Used Pricing - 2012 American Standard

$800 is reasonable and a decent deal if you play it and it feels like the right instrument for you. $800-$900 seems about average for one in good shape

 

You can get a Mexican Standard half that price and the quality is very good.

 

That doesn't look to me like the original hard shell case...

Edit: Maybe I'm wrong, and it's one of those TSB cases they came with back then. I've never had one (or wanted one).

Further edit: Price is probably fairly close, but maybe just a bit on the high side. I recently sold a pretty mint 2014 American Standard Strat for $1000 CAD, which is closer to $750 USD.

 

I just bought my first Tele-a used 2012 Am Std in Jade Green Metallic and I love it. Planned to buy a new one and played at least 25 different ones for an entire day and into the evening at two GC's and a third shop Guitar Showcase. Even played a couple big buck Elite Telecasters. I kept coming back to this 2012 bec it sounded and played better than all the rest for my preferences. I paid a grand knowing I could buy used from an individual for $750-800 but I liked it so much better than the others I didn't hesitate. 2012s have "Custom Shop" Twisted Tele & Broadcaster pickups that Fender put on 2012s and for a couple years after. 2012s also have a sculpted out back for your belly. Just a few info tidbits for you as I play mostly acoustics and am not an experienced electric player. Mine came with a TSA case that is different than the one in your pic.

 

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I agree about the case... it looks like it's for a bass guitar or something much longer than a Tele. That huge gap at the bottom of the body is very unusual and it should have a much tighter fit. You may need to consider purchasing a new case if you decide get this one.

Other than that, here's my experience:

I recently sold a 2012 American Standard Stratocaster on eBay with its original TSA case and all the "case candy" that originally came with it and I barely got $700 for it (even though I knew it was worth a lot more). I should have held out longer but just wanted to keep things moving (banging my head against the nearest wall now).

Bottom line...

First keep this in mind: All we can tell so far is that the neck is consistent to being a 2012 American Standard. Without seeing more pictures of the insides of the guitar (body neck pocket, pickups, pot dates, etc) it's extremely difficult to tell whether everything is original or not.

That's why I've been recommending that people buy new from a reputable seller these days - unless you really know what you're doing.

Otherwise it's been a buyer's market for some years now and you should be able to get a pretty good deal if you're patient and find someone stupid (like me) willing to practically give something like this away. That said, $800 is a reasonable price although it would be much sweeter if it came with the original (or at least more correct) case.

Good Luck!



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If you can, check out a G&L ASAT. They're not identical to Fenders, but they're in the family (the "L" in G&L is Leo Fender) and awfully good guitars in their own right. You should be able to score one in excellent shape for under $800.

 

Totally. I wouldn't feel comfortable even using that case. I'd tell him to keep his case and offer like $650.

 

If you play it and it is 100% dialed in just the way you want and sounds just the way you want it to, I'd give that for it. I think you can get that or most of that if you decide you don't want it down the road, and while I'm a bit of a bargain hunter, I don't try to find things for 2/3rds of market (which you can do if you want to invest the time, but sometimes the one you really like just isn't available at that).

Check reverb and ebay for actual sales if you want to know what the market says. The in-person or in-store market can be drastically different, or just a little sometimes (even with reasonable sellers).

 

I bought my AS when they were blowing them out at the end for $869.99 new with a case. mine's a '16 I think? if the 2012 was made after March it'll have the twisted tele / broadcaster pickups, which sound great. modern radius & fret size, bent steel saddles, high-quality stage-ready guitar out of the box. not the most telecaster of telecasters, though, and that case is definitely funky. $800 doesn't seem ridiculous but it does seem high.

 

If it has the custom shop designed pickups, a nice case, and is in minty condition, I would be ok with $800. If you cannot verify the pickups are the ones mentioned by KC (above), or there is noticeable fret wear, try to bargain him down a little.

The 2012-2016 American Standard is one of my favorite Tele's Fender ever put out. If you bought a MIM and upgraded the pickups and wiring, you would end up not far below this price. Made in the USA may not mean as much as it used to, but I still like to see it on my Telecaster!

Plus, I like the extra 1/16th of an inch you get at the nut for those cowboy chords.

 

I own a 2012 AS. Same 3 tone sunburst as the one you're considering. It is a WORKHORSE. I play just about everything on it. If it checks out and is close to mint, $800 is a great price. Again, great guitar.

 

As people have posted, the case isn't original.
$800 would be a good price for a mint condition American Standard.
I think an American Standard is well worth the price difference you would over MIM .

 

Good guitars for sure- with original case and wrenches etc I could see $800. I sold my 2013 for $750-mint with case etc. - great guitar. I would go for the Mexican baja or classic 50's or 60's if I went that route. I would go try it out and maybe it'll be great. I've owned 3 American teles from the 2012-2016 time frame-all had nut slots too shallow and I struggled to get the action as low as I wanted without filing the frets....of course I only bought ones people were selling so maybe that is it

 

First, I sold a 2014 Am. Std Strat in nearly unplayed condition with all the case candy a few months ago for just over $700. I had it listed for over 6 months at $900 with no interest at all, so I think $700 - $800 is about what a modern Amstd draws on the used market.

Second, that is not a Tele hard case as has been mentioned, so it is really worthless to you. A basic Fender case these days are a $100 item if you shop around.

Third, the neck might be an Amstd, but that doesn't mean the body necessarily is nor the pickups. Not having the original case for it makes me wonder if it is a parts caster with a American neck.

So, if it was me, I would have to see the markings on the neck pocket to confirm the pedigree of the body. A seller may not want to do that though...I walk then unless there is some proof that it isn't a partscaster. If it is an actual Amstd, I would offer $650 and he keeps the case.

 

The guitar looks legit - you don't show the back of the guitar but a revised American Standard with the Custom Shop pickups will also have a back contour on the body like a Strat. Fender made that change to the CS pickups and the back contour in about March 2012.

The non-original case does lower the value - a 2012 American Standard would have had an SKB-built molded case with TSA locks (with a Fender logo of course). That case was made in Mexico, and a current SKB-logo version of the case goes for $170 at Musician's Friend. Fender quit using that SKB-made case in mid-2013.

 

Not having the original case on a 6 year old guitar also says to watch out for anything else that might have been changed. You might be getting a Squier body or chinese electronics when you open it up. Been there, done that.

 

I think you are playing that right...good luck