Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

This is not your grandpa's Tele. Any traditional Telecaster users will not enjoy this guitar if they prefer the sound of the traditional setup. This "Frankentele" as it were features a Strat neck & headstock, wide range humbuckers, and a three bolt neck.

The craftsmanship and sound quality for a Mexican made Fender is out of this world good. When I first picked it up I could have swore that it was American. The action could not be more perfect (though I think it may have been set up by the staff at the shop at which I purchased it). The fret edges are smooth as silk and the strings feel like butter under my fingers. The wide range humbuckers really sing on both the clean and gain channels on my Blackstar HT-5R. Every note can be heard in a chord and the notes just chime out beautifully.

I managed to snag a killer deal on this guitar but I would have gladly paid the MRSP for this bad boy. Simply awesome guitar.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

I got the black one,the fit & fihish are perfect. I had to do a set up on it due to me puting 10's on it but plays and sounds fantastic. Every time I get asked is it made in mexico or usa.I have never owned a usa made fender because of price and to be honest the mim guitars i have bought over the years have been very sweet so i don't compair them i just play and enjoy them.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

This has been my "working man's guitar" for 8 years. It is hands down the best purchase I have ever made. When I did the cover band thing it was great for everything. great tones ranging from Nirvana to Sublime to Johnny Cash and the Doors, to Queens of the Stoneage, The Killers, Motorhead and Alice in Chains. It does it all very well.

Contrary to one thing I read earlier, I never have to tune this thing. I can play it for a 3 hour show with minimal tuning. I do play 10 to 52 strings on it, and that may make a difference. the only tuning I do is down to D and back up to E. or if I go a half step down.

Everyone always compliments on my killer tone. Great sustain and very chimy and warm cleans and it kills with heavy distortion. No one ever believes I get these sounds with a Telecaster. nor all of the different tones. It is very fast and responsive. Also, I think the weight of the head stock helps with the comfort factor. I like the oversized head stock in comparison to the normal weight of a tele. If you want to hear a sample look up LOVEHATETHING on facebook or Youtube. you can find some of the original tunes and the tones I get out of it.

This guitar kills. Period. stays in tune awesome and is thick. only had to change one pot in 8 years. The wiring is tricky to get back in, but not that hard. never really had a major ground issue. It is easy to set up and do intonation. I do it myself once a month or so and usually have minimal adjustments. The micro tilt is a killer feature too.

I record albums with it and the noise is minimal unless you want it to have noise. then it will make it. It really is a perfect guitar for me and I have had Les Paul's, Strat's, Hamer's, Ibanez, Washburns. Nothing compares. Buy it. Period.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

Really too early to write a review. I'm having difficulty keeping this guitar in tune, so I'm not yet sure if this is a keeper. New guitars with new strings often go out of tune, but this is not staying in tune at all, after playing it several hours a day for over a week. Also not sure if the intonation is right. My other fender guitars did not experience this problem to this degree.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

LOVE this guitar! I have long been a Les Paul fan and after years and years of playing my les pauls I decided to make a change and picked up this Fender Telecaster Deluxe... I couldn't be happier! I love the look of the walnut finish, as well as the awesome feel and tones that come from this guitar! AWESOME!

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

First off, I would like to address the claim that the neck is too wide. IT IS NOT; it is similar, if not exactly, the same width as modern Telecaster and Stratocaster necks, but with a 12" radius rather than the typical 9.5". More on that later.

I admit I am through and through a Fender man; besides this Deluxe I own a 2011 American Standard Stratocaster and a Squier Classic Vibe Custom Telecaster. I do not care for the feel and scale of Gibsons, but I really like the fat humbucker tone of them. This Deluxe is Fenders answer, and the sound is very, very unique. Best way to describe it is if a Fender single coil is the cute preppy girl you knew in high school, this is her 20 years on; much more mature, much more confident and heck of a looker now.
If you have ever played or own a Strat or Tele the feel of this Deluxe is instant and familiar; the only difference is that this has a flatter fretboard radius which is not too noticeable until you break out the slide and, joy of joys, no fret buzz! Contrary to other older reviews, this neck is not wide at all. I have small hands and it is just as useable as any Fender neck. The neck itself is glossy on the front like my USA Strat, and while glossy on the back, it is not sticky like how Les Pauls and PRS's are.
Let's talk abot the fit and finish of this Tele. Again, I have a well made Squier and a American Standard to compare to; I would say it is JUST a little bit below the American but above the Squier. I have the three tone sunburst and the body looks to be made of two pieces of wood; the neck is as mentioned a really nice glossy finish and has some beautiful whorls and grain in it. No fret sprout or sharp edges either. The body features a belly cut which I feel Fender should just cave in and put them on every Telecaster. Overall the guitar is not too heavy, and I am wondering if the CBS style headstock helps with balance.

How does it play and sound? Like nothing you have ever experienced. Don't expect a Telecaster tone, or a fat strat Stratocaster tone, nor a Gibson tone, it is, as the title says, delightfully unique. The humbuckers break up just so when picking hard, and rolling back the volume just a little makes it totally clean. The middle position sound almost like a acoustic guitar, and the neck position is very dark and warm.

Bottom line is you are like me and can't be bothered with Gibsons pricing or feel, get this wonderful guitar. I feel it is appropriate for blues and rock from 1968-1978, the big humbucker era.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

I purchased this guitar in Febuary after playing one at a local music store. I was going to buy the one on display, but they sold it before I got the chance... I wanted Walnut anyway. When I recieved mine (from Musicians Friend), it had a few minor issues. The fret ends were sharp and extended over the fretboard (I understand guitars change based on climates, so I don't really feel this is how it left the factory). I have experience with guitars and repair, so I filed the frets, and did a basic setup. The micro-tilt comes in super handy for getting a good string angle. My main issue with the guitar was the sounds. I had read about changing the pots, so I paid $40 and had them switched over. Also, I wet-sanded the back of the neck to give it a faster "Satin" finish... I do this to all my guitars anyway. This guitar plays and sounds amazing. The pickups are lower output than my JA-90 Tele in a live setting, so I boost it with a tube screamer. I use it on the songs I play rhythm, and it can get very sharp and cutting power chords. It also performs well using some delay and picking accent/arpeggio notes. I love the neck feeling. Everyone on the reviews mentions a "big/wide neck", but this is not true for mine. My hands are average, and the neck feels very slim and comfortable. It has a nice shape, and the jumbo frets make the guitar very bendable. When I initially bought the guitar, it had a few tuning issues, but I understand new guitars need to "settle" a bit. I changed the strings, tightened all the tuners, neck, and bridge screws up, and it was playing and staying in tune awesome after a few days. I HIGHLY recomend this guitar. Something most of you don't know (if you are worried about having to do anything to the guitar) is that Fender offers a free initial setup of a new guitar at your authorized dealer. Just get the guitar, play it a few weeks, and if it needs set up, they will do it for you no charge. The fit and finish on this guitar was awesome (minus the frets... like I said, I think dry/cold climate is more to blame than factory setup). If mine were lost or stolen, I would buy another in a heartbeat. A great guitar that will probably serve me well for years of live gigs to come. Hear and see mine in action by searching for Searchlights 'til Sunrise on Youtube1

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

If you like Telecasters and you have limited experience, you may like this guitar.
I bought this guitar having never played a Telecaster, but I wanted the experience. It is a great looking guitar, and the Humbuckers perform well. I love the individual tone and volume controls. Some people love the sound of the Telecaster, I am not one of them. I did the upgrade of the pots and didin't see a lot of improvement in the sound. Maybe it's just because I didn't care for the guitar. The neck was a little thick for my taste.
As a MIM, I guess it's OK. I noticed that no one in these reviews mentioned the static created by the pick guard not being grounded properly. I creates noticable noise in your amp, and is a frequent complaint about this guitar in other WEB blogs. It is correctable by using dryer sheets to remove the static, or go to the expence of having the wireing shielded and the pick guard grounded better. This should not be necessary on a new guitar. Fender knows about it.
For the value, if you want to correct the problems yourself, it's OK.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

This is a great guitar, but not for everyone. Try to play one if possible before buying, as this thing is nothing like a standard telecaster, especially when it comes to the neck. If you're looking for a great working man's guitar with many of the best features of a tele, les paul & strat this may be a great axe for you. I respect Gibsons, but personally I'd take this over an LP any day.
This guitar has a lot going for it: a great feeling neck with jumbo frets, the awesome (if not necessarily true to the original 70s) wide range pickups, the 4-knob control setup, the gorgeous looks... This thing plays and sounds like a dream.

However, there is one thing you should be aware of before buying this guitar. You might have to swap out the pots, as others have mentioned here. Most humbucker equipped guitars come with 500 kOhm tone & volume pots, but for some inexplicable reason Fender equips these guitars with 250 kOhm pots (or at least they did when I bought mine a year and a half ago - for reference, the original Tele Deluxe from the 70s had 1 Mega Ohm pots). This gives the guitar a darker, and I would say muddier tone. If you're into jazz or blues or really heavy, dark stuff this may work for you. But if you need a brighter tone that cuts through (as many people buying teles are looking for) you'll need to swap out all the pots for the 500k's (or at least the bridge circuit pots). This is no simple task on this guitar, as the wire routing inside is tight and getting the wires back in and the pickguard back on successfully without breaking a wire or solder joint is extremely difficult. If you're serious about buying this guitar and you want a bright, clear tone, budget in the time and/or money for this modification just in case you're not happy with the out-of-the box tone.
The quality of this guitar is excellent. I own 4 made in Mexico Fender instruments and they are all high quality. I say they all can hold their own against made in the USA Fenders or guitars from other companies any day of the week. The fit and finish on this guitar is perfect. Everything works perfectly (I've had it for over a year, and played it extensively, including lots of gigs). It still plays as smoothly as butter. No issues.
The price isn't terribly cheap for a made in Mexico axe, but you get a lot of guitar in this package. Even with the not so modest price tag I would've rated it an 8 or 9 if it weren't for the fact I had to change the pots.

Comments about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar:

I play all kinds of music and honestly it's perfect for everything. It was the perfect upgrade from my Epiphone Les Paul. And not just an upgrade, but a significant upgrade. It feels just as good as any American Fender I have played. The cleans are reminiscent of that John Frusciante clean tone and when overdriven you can literally hear every note that you play while maintaining all the beef of a high end Gibson. It's almost like Fender and Gibson secretly teamed up together to create the perfect guitar. Almost bought a Gibson SG Standard, but I'm glad I bought this instead. I saved some money and I got the benefit of amazing Fender clean tones. You can't go wrong. Great for recording and live, this is my new main axe and I know plenty of people who would agree! Buy this guitar!
Extremely versatile. Every tone imaginable between a high end Fender and Gibson is available through this guitar in my opinion. All the beef and well roundedness of a Les Paul with that bright classic Fender sparkle on top to make the notes and arpeggiated chords really stand out. I bought the Walnut finish. I have always wanted a Fender with a 70's style headstock and maple neck. Incredibly happy.
Don't let anyone fool you, this is just as good, if not better than some American made Fenders.
You get what you pay for and you are paying for quality which is exactly what you get.