NGD: Fender Limited Edition American Elite Mahogany Telecas
May 13, 2018 8:46:58 GMT
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Post by grayn on May 13, 2018 8:46:58 GMT
Been hankering for a Tele. Which is a little strange, since I've never been that
fussed about them. I mean, I've thought they looked cool but not for me.
I think it was the slab body and ash tray bridge that put me off, a little.
Despite my previous misgivings, I started to think seriously about getting one.
Went down my local and tried out a limited edition (from a few years ago) mahogany
bodied beauty, with a humbucker at the bridge. Beautifully made but didn't sound
right, to my ears. They also had a MIM standard, which I rather liked. Really
solid and vibrant. Now I really wanted one. But which one? Quite a choice for
the Tele lover. So, after much 'net trawling, I headed of to one of my favoured
guitar haunts, Frets Guitar Centre, in Cleveleys.
They really do have a fine selection of guitars, including quite a few Telecasters.
I wanted to make sure it was a Tele I wanted, so decided to try out a few other
guitars, as well. I like to play electrics acoustically, first. So I had a go
on an Elite Tele, in mystic black, an Elite Mahogany Telecaster Thinline, an Eric
Johnson Strat semi, in vintage white, a Fender Elite Strat, in pearl white, a
Japanese Gretsch Jet, in Firebird red and a Yamaha SA2200 semi. All fine guitars
but I whittled it down to 3, to try out through an amp. 1st, the Yamaha SA2200,
which is a real beauty and such high quality. But as usual, I found the body a
little too large for me. 2nd, the Mystic Black Elite Tele. The black body has a
subtle metal flake finish, which I guess is what makes it Mystic. That with a
maple fretboard, gave the guitar a really classy look. Sounded really nice, too.
Good feel to the neck and fretboard, I thought. I was beginning to think I'd
found a winner. Then I plugged in the Fender Limited Edition American Elite
Mahogany Telecaster Thinline. Easily the best looking guitar and as I soon found
out, also had the sweetest sounding pickups. The 4th generation, noiseless
bridge pickup, is classic tele. Full of single coil goodness but with less hum,
of course. The Shawbucker at the neck, is also very sweet, with a well rounded,
beautifully defined tone. And when you coil tap it, it gets thinner but some
how, even sweeter. Almost Filtertron like. And the tapped neck pickup, in
comjunction with the bridge, has a glorious, again almost Gretsch like, tone.
Superb. So it came home.
It may be some way off a traditional Telecaster but this guitar, to my ears, sounds
how a good tele should, with some lovely additions. The Elite Suspension Bridge is
a unique design, with a screwless mount, that is said to increase the string's
vibration transfer to the body. The compound-profile neck sports a 9.5"-14"
compound-radius maple fingerboard. And that fretboard has some gorgeous wood
grain, that reminds me some what, of walnut. All that, with locking tuners, too.
Now it's home and I've tried it through my Blues Junior and my Orange amp.
Sounds great through both of them. Very cool.
fussed about them. I mean, I've thought they looked cool but not for me.
I think it was the slab body and ash tray bridge that put me off, a little.
Despite my previous misgivings, I started to think seriously about getting one.
Went down my local and tried out a limited edition (from a few years ago) mahogany
bodied beauty, with a humbucker at the bridge. Beautifully made but didn't sound
right, to my ears. They also had a MIM standard, which I rather liked. Really
solid and vibrant. Now I really wanted one. But which one? Quite a choice for
the Tele lover. So, after much 'net trawling, I headed of to one of my favoured
guitar haunts, Frets Guitar Centre, in Cleveleys.
They really do have a fine selection of guitars, including quite a few Telecasters.
I wanted to make sure it was a Tele I wanted, so decided to try out a few other
guitars, as well. I like to play electrics acoustically, first. So I had a go
on an Elite Tele, in mystic black, an Elite Mahogany Telecaster Thinline, an Eric
Johnson Strat semi, in vintage white, a Fender Elite Strat, in pearl white, a
Japanese Gretsch Jet, in Firebird red and a Yamaha SA2200 semi. All fine guitars
but I whittled it down to 3, to try out through an amp. 1st, the Yamaha SA2200,
which is a real beauty and such high quality. But as usual, I found the body a
little too large for me. 2nd, the Mystic Black Elite Tele. The black body has a
subtle metal flake finish, which I guess is what makes it Mystic. That with a
maple fretboard, gave the guitar a really classy look. Sounded really nice, too.
Good feel to the neck and fretboard, I thought. I was beginning to think I'd
found a winner. Then I plugged in the Fender Limited Edition American Elite
Mahogany Telecaster Thinline. Easily the best looking guitar and as I soon found
out, also had the sweetest sounding pickups. The 4th generation, noiseless
bridge pickup, is classic tele. Full of single coil goodness but with less hum,
of course. The Shawbucker at the neck, is also very sweet, with a well rounded,
beautifully defined tone. And when you coil tap it, it gets thinner but some
how, even sweeter. Almost Filtertron like. And the tapped neck pickup, in
comjunction with the bridge, has a glorious, again almost Gretsch like, tone.
Superb. So it came home.
It may be some way off a traditional Telecaster but this guitar, to my ears, sounds
how a good tele should, with some lovely additions. The Elite Suspension Bridge is
a unique design, with a screwless mount, that is said to increase the string's
vibration transfer to the body. The compound-profile neck sports a 9.5"-14"
compound-radius maple fingerboard. And that fretboard has some gorgeous wood
grain, that reminds me some what, of walnut. All that, with locking tuners, too.
Now it's home and I've tried it through my Blues Junior and my Orange amp.
Sounds great through both of them. Very cool.