Cheap American Tele/Strat Options

[Vintage_Burster]

Whats some cheap options in the American line for (mainly) the Tele and Strat. Ive heard about those Ash bodies, are they cheap?

Give me some options, Im thinkin about my options for my next guitar; Les Paul Faded DC, Tele or Strat (or keep the money and go for R8, but I want a Single Coil geetar first.)

Looking for good Punk/Clean and decent Rock tones.

Thanks!

[Vintage_Burster]

It says for the Highway 1 it has Nitro, the regular Fenders dont use Nitro do they, so that would probably nice sound, opinions.

[coldsteal2]

We were just talking about this on the MIM thread,
yea seems like alot of even the USA fenders have
poly, but some of them have Nitro finish, and the Highway
1 is one of them. Also reissue models have them.

those are great guitars the Highway 1's!

[Vintage_Burster]

Thanks Cold,

Anyone else like to chime in on some of my questions?

[coldsteal2]

Im not sure, but it could be they have nitro
we were just talking about Nitro finishes
on the MIM thread, you can probably google and
find out

OK here is from the Fender site
"Model Name Highway One™ Telecaster® (Upgrade)
Model Number 011-1260-(Color#) and 011-1262-(Color#)
Series Highway One™ Series
Colors (300) 3-Color Sunburst,
(306) Flat Black,
(367) Honey Blonde,
(375) Midnight Wine,
(Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)

[jomo]

The Hwy ones are surprisingly cheap for an American guitar. I love American guitars, I just grew up around them but I gotta say, my Joe Strummer Tele was made in Mexico, costs more than a Hwy one and should. It is by far the best playing/sounding Tele I've had. And I have a $1500 james Burton.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by Vintage_Burster

It says for the Highway 1 it has Nitro, the regular Fenders dont use Nitro do they, so that would probably nice sound, opinions.

Hey, first off, good for you on choosing a single coil loaded axe first and the R later... specially if you already own humbucker loaded guitars (you avatar is your guitar isnt it?). Better to have a wider palette of tones to choose from than to have two things that while not having the same tone, sound "the same" for the untrained ear.

I would go for a Tele, the standard is prety good, the hot rodded tele is great...

There are cheaper options in the made in America lineup, like the highway one... BUT, the finish in the h1 is nitro and satin. If you even look at her in the wrong way, it will show in the finish. I tell you this because I am in the hunt for another Tele (bursted) and I tried the h1 at my local fender dealer, they had 2 on display, both were full of scratches while other fenders didnt have scratches at all or had some but not as noticeable as the ones on the higway one lineup (2 teles and 5 strats, all looked the same).

Highway ones dont come with a cases, and seeing as they are that delicate, you will need a case.

I would go for either a standard or a deluxe... but the deluxe has so many upgrades and ad-ons that it is no longer "a tele" or "a strat" it is a super tele or a super strat.... and for that there are tons of cheaper options.

Another option is to buy a used American tele or strat (any of the special limited editions, most are very good and truer to the original design), but thats if you are into buying used (I'm not)

Hope you find the one that stuits you best soon.

Just my 0.02

[overdriver]

IMO the new stanard MIA strats and tele are a good price at 1000. ASH is more exspensive than the Alder. All MIA Ash bodied guitars have a premium ? 100$ than the same model in Alder. The H1s are the cheapest but IMO the standard is worth the little X-Tra comes with a great case as well.

The finish thing well the H1s use nitro thin nitro satin finish and the Standards polyurathane make a difference in sound IMO NO! in looks Yes, I disslike satin finishes. Whatever.

[Thundergod]

+1

The standard is well worth the extra cash.

[Vintage_Burster]

I really like that Ash one, the nice blonde with the grain showing. Isnt that what you have Thunder?

Its fairly cheap too. Can Tele's handle punk? (I know they can handle cleans...amazing sound.)

[brettk7]

I recently bought a Highway-One Telecaster... And I wasn't very happy with it in the long run. It sounded good, the pick-ups were kinda "hot" and I liked that... But, then I would play other Teles and it just seemed like the pick-ups in them sounded more like a Telecaster should.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my Highway-One and I played it a lot. But, it had its faults. The finish was the main thing (thats what makes it a highway-1... and the pick-ups). EVERY little thing is gonna show up on the soft finish of it. That gig bag? Thats a joke, if you get one and plan on using it for anything other than strictly home playing... Its ok for that. If your like me and you were taking it to band practices, and gigging with it. A case is a neccessity (with basically any guitar though, but the hwy-1 seems really fragile).

It played and sounded good... But, in the long-run, it wasn't the Tele for me. I traded it in for a G&L ASAT Bluesboy, which is a completely different axe... And definitely more what I was looking for.

Not to say it is a "better" guitar than a Highway-One, they are both great... But, I like the pick-ups better (more of a classic Tele sound), it has a swamp ash body vs. an alder one (which I believe is a HUGE reason why my Hwy-1 wasn't that great), the finish is beautiful where as the other one was kinda... ehh. But thats just me. I can't knock it too much because I really did enjoy it. It's empowering to have a "real" made in USA Fender slung over your shoulder. But, if that is the thrill your looking for... There is guitars that do it better, and do it with finesse. But, if its all you can afford? I say look into the G&Ls, MUCH higher quality, they look better, and their cheaper than the hwy-1s.


Although, I will say this... If I could of just went out and bought that G&L, instead of trading the Tele in on it. I would have both just because, but I'm not missing it any to be honest.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by Vintage_Burster

I really like that Ash one, the nice blonde with the grain showing. Isnt that what you have Thunder?

Its fairly cheap too. Can Tele's handle punk? (I know they can handle cleans...amazing sound.)

Indeed mine is a 60 anniversary american ash standard... I think clean tones are awesome, but she can handle distortion... (not high gain... the pickups start giving you noise at more than 6 out of 10 in the gain dial, but I think they will give a good punk tone).

How much are they going for (new) now?

Right now you can get them in natural finish and butterscotch... mine is honey blonde, dont know if that finish is available still, but I really like it.

[Skynyrdpicker]

I'm looking for a cheaper Fender strat (under $1000) so this is pretty interesting. If the highway 1 is no good, what other options are there for nitro finished guitars? I definitely don't want another poly finished axe.

[brettk7]

Originally Posted by Skynyrdpicker

I'm looking for a cheaper Fender strat (under $1000) so this is pretty interesting. If the highway 1 is no good, what other options are there for nitro finished guitars? I definitely don't want another poly finished axe.

It is good.

But, it has its flaws.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by Skynyrdpicker

I definitely don't want another poly finished axe.

Hey man why's that?

[Skynyrdpicker]

Originally Posted by Thundergod

Hey man why's that?

Everything I have now is poly finished, and I don't like the shininess of poly. I don't plan on relic'ing or anything, but I also never liked the idea that in 30 years, my poly finished guitars are going to look like they did when I bought them. Also, from what I've heard, a nitro finished guitar will be tonally superior to a poly finished one, because the wood can breathe through nitro.

[Chupy]

Have it your way
USA Custom Guitars - The finest custom replacement guitar parts available.

[Vintage_Burster]

Well, what I was looking for is the Tele that Justin Sandacoe (sp?) Free guitar lessons - justinguitar.com uses, (as seen here http://justinguitar.com/en/GG-001-JustinsGuitars1.php) its apsolutly beautiful. Im looking for one like it, without those custom mods of course, he says its a Standard USA. I cant find a finish like that, only Natural, but his is more yellow looking...

Oh, and Does Ash have a better sound then Alder (which is standard Tele wood right?)

Someone help!

[Cross Roads]

I prefer my 06 highway to any other guitar I own or have played so far.
Play the piss out of it everyday.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by Skynyrdpicker

Also, from what I've heard, a nitro finished guitar will be tonally superior to a poly finished one, because the wood can breathe through nitro.

I think I read somewhere that my Tele has nitro finish... as it is discontinued now I guess time will tell...


EDIT: I stand corrected, that is my other fender... (a strat), my Tele is kind of a 52' reissue in poly finish.

[hbucker]

I agree with the Highway 1 being a good option. Just be prepared to put some elbow grease into setting it up. The new ones I've seen have left a lot to be desired in this department, which was disappointing because on paper I thought they were the greatest idea! But I guess they're cheap for a reason.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by Vintage_Burster

Oh, and Does Ash have a better sound then Alder (which is standard Tele wood right?)

Someone help!

Originally teles (and I think all fenders) were Ash, due to cost and weight they started making them out of alder. Now RIs and special eds are made out of ash. It dooes sound better, kind of fuller than alder.

[brettk7]

Originally Posted by hbucker

I agree with the Highway 1 being a good option. Just be prepared to put some elbow grease into setting it up. The new ones I've seen have left a lot to be desired in this department, which was disappointing because on paper I thought they were the greatest idea! But I guess they're cheap for a reason.

Mine was TERRIBLY set-up... Some strings were set lower than others, it was just horrible. Luckily the shop I bought it from set the action, intonation, etc.

Originally Posted by Thundergod

Originally teles (and I think all fenders) were Ash, due to cost and weight they started making them out of alder. Now RIs and special eds are made out of ash. It dooes sound better, kind of fuller than alder.

Ash is by far a better tone wood.

I believe one version of the highway-1, has an ash body. I believe it the texas special or something?

[Vintage_Burster]

Well I tried an AM Standard Tele/Strat today. The cleans were great, but I didnt like when they were distorted...May have been the amps (Fender Deluxe, and some metalhead amp..) If only that store carried Peavey Classics..

I may lean towards the Faded DC now..

[Vintage_Burster]

Can anyone get a video of your tele on clean and distorted please ?

[kspeed]

How distorted do you want it? Are we talking mainstream punk/rock distorted, Satch/Vai wail-and-sustain-till-next-week distorted, or maybe Swedish death metal distorted?

I have a 60th Anniversary American Tele I can record for you. I don't have a new American Standard Strat tho - just a hot rodded 60th Mexican and an old