Fender Nashville Power Telecaster

[Algonquin]

I went out 'browsing' after Christmas and ended up coming home with this! I've been considering a Tele for a while now. I was looking into picking up an inexpensive Squier Blonde Affinity Tele, but couldn't find one in the local shops. Then I was eyeballing a '62 AVRI, but wasn't sure because it had mods done to it which detracted from the vintage feel.

So this one was a complete surprise find. I saw it listed on sale during boxing week as a 'Tex Mex' Tele. I was really impressed with the fit and finish of the guitar when I got to look it over. What I couldn't figure out at first was why all 5 pickup selections sounded 'tonally' similar... I had to ask for help on this on.

Turns out this is the 'Power' model which has the Fender/Fishman power bridge. The bridge has individual Piezo pickups under each bridge saddle to simulate an acoustic sound. The Piezo pickups are controlled by the back knob, and will overide (very hot) the magnetic pickups, which is why I was having trouble. You just have to understand how the controls work.

The guitar came with a Fender 'Y' cable so you can send the Acoustic signal to one amp, and the magnetic pickup signal to another. This is partially why I'm looking into another small amp... I want to utilize this feature. You can use a regular patch cable into a single amp input and balance the two signals if you want, but it's just not the same.

After I got it, I had read that some felt the acoustic sound was a bit thin. Well I can bet you they hadn't played it through a stereo amp with chorus, because it sounds huge through the JC-120!

It comes with Tex Mex pickups, Tele's in the neck and bridge and a Strat in the centre. So far my favourite sound is the bridge/centre postion, with the piezo acoustic sound a very close second. These Tex Mex pickups are very nice, and I have no plans to replace them. I'm impressed with how quiet they are and they sound great clean, and with an overdrive pedal.

I think I found a Keeper! The only thing I've thought of doing is replacing the white centre Strat P/U cover with a black one... Whaddya think?

I'm very happy to have added a Tele to my small collection! :AOK:

David

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Cooool! Congrats on a nice looking axe! Is it MIM or MIA?

 

[just strum]

Honest Mom, it followed me home!!!

Very nice Algonquin.

 

[Algonquin]

It is the Deluxe, which is 'Made in Mexico'!

I've had it since the 27th of December, and my fingers are RAW.

:beer:

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Yow!! Very cool indeed.

I'd like to have a piezo equipped electric.

The Nashville style teles are always intriguing. Sounds like you have a gazillion sounds to play with.

 

[Algonquin]

Honest Mom, it followed me home!!!

Very nice Algonquin.

Thanks Strummy!

I called home for clearance first... didn't want to overly upset the better half over the holidays!

Mrs Algonquin is pretty cool about this. She doesn't always want to here me making noise, but I think she understands how much I've enjoyed getting back into guitar.

Oh man... I'm gong to demo amps tomorrow! :beer:

 

[Algonquin]

Yow!! Very cool indeed.

I'd like to have a piezo equipped electric.

The Nashville style teles are always intriguing. Sounds like you have a gazillion sounds to play with.

Thanks ToTa...

It's like having two guit fiddles in one!

I am truly impressed by the acoustic simulation. It's very genuine. There's a couple of Fretters here that could record wonderful things with it I'm sure. Jim P is one who comes to mind... His stuff is outstanding!

 

[markb]

As a bit of a purist about tele's I'd suggest you replace the middle pickup with nothing whatsoever .
Seriously, it looks great. Wouldn't one of your JC's sound alright with a piezo?

 

[SuperSwede]

Congrats!
We want clips!

 

[ted s]

I was wondering when you were going to post this..
What "amphs" are you planning to test drive David ?

 

[LowEndWonder]

Tele....

I love all Tele's! I prefer the Tele over the strat and the souped up Tele's are DYNOMITE! :rockon:

 

[just strum]

Thanks Strummy!

I called home for clearance first... didn't want to overly upset the better half over the holidays!

Mrs Algonquin is pretty cool about this. She doesn't always want to here me making noise, but I think she understands how much I've enjoyed getting back into guitar.

Oh man... I'm gong to demo amps tomorrow! :beer:

I will admit that I was not a Tele fan before arriving here. I just couldn't see the interest. While they still are not my favorite, I now have a better understanding of the attraction and ones like yours makes it more likely that one will eventually find it's way into my humble collection of guitars.

Now, to save me money, don't show me a photo of a new amp so quickly after the Tele - however, I do wish you wish you happy hunting while you are searching for a new amp

 

[Algonquin]

I was wondering when you were going to post this..
What "amphs" are you planning to test drive David ?

Something small and low wattage for sure. The shop I'm going to have a used Twin for a good price, but it's way to powerful for my needs.

Just for fun, I'm going to have a look at this one.

It's a Pro Jr in a Fancy Schmancy package.

 

[Big K]

Congrats on the new piece:dude:

 

[duhvoodooman]

:AOK: :dude: :AOK:

I think the Nashville Tele is a great guitar and a fantastic value. I have the regular Deluxe version w/o the Fishman piezo setup. I like the sonic flexibility you get from that third pickup at the middle position. The only thing I missed was that characteristic tone you get from the neck & bridge pickup combo in a Tele, so I installed a push-pull pot wired to give that combination. Now I have all the classic Tele tones as well as the additional ones from the middle p'up. :rockon:

 

[Bucks Owin]

Best Tele yet!

Over the more than 4 decades I've owned Teles, both Fender and custom built, I rank the Nashville Power Tele at the top of the heap! It can effectively replace three guitars at a live gig and do it very well....

IMO,

Dennis

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

I think I'd want Vood's mod. Gotta have the bridge/neck combo.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I think I'd want Vood's mod. Gotta have the bridge/neck combo.

Concur. That would be a great guitar I think. What about a humbucker that splits up in the neck too? Gotta say, I love my strat though! Would not replace it I do not think.

 

[Born2Run]

I will admit that I was not a Tele fan before arriving here. I just couldn't see the interest. While they still are not my favorite, I now have a better understanding of the attraction and ones like yours makes it more likely that one will eventually find it's way into my humble collection of guitars.

:AOK: couldnt have said it better myself. i think teles are more of an acquired taste.

 

[Bucks Owin]

I think I'd want Vood's mod. Gotta have the bridge/neck combo.

Hmmmmm Is there a link to that mod? (I put up that same topic in another thread, sorry) :thwap:

Dennis

 

[marnold]

Here 'tis!
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=2897

 

[Bucks Owin]

Interesting! Much obliged marnold....

Dennis

 

[Duff49]

Nashville

That has to be an awesome guitar.

I have two stereo guitars with piezo bridge pups: a great and expensive Schecter C1 E/A with two Seymour Duncan humbuckers, super strat style, a '59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge, I had the tone pot changed to the one that you can get lots of range out of as well - totally awesome semihollow guitar with thick swamp ash top and beautiful trim, emanating a very expensive guitar. It has one jack that is stereo and you use the "y" adaptor to run it to the regular guitar amp an the acoustic amp or pa.

I have a great acoustic amp with great two channel features that I liked way better than the Marshall; it is the Crate Gunnison sisty watt, beautiful tone and great amp with a ten inch speaker and sound that is incredible, especially when played stereo with the other amp and a stereo guitar.

My other stereo guitar is an awesome Peavey Generation EX Custom with two Peavey custom wound covered humbuckers and the piezo bridge pickup system. It is a telecaster and is super fun to play, full binding and all sorts of expensive hardware and good looks, in antique sunburst. Same idea: one jack and "y" cable to the acoustic amp an the guitar amp.

When played straight into a regular tube guitar amp or ss these guitars do not sound even similar to how they sound when played stereo. You can do it but the simulated modelled acoustic tone sounds messed up; however, when you plug them into the acoustic amp and play stereo they sound like super awesome guitars with a lot of versitility that a master would have hours of fun with.

I would expect the Fender Nashville to sound better than my Peavey Generation EX Custom but it would have a run against the Schecter C1 E/A.

However, if you were to put a Seymour Duncan single coil sized humbucker like a hot rails, little "59, or the awesome JB Jr in the middle position, I think the Power Nashville would really sound super fantastic and totally amazing and HOT hot hot. Just an idea.

That Crate Gunnison sixty watt acoustic amp is really nice and I paid about three hundred and twenty nine dollars for it at GC. Well worth it considering it sounded at least twice as good as the Marshall with the two eight inch speakers, way more features and even a few effects including effects that you can put onto your microphone to make your voice sound really full and great, etc.

Hope you enjoy the guitar.

What amp did you get?

Can you give us an update?

Thanks,

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.

Just had my Hwy one and brand new Gibson SG faded stolen; but you know what? I'm not that blown away. I have a lot of guitars and I'm lucky. I'm playing some of my great guitars that just are not of the BIG TWO and they sound super great and I have gained a new appreciation for them. Just having them there during this time of loss has made the loss almost painless: let the insurance company take care of it. Maybe I'll get a Nashville Power Tele in Black or Walnut? when I get the check. Or an Agile LP, anybody know about them?

 

[Algonquin]

Sorry to hear about your guitars gone missing Duffy... bad karma on the ******(s) who did that.

I picked up a replacement pick guard from fellow Fretter Trev (T_Ross) quite some time ago with the thought I'd route that pg to accept a bucker in the neck position of the Tele. The guitar itself is already to accept a bucker, so no routing of the guitar would be req'd. The guard came in an SS configuration, so I just ended up putting a Seymour Duncan 'Cool Rails' in the neck which didn't require me to route the guard. A few weeks ago I threw in a SD 1/4 lb staggered into the middle position, but will be swappping that one out shortly for a Lace 'Holy Grail' p/u. I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do with the bridge p/u yet, and may experiment with another bucker with the provision I install a switch to split the coils... but I'm in no rush there.

I've been playing with some folks in a classic rock band for the past 6 weeks or so, and this has become my guitar of choice with its versatility. I take a Peavey Classic 30 with me to practice and it does a great job of covering most of the material we're practising, but the Fishman piezo p/u's aren't done much justice through this amp. To help get a better acoustic sound with this guitar and amp combo, I'm using a Boss AC-2 pedal which works very well with the piezo's, but doesn't do much for magnetic p/u's.

At home I'm running the guitar threw the PV30, and a Roland JC-120 amp. The JC-120 is not as good as a dedicated acoustic amp, but is pretty good as a comprimise.

All in all I'd have to say I'm very happy with the Tele, and it does very well for coming through the mix (so to speak)
Cheers :beer:
David

 

[Duff49]

Acoustic pickups

I put a Dean Markley piano black Pro Mag Something, full humbucker sound hole pickup in my Samick Jumbo acoustic and played it just for fun thru my little Marshall MG15CDR that has a real mini reverb tank and a closed back. It sounded fantastic, but I was using one of my pedals, maybe an overdrive or a multipedal. It was awesome sounding, probably because the acoustic pickup is a humbucker not a piezo electric.

I'd love to have a JC-120. Are they as great as people say they are? Or do you like the classic thirty sound better for rock?

Try that piezo stereo thru your Classic thirty and an acoustic amp at a store sometime. See if it sounds awesome. But make sure you use a great sounding acoustic amp because a lot of them didn't sound good at all to me. The Crate was a big surprise in the middle of confusion.

Still waiting for the meeting with the insurance man. Maybe I'll get a JC-120 if they are as awesome as people say.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.