Answered1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spacey!

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SteveStrummerUK
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2015/08/30 11:08:44 (permalink)

1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spacey!

 
After a lifetime of using humbuckers and high gain, I recently decided to experiment by having a pull-push (volume) pot installed in my old guitar that toggles the bridge pick-up between humbucker and single coil modes.
 
It was a real epiphany moment to me, and I was going to go ahead and have the middle and bridge pups split as well. However, having spoken to the ever-helpful and very knowledgeable Michael (Spacey) about this, I've decided on a different strategy.
 
First off, Mike has kindly offered to hand-build some pick-ups for my old guitar. My reasoning in accepting his wonderful offer is twofold.
 
Firstly, I am very fond of that old guitar, and I don't really want to overdo the 'Frankensteining' and risk losing the character of the instrument; not only that, when I recently had it re-fretted (by the very same guy that built it nearly 30 years ago!), I discovered that the original pups aren't actually genuine Bill Lawrence Hot Rails as I'd always thought, rather they are cheaper lookalikes. D'oh!
 
To these ends, I'm more than happy to be Mike's 'guinea pig' in his custom hand-wound pup adventures - who wouldn't! He's already sent me a 'prototype'* which I'm going to try in the middle or neck position; obviously I'll be providing plenty of feedback (pun intended!) and we'll take it from there. Mike's a craftsman and a real gentleman, and I can't say how absolutely delighted I am to have a chance to work with him again since he built my gorgeous Ruby for me.
 
The other reason I'm going the stick with humbuckers on that guitar is that I was thinking if I'm going have single coils, I might as well get a guitar that actually does the single-coil thing rather well. Hence my current research into the daddy of them all, the good old Fender Telecaster.
 
The trouble is, I know so little about them, and single coils in general, that I'm unsure as to which model to plump for. I think I've narrowed it down to either the US Standard or the US Deluxe, and I'm currently researching whether the extra dosh for the Deluxe is worth it.
 
I'd really appreciate some input from anyone who has used either model.
 
Fender American Standard Telecaster 2012 Features:
  • Body Shape: Telecaster®
  • Body Finish: Urethane
  • Neck Shape: Modern "C" Shape
  • Number of Frets: 22
  • Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
  • Position Inlays: Black Dot
  • Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (24.1 cm)
  • Neck Material: Maple
  • Nut Width: 1.685" (42.8 mm)
  • Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
  • Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Neck Plate with Micro-Tilt™
  • Truss Rods: Bi-Flex™ Truss Rod System
  • Truss Rod Nut: 1/8" American Series Nut
  • Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Broadcaster
  • Neck Pickup: Custom Shop "Twisted" Tele® Single-Coil Neck Pickup
  • Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade:
    • Position 1. Bridge Pickup
    • Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
    • Position 3. Neck Pickup
  • Special Electronics: No-Load Tone Control
  • Controls: Master Volume, Master Delta Tone™
  • Hardware Finish: Chrome
  • Bridge: American Tele with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles and Stamped Brass Plate
  • String Nut: Synthetic Bone
  • Switch Tips: "Barrel" Style Switch Tip
  • Truss Rod Wrench: 1/8" Hex (Allen) Wrench
  • Strings: Fender® USA 250L, NPS, (.009-.042 Gauges)
  • Unique Features:
    • Five-Screw Mounted Brass Bridge Plate for Sonic Stability
    • Loaded with Improved Bent Steel Saddles with Elongated String Slots for Increased Resonance and Sustain
    • Thinner Undercoat Finish for Improved Body Resonance
    • Tinted Neck
    • Body Contour
  • Included Accessories: Moulded rectangular SKB® case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth
  • Polishing Cloth: Polishing Cloth Included
  • Control Knobs: Knurled Chrome
 
American Deluxe Telecaster NEW 2010 MODEL Features:
  • Body: Select Alder
  • Neck: Maple, Modern C Shape, (Satin Urethane Finish)
  • Fingerboard: 9.5 to 14 Compound Radius (241 mm to 355.6 mm)
  • No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
  • Pickups: 2 New Noiseless N3 Tele Pickups (Neck and Bridge)
  • Controls: Master Volume (with S-1 Switch), Master No-Load Tone Control
  • Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade and 2-Position Push/Push S-1
  • Bridge: American Tele with 6 Chromed Brass Saddles
  • Machine Heads: Fender Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
  • Hardware: Chrome
  • Scale Length: 25.5 (648 mm)
  • Width at Nut: 1.6875 (43 mm)
  • 3 Tall, 3 Short Staggered Locking Tuning Machines
  • Knurled Chrome Knobs
  • Pearloid Dot Position Inlays
  • Top of Body is Bound
  • Contoured Back
  • Highly Detailed Fret and Nut Work
  • 4-Bolt Neck Attachment with Micro-Tilt Adjustment
  • Bi-Flex Truss Rod System
  • Parchment Knobs and Pickup Covers
  • Rolled Fretboard Edges
  • Strings: Fender USA, Nickel Plated Steel, Gauges: (.009, .011, .016, .024w, .032, .042)
  • Accessories: Fender/SKB Case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth
 
 
 
* I'd post some photos but my daughter has borrowed my camera for a fortnight for an 6th form project                         
 
 

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#1
bapu
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 12:06:05 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby craigb 2015/08/30 18:47:58
Looks like the difference to me is one is described in red type and the other in green.
 
Ok, seriously; I've always thought a Tele was about the amp (or Kemper model) you play it through. Of course like any guitar, you gotta love how it plays/feels. I personally find Tele's hard to play. 
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SteveStrummerUK
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 12:15:19 (permalink)
 
I've played a few Standards in the past mate, and I really like how they feel and play.
 
I'm getting some nice tones from the split pick-up I had wired up. Mostly, it must be said, with the lower-gain amps in the Kemper.

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Zonno
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 15:48:28 (permalink)
Sorry, I can't help. No experience with these guitars
 
I hope I'll have a Telecaster one day.........with Humbuckers.



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Zonno
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 16:10:11 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:16:53
Well I try to help.
I found is interesting information about the different telecaster models
http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/guitar-buying-guides/buying-guide-the-fender-telecaster
 
It says:
Deluxe Telecasters retain the look and feel of the original Tele design, but pack extra punch thanks to special pickups electronics and switching. Deluxe instruments are fitted with modern C-shaped neck profiles for added playing comfort.

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sharke
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 16:49:59 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:16:55
I have a 2012 American Telecaster and I love it. For some reason I always ignored Teles but when I played one I realized just how great they feel and play and I had to have it. They're such versatile workhorses, great for any genre except maybe really high gain metal and thrash. I don't know about any other Teles except the one I have, all I can say is that mine plays like a dream (and seems to stay in tune better than any guitar I've owned). If there's a downside I would say that the pickups are prone to buzzing at high gain levels, when compared with a humbucker. And some people think they sound too brittle. That's part of their charm - they are super bright, although you can certainly warm things up with the tone pot, mixing it just plain old string choice.
post edited by sharke - 2015/08/30 16:58:10

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michaelhanson
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 17:17:16 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:16:59
I'm back to being a big fan of single coils and I am currently going through the same ordeal, except with Stratocasters. From what I can tell, the main difference between the American Standard and the Deluxe with Strats is the pickups and electronics. That S1 switching gives you more pick up combinations. In Strats the pickups are noiseless. Some like noiseless, some think they loose some of their brightness.

As Shark mentions, the tone knob can help control some of that brightness on the bridge pickup. You loose a little of the bite going from humbuckers to single coils, but for the style of music that I am playing, single coils seem to fit better quite a bit of the time. Having both humbuckers and single coils is my goal, choosing which fits better for the song.

A while back I picked up an old 93 Squier, gutted it and replaced all of the pickups, hardware and electronics with quality parts. I find myself playing this instrument all of the time lately. Thus, I am now wanting to get an American made Strat, to compliment the Gibsons.
post edited by michaelhanson - 2015/08/30 17:35:57

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craigb
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 18:49:52 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:17:02
I had a similar eye-opening moment when I started listening more to single-coil music.  For whatever reason, I was always a humbucker guy.  Every guitar I had ever owned but, interestingly enough, almost all of the music I listened to as well were all humbucker based.  Then I finally got a guitar that usually comes with single coils (a Lone Star Strat), however mine came with a humbucker at the bridge (a so-called "Fat Strat").  But, most pertinent to this topic, it also came with a replaced tone knob and wiring called a "Fat-O-for-Fatties" by Deaf Eddie that allowed me to use all the pickups in a variety of configurations.  That got me interested in single-coil tones which led to re-experiencing all sorts of bands I had pretty much ignored as a kid (like Pink Floyd, Hendrix, etc.) and learning about TONS of bands I had never even heard before (like most of the Prog I listen to now).  Since that time, every custom guitar I've had made includes a custom Fat-O-for-Fatties tone knob/switch/wiring to allow single-coil tones.  Things really became new and exciting again!

 
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drewfx1
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 22:23:25 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby craigb 2015/08/31 00:20:48
I can't say about one model vs. another, but I will say that IMHO the recipe for reaching blues rock heaven with a traditional single coil Tele bridge PU is to set the amp on the edge of breakup, turn down the tone control to taste and pick hard. Then let it bark and bite the head off of anyone who thinks all a Tele is good for is twang.

 In order, then, to discover the limit of deepest tones, it is necessary not only to produce very violent agitations in the air but to give these the form of simple pendular vibrations. - Hermann von Helmholtz, predicting the role of the electric bassist in 1877.
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ampfixer
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/30 23:43:58 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:17:15
The most significant difference between the two models is that the more expensive one has a carved back, similar to a strat. All the other differences are easily changed, but a body carve is forever. It's just a comfort thing really. The snappiest Tele's are ash bodies with maple boards. I like alder my self because it's more consistent between guitars, while ash can be light or very heavy. 

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tlw
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/31 01:15:51 (permalink) ☼ Best Answerby SteveStrummerUK 2015/08/31 08:17:20
There's a great deal to consider with the modern range of Teles. Back when Leo Fender had the bright idea of crossing a lap-steel with a guitar and a plank things were simple, you just went out and bought a Telecaster. Nowadays the choice of models is ridiculous.

The first question has to be what kind of sound do you want? The sound that made the Tele famous or a more modern thicker, higher output but less touch-responsive and middier tone?

The N3 noiseless pickups in the Deluxe are actually a kind of humbucker, they are quiet but they aren't the same sound or feel as the single coil pickups. They seem to be regarded as an improvement on Fender's earlier generations of noiseless "single coil" pickups, though that's not necessarily saying much. The old Seth Lover "full range" humbucker that went in the 70s Custom and Deluxe had a unique and noiseless sound that was still "Fender" but despite looking the same on the outside the modern "reissue" pickup in the thinline etc. is quite different on the inside, or so I'm told.

The "twisted" and "Texas Special" pickups have more output, bass and mids than the vintage pickups. I've not tried a "twisted", but one of my Teles has a Texas Special in the bridge and a PAF in the neck. The Special works with the PAF well enough not to unbalance the volume or require major tone control turning when switching pickups. It's loud and aggressive with a hint of P90 and can compete with my SG but isn't the sound that made the Telecaster famous.

A big part of what makes the Telecaster what it is is that you have a huge range of dynamics and tone just by setting the amp right then changing how hard you play each string or how much you damp with your left hand. Far more variation than most humbuckers are capable of. To get that response means vintage output pickups, not souped up ones.

So if you want absolutely classic Tele tones you probably won't easily get them from either the US Standard or Deluxe. On the other hand, many people obviously like them, they're aimed at being a flexible modern style guitar, and hotter or noisless pickups do have their uses, though high output Tele single coild can be anazingly noisy anywhere near a computer.

Not that vintage pickups mean a quiet guitar. They're quite a bit more powerful and full sounding than a Strat and unlike a Strat the bridge pickup is the one usually used most, not the one to avoid.

Then there's the fingerboard material and radius debate, the neck profile question, ash vs alder as body wood and small vintage split-post tuners vs. big conventional 70s onward ones. Actually that's an easy decision, the smaller split-posts just look much better on that thin headstock.

I nearly forgot - there's also standard tone control vs. "no load" or whatever Fender are calling it this week, S1 switching, vintage 3 saddle vs vintage 6 saddle vs modern bridge, brass vs steel saddles......

If you've never played a Tele then unless you are sure what you want and why that particular one it probably an idea to take a trip to a guitar shop and try every Tele in sight to get a feel for them because the range available is ridiculous.

Don't rule out the Mexican-made Teles either. Some are very good, especially the Mexican "vintage" range. I've half a dozen Teles ranging from an 83 US one I got when I graduated to current production. Two US, three Mexican and one Korean (a blonde Lite Ash, has S Duncan pickups, sounds very good and has some nice birdseye maple on the neck but the final assembly and setup was done by foot not hand).

The best of my lot for feel and sound is a 2014 limited edition Wilko Johnson Signature, which is a Mexican rosewood-board alder 60s vintage one painted black with a red plate and which retailed for less than the ordinary version. Being a very long-term Wilko fan I couldn't resist it, and the bonus is it turned out to be a much better guitar than I expected. It's also the only Fender I've ever set up where I didn't need to start by replacing a very poorly cut or poor quality nut.
post edited by tlw - 2015/08/31 01:26:37

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SteveStrummerUK
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/31 08:11:37 (permalink)
Wow!
 
Thank you all so much for the information and help with this.
 
@Tim, thanks for going into so much detail! Where are you in the West Midlands if you don't mind me asking? I'm in sunny Worcester.

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#12
tlw
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/31 14:57:25 (permalink)
Oh, that's just scratching the surface :-)

The tdpri forum, where I'm a lurker far more than a poster, is the place for all things Telecaster. As I said, the sheer range of Telecaster models means they cover a huge range of ground and there's a lot to consider. The "standard vintage", if there is such a thing because they changed a lot between 1949 and 1964, instruments alone can (and until the 70s did) cover a huge range of music from Page using one to record much of the first four Led Zep LPs to clean country pedal-steel impressions and jazz.

Any guitar kind of takes you down certain roads and ways of playing them and cork-sniffing and focusing on what might appear to be nuances is as much a part of Tele playing as it is Les Paul. Even the bridge plate material - the old ones were a steel plate and the modern US ones are chromed brass - makes a difference. As I keep saying, like most Fender instruments, the variety on offer is unhelpfully huge.

If you are interested in the kind of sound and feel the pre-CBS instruments had and want US production, I don't have one but I'd suggest the US vintage models might be a place to start from, perhaps the 1958 or 1964 ones which cover the big change from ash body to alder. Or a custom shop equivalent if you want to pay a lot of money to have a guitar ready beaten-up for you.

But I strongly recommend listening to a lot of recordings and videos of Tele players then a trip into somewhere like PMT in Birmingham and just start pulling Teles off the display and trying them where with any luck you can crank the volume a bit.

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#13
batsbrew
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/08/31 15:08:46 (permalink)
i think you would dig the compound fretboard radius on the 2010 deluxe....
 
the 'less than 12" radii' bunch (closer to 7.5 to 9.5" would be more like the original dimensions) has the 'wrong' feel for me...
but that's really dialing in what you like.....
 
 

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#14
ston
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/09/07 05:40:37 (permalink)
This is quite a good guide to the somewhat bewildering array of tele's on offer today, along with the history of the guitar:
 
http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/guitar-buying-guides/buying-guide-the-fender-telecaster
 
After reading all that, I went for a plain-vanilla telecaster standard.  I definitely didn't want humbuckers; I have humbuckers for days and I wanted something that was reasonably faithful to the original.  The difference in cost between this model and its more expensive brethren is far greater than the difference in guitar quality imho.
 
£419 for a brand new Fender Telecaster is a steal, I got mine in 'Lake Placid Blue'.
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rcklln
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Re: 1)Telecaster 'Deluxe' - worth the extra money over a 'Standard'? 2)New p/up from Spa 2015/09/07 09:14:27 (permalink)
Last year I was looking for a new tele and after seeing what they wanted for a deluxe I decided to just get a MIM standard during a MF sale. Added a cheap case, some fender locking tuners (direct replacement) and strap locks and I couldn't be happier with the guitar.
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