Comparing Fender Teles

[ThreeGutRock]

I'm going to be buying a tele in the next few weeks (or maybe a strat, not totally sure), and was just looking for a little clarification between some of the models.

 

I played the new 08 American Standard, Natural with Maple fretboard (1499 MSRP) but there aren't any of the American Vintage around (1949 MSRP) for me to play. I really liked the American Standard, and was wondering what the major difference between the two is? Is it mostly finish/quality differences?

 

Also, in terms of new Strats, what's the real difference in the American Vintage 70s strat's pickups? More mellow? The blurb says "specifically voiced".

 

Anyone who owns any of these guitars have any insight?

[songsforbears]

Drawbacks of the American Vintage Series, from a previous owner of a American Vintage '62 Custom Telecaster:

1. If you aren't looking at the American Vintage Hot Rod series, the American Vintage series guitars have a 7.25" neck radius, which frets out very easy above the 12th fret. For rhythm work, they're wonderful, but not so much for high lead notes. They also have vintage fret wire, which is very tiny and causes even more fretting out.

2. The American Vintage series is so expensive because of the lacquer finish, but they still have a polyurethane undercoat, which defeats the entire purpose of having lacquer at all. No awesome aging; no added resonance. Useless.

3. The American Vintage series has strange pickup switching. It's period-accurate, but most people today don't find it very useful. For instance, on the Telecasters, the neck position is simply the neck pickup with no tone control, which is an incredibly bass-like tone. The middle selection is not both pickups, but the neck with tone control. The bridge switch is normal. On the Strats, the default switching is 3-position; one for each pickup. You can't use combinations of pickups. Note that these guitar do come with modern wiring kits, but if you're paying so much for a guitar that's meant to be vintage, why make it modern?

 

The solution to these problems is either:

A. The "Thin-Skin" American Vintage series, which is the same guitars with an incredibly thin coat of lacquer with no polyurethane undercoat (the best guitar finish I've ever seen in my life). They also have a more modern 9.5" radius and awesome taller fret wire.

B. The Vintage Hot Rod series, which is the same guitars (no '62 Telecaster) with the "Thin-Skin" lacquer, 9.5" radius, taller fret wire, and sweet changes like satin-backed necks, different pickups, different switching, etc.

 

Best place to get the "Thin-Skin" guitars would be http://www.wildwoodguitars.com or you can get the Vintage Hot Rod at any normal place, but they're incredibly popular, so good luck. Also, I had a bad experience buying a defective Hot Rod '57 Stratocaster, so play the guitar in person before you buy it, or buy from a dealer with a good return policy.

 

I just wrote a ton, when I have studying to do. Feel special!