Lathspell said:

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Uh oh... Fender's gonna come after you!

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Bring it on!!!!!!

This past weekend, I played a bunch of different Telecasters (at a GC) and really liked the feel and sound of a new "Late '50s Vintera III". It has the V profile neck and a 7.5" radius iirc. Lots different from my LP, but it still felt very comfortable. The $1250 price tag is high imo. Any thoughts/opinions on this model? Recommendations for a good substitute? I've played some MIM Tele's that I liked, but I want to avoid the ones with the rosewood fingerboard. If I find something that feels and plays well to me, I don't mind upgrading electronics.

Have you checked Reverb to see what's out there?

I have… this looks like a new model for '26, so there aren't many used ones out there, just a couple of scratch-n-dents for a little off. Plus I just don't like to buy a guitar without playing it first.

I'm someone who is fine purchasing off Reverb with the understanding I wait for a killer deal and then I can always resell it if it doesn't really do it for me.

I completely agree with a V neck profile. I had never played one until I bought my blackguard tele, about 1.5 years ago. Since then, it is now my favorite neck profile. Has the perfect thickness to feel sturdy and resonate, as well as give you a great support for your thumb, while cutting off the shoulders that make U shaped and some C shaped necks feel too much like a baseball bat. I also love maple fretboards, though I prefer slightly relic'ed fretboards so they aren't as sticky.

It looks like the Vintera II series have very similar specs. You can snag some of those in the $800 range off reverb.

What's your budget? You will be hard pressed to find ANY telecaster with a 7.5" radius and a V neck, outside of the Fender Vintera series. Hell, even most Custom Shop teles based on 50's guitars are all 9.5" radiuses or compound radiuses. Most "T" style guitars from other manufacturers are going to have a more modern radius and neck profile.

Your best deal would be to go play one at a smaller shop and make an offer. However, I doubt anyone discounts below 10% off list. You're stuck waiting to find a used one or picking one up off Reverb.

I appreciate the feedback. I can afford the $1250, but it's more than I had budgeted (read: set expectations with my wife). I don't need another guitar, but I really want one, lol. YOLO I suppose.

That didn't answer the budget question. I'm not doubting you can afford it, but I have no frame of reference on what price is acceptable for you. So I don't know if negotiating with them can get you where you want to be, or if you are looking to spend $400.

I was trying to keep it around $800. But if I don't find what I want, or something that feels as good to me, then I'll spend more. I just don't see many with that V neck. I'll look for some Vintera IIs to try.

https://reverb.com/item/97002207-2004-fender-52-reissue-telecaster-tl52-80tx-crafted-in-japan-cij-soft-v-neck

Smartass. Beautiful guitar though!

If you find a decent priced tele with a neck you can live with, Musikraft may be able to get you the neck specs you're seeking.

I just spec'd a tele neck with a rock rock maple neck/fretboard (1 piece) and an 7.25" radius. They have a bunch of V profile options as well, all of which are no upcharge.

I spec'd with zero options that increase price and it came to $215.

Used?

I'm not familiar with that model.

The EGs were their first foray into a Strat type while retaining the same general body shape. They had USA versions, but did SE versions as well.

It's used. They're a discontinued model. Stratocaster-adjacent. I had one a few years ago and really wanted another one.

Can some of you more seasoned owners of many guitars take a look at this listing and tell me if that "checking" the seller mentions in bold at the bottom of the description and shows in the last photo is just that? Nothing structural to worry about?

https://reverb.com/item/99679769-paul-reed-smith-se-angelus-a15al-alex-lifeson-thinline-15

I'd call it more of a finish crack than checking, but Dave's Guitars is an actual shop. I'd worry more if it was just some random person.

Thanks.

I looked at their site but it just went back to the Reverb listing for most everything. I guess I'll call them.

Direct is always the preferred path for these shops!!

maroon barchetta said:

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Can some of you more seasoned owners of many guitars take a look at this listing and tell me if that "checking" the seller mentions in bold at the bottom of the description and shows in the last photo is just that? Nothing structural to worry about?

https://reverb.com/item/99679769-paul-reed-smith-se-angelus-a15al-alex-lifeson-thinline-15

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Looks like a finish crack to me. My concern would be resale value if I wake up one day and decide I don't want it any more.

Also, a lot of the shops don't charge sales tax on their websites if they're out of state so that's another 8.25% you're saving.

maroon barchetta said:

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Ha!

Holy *****!!! Picked up a SG standard today and boy howdy!!!! That guitar feels amazing! I was set on the 70's Les Paul Custom but now I'm not so sure.

Anyone have one?

You can never go wrong with an SG. What year is the one you played?

I still have a '61 SG in pelam blue on my list to acquire.

Just one on the wall at GC. Didn't ask the year because I needed to get going.

Yep... i want one

Do you have any tricks for using or modifying pickups in unique ways?

This isn't anything I invented, but I've read about other people doing it and got curious to try it.

I recently got a PRS EG SE guitar with a HSS configuration. I'd prefer to have SSS like a strat. So I removed the screw slugs from the humbucker, and it does actually do a good job of mimicking a single coil. And it's still quiet to boot. Like a single coil with a dummy coil.

I've been looking at new pickups and pickguard for this thing, but I'm going to leave it like this for a bit.

Coil tapping is the best way to do this to get a "single coil" sound but being able to swap between with a push/pull pot. PRS does this on many of their guitars and actually incorporates a small circuit in the push pull pot to allow a little bit of the other coil to still come through, making the tone a little beefier.

Coil tapping is an easy mod and doesn't require you to make changes to the pickup, which could ruin your pickup.

In order the coil tap, you need a 4 conductor wire on the pickup. Classic style 2 conductor wire can't coil tap.

Lathspell said:

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Coil tapping is the best way to do this to get a "single coil" sound but being able to swap between with a push/pull pot. PRS does this on many of their guitars and actually incorporates a small circuit in the push pull pot to allow a little bit of the other coil to still come through, making the tone a little beefier.

Coil tapping is an easy mod and doesn't require you to make changes to the pickup, which could ruin your pickup.

In order the coil tap, you need a 4 conductor wire on the pickup. Classic style 2 conductor wire can't coil tap.

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Thank you for differentiating between coil tap and coil split. Splitting is not very good, too weak.

Another cool trick is to run the individual pickup coils in parallel instead of series. It works best with a fairly hot humbucking pickup. If I had my druthers, any guitar with humbuckers would have a series/parallel switch.