# Fender Blacktop Strat HH vs. Player Modern Telecaster Plus (for a beginner)?



## WolfDale (Feb 22, 2012)

So I've been playing a no-name acoustic for about 3 months, I have some of the basics down, and am ready to move on to electric (I feel that since it sounds better, that i'd have more fun playing it, and thereby, learn better).

I am able to pick up a new Fender Blacktop Strat HH for $449.99 (CAD) and a Player Modern Telecaster Plus for $399.99 (CAD).

With that close of a price range, I just don't know which would be the better buy! They both play very well and are both aesthetically pleasing.


Here's a couple of demo reviews:
Blacktop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koGIoGRElXA (purchase here: http://www.tapestrymusic.com/index.php?path=18_63_92&product_id=2485&route=product/product)

Telecaster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-laHOnwXUA (purchase here: http://www.long-mcquade.com/product...ents/Modern_Player_Tele_Plus_-_Honeyburst.htm)

Which would you purchase if you've been playing for a couple of months and expect to play for many more?


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

*Need more info*

Depends on what type of music you're planning to play. Even though they both have bridge position humbuckers, those are two pretty different guitars which are capable of producing very different sounds. Have you tried them out? If not, you really should, and then you can make a decision partially based on which guitar feels better in your hands, which one is easier for you to play. Have you thought about an amp yet?


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

They will indeed have different sounds. I am sure that you can play many styles of music with either one. They will feel different as well: different body shapes and different fretboards. Can you play both before making your decision?


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## MusicShopperCA (Feb 20, 2012)

Realistically speaking, quality wise, there might be a slight (very slight) improvement in the blacktop, but it's going to be negligible. Yes, the Modern Player series are made in China, but they're very well built, essentially identical in quality to a Squier Classic Vibe. I doubt you'll be disappointed either way. The pine body on the Modern Player Tele is going to be nice and light, but also more prone to denting. The poly finish helps, but pine is a very soft wood, and if you drop it or bang it into something, there is serious denting possibility. The neck is essentially the same on both. The pickups will make a difference as mentioned. The Blacktop pickups are a bit hot, and you won't be able to get the same twangy "Fender" sound out of them as you will out of the two singles on the Tele, which also has the humbucker to give you the beefier sound.

My honest opinion though is that, as a beginner, you should ignore all of this stuff and just pick the one that is going to make you want to pick it up and play it the most. Ignore the $50 difference, ignore all the specs sheets, don't worry about and just pick whichever one your gut tells you you're more drawn to. If you're just starting, you don't have enough experience yet to really have a preference on how hot you like your pickups or what wood you like your bodies made of, etc. As long as they both play well (which they will), just choose the one that you're most drawn to pickup.


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## WolfDale (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone for all the replies!



Petey D said:


> Depends on what type of music you're planning to play. Even though they both have bridge position humbuckers, those are two pretty different guitars which are capable of producing very different sounds. Have you tried them out? If not, you really should, and then you can make a decision partially based on which guitar feels better in your hands, which one is easier for you to play. Have you thought about an amp yet?


 
I will try to get my hands on both guitars sometime this weekend to test them out 

My friend is willing to sell me his great-condition Roland MicroCube for $70.
http://www.roland.com/products/en/Micro-CUBE/

Again, I'm just starting out, and once I hit the more advanced levels, I plan on getting an amp with tubes 




starjag said:


> They will indeed have different sounds. I am sure that you can play many styles of music with either one. They will feel different as well: different body shapes and different fretboards. Can you play both before making your decision?


 
I'm open for any genre, mainly going to focus on rock, blues, and probably with heavy focus on punk-rock




MusicShopperCA said:


> Realistically speaking, quality wise, there might be a slight (very slight) improvement in the blacktop, but it's going to be negligible. Yes, the Modern Player series are made in China, but they're very well built, essentially identical in quality to a Squier Classic Vibe. I doubt you'll be disappointed either way. The pine body on the Modern Player Tele is going to be nice and light, but also more prone to denting. The poly finish helps, but pine is a very soft wood, and if you drop it or bang it into something, there is serious denting possibility. The neck is essentially the same on both. The pickups will make a difference as mentioned. The Blacktop pickups are a bit hot, and you won't be able to get the same twangy "Fender" sound out of them as you will out of the two singles on the Tele, which also has the humbucker to give you the beefier sound.
> 
> My honest opinion though is that, as a beginner, you should ignore all of this stuff and just pick the one that is going to make you want to pick it up and play it the most. Ignore the $50 difference, ignore all the specs sheets, don't worry about and just pick whichever one your gut tells you you're more drawn to. If you're just starting, you don't have enough experience yet to really have a preference on how hot you like your pickups or what wood you like your bodies made of, etc. As long as they both play well (which they will), just choose the one that you're most drawn to pickup.


Thanks for the tips  I'll check out how both fit in my hands and make my decision then!


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

if it were me, i'd go tele...but i never really liked strats...


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I'd be inclined towards the Tele too, you can bang on em harder without worrying about the tuning so much (generalization) due to the fixed bridge, vs the floating vibrato on the Strat. Unless you thing you're going to use the wang bar, don't bother. I have nothing against Strats, have owned about a dozen of them - I was late 'discovering' the Tele but now and for the last several years it's been my #1.


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

There are arguments to be made for both guitars being suitable for all of the genres you're interested in playing. I'm not really a strat guy (even though I own one,) nor am I a tele guy, I am deeply rooted in punk rock though. That being said, if it were up to me, I would go with the Tele. That Microcube your buddy's going to sell you is a great little amp btw, it'll suit your needs perfectly. Cheers.


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## WolfDale (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks for all the great replies! And yes, the amp's a small little beauty!

My teacher (played in a band, owns over 10 guitars), suggested I get a Mexican Tele.

What do you think? A Mexican-made tele over a Chinese-made tele (Modern Player).

You can leave your own suggestions for anything around $500 (and if you wanna know the genre, it's punk rock).

I've been looking for something with Humbuckers so the sound's a bit smoother for punk.

Thanks again everyone! I just wanna make sure I get my first purchase right! I'll be heading out this weekend to try the modern player and the strat and see which is better


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

L&M has the Epiphone Les Paul Tradtional Pro with Coil Taps $545

If I was buying my 1st electric with what I know now, this would be my first pick in the $500 neighbourhood. I got an EPI LP Special II which I still have and have added Gibson LP and SG 60's Tributes with P90's. I'm planning on getting a Les Paul Tradtional Pro with Coil Taps once I have an extra $2,000.

The advantage of the Epi Les Paul Tradtional Pro with Coil Taps is that you get your humbuckers for your rock/blues and punk

Neck pickup: Epiphone Alnico Classic humbucker
Bridge pickup: Epiphone ProBucker-3 humbucker
Controls: 2 volumes, 2 tones with push/pull coil-splitting, 3-way toggle

but you have the added flexibility of using the coil tapping to have 2 single coils or combo a HB with a SC, more tones for more styles or come up with your own sound.

You can't go wrong with this guitar as long as it feels good in your hands and you like the sound. Don't be afraid to take your Cube with you, since you want to know what it will sound like when you're playing it everyday for the next year or two before you get your tube amp. 

This is a guitar that is good enough to gig with and would be a great keeper to use as an emergency backup for gigging even if you had a couple Gibsons or in place of Gibsons as your main axe to keep your Gibsons safe in the vault at home.

If at some point you wanted to upgrade your guitar and wanted to sell this one to help finance your next purchase, it would be easy to turn over and get a big piece of the purchase price back, it is something that would be desireable for others and would sell quickly. The other two you mentioned are basically the redheaded step-childern in the used market, you could probably find 50 of each on TO Kijjiji for next to nothing.

I would stay away from any guitar made with pine it is not considered a tone wood for guitars, and if you drop it my guess is there wouldn't be much left. 

If you are going to spend in the $500 dollar neighbourhood for your 1st electric I honestly don't think there is a better value out there dollar for dollar and quality of materials and workmanship for a new guitar.

Keep in mind that if you're open to used and know what to look for you could do well with $500 in the used market too.

http://www.long-mcquade.com/product...tional_Pro_with_Coil_Taps_-_Deep_Wine_Red.htm

The most important thing to remember is try everthing you can get your hands on and narrow it down to a few favourites and then do some research reguarding materials used and workmanship and talk to others that own them and see how they holdup over time and make sure you get value for your hard earned dollars.

Yours is the only opinion that matters, because yours is the ownly wallet being emptied.


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

^ I agree, in the end the only opinion that matters is yours. Mexi-fenders are likely better quality guitars than their Chinese made counterparts, they cost more, but most would say that it's justified. As far as getting the right gear to play punk, there really isn't any specific gear that's right for punk. That's one of the thinks that makes punk what it is (real punk that is, not the formulated, fabricated and mass produced bubble gum junk,) you just use what you've got and beat the hell out of it. Most modern day punk rock players use guitars with humbuckers in the bridge like Les Pauls, or Les Paul Jrs. You still see quite a few teles, some strats, a handfull of Semi-hollows, and the odd full hollow body too. So the field is pretty wide open. It's been said before, it really just boils down to what type of guitars appeal to you, and what you feel comfortable playing. Take a couple of weeks and visit every music store you can find, play one of EVERYTHING in your price range twice, and then buy which ever one you like the best.


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