Prone to being amp-sensitive, but otherwise incredibly solid for the price!

I got mine used at a local pawn shop for $350. After a new nut, and then a new neck entirely and action adjustment, I've been incredibly happy with it! It tends to be the first guitar of my ten that I pick up when I write songs. The only drawback for me is that it can be a bit fussy when it comes to the amps it's plugged into. My main amp is a Marshall Origin 20 combo and even with everything cranked and my boost pedal on, it stills sounds held back, both in volume and especially tone. But when my friend has plugged into his massive Peavey, it sounds great. I'd personally reccommend an American or Japanese-made Telecaster, but if you don't want to break the bank and still want that authentic Fender Telecaster sound and playability, this is definitely the guitar for you!

Best Guitar I've ever owned. I would never sell it. It can handle most genres, has such a smooth sound whether bridge or neck pick up. Ages beautifully and built like a machine.

This is honestly the best guitar I've ever owned. The guitar has such a smooth sound without sounding like all of the high end has been capped off which in my opinions is what most les pauls do unless they are the super expensive ones. The neck is so thin without feeling like a shred guitar. The sound the guitar makes can adhere so affects nicely and can fit most genres. Tuners are good and the stock hardware including pickups are just as good as they are, no changing required in my opinion unless you are trying to achieve a certain sound. Overall, a dream to play without spending 1000s.

Marcus Singletary's Custom Fender Telecaster

Guitarist Marcus Singletary's black custom Fender Telecaster was originally manufactured in Mexico. Later, Gene Parsons (drummer for rock band The Byrds and inventor of the B-bender) installed a Parsons-Green B&G double bender unit. The factory pickups were changed to Fender Noiseless pickups. The guitar can be heard on Marcus Singletary's version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Good!

When I first bought this guitar aged 15 I knew nothing about electric guitars. This model was the perfect entryway into electronic instruments after classical training. I highly recommend this model to beginners who are familiar with playing the guitar.

From Gear Setup

ESSENTIAL

I have a 1993 top loaded black tele with white pickguard that i got in a trade when i decided my HSH strat was just too overwhelming & heavy. i kinda got fucked over on the trade but in the long run this guitar is so important to me. i replaced the shitty old pickups with brand new pickups from a squier classic vibe tele, and managed to fuck up the wiring so terribly that it gave both pickups a completely different tone from what they were supposed to sound like, and made the middle position half as loud as the individual pickup settings.

however, my wiring fuck up created what i now consider an essential aspect of my tone and i can't imagine sounding any way else. also the laziness of fender back in the first few years of the mexican factory paid off in my benefit, because the top loading plays into part of the incredibly unique tone of Maud, my fucked up tele.

I'll Get An American Tele One Day

3.5 stars. The build quality isn't as good as I'd like it to be, which is understandable for the price point, but it's still acceptable if you aren't picky. The ceramic pickups sound good clean, unless you're using distortion; then it begins to sound muddy. Perhaps if I swapped them out with something else, it'd be a better all-around guitar.

Brilliant guitar

The fender 2003 MIM tele is a great instrument. It's affordable, a pleasure to play, the neck is properly smoothed and you can tell effort has been made into constructing every single one. It doesn't have all the authentic parts liek the bridge and such but if you really wanted that you could replace it. The gloss and painting looks great and the neck has a such an nice warm sound. Still has all the twang and the warmth of the MIA.

Blue2

Blue2 was my 2nd blue guitar but technically my 3rd electric guitar as I owned a Dame Saint M400 back in 2009 but ended up selling it so I can have this. Had it in 2013 already in blue and a maple fretboard. Lately has been my workhorse guitar since I have yet to setup the Strat. I can shred through this but I can shred better on the Strat, thing about this is, it's also as versatile and this I love strumming this more. it has a humbucker on the bridge which allows me to go heavy too.

Great guitar

I used it as a lead guitar, solid twang for the sound i was trying to produce.

Just great!

Sounds good, looks good... what can I say? The only issue is the weight... It's heavy as a bag of rocks. But the sound of the original neck pickup is something that I've never found on any guitar ever.