Mojocaster.com - Fender Telecaster Hot Rod 52 review

[EliasGraves]

Sounds terrific! Love the mini.

[Twolliebollie]

What a beauty.

[frogslips]

This is a great review of a wonderful sounding guitar. Nice playing indeed. Makes me want to put a humbucker on my Tele.

[Nirvaaanaa]

What does 'chuncky' mean? Sry I'm german :)

[Maafa1619]

I don't like the neck on the '52 Hotrod. They should have gone with a Vintage U-shaped baseball bat with a 7¼" radius. ...which is why I choose to build custom Wartmouth/AllParts Teles rather than buy a one-size-fit-all Fender.

[coloursofsleep]

before i owned this tele, i watched this video all the time so i could fantasize about it (the guitar) being mine! did you have problems though above the 12th fret on the high e string sounding a little too shrill and ear piercing? i'm trying to figure out how to warm that area up

[NintendoSinceBirth1]

looks amazing for slide =)...

[acledfloyd]

This is the best telecaster I have ever played. I recommend it to everyone.

[hjbrinner]

i'm pretty sure the middle position is still only the neck. i don't think there is a position to use both

[Candlejackerable]

@hjbrinner Nope, I own one and they are indeed different. Not sure how Fender wires the humbucker with the single coil but there is a distinct difference in tone.

[SuperMarioZombies]

Just got one. Awesome guitar. No brainer. You need this guitar in your arsenal.

[97henrik]

what is the different between fender and squier?

[BMitch628]

@97henrik pick up a fender and pick up a squier you'll know the difference

[murrayisthebest]

How do I date my american vintage 52 tele? Do I have to remove the neck? serial number 70754. Any help would be much appreciated

[themovierad]

great vid thanks! Im enjoying my black n white one!

[PennybagDarrell]

i want to put a mini humbucker in the squier CV tele custom i just ordered. which one should i go with? i want kind of a bluesy/jazz sound

[ethankernaghan]

you're the coolest guy ever

[aektzis91]

my god that neck pickup is awesome!! i seriously cant decide between the Sm-1 Vintage Mini Humbucker and a Seth lover humbucker. anyone?

[stevalium]

do you know about the pots and caps that use it?

[MrMarkphillips132]

i wanna buy this same guitar or a black n wite one

[PF1964]

Is ther a Modern C neck version of this guitar?

I think the U neck is not for me. I have smal hands.

[CoRrUpTsHoElAcE]

Gorgeous sounds from that amp, lovely set up!

[PF1964]

May we use that guitar for Jazz?

[orfmor]

Ska Ska Ska...We want to see how Telecasters sound with SKA played on them.

[norwegiangangster]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Bonus points for the Crossroads ref!

[millerpils]

Good review dude. Concise, not too much talking and some nice playing there. I'm intrigued about this guitar and love the neck tone. Unlike your comment, I've never been a huge fan of the bridge tone but hey, it's not that bad. Might have to try this one out soon ...

[retrograderenegades]

Hey I have a squire telecaster affiniti and the string height is too high and I'm not sure what the height is for a standard telecaster. Is there a way to tell how high the string action should be, I don't know with like a ruler or something cause it's such a pain in the ass to play.

[zajdabneeg]

humm i got a telecaster too but i don't know what year it was made or anything about it hahaha. some parts look refinished some parts look worn out. neck seems to be new. body seems to be a bit old.

[KsideHb]

good guitar and awesome review friend!

I was thinking about changing my standard tele neck PU to a humbucker PU

any suggestion?

[ThreeChordGuitar]

@KsideHb Fralin or Lollar is where I start :)

[GuillermoSmyser]

@KsideHb Give Dimarzio Twang Kings a try. Easily the best for the money but many people say they are better than the fralin or lollar despite being much cheaper (myself included, check videos here on youtube for the twang king demos)

[corkeyguitarplayer1]

@KsideHb THE NECK PICK UP IS REALLY GOOD

BUT I DON'T THINK I WANT TO CHANGE

AT LEAST NOT FOR NOW

I LIKE MY TELECASTER THE WAY I IS

CORKEY

[christrealized]

@KsideHb Go and check my videos.. I have a Telecaster with a BK Stormy Monday humbucker in the neck and it rocks.. the clip is called: Fender 52 RI Telecaster Special with Bare Knuckle Pickups No offense to the Fralin or Lollar guy that recommended those pickups but I have put the BKs up against them both and they pale in comparison. Don't take my word for it try them.

[phriend2spin]

When you mentioned the chunky neck, what exactly are you comparing it to? Most telecasters have a chunky neck so just wondering how it compares to most telecaster.

[ThreeChordGuitar]

@phriend2spin Most teles have a "standard C neck" which is really not that chunky unless you are used to skinny Ibanez necks :)

[eeemanjam]

@ThreeChordGuitar - so he´s talking about a U-shaped neck?

[Maafa1619]

@ThreeChordGuitar Amen, brother. I just put a USACG Super Fatback neck on my Black Guard Tele. It's the chunkiest neck that I've ever seen... far chunkier than the one on a Nocaster or '52 RI.

[josegarza64]

beautiful guitar

[sebasdive]

is the mini hum good???

im planing to put the seymour duncan sm1 vintage hum on my tele

any words of advice?

thanks

[RDblues47]

how do you get so many plays

[sion1filming]

You Play that telecaster very good i love the blues you play at 2:34 is posible that you can send me the Tab for that piace or make one youre own Please ? (: + Im going to get a telecaster soon

Thank You

Awsome Playing there Keep it up mate (:

[andretoyo]

Hello Mojocaster san. Im interest to buy a Tele 52 Hot Rod or a Jap Tele Pink Paisley TL69, I know that they are completely different in terms of body and tones but my doubt is about the neck. Do you think that they are conpletely different too?

Thanks Cheers. I appreciate any reply.

[tellycastin]

Tele's are great, especially with maple fretboards.

[coloursofsleep]

hey mojo just thought id let you know, been watching, rewatching, and ogling (the guitar) in this vid for probably the best part of a year and a half, finally i have enough money to buy one - definately influenced the buy! thanks for the great review. plus to all you people who have asked what it sounds like with heavier effects, it sounds very good with a bigmuff, even sounds good when i tried it with my crappy me-50 pedalboard with the boss distort on

[MrAfricaTobi]

Looking around for an electric guitar and I love your '52 Hot Rod review. There are two parts you play, one starts at 5:01 and one at 7:54.

Are those set pieces from some music or just you noodling around - love both and would love to try and learn, although the one at 5:01 might be a bit of a stretch for me at this stage (not that the other one wouldn't be)

Would be great to hear from you.

[philzy107]

i hate it when people call telecsters a country guitar!!

it handles blues far better than any gibson!

well done fender!!

[JD0x0]

@philzy107 Dont forget about Jazz/Fusion, rock, as well as pretty much any style you like

[philzy107]

i hate it when people call telecsters a country guitar!!

it handles blues far better than any gibson!

well done fender!!

[itsonlyrcknroll]

I think it may be called an accent? Regardless, at least his reviews are thoughtful and of value, and well played.

[Stiffmeister1973]

Great review of a great guitar!!

[stratd00d]

Getting one of these next month!

[MichaelGaard]

@Devykins: If I met you in real life, I would fuck you up!!!

@ThreeChordGuitar: Awesome review!!!

[JonnyFriendly]

Great demo - am thinking about getting one of these and this has helped a lot.

[WTig3r]

it's got a chunky neck, but not as chunky as a huh?

[abcdef7100]

Sounds GOOD.....Ron Wilson...Canada

[ACampbell1001]

devvykins, your are a fricken idiot

[standewan]

Excellent job of making me want to run out and buy this guitar!

[devvykins]

dude you have a speech impediment lol

[ThreeChordGuitar]

and it makes you laugh? Some people, I tell you...

[syngates4life11]

@ThreeChordGuitar .. jeez the things people say because there behind a monitor...i dont hear it though.

[victorescallier]

@ThreeChordGuitar yea, youtubes full of dicks

[putzgrila2008]

you're a fucking pathetic moron. learn english before commenting, stupid jerk...

[Ilovemyfender2]

@devvykins That's kinda screwed up man :(

[JohnLennonVideos86]

@devvykins dude your a fucking asshole

[sd006]

How much does it cost?

[glassslide]

Still, the best review ever done for this guitar, really good.

That said, how could you sell this?? lol I like it better than the Crook and, it's a Fender.

[ThreeChordGuitar]

The Crook is such a better guitar than this Fender was, it's not even funny. As for looks, well, all tastes are in nature :)

[LiamAndDylan]

nice one

[snakkajak]

happy new year man!!! hope you have a great year!!

[artemiranda]

Hi!. Quick question. Is that a one-piece body?

Thanks

Art

[TheOriginalEntz]

Looks like some one dipped it in a jar of mustard that went bad last year

[fidodildo22]

This or a Vintage 52 Reissue?

[fidodildo22]

This or a Vintage 52 Reissue ??

[fidodildo22]

This or a Vintage 52 Re-issue??

[tommyaw123]

i NEED this guitar in my life

[Antiks72]

@tommyaw123 It'll give you plenty of TWANG, that's for sure.

[snsttb]

Thank You!! This is a great video and I watch all your videos. I was deciding between a SG and a Tele and then i saw this and I already ordered this baby.

[777jordan]

Just bought this guitar today! Great guitar!

[sweatyray1]

ry cooder played all the parts for ralph macchio's parts in crossroads except the last classical piece , steve via did play that part for him .

[cowie86]

hey Mojo, does this mini-humbucker sound like a full HB? or does it sound slightly toward a single in terms of tone? cheers in advance

[777jordan]

hey, It is a mini-humbucker, so it sounds like a louder single coil or a humbucker without the muck/fuzz.

[ramones4ever1]

for punk rock you can never go wrong with a eastwood but a jackson will be good for all of the styles mixed lead and rhytyhm

[sipsop]

Nice guitar!

I'm thinking about buying one, but I was whondering if it's suitable for modern rock styles.

Like: punkrock, emorock, screamo e.t.c.

Both Lead and rhythm...

Does anyone have an idea if it's suitable or not?

Thanks!

[Moka8]

Yep! It sure is! I play two telecasters, a 69 thinline with two single coils, and a 72 Deluxe with two humbuckers and they sound freaking great! Even heavy stuff like Greeley Estates or Underoath sounds great through it. Just try it out for yourself.

[mantatnam]

well...at least you´re not blind.

[777jordan]

I tried both this and the stock 52 re-issue, and I must say, the hot rod is much better! But i feel ya on the chunky neck. Also the bridge pickup sounded slightly brighter on the stock although they are the same pickup. But the single coil in the neck sounds like a joke next to the single coil in the neck.

[Wahfusion]

Hi, I need response. Telecaster is famous for its versatility. Is this model with the mini-humbuking suitable for jazz music??

[EyeYamAffaKingWeTodd]

hey guys...i play a lot of rock and metal, and i've heard tele's are actually very good for heavy music...but all the reviews alwasy show them clean...so are they any good for rock and metal?

[ThreeChordGuitar]

Rock: great. Metal: I'd choose something else or change the pickups.

[EyeYamAffaKingWeTodd]

thanks...so if i got this it'd be great for rock....awesome...thank you very much

[jimmyguitarman]

for metal and hard rock it all depends on wether you are a lead guitarist or rhythm .

there alot better for rhythm guitarists

[LPT103]

@EyeYamAffaKingWeTodd This is actually a great guitar for metal just gut a nice distortion pedal like the T-Rex Engineering Bloody Mary Distortion Guitar Pedal. Or buy a different Telecaster like The Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Thinline its definitely a cool looking guitar for metal and the two humbuckers will give you a nice metal sound. If you decide to switch the pick-ups I suggest the Gibson Burstbucker Pro on the neck and a Gibson Dirty Fingers on the bridge.

[iamJesusNunez]

@EyeYamAffaKingWeTodd I've seen guys in powerpop bands playing telecaster's through huge Orange stacks and it really changes and compliments the tele in one way or another. It sounds great. I play my tele through a Fender Deluxe Reverb which like I was saying changes the sound. Experiment. Find what you like.

Moral of the story is, tele's are great for rock dude. Invest some time and invest your money in a nice tube amp. If you're looking for some amps

[levonhelmet]

not much of a review....your forgetting the most important specs of this guitar.its a vintage remake with modern upgrades. for instance it has a 9.5" radius as opposed to the 7.25" that the regular 52 reissue has. and it has medium jumbo frets instead of the tiny vintage style also like the regular version. this gives the guitar a more modern feeling neck also makes bending a little easier.the neck is what makes this guitar.i have both the regular and the hotrod version.and this thing kills!

[ThreeChordGuitar]

Thanks for your comment... though please understand that I am not as interested in providing people with specs they can find on the web as much as playing the darn thing so that they can hear it :0

[omina3]

Exactly...geez levonhelmet

[Carmo8]

the perfect guitar

man you are so lucky . having so many guitars must be nice

[grantburgh1]

i dont like this with the humbucker, it doesnt sound like a traditional tele i think

[Jim1000000]

I played on a 52 reissue with and without a humbucker. I liked the one without the humbucker more, but i saw a used fender telecaster 52 reissue with an humbucker. My idea was to change the humbucker with a telecaster single coil. Is this a good idea or should I look on for a telecaster without the humbucker?

[satjathamma]

I recommend you get the humbucker one, if you like the original tele sound more you could wire the humbucker for coil tap depending on what humbucker you have, I think it must be 4 conductors but Im not sure, then you have the best of 2 worlds, the original sound and you can kick in the humbuckermode when you need it

[19501960]

hey mojocaster, you say you like chunkier necks, so do I but the fender necks are a minefield to pick, which fender necks are chunkiest ? help appreciated

[ThreeChordGuitar]

The Nocaster neck, the Danny Gatton sig neck, and some Fender CS necks :)

[19501960]

Thanks.

[777jordan]

haha he said holly grail!

[ymmashus94]

what was the song you played?

[MrThatsItThatsAll]

i love this guitar, i got it a few months ago and it is amazing.

[jmt62]

ok i´m going to get me a guitar again, my last girlfriend crashed my last guitar, well she is history

[TheMadMusicMan]

Ditch the woman... Our guitars are too important for them!

[TeleKeith]

Last year I bought a cheap Squier Standard tele and sent it to be customized. I didn't know fender made a guitar w/mini-hummer until after it was doen. Mine's pretty much laid out like this one. Had EVERYTHING redone except paint. Frets and all. $600. Just posted video of it.. Check it out. It's not a Hot Rod, but it gets the job done quite nicely. I'll never need another tele, really..... yeah right! I've got G.A.S. bigtime. Why'd I do it? You gotta hear it....

[popomczowzow]

I tend to favor strats but this right here is my dream guitar

[popomczowzow]

What's everyone talking about with the sticky neck and stuff?

[rmb1777]

Sometimes guitars with laquer finished necks can become sticky when you sweat.Usually a problem Gibsons have.

[ClaptonRules64]

I like these in black

[alphaBootes]

Could you please tell me whether it is 2 or 3 piece body? Thanks.

[binladensassassin]

telecaster deluxe - smoothest neck ever

[lukikrestuki69]

i'd soooo love to get this guitar but the thing with the sticky neck just makes me worry!!!!

[TheBellSavedZack]

I just bought one of these yesterday. Incredible guitar, all the sounds you would want. I bought a 60's classic player strat to go with it, and they're both great guitars.

This Hot Rod '52 tele is in a league of it's own, though.

[guitarreviewsbros]

i heared something like that the neck is sticky, is that true ??? and that that slows down your playin down ?? please answer because i'm seriously thinkin about gettin' this, great demo by the way, thanks mojo

[ThreeChordGuitar]

In my personal experience, yes it is true.

[krp312]

yeah it is, but you slowly break it in and it's fine after taht

[jrgman2004]

My experience has been the same, that it broke in after a while and I don't have that much of a problem with it anymore...

Love this guitar. Absolutely gorgeous and an awesome sound...

[lukikrestuki69]

how lomg did that take ?? and cant you speed up the proces some how ???

[veitchy88]

You can remove it relatively quickly with steel wool. That said, your neck will obviously look a bit rough afterwards. Depends on how extreme you want to go. Otherwise just play the hell out of it every day, that also works :)

[MrGentlehand]

hey mojo, how would you rate this guitar compared to all your guitars?...and if you're going to advise me to buy an electric, which one do you think has the more/better...overall performance. i watched almost all your reviews...and..lol..i can't make up my mind. i've also seen a couple of electrics that you haven't done a review on.

[coloursofsleep]

will someone please tell me what he starts playing at 9:00? also, i think you've swung me on my decision between a standard and a hotrod tele, i cant see it losing its grit because the neck isnt single coil, which was what i was afraid of so much

[cowie86]

you're a really good blues guitarist - especially for a French guy!

[Bollehamsteren]

Lol.

[ThreeChordGuitar]

Nothing like a good old-fashioned backhanded compliment between friends ;)

[Eiki7]

very good review =)

I never wanted a telecaster before, always tended to stratocasters.

but now I want to have one, because of its mini humbucker pick up. sounds great!

got a question: how does it sound if u strum it hard (for funk)?

thx, well done! 5/5

[Eiki7]

very good review =)

I never wanted a telecaster before, always tended to stratocasters.

but now I want to buy this tele model, because of its mini humbucker pick up.

got a question: how does it sounds if u strumm it hard (for funk)?

thx!

well done!

[Eiki7]

very good review =)

I never wanted a telecaster before, always tended to stratocasters.

But now I want that 62 hot rod telecaster because of its mini humbucker pick up.

got a question: how does it sound if u strum it hard (for funk)?

well done 5/5

[DrewAnti1960]

sweet sounding guitar man

[ykcor1138]

I noticed mine is a 3 piece body is yours??? I thought they were supposed to be a 2 piece body.

[bubupor]

what's it's price dude?

[ZACKisVICIOUS]

it used to be 1400 at guitarcenter a year ago they raised to like 1800 now cause the guitar is soo worth it

[wittesco]

actually its 2200 now....just ordered mine today though!!!

[vernon408]

BTW, I like your playing. It's just that I hate waiting to hear it play.

[vernon408]

Less talk, more playing please.

[yaksox]

It would help if you said what kind of SD mini-HB.

[jaypino007]

I am pretty sure its a Seymour Duncan SM-1n Vintage Mini-Humbucker, the "n" stands for neck.

[elephantcup]

Nice review, but that Seymour Duncan mini humbucker at the neck position sounds like poo.Well, it has a nice sound but not for a 52 style tele.

52 tele should sound like a 52 tele. That guitar sounds like a strat with stacked humbuckers on it.

I have no problem with putting a hotter wound/ stronger magnet (but still single coil) pickup in there, but that humbucker does not belong. If you want that sound get a 69 reissue. Leave the 52 as it was designed. It's a classic guitar for a reason.

[nkmcfrln]

The "humbucker does not belong!" what a load of crap! If you want to buy a 52 tele re-issue from Fender, you can buy one. You might not believe me, but Fender still makes one to faithful to original design. It's true! What do you you think the Hot Rod series is about? Take a look at Keith Richards 50's tele's, Any mods? Oh just a few like I don'know...humbuckers in the neck position? Modern bridge etc. why doesn't he just use one of his 69's?

[ThreeChordGuitar]

Could not agree more with you.

[nkmcfrln]

You are a fruitcake of a fairy! Who would take actual 50's Tele's and modify them with say a humbucker in the neck position, modern bridge etc. and why? Keith Richards? Yeah, Keith Richards to name one great rock n' roll guitarist. Why doesn't he just use one of his 69's instead? Hot Rod's are ready made classics with mods. An alternative to butchering a vintage guitar. Strats MUST be single coil! There must be NO exceptions! You know a lot about guitars and pickups don't you?.

[gungoe]

I would realy like to hear it overdriven. but great review :-)

[ouaquede]

Here is the best demo for the hot rod 52 tele!

[ThreeChordGuitar]

bigger, fatter, larger, etc...

[ShInJiNjI]

whats that riff in 2:07?

[jrmourant]

sunshine of your love

[lecourouge]

Most beautiful guitar ever.

And how did "ass" become an adjective? You fools probably mean "very."

[Derrick7777777]

more like prs private stock

[0Mellon]

Only thing I dislike about these guitars are those tiny vintage frets.

[splitroast]

i bought this baby and it is soooo creamy yum.

[bhar92]

Wow a prety modern tele!! I love it's sound it has something unique!! It is also sooo beautiful!! Thx for the demo buddy :)

[ThreeChordGuitar]

You're very welcome :)

[MaharishiMahaYogi]

Awesome Daddio! My favorite Gitfiddle!

[ic2pa]

the guitar sounds amazing but it so ugly even Ripley's wont belive it

[lezpol4168]

bs- this is the design of the first production electric guitar

[erikfrusciante]

that doesn't mean it's not ugly.

(I love Teles, but that's not the point)

[bugattibowler]

I love the look. Certainly better than the Strat.

[goodguitaristatmetal]

no not stylish sexy

[XXXDDDXXXPPP]

wanna hear a guitar joke?

I broke my G-string fingering a minor

[jclar146]

he loves to jack that neck off like its a penis! look at him go at 1:40 !!

[ThreeChordGuitar]

That made me laugh.

[papaburrrrr]

LMAO ROFL THATS EFFED UP YO

[chaesedoodle]

dude thats an ugly ass guitar

[derricaantonio]

I got this guitar out of Guitar Center, Ft Lauderdale. I loved it from the first sec, but since I am Norwegian, I had to bring it back here to really get to play. The guitar got lost in the luggage, but they say its at the the airport in London. Now I am getting nuts just waiting for the express-car to bring it here, TO ME, as it were to arrive on the next plain. Using the waiting time to watch your videos. The hotrod 52, sigh. Watching this vid makes me want time to go even faster, but thx!! =)

[cj13494]

do u have to oil the necks on telecasters?

nice playing by the way

i am thinking of getting the standard telecaster in natural

comments?

[ThreeChordGuitar]

No, you don't. I have never done so. Std Teles are great little guitars. I am sure you will enjoy it :)

[1FATCRACKER]

Little? Are they smaller than other teles?

[cj13494]

do u have to oil the necks of telecasters?

nice playing by the way

[cj13494]

do u have to oil the necks of the telecasters?

[JJSHIZZ]

Dude, lol where do you get all of these guitars.