Squier
Classic
Vibe '50s
Telecaster
G&L
Tribute
ASAT
If you want a cool
Tele, it makes sense
to go straight to the
original source. As luck
would have it, Fender’s
broad and impressive
assemblage of Telecasters
has something for
everybody, and at every
possible price point. The
Squier line in particular
is better than ever, and
for an astonishingly
small amount of money
an exceptional guitar
can be had. The Squier
Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele
is just such a guitar,
exuding tons of vintage
“blackguard” swagger
and bite, with thoughtful
modern appointments
like a fast maple “C”
neck and 9.5-inch radius
maple fretboard. Its pine
body hearkens back to
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TONE TALK //
Leo Fender’s original
prototype Tele, which
was also made of pine,
as well as the early pine-
bodied Esquires, making
it historically relevant as
well as great sounding,
lightweight, and wicked
fun to play. The Classic
Vibe ‘50s Tele comes in
Butterscotch Blonde or
Vintage Blonde and sells
for around 400 bucks. Get
one of each!
Everyone Deserves a Telecaster: Five Low-Dough Teles
Founded in 1979, G&L
was Leo Fender’s last
guitar company, and he
worked there designing
instruments until his
death in 1991. In many
ways, G&L was the final
culmination of all of the
late, great genius’s ideas
about electric guitars, thus
many G&L models tend
to be more modernized,
technologically advanced
versions of classic Fender
models like the Strat
and Tele. The Tribute
line (which equates to
Fender’s Squier brand)
is practically bursting
with cool, affordable
rockers, and the Tribute
ASAT is a stand-out
for Tele fans, featuring
the warm, robust, high
fidelity sound of Leo’s
Magnetic Field Design
(MFD) pickups. A nine-
inch radius fretboard, 22
Medium Jumbo frets, and
a comfortable medium
“C” neck profile further
enhance playability,
while six individual brass
saddles offer a great
blend of classic twang
and precise intonation.
The G&L Tribute ASAT is
a superb instrument, and
sells brand new for under
400 bucks.
ToneReport.com
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