Black & Chrome Telecaster? Your thoughts?

[tremoloman]

I picked one up at Guitar Center unplugged and played it for a minute. It really seemed nice and was curious if any of you have any experience with this model? I'm very tempted to buy one as I'm missing the American Standard I sold last summer. Nothing twangs like a Tele!

 

[SuperSwede]

Its my little baby, what more can I say

Lots of twang for the buck.

 

[tremoloman]

I'm off to Guitar Center to try it one more time. I've got $200 cash on me, and all bets say I'll be walking out with one...

 

[Robert]

SuperSwede, I love the little flag on your tele! I should do the same on my black '51!

 

[SuperSwede]

Robert, its only done in photoshop *yet*
I´m looking for a nice sticker to apply to my tele, I think it looks quite nice

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Just wondering... Other then the Looks..is the electronics on the Black & Chrome Tele the same as on the Squier Standard Tele? Are They both string thru bodys?

 

[SuperSwede]

Yep they are both string through body. Amazing value and really not much different from the mex tele´s if you ask me.

 

[tremoloman]

I picked up the Chrome & Black Telecaster yesterday. The good news is that I like the guitar and is very nice! The bad news is I got in an auto accident on my way into Boston and now have $2000 worth of damage to my car.

They say music soothes the savage beast... and it did in this case since I just pulled out the guitar when I got home and twanged for a bit.

I'm also suffering from strep throat and my main PC got fried the week before. So far, 2006 hasn't been that good to me fiscally.

I'm going to swap the mirror pickguard with a black one. I took it off to clean it up and I like the looks of it better all in black, Just like Johnny.

 

[Robert]

Oh, sorry to hear that - no injury to yourself I hope!

 

[SuperSwede]

Trem, I hope that you are alright!
Was it your fault or was it the other drivers fault?

 

[Katastrophe]

Sorry to hear about your wreck, man... and may you heal quickly from the strep. That is no fun at all!

 

[Spudman]

Hang in there Tman. Only way to go now is up. I mean things can only get better. Hey, what a great line for a song. Maybe I could get Howard Jones to buy it from me.

As long as you aren't hurt everything else is fixable and replaceable. At least you still have your guitar. Mine has certainly come in handy for solace. Especially all the times I've been institutionalized. ;-)

 

[Andre]

About Black & Chrome tele.

I regestred just to be able to tell you that I own a b&c tele and am so pleased with it that I want to tell people about it every chance I get. I so like it that I purchased the matching B & C Fat Strat.

I play in a working band and also do studio work for a jingle production company and I'm using my tele on stage and in the studio as my main guitar, no kidding.

I know what a nice guitar is because I own a few.

I chose to buy this because I didn't want to be hauling expensive and irreplaceable guitars around to practice.

Well, now I use this guitar.

I also purchased the Squier Tele Special and use it on stage and in the studio as well.

I will be buying at least one more Squire.


I hope you buy it , you'll love it.

Andre

 

[Robert]

Welcome, Andre, please post an introduction in the Fret Players section if you can!

Is this black & chrome tele much different from the Standard Indoesian Tele I have? If so, what are the differences? I like my Tele. Could use a pickup upgrade though.

 

[Tim]

OUCH! Hope all is well with you and your guitar. The car can be repair or replaced. You or the guitar cannot.

2006 started out bad for me also. The heat pump/air conditioner evaporator has a small pinhole leak. The installation for a new coil will cost $800.00. Since I live in Florida, this is a must before April. That is when the humidity starts to return.

Then on Monday I experienced small chest pains. Probably due to the cost of the repair. Had an EKG yesterday and the heart looks good. The Doc wants to do a stress test tomorrow to rule out any blockages. That one has me worried. The whole thing is most likely due to stress.

The rest of you look after yourselves. Especially this coming Friday the 13th. Be safe! Stay home and play your guitars.

 

[MagicBaller21]

haha, you dont have to tell me twice to just stay home and play guitar all friday! i hope you get better t-man. congrats on the new guit-box though!! im feelin the GAS big time. everytime i see an LP i start drooling... maybe you're getting all the bad things out early in the year, so the rest of the year you will be all good!

 

[tremoloman]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone! What a great bunch of people we have here at thefret.net!

I’m over my strep since my visit to the hospital on Monday. I feel SO much better now. Ahhhhhh!

As for my B&C Telecaster: from the dealer, it was a bit rough. The screws and tuners were loose, the strings were rusty, and the neck was a bit tough to play due to the stickiness of the neck. I always expect to do some work to any guitar I purchase, whether it costs $200 or $2000.

I dismantled the guitar excluding the electronics. I filed the sharp edges on the frets and used steel wool on them to make them shiny and smooth. I polished the fretboard, neck, and body with synthetic wax & cleaner. Next I adjusted the neck and assembled the guitar, making sure to tighten each screw and washed to perfection. Next, I installed Elixir Nanoweb .010s and reset the intonation. I also fixed the jack plug as it kept coming loose.

Once everything was said and done, I finally gave her another try with her new makeover. The result? WOW! This guitar sounds beautiful! It plays like a dream! I never expected such a fast neck on a Squier, especially on a Tele no less! I owned an American Standard Telecaster and I swear to God I like the sound of this one much better! It has quack, yet can rock hard on the bridge pickup! Out of a 1 to 10, I give it an eleven! (Just like Nigel Tufnel!)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

 

[SuperSwede]

Trem, I told you so! Its a great guitar
Please tell me what products you used on the neck, since mine need a little work too.

 

[tremoloman]

Sorry for the late reply!

Here's what I did to my Squier Telecaster, as well as every guitar in my fleet:

1. Install Elixir Nanoweb strings (.010 or .011s)
I install .010's on all my guitars except my Jazzmaster which takes .012s. These strings last much longer than most brands and retain their "new" feeling for weeks under the heaviest abuse due to the Nanoweb coating.

2. Steel Wool frets!
It's a fact that metal corrodes in time due to moisture, dirt, and other foreign substances. I use a super fine piece of steel wool on every fret whenever I perform a string change. A couple of quick swipes over a fret will make your frets shine like new, making bends smooth as silk.

3. Finger-Ease
This is one product I cannot live without! This little can will increase your string life and make your strings super slick! Make stiction is a thing of the past! I spray my strings and the back of my guitar neck, letting the spray sit between 30-60 seconds. Then just wipe the excess off the strings and buff the back of your neck. You can make a Squier feel as smooth as an American Deluxe model using this product. I recommend using this once a week or whenever needed. I can honestly say this spray makes my playing better and I never leave for a gig without it!

Give your guitar a once-over
Squiers are notorious for bad setups and loose parts upon receiving them. Go over your Squier and tighten every screw, washer, bolt, etc. A full setup should be performed to get optimum performance out of your guitar.


Well, that's it!

I did steal Robert's idea and installed a black pickguard with black screws as he did on his '51 to make the guitar really black. (How much blacker could this guitar be? ...and the answer is.... none!)

If any of you give these tips a try, please let me know your results and I'd love to hear your opinions!

-tremoloman

 

[Spudman]

One tip I can share about polishing the frets...

Use a board or small block of something flat and rigid between your hand and the steel wool. This puts a uniform surface in contact with the frets and you will get better results. You don't necessarily want to buff the fretboard. If you have a rosewood board you can use your palm or fingers instead especially if the fretboard needs cleaning or some restoration. You shouldn't do this with a maple fretboard. Steel wool is an abrasive substance and works like very fine sandpaper.

Make your polishing motions side to side not up and down the neck. This will get rid of any burrs or crosshatch cuts in the frets and make your bends smooth.

Do the whole neck. Wipe away the excess steel wool shavings and get some Formby's lemon oil treatment or some other kind of lemon oil or fretboard treatment. Put some on a rag, wipe it on, rub it in, let it soak in for a few minutes, wipe with a dry clean cloth. It will condition the rosewood and keep it from drying out and pitting. The steel wool can also smooth or remove small fretboard pitting if needed.

Instead of Finger Ease I just run my left hand through my hair occasionally to get the same effect. The light body oils from your hair are "yours" so it should be compatible with your hand. It's usually not enough to build up on the neck unless you use gunk in your hair. If that's the case don't do it. Richie Kotzen even does it during his guitar solo while on tour with Mr. Big. Check it out! This boy can play!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNz74YmnEkA&search=mr big

 

[r_a_smith3530]

Hey, I've got a question for those of you with a B&C tele (or strat for that matter). Don't pickguard scratches really stick out on these? I would think this to be quite noticable.

Anyway, just curious.

 

[SuperSwede]

Thanks for the tips Trem, I am already using Nanoweb strings (I use the custom light). I will buy a bottle of lemon oil on my next visit to the music store.

Rob, I havent got a scratch on mine yet, but I have used window cleaner on the pickguard with amazing results

 

[tremoloman]

I find waxing the guitar frequently keeps scratches from ever showing up. I use the Meguire's kit that Fender sells - great stuff!

 

[Spudman]

If you can find Meguire's Deep Crystal wax anywhere it does amazing things to finishes. Makes them really deep and lusterous. Especially ones with a good clear coat.