fender american telecaster vs. fender deluxe american telecaster

[theguy77]

lay it out for me. i know the fender deluxe tele has more electronic versatility because of the S-1 switching, but thats basically the only difference i know of. what are the differences in tone and playability?

[OveriseFan]

They have different pick-ups, and it's really a matter of preference. Some find the noiseless pick-ups sterile and lifeless. But it's really a matter of personal preference (and how much you care about silent pups). Playability, they'll be pretty similar, but again, it will vary from guitar to guitar. Try them out. We can't tell you what's right for you. Both are great guitars.

[theguy77]

haha when i make threads like this im not asking anybody to tell me whats right for me, im just looking to hear their opinion, and how they would explain the differences so i can get a sort of picture in my mind when deciding. for example what you said about the noiseless pickups i found to be helpful and believable, i think the slight buzz you get with telecasters gives them a lot of character and creates an awesome timbre with what your'e playing, so that gives the edge to the american over the deluxe for me.

another question i had is what does the S-1 switching actually do tone wise?

[patrickhowell]

The American Standard Tele has AlNiCo V pickups... this will give you a warmer tone, a little closer to vintage. The Samarium Cobalt magnets used in the American Deluxe pickups will be a lot more modern and sterile sounding... I would definitely prefer the AlNiCo V.

The S-1 switch in the American Deluxe Tele switches the middle position on the pickup switch from a parallel connection between the two pickups to a series connection. This results in a fatter, thicker tone than you're used to hearing from a tele... It sounds kind of like the "rhythm" position on a les paul, but more open and wide sounding.

[theguy77]

The American Standard Tele has AlNiCo V pickups... this will give you a warmer tone, a little closer to vintage. The Samarium Cobalt magnets used in the American Deluxe pickups will be a lot more modern and sterile sounding... I would definitely prefer the AlNiCo V.

right yeah, that seems to be the consensus. it sounds good to me and so far based on my own preferences it seems like the deluxe is 600 dollars more that i'll be spending on something that has less character.

The S-1 switch in the American Deluxe Tele switches the middle position on the pickup switch from a parallel connection between the two pickups to a series connection. This results in a fatter, thicker tone than you're used to hearing from a tele... It sounds kind of like the "rhythm" position on a les paul, but more open and wide sounding.

ah yeah. i dont know if i would really use that too often; the neck pickup on a tele sounds beautiful already for those thicker tones.

[OveriseFan]

ah yeah. i dont know if i would really use that too often; the neck pickup on a tele sounds beautiful already for those thicker tones.

Try it. It's not really the same type of sound and it's very hard to describe in words.

I'd also recommend having someone play both guitars, you close your eyes, and decide which one is better. Sounds to me like you already have a bias, and if you actually care about the difference, you'll make the proper decision to your own preference.

[AShannon04]

I think the Deluxe also tends to be a little nicer in the 'fit and finish' department - binding, fret finishing, etc. The American Standard is certainly no slouch, but for the extra money, I think you're getting something of slightly higher build quality. Whether it's worth the extra money is up to you though, since it probably doesn't do a whole lot to affect the overall sound.

I absolute love the look and sound of the Cherry Burst Deluxe, and it will probably be high on my list when I'm looking to upgrade to my next guitar down the road.

[SmallFrailBoy]

I have two american standards and recently bought an american deluxe (i have a little bit of a telecaster fetish...) and I can honestly say that you're going to be happy with either guitar... the american deluxe is nicer looking all-around. the s-1 switching is totally useful, but not extremely important.