"The new, improved telecaster"

I've seen that Fender in currently advertising the American Standard Stratocaster/Telecaster as a new, improved model. What are the differances between an old telecaster (e.g. one that was made a year before the update) and a new one?

What year did Fender start making the "new" telecaster? Is it greatly improved over the old one, so that you should buy a new telcaster instead of a mint condition used one made only a year or so before the update?

Were straplocks one of the improvements?

Thanks!

Johnny V, Sweden

My 2002 American Tele came with straplocks.

Considering that the basic design hasn't changed too much in 50 years, I'd say that "new and improved" is more of an advertising ploy than anything. It's common for american products to use that gimmick in advertising. Maybe the neck has rounded edges or they added some new type of switch....I don't know. I doubt the changes..if any...are drastic.

IMO, the design and setup of the original Broadcaster, Nocaster and Tele, have yet to be topped.

The ashtray bridge is vital to the Telecaster's twang. The American Series bridge does not provide it. It's why people like Jay Monterose (Vintique) make ashtray bridges for AS Teles, though he's not using the right material. Stamped, ferrous metal is just vital.

In addition, there isn't a pickup made by Fender today that touches MANY of the aftermarket pickups. Not just Hamels but Fralins, Van Zandts, Lollars, even some Duncans are superior to Fender pickups these days.

I left out noiseless pickups because I don't believe in them, but WFYB.

Fender can call American series Teles REAL Teles but I see them as hybrids...not real Teles.

JohnnyV, to answer your question, Fender started making the "New American Series" in 2000. It replaced the line known then as "American Standard," and from what I've read, the word "New" was just thrown in their to help deliniate between these two lines of Teles. This also allowed them to use the word "Standard" to indicate only their MIM models (so there'd be less confusion between "American Standard" and "Standard").

In actuality, Fender reps have said that the product registration mark was just "American Series" guitars, but several of the catalog companies (Musicians Friend and AMS for instance) misread the product literature and believed the word "New" should appear as part of "American Series." Probably because Musician's Friend is really Guitar Center, and they started doing it too, it caught on to where the word "New" was always in the title of the product line.

What was new was:

• Staggered tuner height
  Delta-tone pots (tone all the way on disengages the tone circuit)
  Hand-rolled fingerboard edges
  More detailed fret and nut work.
  Different cavity routs under the pickguard (allowing for more pickup-type options without going to "swimming pool" routs).
  Different finish options (some would say less options) available.
  $100-200 increase in price point. :)

Some of these features were in fact already in place in the last year or so of the American Standard line, but the American Series line is the put them all together.

Thank you for your answers, I understand better now!