What a Fender Telecaster is Supposed to Sound Like | Custom Shop 50's vs. 60's Tele

Today we've got two beautiful examples of the Fender Telecaster in our hands-- both Custom Shop, one drawn from 1952 and one from 1961. Take a listen and let us know which one you prefer!
SHOP '52: www.alamomusic.com/fender-52-...
SHOP '61: www.alamomusic.com/fender-cus...
0:00 Intro/Specs
14:06 '52 Tele Demo
15:36 '61 Tele Demo
17:17 Final Thoughts
CHECK OUT OUT PODCAST, the Fretboard Confessional!
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[@ansgarness]

I literally fell off my seat when Chris said that thing at 4:50 (pure gold, man). Now let's translate that principle for torrified acoustic guitar: "the older you get, the less time you have before you die to get a vintage tone from your new guitar"

[@julieplaysguitar1]

Wish I'd discovered Alamo before moving from TX to MI 7 years ago. Looking forward to more podcasts and videos. Love the sound from the '52!

[@Rapunzel879]

Love these videos! Very informative.

[@HiHello-ku1fl]

The 60's sounds brighter and more crystaline might have to do with the rosewood. To me the 50's sound fuller and more robust and not as crystaline. When these guys described what they heard I was surprised as I heard it differently. In the room must be different. People always think maple necks without rosewood are brighter but that's not always the case. Rosewood tends to sound more scooped quite often. More high highs with rosewood. I prefer the 50's. Bold and jazzy in the neck Perfect middle position...not too clanky and the bridge can bark. Should be a little higher wound pickups in the 50's too with alnico 3 magnets.

[@sundrenched6248]

I heard it the same as you, and was surprised how they described it in the video. Crystaline is a good way to put it. It would be a good guitar for funk. The 1950s one sounds perfect for country. I realize it's just one video of course and both guitars are more versatile than that.

[@tadask.4931]

@@sundrenched6248The difference here is 50s saddles are brass that takes off a bit of the high sparkle usually. 60 has steel saddles that enhances the highs and mids more - so you have this more agressive high mids stuff plus a bit hotter pickups combination. Plus 60s here sounds like having reverse wind/polarity on neck so in mid position is a bit more scooped in mids and brighter while 50s mid position is more poky and full as the pickups work in parallel without canceling any frequencies. Plus twisted tele neck is very low output pickup - it is very clear and articulate, not like the most standard way too mudy tele neck pickups.

[@thomasvantorre1922]

Thank you for your beautiful review of these 2 tele's :)

[@ipuya]

Gotta love that butterscotch black guard with the maple neck 😍 but i do also love the twisted tele neck pickup on the 60s one!

[@kaii2172]

I just love watching you two 😊 I’m a semi-beginner over in Conroe TX….def going to venture over to San Antonio at some point just to see and buy something from you guys!!

[@deborahmcalister3936]

one of the best videos you guys have done!!... I love it when folks compare quality guitars!!!!...all else doesn't matter!!

[@rob_in_stowmarket_uk]

Really great to hear Cooper referencing Buddy Holly. Great talent and, still, sadly missed. 👍 I’ve got a Candy Apple ‘62 Tele, but that beautiful ‘50s ‘black guard’ has me salivating!😜

[@rob_in_stowmarket_uk]

‼️ MORE ‼️ SCAMS ‼️ DO ‼️ NOT ‼️ REPLY ‼️ TO THESE ‘PRIZE REPLIES’ - ‼️THEY ARE NOT FROM ‼️ THE KZbin ‼️ CHANNEL AND, ULTIMATELY, WILL ATTEMPT TO ‼️ SCAM YOU OUT OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ‼️

[@mikeadams4605]

Great video and demo of the differences between 50's and 60's. I have 2 tele's at Baja Blackguard 50's and a Faded Sonic Blue Baja 60"s. They are much cheaper than these custom shops but they each represent their era's perfectly and the pickups perform exactly as Cooper described and played

[@ipuya]

I have the 50s Baja too! I can't imagine a tele being better than that. Custom shop pickups, soft v neck, ash body, 6 tones including an out of phase setting, all under 7 lbs.

[@sfstoltenberg]

@@ipuya I love my 50s Baja. It has ruined me for other neck profiles. That soft V is great. I didn't like the S1 switch, so I got rid of it. But other than that, in my opinion, the 50s Baja is an unbelievable value. A lifer.

[@sneakerhead6184]

I love listening to Cooper play!! 👍👌🤘

[@bogarbill6331]

Nice playing Cooper!

[@johnsee7269]

Interesting. Learned a lot. Thanks! 🤘 I like the guitar maxed on volume and tone to do whatever downstream at the pedal or amp. Telecasters are perfect for that kinda...

[@hgostos]

The 60s sounds louder due to the more powerful magnets. It sounds brighter too (despite what they were saying). In a way, it's nice to see how Fender has gone for 50-51 Broadcaster pickup specs for their 50s Teles. Nothing wrong with the brighter 52 onwards type of pickup (A5, thicker wire) but for me, the girthier A3 thin wire job is sooo cool.

[@ianwalker6453]

Love the age comments! I’m in my 50’s now so must move up to heavy relic now!! 😂😂

[@craigthomson3621]

Would be interesting if the guys compared the Fender Original 50’s and 60’s Telecasters to these custom shop ones.

[@edgargonzalez110]

The 50s sounds amazing I want that butter Scott with the black pick guard

[@texhaines9957]

What, no sun glasses on Cooper? Yes neck profile is important!

[@deborahmcalister3936]

"a thumb over the top guy"....or girl????!!!!!...I never thought I'd say this... but I'm super impressed with the 60's tele!

[@scoggers1628]

Who'd a thunk it? Chris' butt width is the same as Cooper's! Lol. Sweet guitars and nicely demoed and presented as always. Keep up the good work, guys.

[@shepherd8203]

Butt jokes from the boys love. The most trusted reviews on youtube and now with butt jokes.👍👏

[@scottlong4278]

Love the tone of the 60's! Also not a real fan of "relic" finishes but the job on the candy apple red is done tastefully.

[@texhaines9957]

Ok in 70s, I like NOS or Closet Classic. But it's the neck profile!

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

"broken" 🤣 beautiful guitars!

[@donlessnau3983]

These guys are always great, especially without all the silly, childish bullshit on so many other sites that In won't mention like Anderton's.

[@rzh3443]

I bought an Ultra Tele. I love the transitional radius neck, locking tuners, etc. I don't think our best stuff is all behind us.

[@alinchitown7556]

My favorite Tele is my Mexican contour cut Tele. Best Bang for the buck, absolutely the best Tele that I have.

[@samnewton5959]

Well Fender Custom Shop puts 50's pups in some of their 60's Teles.

[@stephenkennedy7347]

50's for me - I have a 50's Telecaster with a one piece ash body and it's lighter than my '57 Stratocaster re issue with an Alder body!

[@rexrathtar3893]

Sai it before, I'll say it again. Relicing makes no sense to me. I was looking for a vintage Guild semi-hollow, but gave up because the only ones available in my price range were too dinged up and I wanted as little damage as possible. To get that, you really have to pay up though. When it comes to these brand new guitars, it makes no sense to go the other way and be actively paying up for the dings. I like pristine guitars.

[@charlesbranch4120]

Now you're talkin' like Chris, about me, a dinged up 67 yr old beginner, who'd rather buy new guitars to pass along to my grandkids and kids and other younger developing muscle memories. I've always worked at Squier level pay, or less, and have been quite happy with the adventures that went along with that so there I am, and here I go. Life is a Journey (Not a Dodge, please!), Enjoy the ride!

[@russlgtr]

Relic cars are cheaper🙂

[@kurtc2894]

I’m 55. That’s why I have a heavy relic. Lol.

[@johnkolbjr8375]

Telecaster’s are like potato chips you can’t just have 100 of them. Anyone else notice that they been wearing the same clothes in the last 3 videos now?

[@mvl902]

Allthough I have a very good setup pedalboard, my CS tele sounds best strait plugged into the amp...

[@spacejamgoliath]

What yall couldn't think of a douchier title?

[@rexrathtar3893]

Didn't make any changes? These are only very notionally 52 or 61 models. There's a lot of elements that have been changed in favour of more modern specifications (not a bad thing, but just calling it like it is). Obviously, there's the radii, which you discussed, but the switching is modern style (in 52 and 61, the actual switching setup would have been rear: bridge with tone control, middle: neck pickupn with tone control, forward: bass neck pickup setting with no tone control). What we know as the conventional switching is (shock horror) a CBS-era thing, only implemented after Leo finally departed the company. (Reading the spec on your wesbite, it appears this '52' has nocaster 51 wiring, with no tone control, but a blend between the 2 pups in the rear position using the rear control knob. Vintage correct for 51 would then be neck on middle position and neck-bass on front position and no tone control on anything). The truss rod access appears to be vintage correct. Personally I can't see a reason to put the truss rod at the heel of the neck; it just makes like difficult.

[@robhpll]

Obg is original black guard

[@vyvynylification]

I personally own the 50s and 60s american original teles. VERY different guitars and not necessarily how you expect it to.

[@ruffryder13]

Out in KZbin land the butterscotch sounded better to me The red one sounded less 'tele' to me

[@vince89503]

Relic'd guitars.... Reminds me of a lawyer on a Harley.

[@Donnybrook10]

the 60s sounds similar to the organ like the Doors. I prefer toe 50s model by a mile.

[@kdrake777]

The 50’s tele sounded like a great modern telecaster and not like vintage 52’s I’ve heard. The 60’s sounded a little more vintage.

[@mtmusicgear]

I truly hope nobody is playing their $4k+ guitar through a Blues Jr. A cheap guitar sounds great through a nice amp whereas an expensive guitar is robbed of tone through a cheap amp.

[@paulgordon6949]

Nothing wrong with a blues junior.

[@czechplastik]

Here for the relic-hate comments.

[@sylvestre.rawminey]

Even with good earphones, this is quite close.

[@guitarplayer5805]

This would be a much better review if Cooper learned how to play! Seriously it’s embarrassing. He’s clearly new to this! Haha couldn’t resist some sarcasm…

[@sooparticular]

amp was terrible and boxy...a blues junior??

[@sean2wall]

why only 50s n 60s teles are made good? what about 2022?! make modern teles with handwound pickups no belly cuts nitro finish lots of color choices with RWFB! fender you don't know what players really wants fukkers!

[@michaelogden5093]

Chris spitting the cold hard facts of phony guitar experience. My advice... find Jesus and you'll have loads of time to get some real patina on your guitar.

[@hankd18]

This BS about relic treatments is just that. Makes zero sense to bang up a new anything. Grow up already.