# Best Fender Telecaster under $2000



## BadCo73 (Jan 17, 2009)

I have always been a Gibson guy but lately I have been very interested in buying myself a Telecaster, I would like to stay under $2000 dollars. I have really had no experience with these guitars but I am kinda interested in a hot rod 52 or just the regular 52 reissue. I was wondering what you all play for Telecasters and what model you suggest I consider.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

Honestly I think the best Teles under $2k are the G&L ASATs.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...local singer/songwriter eric mattei paid something like $200 for his made in indonesia squier classic vibe tele.

he subsequently sold his american made strat.

i've seen him perform. that tele is definitely a pro player.

-if Lady Gaga opened for the GooGoo Dolls, would it be called the GooGooGaGa tour?


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Wow, 2000$ it's a lot of money! If you want to put that kind of money on a guitar go on the luthier way! Find a guy that you love his work and make him build your own guitar! Unless you can buy a really good Tele and amp for that kind of money!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

If you have $2000 to spend, you might as well get something built for you. There are a bunch of reputable Canadian builders.

Other than that, when it comes to off the shelf Teles there really is no right answer. I have owned MIJ, MIA, MIM, Fenders and Squiers. The ones I kept was an MIM Natural Ash model I bought used. On paper, it doesn't have the specs of some of the others I have owned, but tone and feel wise it was the best for me.


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## BR183 (Apr 20, 2006)

Check out Logan Custom Guitars built by Bob Logan in the States. You can order a Custome Tele to whatever specs you want and it will be under $1000.00US. Awesome guitars


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## Tim Plains (Apr 14, 2009)

If you're willing to buy off eBay, I think the Tele world is your oyster. If I was in the market for a Tele, I'd look for a Nocaster. You can get them for under $2,000.
I had a '52VR for a while, great guitar.


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

lots of good suggestions.
here's another...NASH make some great Tele guitars for well under $2K.
also the Bill Lawrence SwampKaster T is probably unbeatable for the price under $700.
if you have not already done so, check out The Gear Page guitar sales by members.
there are some amazing deals there.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Are Nine said:


> If you're willing to buy off eBay, I think the Tele world is your oyster. If I was in the market for a Tele, I'd look for a Nocaster. You can get them for under $2,000.
> I had a '52VR for a while, great guitar.


I agree on this one, a used nocaster.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

Id be on the look out for a Fender Custom shop, but to know which model, youd need to try a bunch. Thin Neck?, vintage frets,? etc etc.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

Love my Nash Stealth Esquire. Not really a fan of larger necks but the combination of a flatter radius, large frets and a worn-in feel makes the larger neck on my Nash a real pleasure to play. Silky smooth.



six-string said:


> lots of good suggestions.
> here's another...NASH make some great Tele guitars for well under $2K.
> also the Bill Lawrence SwampKaster T is probably unbeatable for the price under $700.
> if you have not already done so, check out The Gear Page guitar sales by members.
> there are some amazing deals there.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

There are some real good builders out there that produce a superior product to what Fender is putting out. NASH was already mentioned but there are others like K-Line and RICE who's Tele's blow the doors off Fenders current production line.


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## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

Used Anderson T-Classic on E bay right now for 1950

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tom-Anderson-Ho...QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item1e5a184aa2

or how about JUST over 2K?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tom-Anderson-Ho...QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item45f05e9923


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## peter benn (Mar 29, 2007)

Lots of good suggestions so far. I wonder how many will disagree with the following answer, in generalizations:

1. Doesn't matter if it is $300 Tele or $3,000, it can be a great guitar or a dud. (All ballpark prices pre-increase.)

2. New guitars and their price ranges are apples, used ones (oranges) are depreciated by about 25% from first owner and then more subsequently, although I suspect this is more noticeable with the Custom Shop ones.

3. That all being said, Custom Shop ones used to be $2400 and up new, American Vintage ('52 RI, '62 RI, etc.) used to be $1800 or so new, spiffy MIM things like the MW were $999 new or so, and the early Highway Ones and so on. Used, these should sell for less, but in some cases don't.

4. Parts cost for a top quality clone used to be $1300 and many boutiques were selling them built for $1800 or more. Big-name clones went for more in some cases. Made with cheaper parts the clone might only cost $750 to build.

5. American Standards used to be about $1100 new and seem to be advertised used in the $800-900 range, perhaps a bit much.

6. You obviously don't have to spend the whole $2,000 here, but if you must, you should get a real Custom Shop guitar for that money, IMO. Third or fourth-hand might give you more leverage and a higher-end guitar, but it would be hard to ascertain. 

7. I guess that means that IMO a second-hand Nash, for instance, is not worth the whole $2000....


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## TonyD (Jan 11, 2010)

gbase.com might give you some price comparisons.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

If it were me, and I had _no experience whatsoever_ with a Tele, before shelling out 2 grand I'd be trying out as many as possible at large retailers (free) AND/OR pony up $350 for a used Classic Vibe. Best case scenario, I find one I really like and grab it. Worst case scenario, I discover I don't actually like Teles (Gasp!) and sell the CV at little or no loss. My 2 cents...


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

peter benn said:


> Lots of good suggestions so far. I wonder how many will disagree with the following answer, in generalizations:
> 
> 1. Doesn't matter if it is $300 Tele or $3,000, it can be a great guitar or a dud. (All ballpark prices pre-increase.)
> 
> ...



i would agree with most of that.
i would expect to pay about $1K -1.5K for a good used Nash.
on the lower end, i've seen used MIM Fender teles go for a couple hundred bucks.
for $2K you should be able to find a pretty damned good telecaster regardless of what brand name it is.
and yes, like just about any mass produced guitar, Fenders can be anything from excellent to trash. 
it pays to play as many as you can and find the one that suits you best.


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

You could probably find a used Suhr tele for around that price range that would make you soil your pants. John Suhr makes some of the best teles on the planet, as does Tom Anderson. Thorn teles are also very very nice guitars.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

With your budget I would give Joe at Lado a call, he has a solid body TL80, and a thinline TL85.

http://www.lado-guitars.com/


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

peter benn said:


> Lots of good suggestions so far. I wonder how many will disagree with the following answer, in generalizations:
> 
> *1. Doesn't matter if it is $300 Tele or $3,000, it can be a great guitar or a dud. (All ballpark prices pre-increase.)*
> 
> ...


When it comes to Teles specifically I do tend to agree with this to a point. I know others won't, but it's just my opinion. It's not a very complicated guitar. If I pick one up, and it really appeals to me, then that's all that matters. That is why a lot of people like their Squier CV's as much as their MIA Fenders. It's why I like my MIM Nat Ash more than the MIA models I have owned.

I'd agree that if really want to spend $2000 then get something custom made. But, I think you can find something you like for well under that budget. There are so many Teles with different specs even among general production models that if you try enough of them out, you'd likely find one that speaks to you. And there's a good chance if you aren't focusing on headstock when playing them, it could end up being a model that is 1/4 of your budget.

I;m not saying there's anything wrong with spending a ton on a Tele. Just that you might as well try what's available before taking that step.

Another option that hasn't been explored is either building or assembling your own. If you have any skills in this regard, it's a good way to get exactly what you want for a lot less money.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

I don't think the question "what's the best Fender Telecaster under $2000" can be answered because the question should be "what is the best Fender Telecaster FOR ME under $2000?". Different models vary in specs, tone, feel - it's really up to you. That being said, MOST of Fender's production Telecasters can be purchased new for under $2000. That means pretty much anything goes. Some people like their cheap Squier, others like the American Standard, others like the vintage reissues... the list goes on. They all play differently so my advice to you would be to just get out there and play with some of them at a local store if possible. If you go used, you could most probably get into the high end stuff like Custom Shop models, but again, your experience may vary depending on what you like. For example, I might think the CS Nocaster is an amazing guitar but it's got a "U" neck on it which is quite large and you might hate it because you prefer a modern "C" neck.


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## stratman89 (Oct 13, 2008)

Samsquantch said:


> You could probably find a used Suhr tele for around that price range that would make you soil your pants. John Suhr makes some of the best teles on the planet, as does Tom Anderson. Thorn teles are also very very nice guitars.


Excellent advice.

I have owned a Suhr Classic T and their definately one of the best Tele's for sure.


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