2009 Fender Telecaster USA Standard Guitar Review Scott Grove

[chadnips]

i think they they are quite pretty :)

[groovydjs]

@chadnips That they are. I've never been a big fan of the sound, but this particular one is a beautiful axe.

[chadnips]

@groovydjs im looking for an electric guitar to strum, but im not interested in a jazzmaster or jaguar because my bandmate has one. so im tihnking about teles

[groovydjs]

@chadnips Do you not like the guitars they have or do you just not want to be playing the same guitar? The Telecaster is one of my personal least favorite guitars. They are a lot of other people's most favorite guitars. What is it that you are looking for in a guitar? Fender's are generally not of the best quality around and are one of the most out of tune sounding guitars (especially Telecasters). So, just trying to get a feel of what you really want from a guitar.

Thanks,

Scott

[chadnips]

@groovydjs i just dont really want to have the same as him, i really want one i can jam out on, like built to spill/dinosaur jr style as our music we create is similar

[groovydjs]

@chadnips Yep, both of those bands are VERY TELECASTER sounding bands. I would say that my favorite Telecasters would be the Aerodyne and the James Burton Signature models. A TON of folks are going with the cheapo Squier Classic Vibe 50 Tele's right now. They are pretty much as good as all the other Tele's being built right now, they play better and sell for 1/4 th price. That is one axe that will 100% deliver THAT tone and you can afford to beat the hell out of it for sure.

[jeraldsrestoration]

yeah! i could C about that messing up the tone. I guess the switches would be the best huh? get u some big chrome ones. I don't no Y they can't borrow from Morley & make a good volume control. I don't no lol. These guitar companies should hire us 2 build they're guitars huh?

[groovydjs]

@jeraldsrestoration No douby Jerald. These companies are just total morons. I don't know what goes through their heads. lol Actually, every issue that could be addressed has been solved with aftermarket parts and they work, but nobody will just put out guitars with EVERYTHING FIXED on them from the get go. Flippin' Guitarded people anyway. I really don't get it.

[jeraldsrestoration]

Scott. After i get my custom strat done. I got 2 do a Tele with the Silvers as well, have the bridge pickup straight and not angled. Instead of switches use on/off knobs 4 each pickup & TBX. Sounds good huh? Metal nut. That's country music. There is u another idea 4 a build lol.

[groovydjs]

@jeraldsrestoration That does sound very cool. I hear you on the whole angled pickup thing. Those being straightened out as they are on all of my Gibson Corvus III's really make a difference for the better. Makes sense. The volume knobs only concern me for the tone loss as soon as you touch one, it just really kills the tone like crazy. Maybe you can find some pot values that won't mess up your tone. That's the only reason I don't use any knobs on my custom built guitars.

[NotoriusWhitey]

Hi, I was wondering, out of all the guitars you have played which one plays, sounds, and feels the best to you?

[groovydjs]

@NotoriusWhitey My Custom made, white Iceman style wins in every category by a LONG shot. But, as far as off the rack guitars......my choices may surprise you. I would honestly say that the discontinued, super cheap PRS SE EG wins in every category over every other guitar I've ever played or owned. And that has been over 2,000 guitars. They are just insanely perfect guitars. But only the stop tailpiece ones. The whammy equipped ones just don't cut the mustard for whatever reason.

[NotoriusWhitey]

@groovydjs Okay i'll check it out and what pickups do you have in your iceman?

[groovydjs]

@NotoriusWhitey I use 3 single coil Silver Lace Sensors.

[domeee11]

Hey Scott. should i get this or Gibson LP 50s?

[groovydjs]

@domeee11 2 VERY different guitars. It REALLY depends on the music you're playing, the feel of the guitar you like (scale length) and if you don't mind the headstock of the Gibson popping off the first time it gets bumped. lol So, let me know what kind of stuff you want to do with it or what you expect of it and I'll be more than happy to toss in my 2 cents.

[domeee11]

@groovydjs i like to play Queen, GnR, and songs like that, btw im thinking of Gibson LP Faded series or this Fender Strats or Tele probably.. btw what do you mean by headstock of Gibson popping off the firt time it gets bumped? sorry not a native speaker here :/ thank you!

[groovydjs]

@domeee11 Gibson has always been known for the necks of their guitars to break. It happens to most of them if they ever get knocked over. Then you have no choice but to sell it for parts or to have it repaired for a lot of money, but it will never be the same again and you will never be able to sell it for much money. But, it happens all the time. This doesn't happen to Fender guitars. If you are into the humbucker pickups of the Gibsons, you can find Fender guitars with humbuckers too.

[domeee11]

@groovydjs dam,, its kinda hard which brand to choose :(( still in dilemma and i thought i'd start something cheap like epi LP (?) what are your thoughts of EPI LP Standard?

[groovydjs]

@domeee11 I find the Epi's to be horrible. There are amazing quality guitars out there that smoke them and pretty much anything on the market for $200.00 Most of them are "vintage" axes too. Ibanez Roadstars, Pretty much any 80's Washburn, Aria Pro, Yamaha,Fernandes, Kramer, PEAVEY, Vantage. They all will blow away a modern day Epi. Give some a look.

[avafreak252]

Hey thanks for responding! I just have one question : Do you think these guitars are good for pop/punk style music? (blink 182, green day, etc)

[groovydjs]

@avafreak252 My pleasure my friend. Yeah, the single coil guitars like these are great for that kind of stuff. They put just enough jangle into the sound so that they don't sound all dark like Humbucker equipped guitars which will generally get you into the Heavy, Heavy, Heavy sounds instead of the cool punk tones. So, the Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar etc are all great for the punk stuff.

[avafreak252]

sounds really good! nice playing

[groovydjs]

@avafreak252 Thank you very much! This Tele is one of those "must have" guitar in a collection. Just a great USA Tele with that classic, natural finish and stock, black pickguard. They did a nice job on this one.

[TonyManns]

I am very much liking my new Tele! Love the tone! It does what it was designed to do very well. Great twang, slightly "harder" tone than a Stat, which has it's place. I enjoy the multiplicity (is that a word?) of tones available from the various guitars "out there". I have over 30 gee-tars now, and almost all of them sound slightly different.

Fun stuff!

[groovydjs]

@TonyManns Awesome! I'm glad you are getting the tones out of it that you fully expected from it and YES, I'll count "multiplicity" as a word. lol I think there was a movie with that title actually. You are getting quite the stable of guitars then! Good going! When it's no longer fun..........you're either dead or you're Esteban. lol

[Daavoid]

Hey Scott, could you please tell me your overall preference on Strandard Stratocasters vs Standard Telecasters?

[groovydjs]

@Daavoid Sure enough. Strat every time. There's so little to like about the Telecaster, in my opinion of course. Yeah, famous people play them, but famous people also kill themselves. lol So, there's this......Stratocasters have more pickups, so more tonal options. They are curved for comfort on the front and back so that they don't dig into you like the sharp edges of a Telecaster. So, I never understood why someone would choose less options and less comfort for the same money. Thanks.

[skyhawk0005]

@groovydjs hey scott. i was wondering what the most inexpensive telecaster that still sounds good. i play blues, rock, and some country. Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

[groovydjs]

@skyhawk0005 You can go up to over $100,000.00 if you want to. It really depends on what you are looking for in a Telecaster. There are more versions of it than you can possibly think of. Humbuckers, Single Coils, Half and half, 3 single coils, 3 humbuckers, P-90's and more and more options to consider. So, if you let me know what kind of pickup configuration, whammy bridge, modern bridge, vintage bridge, Bolt on neck, set neck, neck through etc. We can find one for you.

[TonyManns]

I need to stop watching your guitar reviews! I've bought two guitars in the last month (so far) mostly due to your reviews of them. LOL

As a guitar collector I realized that I didn't have any Telecasters. Les Paul, Strat, and Telecaster should be no-brainers for a collector. I have a red-flame JB Signature Tele on back-order, and I just now ordered a natural American Tele with maple FB. The sickness continues. ;)

[groovydjs]

@TonyManns Oh mercy, you should let me pick up half the tab then if it's my fault. lol You'll be getting two great axes for sure. I love being sick! You'll have to post them on here for me to see when you them both in!

[gibsonsg995]

hi! is this tele great for country stuff?

[groovydjs]

@gibsonsg995 Most people will tell you yes, but they are all followers that are just doing what folks have done since the Telecaster came out. It's always been Telecasters for Country players and Gibsons for rock players. There are tons of guitars that sound a lot better than a Telecaster for country. Then again, there are tons of Gibson guitars that sound better for country. 90% of your tone is in your hands, the rest is in your gear. A hardtail Stratocaster, there's a real guitar.

[groovydjs]

@cclark775 My pleasure, let me know how you like the amp.

[groovydjs]

@cclark775 Sure enough. I use Johnson Millennium JM150's. I have a review of them on here if you would care to check them out.

[groovydjs]

@cclark775 Many thanks! One of the very few 2 pickup Tele's that I personally like.

[MarvelousLight10]

Why so hard on Telecasters?  They're amazing.

[groovydjs]

@MarvelousLight10 Not really. They are amazing if you think they are. As far as being an amazing guitar in terms of being versatile and even slightly possibly to get in tune and so many other aspects, there are SOOOOO many beter Tele shaped guitars out there other than the Fenders. Sure, famous people use them, famous people also use Silvertones. It don't make the guitar any better. Fender is just not a great builder of great guitars is all. There are much better to be had.

[MarvelousLight10]

@groovydjs I respectfully disagree. Fender has had the Telecaster in production for over 60 years and the Strat for over 50 years, I believe. I think they have an idea of what players want to hear and feel in a guitar. But you can't deny that a Tele is a great instrument for the price. Even the custom shop guitars are worth it!!

[groovydjs]

@MarvelousLight10 Yeah, I've heard this a million times, but sadly you are wrong and won't stop bothering me with this tired thing, so I must block you as I do so many others like you. It's not that I don't care what you have to say, it's just that it simply isn't so and I've got so many more important things to do than address the same statement day after day from all of the clueless clones out there. Have a good one.

[rickbastiaanssenn]

Hey great review! What exactly is the complete name of the guitar? I really want an exact copy of the one you have!

[groovydjs]

@rickbastiaanssenn That is it, just the 2009 Fender Telecaster USA Standard. In natural finish. It's as good as a 2 pickup Tele can be. The only thing that would make it better would be another pickup in the middle.

[scaredypicker]

@groovydjs That's cool. I guess I'll just have to shop around and find a Tele that suits me best. I have been very taken with the '52 reissues in the past. They look very similar to the guitar in this video, but I don't think they have adjustable saddles. Thanks!

[groovydjs]

@scaredypicker That's the best thing to do. They are so very different from one to the other. The '52 thing is just so funky to me also with the nasty 3 saddle thing and the funky wiring that has to be switched to be of any use etc. So, play a wall full of them and the guitar will pick you instead of the other way around. Sadly enough, the one that turns out being the real monster of the bunch will probably be green with pink polka dots or something. lol Best of luck in your search!

[scaredypicker]

Great review man, I laughed when you said "some people like the vintage crap". I'm afraid I'm one of those people :D I may have missed it in the video, but did you say whether the body on this axe is ash or alder. I love the look of the natural finish teles, but I find the ash bodied ones a little too light for my liking.

[Cubekiller04]

Nice i'm gettin one in the summer :D

[groovydjs]

@Cubekiller04 Very nice, you won't regret it for a moment. You'll have to post a video of it for me when you grab it!

[Cubekiller04]

@groovydjs i will do that!

[jorlandsierra]

hi my friend, good review. I have a question for you. What kind of fender is that guitar?? american standard telecaster?? or just standard telecaster?? and how much it cost??

[groovydjs]

@jorlandsierra It is an American Standard and it cost me a grand used.

[jcomshaw]

I just bought one of these, what aftermarket neck pickup would you suggest? for jazz & blues, clean sounds.

[groovydjs]

@jcomshaw None, I wouldn't switch a thing on it. I don't like any after market products. If they aren't right when you buy them, then you screwed yourself. I'm a firm believer in buying one that is right the way it was made. If it's not quite there, move down the line to the next one and the next store if need be. There's more tone in your playing style than there is in your pickups. If you must change it, then I would go with a Blue or Silver Lace Sensor.

[jcomshaw]

@groovydjs Scott, thanks for your reply! don't' get me wrong I love this guitar, as is- but you were so adamant on how you dislike the neck p/up in the video, I thought I'd just ask if you liked something better. thanks again,

[groovydjs]

@jcomshaw Yeah, I would like anything better, but I simply don't change them due to the value going down as soon as that soldering iron hits the guitar. The chrome covered neck pickups on Telecasters almost always suck and a good Lace Sensor would be much better.  I've never heard a good sounding Duncan yet. The Noiseless pickups were Fender's way of trying to copy the Lace pickups and then get rid of having to pay Lace, but they don't measure up, so steer clear of those.

[jcomshaw]

@groovydjs good advice regarding resale value/soldering iron,. by the way, I copped that lick you taught on another video, the one with the 3 string ringing, one bent, it kicks butt, after I got the mechanics down, I found it easy to locate and use on the fly. I just saw another in this video @ 3:25. great playing

[groovydjs]

@jcomshaw Very cool my man. If you ever want some freebie lesson downloads, just shoot me an e-mail at this screen name at AOL and I'll hook you right up.

[MrDre8989]

such a beautiful guitar. played the exact same one with a rosewood neck at the music store and couldnt put it down or stop thinking about it since i played it. in my opinion thats when you know you must have it! picking one up this week. great playing by the way! loved the vid

[groovydjs]

@MrDre8989 Thank you and congrats on your upcoming purchase. These are really a great work horse of a guitar.

[synchroflip123]

wayy to much "gloss finish". especially on the neck they just fucked it up with that u need to let the wood breathe.....

[groovydjs]

@synchroflip123 You sir are a total moron. Wood type, finish type or how much of i there is don't get picked up by magnetic pickups. You really need to stay in school and learn physics and learn to watch your mouth. You are quite worthless. Plus DEAD wood don't need to breathe, it's dead and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a nose. Exactly how famous of a guitarist are you? I'll check your channel, I'm sure you've never done anything now will do anything worth while, other than to die.

[TheXtremeGamer90]

For a rock band what do you advise me to buy? Fender strato tele or epiphone standard? Pleaze reply !

[groovydjs]

@TheXtremeGamer90 Hi my friend. The answer is fairly simple. Find out which feels best for you to play without plugging it in. The next step is that you will be using distortion in a rock band, so find out if you like the sound of the single coil pickups of the Fenders or the Humbuckers of the Epiphone. Then realize that if you liked the feel of the Fenders over the Epiphone, they make Stratocasters and Telecasters with Humbuckers too. So you could go that route. Ask for help anytime.

[jackeescav26]

does it stay in tune



[groovydjs]

@jackeescav26 It stays in tune as good as any guitar does. Tuning instability is only caused by user error or temperature and humidity changes. Of course it won't actually PLAY in tune because Fender doesn't build them to play in tune. Other companies make sure to solve the age old problem with a compensated nut etc. which does a great job. So, all of your standard Fender, Gibson etc. will all stay in tune the same, but will always sound out of tune.

[FaceMeltersBand]

I liked the neck pickup better on the highway 1- (different amp settings, volume?)

I like the 6 adjustable saddles better. I am keeping an eye out for a baja tele

[groovydjs]

@FaceMeltersBand Thanks, yeah....some people think I change settings on the amp for my reviews to make certain guitars sound bad on purpose. It is just from people who have the same guitar that I give bad reviews on. A little inside joke for those losers. lol The Baja is a great Tele, I'll be looking for one of those myself. Gotta have one of everything. lol So, the amp settings are identical for every single review I do. Same tones, same volume, everything is always identical.