Please keep making these videos - you’re honest and straight talking and I trust what you tell me. Really good review - please continue sharing your wisdom with us, the fledgling guitarists out there. Cheers! Kierri x
Many thanks, I'm so glad you find the video useful. I will try and do more! I'm also thinking of doing some short, easy playing tips - just stuff I've learned over the (many...) years and would be fun to pass on. Wisdom comes with age, so I can't help it, being 75 this year!
For the string issue... Just loosen the neck and push down the neck until the strings are centered properly ( then retighten )... I do it from time to time with most guitars ... yeah it's new .. and "should be perfect" ,but we have to do what we have to do as guitar players...Nice video! I subscribed... see you on the next one! Thanks!
The bridge plate was assembled crooked and too close to the neck. That explains why the high E is near the edge, why the saddles cannot be properly adjusted and why the angle is wrong with the control plate. The one piece, placed wrong on the guitar, created all three problems.
Update Feb: the retailer has offered to take it back and send it to Fender UK for viewing/assessment. What the remedy(s) will be I do not know, but will update here as and when. Meanwhile, thanks for all the views and comments, much appreciated.
I think body was misloaded and your routes are all off a little bit. The hardware probably went on afterwards along with the neck and it was fixtured properly and put in the "correct" place but your neck and electronics routes are down and to the left a little bit. I'm glad they took it back because something is clearly out of tolerance.
I've just come across you vid, great honest review. I've just acquired a second hand one that I know is virtually new. Imagine my shock when I saw that you had exactly the same issues as I had. I had to take the sping off the low e to get correct intonation and my top e is very close to the edge of the fretboard. I can't send it back as its second hand and a year old but I'll read through the comments below to see if there are any fixes. Thanks for the vid.
So sorry to hear that, Jamie. I hope you get somewhere with it, perhaps a local skilled luthier could relocate the whole bridge assembly by a tiny amount which could make a required difference to the string alignment. I was going to take mine to my usual luthier to show him the issues (on my replacememt one from Fender!) and get his opinion on whether anything can be done. I don't think Fender thought things through when they decided to add the 'feature' of a rolled edge fingerboard. They must be getting a lot of adverse feedback regarding this model. @@jamieconnock.stuffilike.1727
Hey man, I just bought one at Guitar Center in Winston Salem,NC yesterday & I love this thing. I couldn’t really hear it well due to how busy & loud the store was but the look on my wife’s face said it all & then she said,”That’s it. That’s the one.” I plugged it into my Blues Jr & messed with it briefly & I really love this guitar. I too am a Strat guy & this is my first Tele but as soon as I picked it up I just knew. I definitely dig the bridge & neck pickups together & all 3 for that matter. Great video dude! Thank you!!!
Awesome video. The best and most thorough demonstration with added real world detail. I enjoyed this and learned a lot ( even in the comments!).😊 Cheers Marm, you are a good fella to watch. Thanks for the great job❤
I appreciate your video review and sharing your experience with the Player Plus Nashville Tele from Fender Mexico. I had tried out a couple of these in 2020 and found that the necks were not wide enough to comfortably keep all the strings in perfect place for me. This is most common with Asian built guitars that generally come with 42 mm (or narrower) nuts. I was in love with the "Nashville" concept though, so I decided to take a crack at putting my own together and so with mostly parts from Fender (Body, P/U's, tuners, etc.) and others that were carefully selected I put mine together, being very careful with my measurements and bridge placement, especially. I also wired it up "Brent Mason" style, with a third control knob to blend in the Strat P/U. Finally it was coming down to possibly having to buy a Fender USA neck or a Warmoth, when I literally tripped over a neck being sold by Guitar Center that was made by Fender (Custom Roasted Maple w/"Flat Oval" shape, 12" radius), with a 43mm nut. That was the piece that solved the whole puzzle for me and the guitar plays beautifully in the hands with no issues, whatsoever. The necks are available from multiple retailers and on Fender's site also. If you remain in love with your Nashville, but need a little extra room for the E strings, then this might be your answer also.
@@twostickersplease Well it is flatter. Lol But it's a great neck, lots of resonance and fast to play. It's almost a D-shape. It is very comfortable to me. I have a Fender US C-shape strat neck and my hand becomes a bit cramped after an hour, but that never happens with the oval. My hands are a men's large glove, if that helps.
I bought the same guitar in October '23 and the 3 issues you mention (Intonation, high E string 'roll off' and wonky control switch plate) aren't a problem on mine. Not meaning to show off or anything. Guess I just got lucky. Really love this guitar. I swapped out the black scratch plate for a white/cream with black trim. Looks lovely. Thanks for reviewing it.
I work with cnc machinery and unfortunately quality issues can arise due to many various reasons. Quality Control is the real issue here....how that has left the factory baffles me! I have just bought one of these guitars today so thank you for this video, i will definitely be looking to see if the guitar has any of these issues...and also, great playing 👍
After adjusting the truss rod on my American Vintage II '57 Strat, which requires removing the neck, the high E string was like yours. I loosened the bolts and pushed the neck to the side while retightening the neck, and it fixed the problem. It's a neck pocket + neck heel "problem". It is wood afterall, and there's also supposed to be some give there.
Nice man. Great review. I can tell you're an experienced player based on the points you're making, and your insight is valuable for smart shoppers. Appreciate you.
Thanks for the frank assessment for this Nashville Plus, with issues that should never be there even at Classic Vibe prices let alone the totally ridiculous $1600CAD new asked for in Canada! My 2020 Player Series Lead II bought on a clearance sale, was great right off the shelf so I know that Mexico can build well if they want to. I guess the two years since things have gone downhill badly.
My guess would be that the body was misloaded when it was routed which caused the neck pocket and electronics to be a little off on the body. Then when the hardware was installed it was put in where it should be causing this misalignment. If I got it like this I would send it back. It was missed by QC and definitely out of tolerance for their CNC machines.
I really enjoyed your video, as I was considering ordering this guitar online. As a result I will only buy my Fender after a thorough inspection and playing at my local shop. Greetinfrom North Carolina! It's ashamed you don't have more subscribers! Well you should and you can count me as one. I look forward to seeing your other reviews.
Many thanks for your kind comments! Yes, it's vital to try a guitar before buying. However, I live in south Cornwall, just by the sea in an idyllic spot (a little village by the sea) and there isn't a music shop with a wide selection of guitars and gear within a couple of hundred miles... I have no option but to study online reviews and order from the internet. It's a pain; for example, I ordered a new Marshall amp head last week, received it, tried it and sent it back the same day. Nothing wrong with it, except it was far too trebly - painfully so. The trouble is, we guitarists all seem to have vastly different ideas of what sounds good and what doesn't! Thanks for subscribing. I must try and post more content, I have a list of things to do videos on, including lots of hints, tips and tricks acquired over the years. In the last few months I've been very busy getting a new band together, which is now up and running and we're getting lots of good reaction locally. Our web site is here: bluerivermusic.uk/ I promise to get back soon to posting more reviews, etc! Enjoy your music!
That was an amazing review Duke! I appreciate that you clearly showed the shortcomings. Definitely things to watch out for, and why I prefer to play guitars before buying them. I used to only buy black guitars, then stopped being so prejudiced. On line purchasing is convenient, and eyes often are betrayed by the set-up, fit and sound - they are everything regardless of color, I have found. "That's comfy... yep" was what I said about my SG. Probably should not have sold on my American tele some years back - it was classic tele sound with modern improvements and sounded great - alas. The 6 saddle bridge is definitely better than the historically accurate brass model, but we're not 1955 anymore. Your playing demo was excellent - you are creamy smooth! I should also mention that I listened to the playing demo at .75 speed to see your fretwork, which was really nice then again on 1.25 speed to hear the "shred" - very very nice. "Marmite" finish and "belly cut" - LOL. Thanks, I'm very sold on this model and feel that you've helped inform my search.
Bought the exact Tele in December, my first Tele, got to say from playing it in the shop I've barely picked anything else up... the neck is incredible and 12" board just perfect for me. No issues with the saddles, control plate etc on mine, the string alignment could be slightly adjusted on the high E side but that is easily done (loosening the bolts to adjust) as I'm sure you've probably done by now. Overall I could only recommend, but as always... best to try before you buy. Great demo btw
In looking at my tele my switch plate is parallel they messed yours up also my bridge is set further down from the neck for sure to bad they didn’t make it right.
I happened upon your RUclips posting quite by accident actually. Trying to get some comparison information on the Fender Player Plus versus the regular Player model (not that I even need an additional guitar mind you 😂). Like you, I probably wouldn’t have noticed those problems, but will watch out for them in the future. Thanks much for those tips! Regarding Teles in general, I happened to pick up a MIM Fender “Factory Special Run” (FSR) Telecaster a couple of years ago (an ash, butterscotch FSR) and have been quite delighted with the quality of that product. So much so that when I happened on another one (used), I purchased it as well😎. Both of these instruments have proven to be real “keepers”. I did add Fender staggered locking tuners and better Gotoh brass saddles, as well as “Pure Tone” multi-contact 1/4 inch output jacks (I highly recommend these by the way😉). However, other than those additions, one or the other of these two guitars have become my main gigging Telecaster. Considering that I also own a Fender “Ultra” Model Tele, that’s high praise for these $400 dollar US guitars😎. At the price point for Corona, California-made instruments, I’ve found these MIM models can be quite the bargains, with little to no trade offs between their American counterparts. I’ve also found the same experience with the MIM Player Strats👍 PS - love your playing by the way😎.
Nice review, thank you. I bought one a year and a half ago, Opal Spark is the color (Blue ). It is a remarkable guitar. I was always a Les Paul and Strat guy, but I now consider this my Number One, for gigging, especially.
Many thanks for viewing. I'm so glad you have bonded with yours. I only wish I felt the same way about the dreadful (2nd) clunker that Fender sent me. 😒
Thanks for the rundown video on this - great stuff! I've have this exact guitar since Feb '22, now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but here's some of the issues I've noticed: - Bridge intonation does seem to go back slightly too far, but not as extreme as your low E! I noticed also that the small allen key bolts in some places actually sit down into the screw cavity below, which makes it a tad uneven and annoying. - Exactly the same issue with the lack of real estate for the high E string and it seems that there is a lot more that could have been utilized from the low E side - it's really annoying and i was considering either shifting the neck or getting a new nut cut (maybe) - The nut was very badly done and I had pinging when bending the high E and B strings around the 2nd/3rd fret (which i crazily did not notice in the store!). - Further to the nut slotting I actually had a big issue at my first gig where the high E popped out of the nut slot completely a few times when i played an open chord hard.... nightmare for a solo gig, but I got through it! My solution was to actually replace the string tree with one i could reverse in the same hole and bring it slightly closer to the nut(it's pretty far back!) I also clamped it right down and I haven't had any issues since. - Another issue I spotted that yours has too is the neck pocket gap was quite large on one side - I'm unsure if it's supposed to be like this, but it bugs my perfectionist brain a little! - last issue that I seem to have is that there is something wrong with the wiring or grounding when the pull-push knob is pulled, just a little crackle, but if hold onto it and adjust it then it's very noticeable. Also, for the record, my control panel is parallel - yay! It was interesting to see some similar issues with your guitar - I'll definitely be keeping mine, but it was a lesson learned to even think to check these aspects... I just knew it was the right one in the shop!! :D
Thanks for the very interesting info. It really puzzles me that in this day and age where all the processes in making a guitar have been automated onto accurate CNC router machines, etc. wherever possible, we see these shoddy inaccuracies and in some cases, plain old fashioned balls-ups. When I packed mine for shipping yesterday I had a little smile as I saw again the 'QC' sign-off tag, initialled by no less then three employees... Maybe it's something to do with that news a few months ago that Fender had fired a whole backshift of workers due to the rejection rate being 50%?!
Well, I will be a monkey's uncle... just got mine new this morning (by FedEx) and had the same alignment problem. Watched Marmaduke's wonderful video, then saw your comment, then proceeded to lose my guitar-neck-bolt virginity... I hadn't noticed that the neck was about 1-2mm out of alignment in the slot. But I had noticed the lack of high E string real estate and was a little bummed that it looked like the bridge was crooked. It turns out the neck was crooked. Easy fix: loosened strings, loosened screws, and BOOM. It worked. Thanks to all. I love everything else about the guitar, but I was debating returning it (I never return things).
@@eastbaystreet1242 Thanks for viewing. Sorry you had the same problem, although it seems to confirm there is a QC problem in Fender's Mexican factory. 😥 Just curious, as you re-tightened the neck retaining screws, didn't you find that as they bedded back into their holes, they pulled the neck into the same position as it was before? NB: Mine is still with Fender UK, three weeks now and counting.... 😡
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 They would have done, but I created a large, human vice and kept a lot of pressure on the neck while tightening them. Now, who knows, maybe it will shift back, but they are really locked down now. If it shifts back I will take it to my luthier for proper repair. Funny thing, this is one of my least expensive guitars - I have Fender Custom Shops, for example, and actual vintage Gibsons. But I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite daily players. We live in Nashville, so this guitar has been on my list for while.
Great playing sir! The first thing I look at is distance string 1 from the edge, and if string 1 runs parallel to the edge. Next is fret buzz. Thank you for pointing out the saddle issue and options.
The Nashville Tele is caused by Brent Mason, who is a famous Nashville studio musician and he was the first one to put a middle pickup in a Telecaster. About the strings not aligning neck, is caused by the neckpocket not being cut right. You can see it in the video, around 10:50, that there is a gap between the body and the neck. Så you can loosen the neck and pulle it closer to the body, to close the gap and then the strings will align again. But maybe it also can be caused by the bridgeplate not being placed correctly on the bode.
Quite nice video, great playing! I just got 6 months ago the Nashville in sunburst color, I dont have the problem with the 1st string too near the border, but I do have the problem with the 6th saddle, I had to cut the spring in half. in general terms the guitar is great, fantastic neck, really balanced and had the right weight (based on my personal preference). initially I did no like too much the noiseless pickups, but then I set the height of each one (test different positions) until I got a really defined and clear tone, finally I tried different EQ in my amp (treble, middle,bass) and the pickups delivered really great tones. The pick ups are very versatily..... loving the guitar...Im enjoying a lot playing it.... (im still loving more my strat....but I have enough love for both)
Yes, I also had to adjust the pickup heights to get the sort of sounds I like. Glad you're liking the guitar! Update on mine: I chased the retailer to chase Fender UK, who have had the guitar now for almost a month and are still working on it. "They've have to send for parts." That tells me the darn thing really does need a lot of fixing... 🤔🤔🙄🙄
One thing to try with the 1st string being too close to the edge: Loosen the strings, loosen the neck screws, gently pull the neck toward the 6th string. Look and see if the strings are more centered on the neck. Once achieved, retighten the neck screws and tune it up.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 I enjoy watching Phil's Friday live show. His maintenance and repair videos are the best. Glad it worked out for you. I just picked up a used one of the player plus Nashville teles like yours. Really enjoying it.
I sold my Strat and bought a G&l ASAT Classic S with alnico pickups, which is equivalent to your guitar, except it's custom shop build quality. I installed a Free-Way 10-way switch, which gives you classic Strat switching plus N+B in parallel, N+M in series, N+B in series, B+M in series, and all three in parallel. If you have a three single-coil pickup guitar, I highly recommend the switch. The in-between positions are great and the series positions give a slight volume boost and a "humbucker-ish" tone.
I’m with you, man. I ordered a Fender American performer recently and sent it back after two days of wrestling with it. Frets were so bad they actually choked out the notes from the 12th on the high e up. Just stopped bends dead in their tracks. I’ve been doing setups for years now and there was no way of adjusting the problem out without the action being 3mm off the board. I haven never seen a guitar of such poor quality, Fender is all about the name on the headstock, their quality control is diabolical.
Sure would think the bridge placement is not to spec , I get the frustration, especially realizing from quality control to customer care being lost within corporations these times we live, the day when people cared what they sold and took pride in there work was cut from a different cloth and vanishing from the world. Thank you for the video, learned much from this and things to be aware of when looking at guitars. Excellent playing! Be well!
After watching this video, I immediately went to look at my 2020 Nashville. This was the last year the Nashville was produced before the player plus Nashville. The small E string looked fine, the selector switch assembly was parallel to the bridge and the bridge springs looked great with plenty of room for adjustment. Just lucky I guess
My saddle springs seem to be the correct size. Look like the pic and not like the springs on your guitar. Consistency? Also, I have similar problem with the treble E string too close to the edge of the fretboard. I thought it was only my guitar, guess not. I'm gonna try and adjust bridge position slightly to see if I can position the string better. Not sure that's possible.
Hi, definitely looks like this, the bridge isn't in the right place and the control plate is crooked. It is incomprehensible to me how that still happens today, where the milling is done with cnc machines and the drilling is done with templates. I only order guitars from Thomann because they will exchange the guitar for a new one without any questions. Greetings
Yes, it's bizarre in 2023 with all the CNC machines available. They should all be coming off the production lines virtually identical in terms of parts assembly and positioning. Jesus, factories have been doing this since the days of Oliver Winchester. Or is Mexican labour cheaper than investing in capital equipment? Strange, when it results in all the extra expense associated with poor quality control.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 In any case, this should be noticed during quality control and sorted out. I wish you every success with the return of your Telly 🎸🌻
I bought one of these about three months ago. I find I tend to use the middle pickup more than others. Mine does not have the top string/fretboard edge problem. Like your guitar the control plate is not parallel to the bridge plate. The pickups are quite bright, such that I wind the tone control back a hair if I have the vol up full. The brightness calms down at lesser volume settings. I use a Roland JC40, a very bright amp, and find that it works better with a G&L ASAT Classic that I have fitted with Tone Rider Tele pickups
I had a 2017 Nashville Tele. Although it was a great players guitar, it needed sorting by an experienced guitar tech. It’s had the high E string close to the edge of the finger board (at the 10-13 frets). Then had fret sprout along the full length of the neck. Once that was sorted, put in S1 push, push switch and finished with full set up. Shame Fender stick out such nice guitars which are half finished. Makes me wonder if all these videos we see with artist demos have had a tech look over them first. 🎸😉👍🇬🇧 22:03
Great video, I am considering this guitar. I personally would have returned it. You've pointed out some pretty bad QC issues that IMHO would affect the playability. That high e-string is definite to close to the edge. If I had to take a guess, I would say that the entire bridge is shifted to much to one side and too forward, exactly what you said. Lovely guitar, but the QC on that particular one would have me heading straight back to the dealer. I think what I would do, and I'm not suggesting that you do it, is loosen the strings and then loosen the entire bridge assembly to see if there is enough play to shift the entire bridge assembly so that the six strings are even across the fingerboard.
In my experience the issue you mention with the top string sliding off is an effect of rolling off the action when the outside bridge screw on the string is lower than the inside. If you adjust them to be the same height it should help. I'd probably return a brand new guitar where I had to do cut a spring to intonate and there was an obvious flaw like the crooked electronics. It does look like it's all off a touch and I would be concerned that it won't age well.
Hey, thank you for the excellent and honest review of your Tele. I am looking at this same model and wondering if I should buy one or get an American Performer Tele instead? I also wonder how many of the pickup selections I would use? Having too many options can cause unneeded over thinking. You have a new subscriber and I look forward to watching more videos. Enjoy your guitar and Happy New Year!
Many thanks for viewing and subscribing! More videos coming soon. After my bad experiences with Mexican-made Fenders (I also had a Mex Strat but sold it), I'd go for the US-made Performer. I actually have a Performer Strat in Penny finish, and it's one of my keepers. As for pickup selection, when I'm playing live I only ever use neck or bridge positions on any of the guitars I use, I usually have enough to think about on stage without adding other variables! I may use other settings when recording though. Happy New Year to you!
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your advice and I have been leaning towards getting the American Performer Tele. It helps to learn from others experiences and learn from them. Take care and have a good day!
Hey Marmaduke, I bought a Squier classic vibe thinline '70's telecaster natural in January and I have a lot of the same problems that you have. A lot that high E string will slip off the edge. Mine has humbuckers and the neck pickup screws on the high E don't line up straight with the string and I don't get the full sound when soloing. The pickup was put in a little crooked and you can see it. I asked them at Sweetwater guitars but didn't say much about it and I paid half of what you did so, just play it I guess or take off the pickguard and see what I can do? You'd think with a brand new guitar you wouldn't have these kind of problems. Good video. Peace 🕊️.
Thanks so much for the honest review. It's a real shame to have issues with a guitar that would set me back about $1600 CDN. I was about to buy the same guitar online from a big-chain music store here in Canada, but you've completely dissuaded me from doing that. I have always been a tele guy since I first picked up a guitar in 1965. I have a couple of Strats too and occasionally like to bring one of them out to the gig. But now that Im getting "up there" in age, I want to bring only one guitar and I thought Id treat myself to a Nashville Tele. But, if there are quality control issues as depicted in your video, I think I'll pass on it. Re the switches: I too do not like the size and "clunkiness" of the Fender 5 way OR 3 way switches. I bought a blank control plate and installed a Gibson style selector switch in an up and down configuration I also installed a push pull pot to engage the middle pickup on my parts caster. Works MUCH better than the fiddle-y 5 pos switch. Much easier with the Gibson switch and, on the rare occasion that I want the "quack" of the Strat, I just pop up the tone pot switch. Best of luck with your guitar issues and again, thanks for posting.
@10:17 looking at my Squire tele. that bridge does look like its 1mm to 2mm closer to the neck (based on the pickguard which isnt really a good metric) but judging by the intonation issue you got, that might be the case.
I'm surprised you didn't send it back with all the flaws. They are not minor. I am now second guessing my want for this guitar. I suppose buying it from a shop that stocks them is the answer.
I have that same guitar but mine is beige and black pick guard. I am jamming with you on the end of your video. KEEP DOING JAM VIDEOS you're AWESOME 👍😎
To me the sound seems excellent; if after reading the negative comments regarding the construction it cannot be fixed, what can be done is buy a Warmoth Kit, but the pickup configuration must be the same; what I like about this guitar is its sound, with more body than the Stratocaster; (with more body I mean depth; in Spain we say body; for example, a Les Paul has more body than a Stratocaster)
Truly almost pulled the trigger on this one. Then the staff at the store pulled out a Japanese Fender 50's Strat and it blew out the Mexican Nashville, including the other Player series stuff in that showroom. I walked out the store with the Japanese Strat.
I don't know what amplifier you connect it to but it sounds very good, as I said in other comments; the defects that he found are very disappointing and one is not comfortable seeing or feeling them; the question that occurs to me is if buying Warmoth body and neck and some quality electronics, would you get the same sound? I think it would be cheaper. Give me your opinion. Thank you
Those quality control problems are a legitimate complaint. I would have never accepted that, and if Fender didn't fix it then they'd be done for me. Did you ever get this issue resolved?
Fender UK had it back for over a month, but gave up and sent me another. That one had different faults... I'm done with Fender guitars. They are now being outclassed in quality/price ratio by a lot of other manufacturers. You can't trade on a brand name for ever, and allow production standards to fall like this.
I think you just got a Friday afternoon before siesta made guitar. I have a 2023 made Sianna burst Nashville player plus Tele that is perfect in every way. Even has a book match two piece body. I've been playing Nashville Tele's, All custom made since 1988 and I replaced them with the player plus for a working tool as the old ones are too good or expensive to risk outside the home studio. I also use ALL the tone settings but normally just one tone for any given song or application. Thats why I play Nashville's. Sure I have my favourite tone settings but it's not always up to me. Often the director wants another sound and the Nashville will most often give it. Failing that, It's the amp or chain that needs changing. You should know all this? Only mod I made on the Player plus is an extra string tree on the D & G strings mainly to get the G down as it suffered the classic tele behind the nut buzz and a new graph tec nut filed out to suit Thick N Thins perfectly. It's the best modern gigging guitar I've ever owned.
Best review of the Nashville Tele I've seen, if only to warn of possible pitfalls. One issue is possibly understandable, but three? Strangely, the p/u setting that I'm most disappointed by is the all-three position. It seems it just loses some umph in that configuration.
I checked out my $300 CDN Affinity Telecaster, and while it doesn't have the same power or options as the Nashville, it doesn't have any of the problems, either!
It's normal, with the 3 pickups enabled you send 3 signals in parallel to the output witch results in a loss of gain and phasing interactions. When pickups are wired in series they add one into the other but in that case this is wired in parallel and that divides the ouput of each pickup by the number of pickups. Look at a guitar 2x12 cab for exemple (its the same principle): Series: 8ohm + 8ohm = 16 Parallel: 8ohm + 8ohm = 4
Update April: Well, Fender gave up on trying to repair this dud and sent me a new one. That isn't much better to be honest. Lesson I learned: don't patronise Fender anymore. Over-priced poor products in my opinion, and zero customer service: no updates in three months, no apologies. What a way to run a business - resting on your heritage and customers flocking over the decades because of the name.
Very useful info. Thank you. What advice would you give someone looking for single coil snap and quack in a guitar manufactured by someone other than Fender?
Wish I had seen this sooner prior to me purchasing a MIM Nashville - it’s 2025 now and I have the same issue with the high e string falling off the fretboard, and the tight space to intonate. I’ll add another - a pinging nut on the e and b strings. Did the same thing you did - took to local luthier here in Ottawa - nut fixed, slightly better e string alignment (though neck pocket too tight to do it fully right. Control plate more parallel than this one. My custom shop Strat experience was much better at double the price a few years ago. If you can afford it - skip the MIM.
@@vincemrobert I'm sorry to hear that. It certainly put me off buying MIM Fenders ever again. I've since bought another PRS SE and their manufacturing standards and quality control are on a completely different level compared to Fender MIM.
Hello again, friend; I have received two copies of the Fender Nashville Telecaster from Gear4music; the first one had a crack and they changed it to a second copy; I find myself with a problem and that is that the strings come a little oblique in relation to the fingerboard and the bridge of the body in such a way that, as it happens to you, the first string escapes from the fingerboard; I think I'm going to exchange it for another copy; but, and this is my question, is it possible to find a specimen that comes from Mexico in good condition? The sound that you emit through the video is impeccable and, in that sense, I want a Nashville but it occurred to me to make it myself with Warmoth material; what do you think of this?
The new one Fender sent me was almost as bad as the first one, the top E string is still far too close to the edge of the fingerboard. In my opinion, they made a cock up in designing the guitar - they decided a good selling point would be to have rolled edges, fine, they are nice, but you need to start with a slightly wider neck than the slim ones they are using, as it makes the string even closer to the edge. My replacement one is also off in that the top of the bridge assembly doesn't align with the bottom of the pickguard - you'd have to be totally blind not to see this at assembly and QC stages. (QC, that's a laugh!) I recommend you seek a refund as I do not believe you will ever receive a good one that accidentally got made correctly. I've burned my bridges with Fender now. They have a bloody cheek asking so much money for such awful products. Leo will be spinning in his grave........ If you want a Nashville Tele I recommend you go the 'bitsa' route using Warmoth etc.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 Marmaduke Winterbotham, dear friend, how I appreciate your advice; It's an idea I've been pondering on my return trip from work (I'm a professional clerk, not a professional musician); and yes, I think I'm going to opt for a refund and follow the line you suggest despite the great sound you extract from it in the video; It is the ideal sound that all guitarists want; you are right, "if Leo Fender raised his head, what a displeasure"; hugs a thousand from Spain; excuse my english because i use google translate; there may be some incomprehensible expression
4:00 I am so jealous of your left thumb! I have spent my musical life wishing I could put my thumb over top of the neck and still play cleanly on the bottom.
Thanks for viewing! It just came naturally, as far as I can remember. My forefinger used to ache from barring right across the fretboard, and this felt easier!
I guess everyones anatomy is slightly different. I can’t bend me left thumb more than 45 degrees and certainly can’t wrap my XL hand around the neck. Must try some stretching and see if I can increase the articulation. Lovely looking guitar.
I bought a regular player plus tele and it also has that bridge issue. I can't quite get the low E string intonated. The rest are fine. Other than that I don't really like the pots. It has those "nothing...nothing...nothing...and then BAM" pots. What kind of a guitar player would want that? But it's a problem on a lot of newer guitars. When all is said and done I like the guitar a lot. It plays super nicely and sounds good. I don't think the bridge is a Mexico problem, but a Fender problem. I've found people who have had that issue when the guitars were first introduced, and I got mine only a couple weeks ago so they still haven't fixed it. Pretty ridiculous. Luckily mine is close enough but I should be able to get it dead on.
I had a squire classic vibe where the high e string was too close to the side of the neck and kept falling out. I sold it as a result. I determined it was because the neck wasn’t centered (I suspect yours isn’t either). I’m shocked how many fender guitars, including expensive ones like yours, don’t have centered necks. I have a player tele plus top that I love but I picked it up at the store and made sure mine had a correctly centered neck based on my last experience. Lots of ones I saw had necks that weren’t centered.
Thank you for your review, I've just ordered one of these and I will be looking at my new arrival in close detail. Very disappointing from Fender. I'd be taking it back to the supplier.
Tenho uma guitarra igual. Não veio com nenhum dos problemas apontados. É uma fantástica guitarra. Duas guitarras em uma. Boa para férias, viagens, festas familiares…. Sem defeitos e cheia de virtudes. No entanto, não dispensa as Tele ou Strats, para ocasiões mais profissionais. É importante perceber a filosofia ( honesta) do construtor.
I have the exact same issue with the high E string slipping off the side on my only Strat. It's a little bit odd since my Strat is a custom shop one. But I'll try to finally ask a luthier to place a new nut on my Strat to fix that. But it is exactly the same issue, low E has tons of space while the high E has barely any and it gets worse the higher up the neck I play. But my player plus telecaster, I have the jade green one that is almost like your's but with no middle pickup. That tele has the strings fortunately perfectly in the middle and for whatever reason I also don't have the same intonation issue. But I did have a very similar intonation issue with my Performer Fender Mustang. But after correcting the intonation, it's now been fine ever since, but there's no more space to make adjustments. But yeah, looks like you need a new nut to fix your Nashville tele. But no idea why the intonation was like that, but hopefully you never need to touch that again.
The E string thing is certainly odd; I've even seen many Fender adverts, promotional photos, etc. where the top string is perilously close to the edge - bizarre!
Just loosen the screws at the neck heel join and reseat the neck in the neck pocket by realigning it so the high and low E strings have equal spacing to the edges, then tighten down the screws. I had to do that to one of my Ibanez guitars before (it also needed a shim so I cut up a piece of my expired medical insurance card and slipped it into the neck pocket during the realignment to alter the neck angle slightly).
@@LunatiqueRob Yeah sometimes it's the neck, sometimes it's how the nut was cut. In my Strat's case it's the nut since a luthier has looked at it. I'm too broke to do the fix atm. But in the case of this Nashville it could be either.
@@lassesuurmunne8340 I've done nut fixes before, I recommend you just fill that bad nut slot (I assume it was cut too close to the edge of the fretboard?) with baking soda and Krazy Glue (a very common way to fix issues, as that mixture hardens immediately and is very durable), and file a new one using an appropriate sized nut file. Just go slow so you don't over-file and the string end up too low (although you can fix it with the baking soda + Krazy Glue trick if that happens--just fill it a bit and file again)).
Can you please tell me where you purchased your Nashville Telecaster ? So I don't order mine from the same place. Also what do you think of the plastic nut ? I think I may get either a Bone nut or Graph Tech nut. Thank You for your video on the Nashville Telecaster 🎸
Man sorry this happened to you on your first tele, its a great guitar. I own several Fenders and all are USA made, my brother in law has some MIM fenders and there's definitely a difference in quality. I recommend maybe getting a used USA telecaster. I own several guitars Fenders, Gibson's, Jackson's and Martin, but nothing compares to my American Stratocaster, buy USA.
Excellent video - so grateful for your post. Now that you have corrected the e string and intonation issue using the next resetting method, are you happy with the guitar? Or do you regret buying it? I am interested in the Nashville telecaster and want to know if I should persist with buying it if, even after it has been corrected, it's still a lemon (or not really playable).
Thanks for viewing. Yes, I've now bonded a little with the guitar. That's mainly because the neck has a very comfortable 'feel' - slim and satin-y. But that's a very personal preference, you'd have to check one out to see if you like it. Let me know if you go ahead and what you think of it!
Thanks so much for your kind and quick, reply ✌🏻 I tried one out and the high e is slipping off the fretboard too 😢. Didn't check the intonation. I'm keen on your feedback because, if I buy it, I'm going to need to fix it and I'm praying it's worth the risk! Would you make the same purchase again, now that you've gone through the motions and found a solution?
@@LostinCycles Hm, tricky. I'm not adept at fettling my own guitars, except for the basics, so maybe not, taking into account a luthier's bill! By the way, I fitted brass saddles to stop the excessive 'clanginess', although some Telecaster users might regard that as a 'feature'.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 You're so kind to take the time to reply. Thank you so much. It sounds like maybe I should pass on the Nashville, given your experience. The neck fix looks easy, but if I need to make further improvements via a luthier's hand, then that's a deal breaker. I just want the guitar to function as intended! If the neck is enough to get it working, and I can put up with the saddles as is, then maybe I'd do it, but if more work is required, it's not worth the effort, I think. Your incredible playing aside, I just want to acknowledge that your video and comments have really helped me out. Truly, thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience for all of us to benefit from ✨
It was the backing track from a guitar lesson in an issue of Guitarist magazine, issue 464. www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/guitarist-video-and-audio-627844
This is the second review I've seen with the same issues. This is unacceptable in 2024 on a $800 gtr. I choose to build my own. They are way over priced anyway.
I had one. The biggest problem it had....it didn't sound anything like a Telecaster. I was going to have the bridge and neck pickup wired to position #2 but instead I traded it for a G&L. No regrets.
Enjoyed the review. Had considered one of these but felt they were on the heavy side though with the other problems i will leave well alone. If I do buy a Fender tele it will be from Japan. 😅
Enjoyed the vid . I just didn’t understand why buy a Nashville tele ( 3 pups) when y’all just use a bridge or Neck pup? Just get a tele without a middle pup and rock on . 👍🎸
Update March: Well, here we are TWO MONTHS later and Fender UK have still not sorted out my guitar. A month ago they told the retailer that they needed to send off for parts. They are not readily available? Even if they had to ask the US to ship them over? No update - silence. This is an utter disgrace - one of the crappiest service experiences I've had. Obviously, Fender care not a jot. Well, I'm voting with my feet and will never buy a Fender product again.
I would write a letter to the head of fender and put this link in it with time stamps of the problems. That may very well create action down the line. Always go to the top.
Thanks. I'll wait until I receive the guitar back from Fender UK. If it's still a wrong-un then I will take the matter further, be assured! Thanks for viewing.
Since I don't speak English very well, I have to use the Google translator; Anyway, and having seen the final reviews, I still haven't seen a PRS, and I have one, that sounds like Nashville is
I'll mention Only one thing. Slow down video and stop at 0.21 and you'll See very important facts that no video about telecaster hade ever mentioned...👉Strings are Off Set to Neck center and E bottom string is almost off the neck. Look at neck pickup where is close to the neck. Youll see String E is on Edge of the neck. That means bridge plat isn't in line with neck center line.
For the high "E" string that is on the limit of the fretboard, you can try to loose all the strings, loose slightly the neck bolts, and slightly move the neck in the neck pocket towards the high E string (if there's any room to do it).
... don t think about to much about the mistakes on fabrication.... go and korrect it.... it may happen but.... I think it s a lovely guitar and the new specs are absolute necessary to a modern guitar
I just checked in Sweetwater and after blowing up the pictures almost all the Nashville telecasters have the high E string almost falling off the neck 🫤 now I’m scared to purchase one in line ☹️ the Ultra Tele is not like that at all 🫤
What causes that is the neck is not put in proper straightness.. If you loosen the neck and position it correctly it will lock down in the correct position. It is a pain in the ass.
@@joemccarthy641 I had a CV Squier Strat with that problem. The neck was cockeyed. You are correct. unbolt the neck and move the neck while tightening.
They have had to use the bad routing of the switch/pot cavity as a datum point for locating the pickguard and bridge which then throws out the intonation adjustment. I would have sent it back I stopped buying high end guitars about 10 years ago after a major problem with 3 Gibson Les Pauls I only ordered one but it had to be returned twice and the third one was totally the wrong guitar and so that went back and I got a refund, the quality of those guitars was abysmal, since then I have bought 14 Harley Benton guitars from Thoman and these are budget guitars yet I have not had any problems whatsoever with any of them, some of them I have changed the pots switch and pickups but only down to personal preference , the stock parts were perfectly useable, I have had to do the odd fret level and general setup to my preference but you would do that to any guitar,I do tend to go for the higher end Harlwy Benton models though, I have just ordered the TE 25 Firemist which is a T type 25th aniversary model in Firemist Gold and is very well specced out and all for just £389 shipped, why dont you look into getting one I think you will be very surprised, they are so cheap because they dont have any distributer which would add a another 30-40% on if they did and then there would be retailers markups also, they do the fianal QC and setup at Thomann. www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_t_25th_firemist.htm
I agree. Over the years of buying, and selling on, guitars, I have lost faith in the big name makers. Oddly enough, I've been ogling that exact Harley Benton recently! I think I might give it a go. I've also been attracted by the FGN Iliad Boundary in blue.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 If you get the FGN buy it from Richards Guitars he does free setups on his guitars over £500, I have always respected the Fugigen factory, I bought a Squier Telecaster in 1983 that was built there, I went to the local music store intending to buy a Fender Telecaster but ended up walking out with the Squier as it was much much better than any of the Fenders I tried, I still have it today, I just pulled the trigger on the Harley Benton, I think that wonderful roasted flame maple neck sealed the deal for me
Fender UK refused to talk to me on the phone, told me all enquiries must go to their retailers. In the end Fender replaced the guitar (after having the first one for over a months and doing nothing with it) but the second one still had some issues, including a misaligned neck, which I fixed myself.
Please keep making these videos - you’re honest and straight talking and I trust what you tell me. Really good review - please continue sharing your wisdom with us, the fledgling guitarists out there. Cheers! Kierri x
Many thanks, I'm so glad you find the video useful. I will try and do more! I'm also thinking of doing some short, easy playing tips - just stuff I've learned over the (many...) years and would be fun to pass on. Wisdom comes with age, so I can't help it, being 75 this year!
For the string issue... Just loosen the neck and push down the neck until the strings are centered properly ( then retighten )... I do it from time to time with most guitars ... yeah it's new .. and "should be perfect" ,but we have to do what we have to do as guitar players...Nice video! I subscribed... see you on the next one! Thanks!
The bridge plate was assembled crooked and too close to the neck. That explains why the high E is near the edge, why the saddles cannot be properly adjusted and why the angle is wrong with the control plate. The one piece, placed wrong on the guitar, created all three problems.
Update Feb: the retailer has offered to take it back and send it to Fender UK for viewing/assessment. What the remedy(s) will be I do not know, but will update here as and when. Meanwhile, thanks for all the views and comments, much appreciated.
I think body was misloaded and your routes are all off a little bit. The hardware probably went on afterwards along with the neck and it was fixtured properly and put in the "correct" place but your neck and electronics routes are down and to the left a little bit. I'm glad they took it back because something is clearly out of tolerance.
I've just come across you vid, great honest review. I've just acquired a second hand one that I know is virtually new. Imagine my shock when I saw that you had exactly the same issues as I had. I had to take the sping off the low e to get correct intonation and my top e is very close to the edge of the fretboard. I can't send it back as its second hand and a year old but I'll read through the comments below to see if there are any fixes. Thanks for the vid.
So sorry to hear that, Jamie. I hope you get somewhere with it, perhaps a local skilled luthier could relocate the whole bridge assembly by a tiny amount which could make a required difference to the string alignment. I was going to take mine to my usual luthier to show him the issues (on my replacememt one from Fender!) and get his opinion on whether anything can be done. I don't think Fender thought things through when they decided to add the 'feature' of a rolled edge fingerboard. They must be getting a lot of adverse feedback regarding this model.
@@jamieconnock.stuffilike.1727
Hey man, I just bought one at Guitar Center in Winston Salem,NC yesterday & I love this thing. I couldn’t really hear it well due to how busy & loud the store was but the look on my wife’s face said it all & then she said,”That’s it. That’s the one.” I plugged it into my Blues Jr & messed with it briefly & I really love this guitar. I too am a Strat guy & this is my first Tele but as soon as I picked it up I just knew. I definitely dig the bridge & neck pickups together & all 3 for that matter. Great video dude! Thank you!!!
Ive had one for about a year and its amazing. it was perfectly setup from new. its the most comfortable guitar i have ever played
Thanks for showing these issues, now I have changed my mind!
Awesome video. The best and most thorough demonstration with added real world detail. I enjoyed this and learned a lot ( even in the comments!).😊 Cheers Marm, you are a good fella to watch. Thanks for the great job❤
That's very kind. Thanks for viewing!
I appreciate your video review and sharing your experience with the Player Plus Nashville Tele from Fender Mexico. I had tried out a couple of these in 2020 and found that the necks were not wide enough to comfortably keep all the strings in perfect place for me. This is most common with Asian built guitars that generally come with 42 mm (or narrower) nuts.
I was in love with the "Nashville" concept though, so I decided to take a crack at putting my own together and so with mostly parts from Fender (Body, P/U's, tuners, etc.) and others that were carefully selected I put mine together, being very careful with my measurements and bridge placement, especially.
I also wired it up "Brent Mason" style, with a third control knob to blend in the Strat P/U.
Finally it was coming down to possibly having to buy a Fender USA neck or a Warmoth, when I literally tripped over a neck being sold by Guitar Center that was made by Fender (Custom Roasted Maple w/"Flat Oval" shape, 12" radius), with a 43mm nut. That was the piece that solved the whole puzzle for me and the guitar plays beautifully in the hands with no issues, whatsoever. The necks are available from multiple retailers and on Fender's site also.
If you remain in love with your Nashville, but need a little extra room for the E strings, then this might be your answer also.
How do you feel the Flat Oval shaped neck compares to the Modern C?
@@twostickersplease
Well it is flatter. Lol
But it's a great neck, lots of resonance and fast to play. It's almost a D-shape.
It is very comfortable to me.
I have a Fender US C-shape strat neck and my hand becomes a bit cramped after an hour, but that never happens with the oval. My hands are a men's large glove, if that helps.
I bought the same guitar in October '23 and the 3 issues you mention (Intonation, high E string 'roll off' and wonky control switch plate) aren't a problem on mine. Not meaning to show off or anything. Guess I just got lucky. Really love this guitar. I swapped out the black scratch plate for a white/cream with black trim. Looks lovely. Thanks for reviewing it.
I work with cnc machinery and unfortunately quality issues can arise due to many various reasons. Quality Control is the real issue here....how that has left the factory baffles me! I have just bought one of these guitars today so thank you for this video, i will definitely be looking to see if the guitar has any of these issues...and also, great playing 👍
After adjusting the truss rod on my American Vintage II '57 Strat, which requires removing the neck, the high E string was like yours.
I loosened the bolts and pushed the neck to the side while retightening the neck, and it fixed the problem. It's a neck pocket + neck heel "problem". It is wood afterall, and there's also supposed to be some give there.
Thank you for the honest straightforward review and heads up on the possible shortcomings - cheers.
Nice man. Great review. I can tell you're an experienced player based on the points you're making, and your insight is valuable for smart shoppers. Appreciate you.
Many thanks.
I'm planning on purchasing this model. Now I will look for these shortcomings when assessing the instrument. Thanks for the review!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the frank assessment for this Nashville Plus, with issues that should never be there even at Classic Vibe prices let alone the totally ridiculous $1600CAD new asked for in Canada! My 2020 Player Series Lead II bought on a clearance sale, was great right off the shelf so I know that Mexico can build well if they want to. I guess the two years since things have gone downhill badly.
My guess would be that the body was misloaded when it was routed which caused the neck pocket and electronics to be a little off on the body. Then when the hardware was installed it was put in where it should be causing this misalignment. If I got it like this I would send it back. It was missed by QC and definitely out of tolerance for their CNC machines.
True, I bought four player telecaster guitars, two plus and two regular, the problems are the same or identical to yours.
Sorry to hear that. I don't understand how Fender can think this is ok to let guitars leave the factory like this.
I really enjoyed your video, as I was considering ordering this guitar online. As a result I will only buy my Fender after a thorough inspection and playing at my local shop. Greetinfrom North Carolina! It's ashamed you don't have more subscribers! Well you should and you can count me as one. I look forward to seeing your other reviews.
Many thanks for your kind comments! Yes, it's vital to try a guitar before buying. However, I live in south Cornwall, just by the sea in an idyllic spot (a little village by the sea) and there isn't a music shop with a wide selection of guitars and gear within a couple of hundred miles... I have no option but to study online reviews and order from the internet. It's a pain; for example, I ordered a new Marshall amp head last week, received it, tried it and sent it back the same day. Nothing wrong with it, except it was far too trebly - painfully so. The trouble is, we guitarists all seem to have vastly different ideas of what sounds good and what doesn't! Thanks for subscribing. I must try and post more content, I have a list of things to do videos on, including lots of hints, tips and tricks acquired over the years. In the last few months I've been very busy getting a new band together, which is now up and running and we're getting lots of good reaction locally. Our web site is here: bluerivermusic.uk/ I promise to get back soon to posting more reviews, etc! Enjoy your music!
That was an amazing review Duke! I appreciate that you clearly showed the shortcomings. Definitely things to watch out for, and why I prefer to play guitars before buying them. I used to only buy black guitars, then stopped being so prejudiced. On line purchasing is convenient, and eyes often are betrayed by the set-up, fit and sound - they are everything regardless of color, I have found. "That's comfy... yep" was what I said about my SG. Probably should not have sold on my American tele some years back - it was classic tele sound with modern improvements and sounded great - alas. The 6 saddle bridge is definitely better than the historically accurate brass model, but we're not 1955 anymore. Your playing demo was excellent - you are creamy smooth! I should also mention that I listened to the playing demo at .75 speed to see your fretwork, which was really nice then again on 1.25 speed to hear the "shred" - very very nice. "Marmite" finish and "belly cut" - LOL. Thanks, I'm very sold on this model and feel that you've helped inform my search.
Many thanks!
I would move the bridge plate to fix the string and alignment. Those the strings pass straight over the pick-ups magnets?
Bought the exact Tele in December, my first Tele, got to say from playing it in the shop I've barely picked anything else up... the neck is incredible and 12" board just perfect for me. No issues with the saddles, control plate etc on mine, the string alignment could be slightly adjusted on the high E side but that is easily done (loosening the bolts to adjust) as I'm sure you've probably done by now. Overall I could only recommend, but as always... best to try before you buy. Great demo btw
Wow what a lemon guitar you got. My Indonesian is top notch just like my American professional 2. Pickups changed and man it's just as good!
And therein lies the dilemma for the big companies that rest on their laurels for too long. 😉
In looking at my tele my switch plate is parallel they messed yours up also my bridge is set further down from the neck for sure to bad they didn’t make it right.
I happened upon your RUclips posting quite by accident actually. Trying to get some comparison information on the Fender Player Plus versus the regular Player model (not that I even need an additional guitar mind you 😂). Like you, I probably wouldn’t have noticed those problems, but will watch out for them in the future. Thanks much for those tips!
Regarding Teles in general, I happened to pick up a MIM Fender “Factory Special Run” (FSR) Telecaster a couple of years ago (an ash, butterscotch FSR) and have been quite delighted with the quality of that product. So much so that when I happened on another one (used), I purchased it as well😎. Both of these instruments have proven to be real “keepers”. I did add Fender staggered locking tuners and better Gotoh brass saddles, as well as “Pure Tone” multi-contact 1/4 inch output jacks (I highly recommend these by the way😉). However, other than those additions, one or the other of these two guitars have become my main gigging Telecaster. Considering that I also own a Fender “Ultra” Model Tele, that’s high praise for these $400 dollar US guitars😎. At the price point for Corona, California-made instruments, I’ve found these MIM models can be quite the bargains, with little to no trade offs between their American counterparts. I’ve also found the same experience with the MIM Player Strats👍
PS - love your playing by the way😎.
Very interesting, thanks!
Nice review, thank you. I bought one a year and a half ago, Opal Spark is the color (Blue ). It is a remarkable guitar. I was always a Les Paul and Strat guy, but I now consider this my Number One, for gigging, especially.
Many thanks for viewing. I'm so glad you have bonded with yours. I only wish I felt the same way about the dreadful (2nd) clunker that Fender sent me. 😒
Very nice clean demo. There is a used Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele locally. I'll see if it has any of the issues described.
Let me know!
Do you still have this telecaster? I just bought a 2024 and I love it. No issues with mine.
Thanks for the rundown video on this - great stuff! I've have this exact guitar since Feb '22, now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but here's some of the issues I've noticed:
- Bridge intonation does seem to go back slightly too far, but not as extreme as your low E! I noticed also that the small allen key bolts in some places actually sit down into the screw cavity below, which makes it a tad uneven and annoying.
- Exactly the same issue with the lack of real estate for the high E string and it seems that there is a lot more that could have been utilized from the low E side - it's really annoying and i was considering either shifting the neck or getting a new nut cut (maybe)
- The nut was very badly done and I had pinging when bending the high E and B strings around the 2nd/3rd fret (which i crazily did not notice in the store!).
- Further to the nut slotting I actually had a big issue at my first gig where the high E popped out of the nut slot completely a few times when i played an open chord hard.... nightmare for a solo gig, but I got through it! My solution was to actually replace the string tree with one i could reverse in the same hole and bring it slightly closer to the nut(it's pretty far back!) I also clamped it right down and I haven't had any issues since.
- Another issue I spotted that yours has too is the neck pocket gap was quite large on one side - I'm unsure if it's supposed to be like this, but it bugs my perfectionist brain a little!
- last issue that I seem to have is that there is something wrong with the wiring or grounding when the pull-push knob is pulled, just a little crackle, but if hold onto it and adjust it then it's very noticeable.
Also, for the record, my control panel is parallel - yay!
It was interesting to see some similar issues with your guitar - I'll definitely be keeping mine, but it was a lesson learned to even think to check these aspects... I just knew it was the right one in the shop!! :D
Thanks for the very interesting info. It really puzzles me that in this day and age where all the processes in making a guitar have been automated onto accurate CNC router machines, etc. wherever possible, we see these shoddy inaccuracies and in some cases, plain old fashioned balls-ups. When I packed mine for shipping yesterday I had a little smile as I saw again the 'QC' sign-off tag, initialled by no less then three employees... Maybe it's something to do with that news a few months ago that Fender had fired a whole backshift of workers due to the rejection rate being 50%?!
Well, I will be a monkey's uncle... just got mine new this morning (by FedEx) and had the same alignment problem. Watched Marmaduke's wonderful video, then saw your comment, then proceeded to lose my guitar-neck-bolt virginity... I hadn't noticed that the neck was about 1-2mm out of alignment in the slot. But I had noticed the lack of high E string real estate and was a little bummed that it looked like the bridge was crooked. It turns out the neck was crooked. Easy fix: loosened strings, loosened screws, and BOOM. It worked. Thanks to all. I love everything else about the guitar, but I was debating returning it (I never return things).
@@eastbaystreet1242 Thanks for viewing. Sorry you had the same problem, although it seems to confirm there is a QC problem in Fender's Mexican factory. 😥 Just curious, as you re-tightened the neck retaining screws, didn't you find that as they bedded back into their holes, they pulled the neck into the same position as it was before? NB: Mine is still with Fender UK, three weeks now and counting.... 😡
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 They would have done, but I created a large, human vice and kept a lot of pressure on the neck while tightening them. Now, who knows, maybe it will shift back, but they are really locked down now. If it shifts back I will take it to my luthier for proper repair. Funny thing, this is one of my least expensive guitars - I have Fender Custom Shops, for example, and actual vintage Gibsons. But I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite daily players. We live in Nashville, so this guitar has been on my list for while.
But if you perfect it by changing parts for better ones, it doesn't seem like a bad guitar, does it?
Great playing sir! The first thing I look at is distance string 1 from the edge, and if string 1 runs parallel to the edge. Next is fret buzz. Thank you for pointing out the saddle issue and options.
The Nashville Tele is caused by Brent Mason, who is a famous Nashville studio musician and he was the first one to put a middle pickup in a Telecaster.
About the strings not aligning neck, is caused by the neckpocket not being cut right. You can see it in the video, around 10:50, that there is a gap between the body and the neck. Så you can loosen the neck and pulle it closer to the body, to close the gap and then the strings will align again. But maybe it also can be caused by the bridgeplate not being placed correctly on the bode.
Many thanks for all this info! I'll take a look at the neck pocket issue.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 I have the exact same guitar and there's no gap on mine, plus plate looks straight. Maybe it's a Friday afternoon job.
@@jeffblack5024 Just got mine yesterday. Same issue. Otherwise the guitar is perfect.
Joe glacier is the first to put a 3'rd pickup In a telecaster before Brent Mason.
Bare skrive norsk og youtube kan oversette for deg 😘
Quite nice video, great playing! I just got 6 months ago the Nashville in sunburst color, I dont have the problem with the 1st string too near the border, but I do have the problem with the 6th saddle, I had to cut the spring in half. in general terms the guitar is great, fantastic neck, really balanced and had the right weight (based on my personal preference). initially I did no like too much the noiseless pickups, but then I set the height of each one (test different positions) until I got a really defined and clear tone, finally I tried different EQ in my amp (treble, middle,bass) and the pickups delivered really great tones. The pick ups are very versatily..... loving the guitar...Im enjoying a lot playing it.... (im still loving more my strat....but I have enough love for both)
Yes, I also had to adjust the pickup heights to get the sort of sounds I like. Glad you're liking the guitar! Update on mine: I chased the retailer to chase Fender UK, who have had the guitar now for almost a month and are still working on it. "They've have to send for parts." That tells me the darn thing really does need a lot of fixing... 🤔🤔🙄🙄
One thing to try with the 1st string being too close to the edge: Loosen the strings, loosen the neck screws, gently pull the neck toward the 6th string. Look and see if the strings are more centered on the neck. Once achieved, retighten the neck screws and tune it up.
Thanks, see earlier posts. I did that per a Phillip McKnight video and it fixed the misalignment. 👍
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 I enjoy watching Phil's Friday live show. His maintenance and repair videos are the best. Glad it worked out for you. I just picked up a used one of the player plus Nashville teles like yours. Really enjoying it.
I sold my Strat and bought a G&l ASAT Classic S with alnico pickups, which is equivalent to your guitar, except it's custom shop build quality. I installed a Free-Way 10-way switch, which gives you classic Strat switching plus N+B in parallel, N+M in series, N+B in series, B+M in series, and all three in parallel. If you have a three single-coil pickup guitar, I highly recommend the switch. The in-between positions are great and the series positions give a slight volume boost and a "humbucker-ish" tone.
Now, I like the sound of that!
I’m with you, man. I ordered a Fender American performer recently and sent it back after two days of wrestling with it. Frets were so bad they actually choked out the notes from the 12th on the high e up. Just stopped bends dead in their tracks. I’ve been doing setups for years now and there was no way of adjusting the problem out without the action being 3mm off the board. I haven never seen a guitar of such poor quality, Fender is all about the name on the headstock, their quality control is diabolical.
Great review! Today I tried this guitar in a shop. It is a fantastic piece of wood....
neck alignment looks out. low e getting a lot of fret and the high e on the edge
Sure would think the bridge placement is not to spec , I get the frustration, especially realizing from quality control to customer care being lost within corporations these times we live, the day when people cared what they sold and took pride in there work was cut from a different cloth and vanishing from the world. Thank you for the video, learned much from this and things to be aware of when looking at guitars. Excellent playing! Be well!
Thanks for viewing. You make a good point. 👍
After watching this video, I immediately went to look at my 2020 Nashville. This was the last year the Nashville was produced before the player plus Nashville. The small E string looked fine, the selector switch assembly was parallel to the bridge and the bridge springs looked great with plenty of room for adjustment. Just lucky I guess
The nut slots seem to be good also which is another issue I've heard about with this guitar
Thank you for the helpful video. I was considering and it has too many red flags. I appreciate it.
My saddle springs seem to be the correct size. Look like the pic and not like the springs on your guitar. Consistency?
Also, I have similar problem with the treble E string too close to the edge of the fretboard. I thought it was only my guitar, guess not. I'm gonna try and adjust bridge position slightly to see if I can position the string better. Not sure that's possible.
The Phil McKnight method worked for me, see his video here: ruclips.net/video/XJNrG2iqBO4/видео.html
Look how Ron Thorn Master builder from Fender fix that problem btw this is a custom shop guitar.
ruclips.net/video/npz0v3te9to/видео.html
Hi, definitely looks like this, the bridge isn't in the right place and the control plate is crooked. It is incomprehensible to me how that still happens today, where the milling is done with cnc machines and the drilling is done with templates. I only order guitars from Thomann because they will exchange the guitar for a new one without any questions. Greetings
Yes, it's bizarre in 2023 with all the CNC machines available. They should all be coming off the production lines virtually identical in terms of parts assembly and positioning. Jesus, factories have been doing this since the days of Oliver Winchester. Or is Mexican labour cheaper than investing in capital equipment? Strange, when it results in all the extra expense associated with poor quality control.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 In any case, this should be noticed during quality control and sorted out. I wish you every success with the return of your Telly 🎸🌻
I bought one of these about three months ago. I find I tend to use the middle pickup more than others. Mine does not have the top string/fretboard edge problem. Like your guitar the control plate is not parallel to the bridge plate. The pickups are quite bright, such that I wind the tone control back a hair if I have the vol up full. The brightness calms down at lesser volume settings. I use a Roland JC40, a very bright amp, and find that it works better with a G&L ASAT Classic that I have fitted with Tone Rider Tele pickups
I had a 2017 Nashville Tele. Although it was a great players guitar, it needed sorting by an experienced guitar tech. It’s had the high E string close to the edge of the finger board (at the 10-13 frets). Then had fret sprout along the full length of the neck.
Once that was sorted, put in S1 push, push switch and finished with full set up.
Shame Fender stick out such nice guitars which are half finished. Makes me wonder if all these videos we see with artist demos have had a tech look over them first. 🎸😉👍🇬🇧 22:03
Great video, I am considering this guitar. I personally would have returned it. You've pointed out some pretty bad QC issues that IMHO would affect the playability. That high e-string is definite to close to the edge. If I had to take a guess, I would say that the entire bridge is shifted to much to one side and too forward, exactly what you said. Lovely guitar, but the QC on that particular one would have me heading straight back to the dealer. I think what I would do, and I'm not suggesting that you do it, is loosen the strings and then loosen the entire bridge assembly to see if there is enough play to shift the entire bridge assembly so that the six strings are even across the fingerboard.
In my experience the issue you mention with the top string sliding off is an effect of rolling off the action when the outside bridge screw on the string is lower than the inside. If you adjust them to be the same height it should help.
I'd probably return a brand new guitar where I had to do cut a spring to intonate and there was an obvious flaw like the crooked electronics. It does look like it's all off a touch and I would be concerned that it won't age well.
Hey, thank you for the excellent and honest review of your Tele. I am looking at this same model and wondering if I should buy one or get an American Performer Tele instead?
I also wonder how many of the pickup selections I would use? Having too many options can cause unneeded over thinking. You have a new subscriber and I look forward to watching more videos. Enjoy your guitar and Happy New Year!
Many thanks for viewing and subscribing! More videos coming soon. After my bad experiences with Mexican-made Fenders (I also had a Mex Strat but sold it), I'd go for the US-made Performer. I actually have a Performer Strat in Penny finish, and it's one of my keepers. As for pickup selection, when I'm playing live I only ever use neck or bridge positions on any of the guitars I use, I usually have enough to think about on stage without adding other variables! I may use other settings when recording though. Happy New Year to you!
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your advice and I have been leaning towards getting the American Performer Tele. It helps to learn from others experiences and learn from them. Take care and have a good day!
Brilliant review. Subscribed.
Thank you, that's very kind.
Hey Marmaduke, I bought a Squier classic vibe thinline '70's telecaster natural in January and I have a lot of the same problems that you have. A lot that high E string will slip off the edge. Mine has humbuckers and the neck pickup screws on the high E don't line up straight with the string and I don't get the full sound when soloing. The pickup was put in a little crooked and you can see it. I asked them at Sweetwater guitars but didn't say much about it and I paid half of what you did so, just play it I guess or take off the pickguard and see what I can do? You'd think with a brand new guitar you wouldn't have these kind of problems. Good video. Peace 🕊️.
Thanks so much for the honest review. It's a real shame to have issues with a guitar that would set me back about $1600 CDN. I was about to buy the same guitar online from a big-chain music store here in Canada, but you've completely dissuaded me from doing that. I have always been a tele guy since I first picked up a guitar in 1965. I have a couple of Strats too and occasionally like to bring one of them out to the gig. But now that Im getting "up there" in age, I want to bring only one guitar and I thought Id treat myself to a Nashville Tele. But, if there are quality control issues as depicted in your video, I think I'll pass on it.
Re the switches: I too do not like the size and "clunkiness" of the Fender 5 way OR 3 way switches. I bought a blank control plate and installed a Gibson style selector switch in an up and down configuration I also installed a push pull pot to engage the middle pickup on my parts caster. Works MUCH better than the fiddle-y 5 pos switch. Much easier with the Gibson switch and, on the rare occasion that I want the "quack" of the Strat, I just pop up the tone pot switch. Best of luck with your guitar issues and again, thanks for posting.
But you could also buy a Telecaster body and neck and make yourself a Nashville; the important thing is the configuration of pick up's
@10:17 looking at my Squire tele. that bridge does look like its 1mm to 2mm closer to the neck (based on the pickguard which isnt really a good metric) but judging by the intonation issue you got, that might be the case.
Hi, doesn't leave you much room for strumming without hitting a pickup. Shines like a dream though.
i think this is a hybrid between a tele and a strato i have just ordet one
You think???
Had my first telecaster in my 20’s.
I'm surprised you didn't send it back with all the flaws. They are not minor. I am now second guessing my want for this guitar. I suppose buying it from a shop that stocks them is the answer.
I have that same guitar but mine is beige and black pick guard. I am jamming with you on the end of your video. KEEP DOING JAM VIDEOS
you're AWESOME 👍😎
That's very kind, thanks!
To me the sound seems excellent; if after reading the negative comments regarding the construction it cannot be fixed, what can be done is buy a Warmoth Kit, but the pickup configuration must be the same; what I like about this guitar is its sound, with more body than the Stratocaster; (with more body I mean depth; in Spain we say body; for example, a Les Paul has more body than a Stratocaster)
What amp is it connected to please?
Truly almost pulled the trigger on this one. Then the staff at the store pulled out a Japanese Fender 50's Strat and it blew out the Mexican Nashville, including the other Player series stuff in that showroom. I walked out the store with the Japanese Strat.
I don't know what amplifier you connect it to but it sounds very good, as I said in other comments; the defects that he found are very disappointing and one is not comfortable seeing or feeling them; the question that occurs to me is if buying Warmoth body and neck and some quality electronics, would you get the same sound? I think it would be cheaper. Give me your opinion. Thank you
all teles have the bridge saddle issue... must be something with modern strings
Those quality control problems are a legitimate complaint. I would have never accepted that, and if Fender didn't fix it then they'd be done for me. Did you ever get this issue resolved?
Fender UK had it back for over a month, but gave up and sent me another. That one had different faults... I'm done with Fender guitars. They are now being outclassed in quality/price ratio by a lot of other manufacturers. You can't trade on a brand name for ever, and allow production standards to fall like this.
I think you just got a Friday afternoon before siesta made guitar. I have a 2023 made Sianna burst Nashville player plus Tele that is perfect in every way. Even has a book match two piece body. I've been playing Nashville Tele's, All custom made since 1988 and I replaced them with the player plus for a working tool as the old ones are too good or expensive to risk outside the home studio. I also use ALL the tone settings but normally just one tone for any given song or application. Thats why I play Nashville's. Sure I have my favourite tone settings but it's not always up to me. Often the director wants another sound and the Nashville will most often give it. Failing that, It's the amp or chain that needs changing. You should know all this? Only mod I made on the Player plus is an extra string tree on the D & G strings mainly to get the G down as it suffered the classic tele behind the nut buzz and a new graph tec nut filed out to suit Thick N Thins perfectly. It's the best modern gigging guitar I've ever owned.
Best review of the Nashville Tele I've seen, if only to warn of possible pitfalls. One issue is possibly understandable, but three? Strangely, the p/u setting that I'm most disappointed by is the all-three position. It seems it just loses some umph in that configuration.
I checked out my $300 CDN Affinity Telecaster, and while it doesn't have the same power or options as the Nashville, it doesn't have any of the problems, either!
It's normal, with the 3 pickups enabled you send 3 signals in parallel to the output witch results in a loss of gain and phasing interactions. When pickups are wired in series they add one into the other but in that case this is wired in parallel and that divides the ouput of each pickup by the number of pickups.
Look at a guitar 2x12 cab for exemple (its the same principle):
Series: 8ohm + 8ohm = 16
Parallel: 8ohm + 8ohm = 4
Thank you, this was a helpful review!
Update April: Well, Fender gave up on trying to repair this dud and sent me a new one. That isn't much better to be honest. Lesson I learned: don't patronise Fender anymore. Over-priced poor products in my opinion, and zero customer service: no updates in three months, no apologies. What a way to run a business - resting on your heritage and customers flocking over the decades because of the name.
Very useful info. Thank you. What advice would you give someone looking for single coil snap and quack in a guitar manufactured by someone other than Fender?
Thanks for that. I'll think I'll buy the Aria or Sire version. Cheaper, I know. But this is very disappointing.
@@Matt-ng9xv Twat post. Deleted.
Wish I had seen this sooner prior to me purchasing a MIM Nashville - it’s 2025 now and I have the same issue with the high e string falling off the fretboard, and the tight space to intonate. I’ll add another - a pinging nut on the e and b strings. Did the same thing you did - took to local luthier here in Ottawa - nut fixed, slightly better e string alignment (though neck pocket too tight to do it fully right. Control plate more parallel than this one. My custom shop Strat experience was much better at double the price a few years ago. If you can afford it - skip the MIM.
@@vincemrobert I'm sorry to hear that. It certainly put me off buying MIM Fenders ever again. I've since bought another PRS SE and their manufacturing standards and quality control are on a completely different level compared to Fender MIM.
Hello again, friend; I have received two copies of the Fender Nashville Telecaster from Gear4music; the first one had a crack and they changed it to a second copy; I find myself with a problem and that is that the strings come a little oblique in relation to the fingerboard and the bridge of the body in such a way that, as it happens to you, the first string escapes from the fingerboard; I think I'm going to exchange it for another copy; but, and this is my question, is it possible to find a specimen that comes from Mexico in good condition? The sound that you emit through the video is impeccable and, in that sense, I want a Nashville but it occurred to me to make it myself with Warmoth material; what do you think of this?
The new one Fender sent me was almost as bad as the first one, the top E string is still far too close to the edge of the fingerboard. In my opinion, they made a cock up in designing the guitar - they decided a good selling point would be to have rolled edges, fine, they are nice, but you need to start with a slightly wider neck than the slim ones they are using, as it makes the string even closer to the edge. My replacement one is also off in that the top of the bridge assembly doesn't align with the bottom of the pickguard - you'd have to be totally blind not to see this at assembly and QC stages. (QC, that's a laugh!) I recommend you seek a refund as I do not believe you will ever receive a good one that accidentally got made correctly. I've burned my bridges with Fender now. They have a bloody cheek asking so much money for such awful products. Leo will be spinning in his grave........ If you want a Nashville Tele I recommend you go the 'bitsa' route using Warmoth etc.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 Marmaduke Winterbotham, dear friend, how I appreciate your advice; It's an idea I've been pondering on my return trip from work (I'm a professional clerk, not a professional musician); and yes, I think I'm going to opt for a refund and follow the line you suggest despite the great sound you extract from it in the video; It is the ideal sound that all guitarists want; you are right, "if Leo Fender raised his head, what a displeasure"; hugs a thousand from Spain; excuse my english because i use google translate; there may be some incomprehensible expression
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 Maybe what I wanted was to get this Fender Telecaster Plus V2 guitar
4:00 I am so jealous of your left thumb! I have spent my musical life wishing I could put my thumb over top of the neck and still play cleanly on the bottom.
Thanks for viewing! It just came naturally, as far as I can remember. My forefinger used to ache from barring right across the fretboard, and this felt easier!
I guess everyones anatomy is slightly different. I can’t bend me left thumb more than 45 degrees and certainly can’t wrap my XL hand around the neck. Must try some stretching and see if I can increase the articulation. Lovely looking guitar.
I bought a regular player plus tele and it also has that bridge issue. I can't quite get the low E string intonated. The rest are fine. Other than that I don't really like the pots. It has those "nothing...nothing...nothing...and then BAM" pots. What kind of a guitar player would want that? But it's a problem on a lot of newer guitars. When all is said and done I like the guitar a lot. It plays super nicely and sounds good. I don't think the bridge is a Mexico problem, but a Fender problem. I've found people who have had that issue when the guitars were first introduced, and I got mine only a couple weeks ago so they still haven't fixed it. Pretty ridiculous. Luckily mine is close enough but I should be able to get it dead on.
Great job and thanks! 🎸
I had a squire classic vibe where the high e string was too close to the side of the neck and kept falling out. I sold it as a result. I determined it was because the neck wasn’t centered (I suspect yours isn’t either). I’m shocked how many fender guitars, including expensive ones like yours, don’t have centered necks. I have a player tele plus top that I love but I picked it up at the store and made sure mine had a correctly
centered neck based on my last experience. Lots of ones I saw had necks that weren’t centered.
Yes, it's so bizarre that in this day and age of highly automated manufacuring this sort of thing should happen.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 But there is no Nashville USA version, so either you build yourself a kit or you will have to buy one Mexico
Thank you for your review, I've just ordered one of these and I will be looking at my new arrival in close detail. Very disappointing from Fender. I'd be taking it back to the supplier.
You should to take it back to the music shop mate
Tenho uma guitarra igual. Não veio com nenhum dos problemas apontados. É uma fantástica guitarra. Duas guitarras em uma. Boa para férias, viagens, festas familiares…. Sem defeitos e cheia de virtudes. No entanto, não dispensa as Tele ou Strats, para ocasiões mais profissionais. É importante perceber a filosofia ( honesta) do construtor.
I have the exact same issue with the high E string slipping off the side on my only Strat. It's a little bit odd since my Strat is a custom shop one. But I'll try to finally ask a luthier to place a new nut on my Strat to fix that. But it is exactly the same issue, low E has tons of space while the high E has barely any and it gets worse the higher up the neck I play. But my player plus telecaster, I have the jade green one that is almost like your's but with no middle pickup. That tele has the strings fortunately perfectly in the middle and for whatever reason I also don't have the same intonation issue. But I did have a very similar intonation issue with my Performer Fender Mustang. But after correcting the intonation, it's now been fine ever since, but there's no more space to make adjustments. But yeah, looks like you need a new nut to fix your Nashville tele. But no idea why the intonation was like that, but hopefully you never need to touch that again.
The E string thing is certainly odd; I've even seen many Fender adverts, promotional photos, etc. where the top string is perilously close to the edge - bizarre!
Just loosen the screws at the neck heel join and reseat the neck in the neck pocket by realigning it so the high and low E strings have equal spacing to the edges, then tighten down the screws. I had to do that to one of my Ibanez guitars before (it also needed a shim so I cut up a piece of my expired medical insurance card and slipped it into the neck pocket during the realignment to alter the neck angle slightly).
@@LunatiqueRob Yeah sometimes it's the neck, sometimes it's how the nut was cut. In my Strat's case it's the nut since a luthier has looked at it. I'm too broke to do the fix atm. But in the case of this Nashville it could be either.
@@lassesuurmunne8340 I've done nut fixes before, I recommend you just fill that bad nut slot (I assume it was cut too close to the edge of the fretboard?) with baking soda and Krazy Glue (a very common way to fix issues, as that mixture hardens immediately and is very durable), and file a new one using an appropriate sized nut file. Just go slow so you don't over-file and the string end up too low (although you can fix it with the baking soda + Krazy Glue trick if that happens--just fill it a bit and file again)).
Can you please tell me where you purchased your Nashville Telecaster ? So I don't order mine from the same place. Also what do you think of the plastic nut ? I think I may get either a Bone nut or Graph Tech nut.
Thank You for your video on the Nashville Telecaster 🎸
Reidy's, here in the UK. To be honest, in my case the nut was one of the lesser of many issues!
Thanks for the great review. However, strong disagree on the in-between sounds, those are where I live 3/4 of the time.
Chacun a son gout!
Man sorry this happened to you on your first tele, its a great guitar. I own several Fenders and all are USA made, my brother in law has some MIM fenders and there's definitely a difference in quality. I recommend maybe getting a used USA telecaster. I own several guitars Fenders, Gibson's, Jackson's and Martin, but nothing compares to my American Stratocaster, buy USA.
Excellent video - so grateful for your post. Now that you have corrected the e string and intonation issue using the next resetting method, are you happy with the guitar? Or do you regret buying it?
I am interested in the Nashville telecaster and want to know if I should persist with buying it if, even after it has been corrected, it's still a lemon (or not really playable).
Thanks for viewing. Yes, I've now bonded a little with the guitar. That's mainly because the neck has a very comfortable 'feel' - slim and satin-y. But that's a very personal preference, you'd have to check one out to see if you like it. Let me know if you go ahead and what you think of it!
Thanks so much for your kind and quick, reply ✌🏻 I tried one out and the high e is slipping off the fretboard too 😢. Didn't check the intonation.
I'm keen on your feedback because, if I buy it, I'm going to need to fix it and I'm praying it's worth the risk!
Would you make the same purchase again, now that you've gone through the motions and found a solution?
@@LostinCycles Hm, tricky. I'm not adept at fettling my own guitars, except for the basics, so maybe not, taking into account a luthier's bill! By the way, I fitted brass saddles to stop the excessive 'clanginess', although some Telecaster users might regard that as a 'feature'.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 You're so kind to take the time to reply. Thank you so much.
It sounds like maybe I should pass on the Nashville, given your experience. The neck fix looks easy, but if I need to make further improvements via a luthier's hand, then that's a deal breaker. I just want the guitar to function as intended! If the neck is enough to get it working, and I can put up with the saddles as is, then maybe I'd do it, but if more work is required, it's not worth the effort, I think.
Your incredible playing aside, I just want to acknowledge that your video and comments have really helped me out. Truly, thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience for all of us to benefit from ✨
Nice review. Thanks.
Thanks for viewing, and thanks for subscribing! 😊👍
I never tire of listening to that guitar; Is the theme yours or a sample base? Thanks from Spain
It was the backing track from a guitar lesson in an issue of Guitarist magazine, issue 464. www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/guitarist-video-and-audio-627844
I’m in the market for a tele soon but I ll definitely buy in store so I see the one I’m getting.
This is the second review I've seen with the same issues. This is unacceptable in 2024 on a $800 gtr. I choose to build my own. They are way over priced anyway.
I had one. The biggest problem it had....it didn't sound anything like a Telecaster. I was going to have the bridge and neck pickup wired to position #2 but instead I traded it for a G&L. No regrets.
Well, I would buy that guitar precisely for the intermediate sounds
Enjoyed the review. Had considered one of these but felt they were on the heavy side though with the other problems i will leave well alone. If I do buy a Fender tele it will be from Japan. 😅
I bought a Roadhouse Strat made in Mexico and I never bonded with it at all.
Enjoyed the vid . I just didn’t understand why buy a Nashville tele ( 3 pups) when y’all just use a bridge or Neck pup? Just get a tele without a middle pup and rock on . 👍🎸
I had same intonation prob
Me too
Update March: Well, here we are TWO MONTHS later and Fender UK have still not sorted out my guitar. A month ago they told the retailer that they needed to send off for parts. They are not readily available? Even if they had to ask the US to ship them over? No update - silence. This is an utter disgrace - one of the crappiest service experiences I've had. Obviously, Fender care not a jot. Well, I'm voting with my feet and will never buy a Fender product again.
I would write a letter to the head of fender and put this link in it with time stamps of the problems. That may very well create action down the line. Always go to the top.
Thanks. I'll wait until I receive the guitar back from Fender UK. If it's still a wrong-un then I will take the matter further, be assured! Thanks for viewing.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 I would think it is just sloppy quality control. The setup position in any guitar factory is of utmost importance..
Since I don't speak English very well, I have to use the Google translator; Anyway, and having seen the final reviews, I still haven't seen a PRS, and I have one, that sounds like Nashville is
I'll mention Only one thing. Slow down video and stop at 0.21 and you'll See very important facts that no video about telecaster hade ever mentioned...👉Strings are Off Set to Neck center and E bottom string is almost off the neck. Look at neck pickup where is close to the neck. Youll see String E is on Edge of the neck. That means bridge plat isn't in line with neck center line.
Thank you
For the high "E" string that is on the limit of the fretboard, you can try to loose all the strings, loose slightly the neck bolts, and slightly move the neck in the neck pocket towards the high E string (if there's any room to do it).
... don t think about to much about the mistakes on fabrication.... go and korrect it....
it may happen
but.... I think it s a lovely guitar and the new specs are absolute necessary to a modern guitar
I just checked in Sweetwater and after blowing up the pictures almost all the Nashville telecasters have the high E string almost falling off the neck 🫤 now I’m scared to purchase one in line ☹️ the Ultra Tele is not like that at all 🫤
What causes that is the neck is not put in proper straightness.. If you loosen the neck and position it correctly it will lock down in the correct position. It is a pain in the ass.
@@joemccarthy641 I had a CV Squier Strat with that problem. The neck was cockeyed. You are correct. unbolt the neck and move the neck while tightening.
I had the same issue on a Mex Strat and did exactly as you say - issue resolved :)
They have had to use the bad routing of the switch/pot cavity as a datum point for locating the pickguard and bridge which then throws out the intonation adjustment. I would have sent it back
I stopped buying high end guitars about 10 years ago after a major problem with 3 Gibson Les Pauls I only ordered one but it had to be returned twice and the third one was totally the wrong guitar and so that went back and I got a refund, the quality of those guitars was abysmal, since then I have bought 14 Harley Benton guitars from Thoman and these are budget guitars yet I have not had any problems whatsoever with any of them, some of them I have changed the pots switch and pickups but only down to personal preference , the stock parts were perfectly useable, I have had to do the odd fret level and general setup to my preference but you would do that to any guitar,I do tend to go for the higher end Harlwy Benton models though, I have just ordered the TE 25 Firemist which is a T type 25th aniversary model in Firemist Gold and is very well specced out and all for just £389 shipped, why dont you look into getting one I think you will be very surprised, they are so cheap because they dont have any distributer which would add a another 30-40% on if they did and then there would be retailers markups also, they do the fianal QC and setup at Thomann.
www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_t_25th_firemist.htm
I agree. Over the years of buying, and selling on, guitars, I have lost faith in the big name makers. Oddly enough, I've been ogling that exact Harley Benton recently! I think I might give it a go. I've also been attracted by the FGN Iliad Boundary in blue.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 If you get the FGN buy it from Richards Guitars he does free setups on his guitars over £500, I have always respected the Fugigen factory, I bought a Squier Telecaster in 1983 that was built there, I went to the local music store intending to buy a Fender Telecaster but ended up walking out with the Squier as it was much much better than any of the Fenders I tried, I still have it today, I just pulled the trigger on the Harley Benton, I think that wonderful roasted flame maple neck sealed the deal for me
Mine is PERFECT....
No 2 guitars are the same.
But that CAN be fixed....but it shouldn't need to be. Ugh...
Why didn't you call Fender on these issues?
Fender UK refused to talk to me on the phone, told me all enquiries must go to their retailers. In the end Fender replaced the guitar (after having the first one for over a months and doing nothing with it) but the second one still had some issues, including a misaligned neck, which I fixed myself.
NICE VIDEO MY FRIEND
Thanks, I appreciate it!
I can build a custom Tele to my personal specs for $800 and get a guitar that's way better and it will be built to my spec.