Fender Friday got me
Moderated By: mods
Fender Friday got me
The temptation was too great and I caved in. Classic Player Thinline Telecaster Deluxe for $499. I've really wanted a thinline tele, and at that price I'd be hard pressed to find a used one. Darn you, internet, for feeding my addiction.
Here is the full list if anyone is interested. I think I got the last CP thinline.
Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe
walmunt - $499.99 - item # 511141
regular web price: $899.99
Fender American Standard Telecaster
candy cola (maple neck) -- 699.99 -- item # 515750
regular web price: $1,199.99 - $1,349.99
Fender Jim Root Artist Series Telecaster
back - $699.99 -- item # 514652
regular web price: $1,199.99
Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster
sunburst $499.99 - item # 512767
regular web price: $1,109.99
Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe
black - $499.99 -- item # 501918
regular web price: $939.99
Fender Deluxe Lonestar Stratocaster
3 tone sunburst $499.99 -- item # 515526
regular web price: $699.99
Fender Deluxe Series Nashville Telecaster
candy apple red (maple neck) $399.99 -- item # 510067
regular web price: $739.99 - $789.99
Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster
artic white $399.99 -- item # 515525
regular web price: $699.99
Fender Artist Series Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex Stratocaster
olympic white $399.99 -- item # 510057
regular web price: $869.99
Fender Artist Series Mark Knopfler Stratocaster
hot rod red -- $999.99 -- item # 515120
regular web price: $2,019.99
Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS
midnight wine (maple neck) 299.99 -- item # 501160
regular web price: $499.99
Fender Stratocaster XII 12-String
burgundy mist -- $499.99 -- item # 515107
regular web price: $939.99
Here is the full list if anyone is interested. I think I got the last CP thinline.
Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe
walmunt - $499.99 - item # 511141
regular web price: $899.99
Fender American Standard Telecaster
candy cola (maple neck) -- 699.99 -- item # 515750
regular web price: $1,199.99 - $1,349.99
Fender Jim Root Artist Series Telecaster
back - $699.99 -- item # 514652
regular web price: $1,199.99
Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster
sunburst $499.99 - item # 512767
regular web price: $1,109.99
Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe
black - $499.99 -- item # 501918
regular web price: $939.99
Fender Deluxe Lonestar Stratocaster
3 tone sunburst $499.99 -- item # 515526
regular web price: $699.99
Fender Deluxe Series Nashville Telecaster
candy apple red (maple neck) $399.99 -- item # 510067
regular web price: $739.99 - $789.99
Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster
artic white $399.99 -- item # 515525
regular web price: $699.99
Fender Artist Series Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex Stratocaster
olympic white $399.99 -- item # 510057
regular web price: $869.99
Fender Artist Series Mark Knopfler Stratocaster
hot rod red -- $999.99 -- item # 515120
regular web price: $2,019.99
Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS
midnight wine (maple neck) 299.99 -- item # 501160
regular web price: $499.99
Fender Stratocaster XII 12-String
burgundy mist -- $499.99 -- item # 515107
regular web price: $939.99
- BoringPostcards
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- Posts: 1439
- Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:08 pm
- Location: Newfoundland
- damienblair17
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- Posts: 1069
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:31 pm
- Location: San Francisco
- Contact:
It's here!

I haven't been able to plug it into an amp yet but my first impression is that it looks amazing and sounds great unplugged. The neck tint is much darker than in the pictures I'd seen, which is a good thing. And the neck seems thinner than on the '72 reissues I've played, which also suits my taste.
The build quality is very good overall, with a couple of small quibbles. The neck joint is rock solid, and the factory set up is quite good with the intonation only off a hair on 2 or 3 strings. Not bad at all. I'd seen some complaints about the F tuners used on these, but they seem like a big step up from those on my CIJ '65 Mustang.
There is a tiny ding on the back of the neck on the treble side behind the first fret. Normally a ding on the back of the neck would be a dealbreaker for me, but this is tiny and in a place where it won't be noticed. Also, the screws on the bridge pickup don't line up very well with the top 3 strings. I'm reserving judgment until I can plug it in and leaving the plastic on just in case.
Anybody else had a chance to play one of these yet?

I haven't been able to plug it into an amp yet but my first impression is that it looks amazing and sounds great unplugged. The neck tint is much darker than in the pictures I'd seen, which is a good thing. And the neck seems thinner than on the '72 reissues I've played, which also suits my taste.
The build quality is very good overall, with a couple of small quibbles. The neck joint is rock solid, and the factory set up is quite good with the intonation only off a hair on 2 or 3 strings. Not bad at all. I'd seen some complaints about the F tuners used on these, but they seem like a big step up from those on my CIJ '65 Mustang.
There is a tiny ding on the back of the neck on the treble side behind the first fret. Normally a ding on the back of the neck would be a dealbreaker for me, but this is tiny and in a place where it won't be noticed. Also, the screws on the bridge pickup don't line up very well with the top 3 strings. I'm reserving judgment until I can plug it in and leaving the plastic on just in case.
Anybody else had a chance to play one of these yet?
- serfx
- ss.o bastard son
- Posts: 6411
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:34 pm
- Location: Edmonton Alberta
- Contact:
that is the first tiem i have ever actually seen that MF banner down there... WEIRDNESS!dots wrote:remember, if you buy anything from musician's friend, click on the link at the bottom of the forum first as your purchase will help pay for site costs. =]
wait a minute.. so buying dwarfcraft from MF (if it happens) can help shortscale two-fold?
I think I'm in love. Exactly the sound that I've been looking for. The bridge pickup has a good twang to it, and the neck almost sounds like a piano. Closer to my Ric than any Fender I've played, and maybe even better.
But I think my Mustang is not taking it well. After playing the thinline for a while, I picked up the mustang for the sake of comparison, and while I was tuning it up the plastic button broke off from the tuner on the high E string. Wonderful.
But I think my Mustang is not taking it well. After playing the thinline for a while, I picked up the mustang for the sake of comparison, and while I was tuning it up the plastic button broke off from the tuner on the high E string. Wonderful.
- BoringPostcards
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- Posts: 1439
- Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:08 pm
- Location: Newfoundland
sexy. I played a sunburst one the other day and if I had the money I would have snagged it right then and there, because it was amazing. Definitely gonna pick one up sooner or later. I played it through a princeton reverb and it was really nice. The wide ranges sounded really good.
Det er mig der holder træerne sammen
Now that I've spent some more time with it, I'm sure of two things. It's definitely a keeper, and it's going to take a little bit of effort to get it set up and sounding its best.
First off, the neck is really perfect. It looks good, it's substantial without being too fat for my smallish hands, and the frets are finished well with no sharp edges. I could play it all day. The finish doesn't have any obvious flaws, and the black body looks awesome with the parchment pickguard.
The factory setup wasn't quite as perfect. I was concerned initially that the bridge pole pieces didn't line up well with the strings, but after playing it I don't think it makes any difference. It might on the original wide rangers, when the pole pieces were actually magnets machined into screws. But the volume is well balanced across the strings, so I think it's fine.
The pickups were initially much closer to the strings on the treble side, especially the bridge pickup, but I've evened it out now. Fender recommends 4/64" distance between the pole pieces and the bottom of the strings, but that seems way too close to me. Does anyone with more experience with these pickups have a recommendation?
Since I'm still fiddling with the pickup height, it's a little tough to evaluate the tone. It really seems to have a great range from tele bite to a much smoother bell-like tone in the neck. The neck is smooth without being dark. The range of tones really suits my playing, and all three positions are usable. But, they are lacking in clarity a little bit--there's not as much definition between strings as I had hoped. The consensus seems to be that these guitars should have shipped with 500k pots, and I agree so far.
Other little things: the switch is okay but not great. There's a tiny crackle when switching. And there was some whitish crud around the edges of the f-hole, but it came off easily with a little rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.
So to get it to really sing, I need to change the pots and possibly the switch, and figure out the right height for the pickups. And put some 10's on it and adjust the intonation. The only real question is whether to do it myself or bring it to my tech.
All in all, if I had paid regular price for this I might be a little disappointed with the factory setup. But for what I paid, I'm quite happy.
A few more pictures:
First off, the neck is really perfect. It looks good, it's substantial without being too fat for my smallish hands, and the frets are finished well with no sharp edges. I could play it all day. The finish doesn't have any obvious flaws, and the black body looks awesome with the parchment pickguard.
The factory setup wasn't quite as perfect. I was concerned initially that the bridge pole pieces didn't line up well with the strings, but after playing it I don't think it makes any difference. It might on the original wide rangers, when the pole pieces were actually magnets machined into screws. But the volume is well balanced across the strings, so I think it's fine.
The pickups were initially much closer to the strings on the treble side, especially the bridge pickup, but I've evened it out now. Fender recommends 4/64" distance between the pole pieces and the bottom of the strings, but that seems way too close to me. Does anyone with more experience with these pickups have a recommendation?
Since I'm still fiddling with the pickup height, it's a little tough to evaluate the tone. It really seems to have a great range from tele bite to a much smoother bell-like tone in the neck. The neck is smooth without being dark. The range of tones really suits my playing, and all three positions are usable. But, they are lacking in clarity a little bit--there's not as much definition between strings as I had hoped. The consensus seems to be that these guitars should have shipped with 500k pots, and I agree so far.
Other little things: the switch is okay but not great. There's a tiny crackle when switching. And there was some whitish crud around the edges of the f-hole, but it came off easily with a little rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.
So to get it to really sing, I need to change the pots and possibly the switch, and figure out the right height for the pickups. And put some 10's on it and adjust the intonation. The only real question is whether to do it myself or bring it to my tech.
All in all, if I had paid regular price for this I might be a little disappointed with the factory setup. But for what I paid, I'm quite happy.
A few more pictures:
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