Fender Blacktop Telecaster HH Electric Guitar  

Plain, simple and very playable.  The humbuckers sound nice and distinctly different single coil pups.  The neck has a rounder/thicker shape (compared to my strat) than I was expecting, but it grew on me quickly.  The overall fit and finish is excellent.

I really want to rate this instrument higher.  However, when I received the instrument, the rear pickup did not function.  Upon examining the electronics,  it was quickly determined that it wasn't wired correctly, the solder was bad and the switch did not work.  luckily there is a Fender service center down the street and the problem was quickly resolved.  All other aspects of this guitar are awesome for the money.

I think this guitar is a good value.  I would buy another if something happened to this one.

This guitar is great right out of the box.  It is also a great platform for tweaking.  The playability is up there with guitars costing much more.  My other guitar is an AM Standard Strat and this Tele plays as well as the Strat.  The Tele HH just satisfies my need for humbuckers.

The humbuckers make it possible to get a rounder, fuller tone than the normal tele.  I can get something for most every need.   And.....they're pretty good humbuckers.  I see no reason, at this time, to replace them. That's a big statement since the pickups to do just that are new in the box and in my file cabinet.  This is one Fender that Seymour Duncan is not going love, the factory pickups are that good.  People who think the neck pickup is muddy didn't listen to my guitar.

Neck is as good as any MIJ neck I've come across.  I'm a fan of those MIJ necks.  I own two American tele's and prefer the MIJ necks. (I'm not out here alone either)

The. Bridge. Needs. Work.  There's gotta be a better idea or better execution on this one.  If it is possible I'll put string savers on it.  Not much room to work with though so that may be a lost cause.  If all else fails I'll just grind off about half of the height adjustment screws

The workmanship could be a little better.  Having said that, it's better than anything else I've seen at this price point.

Unless your're hung up on "twang" buy it.

I'm a gear junkie - I admit it - I revel in it.  This is a "must have" at this price.  Is this the best guitar I own?  No.  Is this the best guitar for the money at this time? Yeah, I think so.  Is this guitar gonna get a lot of use? Yep.  Some live in their case, some hang on the wall, this one will get used.

I put strap locks on it since guitars make an awful noise when the strap slips off the factory button and the neck hits the stage.  Go thou and do likewise.

The features are exactly as advertised. Great Tele feel (I love the body contour) and the idea of using humbuckers is a good one. It has the Tele playability feel but not so much of the "twang" which makes it better for rockin' than for country. (IMO) I also like the reversed control plate. It puts that 3-way switch right under my little finger which is perfect for the "flick-of-the-switch". The amp knobs are a good touch too. The chrome knobs look just ordinary and these give it a "retro" look. I have the black with rosewood model and it just has an overall "classic" look that is impressive. Good features.

Even though this guitar is made in Mexico, so far, the quality is quite good. If you want better quality, then spend more money. There are American Tele's out there that have better quality but they have better price tags too. For the price, I think the quality on this guitar far exceeds what you're paying. That makes it a great deal and quite a bargain.

The value rating on this guitar is near excellent. A really good buy for the money you are spending. It would be "very" hard to beat.

If you combine the features, quality and value together, and then rate the guitar on the sum, I'd have to give the overall rating a 10. Honestly, a great investment for your guitar collection. Buy it !!

The wide, thick vintage neck really makes it easy for me to play.  The back of the body if contoured at the top for more comfort, and the pickup selecter has been reversed to keep it out of the way of you strumming.  The blackface control knobs are a great asthetic as well.

It's not an American made by any means.  Which means in buying this your going to be sacrificing some quality.  Most of which comes in the form of cheaper pups and pots.  But this guitar still shines with what it was given.  I haven't noticed any lack of fit or finish when compared to the American made strat I used to have.  

What can I say here?  Fender hit the ball out of the park on this guitar in the Value department!

When I picked this guitar up and played it through an amp at the guitar shop I immediately knew it was coming home with me.  The humbuckers give the tele sound a nice added grrr factor.  My best advice to you is go and try one out.  I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Blacktop lineups.