>>>> Mark Bedingfield <atari030@nomorespamplease.optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>>>> I wondered how you got on with that;-)
>>>>
>>>> dvaoa wrote:
>>>>> (had guests from out of town with us, so I didn't get a chance to put
>>>>> it through the ringer yet...take this review with a grain of salt).
>>>>>
>>>>> Picked up the guitar last Thursday:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://store.guitarfetish.com/xvsoashtrrof.html
>>>>>
>>>>> I know, how can I get a tele-style guitar without a maple
>>>>> fingerboard...truth is, I can't stand maple fingerboards. Don't like
>>>>> how they look or feel. I've always been a rosewood/ebony guy.
>>>>>
>>>>> Real quickly:
>>>>>
>>>>> Grade: B
>>>>> The guitar looks and feels very nice. Mine came a little darker, more
>>>>> "woody" than "honey", and the grain on mine is definitely more
>>>>> pronounced. I like that. It makes it look gritter, for what it's
>>>>> worth.
>>>>>
>>>>> Pros:
>>>>> -The neck (my main concern on any guitar), is very nice. The
>>>>> fingerboard is smooth, and all the frets checked out for evenness with
>>>>> my fret checker. The frets could use a polishing/buffing, but are
>>>>> playable as is. No fret ends sticking out. Able to do nice deep
>>>>> bends very easily.
>>>>> -Nice graphite nut, smooth nut slots (see Cons)
>>>>> -Very good fit/finish/construction, doesn't look/feel *noticeably*
>>>>> inferior to a Fender Strat. Purists may differ. I'm not a purist.
>>>>> -Bridge pickup: I'm guessing they plunked in their standard GFS Tele
>>>>> pup set (alnicos), but the bridge pup was a revelation to me; it does
>>>>> SC tele pops & quacks nicely, but it overdrives and distorts as well
>>>>> when pushed without getting muddy. Very articulate but ballsy.
>>>> I put these in my Squier;
>>>>
>>>> http://store.guitarfetish.com/re19tealbobr.html
>>>>
>>>> http://store.guitarfetish.com/altenepiclch.html
>>>>
>>>> Are any/either of them in yours? I'm stoked with the bridge pup, VERY
>>>> Tele in sound. The neck isn't near as loud, but that's just a Tele
>>>> problem. Next time I build a Tele I think I'll drop a PAF in the neck.
>>>> Yes I know, I'm foregoing my puritan single coil loving ways. From what
>>>> I can see its the only way (besides actives) that you can get a good
>>>> balance between neck and traditional Tele ball busting bridge.
>>>
>>> Mark - just a quick note -- you could also retain the stock tele
>>> single coil slot (neck pup) and just install a tele GFS blade type pickup.
>>> Yeah - they are blade humbuckers but you wouldn't have to route out
>>> the wood or order custom pickguard to fit in the blade/rails type neck pup.
>>> I think GFS has 2 types Tele neck blade/rails. One is lower k vintage sounding
>>> and the other is higher wound beefier.
>>> http://store.guitarfetish.com/singlecoil.html
>>>
>>> they have them for import size and american standard spacing.
>>> I do not have personal experience with these though.
>>> I decided on other pickups but just a reminder to you about
>>> the tele 'blade' pup options out there.
>>>
>>> sorry for busting into the thread.
>> Tele;-). Still a puritan at heart. I was thinking of something like this;
>> White bound slimline body, rosewood fretboard and black guard. Mmmmm
>> Tele;-) Yeah, I know, you don't like Rosewood on a Tele. But hey, its my
jtees4
RichL
