Hot or Not: Found two guitars I liked today.

sunvalleylaw

sunvalleylaw

Yep.
Had a bit of time to kill and stopped off at GC today. I have not looked at or lusted for any guitars for quite a while. Two caught my eye today. One, maybe, enough to make me consider moving some stuff around to get it. With a mod. Here are the candidates. I welcome your thoughts.

Candidate #1: Fender Modern Player Telecaster Thinline deluxe.

DV016_Jpg_Large_H76270.001.001_3_color_sunburst_maple.jpg


The Modern Player Telecaster® Thinline Deluxe casts an already distinctive classic Telecaster model in a whole new light with a full-throated pair of single-coil Modern Player MP-90 pickups. Other features include a mahogany body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5” radius and 22 medium jumbo frets, three-way toggle pickup switching, three-ply pickguard (parchment on Sunburst model; black-white-black on other models), four skirted amp knobs (two volume, two tone), vintage-style Stratocaster® string-through-body six-saddle hard-tail bridge, vintage-style tuners and nickel/chrome hardware.

Features


  • Series: Modern Player
  • Body Shape: Telecaster®
  • Body: Mahogany, Gloss Polyester Finish
  • Neck: Maple, "C" Shape
  • Neck Finish: Gloss Polyester
  • Fretboard: Maple
  • Fretboard Radius: 9.5" (24.1 cm)
  • Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
  • Nut Width: 1.650” (42 mm)
  • String Nut: Synthetic Bone
  • Pickups: Modern Player MP-90 Pickup (Bridge)
  • Modern Player MP-90 Pickup (Neck)
  • Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and
  • Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
  • Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Volume 2. (Bridge
  • Pickup), Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
  • Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
  • Tuning Keys: Vintage Style Tuning Machines
  • Bridge: Vintage Style 6-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Hardtail Bridge
  • Control Knobs: Skirted Amp Knobs
  • Pickguard: (500) 3-Ply Parchment, (539,541) 3-Ply Black/White/Black
  • Strings: Fender® USA, NPS, (.009-.042 Gauges)
On sale for $399.

Screaming deal! I liked this guitar a lot, and loved the control layout. I really like being able to blend the volumes and tones of the bridge and neck. The p90s sounded good too. But, I wanted a little more fat in the tone. Though I really liked the weight of the thinline, and the controls, the pickups lacked some depth and fatness that I want in my next guitar. I think it needs a humbucker, and have single coils only guitars covered. So, . . .

Candidate#2:

DV016_Jpg_Large_H61569.001.001_3-tone_sunburst_rw.jpg


Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster HS

The most affordable humbucking pickup-equipped Jazzmaster ever made.


The Blacktop Jazzmaster HS delivers monster dual-bucker tone without breaking the bank. A vintage-style Duncan-Designed alnico humbucking pickup delivers the hot high-gain power of today's most aggressive sounds while the Duncan-Designed single-coil supplies the bite and twang; other distinctive touches include skirted black amp knobs, and one lean and mean three-way toggle switch rather than the customary barrage of Jazzmaster controls, Features include an alder body, maple neck, 9.5"-radius rosewood fretboard, 21 medium jumbo frets, gloss urethane finish and nickel/chrome hardware.

Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.

Features


  • Series: Blacktop
  • Body shape: Jazzmaster
  • Body material: alder
  • Colors: (500) 3-Color Sunburst, (506) Black
  • Neck: maple
  • Neck finish: gloss urethane
  • Fretboard: rosewood
  • Position inlays: white dots
  • String nut: synthetic bone
  • Bridge pickup: 1 Duncan Designed Humbucking Pickup
  • Neck pickup: 1 Duncan Designed Single-Coil Jazzmaster Pickup
  • Pickup switching: 3-Position toggle:Position 1. Full bridge pickupPosition 2. Full neck & bridge pickupsPosition 3. Full neck pickup
  • Controls: master volume, master tone
  • Hardware: nickel/chrome
  • Tuning keys: standard cast/sealed tuning machines
  • Bridge: American Vintage Jazzmaster Tremolo with Adusto-Matic Bridge
  • Strap buttons: vintage style
  • Control knobs: skirted amp knobs
  • Pickguard: 3-ply black (500 3-Color Sunburst), or mint green (506 Sonic Black)
  • Strings: Super 250L's, NPS (.009-.042 gauges)
  • Included accessories: truss rod adjustment wrench
$499

I loved this one! I have single coils covered. The jazzy sounded more complex, a bit warmer, and I liked the jazzy pickup in the neck combined with the humbucker in the bridge. Plus it has the trem. If I had the tele, I would want to add a trem. On this one, the only mod I would think I would want would be to add a blend pot of some kind to balance to pickups to taste. I think that could be done. But even as is, it was tempting.

I am tempted to sell my CV tele, and save some extra dough and give it a go. The Hagstrom Vik semi stays, and so does my 60th MIM strat. It was my first, I like the neck just that much better than my tele, due to the semi vs. gloss finish.

so what do you guys think?


 
Im indifferent to both. Of the two, I like the Tele better. I dont like Jazzmasters at all.
 
Last edited:
I think they would both have a similar sound on the neck pickup. I think the Tele might be more versatile sound-wise, and also wins in the looks department.
 
Much the opposite of my aversion to offsets, I tried one o' those very Jazzers a while back, and was surprised how much I enjoyed playing it. Not enough to buy, mind you, but enough for me to give it a :thu:.
 
What's a Tele with p-90s sound like? Hmm. Also, I like the Jazzmaster, but what's up with those funky trem/tailpieces? Things that make you go :messedup:
 
Of the two, the Jazzy is my choice. I'd look at an LTD Les Paul style or Epiphone LP for a low cost P-90 guitar.

From your description, the Jazzmaster speaks to you the most.
 
If the Jazzmaster had a regular Jazzmaster pickup at the bridge instead of the humbucker, I would say go for that, but since it doesn't I would take the tele.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top