Opinions on *Tone+Playability* of Custom Shop Tele's?

After playing one, I've got the hots for a Custom Shop Tele.
What is your opinion of the Tone, Playability, Quality of these Gits?
I'm leaning heavily toward the '63 Red with factory pickups. These Teles have a rosewood fingerboard.

I have a "Country" Tele & a "Hot" Tele (both w/maple fingeboards) so I have those bases covered. It seems the Custom Shop '63 would fall nicely between these & maybe cover both bases.

As far as value, I'm thinking "used", not new.
Also, as far as the whole "relicing" issue, let's PLEASE save that for another thread.

Thanks,
PG

Never played a 60's era but idid play a Nocaster and liked it a whole bunch
real fat neck and good tone

A good tele........well,put almost everything else in the closet.

What's the opinion of the Fender pickups? Do many folks change 'em out or keep 'em?
PG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by refin

A good tele........well,put almost everything else in the closet.

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+ 1000.000.000

Uh-oh! This doesn't sound good for my guitar fund!
PG

I had one for several years and finally sold it (CS Tele). Never did play it near as much as some of my less expensive guitars.

I just don't see that much more bang for the buck when it comes to CS guitars and I own and have owned a few. I doubt I'll ever buy another CS guitar again, Fender or otherwise.

Bottom line is CS doesn't = mojo and is not the end all be all of tone. In fact sometimes cheap guitars possess a "unique" quality that you will not find in "high end" models....just ask Hound Dog Taylor.

I have a CS '63 RI Relic Tele in dakota red, RW board and it is all that.
I have a MIM 50's reissue that has been my main tele for about 6 years, previous ones were also MIM or MIJ.
I think this is the first American tele I've owned aside from a Highway One for a short time.
Custom Shop guitars are definitely in a different league altogehter.
I have to change out the vintage wiring with the cap on the neck setting. I got nothing going on there no matter what I do.
But rewiring instructions are included as well as parts and it's pretty straightforward.
Plug one into a Victoria and you won't go home alone.

Can't speak for the Tele's. But, my 2001 '60 relic Strat is by far the best playing/sounding Strat I ever owned/played. It's so good, I sold my "real" 1960 Strat soon after purchasing it...

Closest I've had to a CS Fender was my '06 EJ Strat.

I chose my #1 Tokai/Fender Partscaster over that guitar but installed the pups and bridge in the Partscaster when I parted out the EJ.

My CAR Tokai body w/a Fender JV neck is still the best Strat I've laid hands on. It just works for me.

I've had quite a few CS Gibsons over the years and sold them all.

Some were very nice but none were better than my lowly LP BFG which, after a few tweaks, is damn near perfect for me.

I think great guitars can be had in just about any price range. It's just a matter of playing a bunch and keeping an open mind.

I know from experience that the price tag has nothing to do with how well you'll get along with any specific guitar.

I'lll concede that you may find fewer duds among the higher end gear, but there's no guarantee at any price level you'll get a great guitar.

Unless I can play it first and it screams "take me home", I'd pass on a CS guitar.

If you can steal it and turn around and get your $$$ back or make a profit, then by all means have at it!

JMHO YMMV

Most of the CS models are good but they are way overpriced.

There is no excuse for a CS Nocaster to cost more than a Historic CS Les Paul.

The raw materials in a 52 USA Fender ri probably cost within 10-25$ tops less than the CS but the CS is 2 x's more.

I have had to change the pickups in every CS Fender Ive owned to make it sound right and you shouldnt have to do that on a top of the line model from any guitar maker.

I think CS Tele's are in general very good guitars but, perhaps even more so than their Strat counterparts, you do have to go through quite a few of them to find the "magic" one.

My recipe to start with is simple:

- very light weight Swamp Ash body, the lighter the better (in my experience, virtually all sub-7 lbs Tele's I've played were tonally better than the avg)

- thick, baseball bat maple neck. I personally think a Rosewood board does not belong on a Tele.

- brass saddles. BIG impact on tone!

This said, I did not find much difference in regular CS Tele's vs masterbuilt, and in the end I settled for a 6.6 lbs tone monster with a neck HB.

I've never played a custom shop. But at 62 I've played plenty of vintage ones. Frankly none of them sounded any better or worse than the new ones. A Strat or Tele is exactly equal to the sum of it's parts. Everything else is hype. And hype is very expensive.

My Mark Knopfler signature strat is "nicer" (fit, finish & hardware) than my 80's MIJ Standard strat, but to me, the MIJ is more playable. ( maybe I just prefer maple necks & smaller frets)
My Squier 50's CV Tele smokes my brother's Fender MIM Tele.
Price doesn't necessarily equate to a better playing instrument (although of course it should generally).

Oh yes, and the dings hurt more on the expensive ones!

I played a Custom Shop Tele Relic in a small shop in Tampa JUST TO COMPARE IT to the guitars I could actually afford, but it was sooooo awesome sounding I knew I had to have it. I left without the "overpriced" gem that day, but went back the next day and bought it. No regrets, it is one of my finest guitars (and I have some NICE ones) Does CS = Mojo? You tell me:

Custom Shop Heavy Relic Tele: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJjBC...eature=related
and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oEi..._order&list=UL
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’04 Fender Custom Shop ’56 Stratocaster Relic RI 50th Anniv. Aztec Gold
'10 Fender American Select Mahogany HSS Strat
'07 Fender Custom Shop Vintage Heavy Relic HB Telecaster
'03 Gibson ES-345 RI
Schecter California Custom Hellcat
’10 Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Stratocaster (Fender CS ’69 /Candy Apple Red)
’10 Squier Telecaster w/Bigsby (Fender CS Texas Specials/Candy Apple Red)
’09 Squier Stratocaster HSS Standard (Pearly Gates HB/SSL-1/SSL-1/Silver Sparkle)
’02 Squier Bullet HHH (S. Duncan: Little ‘59/Duckbucker/JB Jr. /LockingTuners)
’10 Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar HH (Fiesta Red)
Breedlove AD25/SR Plus Acoustic

Yamaha S90XS Keyboard

Quote:

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Originally Posted by refin

A good tele........well,put almost everything else in the closet.

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Except for the Esquire! But yep, there's good Teles and then everything else. I have to use a Strat for the Surf band. It feels like a dump truck after my Teles.