cv or affinity with 50's bridge

the amp is like half of it.... you're ignoring that angle

the cv if you can afford it, its a good bang for the buck guitar just try to play it before buying and like jim said amps are massive part of his sound, if not more important

This may sound like a silly answer, but hear me out.

Watch film clips... preferably live ones.

They not only show you a guitar, but you can see if they are new looking or like they have been around for a while (relic 'ed guitars were not a real thing with musicians back then... they looked old because they were).

When you look at the guitar, notice how many pickups, what position his toggles are in and whether they go into pedals, or straight to an amp. At this point, notice the amp. What brand and how he has it set... up high or on the floor... these are factors that effect how he uses it.

If the guitar has modifications, you can almost guarantee they were put in by him... and will be used.

Obviously, if there are pedals, attempt to identify them and observe their most probable order.

Now watch him play.

Gentle picking and volume knob work change how his sound comes across. If you want to sound like him, mimic his style and you will get closer.

Of course, then there are mics and positions and techniques used in recordings that none of us will ever really know about, but these are great starting points.

classic vibe, I've got two and sound amazing, if you want a sound close to springsteen take the classic vibe, if you want to save the money bring you home the affinity

Either would work. I use an Affinity Telecaster as my only Telecaster (check my Equipboard - the only thing I changed was the tuning keys - I should probably review that guitar).

At that time Bruce Springsteen was using a Fender Esquire from circa 1952 or 1953 I believe, which I think I read somewhere he bought it new, and bought the neck pickup (and probably pickguard) from Fender later on and had those installed.

One thing about those old Esquires and Teles from the early 50's is that they had very hot bridge pickups - around 7.xK Ohms resistance, they were the same pickup taken from the Fender Lap Steels (G.E. Smith also used a similar configuration in his signature model, and I presume also with SNL and Hall & Oates). Going by what that song sounds like, I'd say The Boss had a more moderate bridge pickup than usual - I hear more treble, I'd say play both and whichever one "feels/sounds" right to you should be the one to go with. That's what I did when I bought my Tele.

One thing about those old Esquires and Teles from the early 50's is that they had very hot bridge pickups - around 7.xK Ohms resistance, they were the same pickup taken from the Fender Lap Steels (G.E. Smith also used a similar configuration in his signature model, and I presume also with SNL and Hall & Oates).

I tried to explain this int eh LAST Born to Run thread this guy created and then abandoned.... for a good, early esquire bridge sound you want A3 magnets, thin 43awg wire with the right insualtion, hand winding and a zing coated, extra thick steel baseplate moutned in a ferrous, rpeferrably steel, bridge... if its really an original esquire it has steel broadcaster barrel saddles too, personally I like rbass better with the early type pickups, that's me, the boss's was probably stock saddles. Its not just that tis extra winds of thinner wire, its also the weird A3 magnets and thicker baseplate with zinc and not copper plating that contribute to the atypical sound of those early esquire/broadcaster pickups. by the end of the nocaster run they switched to the same A5 megnets and 42awg wire of the neck pickups... they also switched to copper plating on the baseplate for some reason and during that early butterscotch/blackguard period the abseplate is getting progressively thinner and the saddles go to brass for a while before returning to steel and then going to those weird screw-like ones around 58 or 59 when theye xperiment with the top loader bridge...

best early type pickups I've tried are the Don Mare Lap Wrap and the Angeltone 50B (I still ave a 50B in my esquire). I've heard good thigns about Curtis Novak's version as well but I have never tried it. The Angeltone is a little cheaper than the Don Mare, sounds just as authentic and will be wound to a tone destription based on a conversation with Ken (he dpoesn't really have precise stock specs or anything).... and if he doesn't get it right he'll keep winding for you until he gets it. Incidentally, I have enver sent a pickup back to Ken. I am not sure if Don does as much for each individual client but his A3/$#awg bridge pickup soudns spectacular with stock specs

I think Ken's pickup costs abotut eh same as an affinity Tele LOL