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Post subject: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:55 pm
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Hello,

As the title of this thread suggests, I'm thinking of getting one of these two guitars. I'm just wondering which one is better value for money?

Obviously the Modern player is made in China, and as such may not be to the same standard as the Blacktop. But that being said, I've had many a cheap, great playing guitars made in the far east.

I suppose what I am asking is whether the Blacktop is worth the extra money? Although I do kinda prefer the way the Modern player looks. In honeyburst with a maple neck :-) Mmmmmm. But ultimately, it's all about the way a guitar plays and sounds I suppose.

I'll be using the guitar for a variety of music. Ranging from heavy rock to funky, jazzy stuff.

Anyone have either of these guitars? Or both? Perhaps you or someone you know has had a good or bad experience with either of them.

Some advice or information would be appreciated.

Cheers.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:46 pm
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I think they are very nice teles for the money, one is made in China, and the other is made in Mexico(blacktop). The blacktop has two humbuckers,and the Modern has HSS configuration it looks like. Looks like the Modern would be more versatile sound wise, because of the pu configuration, but its made in China, and personally I would want to pay a little more and get a Mexican made one, but thats just me being silly about the whole thing. I skipped it all and got an American Deluxe, and was done with it.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:31 pm
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id go with blacktop but thats cause i got one but imo the blacktop is worth every cent and with the list price rage between the 2 i cant see why the blacktop wouldnt be better
heres a link to a review i done

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=71184&hilit=+blacktop+review

hope it helps

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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:32 pm
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I don't know anything about the Modern Player series, but I have a Blacktop Telecaster. I got it because I was on a somewhat-tight college budget. The guitar feels really nice and solid -- the neck in particular, for me. Also, I like the tummy cut. And I find the reversed controls great for volume swells and quick tone control adjustments on the fly -- I prefer the controls this way to the normal Tele control setup.

The biggest issue that I had with this guitar was that the stock pickups were a little muddy (I actually liked the kinda-muddy neck pickup for clean sounds though) If you have extra pickups laying around, this might not be a big deal for you. Also, this might be a matter of taste in pickup sounds. The only other issue is that the tone control was more of an on/off rather than a 0 to 10 sweep, but this might of been specific to just my guitar. I swapped out the pups and the tone pot and I really like it. I think it's a great guitar for the money, stock, and I also think it will make a great platform for modifications if you decide to do any.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:40 pm
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Quote:
The only other issue is that the tone control was more of an on/off rather than a 0 to 10 sweep, but this might of been specific to just my guitar


i got a blacktop tele to and i dont have that problem with the tone pot

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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:47 pm
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corpseknot wrote:
Quote:
The only other issue is that the tone control was more of an on/off rather than a 0 to 10 sweep, but this might of been specific to just my guitar


i got a blacktop tele to and i dont have that problem with the tone pot


I thought that would be the case. That shouldn't really be a concern then, hahaha.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:03 pm
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just.tl
just curious what kinda pots and pups did you put in it and would you know if a hipshot bridge would fit on it i wanted to put a hevier bridge on it for a bit more sustain but i not sure what bridges will fit it

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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:48 am
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I bought a Modern Player when they first came out just because of the HSS pickup arrangement. I think it's a great guitar - fit and finish are flawless and I love the solid pine body, gives it a different look and heft. I don't think you can really go wrong either way, but the price difference (after the latest Blacktop price increase) is now $150 in favor of the Modern Player.

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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:43 pm
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@corpseknot I decided to do a minimalist single-pickup thing with it, so I took out the neck pup entirely and I threw on an Esquire pickguard and a SD '59 humbucker in the bridge. The tone pot was a fairly generic one I found at a shop. No idea on the hipshot bridge though.

Back to the original question (sorry for the slight derail), I think that the best thing to do would be to try these out in a shop and go from there. I've been using my Blacktop a lot lately, but that's after a bit of love and upgrades that I intended to make early on. It sounds like the stock Modern Player might be the best for the money, but you might find that the Blacktop is worth the extra dough if you go try it out!


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:24 am
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Yeah, I know it's always advisable to play a guitar before buying. But unfortunately, there aren't any music shops close to me that stock both of these guitars. The nearest one is a good 6 hours drive there and back. And that's gonna cost a bit in petrol money. So I'll be buying online.

Back to the subject, I've just been reading a few things about the Modern player pickups not being very good. Whereas the Blacktop ones are high output, Alnico. I think for play hard rock, that'll be better I guess.

There really isn't much to separate these two guitars. I'm still torn. I was hoping to hear that one or the other was pants. But it seems like they both have their charms. Might just go for the Modern player, as it's cheaper. And I am on a tight budget :?


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 7:54 am
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i tried out a modern player thinline, and a friend has the modern player tele bass.

both are very decent quality guitars. the thinline sounded good, and was made well, but i just didnt like the colours it came in. the bass is very nice, relatively speaking. if i was you, id ignore the label ont eh headstock that says where its made, and buy whatever guitar you think will do the job best.

difference in build quality between mexico and china will be negligible if any at all. i have an Indonesian made Fender, and i cant tell any quality difference between it and my mexican strat. in fact, to be honest its probably better. its got better quality pickups than the mexican thats for sure.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 4:46 pm
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I've played a MP Tele Plus and a Blacktop Tele, and I have to honestly say the MP felt better than the Blacktop, even though the Blacktop was still an excellent guitar and I would recommend it as well. The MP felt like a far more expensive guitar than the price tag indicates. I have a MP Marauder which is an excellent guitar. Fender knocked it out of the park with the Modern Player series. It doesn't matter where they are made, it matters how they play and sound. And the MP guitars are great. When they first came out, I was skeptical, but I quickly became a believer.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 6:00 pm
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rythmking24 wrote:
Hello,

As the title of this thread suggests, I'm thinking of getting one of these two guitars. I'm just wondering which one is better value for money?

Obviously the Modern player is made in China, and as such may not be to the same standard as the Blacktop. But that being said, I've had many a cheap, great playing guitars made in the far east.

I suppose what I am asking is whether the Blacktop is worth the extra money? Although I do kinda prefer the way the Modern player looks. In honeyburst with a maple neck :-) Mmmmmm. But ultimately, it's all about the way a guitar plays and sounds I suppose.

I'll be using the guitar for a variety of music. Ranging from heavy rock to funky, jazzy stuff.

Anyone have either of these guitars? Or both? Perhaps you or someone you know has had a good or bad experience with either of them.

Some advice or information would be appreciated.

Cheers.


Did you get one after? if so what one? :P

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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 6:55 pm
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corpseknot wrote:

Did you get one after? if so what one? :P


Hehe... I did indeed end up getting one, but only earlier this week. The Modern Player in Honeyburst, and it's an absolute gem :D I Actually used it at band practice for the first time today, and was just thinking how awesome it is. So it's a bit of a coincidence that you posted this today, seeing as this thread has been idle for over a month.

After I started this discussion (a while back), I went away and had a look at some other guitars. And to cut a long story short, I bought a few different guitars online (including a Gibson Les Paul Studio and an SG Standard) but just wasn't happy with them for various reasons. So I returned them.

So yeah, it's a few months down the line and I finally decided to try one of these Teles, and it's awesome :) Everything about it. I love the feel of the neck in particular. Plus, it looks good enough to eat. I'll have to resist that temptation though.


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Post subject: Re: Modern Player or Blacktop?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:33 pm
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rythmking24 wrote:
corpseknot wrote:

Did you get one after? if so what one? :P


Hehe... I did indeed end up getting one, but only earlier this week. The Modern Player in Honeyburst, and it's an absolute gem :D I Actually used it at band practice for the first time today, and was just thinking how awesome it is. So it's a bit of a coincidence that you posted this today, seeing as this thread has been idle for over a month.

After I started this discussion (a while back), I went away and had a look at some other guitars. And to cut a long story short, I bought a few different guitars online (including a Gibson Les Paul Studio and an SG Standard) but just wasn't happy with them for various reasons. So I returned them.

So yeah, it's a few months down the line and I finally decided to try one of these Teles, and it's awesome :) Everything about it. I love the feel of the neck in particular. Plus, it looks good enough to eat. I'll have to resist that temptation though.


sick good to hear you like it lol might have to try to get myself one lol cant go wrong with a tele :D

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