# NGW Pawn Shop Find Fender Telecoustic



## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

I walked into the pawnshop 8 days ago and they were just hanging this Fender Telecoustic. The asking price was $130. The neck adjustment was way off and there were some nasty deep scratches from the last goof who owned it.

I never have seen one of these before with a Telecaster neck and the look intrigued me.

They would not come down in price since I was the first person to look at it. I have a difficult time with the thought of owning a Chinese guitar. It was also a potential challenge to get the deep scratches out and get the guitar set up to my liking. The dead strings didn't help the sound. They would hold the tax if I wanted it.

It looks like a good idea; but there are many negative reviews. People seem to focus on what this guitar is not; rather than what it could be.

I could waste time and fuel coming to the store several times, trying to get the price down. There is also the chance that it wouldn't be there when I came back. That has happened to me several times at this shop. I felt it was worth $100 at the most.

I caved, bought it. There was a really nice gig bag, and a good capo that came with it. I have a good 4 hours of leisurely work into it and it is quite a good couch guitar unplugged now. It sounds pretty convincing as an acoustic guitar when plugged into a Fender amp. It doesn't require more than 1/4 to less than 1/2 of the Fishman volume knob to sound very loud and right.

I think that I would consider an older, original north American made one if I can find one.

It may sound even better through a PA. I think it could hold its own in a live situation with other instruments.

There is a built in tuner, and it seems to stay in tune. It is a good guitar for noodling. Full bodied acoustics will drown out this guitar unplugged. Unplugged it is just a little bit cigar boxy. The neck feels like a low dollar Tele neck, but once it is set up, it is fast, effective low action; all the way up the neck. Bar chords are a breeze.


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

This POS guitar is fast becoming my instrument to learn songs by ear from mp3's, etc. The voicing and ease of play through the Gallien Krueger 250ML, is letting me hear things like never before. After I learn a tune, I can transfer what I learned to a better voiced guitar and amp combination. It is just fun, fun, fun. Like chopping wood with a good axe. Pun intended.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

If anything its a neat little decoration for the wall. 
Trying to negotiate a cheaper price probably wouldn't have been worth the time. Pawn shops can be notorious for over pricing instruments. At $130 most likely you'd have maybe negotiated $10 off after it sat there for a couple weeks.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

You bought a $130 tuner with a free guitar attachment and it inspires you to learn and play. Cool deal. :congratulatory:


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I'd buy that guitar if I saw it for $130.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

If nothing else you have a Tele neck if it's a bolt on like the Squier version I saw a few years ago--but that one felt real cheap like it would fall apart on me.

I wonder what the difference is with the Fender version?

Enjoy!


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

zontar said:


> If nothing else you have a Tele neck if it's a bolt on like the Squier version I saw a few years ago--but that one felt real cheap like it would fall apart on me.
> 
> I wonder what the difference is with the Fender version?
> 
> Enjoy!


The perception of feeling cheap starts with the fact that I know that it is made in China, and I have read reviews that basically don't favor this guitar.

I know how good a Tele neck feels to me. It is not my all time favorite, but it up there in the top 5 best neck scenarios that I have played. It feels familiar because I have 5 different model Fender Teles. After a really good set up (done by me to the best of my ability), it is more than competent, and I would not be afraid to play it in public. It has really been stable for the last month, and I think it will stay consistent.

All the reviews that I read were from years ago, and only the odd owner tried to set one up. There are only a few of us who like and appreciate the guitar for what it is, once it is set up. The rest tried to make a go of it as delivered with an end result of not much love.

It is a low dollar, bolt on, Fender telecaster neck, (that can be respectably set up), with acoustic abilities, that sound best with a little solid state amplified help.

I was at the Guitar Center, Allen Park MI, twice last week. They had a used one for $199 and a new Stratocoustic for $349.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

The most important thing is that the person playing it likes it--no matter what anybody else thinks.
That's still true if I'm the anybody else.


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