Fender Telecaster Modern Player plus....?

CoolCat

Well-known member
In GC tonight noticed a Tele I really dug it, the neck and feel was just my preference right...

so it was a Fender.....but made in China?

it wasnt a Squier. I guess I didnt know Fender made a "cheap" Fender line outside the cheaper Squier line....

either way, it was China made on the neck Fender Tele and man I liked it better than all the necks I played tonight.

Anybody know of these things? I also see several for sale used and not sure if thats a good thing.
Also this one seemed the tuners were cheap, as they went out of tune a few times in the store jam..hmm?

Fender.... Made in China

I might get one...but its close to the price of a US Fender used STrat by $150, so hard to make a decision.
 
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They seem well reviewed, but like all new electrics, I'd try to find a used one if possible. New is best for something that's just not going to happen used very often IME. (If you do go new, you can probably get 15%+ off by simply asking and if that doesn't work, call MF or other visages of the GC hydra until you do.)

GC has 8 used ones right now (one about 30 mi from me, even) for around $330. That means they're probably picking them up for about $200 or so, if that gives you pause about tossing half of that $500 away as you walk out the door.
 
I called MF and they said $424 right away...total, brand new. no tax.
Working on a GC that has two in stock new to match that and trade something on it possibly.
The one used is $349 plus tax and no ones wanting to deal on it and its got, Im pretty sure bad tuners.

Seems used they should be $200 as you said and not $350? when I can get brand new with 5yr warranty for $424.

Doing some reading they have a weird neck size so a person cant swap the necks out or in with standard Tele necks, some buyers not happy about that.
15% at GC puts it a about $424 too.


like most guitars, seems theres the very happy and some saying its complete crap, bad build quality and neck not setup at all. i then did some US Tele looking and the CONS list was empty.

theres a couple used ones around here on CL but they are asking $350 which is $70 from brand new with 5yr warranty. Offering $200 is possible I guess.

the un-swappable neck thing was a surprise.
 
Neck is one reason to buy Tele A vs Tele B, so I never think about the neck swapping thing.

There's not much that can break on a solid body electric, so not sure how much I'd count that. About everything that could go wrong will probably be judged "normal wear and tear" so I'd read the fine print thoroughly. (The only warranty work I ever got worked up over was some finish weirdness on my LP, $2k guitar! Kind of cured me on spending too much for an electric, too.)

$200 is what GC's rule of thumb works out to for the $330 retail, i.e., they buy (or trade in) at 60% of what they sell them for, or hope to. Sometimes they have additional incentives for trade in, so hard to say what folks think they're getting, but GC used prices are usually high. Some make no sense, and they must rely on the fact that they have the 12mo/no-interest or something like that to get folks to buy. Anyway, I suspect most sellers would have already gotten that offer from GC, so you'd probably have better luck at $250, which is really kind of market, i.e, 50%MAP, if it's in good shape, and you really think it's a keeper.

But, buying a guitar that needs tuners out the door? Good money after bad IMO. Teles should be pretty rock solid, assuming they're strung right.
 
Ive not had any luck with GC dealing on the used, seems they are stuck in the mud.
The new stuff they appear more open to dealing...my experience.


That damn neck on the Modern Player kind of resonated with me and I like the tinted heavy yellow...the one I played anyway which was the used one. But I would think most are pretty similar unless its a "clunker bad" neck.

Checked the two pawnshops this morning nothing. There was one had 3 MIM STrats...one at $220 in great shape. the others $300 haggle price! lol
No MP teles.

I also wanted some more meat in my pickups though my strat is ok, or is it just wanting some strange? That MP Tele has my attention (for how long who knows?).... seems a pretty different array of pickups.
At $200 I would grab one, I cant go $400 on a chineese unknown Fender, theres too many US strats around these parts for $600.
Thats my world US $600-700....MIM $250-$350.... China Fender?

Reading a bit more the China Fender series was introduced 2011?
I noticed the truss nut hole is walnut like the US, where the MIM are black plastic (the blackplastic is actually easier to replace the nut if stripped and the black insert doesnt mar up easily like the Walnut Fender plug.)

I just got burnt on a $50 Musikraft neck, the 3rd fret is low and buzzed so I had to really whack out the height so high to get rid of the buzz.

I have never gone to the $2k guitar like you mentioned. My expectations would be so high it wouldnt be fair....

the hardest part on the cheap end is when you need to replace or do anything its really weird sinking cash into a cheap guitar? like the pickups would cost more than the guitar..ha like the GC used Tele MIC....it needs new tuners so thats another $35.

add>
I think Im done with the Used at $349+tax....$380 MIC Tele
The new I can get GC down to MF price war at $424 total (brand new). However it will be worth $200 when I walk out the store ahaha.

Tomorrow Im going to grab a US STrat with case candy for $625 total. It will go up in value if needed when I drive off. And its made of great materials. I know what Im getting.

Still Im going to look around for stuff to trade on this MIC but GC doesnt offer much for anything. $300-$400 for a used US Strat (60%) ?



Modern PLayer- beginner guitar?

Musician Friend -The Modern Player series continues that great “my-first-Fender” tradition with their most adventurous beginner instruments to date.
 
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I went to pawnshops and got a offer of $200 and one of $250 for my US STrat ....used no case,
I didnt ask what what theyd give for a Squier and Epiphone SG....but I can assume much less.

I realize all three of my electrics have buzzing frets. My US the least but....

Fender china series is the "beginner" guitar they market it as but I, guessing its trying to be one step above the top Squier series..of Classic Vibe which is above Affinity which is the Squier entry level for those who will never learn to play and havent even began yet?
as the Fender china series is "beginner"?

anyway....

other options are the US Strat at $625 or noticed at the Pawn Shop I could actually get a MIM STrat and a MIM Tele for the same ballpark price +/- $100. $500...for two.

I have a Squier Affinity P Bass sitting right here and its frets dont buzz and it plays great. It cost $80.

It all gets really confusing. Soundwise Im not sure I can tell the difference so its all ....nevermind
 
You've got solid body single coils with a whammy and a humbucker guitar. What are you looking for?

I think what you really need is a nice jazz box :)
 
1) non buzzing frets.... Im fairly picky or just used to strat 9.5's....but that Beginner Fender China Tele had one I really liked too.

2) I ve been interested in a thicker sound....maybe a Jazz pickup for some bigger tones....my STrats have often had thinner sounds, im more rythm and like thicker strings...

that was another interest in the China Fender it had the soap single, and other tones supposedly that might offer more than single coil standards.

my son had a danelectro that sounded so good but the body was like cardboard.
 
another review of the Fender China Modern PLayer series- seems it keeps getting "beginner guitar" labeled? but I played one and the neck was great? weird.. am I attracted to a Ford Pinto guitar? lol



Fender’s Telecaster holds all kinds of significance. It’s the first solid body guitar, one of the most popular electric guitars in history, and more. If you think about it, it’s also the perfect beginner guitar as well.
 
checked out a brand new MP plus not as well setup as the used one was...the "beginner guitar thing has me hesitant at $450?
Affinitys and Squiers and MIM and US....theres a bunch of Tele's but none just like this MP+.

GC did offer me $500 on my US strat which was $250 more than the pawn shops. That was cool.
 
I read that as if they were referring to Telecasters in general, not that specific model. Two pickups, volume, tone, and a selector switch. All you need. That's why I have a Tele, and my humbucker guitar is now an Epi LP Special II instead of a Gibson LP - good enough to get the job done.

Any guitar can be set up properly so the action is good and it doesn't fret out, unless there's a real fault with the construction. Most Fenders except the Classic series, reissues and Customs, i.e., nearly all MIM and MIA Standards, have 9.5" radius, and probably all the Squiers.
 
I wish I had skills to zip through a fret job and re-fret these guitars. Its the common frets 2,3,4 etc... either ding's or someone sanded them down not knowing what they were doing...

Raising the height is always an option but thats a band-aid isnt it?
 
well the used ones gone of the Fender MP + tele... I think I can pass. the only thing I know I liked was the neck. maybe one will pop up someday for $150 or so..

now im not sure I want to grab the $600 US strat now either. it played beautifully and is great shape, but the pickups will not be much different than the strat I sold yesterday for $500.

its weird, ive had my bass and acoustic for decades but i keep trading and swapping out electric guitars looking for "the one"?

keith you might be right, maybe its a jazz pickup subliminally missing....like a JB or something.
something full and clean, I guess trading for strat after strat doesnt really accomplish much change in sound.

I like those soap bar Danelectro and Tele tones, and also dont know much about humbuckers but reading about the JB seymourduncan it sounds enticing. I like SG tones too...
maybe I just have GAS +S
 
You do better buying used from small music stores than from guitar center.
Guitar Center is high as hell on used stuff. Rule of thumb has always been used goes for 50% of the new price. Guitar Center is more like 75% to 80% of the new price on used stuff.

But, if you have something you want to trade in on a new piece of equipment....Guitar center usually gives you the best trade.
 
I think theres some inconsistency too.
My friend is a neat freak and his mint US Strat from 87....showroom condition they offered $350 and he took it.
Blue burst... I didnt have the $350.

So flashforward to a different person in a different GC and I toook in a Squier20th anniversarty body with a US 92 neck with a stripped truss nut (I bought the neck for $180) and set it up best I could with shims and the Squier 20th had Alnico pups ...that Squier 20th Standard is also a two point tremelo...sleeper...

anyway the dude gave me $500 cash for this when I was expecting a offer of $100 or so based off my buddys $350 offer for a mint US blue burst with the metal roller nuts I forget the marketing series...

GC at least has Return Option which after I have been burnt twice this week on CL junk that Option to Return is worth something...20% maybe I dont know. I have a VCR deck $90 that played about 1hr, now in the garbage and my Musikraft neck that turned out to have buzz spots that means fret job,,,,Ive spent about 12hrs tweaking it, oh and it had a stripped truss nut...so why did I buy it? ..it was $50, and I had drank too many beers when I had looked at it in the parking lot of the bar....CL is full of garbage with some great deals now and then.
No Return Option though usually.

yeah Ive ordered used at GC that showed up in the mail in such bad shape I didnt even take it home, I just asked for a refund on the spot. I dont think "some GC guys" even look at what they are buying.
 
As for the Modern Player plus Tele, I got one and some cash in a trade for a bass I had and wasn't using. It's actually a pretty nice playing guitar and has become my "guitar-on-the-stand-in-the living-room" instrument so it gets played a lot. I am surprised at the reluctance that seems to be prevalent for something that, although inexpensive, is certainly beyond a "beginner" level of guitar. I will eventually change the electronics but only because I want to rather than need to.
 
are you a tele player, I ask because I wonder if the MP+ is a typical neck?
I played a bunch of Teles and liked the MP player neck...not sure why, because if its typical sized then the poly-shine neck and setup must be why I liked it so much.
$424 for a brand new one, w/warranty isnt really cheap to me..lol
$350 seems to be the used price today might as well get new

$400 is a crowded space for guitar pricing it seems, Squier ClassicVibes, MIM Fender and Fender China and what else....


ADD: went to another GC to check out a used one and a new one. Both had pretty bad damage of laquer chipped off on the necks, and the back on both had a odd indentation crack, abnormal looking ding...maybe the Pine body?

love the neck....was going to take one home but GC wouldnt budge on price for what I consider severe damage and this other store couldnt match Musician Friend price.

ADD: I got a Fender Modern PLayer sunburst used on CL mint condition for $170
 
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Perhaps you came across an exhibit from China, a high copy, which is very much in China. It may sound good, but the details and the quality of the wood it’s not that good.
 
Sounds cool Cat. Thick neck's where it's at for a Tele. You can find used Mexicans for less money. Another couple of hundred would get you a used American Standard.
 
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