For those who want the look, the Squire Classic Vibe in Vintage Blonde (2009-2019) has similar specs. It is an awesome guitar very happy with it. I got mine used for $300usd. The finish and sound is killer!
A few years back, when I first caught the Tele bug, I headed out to buy me a '52 reissue (basically the same specs as this guitar), but I hated the U-shaped neck profile, and I never cared for the 7.25" fretboard radius. I believe it was also wired like a '52, which I have no use for, and would have re-wired it like a modern Tele. I was a little deflated, but I still wanted a Telecaster. I tried a few other American and Mexican Teles, but nothing really grabbed me. Then, I noticed the '50s Classic Vibe hanging on the wall and thought" "Well, I've tried everything else. I might as well try this one". I was still a little bit of a guitar snob back then, and I never even looked at Squier guitars before that (Mexican Fenders were fine by me, but I wouldn't deign to go below that mark). Well, I plugged in that Squier and instantly fell in love with it. I would have bought it right then and there, but it had shop damage, so I went home and ordered one from Sweetwater. Got a 15% discount too! I've owned a lot of Teles since then, but I still love that CV. The only mod I thought was necessary was to install a 4-way switch, to have the neck and bridge pickups in series (ALL Teles should have this IMO). My only minor complaint is that I wish the neck weren't so thin, but it doesn't cause me any trouble. I just prefer a fuller C profile. Otherwise, that guitar is perfect.
When I was 14, I went to Denmark Street in London to buy myself an Ibanez Tube Screamer using the money I made from my first job. I got talking to the owner of the shop that I bought it in and told him that my favourite guitar was the Telecaster. He told me to sit on one of the stools next to a vintage Vox AC 30 they had and went into his back room. A few minutes later he returned with a 51' Nocaster and told me I could stay in the shop for as long as I wanted to play it. I'll never forget the feel and sound of that guitar and I'm so grateful that someone was so trusting of a kid to let them play their priceless relic. The necks on the originals were super thick but the U carve that they had made them really comfortable to hold. Man, that guitar made me fall in love with maple fingerboards. Bless up 💕
I’m not a Fender guitar guy but I’ve always liked this style. Now I love them. Would be the only one I paid money for. I’m new to playing so I haven’t played one yet. Funny though, when it comes to bass guitars, any bass other than a Fender looks funny to me.
Leo nailed this design.. Perfect shape and for a man that didn't actually play guitar (i believe?) this is astonishing. Not many things are still available from 1950 that are still pretty much exactly the same, maybe the claw hammer or the screwdriver?
@@hkguitar1984 G'day HK, I kinda wish the Tele/esquire/Broadcaster design wasn't so appealing, i have owned 10 of these and still retain 5. Ive spent money i didn't have to acquire them and these days I don't much feel like playing them now i'm 50. Still, no other electric guitar has inspired so many players to take up guitar. Shit, now i want one of these Broadcasters.. Doh!
@@jfinester Good to hear JFinester! Seems anything from 1950 was built to last :) Incidentally, I would love a Ford F1 pick up from 1948, i would settle for a 1950 however.
RIGHT! he lost an eye so he only had one eye, and he blew out both eardrums so, considering he couldnt hear, barely see and didnt play it is truly astonishing what he did.
Picked mine up yesterday, totally in love with it! This is my first Tele. I love to collect, so I instantly loved that it checks off a lot of "Vintage" boxes at a reasonable price point. I've only played it a little....but so far I'm loving the feel and sound of it to.
For those wondering: this guitar is exactly the same as the American Vintage 52 reissue Telecaster (except for the name on the headstock). Even the "wiring kit" is just the same 15k resistor in a paper envelope.
Teles are fun. But if you're used to a lot of flashy stuff, you gotta go in knowing that these guitars are bare bones. 3 pickup selections, no trem, no frills, just a nice sounding great playing comfortable guitar. Still always amazes me that the original mass produced electric guitar designs are still the favored design for most guitar players. Strats, les paul, tele, gretsch Jet, etc. They got it right the first time.
@@guitarocd9984 I'd probably even go with Squier Classic Vibe over some MIM. I've never played one that's better than my classic vibe. Granted it has has some upgrades
@@Gizerwizard I have a MIM strat from 2001 and it outperforms guitars 3x its price. Now, it's definitely worth mentioning that the only things original to the guitar are the neck, body and bridge, but with upgraded electronics, locking tuners, bone nut, pickups it plays better than my Prestige Ibanez that is $1500. I paid $350 for the guitar with all the upgrades besides the locking tuners and bone nut. For $500 in investment, it's my workhorse. It's my main guitar during hour and a half sets and doesn't fall out of tune, plays and feels amazing and sounds great as well. Don't sleep on the MIM. For a decent investment you can get a serious guitar.
Just received mine and it’s a fantastic guitar. Have owned several Tele’s - this is the best one so far. Has the right sound and feel. Highly quality than the standard US models and the finish is just beautiful.
I just ordered one. The number one decision factor was the ash body. This is my first Tele and for years I’ve wanted the butterscotch color, and now that I’m ready to pull the trigger on buying one, pine was the option for butterscotch. No thanks. The rest of the broadcaster features and history is just icing on the cake for me. I can’t wait to get it. They’re back ordered right now.
My guess is that they went with the modern wiring after people complained about the mid 2000s nocaster reissue shipped with the original and most dealers had to change it to sell the thing.
If it’s genuine leather, it’s gonna be uncomfortable at first. You’re supposed to use the strap a lot so it sort of molds to your body and after a few weeks or months (depending on how much you play) it will become super comfy. If you don’t want to go through that, you can buy pre broken in leather straps, but it won’t be matched to you like one you break in would be.
I own one of these and they are different than the 52 Telecaster, pickups, neck as well as the neck well which has a ledge like the original 1950 Broadcasters - This guitar comes real close to the original Broadcasters without time travel to 1950.
I'm a little OCD so that bothers the h*** out of me.... I'll never understand why anybody would pay more for a beat up guitar.... I guess so you could always call it mint condition
Yeah I’m craving a Broadcaster now. I agree that they should’ve wired it as a vintage broadcaster. Then included the diagram for making it into a telecaster. Oh well I would still love to have one!
The early Telecasters also had the broadcaster wiring. Fairly soon changed to another crazy wiring scheme (dark, neck only with tone, bridge only with tone) which remained until 1967.
As a Blackguard fan , I absolutely love it . The finish on original Blackguards changed so frequently ,there is no super correct hue , but this is wonderful in my eyes. My only criticism is the 12th fret dot spacing is incorrect for 1950; they didn't move outwards until around October '52. Also from someone who basically grew up playing a Gibson Marauder & also plays a Rickenbacker, the blend circuit is right up my alley. I would love to see you review the new Custom Shop Esquire. It's a recreation of the pine sandwich bodied ,black with white pickgaurd model from the 1950 catalogue and It also doesn't have a trussrod. It comes with a spare pickgaurd, a neck pickup & wiring so you can have an ultra rare 2 pickup Esquire , should you so desire.
I put the dark circuit /blender wiring on one of my road worn teles, bought a new wiring harness with everything already wired, all I had to do was move the neck pickup wire, change the control plate over and fiddle arou d with the pre installed jack. You'd think with a 2k+ guitar they could send the blender wiring predone like I had, probably $10worth of parts for fender and or was a simple job just moving one wire
After waiting thirty years to finally get a Tele my choice was a new Ultra or this. Bought the Ultra and now am getting the Broadcaster today. The best of the old and new.
Trog -Those are not “flat head” screws. They’re “slotted” screws. The head shape and the drive pattern are two different specs and a flat head can be slotted, Phillips, square drive etc.
Just because you don't call them that doesn't mean others don't. Flat head comes from the screwdriver. Not the screw. Flathead screwdriver. And because of that they're commonly called flathead screws. My local hardware store has them listed as flathead. It's a name, not a description.
From the way they showed it in the Fender channel and the website, it did look like there was supposed to be an extra control plate already wired for the modern wiring. The guitar was supposed to be sold with the broadcaster wiring plate installed. Still a great looking and sounding guitar.
I am liking the blonde nitro lacquer finish and the sound on these but I'm not sure about the necks. Not a fan of chunky necks and they are calling this a "thick U shape". I'll have to go check one or two out in person to see how it works for me. Thanks for the review Trog.
I spent so many years only playing this acoustic from the 60s my dad played and then gave to me, since I couldn't bring my electric and amps to university. So I've got so used to big old chunky necks. I find them much easier to play. And I've got small hands too. Not big chonkers like stevie Ray Vaughan had. So I always love it when an electric has a big chunky neck too. I'm definitely gonna have to look into this broadcaster. Those old teles were so good, they can play any genre. Even metal guitarists are using teles now for metal because that single coil tone is so raw and aggressive, it's very useful when you're making a raw and aggressive type of song. With a tele you can do anything.
My data tells me 94.7% of the world doesn't have running drinkable water or flush toilets in their homes. But am also sure about the squirrels in the duck thing, very British.
Phil T the good old USA was going to be the first metric country, the founding fathers were great supporters of the logical and better system but the British stole their standards so they had to go back to the old inches and pounds etc. It doesn’t really matter but surely it’s better if we all have the same system.
Ash is known for weight discrepancies for similar sized pieces of wood. That's one of the reasons that Fender switched mostly to Alder because its weight to size ratio was much more consistent. I've played Ash guitars both heavy and light, but rarely ever play an alder body guitar that is heavy, unless of course its bogged down by heavy electronics and hardware.
Fender switched to alder because it doesn't need grainfiller, saving time and money in production. They used ash/alder and maple, because it's cheap and easy to get hold of.
@@BreadandFaxes Leo didn't care about the range of weights. He used what was cheap, plentiful and easy to work. If he was based on the East Coast, vintage Fenders would have been made of poplar instead of alder.
Thank you for this video, Austin. I actually learned something about the old Broadcaster that I never knew. I didn't know that the Broadcaster had such exotic wiring originally; I'm really surprised. I would have thought that the Broadcaster would have had what we now call "modern" wiring, since it's both less expensive and more simply constructed -- hence, more durable, since there's less to go bad. Wonder why? Doubt I'll ever know, though.
I bought a Fender Tele MIM FSR used for $400 a few years ago. Swapped out the pick guard for the Bakelite pickguard with original 5 screw. Replaced all the hardware with slotted hardware. Replaced the MIM pickups for some Hot USA Fender pickups (can’t remember the name). Replaced the knobs for rounded top knurled knobs. Rewired with cloth wire, CTS, Switchcraft, and an Orange drop. Replaced the tuning keys with the old 50’s style safety tuners. Had a nut custom made from Buffalo horn. This is as close to a Broadcaster as I could get and it probably cost near $600. But it’s a Bitchin’ guitar! The FSR is a butterscotch guitar with the 21 frets (MIM) and the neck is lacquered which gives it that old school feel. I actually prefer lacquered necks. They feel like quality to me. I bought my first USA Tele in 2017 and returned it. It felt cheap. It didn’t feel anywhere close to what I paid for it and I felt ripped off. I didn’t know why until I played an FSR and realized it was the lack of a finished neck that made the USA Tele feel cheap. My first guitar was a BC Rich Bich bronze and it reminded me of those old bolt on unfinished maple necks.
@@Shadow__Banned then you got a problem in that 4/10 some where . 57-8and 9 had a killer sound all the way ..what year is that Amp ? Maybe get'er looked at ive had two. Could be mic placement mic any fkin thing .. that I know . Have you seen uncle Doug .this Kat is killer on old tube Amps ..
Got one of those after a serious GASing crisis from all those videos.... Man that neck Pickup sounds so good. Awesome guitar, feels like a custom shop for half the price
I really like how Fender treats a reissue... To me it seems they really kept that thing as historic as possible even if it meant some more effort like the flatheads, the different serial location or the sticker. Whenever I see Trogly talk about a reissued Gibson all I hear him say "That's not historic specs", "that's not how it was done in the original" ans so on. Is this just the Fender fanboy in me talking or am I onto something? :p
Apart from all the things they didn’t keep historically correct, the things that literally define it, like the string though bridge, the no truss rod and the blend wiring. They could have literally put carbon fibre rods in just to keep it historically accurate and functional. Without the blend wiring and the string through bridge it’s just a tele.
Hey Austin. I think you may found the right guitar for you man. You played and sounded better than ever before man. I can tell you’ve been practicing. But the tone on the guitar was transparent and you could hear that it was inspiring you to push yourself to play a little different.
These are great guitars! Fender did a wonderful job on these. Now, having said that, I agree with his point about the wiring “kit.” I think Fender did include a second control plate in the Custom Shop version.
I saw the official Fender video for the Master Built (Custom Shop) version and they do include a whole set to be changed to get the blend circuit; however, as this is the Team Built, it only includes the resistance. The strap of the more expensive (x5) version is also wider and nicer.
During the 60's the ONLY Tele brought into Canada was that wash finish! it was the prefered guitar with about 90% of all pro's.I am not exaggerating about the monopoly the Tele had on the players. I expect there a lot of old Tele's the grandma still owns and will trickle out into the market.
JC have you gone in and tried to rewire a guitar?hes a document-or/seller not a tech and hes damn good at what he does.If you dont like him don’t watch.
I wired my tele to a nocaster/broadcaster thing and i dont personally like it. You basically end up with 2 settings for 2 switch positions for the neck pickup without tone control and the blend function on the bridge pickup. That's not much. With the 60's wiring, which I'm gonna wire it to soon, you at least have tone control and more tonal possibilities. But you're right, a real broadcaster has the broadcaster wiring.
Ely Molloy wow dude you’re digging around in week old comments looking to criticize someone that’s honestly pretty sad,you should find a better hobby other than gaining internet tough guy points.
This sounds like the exact specs of the 2015 ‘52 reissue that I had. Just butterscotch. Same case, same case candy, even the wiring kit. Just a different color and says broadcaster. Loved that ‘52 though!
Tele guy here through and through.lovely guitar.i could never spend that much on it though.would be nice to record with one for an afternoon or something.great video.keep up the great work.
I'm just wrapping up a tele project. Got the thing at a pawn shop for dirt cheap because it REEKED of cat pee. Long story short, got all the cat pee off and dropped some new parts in... I've never owned, let alone have had much experience with Teles. Now I understand why some say they are so versatile. Depends on your playing style I know, but it really can make any noise I want it to. I might pick this over a Les Paul from now on.
You are the man! Huge tele fan and always enjoy your videos on em! Daddy may have to buy him one of these bad boys! Have you done a review in the tough dog Merle haggard tele?
If I am ever forced to downsize to 3 or 4 guitars, this will need to be one of them. If I never downsize, this will still need to be one of them. I like that grain showing through the blond finish and I love the tele sound.
I bought a custom shop broadcaster reissue. I would be interested in seeing a comparison between that one and this one. Is it worth the extra money for the custom shop model? It’s a rhetorical question, but it would be interesting to get your perspective.
It is pretty, and I'm sure it feels nice and plays well, but for the price, and considering the wiring clanger, I'll give it a miss. Watching this, kinda makes me regret selling my MIJ 62 resissue tele. Maybe I'll get another one some day.
So how long is that rubber in the pickup mounts going to last? I'm astounded they would do that. Surely a good old--fashioned spring that could last another 70 years would be better?
Glad to see that it has an ash body. I’m not a fan of Fender making mostly pine body guitars now, though I do understand and applaud Fender’s commitment to using sustainable wood. Pine just sounds thin and lacks sustain.
Great review as always Mr. Trog, I am kind of surprised by Fenders wiring choice as well. I have their 60th anniv. 52 Tele which came with original wiring specs plus a "Kit" for modern wiring. I would have been more inclined to buy this new Broadcaster had they used a thermometer case, like the original had. If I do get one, I will wire to original spec, just because.
It was interesting to hear you say you really liked these pickups, since you grew up as a Gibson guy and that’s just really your native environment. So I wondered what these pickups must sound like - and it turns out they’re the ultimate in a thin Fender sound, not at the thicker end of things!
The “dark” circuit was Fender’s idea if your bass player misses the gig, just use the dark circuit. The neck blend control sounds interesting though... kind of like the Rickenbacker 5th knob.
@@erniebasener9863 If you search TH-cam for Fender Broadcaster AND Guitar of the Day you can find a demo of one from Normans Rare Guitars in LA. The guitar in question belonged to Billy Gibbons and was used on "Jesus just left Chicago". I can see the objection to the dark circuit. But the blend circuit, at least on the one they were selling was one of the best guitar sounds I have ever heard.
Arguably yes, but that wiring set up and the resultant tone is what differentiates a Broadcaster from later Telecaster designs. Call me crazy, but I tend to think that guitars marketed as vintage reissues should actually replicate the vintage specs in question, especially as it relates to things that have to do with the actual sound of the instrument.
I bought a 1952 reissue Telecaster in 1989 and those came with the blend circuit wiring and a kit to make it a model tele style switching. I did it right away because the original was low volume and too muddy on the neck position
Well I built mine for $1200. So that's not bad. Mine is wired like the original and my pickups are hand made to copy the original. Also I made mine with an original numerical serial number. Looks good I like it.
Thanks for a great, detailed review. Unreal. After 70 years ?, Fender executives and custom shop cannot improve upon LEO FENDER's first solid body design. I think it is great that these models are being made available. I can almost hear the purists FRETTING that it just ain't as good as those old relics with warped necks, worn out frets, paint peeling and inconsistent magnetic coil winding. As for my tastes -- give me G&L all day long, the new and improved, latest creations by the late master Leo Fender.
For those who want the look, the Squire Classic Vibe in Vintage Blonde (2009-2019) has similar specs. It is an awesome guitar very happy with it. I got mine used for $300usd. The finish and sound is killer!
*Squier 😜
You can get reverb for $250 and find mint used For $200 There great guitars.
I had one and I can confirm it looked almost exactly the same. Finish, wood grain and hardware.
A few years back, when I first caught the Tele bug, I headed out to buy me a '52 reissue (basically the same specs as this guitar), but I hated the U-shaped neck profile, and I never cared for the 7.25" fretboard radius. I believe it was also wired like a '52, which I have no use for, and would have re-wired it like a modern Tele. I was a little deflated, but I still wanted a Telecaster. I tried a few other American and Mexican Teles, but nothing really grabbed me. Then, I noticed the '50s Classic Vibe hanging on the wall and thought" "Well, I've tried everything else. I might as well try this one". I was still a little bit of a guitar snob back then, and I never even looked at Squier guitars before that (Mexican Fenders were fine by me, but I wouldn't deign to go below that mark). Well, I plugged in that Squier and instantly fell in love with it. I would have bought it right then and there, but it had shop damage, so I went home and ordered one from Sweetwater. Got a 15% discount too!
I've owned a lot of Teles since then, but I still love that CV. The only mod I thought was necessary was to install a 4-way switch, to have the neck and bridge pickups in series (ALL Teles should have this IMO). My only minor complaint is that I wish the neck weren't so thin, but it doesn't cause me any trouble. I just prefer a fuller C profile. Otherwise, that guitar is perfect.
When I was 14, I went to Denmark Street in London to buy myself an Ibanez Tube Screamer using the money I made from my first job. I got talking to the owner of the shop that I bought it in and told him that my favourite guitar was the Telecaster. He told me to sit on one of the stools next to a vintage Vox AC 30 they had and went into his back room. A few minutes later he returned with a 51' Nocaster and told me I could stay in the shop for as long as I wanted to play it. I'll never forget the feel and sound of that guitar and I'm so grateful that someone was so trusting of a kid to let them play their priceless relic. The necks on the originals were super thick but the U carve that they had made them really comfortable to hold. Man, that guitar made me fall in love with maple fingerboards. Bless up 💕
The longer I play the more I feel like I need a tele... was never a huge fan but its growing on me
Jack Take a look at the G&L ASATs, too
Get a Fender Player Series if on a budget, you won´t regret it. I got a Player Strat but im considering trading for a Tele.
I’m not a Fender guitar guy but I’ve always liked this style. Now I love them. Would be the only one I paid money for. I’m new to playing so I haven’t played one yet. Funny though, when it comes to bass guitars, any bass other than a Fender looks funny to me.
Happens to the best of us, I bought one 3 year ago. Never wanted one till I hit my 30’s then found myself drawn to it 😆
I NEVER wanted a Tele, for all my 44 years. I came across one in a trade. Now it is the ONE guitar I would carry in a hurricane evacuation. LOL.
I just stumbled across this channel the other night and it is all I have been watching for the past two days lol
Leo nailed this design.. Perfect shape and for a man that didn't actually play guitar (i believe?) this is astonishing. Not many things are still available from 1950 that are still pretty much exactly the same, maybe the claw hammer or the screwdriver?
Spot-on, Leo did not play guitar.
Beautiful/genius design to still be relevant all these years later.
@@hkguitar1984 G'day HK, I kinda wish the Tele/esquire/Broadcaster design wasn't so appealing, i have owned 10 of these and still retain 5. Ive spent money i didn't have to acquire them and these days I don't much feel like playing them now i'm 50. Still, no other electric guitar has inspired so many players to take up guitar. Shit, now i want one of these Broadcasters.. Doh!
chicken in a breadpan Me. I’m from 1950. Still on top of the ground.
@@jfinester Good to hear JFinester! Seems anything from 1950 was built to last :)
Incidentally, I would love a Ford F1 pick up from 1948, i would settle for a 1950 however.
RIGHT! he lost an eye so he only had one eye, and he blew out both eardrums so, considering he couldnt hear, barely see and didnt play it is truly astonishing what he did.
Picked mine up yesterday, totally in love with it! This is my first Tele. I love to collect, so I instantly loved that it checks off a lot of "Vintage" boxes at a reasonable price point. I've only played it a little....but so far I'm loving the feel and sound of it to.
Do you still have it? Still happy with it?
@@dustinglassI do, and I am.
For those wondering: this guitar is exactly the same as the American Vintage 52 reissue Telecaster (except for the name on the headstock). Even the "wiring kit" is just the same 15k resistor in a paper envelope.
and the neck? seems to be different!
I’ve been itching for a tele lately... maybe this is a sign? Great video as always trog.
Huh,glad I'm not the only one
Guitar Ocd no
Teles are fun. But if you're used to a lot of flashy stuff, you gotta go in knowing that these guitars are bare bones. 3 pickup selections, no trem, no frills, just a nice sounding great playing comfortable guitar.
Still always amazes me that the original mass produced electric guitar designs are still the favored design for most guitar players. Strats, les paul, tele, gretsch Jet, etc. They got it right the first time.
@@guitarocd9984 I'd probably even go with Squier Classic Vibe over some MIM. I've never played one that's better than my classic vibe. Granted it has has some upgrades
@@Gizerwizard I have a MIM strat from 2001 and it outperforms guitars 3x its price.
Now, it's definitely worth mentioning that the only things original to the guitar are the neck, body and bridge, but with upgraded electronics, locking tuners, bone nut, pickups it plays better than my Prestige Ibanez that is $1500. I paid $350 for the guitar with all the upgrades besides the locking tuners and bone nut. For $500 in investment, it's my workhorse. It's my main guitar during hour and a half sets and doesn't fall out of tune, plays and feels amazing and sounds great as well.
Don't sleep on the MIM. For a decent investment you can get a serious guitar.
You're slowly getting better and better demoing guitars, keep up the good work 👍
Just received mine and it’s a fantastic guitar. Have owned several Tele’s - this is the best one so far. Has the right sound and feel. Highly quality than the standard US models and the finish is just beautiful.
I have this guitar and the Pickups sound great!! I bought the 70th Anniversary to replace a 1975 Tele I had in High school!!
Their anniversary teles are always so beautiful 😭💕
I just ordered one. The number one decision factor was the ash body. This is my first Tele and for years I’ve wanted the butterscotch color, and now that I’m ready to pull the trigger on buying one, pine was the option for butterscotch. No thanks.
The rest of the broadcaster features and history is just icing on the cake for me. I can’t wait to get it. They’re back ordered right now.
This thing sounds incredible! I could hear how much fun you were having playing it
The camera pan up, with the black background made me remember what love is!
My guess is that they went with the modern wiring after people complained about the mid 2000s nocaster reissue shipped with the original and most dealers had to change it to sell the thing.
If it’s genuine leather, it’s gonna be uncomfortable at first. You’re supposed to use the strap a lot so it sort of molds to your body and after a few weeks or months (depending on how much you play) it will become super comfy. If you don’t want to go through that, you can buy pre broken in leather straps, but it won’t be matched to you like one you break in would be.
I own one of these and they are different than the 52 Telecaster, pickups, neck as well as the neck well which has a ledge like the original 1950 Broadcasters - This guitar comes real close to the original Broadcasters without time travel to 1950.
Two grand for that? Think I'll wait for them to bang it around, sand the edges down and charge $3000.
I'm a little OCD so that bothers the h*** out of me.... I'll never understand why anybody would pay more for a beat up guitar.... I guess so you could always call it mint condition
They do a couple relic versions for more than double the price
Hahahahaha...nice!!!
2k USD for a Tele. I don't think so. The tele tone can be got for much less than that.
They arleady do it's 4-8.5 K depending on how many hammers and which dude gets to do it
Austin, this is a superb demo, as usual! I've linked this vid to a comment on Fender's TH-cam demo on this axe. Hope you get a lot of inquiries!
Yeah I’m craving a Broadcaster now.
I agree that they should’ve wired it as a vintage broadcaster. Then included the diagram for making it into a telecaster. Oh well I would still love to have one!
The early Telecasters also had the broadcaster wiring. Fairly soon changed to another crazy wiring scheme (dark, neck only with tone, bridge only with tone) which remained until 1967.
As a Blackguard fan , I absolutely love it . The finish on original Blackguards changed so frequently ,there is no super correct hue , but this is wonderful in my eyes. My only criticism is the 12th fret dot spacing is incorrect for 1950; they didn't move outwards until around October '52. Also from someone who basically grew up playing a Gibson Marauder & also plays a Rickenbacker, the blend circuit is right up my alley.
I would love to see you review the new Custom Shop Esquire. It's a recreation of the pine sandwich bodied ,black with white pickgaurd model from the 1950 catalogue and It also doesn't have a trussrod. It comes with a spare pickgaurd, a neck pickup & wiring so you can have an ultra rare 2 pickup Esquire , should you so desire.
I love it. That bridge pickup sounds awesome.
The Neck pickup sounds so good to me
You've been practicing and it really shows! Great playing!
Ok, ok bro! Now I’m jealous ! Nice piece 🤘🏼
It even has the flat-head screws as oppose to the philips! They really nailed this reissue.
Pretty rad guitar! Wish they shipped with the vintage wiring, I love that configuration and could have stood out more against the other Teles.
they include a separate wiring harness in the case that you can re wire it to original spec so you have a choice
Since there is a green background, someone add dinosaurs from Jurassic Park back there.
Kevin Collins I enjoy this idea
I like this channel but this green background is annoying. Dinosaurs=great idea.
I was thinking more along the lines of a 70's porno'.
I put the dark circuit /blender wiring on one of my road worn teles, bought a new wiring harness with everything already wired, all I had to do was move the neck pickup wire, change the control plate over and fiddle arou d with the pre installed jack. You'd think with a 2k+ guitar they could send the blender wiring predone like I had, probably $10worth of parts for fender and or was a simple job just moving one wire
Just bought one of these, great guitar!!
Have to mention your guitar playing is always improving.
I can barely put batteries in the tv remote the right way....there’s no way I’m gonna be able to re-wire that thing!!!!...great stuff Trog!!!!!
After waiting thirty years to finally get a Tele my choice was a new Ultra or this. Bought the Ultra and now am getting the Broadcaster today. The best of the old and new.
Which do you prefer?
@@dustinglass The Broadcaster for tone, the Ultra for playability.
Trog -Those are not “flat head” screws. They’re “slotted” screws. The head shape and the drive pattern are two different specs and a flat head can be slotted, Phillips, square drive etc.
Who cares. This was also a stupid thing to reissue as you have more of a chance of sliding off and damaging the finish with the flat tip screw driver
Just because you don't call them that doesn't mean others don't. Flat head comes from the screwdriver. Not the screw. Flathead screwdriver. And because of that they're commonly called flathead screws. My local hardware store has them listed as flathead. It's a name, not a description.
From the way they showed it in the Fender channel and the website, it did look like there was supposed to be an extra control plate already wired for the modern wiring. The guitar was supposed to be sold with the broadcaster wiring plate installed.
Still a great looking and sounding guitar.
I am liking the blonde nitro lacquer finish and the sound on these but I'm not sure about the necks. Not a fan of chunky necks and they are calling this a "thick U shape". I'll have to go check one or two out in person to see how it works for me. Thanks for the review Trog.
the finish kinda looks like some kind of nature stone! really like that.
Good comment, have a good day Brian
I spent so many years only playing this acoustic from the 60s my dad played and then gave to me, since I couldn't bring my electric and amps to university. So I've got so used to big old chunky necks. I find them much easier to play. And I've got small hands too. Not big chonkers like stevie Ray Vaughan had. So I always love it when an electric has a big chunky neck too. I'm definitely gonna have to look into this broadcaster. Those old teles were so good, they can play any genre. Even metal guitarists are using teles now for metal because that single coil tone is so raw and aggressive, it's very useful when you're making a raw and aggressive type of song. With a tele you can do anything.
@Return of the Native this, or a good nitro polish will make it super fast to play
Fun fact, 94.7% of the world uses metric, not the British Imperial, which I think is based on how many squirrels can fit in a duck.
My data tells me 94.7% of the world doesn't have running drinkable water or flush toilets in their homes. But am also sure about the squirrels in the duck thing, very British.
Whereas Metric is an arbitrary bucket of water derived from a mistaken measurement.
Phil T the good old USA was going to be the first metric country, the founding fathers were great supporters of the logical and better system but the British stole their standards so they had to go back to the old inches and pounds etc. It doesn’t really matter but surely it’s better if we all have the same system.
@@billrugg-easey4764 But all my old wrenches don't fit anything,,,,
Rob Namowicz its an excuse to buy new wrenches or as we call them spanners !
Ash is known for weight discrepancies for similar sized pieces of wood. That's one of the reasons that Fender switched mostly to Alder because its weight to size ratio was much more consistent. I've played Ash guitars both heavy and light, but rarely ever play an alder body guitar that is heavy, unless of course its bogged down by heavy electronics and hardware.
Fender switched to alder because it doesn't need grainfiller, saving time and money in production. They used ash/alder and maple, because it's cheap and easy to get hold of.
@@somebodyelseuk like I said, that's ONE of the reasons. There were many.
@@BreadandFaxes Leo didn't care about the range of weights. He used what was cheap, plentiful and easy to work. If he was based on the East Coast, vintage Fenders would have been made of poplar instead of alder.
Thanks for all the videos...daily entertainment
Ommmmgg fender is going to destroy my wallet this year with this guitar and the AO pink strat 😰🥰😭🍔📉
I've been lusting after the Surf Green AO Thinline Tele myself
Beepbeep Lettuce me too 😭😭😭
pink strat - did you actually type, "pink strat?" Are you keeping it w/ your purple Ferrari?
@@bishlap gtfo of here with your attitude
In the 19th century, pink was considered a masculine colour, as it is related to red. #RealMenHavePinkGuitars
Beautiful! Looks exactly like the Telecaster I had as a kid back in 1978. Want!
I played one of these, and I absolutely love the thick neck! So much fun
Trog If i didn't know better I'd swear you were bonding with that guitar...........
@@davidparker1037 what??
Thank you for this video, Austin. I actually learned something about the old Broadcaster that I never knew. I didn't know that the Broadcaster had such exotic wiring originally; I'm really surprised. I would have thought that the Broadcaster would have had what we now call "modern" wiring, since it's both less expensive and more simply constructed -- hence, more durable, since there's less to go bad. Wonder why? Doubt I'll ever know, though.
I bought a Fender Tele MIM FSR used for $400 a few years ago. Swapped out the pick guard for the Bakelite pickguard with original 5 screw. Replaced all the hardware with slotted hardware. Replaced the MIM pickups for some Hot USA Fender pickups (can’t remember the name). Replaced the knobs for rounded top knurled knobs. Rewired with cloth wire, CTS, Switchcraft, and an Orange drop. Replaced the tuning keys with the old 50’s style safety tuners. Had a nut custom made from Buffalo horn. This is as close to a Broadcaster as I could get and it probably cost near $600. But it’s a Bitchin’ guitar! The FSR is a butterscotch guitar with the 21 frets (MIM) and the neck is lacquered which gives it that old school feel. I actually prefer lacquered necks. They feel like quality to me. I bought my first USA Tele in 2017 and returned it. It felt cheap. It didn’t feel anywhere close to what I paid for it and I felt ripped off. I didn’t know why until I played an FSR and realized it was the lack of a finished neck that made the USA Tele feel cheap. My first guitar was a BC Rich Bich bronze and it reminded me of those old bolt on unfinished maple necks.
That "springy" reverb was nice
So iconic.
Definitely enjoying the improvement in the videography!
I know you're Mr Gibson, but the way you play Teles, IDK.... not surprising that Fender sends you stuff now. Sounds awesome and thanks for the video!
Always loved telecasters finally got one for my 50th bday 🤪
When I was a kid a friend let me play his ‘50 Broadcaster. The BEST!!! Should have bought he only wanted $1500. Longtime ago!
This is the first video I’ve seen of yours. Totally loved it. Thank you, I subscribed.
The price of “slotted screws” just skyrocketed! LOL
Swami "Tone Screws" 10.99/3 pack.
man you aint doing that Telly Justice .. hook that thing up to a 4x10 Bassman
i play the AO60 on 4x12 bassman & yes, that's the way it should
@@Shadow__Banned then you got a problem in that 4/10 some where . 57-8and 9 had a killer sound all the way ..what year is that Amp ? Maybe get'er looked at ive had two. Could be mic placement mic any fkin thing .. that I know . Have you seen uncle Doug .this Kat is killer on old tube Amps ..
@@LUCKYB. ?!??
Different strokes
Got one of those after a serious GASing crisis from all those videos.... Man that neck Pickup sounds so good. Awesome guitar, feels like a custom shop for half the price
I really like how Fender treats a reissue...
To me it seems they really kept that thing as historic as possible even if it meant some more effort like the flatheads, the different serial location or the sticker.
Whenever I see Trogly talk about a reissued Gibson all I hear him say "That's not historic specs", "that's not how it was done in the original" ans so on.
Is this just the Fender fanboy in me talking or am I onto something? :p
Apart from all the things they didn’t keep historically correct, the things that literally define it, like the string though bridge, the no truss rod and the blend wiring. They could have literally put carbon fibre rods in just to keep it historically accurate and functional. Without the blend wiring and the string through bridge it’s just a tele.
Good video but no mention of the cap on the harness. It’s a paper in oil I presume?
I'm hoping we get a 51 Precision next year. I'd buy one
Same here.
Moon Child ...Squire already has one and its a beauty...
@@getredytagetredy The Squier 51 is pretty cool, but I'd like to see a full blown Fender reissue of it. Slab body basses are my favorite
It sounds so good, it makes me wish my tele was in working condition
Nice playing, Austin. Neck finish seems a bit too (dark) yellow.
Hey Austin. I think you may found the right guitar for you man. You played and sounded better than ever before man. I can tell you’ve been practicing. But the tone on the guitar was transparent and you could hear that it was inspiring you to push yourself to play a little different.
These are great guitars! Fender did a wonderful job on these. Now, having said that, I agree with his point about the wiring “kit.” I think Fender did include a second control plate in the Custom Shop version.
Don't know if I should thank you or curse you, been wanting a tele for awhile after your review it checked all boxes and I ordered one
I saw the official Fender video for the Master Built (Custom Shop) version and they do include a whole set to be changed to get the blend circuit; however, as this is the Team Built, it only includes the resistance. The strap of the more expensive (x5) version is also wider and nicer.
I got an AmStandard about a year ago and out of my 5 axes I've found that I'm using it way more than the others in my home studio work.
incredibly beautiful guitar
You are so close to 100k subs I'm so stoked!!!
What I like the most is that they kept it accurate to the period, mainly 21 not 22 frets.
The evolution of the first mass produced electric guitar , nice , I've took a liking to the fender Virginia but my wallet just doesn't like it !
I Love It , the Neck & bridge sound are what i like !!!!
I actually have that strap in black and find it the most comfortable one I have. Great tele btw, sounds amazing.
During the 60's the ONLY Tele brought into Canada was that wash finish! it was the prefered guitar with about 90% of all pro's.I am not exaggerating about the monopoly the Tele had on the players. I expect there a lot of old Tele's the grandma still owns and will trickle out into the market.
Broadcaster without the Broadcaster wiring is just a Telecaster in my opinion.
JC have you gone in and tried to rewire a guitar?hes a document-or/seller not a tech and hes damn good at what he does.If you dont like him don’t watch.
I wired my tele to a nocaster/broadcaster thing and i dont personally like it. You basically end up with 2 settings for 2 switch positions for the neck pickup without tone control and the blend function on the bridge pickup. That's not much. With the 60's wiring, which I'm gonna wire it to soon, you at least have tone control and more tonal possibilities. But you're right, a real broadcaster has the broadcaster wiring.
@@michaels5809 wow dude... your fanboy sensitivities get butt hurt much? Hes an idiot. Ive watched his videos. Hes got the brains god gave a rock.
Ely Molloy wow dude you’re digging around in week old comments looking to criticize someone that’s honestly pretty sad,you should find a better hobby other than gaining internet tough guy points.
@@elymolloy8333 Yet you keep watching his videos. Who's the rock.
Maybe you should keep it really fits your playing style. You have NEVER sounded better!!! Well done!!!
Almost 100k subs, good hustlin Austin :3
Hello Austin, is the sound solely from the guitar to the amp or what other pedal did you use to augment this great sound?
This sounds like the exact specs of the 2015 ‘52 reissue that I had. Just butterscotch. Same case, same case candy, even the wiring kit. Just a different color and says broadcaster. Loved that ‘52 though!
Like I said in the last video, I am really loving the new camera angles and camera work, it reminds of Emerald City Guitars, keep up the great work.
Tele guy here through and through.lovely guitar.i could never spend that much on it though.would be nice to record with one for an afternoon or something.great video.keep up the great work.
I'm just wrapping up a tele project. Got the thing at a pawn shop for dirt cheap because it REEKED of cat pee. Long story short, got all the cat pee off and dropped some new parts in... I've never owned, let alone have had much experience with Teles.
Now I understand why some say they are so versatile. Depends on your playing style I know, but it really can make any noise I want it to. I might pick this over a Les Paul from now on.
You seem to have missed the reproduction capacitor in the control harness. Fender really outdid themselves with this run of Broadcaster reissues.
You are the man! Huge tele fan and always enjoy your videos on em! Daddy may have to buy him one of these bad boys! Have you done a review in the tough dog Merle haggard tele?
If I am ever forced to downsize to 3 or 4 guitars, this will need to be one of them. If I never downsize, this will still need to be one of them. I like that grain showing through the blond finish and I love the tele sound.
God damn, I love the sound of a tele.
Can't get more beautiful
I bought a custom shop broadcaster reissue. I would be interested in seeing a comparison between that one and this one. Is it worth the extra money for the custom shop model? It’s a rhetorical question, but it would be interesting to get your perspective.
Man Trogly you were not kidding those pickups sing like birds!
G'day mate another great episode can't wait for the next one
It is pretty, and I'm sure it feels nice and plays well, but for the price, and considering the wiring clanger, I'll give it a miss.
Watching this, kinda makes me regret selling my MIJ 62 resissue tele. Maybe I'll get another one some day.
The MIJ 62? wasn't that a CLASSIC Luftwaffe?
@@bishlap lol. You just gave me a good idea for a guitar build. Cheers.
@@fishypaw go on big dawg - she's all yours!!!
So how long is that rubber in the pickup mounts going to last?
I'm astounded they would do that. Surely a good old--fashioned spring that could last another 70 years would be better?
Glad to see that it has an ash body. I’m not a fan of Fender making mostly pine body guitars now, though I do understand and applaud Fender’s commitment to using sustainable wood. Pine just sounds thin and lacks sustain.
Love the fact that they use flathead screws like the original too
Great review as always Mr. Trog, I am kind of surprised by Fenders wiring choice as well. I have their 60th anniv. 52 Tele which came with original wiring specs plus a "Kit" for modern wiring. I would have been more inclined to buy this new Broadcaster had they used a thermometer case, like the original had. If I do get one, I will wire to original spec, just because.
It was interesting to hear you say you really liked these pickups, since you grew up as a Gibson guy and that’s just really your native environment. So I wondered what these pickups must sound like - and it turns out they’re the ultimate in a thin Fender sound, not at the thicker end of things!
Oh my god I would KILL for one of these❤️
They kept the Dark resister off, cause it sounds like $hit with it installed.
yeah, never liked that tone.
The “dark” circuit was Fender’s idea if your bass player misses the gig, just use the dark circuit.
The neck blend control sounds interesting though... kind of like the Rickenbacker 5th knob.
You can get some interesting tones out of it if you use the dark and play with the upper treble on the tone knob
@@erniebasener9863 If you search TH-cam for Fender Broadcaster AND Guitar of the Day you can find a demo of one from Normans Rare Guitars in LA. The guitar in question belonged to Billy Gibbons and was used on "Jesus just left Chicago". I can see the objection to the dark circuit. But the blend circuit, at least on the one they were selling was one of the best guitar sounds I have ever heard.
Arguably yes, but that wiring set up and the resultant tone is what differentiates a Broadcaster from later Telecaster designs.
Call me crazy, but I tend to think that guitars marketed as vintage reissues should actually replicate the vintage specs in question, especially as it relates to things that have to do with the actual sound of the instrument.
I bought a 1952 reissue Telecaster in 1989 and those came with the blend circuit wiring and a kit to make it a model tele style switching. I did it right away because the original was low volume and too muddy on the neck position
Well I built mine for $1200. So that's not bad. Mine is wired like the original and my pickups are hand made to copy the original. Also I made mine with an original numerical serial number. Looks good I like it.
Thanks for a great, detailed review. Unreal. After 70 years ?, Fender executives and custom shop cannot improve upon LEO FENDER's first solid body design. I think it is great that these models are being made available. I can almost hear the purists FRETTING that it just ain't as good as those old relics with warped necks, worn out frets, paint peeling and inconsistent magnetic coil winding. As for my tastes -- give me G&L all day long, the new and improved, latest creations by the late master Leo Fender.
Who really takes their guitar apart. You buy stock or custom, and leave it alone. That’s what you like-presumably? Nice clean sound there!