Played this guitar earlier today. All i can say was it was one of the most comfortable guitars i have ever played, finish was amazing (blonde model) and the tone was even better. Only thing i would change is the gaurd because of how heavy i tend to play, other than that it was awesome. Iwould totally buy one if i had the money

got the 01 model, in 2 tone sunburst!!bought it in 2002, change the pickups, the saddles(for brass), the pickguard for a 3 ply in white (W/B/W), and really love this guitar!!it's really a great guitar, a pleasure to play with it

I've owned the blonde model for about 6 months. I immediately had some trouble with the neck (kinda crooked, actually!) and Fender replaced it for free after a couple weeks' wait. But I fell in love with my new one instantly.

The chunky neck and radius is extremely comfortable, and still handles moderate bending without a problem. I was also able to set the action very very low before there was any fret buzz-- making this one of the smoothest-playing guitars I've ever tried out, much less owned! I LOVE that part! Its hard to put this thing down!

More picky: there's a major contrast between the pickups. Though they're described as "vintage style" (and do sound better than the stock MIM pickups in my opinion) the criticism I've heard is pretty right on-- the bridge pup is freakishly bright and twangy and lacks bottom end (almost completely). And vice versa for the neck pickup. You can definitely get classic tones from these pickups, which is cool, but I wouldn't mind having something more well-balanced. This is a case where I can see upgrading to Texas Specials (or whatever you like), since I think that this guitar is a real winner in every other way. If you're thinking of buying ANY tele I think you should try this one before making a decision. Highly recommended.

This guitar gets 5 stars all the way!! I played this model and the 52 Reissue model back to back in a music store. The only difference is that the 52 comes in the extremely shnazzy butterscotch blonde color. Other than that, I couldn't tell the difference. And the Classic Series finishes are excellent too ... very high quality ... just no butterscotch option. The quality of this guitar is SUPERBULOUS!!! The finish is gorgeous. The neck is the best feeling neck I've ever played, and I've played and owned alot of guitars. Nice and chunky feeling, but very easy to get your hand around a play too. It plays beautifully. It's smooth as glass and the frets are finished very nicely...no sharp edges. The action and set up were very good right out of the box. I just got this guitar today, and I've been playing it for a few hours straight and it's holding its tune VERY well. This is THE telecaster to get if you want a 50's tele. GREAT price and the blonde finish is absolutely gorgeous. Stop thinking about it and just buy it ... you won't regret it.

I owned this guitar for three years and had no problems. Its always in tune and the bridge is solid. The neck and the fretboard is worth the price of the guitar alone. Playability is fantastic. The bridge pickup has a little too much high end, I always use the middle position but the neck pickup isnt as muddy as most telecaster pickups and gets a great sound. I thought about upgrading the pickups and getting brass saddles but its fine just the way it is.