I'm a fender Select fan. I recently got a Fender Select Tele and its a very nice guitar. Perfect? no, but very nice. I searched for a while before I found the right one, but I got it. I'm noticing online that some people do no think very highly of the Select series. Not "traditional" enough, chambered, too pretty, too expensive type comments from people writing off the series too quickly . Yet hardly anyone says anything negative about the important things like playability, sound etc. Most of the stores I see carrying them, they just aren't selling quickly.

So why? My Tele is one of the very very few tele's I've picked up that I actually HAD TO HAVE. I am a lover of very fine woods and the upgraded woods on the Select series catches my eye. For the first time in a long time, I'm actually Gasing for fenders. I like different and unique guitars. But while it plays so well (otherwise I could care less what it looked like), I do have a few issues with it.

1. the sticky nitro'ish finish can get on my nerves. This isn't my only high end guitar, but the finish is quite sticky at times, getting better over time though. My biggest issue with it was even when brand new, swirls swirls swirls When in direct light you can see them badly. A trait of the Nitro and their buffing process - I was told by Fender.

2. It is a bit $$$. I have PRS's that are not much different in cost but are quite a bit better in build quality and overall woods.

3. Build Quailty : Good but not perfect. Swirls already mentioned and some minor stain issues around the maple trim and neck heel that shouldn't exist in a 2k guitar. Pay Attention to little details Fender!

4. The single worse marketing/advertising I have ever seen on ANY instrument to date. Select for Select individuals? ugh. Come on, that's like saying hey douchbag, here's a guitar for you? a shame as the instruments are actually very good.

I have actually been gasing for a Select Strat but have a few issues finding one.

1. Tops are too inconsistent. Some are poorly bookmatched, and some tops shouldn't even be considered flamed maple imho.

2. Necks also too inconsistent. Not playability, but the so called highly figured necks just aren't highly figured and quite frankly PRS and others puts them to shame.

3. Why can't I get a SSS with a rosewood neck? Why does the SSS only come in one color? Same story with the HSS. I'm actually leaning towards getting the HSS but can't find one I like yet. I want something highly figured AND plays well of course.

So, I do not know if there is a 2013 Select in the works ,and I do hope there is, but if there is something you would change on them what would it be? I hope they keep the series around. I just do not want a American STD or DLX. Too common, too plain jane. I also HATE "aged" parts of which they have. I am absolutely sick of anything "Vintage", "road Worn", or "relic'd" so I like this new take on a classic.

Nice guitars, but IMO the high price is basically for fancy looking wood. For the playability and sound, the Am Std is just as good, for a lot less $$. Looks are cool, but I'd rather have one that plays well. If you get looks and playability, even better, but I'm not going to pay twice as much just because of looks.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Please take no offense in my opinion here, I'm sure your Tele is amazing, and yes, I'm a little jealous.

It is interesting the number of 'faults' you find in them.

My take on them is that they are too pretty at the expense of better hardware or greater innovation.

The exotic woods and finishes are primarily aesthetic rather than for tonality.

No doubt they are fine instruments and many people lust after them.

Assuming they are better, how much better are they really vs. CS or Am. Vntg. lines?

My own feeling is that there is better bang for the buck in a used PRS comparably priced.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's Fender's attempt to move up-market to attract a more moneyed demographic. Collectors and those seeking greater exclusivity.

Can't imagine touring or gigging with one.

cheers!

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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

No offense here. I'm just honestly interested in what people think.

+1!

I'm a guitarist, not a fashionista.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Haha - nobody's ever called me a fashionista in my life but I guess that's what I must be because I think they're beautiful guitars and I'd be delighted to have one!

Fender do a much more "blue collar" type of staining process than PRS which doesn't highlight the lights and darks of the flame so much, which I think is absolutely appropriate. If you want a "furniture" guitar PRS is the one: to my taste the Fender Selects are mainstream guitars done out in pretty timbers, which I like. All of that's down to personal preference, no doubt.

The one thing I don't care for is the relatively sharp edge radius on the Strat bodies. I get why they're doing that: they are using a relatively thin cap - about five mil or so, I think - for the body facing so that they can bend it down for the "drop top" into the forearm contour. If they then put a traditional Strat corner radius on it you'd be able to see the backing timber from the front all around the edge and they don't like that idea. But I think it would be fine: I've seen that approach on CS Strats and it works fine.

Other than that, I want that maple neck, Cherry Burst SSS and I want it NOW! If that's tarty of me - I don't care!

Cheers - C

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Ceri, you are so far out, you're in! I've never been called tarty. I've never thought of myself as tarty. But you, yeah man, I think you're right on!

Personally, I think you're also a righteous dude.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I guess I also have some of those luddite tendancies, you can keep the fancy stuff, I am more from the Leo School..."for every dollar you have to spend on a guitar, spend $.95 on making it work right, then if you have a few pennies left over, spend em to make it look good!" (yes I paraphrased a bit, but you get the idea).

Not that I don't appreciate a pretty guitar, it's just not me. I just much rather have it work and feel right.

FWIW

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

+1000!

Just as presentation-grade firearms seldom if ever have a round fired down the tube, a dainty guitar that cannot earn its keep doesn't belong in a working musician's arsenal.

Arjay

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I love them all and everyone should be played. Theres not a guitar made that I wouldn,t play at a gig or anywhere. If your afraid to play it out it not for me.

I own a Tele Select and just a couple of comments: (1) the neck stickiness can be alleviated with a steel wool rubdown (0000 steel wool) but be sure to mask off the pickups to keep iron filings out of the pickup cavities!; (2) the tone is FAR BETTER with the stock pickups than any Tele I've ever heard. I played a gig last weekend with it and a former Nashville steel guitar player told me it sounded EXACTLY like Don RIch (Buck Owens band) Tele. These p'ups are darned near perfect, and I say that while having Bardens on another Tele and Fralins on yet another.

Thumbs up in my opinion.

I don't know what Tarty means but it's sounds kinda cool!

So let me ask this.

Is wanting to play a guitar because its pretty any worse then not wanting to play a guitar because its....pretty. I have yet to pick up a Select that did not sound/play well, which is the important thing is it not?

Sound is the really important thing - I have a Select Tele and really like the way it sounds. Okay, it is a bit "blinged up" for a Tele, but I got it as a 50th birthday present to myself so what the hell - you only go around once, right?

I decided I wanted to add a Tele and went through this progression before winding up with the Select: first I tried out a couple of AV '62 Custom Teles (hey - why not a guitar that recreates a 1962 for someone born in '62) but none of them really grabbed me. I tried out a couple of the new American Standard Teles - great sounding but didn't like the neck. Tried out the American Deluxes and loved the neck but not so much the N3s - I guess I'm just not a noiseless pickup guy. I decided to take a run at the Select and that one did it for me. I didn't try out any AV '52s as I had owned one previously - great tone, but U-shaped necks and I don't get along at all.

Now who knows what would have happened if the new AV series had come out in say April instead of August; maybe an AV '64 or AV '58 would have followed me home instead of the Select.

interesting. Sort of the same path I took. Liked the American Deluxe neck, but not the N3's, nor the colors or aged parts. The STD didn't do anything for me at all. I actually had a 2011 Natural for a bit but did not bond with it. But something just feels right and sounds right with the Select so its MINE and going nowhere.