I Played (almost) Every Telecaster To Find The Best One

Check out the exact guitars that were used in today's vid HERE (affiliate):
Squier Sonic Telecaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/k0ZL7x
Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/VmBoLJ
Fender Player Telecaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/oq0jRe
Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/R5yo3b
Custom Shop '52 Super Heavy Relic Telecaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/jrZKMb
The Telecaster is arguably one of the best electric guitars ever made, but what's the best one from Fender's modern Tele line up? We're taking 5 Telecasters, from the cheapest to most expensive and putting them head to head. Thanks to Sweetwater for sponsoring today's video.
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[@wvince8115]

One of my best memories of my dad was when I was playing a beginner box guitar when I was 15 and my dad walked by and said, "we need to get you a better guitar"' With 4 kids, my parents didn't have a lot of money but he gathered up some gear around the house and traded for a brand new 1975 Telecaster with a Vibro Champ amp that very day. I didn't realize how much of a great guitar we got until years later. I have a few other guitars now that I play but I always enjoy bringing out my Tele and playing it. BTW I still have the VibroChamp but usually play through a newer Twin Reverb. Thaks Dad!

[@skurrio4027]

this is a wonderful story. Thank you :)

[@Tracks2Jam2]

Good father

[@le_th_]

Your father loved you and was going to do whatever it took to set you up to succeed. Lucky kid.

[@jcows12]

That's a good dad. I own a lot of gear and always encourage my kids to play any of my guitars (some with a little supervision lol)

[@hollymartins6913]

Wonderful memory and thank you for sharing it with us! It definitely put a smile on my face.

[@WTF-WithTheFlow]

“Guitar players don’t like Tele’s… until one day they do.” It took me 20 years, and I just got one. Then another… I’m now in love. Anyone else have a similar experience?

[@gameoftones77]

Same here, i never liked Tele's, and then I got one just about a year ago and have absolutely fallen in love with them!

[@captain_green278]

idk, for me tele was an ultimate perfect guitar right from the start, absolutely loved its shape and simplicity

[@Ottophil]

I was a gibson/emg guy until i took shrooms in denver in 2019, played a strat into a fender amp, came home a changed man. I have 2 strats and a tele, mostly play clean now

[@nikolaki]

Yes. This is the way it happens.

[@anthonydallarosa8314]

Took me ten years but yeah. It’s been my primary guitar ever since.

[@cDekKk]

You'll never go wrong with the Classic Vibes from Squier. They are great!

[@faethe000]

You will if you get a bad one, which happens often with Squier.

[@stanislavmigra]

@@faethe000yes, Im yet to play good Classic vibe Squier, to understand why are people so crazy about them

[@faethe000]

@@stanislavmigraThere are good ones, but the QC on Squier is so random that you're more likely to get a bad one.

[@stanislavmigra]

@@faethe000 I would not ask this stupid question, if I had not tried like 20 different Classic vibes. Still no luck. ps: I had much better luck with Affinity series, then Classic vibes.

[@innocentoctave]

Do you think that this might be because your expectations for the Affinity series were lower, so you were less likely to be disappointed? @@stanislavmigra

[@rome8180]

For me, Squier Classic Vibe is the best budget line on the market. I have one of their P basses, and it's literally my favorite bass. I like it much more than basses I have that cost three times as much. It looks, feels, and sounds awesome. I've had a similar experience with any instrument I've played in the Classic Vibe series. It's very much worth a couple hundred extra over the cheapest Squiers. They also go on sale quite often, so if you keep an eye out you can often get them for $350 or so.

[@berrybradley6292]

I have a LOT of Tele's, including a 2005 AVRI, and yeah, the Classic Vibe seems spot on. Probably the best deal out there.

[@zachramirez1794]

Can concur! My classic vibes p-bass is one of my favorite instruments and I paid sub $300 for it! And honestly it’s still one of the best basses I’ve played. I’ve tried several American P and J basses but my Squier p-bass just feels right!

[@nikolah.8472]

Disagree on Squier. They have bad quality tuners on their budget guitars. Jack and Danny Copies were half the price with better tuners.

[@WetCatGG]

did u compare it to any sire bass? idk I yet to have seen a CV that is even close to the value of the sires for almost the same price

[@theverseshed]

I have the thinline Squier Classic Vibe 70'sTele. Very affordable and amazing quality - the body and fret-finishing are superb. I de-glossed the neck for my own preference. I also find that the whole guitar vibrates from nut to base of the lower bout. Bought in UK for £360 (I think that's about 455 dollars at current rates). Worth every penny/cent.

[@TheHopefulSilence]

An 80s synth-wavy tune is never a bad idea. Never. This one was really tasteful. Nice work, Rhett!

[@chappie2dope247]

LETS GET A TUTORIAL/RUN THROUGH ON THAT WHOLE BEAT!!! That was awesome!

[@TheHopefulSilence]

I’d love to see it released as a single on Spotify.

[@officialWWM]

Yep, that was really creative and clever. I could never create something like that. Rhett can play anything!

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Sounded like Lapse of Reason era Floyd

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

It was way more like "Avant-garde" which preceded New wave by nearly a decade. Starting in France (Hence the name) where it gained little to no traction, it was exploited more seriously in Germany as part of an experimental scene where using anything as instruments, playing instruments through sound altering devices and in odd ways, and using synths to write and play music specifically for synths and their unique sounds, rather than imitating instruments and recreating classical music with them as was most common. Real instruments were allowed and used for melody if desired, but only in moderation. It was often thrown in with Krautrock, and decades later into New age, which it is not at all, and is entirely different from an ideological standpoint where New age is closely related to some real science of the mind, but more so pseudosciences concerning common or cosmic consciousness and similar nonsense, whereas the German scene (Berlin school) was very anti-conservative political and all about scientific truth and social change based on it over faith based belief and capitalism as a means to power over people and government. In France the parallel movement to Avant-garde was "Electronique" since they separated the two and it did eventually grow a bit. In Electronique the sounds were primarily made electronically, with audio wave generators and other devices that made sounds, and few if any actual instruments at all other than synthesizers. Artists/Bands like Popol Vuh, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre... were all or had their roots in Avant-garde, and Rhett's intro tune here is closest to what Tangerine dream was doing with layers of synths and synth like guitars with a lot of arpeggiation over rhythmic drumming but with occasional melodies over top. New wave (Synth wave is just another word for it) was a deliberately simple and sparse version of pop, still vocal oriented but addressing the "Electronic age" and technologies of the future, and so did use a lot of synths and the first electronic drums and drum machines..., well at least at first. It of course evolved just like any other genre and branched out and cross bread with others. Gary Newman is still making albums to this day!

[@CornedWalls]

Player series are actually fantastic guitars. The thing is, when I went to get one, I came home with two classic vibes instead.

[@joeblankenship377]

You're paying $400 for a $12 decal.

[@marcviola30]

@@joeblankenship377thing I don’t like about this argument is there is a law of diminishing returns throughout all prices of guitars…so the difference between a $4000 custom shop and a $2000 made in America tele is going to be far smaller than classic vibe to lowest model squier…in my opinion, it’s not just the sticker, the neck is far more comfortable, the pickups are better and I prefer a 6 saddle bridge…the classic vibe is great, but the difference does exist it’s just simply not as drastic as a real bottom rung guitar and the classic vibe…now if you want vintage inspired, obviously it’s not a question

[@marcviola30]

@@joeblankenship377and a second point not all classic vibes are great, the jaguars for instance are notoriously sub par guitars in that range

[@olavjorvik94]

⁠@@joeblankenship377If you want 22 frets, the options are very few. What does another fret cost you, on your squier or your custom shop? So there’s that. And I put those 6 individual block saddles on all my fenders. Even my strats. And they cost about 100$. You won’t get those on a Classic Vibe either. Or a Custom Shop, for that matter. I paid what for a decal, you said?

[@negromister]

That is the right choice.

[@eric9867]

I love these videos! It’s not just some review of a guitar with specs. You put so much insight and effort into breaking each model down, from a down to earth view. Thanks to your Strat video, I ended up buying an American Vintage II 61 strat. I absolutely love it… guess I need a Tele now! Thanks for the video!

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

That was one of the best, most concise videos like this I've seen. You covered a ton of ground in half the time I thought it would take.

[@scottie-j109]

No matter the guitar brand, shape, or price point. Some guitars just have that Magic for the player. If it plays in your hands with that Magic and inspires. That's the one for you.

[@qua7771]

Your comment is the one I agree with most here. There are duds in the higher end, and exceptional budget guitars within the same line. Some have "it", and some don't.

[@barrylafratta5720]

yes indeed

[@donbishop6994]

@scottie-j109 2 of my 6 have "The Magic" you reference. My Epiphone SG Classic faded with dual p90s and my Epiphone Matt Heafy Origins 7 string. I'll never ever let them go until I die. They are both forever guitars.

[@revchadbrooks]

One of the things this series has taught me is guitars, regardless of price, sound really similar. That fit and finish is what you really pay for.

[@mattclark1278]

Yup

[@dr123hall]

Feel! And Finish. The strings and pickups relay the player techniques. Money makes maybe a 10-20% better finish, but I have seen absolutely trash axes made to sound heavenly!

[@metalfatigue]

Fret finishing, yes. Wood finishing, no. Unless you spend serious money, the finish is the same poly regardless of price. But some guitars are effortless to play and others are not. You pay for the labor, the stuff they haven't figured out how to automate.

[@realdocloco]

It's more accentuated with telecasters I think. Telecaster have such a strong personality and are so simple that this personality transfer even with the cheapest ones. It's less true with more complex guitars like Les Pauls

[@dorianvedel1910]

I use 5$ headphones, all the guitars on the internet sound the same lol Went to a shop and I did hear the differences...

[@tweakrr99]

Telecaster to me has always been that old work truck that doesn't have a fancy interior and has a weird smell you can't seem to get rid of, but you can always depend on it helping you get your work done without complaint

[@the.communist]

U can say that of most guitars really

[@LiveWireVodou]

Thanks, Rhett 🙏 I’m obsessed with all things Telecaster and this vid is packed with Tele goodness! And your breadth and depth of knowledge is always appreciated 🎸

[@TotalEvo7]

Next stop: Boutique Brands that make Telecaster style guitars

[@LightsaberGoBrrrrrr]

Is glarry boutique? Lol jk

[@TotalEvo7]

Not even Zuri is boutique😂😂

[@JOEDAN56]

One of the best teles I’ve played was a Nash T63. Had a rosewood board and a mahogany body and was crazy impressed. Something I wouldn’t hesitate to get if I had the money.

[@igabo95]

Kaufmann please ❤

[@semyaza555]

Abasi Concepts Space-T

[@wesleythomason2582]

Bought the Jason Isbell for my dad, love to see that I chose well. Actually got it signed by Jason at a concert this summer!

[@jackhargreaves1911]

At last. Someone who says when a guitar feels and/or plays bad. Too many reviews (especially from retailers) are falling over themselves to not say anything negative (through fear of negative consequences). Thank you.

[@_brocklee]

Your editing is getting so good man. Thanks for putting in the effort it is definitely noticed

[@billgreen3629]

I played a Squire last week that was absolutely killer. It had a matte finish, was very resonant and had a great feeling neck. Superb guitar for less than $400 USD.

[@annunacky4463]

I gave up finding an expensive name brand and nicely playable guitar at our local GC. Walking out I spotted a MIM Tele on $399 sale. It was soooo resonant I took it home. Great guitar. Added noiseless pups, and better electronics to take it even further into love land. I’m out 600 total and it is wonderful.

[@danmar007]

According to Wikipedia, "In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. " Did you buy him dinner after you played with him? I can't believe people who pretend to be guitarists STILL mistype Squier. Life is hard for you guys, isn't it?

[@5th4ce]

@@danmar007 You really don't have to be so pedantic about such a small thing

[@norseman61]

A good Squier is seriously hard to beat value-wise, and often times hard to beat…period!

[@norseman61]

@@danmar007I’ll give him the benefit of the “spell-check” doubt. If I wasn’t a stringent proofreader (old guys like me often are), the Squier-Squire thing would have bitten me more than a few times.

[@Yoni168]

I went to the store yesterday and played a Player Tele. It was amazing and I bought it right then and there. It’s not about the price point, it’s really about how it feels in your hands.

[@moddaudio]

I bought a player strat a few years back. Its a great guitar (after swapping the saddles) and it has only gone up in value.

[@Strange_Phenomena]

You nailed it. For me it was around six or so years ago when the Players first hit stores. Found a great one and bought it on the spot. Still have it too, and 3 CVs.

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

I played one at a guitar shop one day that felt like gold...I wish I would have bought it...some guitars just have the magic....and some exact replicas do not....if you feel one you love, take it home...the chemistry is hit and miss.

[@79Pedrosanchez]

I purchased a player series Telecaster in 2019, and it is amazing compared to all the other american made. It really doesn't feel like a squier and much better than the american made ones. Pick ups are great and the neck is so easy to play. I added brass saddles and it really rocks.

[@sicilienz]

@79Pedrosanchez agree with you! I changed to a 3 compensated brass Saddle too

[@michaelhartz9936]

I’ve always loved the look of a tele. Back in 1990 at a local guitar show I was able to get a 1968 tele with a maple cap neck for $650. That guitar is my baby and that neck is increadible. My main stage guitar now is a 1994 Mexican tele that my brother-in-law gave to me. I’ve upgraded to custom made pickups and had a Glaser double bender installed. I love the neck on that one too.

[@tabodee]

You are absolutely correct about the ceramic magnets… The amazingly good for under $20… They have higher output, and give the instrument a vibe of its own. I was at the music store and had an American Professional (with Alnico pups) and a MIM FSR Tele (with ceramics) side by side and I chose the FSR just because of the output worked with amp. Great video!

[@AtlasThree]

Rhett! You outdid yourself with that intro jam. The run you did at 2:33 was phenomenal. This comparison series is one of my favorite series that you’ve done.

[@fanana_bishh]

The best tele I've ever played is my Classic Vibe from 2009 (these came with brass saddles!). Thought I got really lucky with one off the assembly line, but heard similar stories from other players. Almost 15 years later, its my workhorse on tour and in the studio.

[@castleanthrax1833]

Squier CVs are great guitars, and not just "for the price" ( which is often said). I think if I were looking at another tele, it'd be difficult to pass them up.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

Some of them are plated brass. I haven't filed one down to see though. They may look different but may sound the same? I haven't been able to hear the difference between different saddles. Maybe I can't hear as well or play as well. LOL

[@jamesdavid7099]

Same. It was better IMHO than the american teles I played.

[@Cazarace]

From 2009, so they were still made in China (MIC) and they were too great for their prices, most of the time being better than Mexican Fenders and sometimes cheap American ones. I think the quality of the CVs have gone down a lot over the years, which Fender really knew what they were doing as they were making great instruments for a bargain. Not good for business. Now made in Indonesia, they are overrated and more cheaply mass produced. The sad thing is that people still think they're super quality instruments for your buck while this is not true anymore. It's a myth that persists over the years. A lot of them need fixing and a visit to your nearest guitar tech. Or changing stuff, which is bs when you just want to buy something that clicks and works right off the bat. I've tried CVs 50s, 60s, Thinlines, and the Jaguar CV of a friend needed a lot of fixing shit to sound good as well. Too many issues. That's why I went with a Fender Player Series instead. Since 2018 those ones are the real "best for your money". They nearly get to the American level pretty close. (But strangely enough, this is not heard on this video. Maybe a bit biased?)

[@timndel]

This. The older CV's are some of the best playing and sounding tele's out there. Wish they still made them like that- kicking myself in the azz for not snagging the one brought to me at a gig by a fan with an asking price of $300...

[@korak_gl]

I own a tele contemporary one and been playing with it for a year now. Although is not the classic telecaster sound it's increadible versatile (wich it was something I was looking for) and man, I love it. When I do need a classic telecaster sound I just fix some of the parameters on my pedalboard and make it sound quite close to it. Imma turn to be a tele guy probably from this point. Super comfy to play, great sound, awesome pickup output and afforable.

[@amandamarinovich6010]

I'd love to see a non-Fender Tele video! G&L, Sire, PRS, Charvel, etc. I just got a Sire bass and I'm so impressed I'm considering one of their guitars as well. I kind of love that everyone has their own take on the Tele style and it's so versatile that everyone can kind of do something different to put their own spin on it. I'd be curious to see them head-to-head.

[@anziocomplex3021]

I would add Suhr to your list. I couldn't find a Fender that played as well as Suhr's take on a Tele. (They call it the Classic T.)

[@amandamarinovich6010]

@@anziocomplex3021 thanks! I'll look into checking one out!

[@mirllewist3086]

G&L

[@mikesalt8248]

Vintage brand from UK by JHS kill em check em out ! I own 6 Teles. Mexican Standards prior to the Player series way better !

[@sterlingrickman8777]

He did a prs video but he doesn't seem to be a fan. He "Doesn't feel conntected to Prs"

[@AxlTruth]

Is a really nice comparison,I love this format like the one in the Strat. however I would've loved to see how something from the American Professional II or American Ultra line up stacked up in the ladder, instead of a signature model and then straight to Custom Shop dream guitar.

[@roadkill4561]

If it helps, I have the 2017 American pro tele and a 2022 Mexican Vintera 50s modified. the Vintera is my go to over the USA pro. But its horses for courses, i prefer the thick V neck of the vintera over the slim modern C of the pro. i think the custom shop pickups in the vintera sound better then the Vmods.

[@augustomesavila]

This! He didn't play "almost" every tele... he did just 5... and forgot to test the most important ones...

[@PrisonerD]

@@augustomesavila I did this same test at a guitar shop a couple of months ago playing the whole range of teles from the classic vibe up to the relic custom shop guitars and came to the same conclusion, walking out with the Isbell - it just spoke to me in ways the others didn’t including the Am pro II (which was a similar price to the Isbell) and Ultra Luxe. For me it came down to the Isbell or the Ultra Luxe. Funny enough I already have a modern Les Paul standard with a compound radius neck, and the ultra luxe reminded me of that guitar a lot - hence I left with the Isbell as it offered something different. Now I mostly play the Isbell unless I’m playing something that needs hum buckers.

[@picksalot1]

Two of the best sounding Teles I've heard on KZbin had Poplar bodies, with a Maple neck and fretboard. The Ceramic pickups on the $200 guitar sounded quite good. The scratchy frets can be easily fixed with some metal polish, and spraying some Deoxit on the Pots might solve their scratchy performance. If you want a satin feel to the neck, some 400-600 grit sandpaper and 5 minutes of sanding will give you that. So, all in all, I think the $200 Squire is a good deal "IF" you're not sure if a Tele will meet your needs, and are willing to do a little work to find out. With a modern Modeler, you can make a guitar/decent pickups sound like just about anything you want or need.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Rhett I finally was able to finish off this video. Always pressed for time these days. As usual you bring it. As a huge Telecaster fan I was looking forward to this one. Your opinion usually mirrors mine and no exception here. Your analysis is always very balanced and intelligent. Thanks very much. Not to mention your great playing by the way. Keep it up man.

[@bonjovi1612]

Glad to see an honest review. I’ve had a Squier Classic Vibe Tele for over 10 years with brass saddles and tbh haven’t never wanted for anything else.

[@FonchiCampomar]

Dude, that intro was straight from an 80's action movie. So awesome!

[@DDWyss]

Rhett composed the theme music for a new retro cop show called "Atlanta Vice".

[@favoriteblueshirt]

The drums certainly were...

[@DDWyss]

The synth, too. It was perfect!@@favoriteblueshirt

[@RhettShull]

I bought an old Alesis Midiverb rack unit and HAD to use it on the drums lol@@favoriteblueshirt

[@ORflycaster]

@@DDWyss That's exactly what it looked like! As an 80's kid, I was very impressed with Rhett's intro.

[@BobPerrone]

The Squire Classic Vibe series is hands down the best value out there.

[@BobJones-bh9qz]

Best value for Fender* there’s plenty of brands with better value than Classic Vibe. Classic Vibe takes the place of the old Made in Mexico stuff from fender since that line’s way more expensive than it used to be

[@ritesh146]

Sire T3 is a better bargain for $400

[@theEDUCATOR2]

Squier Offset Tele is CV specs for the same price.

[@BobPerrone]

@theEDUCATOR2 I am referring to my experience with my Jazzmaster CV. Other than fret polishing it was perfect out of the box. I haven't played the Tele model.

[@mrkiks32]

Absolutely

[@kurtisbrabeck5270]

Great timing to drop this video right after I bought my tele. I’ve had a few squier teles and some strats and whatever else, but I found a 50’s vintera on my lunch break at a local Guitar Center and fell so in love with it I left with it. It will hopefully be a forever guitar for me.

[@kurtkazeohollstein]

Thanks for comparing different Tele’s. After years of playing my Strat and my Acoustic Gibson. I bought a tele and fell in love with its lighter weight and simplicity of sound. The Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster sounds to me (as well) as the sweet spot in price and quality of sound. I will look into this guitar. Again, thanks for doing the research on this! Love your channel and what you have to offer musicians. Keep doing what you do to help inspire new generations of up and coming guitarists.

[@michael.wiegand]

Apart from you fighting with it, that bottom-of-the-barrel Squier sounded amazing. So much of the magic is in the pickups and the player.

[@frankierodriguez8661]

I agree. I think that if you sand the neck to get rid of the finish and fix a bit the wiring/hardware, for a few bucks you can have a pretty decent guitar.

[@robertgentry9436]

In spite of the bad feel, the cheap one did have a surprisingly fat sound for a Tele. Some of the others were particularly thin and piercing sounding.

[@ZRobertson91]

I bought an open box CV for $240 about a year ago. Didn't look like it had ever been touched by anyone else. I put compensated brass saddles on it and it does great for a hobbyists like me! Great video!

[@greenroom1988]

Cool video. I had a classic vibe thinline and really thought it was junky. It looked really nice but my 2008 mim Tele made it feel like a toy. Thats my small experience but I do keep hearing amazing things about the CV series. As someone who has been playing for a long time and has watched a lot of stuff about guitar on KZbin, I can say you're the most chill player I've watched so far. I appreciate it because gear snobbery is real.

[@guitarwizard1989]

The American Fenders are nice but I think Squiers Classic Vibes are just amazing for the price. I have a Squier Vintage Modified 70's Strat and I absolutely love it. I traded my buddy a 100$ ebay looper pedal for his Texas Special loaded tortoise shell pickguard and put it on my Squier. Put on a bone nut and some gold hardware like Gotoh Vintage style locking tuners and a Wilninson bridge and its just great looking. Its plays and sounds sooo dang good for the price.

[@MesaGuitarGuy]

American Ultra is my fave. The neck is perfect for me, the body carve brings you right in and feels like home. Thank you Sweetwater for feeding my addiction

[@msmoniz]

I own 2 Squier Classic Vive Teles, one a 50s Butterscotch, and a 70s "Keef" style Custom. For the $ they are an incredible value, and I've never regretted getting the Squier versions over the Fender versions as they play and to my ear sound as good.

[@Dreyno]

I have a 50s butterscotch I bought in 2012. It was perfect out of the box. Great fretwork, low action, no blemishes. Sounded and played great. The only thing which would make it better would be a slightly chunkier neck. I find it a bit slim for my tastes and for a Tele in general. But it’s a great guitar. Only thing I changed was I put a new jack in it because the old one kept loosening.

[@wyntje83]

great video, I would love to see a follow up version of this where you put your favorites from this video up against other popular non-Squier/Fender teles. G&L Asat, Harley Benton Firemist etc.

[@srhatfield]

This is a very nicely produced video, Rhett! Great job!

[@jinbyun]

One extra thing you get with the sonic/bullet/affinity tele is the thinner body. It does limit the switches you can use with the guitar, but for me, it feels massively better to hold sitting down.

[@donewithmodernlife]

I have a Butterscotch Baja I bought 8 years ago. It’s a 2011 & is a killer. I was on a hunt for “the” Tele & it came down to the Baja & a 52 reissue. The Baja was the better guitar in almost every way. To this day all I’ve changed was the saddles (Gotoh brass compensated) & the pick guard (put a black bakelite on in place of the warped plastic one.) The bridge pickup in the Baja’s are amazing. Sparky without being ice-picky, fat but tight, just everything you want in a classic Tele bridge pickup. It’s a shame they don’t make them anymore.

[@thechuganuts5072]

Love my Baja telecaster too. It’s a 2015 and I changed the bridge to a six saddle and the pickguard to a matted one. Will never get rid of it.

[@wyattsdad8561]

I bought a Harley Benton TE52 butterscotch color, I installed fender 52 classic pickups, changed the bridge and saddles, new pots and switch, refinished the neck using boiled linseed oil, and it’s my favorite electric. When I refinished the neck I even wet sanded it using the boiled linseed oil with a splash of mineral spirits. Man the neck is smooth. It’s the nicest feeling neck I’ve ever played. The damn guitar was so affordable that I felt I had room to make some good upgrades. It’s got the thick neck of an old 52 telecaster too. Which is surprisingly comfortable to Play. I really thought the fabric covered pickup wires were cool from fender. Old school stuff. Anyways thought I’d share. Great vid, I liked seeing and hearing all the different models.

[@the.communist]

Harley benton are better value than squiers

[@ondrejtregler]

I bought a Squier Vintage Vibe Tele Thinline about two years ago and it quickly became my favourite guitar. Great value for the money. This whole series looks like it's better than it "should" be.

[@ilovejapanesemusic3858]

I bought a Squire Affinity,❤ because it was readily available in the left hand version 😊

[@teleguy5699]

Got the same lefty model. That's why I bought a Mod Shop. During the early part of the pandemic before the Am Pro II came out, there were only 2 Mexican made models available in their whole lineup. Tough being a lefty for choice.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I too was on a hunt for a T-style guitar. I tried dozens. I finally found an LTD TE-254. At first I thought it was just well used, but the guy told me it comes "reliced" from the factory. I had never had a pre-beat guitar before, but this one was just right in all the right places. 3 tone sunburst and the neck profile was nice. Felt like an old, well played instrument. Anyways, it was priced around $300 and it sounded so good. Single coil in the bridge and a hum in the neck. It is now my number one, it's the only one I like playing anymore.

[@castleanthrax1833]

I was going to ask, "Are you sure he didn't tell you that it came from the factory like that?" so he could charge new prices until I saw how much it cost.

[@Strodav]

After about a year, the pots and switch got noisy on my Fender Player Series Tele. While changing out the electronics, I decided to change pickups to a set of Fralin Blues Specials, put in a set of classic tuners, polished the frets and dressed the fret ends. Now, it’s a nice guitar. I really like tung oiled necks instead of high gloss finishes although satin is fine as well.

[@CoreyZ232]

Thanks for that refresher on how to play that Joe Walsh riff! Great playing/composition as always and really making me consider that Isbell Tele.

[@jeffanderson8384]

Recently got a '50's Modified Vintera tele. Very versatile wiring layout, and while I realize this is highly subjective, I LOVE the thick/soft v neck profile.

[@springertube]

I was going to say, if you want a vintage spec at an affordable price those Mexican-made Vinteras (formerly "Classic 50s and 60s") hit the sweet spot--and if, like me, the Fender name on the headstock has value to you...especially convincing the maple-necked (fretboard) "50's" ones versus the recent years' pao ferro "60's" that has turned me off to the Mexican dark(er) fretboards since the initial CITES restrictions caused Fender (Mexico) to abandon the rosewood boards ("60's" spec). Btw, those regulations were rescinded but Fender never went back, with the exception of pricier ones like the Jason Isbell. If you want a relatively lesser priced but true Rosewood boarded Tele (or Strat) with the Fender name on it, look at used Mexican ones, pre-CITES.

[@williamknell864]

The Isbell Tele is great. The blend pot on the relic CS is the nice sleeper touch.

[@musicfingerprints3045]

Thanks for the video!! I couldn’t agree more: I own 2 “high end” MIMs Tele and one is the Jason Isbell one. They are wonderful instruments, the play and sound great but what’s more, the feel great in your hands. They both had minor issues with the nut to be honest, but that’s easily fixable. Don’t think about the manufacturing plant and country. Think about the feel that to you can have when playing! I own the Jason Isbell since a couple of years and I play it regularly!

[@Jackie_Rosewood]

The Jason Isbell is my favorite. I am really considering picking this up. I just watched the collection series from Gibson and Jason is such an amazing player🎸🎸🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@rodrigoteresa7944]

The Vintera Roadworn Tele is the one I own and my favourite so far. Awesome pale blonde colour and feels and sounds so great.

[@gamzer]

As a proud owner of a custom shop 52 tele, I would definitely agree with the ranking here. The Jason Isbell sounds amazing considering its 3x cheaper. Looks cool too

[@gkott78]

Agreed. I own a custom shop Broadcaster and a Jason Isbell. The fit and finish on the Isbell isn't anywhere near custom shop, but the tone is. Its a great sounding Tele.

[@ASM881]

The Doctors and Lawyers have entered the chat. Engage sphincters to “tighten”.

[@guitarjeff55]

Not necessarily, always, but I have lucked out with every custom shop. I’ve had is been very unique and storytelling on its own. I currently have six fenders, which is the most I’ve ever had at one time for them and telecasters, which is usually flip the opposite and every one of these guitars are a blessing not one of them feel play or sound anything like each other I am blessed. Indeed. Thank you Rhet lots of things to learn

[@johnc.8298]

I recently bought the low end Squier bullet Tele because it had strings thru the body and played well with my favorite, the maple neck (Unlike Rhett's model, these frets do not feel like "sandpaper". Yeah, the small pots feel cheap, but that doesn't affect the sound so will do for now. I had fully intended on swapping out the pickups when I got home with one of the two sets of custom shop Fender pickups I own. Once I plugged this guitar into my old 5E1 Fender Tweed Champ, I'm retaining the p'ups it came with. These p'ups have the bite and edge of the quintessential Tele. I'm less ecstatic with the neck p'up but this cheap Squier is a bone fide Tele. I prefer these p'ups compared to my CS Texas Specials Tele set. I've always been a "badge" snob, but I'll play this "Squier" in public no problem. Out of my twenty guitars this Tele along with my Gibson Les Paul are currently my two favorites for gigging.

[@funky_monk_9796]

This 🎯 Comparison videos are often too quick to dismiss the lowest end guitars. Squier make great guitars, some come out better than others, just like any other manufacturer. The Classic Vibe series is outstanding, but Bullets can also be great, like you say. It's all about personal preference for look and feel, and especially the music you make with the instrument. Tone can be shaped and a good guitarist can make any guitar sound good.

[@davidledford3522]

I have an epiphone lp I prefer over modern gibson lp it's a made in Korea model

[@michaelross1339]

Ditto. I bought two Bullet Teles a couple of years ago for fun and was pleasantly surprised.

[@rhk4680]

Your sound settings are so great that it makes it almost impossible to hear the difference between them all… That being said, I have a handmade boutique T-style that is beyond any TC I have ever tried, even the most expensive ones. Talented luthiers should get more credit for their job

[@ryansloan575]

Love these videos. It might've been nice to have a (non Custom Shop) American made Tele. Keep up the good work. Love the channel.

[@chrisfreeman5425]

I picked up a 60s vintera telecaster modified myself. Plays like a dream(has the best feeling neck I've ever had), although those classic vibes really look attractive especially for the price

[@Rico__B]

Great review (and playing). My #1 is the Squier Classic Vibe. Hard to beat the CV value-Thanks for posting!

[@craigbragg2842]

I completely agree with you on the Player's series vs. the Classic Vibe. I have a CV and have played the Player's series, and the Player's is definitely not worth the price difference. Unless you are shallow enough to need it to say "Fender", save yourself $300+ and get the CV. This applies to the CV Strats as well.

[@bassesatta9235]

Having owned both, i do find the fender has a better finish although not worth that price jump. It felt nicer to play with, but CV is really just as good

[@marcviola30]

The neck on the player is superior in my opinion, by a pretty significant amount…beyond that do you care about bridges? I for one prefer a 6 saddle bridge so the classic vibe isn’t really up my alley…additionally, the QC is more consistent though still majorly flawed on the players…it’s much more about an individuals means and what they prioritize as important on a guitar than it is what it’s arbitrarily worth…to me I’d rather pay a couple hundred more dollars to not have that chunky gloss neck and a 3 saddle bridge my player is a dream…and the tuning stability is better for gigging…and when playing through pedals you retain a less muddy sound in my opinion, but to each their own

[@michielroom]

Consider the Sire T7. It also has a satin neck and sounds amazing. It’s pretty affordable too.

[@kevinmay6632]

One of the best tele comparisons and evaluations I have seen. Thank you. ( I will be looking to get the Jason Isbell Tele down the road).

[@caseyseyerle8859]

I just recently got a American Pro 2 with a pine body. It suprised me how well it plays and the range of sounds I get out of it.

[@jonathanwapner6262]

The older Chinese Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster has the brass saddles. I saught one out specifically for that reason. I'd rank my guitar #1 on your list. $1600 for a Mexican guitar is crazy. You could refinish the CV and still be cheaper than that.

[@roww10]

Is it me or did the Squier Classic Vibe sound the best. Top end was clear. Then again mids are your friend when it comes to guitar, so that would be the more expensive versions.

[@Neridog]

Excellent vid and playing! I ended up getting a good deal on a Player Tele and I bought a new bridge and pickups to upgrade it. Turns out I was perfectly happy with it as is. Love the satin neck and the Alnico 5 pickups are perfect for me. The whole thing just works. The CVs are indeed great though. I'm very curious about the Isbell tele.

[@gwhand39]

I have the 50s vibe Strat in the same blonde finish as the tele you had. I love the blue-stain pine showing thru and, like you say, for the price you get way more bang for the Buck. I play mine thru a tweed blues Jr and it’s very hard to tell it’s not a $1500 plus guitar. Great comparison, and as always, I enjoy your honesty and fairness in your reviews.

[@funky_monk_9796]

Great comparison video, Squier will always have a place in a guitarist's armoury. The $1300-1800 price point always wins, and the winner here looks and sounds gorgeous. One thing though, you mentioned the compensated brass saddles 3 times without saying what they bring to the table. Would love to know 🤔

[@endoalley680]

What about titanium compensated saddles?

[@ivanthiel6219]

@@endoalley680 what about some rolling saddles on the tele ??

[@pobregringo88]

Brass has much better vibrational and tonal qualities. It's why bells are made of brass. It's also quite sturdy

[@funky_monk_9796]

@@pobregringo88 This is really useful to know, thanks!

[@pobregringo88]

@@funky_monk_9796 you're welcome! Happy shredding my man

[@robertmckeon7953]

I'm surprised you didn't include the American Pro II. Seems like that is the standard that should be compared everything to that.

[@teleguy5699]

Me too. I have a Mod Shop Tele based on the American Pro I. Wanted to see what he thought of the standard bearer imo.

[@kasperrmervillumsen-ucph1673]

Wow! Of all the great intro tunes you have done, so far, this slays the most! As a child of the eighties: thumbs up!!

[@francesclarke6808]

Play a '69 tele myself which I've gigged with since '85. I have to say you made all those guitars sound fantastic!!! 😊🙌🙌🎉. Very informative.

[@Fanga2a]

The Vintera 50's Modified Tele or previously known as the Baja Tele would have been a nice one to add here! Never had the chance to try one but I've always heard they are incredible guitars. At around 1000$ you're getting a vintage looking Tele, with satin neck, Fender Custom Shop pick-ups, a 4 way selector switch (series/parallel) and the S1 switch (out of phase sound).

[@StevenAnthonyGuitar]

I've owned one for three years now and it's one of my best guitars. I did swap the wiring harness to a traditional one though, because I didn't use all the other options and I wanted it simpler. But really great guitars and well worth the money!

[@chrishyde1216]

I liked the Baja but the problem was that they tended to be too heavy.

[@DaveE69]

Sad that the Pro II and Ultra didn’t get a look in. Both are great guitars. IMO, the Ultra usually rivals or beats a custom shop in terms of specs, but with a much more sensible price tag.

[@earlgrey691]

The black one just has that cool Keef vibe about it.Brutally functional and probs does everything a tele is capable of.Nice if the professional series came in that shade of noir although burnt pine versions are glorious to behold.Guitar tutor Angela Pitrilli does a fine demo vid of the bp variant on KZbin.

[@ukphonebook]

Completely agree. The Jason Isbell is my go-to single coil gig guitar every time. Great review BTW.

[@tadask.4931]

Fender Original 60s Custom Telecaster is actualy what you can get as a USA model at the same price as Jason’s one.

[@CalaoJuanPablo]

For me the 52 CS is the best sounding in your demos. I agree with your ranking, just swapping the first 2 positions

[@jonhale1329]

Great video - I've had the Isbell tele for some time now (as well as a player plus tele) - the isbell is the goto for a few reasons. I did have a luthier re-tap the middle brass bridge to intonate it better and also fed the neck and polished the frets. In the UK its about £1300. Also maybe time for a tour of your upstairs studio; looks like you made some changes?

[@danielguimaraes8705]

The custom shop really sounded great. The classic vibe is fantastic.

[@romestant]

Dude, your video's production is going up at incredible pace... incredible, for our sake keep it up please

[@StevenAnthonyGuitar]

Cool intro! Would've been great to have a Vintera in this comparison. Their 50s Telecaster is great, as well as the modified version of it. Personally, I prefer both of those over the Jason Isbell or American Performer telecasters. Classic Vibes are great if you find one that doesn't have any QC issues and isn't too heavy, but I think those skinny necks can be considered a downside.

[@Strange_Phenomena]

Yes! I went nuts and bought a 70's Vintera Tele, being clearanced from Fender's site at 20% off. Sweetwater was long sold out. It's amazing, and blows away my Player Plus, which bummed me out. Too bad Rhett didn't include it, it's an oddball with humbuckers but is a more natural sounding guitar. But it does need a full set-up out of the box, which I can do very nicely.

[@anthonycraig1458]

Bought a Japanese 50s reissue back in the 90s and it was fine except the pickups squealed when they got anywhere near any kind of medium gain. Swapped them for some custom shop Texas specials and it transformed it. Recently got a mint 2016 US vintage 52 reissue and it's perfect, no mods needed, superb neck with rounded edges, absolute pleasure to play.

[@MikeGuerr]

Great video! I’m more of a “hobby” guitarist, although I’ve played guitar in bands before, my primary instrument is bass. With that in mind, I can’t justify spending the money for an American Fender and I really liked the Squier Classic Vibe so that’s what I’d go with. I’d also replace the bridge, but would get one with the 6 individual saddles.

[@tomaslopez2940]

Bonus guitar: G&L ASAT. An improved take on the Tele by Leo Fender himself

[@dewey7330]

That bottom end squire sounds great in my headphones. Better then the next two more expensive ones. I understand it feels shitty but the sound is there.

[@jasondorsey7110]

The necks on those sonic squiers are really pale, almost like bare wood. I used some kiwi tan shoe polish on the neck of a squier sonic bronco and now it's yellow like my MiM fender mustangs, which made me like it more. The neck itself feels pretty good, except the fret ends could use smoothed out a little, they're not really rough though

[@AlaskaSkidood]

Best intro song since the Strymon Deco video. Great video, keep up the good work. I love my Player series Strat, so I was biased towards that going in to this, but for my interest and budget, I'd go for the Squier Classic Vibe based on what you're saying here.

[@keithchang8566]

I love the chosen contenders. They're really very distinct and different. I spent a lot of time with a Jason Isbell in a shop and loved how unique it sounded -- lively, airy, but not upper mid heavy. Snappy, due to the body, but not excessively twangy. But in the end, I went for a 52 style ash/maple fb combo for those sweet high mids and fat twang. Teles take you down a rabbit hole like no other. Buy one, or better yet, build one!

[@TwangThang57]

The Classic Vibe Teles are made from Southern Yellow Pine. SYP is a much harder/denser/HEAVIER wood than the softer pines Leo used in the early days. Modern Pinecasters tend to use Sugar Pine which is much softer/lighter/resonant. SYP is denser than most hardwoods and is grown on southern pine plantations almost exclusively for the furniture industry. I've owned two CV Teles but sold the both due to weight.

[@favoriteblueshirt]

Well mentioned, mine weighs a ton, but after a week sorting the neck out, fitting some decent pickups its now a keeper. But then again why sell such a cheap guitar?

[@TwangThang57]

@@favoriteblueshirt I did the same and was able to break even when I sold them. I now own two $150 Harley Benton Teles that have far superior build quality, woods, neck, fretboard,... than the CVs. They needed very little regarding setup.

[@Hornet135]

There’s only two reasons that woods matter on electric guitars. Looks and weight.

[@TwangThang57]

@@Hornet135 Well, to each his own…..but, as someone who has built and repaired guitars for 46 years and played them for 52 years, I wholeheartedly disagree.

[@WinstonTexas829]

I will never forget that the best guitar I ever played was a (then) £600 standard USA Strat in Rose-Morris, Denmark St about 20 years ago. It resonated from top to bottom and throughout. My hand on its neck fitted like a glove. My guitar repairer in London was one of the best, for some of the most famous guitar players in the world and he told me Custom Shop was a con.

[@erniethered]

I played my drummer’s Jason Isbell Tele at our gig last Saturday…I didn’t put it down during the night except to take a break. It’s amazing!!!

[@jezmez68]

Solid ranking. I have that exact model of Squier CV 50 and I like how it sounded better than the Player as well (especially for the money). I DID make some mods to it: It has alpha pots, and while those were fine, I was installing a 4-way switch so I just got new pots, new control plate, and the pots I got had shafts too big for the stock knobs, so I got Fender knobs as well, which are way more hefty than the stock. You can tell the difference in taper with the pots. I also put brass compensated barrels on the bridge, too. Some days I think I would like to put 18:1 ratio tuners in it, but it tunes fine. The nut is fine. I keep thinking of changing the pickups but those pickups sounded better than Duncan Quarter Pounders my friend had (and when I say better, I mean they sounded more like a traditional Telecaster). The Isbell Tele would be a dream to have, but I'd rather have a 70s Tele with an F-hole and CuNiFe pickups for my next Telecaster. I keep looking at Player Player basses because of the buttercream color, but I think I will focus on a CV 70s Jazz Bass instead because of this video.

[@santibanks]

Would have been interesting to see how a G&L fits in this picture. And also, the Telecaster is one of the best ways to get yourself into guitar building as it is an easy shape to work with (flat surface top etc.), are not expensive to build, and are a great platform to mod over time.

[@Stratisfied22]

Yeah I cringe when I here how much people pay for a Custom Shop Fender knowing how easy these things are to put together. I've built a few stratocasters and they came out so much better than anything you'll grab off the shelf for a few hundred bucks.

[@GeorgeHawking]

The BEST guitar is always THE NEXT 🎸

[@gair1944]

I agree with your ranking even though you sounded most inspired, classic and musical on the Custom Shop. Some considerations are the 7.25" neck radius on the Jason Isbell Tele versus 9.5" most likely on the fender CS (although I could be wrong?) The Jason Isbell also has the benefit of being a nice upgrade platform if you want to upgrade PU's or install compensation 3-barrel brass saddles.

[@voiceofexperience]

I have both the CV & the Player, as I discovered they are actually complimentary: The CV for "clean" tones, & the Player for OD/distortion.

[@r33th]

This intro track is phenomenal, I really appreciate you stepping out of the traditional bluesy stuff and unleashing your creativity.

[@Petrolpelican]

Agreed 100%, one of my favorite I've ever seen from him

[@EricMakingWaves]

It's SO worth it to learn some basic fret dressing/polishing. Basically anything coming off a production line (cheap or expensive) can feel a lot better with buttery smooth frets. That and a basic setup will make 90% of guitars feel top notch.

[@ericmills9839]

Indeed, was glad I picked that up, unlike trying to cut my own nut which took files I’ll never use for anything else and some painful trial and error. 😂

[@garystackhouse5787]

NAIL, MEET HEAD!!! You are SO correct!! I've taken some cheaper guitars that had a sound or feel I liked but were rough around the edges and made them feel like a guitar worth three times the price with some minor work to the board/frets. It's maybe the most valuable thing I've learned to do in my 50 years of playing!!

[@joshuawade777]

Great intro jam and video concept! Telecasters have been my go to workhorse guitar since I owned my first one, a MIJ candy apple red custom from the 1980s. There's really nothing you can't do with one and their rugged, simplistic design has stood the test of time. I have owned several Teles from the Squire Affinity and CV, MIM Fender, etc. all the way to my Custom Shop limited edition 61 relic. They all are Teles and they all sound and play great. Buy what feels the best and what you can afford. Even the cheap ones can be made to play or sound better with a little work, but I have to be honest-when I first picked up the Custom Shop, it immediately felt and played like a dream. I wasn't sure I could justify the cost, but it truly is a next level instrument. I chose a light relic finish. It has a very authentic checked look to the nitro with only minor forearm/belt buckle wear and the neck feel is incredible. I think most would be hard pressed to distunguish it from an authentic vintage Fender if they didn't see the Custom Shop logo on the back of the headstock...

[@waltjames407]

I was recently in the market for a not-too-expensive Tele, tried a couple of the Squier CV Teles, and I also tried a very lightly used Player model and ended up immediately buying the Player after having tried at least 2 or 3 Squier CV's. The Squier CV's made me put them back on the hanger after only trying a couple of licks, the Player model felt like an old friend almost immediately...so YMMV on the Squier CV vs. Fender Player decision.