What to look for when buying a used tele?

[TexasTwang]

I had to return my baja today because of fret noise my tech couldn't fix without raising the action very high. so i'm looking at a used baja tomorrow. besides feeling it's "daft mojo", if any, i'm going to be looking at weight, fret buzz if any, noise, if it stays in tune, amateur look at neck, switches, pots, tuners, etc...

am i on the right track? what am i missing? thanks guys.

 

[strat_tone]

Look down from the 'ass' of the tele to make sure the neck is straight. It won't be straight, it should have a subtle C shape, but you can spot twists or warps or wavy spots. I can see the damn high fret on my uke doing this. Play every fret for buzzes. The pots and switch are not worth worrying about imo. Look at the nut to see how it's cut, that there is no plastic coming off on either the headstock side or fretboard side to indicate binding or eroding of the nut. The pickups will hardly differ within the same model, I wouldn't be concerned. Note their height if the sound is a little weak (low) to harsh (high) or unbalanced (1 of each), if you're not liking the tone and it seems out of adjustment you can change it with a screw driver. I always look for a tight neck pocket. These days I hardly see any loose ones with cnc. Make sure the bridge is on straight to the neck, although if it's not it can usually be adjusted with a screwdriver. Give the neck a good strong Pete Townshend vibrato with your fretting hand to ensure the neck pocket isn't creaky and won't shift on you. Grab the neck a little more gently pull it up and down while pinning the body to your body with your arm. If you hear any wood squeal, not good (if you get too carried away it may bring you to my next point). Look for cracks around the neck pocket. I'd say 99% are just finish cracks, but it's a good method of trying to talk them down in price. The baja has good parts, you don't have much to worry about. If it sounds noisy, note where you are standing and move away from any electrical appliances, wall outlets or florescent lighting, or turn yourself 90 degrees. You can also hold it closer to those things like a TV or computer to see how well it's shielded and how quite they will stay. Fender does a good job making all their single coils quiet in my experience.

Main thing is the neck body joint. If that is good, it's likely going to be a good one. Everything else can be replaced anyway, but I would recommend not replacing anything other than the pickups (if you feel so inclined) and the nut (I always prefer bone!)

Good luck. If you're tech cant get this ones action lower you need a new tech, or a fret level.

 

[tpaul]

I always look for those Ebay ads where the overpriced guitar is being held by a winsome yet uncomfortable looking female model. You can change the frets, reshape the neck, route and refinish the body, replace the pickups and electronics, and upgrade the bridge, nut and tuners, but you'll never be able to replicate that original call girl mojo.

 

[indiobravo]

if your tech couldn't fix the buzz with proper action then (s)he should have told you it's because the neck is too badly warped. or you need a new tech.

in general i look at the condition of the wood, i try to verify that it's not a partscaster, and i make sure the neck is true. i don't ever worry about the electronics because that's easy to fix.

 

[TexasTwang]

thanks guys, and props to you strat tone! "my" tech did tell me right off the bad the neck was "bowed" and said later that i should return the guitar and buy another.

 

[Davo17]

thanks guys, and props to you strat tone! "my" tech did tell me right off the bad the neck was "bowed" and said later that i should return the guitar and buy another.

Just curious do you have a picture of this bow? The Baja has a fat neck and I have not heard of this problem before-of course it is possible.

 

[TexasTwang]

no, i don't have a photo of the neck proper i just have a kind of front view of the guitar, the neck does look weird, but its probably just the angle, i would post it here, but i have to upload it somewhere i guess. my flickr account is a professional account and i dont upload other stuff there, any suggestions?

 

[igorBG]

+1 What Strat tone said.
I will l just add, check how strong is the neck, intonation wise. If it looses intonation even with slight pull, then skip it. I suppose this is more related to truss rod, than to neck wood, and it the first thing I look