I was at Guitar Center a few days ago exchanging an amp with a busted speaker, and I noticed that they still had an Empress Tele from last year in stock! About six months ago I was in there playing literally every Tele trying to decide if I wanted to get one or not (ended up with a Highway One from another store) and testing out some Mojo Hand pedals. Out of all the guitars I played that day, the Empress was my favorite. But carrying a $1400 price tag, I had to leave it and move on.

But things have changed a bit since then. My Highway One Tele gets almost as much playing time as my Custom Strat at home, and a little more live since it cuts through the mix so well with the band I'm playing with (the other guitarist plays a Strat on the neck pickup, which used to be my thing). Also, going from having three guitar students to thirteen guitar students has put goals like cars and college within the hope of attaining. I also play paying gigs now at least once a week, most of the time more. All in all, things are looking up.

Now Guitar Center has their remaining Empress stock marked down to $1099, and it proved too tempting for me to forget about it again. I stopped back in this afternoon with my Highway One for comparison and played the Empress again for another hour or so. The Empress is made of a kind of wood with a hard to remember, fancy name that is super lightweight. Which is excellent for me considering I spend about 6-14 hours on my feet gigging every weekend. I'm not old, but I'm a short, 100 lb girl who loves lightweight guitars.

Tonally, the Empress sounds to me like a solidbody guitar with a little bit of semi hollow character. It doesn't have the same bite my Highway One does, but it has a really resonate tone that reminds me a little bit of a thinline Tele in some ways. The pickup height was about half of what my Highway One's is, so when I raise them next time I'm in the shop it should have the same sort of punch that is what helps it cut through the mix. I played a four hour gig last night (plus a half hour encore), and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to trying it out live! My shoulder was sore by the end of it, and my Highway One Tele and Custom Strat are both lighter than average guitars already.

So anyway, I ended up spending the most money I've ever spent and taking the Empress Tele with me when I left the store. The sale price already was $1099, but I talked to one of the guys I've known from Guitar Center for years (literally since I walked in two weeks after starting and bought my first amp) and he was able to sell it to me for less than $100 above GC's cost and I walked out with it for $1100. I don't have a problem with them making a profit, and I got a discount on top of another discount so I'm pretty happy with it. I'm also selling off a ton of gear to make it work, but even so it looks like my car buying venture is going to be delayed by a month or two!

I've also already played it on a gig! I went straight from Guitar Center to play a church gig with it today. The real test will come when I play it live with my band this weekend though, so I'll see how it goes then.

And lastly, what no NGD thread would be complete without. A picture!

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Money well spent. It is a beautiful guitar and a good Tele is a little bit of heaven. It will last much longer than a car and hold its value much better. Taking care if your body is important too.

Enjoy.

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I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz

Congrats!! Nice catch!!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

An Empress Model tele..how fitting for you to get one Nice looking guitar...Keep on picking

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Congrats Texas! Cool story and photo!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Congrats texasguitarslinger, that tele is beautiful! Very easy on the eyes. I'll bet it sounds great!!

Congrats on getting such a lovely guitar and in the classic colours of Blonde and a maple fretboard.You will make her sing sweetly too,I'm sure of that.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Very nice... love the color!

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Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs

If memory serves I believe it might be Paulownia which I think might be a little cheaper than Alder and Ash and is comparatively new in instrument making.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

from what ive read, it seems like fender finding a way to use cheap wood with a fancy name and charge a lot for it. apparently in the US its an invasive species and it grows quickly, so theres lots to get rid of.

however i have held one, and it was very light and comfortable, and depending on which side of the tonewood debate you side with - whether it matters or not - a light, comfy guitar that looks and sounds like a tele has to be a winner. i just think charging loads of money for it is a bit cheeky.

apparently the wood is silver-grey - id like to see a naturally finished one

ps - apparently the wood is VERY enticing to wood boring insects, you could end up with a Francis Rossi hole in your tele

That Tele looks exactly like the one in "Crossroads". I've always got that movie in mind for some reason.

Good choice ! Congrats !

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A-man

it's a beauty! if you get a chance, check out an eastwood airline 1p sometime. it's super lightweight. since i got mine i feel like i'm picking up a ton of bricks when i pick up the strat.

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~Dan

Yeah, this is the first guitar I've ever bought new from a store like this. So I'm aware that I lost some money when I drove off the lot so to speak. But considering I got to check it out and play it in person (not blindly buying it online), and that I got to "date" it for six months, it's the way I'd rather go. Even if it's cheaper wood, it'll probably hold it's value better than your average alder or ash guitar because it has being one of 500 going for it.

In the places where the paint has chipped, I can see that the wood is more greyish than ash or alder is. Might be interesting to see in 20 or so years...


Maybe they can make one like that and charge extra for being "Bug Worn"!



Those aren't made of wood, are they? I think I remember seeing one come through the shop once and it made of plastic or something. Really cool looking guitar, I'm a sucker for all things overtly retro.

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I'm going to record a brief audio comparison of the Empress vs. the Highway One tonight. The only thing is that I've changed the Highway One's pickups to American Standard pickups, and the Highway One has 10's while the Empress has 9's. So it won't be a completely fair comparison, but I will use the same amp settings for each. I'll post it when it's done!

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