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Post subject: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:56 pm
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Hi All,
I was hoping for some advice please.

I'm head over heels in love with the Tele.. Lets say I'm a developing player. Not pro or even semi pro by any stretches of the imagination.
I'm playing a lot of Quo material (i know.. but i'm old) using open G tuning a lot.

I'm in a fortunate position and im looking to buy my first tele. Looking around, the re-issue Vintage 52 seems to keep coming to the surface. Pricing is quite fixed at around UK pounds 1400 / 1500 (which is a lot) and I'm simply asking your input on the following:

1. Is this guitar really that good?
2. I can't find one locally to me to try out, so I would be buying blind. Of course, If off the internet, I am protected by the distance selling. So If I don't like it, I can return it.. but I hoping I love it..
3. Would this guitar take a thicker gauge string, something like 12 - 58 and open G tuning where the low E goes to G and the A also goes to G? Is the neck going to take this strain?
4. The U shape neck. Whats this like to play? I'm currently using a Gibson SG and find the neck very easy on the hands. But my set up is very good also..
5. At 1500 pounds, that's really the top of my budget, is there anything else for me to consider?

Any help would be much appreciated.

thanks


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:04 pm
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I'd say it's worth trying a few teles out, you may find a cheaper model that fits you like a glove. It may also be worth you waiting a while until you can go to somewhere that has a 52 reissue in stock and try one to see if you like the feel of the neck etc, then if you like you can always buy one online once you're sure about what you want.

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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:13 pm
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sjlen wrote:
I'd say it's worth trying a few teles out, you may find a cheaper model that fits you like a glove. It may also be worth you waiting a while until you can go to somewhere that has a 52 reissue in stock and try one to see if you like the feel of the neck etc, then if you like you can always buy one online once you're sure about what you want.


Steve,
Thanks for the quick reply, especially at this time of night.
I sort of agree with you on the hold off and try before you buy thing. I'm in no desperate rush, except for i'm normally the type of guy that takes a gamble after a lot of researching.. if you know what i mean, but this one, I want to get right.. hence the questions I suppose.

I think it would help knowing which range or models are considered "good quality" tele's. That would help for a start. There seems to be a massive array of special this, special that, custom here, custom there.. it's all very difficult to pin down as a newbie..

Is there a golden rule of thumb about Fender quality in general..
Years to avoid?
Ranges to avoid?
etc..

Again, thanks for your reply.

Roy


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 7:22 pm
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As a Tele newbie jumping in with an AV '52 is really jumping in the deep end. It's going to have a fairly thick "U" shaped neck that is narrow at the nut with small frets and a fairly round 7.25" radius fingerboard.

You don't say what kind of SG you have, but most SG models these days have Gibson's 60s/slim taper necks which are often say .800 to .830 at the first fret and about .880 to .930 at the 12th fret (but Gibsons have a ton of hand shaping and are all over the place). That kind of neck would probably be most similar to the "modern C" neck found on an American Special, American Standard or American Deluxe Tele. The AV '52 is going to feel pretty clubby compared to most SGs.

That being said, you may find you love the AV '52 neck even though it is quite different from the SG. There is no subsititue for playing them.

Bad years? Not really any bad years in the FMIC era which starts in 1985. They did use some veneered bodies in the middle 1990s. Pretty much all the models have been updated multiple times since then; the current AV series came out in August 2012, the current American Standard series (with the upgrade to Custom Shop pickups) came out in March 2012, and the current American Deluxe came out in 2010 (this was the start of the compound radius neck on these, and the start of the N3 noiseless pickups). The American Specials were a new model that came out in January 2010. That's just the basic USA models. There was also the Highway 1 model in the 2000s; it was essentially replaced by the American Specials but they do have different specs. Highway 1s actually had two versions and were made from 2003-2011ish.


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:52 pm
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John C wrote:
As a Tele newbie jumping in with an AV '52 is really jumping in the deep end. It's going to have a fairly thick "U" shaped neck that is narrow at the nut with small frets and a fairly round 7.25" radius fingerboard.

You don't say what kind of SG you have, but most SG models these days have Gibson's 60s/slim taper necks which are often say .800 to .830 at the first fret and about .880 to .930 at the 12th fret (but Gibsons have a ton of hand shaping and are all over the place). That kind of neck would probably be most similar to the "modern C" neck found on an American Special, American Standard or American Deluxe Tele. The AV '52 is going to feel pretty clubby compared to most SGs.

That being said, you may find you love the AV '52 neck even though it is quite different from the SG. There is no subsititue for playing them.

Bad years? Not really any bad years in the FMIC era which starts in 1985. They did use some veneered bodies in the middle 1990s. Pretty much all the models have been updated multiple times since then; the current AV series came out in August 2012, the current American Standard series (with the upgrade to Custom Shop pickups) came out in March 2012, and the current American Deluxe came out in 2010 (this was the start of the compound radius neck on these, and the start of the N3 noiseless pickups). The American Specials were a new model that came out in January 2010. That's just the basic USA models. There was also the Highway 1 model in the 2000s; it was essentially replaced by the American Specials but they do have different specs. Highway 1s actually had two versions and were made from 2003-2011ish.


thanks for the detail.
I think my Tele journey is going to take a bit more time than I originally thought. it does seem there is no subsititue for good old hands on testing.


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:29 pm
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The short answer to your question is: YES!!

A couple of high-end custom luthiers I've spoken to say the AV re-issues are the bast*rd children of the Custom Shop in quality.

I have an AV '57 Strat and there is NO comparison in quality to my Nashville Deluxe Tele.

The intelligent answer is: Only your ear and hands can say if it's the right axe for you.

That means burning some shoe leather and going out and trying as many different model Tele's you can get your hands on before shucking out any Crowns...

Trust me, the Correct answer will come to you... !!

Good luck with the journey, and be sure to report back !!

Cheers!

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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:25 am
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sjlen wrote:
I'd say it's worth trying a few teles out, you may find a cheaper model that fits you like a glove. It may also be worth you waiting a while until you can go to somewhere that has a 52 reissue in stock and try one to see if you like the feel of the neck etc, then if you like you can always buy one online once you're sure about what you want.


Is the guitar you are playing in your profile photo a Muddy Waters Tele?

If so, I used to own one and loved it. Sadly the bridge pup died. I had it rewound, but it never sounded the same to me. I ended up selling the guitar for what I paid for it.


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:48 pm
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paris wrote:
Is the guitar you are playing in your profile photo a Muddy Waters Tele?

If so, I used to own one and loved it. Sadly the bridge pup died. I had it rewound, but it never sounded the same to me. I ended up selling the guitar for what I paid for it.


No it's a classic 60s series and a fantastic guitar, both the classic 50s and 60s teles are great IMHO.

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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:47 pm
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As the more distinguished members state... Yup, thats pretty high end to start off your Tele experience.... When Telecasters first caught my eye I started off with a Squire... just to make sure it kinda felt like I thought it should/would.....it did...

In my VERY humble opinion, the design of tele's are pretty pure and simple, so you really cant go wrong whatever you choose....its all down to what you like specs wise.(try a few and make some notes).

The AV '52's do look fantastic though (I think Ive got my heart set on one next!).... if youve got your heart set on that particular model at the start... and go down a different route, you'll end up getting one eventually because thats the one that caught your eye. :D ....
As long as spending that amount of money wont cause a divorce I'd say "jump on in , the waters fine!"... and an instrument like that wont depreciate horribly if you find another instrument that you just cant live without.


so, IMO...
1. Is this guitar really that good?

It is alot of money, but yes!...

2. I can't find one locally to me to try out, so I would be buying blind. Of course, If off the internet, I am protected by the distance selling. So If I don't like it, I can return it.. but I hoping I love it..

Hmmm... spending that amount of money blind is always a worry but as long as you buy from a reputable dealer I'm sure you'll be fine..... and Im sure you will...

3. Would this guitar take a thicker gauge string, something like 12 - 58 and open G tuning where the low E goes to G and the A also goes to G? Is the neck going to take this strain?

With regards to strings.... as far as I know no tele I have ever heard of has not been able to take 12's or whatever...( I think the tuning you state is called Modal G, I use that a bit) and when I did I used heavy bottomed 11's... I really wouldnt worry about damaging the guitar with them, but you may find that you have to adjust the truss rod to get the correct amount of relief etc...


4. The U shape neck. Whats this like to play? I'm currently using a Gibson SG and find the neck very easy on the hands. But my set up is very good also..

U shape's are pretty 'meaty' but think of it like going down Gibsons 50's profile. The thing is, as far as I know, your SG would have the 60's profile(which is the slimmer of the two).. but it really is something that you could get used to....if your set up's good....like you say.

5. At 1500 pounds, that's really the top of my budget, is there anything else for me to consider?

There are a few models that are similar (looking.. :wink: ) to the AV '52...
Or at least you can get them in that kinda classic butterscotch/black guard thang.

Eg.
AMERICAN DELUXE TELE® ASH
ROAD WORN® '50S TELECASTER
And Ive heard really good things about these....
CLASSIC PLAYER BAJA TELECASTER
or even
VINTAGE HOT ROD '52 TELE

And the good news is there all less expensive than the AV '52....but like I said earlier... a mans gotta do.... :lol:


Anyway hope you get on with Tele's..... it was a revelation to me.
All the best.


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:58 pm
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Paolo101..

Thank you so much for an informed reply. Much appreciated.
As it turns out, I ended up with a America Deluxe Sunburst Cherry Aged.

I'm having the guitar set up this week. I have to say.. it's taking a little bit of getting used to. It is a totally different beast to the Gibson SG special i have.

It's a bit weird (well for me it is, maybe for you pro's it isn't)

When I play Kojak. (It has a name, after Tele Savalas - Kojak.. thought it was apt) I'm not convinced its a good sound. It's quite thin and sometimes lacking sustain. On saying this, I can tell the strings are not new, it looks like the guitar has been around for a little while in the store. So having a good set up done may help it out.
But when i move back to the Gibson after playing Kojak, the Gibson sounds over powering and too loud
So as you can see, I've got mixed emotions at the moment but I hope moving forward the guitar will grow on me as I can see the quality of the guitar is absolute excellent.

For you information. I'm running through a Blackstar HT-5 on o/d mostly. I'm just in the process of trying to find a good quality boost, flange, chorus and overdrive unit. Ideally one unit with say an option to have three effects active. Looking at zoom G3 at the moment.


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:48 am
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No problemo!

I just looked them up and wow.... very, VERY..... cool.

And yup, as ya say... it most certainly is a totally different animal to an SG but believe me, it will grow on you....
With regards to 'not a good sound' and/or 'quite thin and sometimes lacking sustain'....
I would say, remember that youve come from an SG which is a humbucking PU guitar that is made of mahogany and so it will sound different. On that note, you would have to set your amp up differently (the EQ's and the gain structure) to accommodate this, but I still would say dont fall into the trap of trying to make your new baby 'kojak' sound like an SG.

Interesting that you mention effects as well...
when I was doing what you are going through I got a Line 6 Pod XT live(they were brand new at the time! :oops: ) and I could set the different patches differently to accommodate the signal 'drop off' that occurs when going from Humbuckers to single coils...
I havnt used the G3, but I had a look and they look pretty cool for the money!... and im sure it will do what you need it to.
(I love the BS HT-5 btw....Great little amp!)

Give it time.....I personally would have money on you not using the SG as much, if at all, a year from now.

All the best and happy hunting!


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:06 am
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OK.. I've had this guitar for a little over a week.. and WOW.. Its official, I've fell in love with it. It plays so well, the sounds out of the pickups can be varied so much.

I got the Zoom G3 effects pedal and its fantastic for the price. The 40 sec looper with multi overdub facility is a brilliant facility.

I've found my mojo again..

thanks for the information everyone..


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Post subject: Re: Is a re-issue vintge 52 a good choice?
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:57 pm
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uktivo wrote:
As it turns out, I ended up with a America Deluxe Sunburst Cherry Aged.

I'm having the guitar set up this week. I have to say.. it's taking a little bit of getting used to. It is a totally different beast to the Gibson SG special i have.

It's a bit weird (well for me it is, maybe for you pro's it isn't)

When I play Kojak. (It has a name, after Tele Savalas - Kojak.. thought it was apt) I'm not convinced its a good sound. It's quite thin and sometimes lacking sustain.


That is a very nice guitar for your first Tele! Beware they tend to multiply:-)

I've seen quite a few people on here saying that the Am Dx doesn't give them the traditional tele sound that they would have expected, and they attribute this to the noisless pickups that are in it (which I'm sure are great pickups but don't sound the same as other models).

If you continue to get what you call a thin sound well your fatter strings that you were talking about putting on it may make a difference (particularly if you're used to the sound of heavier strings on your SG), also if you want to try tweaking it a bit to get a fatter/louder sound out of the pickups either yourself or your guitar tech could try raising the pickups a touch so that they are a bit closer to the strings.

We like to see photos here, particularly of such a delicious Tele:-)
Enjoy!

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