

Kiesel/Carvin have been great experiences for me when online purchasing of a guitar. They have excellent materials, great manufacturing techniques and exceptional QC. The Retro-Solo is the tele shaped object I'd go for. Beware adding options $$$!
https://www.kieselguitars.com/series/guitar/retro-solo

 

[Pcs264]

No company is perfect, to be sure, but IMO the quality and consistency of Fender's products today is as good as it ever has been in the company's history. My 2019 American Professional Tele is a fabulous instrument in every way - fit & finish, playability, appearance and tone. OK, for the tone, I don't happen to like Tim Shaw pickups - so I changed them for a set of Mojotone Classic Teles (very close call between those and the Fender Vintage Tele pups), and the sound is now everything a Tele should be. Including the replacement pickups I spent about 1/2 to 2/3 of what a boutique Tele might run.

My advice: look through the American-made Teles (no real need to spend Custom Shop $ IMO), find what suits you and order it from a reputable dealer with good people, a large inventory and a good return policy. I've had excellent experiences with both Willcutt Guitars and Sweetwater and would gladly do business with either one again.

 

[Bob M]

Well I’ve bought a few guitars online. I will attempt to be brief.

1. I have bought 3 used guitars from Elderly. Each was well set up and as depicted. I would absolutely recommend them.

2. I bought what I thought was a used MIA Tele from an EBay seller. The guitar had Seymour Duncan pickups but the originals were included. When I got the guitar it was obvious by the serial number that the neck and body weren’t originally together. The pickups were not mechanically attached. They were floating around in their cavities. I had to have EBay intervene with the seller to compensate me for the repairs. Left a bad taste in my mouth with EBay. Right or wrong.

3. I have bought multiple guitars from Sweetwater. It is difficult to buy a new higher end guitar in my neck of the woods. Even the better independent stores don’t have a lot of variety. Everything that I have bought from Sweetwater has arrived functional. I’m not going to debate the merits of their inspection process. The guitars that I have bought from them have all needed a setup. Unlike Elderly who clearly set up the guitars they shipped me.

4. Local buys-My favorite method and I have had reasonable success. The problem arises when you are looking for a specific instrument.

5. Boutique-I have bought one guitar from a boutique builder. He is well known and respected. I was really disappointed with the guitar. The only thing that I could do was to ship it back at my expense. We didn’t see eye to eye on the experience.

So in summary, in today’s marketplace, if I develop a desire or need an instrument I start with the local used market. I found a wonderful 335 and SJ200 that way. But try and buy a 6120 that way. Even used on Reverb or EBay they were close in price of new. No dealers near me that had one (or more). I bought it from Sweetwater. It needed a tweak or 2 but it is a great guitar.

If you have a good independent store near you it is worth it to develop a relationship. Especially if you are prone to buying and selling. I have had enough online experience to not condemn it but approach with caution!

 

[Killing Floor]

Buy from a dealer.

Even if you want to buy online on Reverb, buy from a real dealer so you have some protection.

 

[Brent Hutto]

If you have a good independent store near you it is worth it to develop a relationship. Especially if you are prone to buying and selling. I have had enough online experience to not condemn it but approach with caution!

Back in my early acoustic guitar days, I was very much into buying and selling. The problem is, the good independent store we have locally only sells and doesn't buy. And they don't sell used. If I'd have wanted to feed my buying and selling habit by dealing with them I'd have soon gone broke.

For me the eventual answer was to "neither a buyer or a seller be", so to speak. It just got to be way too much trouble and worry rolling the dice on purchasing guitars to be shipped to me and then dealing with the enormous hassles of finding buyers, the costs of shipping, the uncertainties involved at every step of the process.

I learned to be satisfied with the best guitar I find by demo'ing locally (or making shortish day trips to a nearby out of town dealer) and just buy in person from a reputable dealer then keep the darned thing and play it. The only alternative was to be one of the guys who buy guitars every few weeks or months and just accumulates them. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but it's not my thing.

 

[39martind18]

All of my best guitars have been found by accident. Clearance items that just seemed cool and got me to make an impulse buy, one I just wanted to try because it was very controversial and I figured if it didn’t work out I could send it back. One of the best I got as part of a big multi-piece trade deal. I didn’t really want it, but when I did the math I figured I could flip it for twice what I was technically “paying” for it. A year later it’s still here and one of my top two main gig guitars.

That said, I don’t buy cheap bargain stuff. It’s real nice gear. But not necessarily crazy expensive. The trade guitar that has become a fave is probably worth 12-13 hundred bucks.

But I’ve never set out on a mission to find “the one” and been successful. Every time I tried that I got nothing but failure. They happen when they happen. Of their own accord.

Same thing happened with my wife. I wasn’t even looking. But there she was, and it’s been awesome for twenty six years. With no end in sight.

My advice to everyone with these sorts of questions is to stop looking. It’ll find you.

My tale of "it finding you" involved my search for a Heritage H550 around 2003. I knew what I wanted because I had researched the model and seen pics of that guitar online. My main non-negotiable point was a blond finish. From all the pics I had seen, the guitar would be constructed of laminated maple, with some figure to it, so when one came up on evilbay for $1K, which was around 500 less than other ones I had seen, I bit. The kicker was there were no pics of the guitar posted, so I wasn't totally sure what I was going to get. Expecting a well built, hollow body with a bit of flame to the body and neck, I was floored when this was revealed when I unpacked it and opened the case:

Sometimes, we just get blessed, and I was!