@@guitlyparties I didn't think about that That's funny yeah it would be a Les Paul that stays in tune because it doesn't have that headstock angle much less a headstock break if it happens to fall over
Hi, I picked up the Lescaster!!! To my surprise, I cannot believe the quality build of the Jia , Bad Cat instruments quality. First, I like to thank you for your video. It opened my eyes to these Chinese quality guitars. Trust me when I say it is a masterpiece. The 22nd fret is hard to get too but in regards to the rest of the neck it feels like a $2000 plus instrument. I traded out to pick ups. I had a pair of MCNELLY custom pick ups autumn Humbuckers . The complexity, dynamics, and balance are noticeable. I also put treble bleed resistors on both volume controls. I leveled out the frets. And put the right relief on the neck. And I also intonated the bridge . The guitar hangs on the strap, perfectly no neck dive at all. My guitar is a cherry Sunburst flaming maple top. The price is unbelievable. Most people thought it was worth over $1000 to build. All in all well worth the money that’s for sure. Thanks again. God bless you and everybody on this channel Guitar Max.
I almost bought the Fender FMT custom. They did it first. With a '59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge. All mahogany with a neck thru. Bad ass.
The FMT doesn't have the 24 3/4" scale, neither the LP controls. Squier released the Deluxe Double Fat Telecaster to try out the market then Fender released the FMT which were all made in the same factory. The Squier Master Series Chambered Telecaster has the LP scale and controls though.
The Tele body + LP bridge/pup combo has been around a long time. I've had a Fender Jim Adkins for years and I'm sure that wasn't the first one around. It also has a 24.75" scale, set neck and Seymour Duncan soapbar single coils. Look it up. Amazing guitar but does cost $1K USD. For $400ish you can also get the new Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Troublemaker Telecaster Deluxe with similar specs
I own a 2005 squire mik set neck two humbuckers two tone two volume nobs. Abr1 bridge and stop bar. All decked out in brushed platinum. Bought it new and will never let it go. Threw in a pair of 57 classics to boot.
@taz3672 Hi there . 24 .75 , does that mean you had the 3rd Octave E as the Highest Note on the High E String ? The last and the Highest Note ? Hope you're doing well .
@@RikJSmith No. The scale was 24 3/4 (24.75"). That is how long the scale is from the nut to the bridge. There were 24 frets on the guitar which is double octave scale.
I recently purchased one of these. This guitar punches way above its weight for the price. With regards to price VS quality, this reminds me of the Revstar, which also is an amazing guitar and very low price point.
Wow, this is great. I had been pricing out a guitar like this and the timing of this video couldn't be better. I have to play a Tele in my band (for a number of reasons) and was getting kind of bored with it and looking for something with a more traditional LP look and sound. The construction seems very solid, and I'm shocked that it has a Nitro finish. I watched this video and went directly to the site to order one. Thanks for the promo code Max!
The 24.75 scale length makes the string overtones and it has punch of the les paul with the comfortable sitting position with that telecaster body. Awesome!!
Loved the guitar the second I saw it. As soon as you mentioned the coupon code I went to their page. As soon as you hit the chords at the 6:40 mark I was filling in the information for the order. Getting the blue one. That you so much for your reviews.
I think it would have only been interesting if it had the 25.5" scale length and a coil split. As you said, right now it is just a telecaster-shaped Les Paul.
So it arrived yesterday. Very fast delivery and extremely well packed. Guitar is outstanding. Thanks Max for the heads up on these bad boys and for sharing the discount code.
Just purchased it! This will be my 6th guitar I've purchased from Jason Jia and all have been great guitars!!! glad to see him getting the recognition he deserves.
Love playing this guitar! (I bought the black and gold). I am playing/practicing more than ever. I have a player series Fender Strat and a Chapman ML3 Pro Modern semi-hollow (obsidian burst), and this Jia guitar has been the go to guitar that I am picking up because it is so fun to play! I will say mine seems to go out of tune a little bit so I went ahead and bought some Guyker locking tuners to put on it. VERY happy with this guitar. Thanks for the great video!
Looks awesome! There WERE some spots where it sounds like it might be pretty microphonic though. Just noises that I heard in your clean tones. I might listen again, but pretty sure that I heard you use the switch through the pickups at one part. I definitely want one though!!!
i bought one of the first run of these in that same finish and did exactly that . gfs kwick plug LP harness with push/pull coil splitting . this guitar is amazing !! only problem i have is the neck is crazy thick .
@@-processdrone- Well coil splitting isn't a new thing lot's of guitars do it. The bigger difference between this Guitar and the Squier is this one has a set neck or body through neck..... The Squier has a bolt on neck.... the Squier is a telecaster, I wouldn't consider this guitar a telecaster
Cool guitar. Maybe I might play one. Not sure about owning one. Still over all 9 outta 10 on this review Max! Always appreciate you pointing me in directions that I wouldn’t go in ordinarily. Thank you so much!! Mad love to ya boss!
Nice video. I have the same from the first batch. It is a nice looking guitar with full maple cap. Pickups are decent. I had to do some work on it to avoid fret buzz. I will also make a belly cut has the body is quite thick, and also do some work on the neck profile as it is too chunky for me. If you want a telecaster twang i would recommend to add some coil split.
Thanks for the awesome review Max, I believe I just ordered the last one of this stock, since it is now mentioned on their site as being sold out hahaha...and even more thanks to your great discount code, it saved me a whopping 225+ EURO including shipment!! wauw...can't wait to unbox the LesCaster hahaha!
Nice video and I’m very interested! Features for the price are amazing especially the nitro finish. Not really into the satin but the nitro is easy to buff out.
Looks really cool. I like it! I would be tempted to order one if I didn't have so many of each type (tele style and LP style) of guitar already. But for someone undecided on which one to get but who leans towards the LP sound, this is a winner.
This completely looks like the Special Edition Custom FMT Telecaster that Fender STILL produces and has been for over 20 years. THAT has a 16" radius fingerboard though, and dots. First series were made in Korea (when they had a brown version that is handsome as hell), might be Indonesia now.
Very nice guitar. It sounds like a Les Paul since it uses the same wood and has a Gibson scale length. A nice thing is that it doesn’t have a Gibson style headstock which will be more difficult to break. As usual great video and playing. Cheers Pedro
It seems a bit like the Squire Troublemaker Telecaster. However they kept most of the stuff that makes it a Les Paul. Still very cool looking, great demo Max!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Firefly made one too. It's a troublemaker telecaster. I think the firefly is not a arch top though, i don't know i'll check when i get home, but it's badass... it's my favorite budget guitar by far.
Several builders have tried over the decades to combine the LP and the Telecaster. I applaud the attempts. I even owned a homemade version like the one you displayed here, Max, built with a cream-finish Tele body and black ‘72 Celuxe-style pick guard but with a traditional Tele neck w/ maple fingerboard (albeit with 22 frets - but with Gibson buckers, individual tophat-style volume/tone controls and LP-style toggle in the upper cutaway. (It also sported a floating Strat bridge.) I would still have it today if those pickups weren’t badly microphones and I had tried getting them potted.
After watching this video and commenting it made me examine the Harley Benton TE-40 Deluxe in trans black that I own because it is a string thru with LP style tune-o-matic bridge, dual humbuckers, three way LP style switch, and single volume and tone pots. Upon measuring the scale it is a PRS scale length at 25" (the manufacturer spec claims 25.5“ but is not what it measured out at with my scale tool) which would explain why it is not nearly as bright as the dual humbucker 25.5" scaled T style partscaster with the conventional ashtray style bridge that I built. It also has more of a PRS style carved top to the body with a Strat style back contour. It is my go to for writing lately and of all my Fender styled guitars has the best tuning stability for my dropped tunings which currently is tuned to CGCFGC. I know that sounds crazy right; a Harley Benton that cost less than 130 bucks new with a used set of Duncan Pickups that cost twice the price of the guitar itself is my go to axe, but once I did a full setup on it which did not include any servicing lf the nut, it has the best tuning stability of all my Fender and parts caster guitars; that is even using the stock tuning machines. It has far more lowend grunt than any of my LPs and kills my 96 Vista series Jagmaster that has the exact same Duncans in it tonally. That said I would probably give this Lescaster a run just to compare the difference between the scale length and the set neck vs bolt on. I would also probably make a template of how my Harley Benton's body string thru is arranged and then make the Lescaster a string thru to see what differences if any that it would make. To further the experiment, I would change out both bridges for roller models of identical make just to keep all the mounting of the strings identical. They both have the same inline 6 headstocks so that would keep all things equal in that regard as well. I think to keep it fair as far as tone and volume adjustability I would throw a set of CTS stacked pots in the Harley Benton that carry the same KO rating to try to keep it as close to the same range as possible. Granted there will be the difference in woods used in construction of the body but that should be only slightly differential in tone and almost negligible. The playability is going to be slightly different based upon the neck profile but the radius is the same at 12“. Max you have me intrigued.
I'm full-in on anything unique. Like the saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life." I won't be buying it because I played my one Les Paul for almost 20 years. That's enough of Gibson for me. But I do respect the innovative ombination of Les Paul / Telecaster. It's not a common combination. If it was up to my personal taste, I would have appreciated an arch top and glossy finish (with a satin finish on the back of the neck). But the way the two guitar designs were combined is really tasteful and the sunburst color is a nice choice. And Max, way to find the rare, unique, and interesting brand for our appreciation. "Esoteric rock". Great combo on your part too, buddy. Thanks!
I'm a bass player but have a couple of guitars in my collection. You actually just said it as I'm writing this; It's an LP in a Tele style body. It sounds very good and a great bargain pricewise.
I dig what you said on the weight and less water saturation in the wood. If someone wanted a tele style less paul thats it. It's weird to want that, but I'd be on the fence because it's just cool and different. At first glance, it's an LP with a tele body and headstock, and last glance, it's that minus a small hit of weight at a good price point. Cool guitar if you like collecting non-collectable guitars. Good point on playing a gig and people wondering about it, thinking it's boutique. Definitely looks the part.
I am an absolute LesPauliac man but I also love these new things...I think this is one of the best looking mix of two iconic models and I love that it comes with steel frets and nitro finish for that price...very interesting
My Stellarcaster Strat project has 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers wired like a 50's Les Paul with coil spits. adding a 3rd pot pair and retaining the Fender 5-wy switch adding a P/P tone pot in the bridge tone spot to activate the bridge and neck pick ups together regardless of other controls.. yup 3 vol.,3 tone with coil splits all loaded in a hand made brushed stainless steel pick guard that acts as main ground through the control cases and as shielding. the small size of the coils in the pick ups lends to a single coil tone as the coils are wired in pairs within the 5 wire from the pick up. as well as the 3 very strong ceramic magnets between the 4 rail poles. as wired I get the full humbucker tones normally and split sounds almost exactly like single coils due to the smaller coils.. I designed the circuit and the rest including the stars and planets space theme paint job on the body and head stock done with spray cans and airbrushed details. Picture the stainless pick guard adorning the custom styars and planets space theme paint on the body and head stock wiyh the 3 hums, the 6 pots adorned with chrome knobs and switch tip for the 5-way.. a very coo loing guitar that feels, looks and plays out of this world... this my friend is the Stellarcaster that started life as a Starcaster Strat. now the ultimate in the progression of a Streat. of course tuned to E-flat standard just as any good Syrat should be. ... Wanna Play??
Max u got some buttery knarly riffs.... i just got a Squire Troublemaker Gold Top Tele(7lbs 10 onces) it feels great and has a twangy Spank with split coils on neck and bridge and it has the Growl of a LP $443
Hey Max, I’m doing the same thing, making Frankenstein guitars I’m doing a Tele style body with a PRSstyle neck, gonna do an SG with Tele neck and so on, that’s why I was interested in your mad scientist cut guitars you used to show us the inner construction of the guitars you sliced and diced 😂😂 very cool and interesting video Max ✌️😎👍🇳🇿
This is definitely an interesting piece. I will say the lack of beveling on the body is not just a traditional Les Paul thing, most of the Telecasters Fender produces right now just don't have that. They are about that thick and chunky. In fact, the only one I know of they currently produce with any kind of beveling or lightening cuts is the Paranormal that's basically a Telecaster on a Jazzmaster body. So a normal Telecaster runs that gamut from about 7.5 - 8.25 pounds depending on materials, a small handful approaching 9. I do think this could've been made a more effective hybrid rather than a Les Paul with some Telecaster visual cues. Big first thing I could think of is coil splitting. Yeah you're not gonna get the same tone out of that as you would a proper single coil, but it'd let you get closer to that tone at least whenever you felt like it and let it feel more like a Telecaster, while still maintaining the more Gibson-like tone while humbucking.
i'd love to see a review of a strat body with a warmoth gibson scale conversion neck. i really want to build one, but the price piles up fast. i think a strat body with a floyd, some searing hums and 24.75" scale length and extra jumbos would be the ultimate guitar weapon
I purchased the new squier troublemaker it look the same to me, on the Squier you got the push pull button, come with 2 different colors black and gold. I purchased one this for the last 2weeks still not there yet. If you order one have patient
How did it turn out? Jason Jai is super polarizing and I’ve never once gotten a response from him or his website. I have a bunch of guitars in transit from him right now that I’m going to do a review on. Hope your order showed up and it wasn’t a total crap guitar. -P
I got the Firefly version in white with binding, arm and cutaway carves, with bolt on neck, roasted maple neck and locking tuners… I added a Guyker trem… it’s way cool, junior! For under $300 total. I like the pups … Not as nice as this Gia axe, though.
Interesting concept. Not sure I'd buy one though. Yes, the price is good but I'd rather save up and by a PRS SE "Les Paul" style guitar, a lower price Fender or G&L Tele, and have much more variety in tonal possibilities.
Fender has made more than one iteration of this. Currently Sweetwater has an Indonesian Fender version for $999. 25.5” scale. AND Censtar sells one w SS frets for $180. They were out of stock for months but now they have more in stock. Also 25.5” scale.
Is the Truss Rod adjusted the same way as with a Les Paul ? And what is your honest opinion about the Pickups compared to a very common Pickup such as the Seymour Duncan JB ? The Pickups sound fine in this Video but I'm curious to know if you think they're Bass Heavy , or Treble that's too sharp , etc . Ok I'll leave you alone now Max . Hopefully I haven't annoyed you too much . Have a great day . 🙂🎸🙂
Very cool! My only gripe with it is ... I'm not a fan of those neck joints. Reminds me of a PRS. I love PRS guitars, other than the neck joints. Peace, dude. EDIT: Funny. I wrote this comment before you were finished. lol
Definitely more LP sounding than a Tele and I would attribute that to the difference in string tension between the 24.75“ and the 25.5" scale lengths. It may not seem like .75" would make all that much of a difference but it does. Increased tension and the length of a string will change how the vibrations travel over the length of the string and it also changes the amount of force required to bend a note as well as how far you can bend that note. The harmonic properties also are affected, as well as, it changes the articulation, brightness, overtones, undertones, and decay timing. It is not the wood used in the construction of the electric as much as how and where the neck mounts to the body, how the strings mount to the body such as string thru, solid bridge, tremelo style, wrap around or stop tail. The material that the nut is made out of, the height of the strings from the fret board, string gauge, and then the string length and tension that is determined by the scale of the neck. The LP scale does not require as much tension and the distance between the nut and bridge is shorter which provides for looser string tension and that equates to a warmer overall tone whereas a tele has longer strings and more tension which gives it a brighter and tighter tone. If you compare the neck mounting styles you have the LP which has a tenion that recesses deeper into the body material and is set which allows vibration from the neck to interact with the body of the guitar fuller, whereas, the bolt on interacts with less body material and attaches at the surface making capped bodies more of an aesthetic than a tonal influencer IMO. If you were to make an LP styled guitar using a bolt on neck and a 25.5" scale and then finish it as they do on a Player Series Tele using Tele styled hardware and pickups it would sound like a Tele and not an LP. Look into the Paranormal series of guitars and it will give you a basic jist of what I am talking about. Now, to throw a curve ball on my theory, think about a PRS which uses a scale smack in between a Fender and Gibson at 25" and it has a very distinct tonal difference to either of the previous mentioned styles regardless of pickup configuration. This only increases the idea that scale length and neck joint are the main differences and then how the instrument is strung, and the bridge style and nut material come in right behind that. Just my assessment you can take or leave it as opinions vary.
As a Tele guy who appreciates a "Tele-Adjacent" design... LOVE IT!💚 It does look more like an LP vs a Tele but this is what will separate this from a Tele Deluxe and a Tele Custom. Right now I have five T style guitars: Partscasters, Heavy Mods, and some cool Import guitars. The 25.5 scale length REALLY limits how different (as in restricts) different pickup load outs on my guitars. You can buy 24.75 necks but usually those are already expensive, need more work once it's on the body, and are limited to a handful of designers. This is really for a Tele guy (like me) who wants a Les Paul but in a familiar body. My first inclination was to put on a Duesenberg Les Trem, a roller bridge, and locking tuners. I also like Tusq string trees and a black one would basically hide on that headstock. While this video does hit my GAS for a Les Paul, I think I am more inclined to buy one of these instead of an older Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I have a Epiphone Les Paul Special in TV Yellow that I love and this is basically giving me it's in-between brother to that and my main Telecaster. Great find and very cool concept! 😎👍✨
This is EXACTLY what I've always wanted, and I have one on the way now! Thank you Max!
Excellent!
So it’s a Les Paul that stays in tune, I dig it.
@@guitlyparties I didn't think about that That's funny yeah it would be a Les Paul that stays in tune because it doesn't have that headstock angle much less a headstock break if it happens to fall over
I dont understand why LP's have that problem. Theres no tremolo , no floating bridge .. what gives ?
Right?!
@@Gevin5it’s the string tree/headstock design. I’ve always wondered what a Les Paul would be like with a Firebird/Explorer style headstock.
@@jamesharmon7733 They all have their achilles heel I suppose.
I'm 73 and have owned both a LP and a '69 Tele Thinline for decades...from what I heard and saw you nailed this review. Great work, as always thanks!
Hi, I picked up the Lescaster!!! To my surprise, I cannot believe the quality build of the Jia , Bad Cat instruments quality. First, I like to thank you for your video. It opened my eyes to these Chinese quality guitars. Trust me when I say it is a masterpiece. The 22nd fret is hard to get too but in regards to the rest of the neck it feels like a $2000 plus instrument. I traded out to pick ups. I had a pair of MCNELLY custom pick ups autumn Humbuckers . The complexity, dynamics, and balance are noticeable. I also put treble bleed resistors on both volume controls. I leveled out the frets. And put the right relief on the neck. And I also intonated the bridge . The guitar hangs on the strap, perfectly no neck dive at all. My guitar is a cherry Sunburst flaming maple top. The price is unbelievable. Most people thought it was worth over $1000 to build. All in all well worth the money that’s for sure. Thanks again. God bless you and everybody on this channel Guitar Max.
I almost bought the Fender FMT custom. They did it first. With a '59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge. All mahogany with a neck thru. Bad ass.
I got one in spalted maple.
Yes, bad ass indeed.
I had the black cherry burst one. I wish I still had it
The FMT doesn't have the 24 3/4" scale, neither the LP controls. Squier released the Deluxe Double Fat Telecaster to try out the market then Fender released the FMT which were all made in the same factory. The Squier Master Series Chambered Telecaster has the LP scale and controls though.
The Tele body + LP bridge/pup combo has been around a long time. I've had a Fender Jim Adkins for years and I'm sure that wasn't the first one around. It also has a 24.75" scale, set neck and Seymour Duncan soapbar single coils. Look it up. Amazing guitar but does cost $1K USD. For $400ish you can also get the new Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Troublemaker Telecaster Deluxe with similar specs
Fender troublemaker
I own a 2005 squire mik set neck two humbuckers two tone two volume nobs. Abr1 bridge and stop bar. All decked out in brushed platinum. Bought it new and will never let it go. Threw in a pair of 57 classics to boot.
I dont need it...... But i want it 😭😭
Same !
Right?
Get a troublemaker by fender then
Agreed
I love it! I had a 1989 Peavey Vandenburg strat that had a 24.75 scale. It was awesome!
@taz3672
Hi there . 24 .75 , does that mean you had the 3rd Octave E as the Highest Note on the High E String ? The last and the Highest Note ?
Hope you're doing well .
@@RikJSmithdoesn't say how many frets
24.75 is 24 3/4 and the vandenberg has a better headstock angle than any gibson
@@RikJSmith No. The scale was 24 3/4 (24.75"). That is how long the scale is from the nut to the bridge. There were 24 frets on the guitar which is double octave scale.
@@Turboyeehawguitar No shit!
I really like this model. I am a fan of carved top body's.
They need to offer it with a tele pickup configuration as well.
That would be cool!
It should have coil tapping
Next episode: Gibder and Fenson suing Jia.
and then that will be why we can’t have nice things at an entry-mid level instrument
I recently purchased one of these. This guitar punches way above its weight for the price. With regards to price VS quality, this reminds me of the Revstar, which also is an amazing guitar and very low price point.
Wow, this is great. I had been pricing out a guitar like this and the timing of this video couldn't be better. I have to play a Tele in my band (for a number of reasons) and was getting kind of bored with it and looking for something with a more traditional LP look and sound. The construction seems very solid, and I'm shocked that it has a Nitro finish. I watched this video and went directly to the site to order one. Thanks for the promo code Max!
Glad it was helpful!
The 24.75 scale length makes the string overtones and it has punch of the les paul with the comfortable sitting position with that telecaster body. Awesome!!
Love it! Something new and fresh, and it's about time. I wouldn't be surprised to see this unit popping up everywhere.
Loved the guitar the second I saw it. As soon as you mentioned the coupon code I went to their page. As soon as you hit the chords at the 6:40 mark I was filling in the information for the order. Getting the blue one. That you so much for your reviews.
Awesome! Thank you!
I think it would have only been interesting if it had the 25.5" scale length and a coil split. As you said, right now it is just a telecaster-shaped Les Paul.
So it arrived yesterday. Very fast delivery and extremely well packed.
Guitar is outstanding. Thanks Max for the heads up on these bad boys and for sharing the discount code.
Just purchased it! This will be my 6th guitar I've purchased from Jason Jia and all have been great guitars!!! glad to see him getting the recognition he deserves.
Rock on!
I have one of these as well. A very higt quality guitar for the price... punching way above it's weigth.
His facebook page makes it pretty clear he is a fictitious person
@@hughschick6847 Jason is not a fictictious person. I have over 20 guitars from Polaris4Music.
@@hughschick6847explain this more? -P
Maxx I'm curious about tuning stability. It sounded like it stayed in tune for you quite well.
Great playing. Thanks for doing another great video!
Yes, it did. I'm not having any noticeable tuning issues with it.
Love playing this guitar! (I bought the black and gold). I am playing/practicing more than ever. I have a player series Fender Strat and a Chapman ML3 Pro Modern semi-hollow (obsidian burst), and this Jia guitar has been the go to guitar that I am picking up because it is so fun to play! I will say mine seems to go out of tune a little bit so I went ahead and bought some Guyker locking tuners to put on it. VERY happy with this guitar. Thanks for the great video!
Looks awesome! There WERE some spots where it sounds like it might be pretty microphonic though. Just noises that I heard in your clean tones. I might listen again, but pretty sure that I heard you use the switch through the pickups at one part.
I definitely want one though!!!
That might just be me squeaking when I move my hand... they didn't seem microphonic in person to me.
@GuitarMAXMusic cool! I wish they had it in a wine red and gold like two of your AIOs. My favorite color on guitars now.
Nice variation of classic designs. Great review.
The Tele FMT is a dual humbuckers and a set neck
They should have put some push/pull pots in there for coil splitting then you could get a single coil sound too.
i bought one of the first run of these in that same finish and did exactly that . gfs kwick plug LP harness with push/pull coil splitting . this guitar is amazing !! only problem i have is the neck is crazy thick .
Oh, you mean like the Squier Troublemaker? Well sure, but that's out there and available for a little more cash.
@@-processdrone- Well coil splitting isn't a new thing lot's of guitars do it. The bigger difference between this Guitar and the Squier is this one has a set neck or body through neck..... The Squier has a bolt on neck.... the Squier is a telecaster, I wouldn't consider this guitar a telecaster
Cool guitar. Maybe I might play one. Not sure about owning one. Still over all 9 outta 10 on this review Max! Always appreciate you pointing me in directions that I wouldn’t go in ordinarily. Thank you so much!!
Mad love to ya boss!
Nice video. I have the same from the first batch. It is a nice looking guitar with full maple cap. Pickups are decent. I had to do some work on it to avoid fret buzz. I will also make a belly cut has the body is quite thick, and also do some work on the neck profile as it is too chunky for me. If you want a telecaster twang i would recommend to add some coil split.
Love the black and gold one. Sounded great.
What size are the frets?
That's one serious axe right there! Great review and playing Max, no wonder I took on the drums since my musical blessings were a bit lacking 😁
Thanks for the awesome review Max, I believe I just ordered the last one of this stock, since it is now mentioned on their site as being sold out hahaha...and even more thanks to your great discount code, it saved me a whopping 225+ EURO including shipment!! wauw...can't wait to unbox the LesCaster hahaha!
Thanks, MAXX- one guitar covered I see no use for. [6 Fieflys] 4 because of your reviews. CHEERS. NOW I WANT TO CHECK OUT the Boss IR-200.
That's so cool! Great review Max!
Thanks so much!
Nice video and I’m very interested! Features for the price are amazing especially the nitro finish. Not really into the satin but the nitro is easy to buff out.
let me guess, its jason jia from badcat/p4m the counterfit chibson stuff.
i remember seeing this for sale.
Looks really cool. I like it! I would be tempted to order one if I didn't have so many of each type (tele style and LP style) of guitar already. But for someone undecided on which one to get but who leans towards the LP sound, this is a winner.
This is called a telecaster deluxe. My first guitar that I still have. 1973.
Sounds awesome! I think that would be my favorite guitar.
Not completely new, Fender have done it themselves, there was the Troublemaker Tele in their Paranormal series not long ago.
Yep, when I saw the preview "Wow, Troublemaker review" was the first thing that I thought.
This completely looks like the Special Edition Custom FMT Telecaster that Fender STILL produces and has been for over 20 years. THAT has a 16" radius fingerboard though, and dots. First series were made in Korea (when they had a brown version that is handsome as hell), might be Indonesia now.
Your playing is amazing!! Sweet guitar.
Thank you.
Very nice guitar. It sounds like a Les Paul since it uses the same wood and has a Gibson scale length.
A nice thing is that it doesn’t have a Gibson style headstock which will be more difficult to break.
As usual great video and playing.
Cheers
Pedro
It seems a bit like the Squire Troublemaker Telecaster. However they kept most of the stuff that makes it a Les Paul. Still very cool looking, great demo Max!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I love the beautiful satin finish, looks great!
Firefly made one too. It's a troublemaker telecaster. I think the firefly is not a arch top though, i don't know i'll check when i get home, but it's badass... it's my favorite budget guitar by far.
Plus a bone nut and nitro finish along with the roasted wood and stainless steel frets. Pretty impressive value and they look & sound cool.
Several builders have tried over the decades to combine the LP and the Telecaster. I applaud the attempts. I even owned a homemade version like the one you displayed here, Max, built with a cream-finish Tele body and black ‘72 Celuxe-style pick guard but with a traditional Tele neck w/ maple fingerboard (albeit with 22 frets - but with Gibson buckers, individual tophat-style volume/tone controls and LP-style toggle in the upper cutaway. (It also sported a floating Strat bridge.) I would still have it today if those pickups weren’t badly microphones and I had tried getting them potted.
After watching this video and commenting it made me examine the Harley Benton TE-40 Deluxe in trans black that I own because it is a string thru with LP style tune-o-matic bridge, dual humbuckers, three way LP style switch, and single volume and tone pots. Upon measuring the scale it is a PRS scale length at 25" (the manufacturer spec claims 25.5“ but is not what it measured out at with my scale tool) which would explain why it is not nearly as bright as the dual humbucker 25.5" scaled T style partscaster with the conventional ashtray style bridge that I built. It also has more of a PRS style carved top to the body with a Strat style back contour.
It is my go to for writing lately and of all my Fender styled guitars has the best tuning stability for my dropped tunings which currently is tuned to CGCFGC. I know that sounds crazy right; a Harley Benton that cost less than 130 bucks new with a used set of Duncan Pickups that cost twice the price of the guitar itself is my go to axe, but once I did a full setup on it which did not include any servicing lf the nut, it has the best tuning stability of all my Fender and parts caster guitars; that is even using the stock tuning machines.
It has far more lowend grunt than any of my LPs and kills my 96 Vista series Jagmaster that has the exact same Duncans in it tonally. That said I would probably give this Lescaster a run just to compare the difference between the scale length and the set neck vs bolt on. I would also probably make a template of how my Harley Benton's body string thru is arranged and then make the Lescaster a string thru to see what differences if any that it would make. To further the experiment, I would change out both bridges for roller models of identical make just to keep all the mounting of the strings identical. They both have the same inline 6 headstocks so that would keep all things equal in that regard as well. I think to keep it fair as far as tone and volume adjustability I would throw a set of CTS stacked pots in the Harley Benton that carry the same KO rating to try to keep it as close to the same range as possible. Granted there will be the difference in woods used in construction of the body but that should be only slightly differential in tone and almost negligible. The playability is going to be slightly different based upon the neck profile but the radius is the same at 12“. Max you have me intrigued.
Im buying this for sure thank you max!!
I'm full-in on anything unique. Like the saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life." I won't be buying it because I played my one Les Paul for almost 20 years. That's enough of Gibson for me. But I do respect the innovative ombination of Les Paul / Telecaster. It's not a common combination. If it was up to my personal taste, I would have appreciated an arch top and glossy finish (with a satin finish on the back of the neck). But the way the two guitar designs were combined is really tasteful and the sunburst color is a nice choice. And Max, way to find the rare, unique, and interesting brand for our appreciation. "Esoteric rock". Great combo on your part too, buddy. Thanks!
Hey Max,
What is the quality of the hardware , input jack and toggle switch? That seems to be the area that companies drop the ball.
Nice. My dad has a setneck 25” tele. Minihumbucker in the neck and a standard tele bridge.
I wanted this combination for years
This combination has been out for at least 10 yrs. Indonesian fenders, the fmt models
Its called a Telecaster Deluxe..and its not new at all
Love it want it need it. I have talked to builders about this recently, this has a great look too.
Reminds me of the Samick Greg Bennett Avion series from the early 2000's
I'm a bass player but have a couple of guitars in my collection. You actually just said it as I'm writing this; It's an LP in a Tele style body. It sounds very good and a great bargain pricewise.
When I saw the lead in line, I was rewarded by it NOT being that split tail tele lol
thanks for another great vid
PS I would call it disasterpiece ;-)
I dig what you said on the weight and less water saturation in the wood. If someone wanted a tele style less paul thats it. It's weird to want that, but I'd be on the fence because it's just cool and different. At first glance, it's an LP with a tele body and headstock, and last glance, it's that minus a small hit of weight at a good price point. Cool guitar if you like collecting non-collectable guitars. Good point on playing a gig and people wondering about it, thinking it's boutique. Definitely looks the part.
Have one on the way. 👍
Enjoy it!
they hit it out of the park.
I am an absolute LesPauliac man but I also love these new things...I think this is one of the best looking mix of two iconic models and I love that it comes with steel frets and nitro finish for that price...very interesting
Hey, brother! You make that thing sound like a million bucks. Nice! Is that top solid, or verneer?
My Stellarcaster Strat project has 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers wired like a 50's Les Paul with coil spits. adding a 3rd pot pair and retaining the Fender 5-wy switch adding a P/P tone pot in the bridge tone spot to activate the bridge and neck pick ups together regardless of other controls.. yup 3 vol.,3 tone with coil splits all loaded in a hand made brushed stainless steel pick guard that acts as main ground through the control cases and as shielding. the small size of the coils in the pick ups lends to a single coil tone as the coils are wired in pairs within the 5 wire from the pick up. as well as the 3 very strong ceramic magnets between the 4 rail poles. as wired I get the full humbucker tones normally and split sounds almost exactly like single coils due to the smaller coils.. I designed the circuit and the rest including the stars and planets space theme paint job on the body and head stock done with spray cans and airbrushed details. Picture the stainless pick guard adorning the custom styars and planets space theme paint on the body and head stock wiyh the 3 hums, the 6 pots adorned with chrome knobs and switch tip for the 5-way.. a very coo loing guitar that feels, looks and plays out of this world... this my friend is the Stellarcaster that started life as a Starcaster Strat. now the ultimate in the progression of a Streat. of course tuned to E-flat standard just as any good Syrat should be. ... Wanna Play??
Max u got some buttery knarly riffs.... i just got a Squire Troublemaker Gold Top Tele(7lbs 10 onces) it feels great and has a twangy Spank with split coils on neck and bridge
and it has the Growl of a LP $443
I like it I want one I think this guitar will be my next purchase
Fender has been doing this for several years with their FMT Tele.
Hey Max, I’m doing the same thing, making Frankenstein guitars I’m doing a Tele style body with a PRSstyle neck, gonna do an SG with Tele neck and so on, that’s why I was interested in your mad scientist cut guitars you used to show us the inner construction of the guitars you sliced and diced 😂😂 very cool and interesting video Max
✌️😎👍🇳🇿
This is definitely an interesting piece. I will say the lack of beveling on the body is not just a traditional Les Paul thing, most of the Telecasters Fender produces right now just don't have that. They are about that thick and chunky. In fact, the only one I know of they currently produce with any kind of beveling or lightening cuts is the Paranormal that's basically a Telecaster on a Jazzmaster body. So a normal Telecaster runs that gamut from about 7.5 - 8.25 pounds depending on materials, a small handful approaching 9.
I do think this could've been made a more effective hybrid rather than a Les Paul with some Telecaster visual cues. Big first thing I could think of is coil splitting. Yeah you're not gonna get the same tone out of that as you would a proper single coil, but it'd let you get closer to that tone at least whenever you felt like it and let it feel more like a Telecaster, while still maintaining the more Gibson-like tone while humbucking.
I’ve never been a Tele fan but I love this thing, the looks and the sound 🙏🔥
Soo tempting! Id throw in coil splitting pots and then its a little closer to a tele AND a LP
i'd love to see a review of a strat body with a warmoth gibson scale conversion neck. i really want to build one, but the price piles up fast. i think a strat body with a floyd, some searing hums and 24.75" scale length and extra jumbos would be the ultimate guitar weapon
Wow! Impressive sounding guitar!
Indeed it is!
Could not find a website to view colors available and possibly purchase one.
Does it have a maple cap. Jia say a top but a thin piece of veneer is a top.
Mikey fookin LIKES! how's it feel? say where did you get that from bad cat or?
Had a little trouble with their website, I'd love to see a left-handed version with that discount! 😍
Loving the vibe of this guitar..cool.
I purchased the new squier troublemaker it look the same to me, on the Squier you got the push pull button, come with 2 different colors black and gold. I purchased one this for the last 2weeks still not there yet. If you order one have patient
How did it turn out? Jason Jai is super polarizing and I’ve never once gotten a response from him or his website. I have a bunch of guitars in transit from him right now that I’m going to do a review on. Hope your order showed up and it wasn’t a total crap guitar. -P
I got the Firefly version in white with binding, arm and cutaway carves, with bolt on neck, roasted maple neck and locking tuners… I added a Guyker trem… it’s way cool, junior! For under $300 total. I like the pups … Not as nice as this Gia axe, though.
This is sort of a copy of the 20 year old Squier Master Series Tele, but with a vastly inferior chonker neck joint. Still, its cool.
That's cool. Wonder if they'll release a TelePaul now...
jason jia is also a big producer of chibsons. he makes great stuff tbh
The troublemaker is 25.5 scale y’allllllll. A crucial factor in the feel/general concept. Without the 24.75 it’s just a tele with 2 HBs
Is that t a full on maple cap or just a veneer? Or Did I miss that spec?
Interesting concept. Not sure I'd buy one though. Yes, the price is good but I'd rather save up and by a PRS SE "Les Paul" style guitar, a lower price Fender or G&L Tele, and have much more variety in tonal possibilities.
Is it a mahogany body and neck with a maple cap? Not sure if you commented on that and I missed it.
Finally a tele done right. I can see one of these in my collection.
Fender has made more than one iteration of this. Currently Sweetwater has an Indonesian Fender version for $999.
25.5” scale.
AND Censtar sells one w SS frets for $180. They were out of stock for months but now they have more in stock. Also 25.5” scale.
Is the Truss Rod adjusted the same way as with a Les Paul ? And what is your honest opinion about the Pickups compared to a very common Pickup such as the Seymour Duncan JB ? The Pickups sound fine in this Video but I'm curious to know if you think they're Bass Heavy , or Treble that's too sharp ,
etc . Ok I'll leave you alone now Max . Hopefully I haven't annoyed you too much . Have a great day .
🙂🎸🙂
My Fender FMT custom edition is the same thing basically.
Bacchus has these too, in standard, custom, and semi-hollow versions.
Squier had the Master Series Chambered Telecaster that is very similar in build, no maple cap though.
Looks interesting 👍 What’s the weight of the guitar.
Max.. did you do a review on the Firefly that is sort of like this? You really should.
i have an epi LP custom set up with tele pu's with ash tray i got from my local pawn shop, its bizzare looking and still retains its cream pickgaurd.
Nice guitar. The only other thing I would like to see on it would be for it to have coil tap on the pickups.
I think it's pretty cool to have a les paul type guitar you can sit down with.
Very cool! My only gripe with it is ... I'm not a fan of those neck joints. Reminds me of a PRS. I love PRS guitars, other than the neck joints. Peace, dude. EDIT: Funny. I wrote this comment before you were finished. lol
Definitely more LP sounding than a Tele and I would attribute that to the difference in string tension between the 24.75“ and the 25.5" scale lengths. It may not seem like .75" would make all that much of a difference but it does. Increased tension and the length of a string will change how the vibrations travel over the length of the string and it also changes the amount of force required to bend a note as well as how far you can bend that note. The harmonic properties also are affected, as well as, it changes the articulation, brightness, overtones, undertones, and decay timing.
It is not the wood used in the construction of the electric as much as how and where the neck mounts to the body, how the strings mount to the body such as string thru, solid bridge, tremelo style, wrap around or stop tail. The material that the nut is made out of, the height of the strings from the fret board, string gauge, and then the string length and tension that is determined by the scale of the neck. The LP scale does not require as much tension and the distance between the nut and bridge is shorter which provides for looser string tension and that equates to a warmer overall tone whereas a tele has longer strings and more tension which gives it a brighter and tighter tone.
If you compare the neck mounting styles you have the LP which has a tenion that recesses deeper into the body material and is set which allows vibration from the neck to interact with the body of the guitar fuller, whereas, the bolt on interacts with less body material and attaches at the surface making capped bodies more of an aesthetic than a tonal influencer IMO.
If you were to make an LP styled guitar using a bolt on neck and a 25.5" scale and then finish it as they do on a Player Series Tele using Tele styled hardware and pickups it would sound like a Tele and not an LP. Look into the Paranormal series of guitars and it will give you a basic jist of what I am talking about. Now, to throw a curve ball on my theory, think about a PRS which uses a scale smack in between a Fender and Gibson at 25" and it has a very distinct tonal difference to either of the previous mentioned styles regardless of pickup configuration. This only increases the idea that scale length and neck joint are the main differences and then how the instrument is strung, and the bridge style and nut material come in right behind that. Just my assessment you can take or leave it as opinions vary.
As a Tele guy who appreciates a "Tele-Adjacent" design... LOVE IT!💚
It does look more like an LP vs a Tele but this is what will separate this from a Tele Deluxe and a Tele Custom. Right now I have five T style guitars: Partscasters, Heavy Mods, and some cool Import guitars. The 25.5 scale length REALLY limits how different (as in restricts) different pickup load outs on my guitars. You can buy 24.75 necks but usually those are already expensive, need more work once it's on the body, and are limited to a handful of designers. This is really for a Tele guy (like me) who wants a Les Paul but in a familiar body.
My first inclination was to put on a Duesenberg Les Trem, a roller bridge, and locking tuners. I also like Tusq string trees and a black one would basically hide on that headstock. While this video does hit my GAS for a Les Paul, I think I am more inclined to buy one of these instead of an older Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I have a Epiphone Les Paul Special in TV Yellow that I love and this is basically giving me it's in-between brother to that and my main Telecaster.
Great find and very cool concept! 😎👍✨
I like the carved top, and maple cap.
Does it have a real maple top, or just the veneer.
So, it’s a Music Man Axis!
Excellent instruments.