Fender Telecaster 1952 American Vintage

imalrightjack

Any owners?  Any thoughts?  Hovering over a 2015 one.

TINMAN82

I have a 2017 one. Awesome guitar although mine needed a new nut as the low e was too close to the edge. Light, sounds great, comfortable neck profile (not overly deep).

HandwrittenHero

I've got a 2017 one, so same era. Thoughts:
Neck is chunky...I was hesitant around it because I don't have large hands...I'm 5ft 8, relatively average to slender build and fingers are slightly longer than average, otherwise I'm very much in proportion to my size. But the neck profile with the 7.25 radius works well. Neck feels like a good handful but comfortable. Whole step bends are fine and will ring out sufficiently with a reasonable action. You won't get an action as low as a 12in radius, but nor will you be thinking it's set up for slide.

The rolled edges on the fretboard are really nice, gives it a worn in feel. Apparently some attempts though does mean either E string can fall off if they took it a bit extreme. Make sure you test some runs along both and that your vibrato is comfy on them.

If you so much as look at the finish wrong it will chip off. It's really thin. Same goes for the scratchplate etc...those screws are period correct, so I've had the unfortunate slip with a blade screwdriver and scratched the bakelite. They do also warp a little with humidity. Part of the charm, I have a spare scratchplate for if it's ever needed. I'm enjoying the finish having sunk into the wood and cracking nicely.

The pickups aren't particularly twangy. Picking closer to the bridge, with decent attack you'll get some response - but they won't twang like a 60s model and steel bridge will. You can however get a nice crunch and bark from them. Led Zeppelin one tones are definitely home territory. I've never measured the pickups, but just from ear they're higher output than most vintage ones. I'm still fiddling here to find my best tone!

All in all, I'm really happy with mine. Must admit, I do sometimes toy with picking up a different Tele (the 50s Esquire custom is very tempting for being a 7.25 to 9.5 compound radius and 10/56v etc) but then I also remind myself it'd be a good chunk of change for likely small improvements. Prior to having this, I had a MIM FSR ash tele (the model with the reverse control panel) which was a decent guitar, but this is just heads and shoulders above.

So long as you're happy on the chunky neck and it's the era of tele you like there's a good chance you'll be really happy with a 52 AV. The entire AV line 2012-2017 was so good I actually wonder if they killed it to stop stealing lunch from their custom shop ranges.

RandallFlagg

I had a 2015 for a few years and liked it. As above, great shape neck, the 7.25 radius and frets work well on this guitar, feels very vintage.

A lump of finish flaked off mine from the bottom edge, it wasn't bashed or clonked I just noticed that it had gone one day, although it's reported as nitro it didn't feel like it would wear through like an old guitar but didn't;t feel like plasticy poly either.

I loved the neck pickup, really nice sounding and as above, the bridge pickup is more barky and dry and not twangy, great with overdrive.

monquixote

I tried one a while back and thought it was brilliant.

Would have bought it, but by the time I was in a position to it had gone.

imalrightjack

You're hardly dissuading me, you horrible lot. Any guide price? 

RandallFlagg

imalrightjack said:

You're hardly dissuading me, you horrible lot. Any guide price? 

I sold my 2015 for £800 or £850 I think, so there or thereabouts

Th4fonz

I like them I played one a month or so go was a nice guitar.  Price anywhere from £800-£1000 they seem to go for.

imalrightjack

RandallFlagg said:

imalrightjack said:

You're hardly dissuading me, you horrible lot. Any guide price? 

I sold my 2015 for £800 or £850 I think, so there or thereabouts

This one was listed at £1k with room to move.  There's some fret wear, dings and the neck is visibly worn between the 1st and fifth frets or so (like, really lacquer worn).

HandwrittenHero

Th4fonz said:

I like them I played one a month or so go was a nice guitar.  Price anywhere from £800-£1000 they seem to go for.

£800-£1000 sounds about right...They're absolutely worth it.

RandallFlagg said:

I had a 2015 for a few years and liked it. As above, great shape neck, the 7.25 radius and frets work well on this guitar, feels very vintage.

A lump of finish flaked off mine from the bottom edge, it wasn't bashed or clonked I just noticed that it had gone one day, although it's reported as nitro it didn't feel like it would wear through like an old guitar but didn't;t feel like plasticy poly either.

I loved the neck pickup, really nice sounding and as above, the bridge pickup is more barky and dry and not twangy, great with overdrive.

Yeah the finish is a bit strange. IIRC they're nitro with no undercoat. Previous years I believe they've used a Poly undercoat and Nitro on top. I would probably agree that wearing through isn't too likely. It'd probably chip first.

Although it may just take time...there's definitely some cracking to the finish on mine, although it follows stress points e.g. screws and the finish has definitely sunk into the wood. It might genuinely take age and use to get it to look like an older and used guitar.

markj

I had a 64 vintage reissue, the finish used to chip very very easily. I’ve got one of the newish American Original 50’s telecaster which I much prefer.

Funkfingers

I have a 2011/12 example (before Fender revised the neck profile). I find the neck slightly skinnier than I consider ideal. Less of a U than the post-2013 version or, say, the 2018 Roasted Ash model.

I felt compelled to change the pickups. After some chopping and changing, it has a Seymour Duncan Custom Shop ‘53 Tapped Tele Lead and a Fender Nocaster neck/Rhythm pickup with the all-important AlNi3 magnets.

Misty

I had an earlyish one, '96 or thereabouts. It was a good Tele, but the neck profile was too tapered and thinner towards the nut for me, and I eventually moved it on. I believe the more recent ones are better. Good guitar otherwise.

Grocer_Jack

I have an AV64 from 2014 and it's the perfect Tele. Loads of the finish has fallen off - very fragile, not that it bothers me. Not played a 52 but I've heard them and as others have said they have more of a bark than a twang. Different sound but still excellent guitars. 

richardhomer

I had one from the late nineties. The best sounding Tele I’ve owned - including a ‘71 I had before it.

mudslide73

I picked up a 2008 a few weeks ago. They're great guitars. Don't be put off by the neck and radius... they're like peaches and cream after 5 mins. Very playable and sounds very nice indeed.

hyperben

They updated the design before 2015 I think. That would make the 2015 the newer version with the thin skin (easily chippable) finish. I’ve owned both the newer and the older. I must admit I preferred the older one. Better finish on the body and the neck didn’t get sticky like the newer one. The stock pickups (OV Tele pickups) on the older one were outstanding, however I also felt compelled to swap the pickups on the newer one as did someone else in this post. They were both great Teles though overall.

HandwrittenHero

hyperben said:

They updated the design before 2015 I think. That would make the 2015 the newer version with the thin skin (easily chippable) finish. I’ve owned both the newer and the older. I must admit I preferred the older one. Better finish on the body and the neck didn’t get sticky like the newer one. The stock pickups (OV Tele pickups) on the older one were outstanding, however I also felt compelled to swap the pickups on the newer one as did someone else in this post. They were both great Teles though overall.

2012 was when the models changed.

I've not found sticky neck to be a particular issue. Store it out the case, wipe after use if sticky and eventually it cures.

TINMAN82

Likewise, the neck on my 2017 is like silk, has never felt sticky. Agree with comments about the body finish though. All my guitars (incl a custom shop strat) are nitro and none behave like the AV52. A glancing blow against a music stand took a large flake off near the jack socket. I can live with that as it’s otherwise great. If all the paint flakes off I’ll have it re-sprayed!

Keefy

I went Tele shopping with one of these in mind a couple of years ago (2016?), tried a few plus some Custom Shop models, and came home with an American Standard. It was eventually displaced by a Palir Titan - double the cost for a 20% improvement, but that's GAS for ya!

tomajoha

I have a 2014 '64 in candy apple red and its superb and super light- it got cold this winter and the lacquer checked all over the place - this might irk some but I personally love it - a keeper