U
Unsprung
New member
At Musician's Friend, the Fender Standard Telecaster is priced at $399.99, while the Fender 60s Custom Tele with Bigsby is priced at $879.99. I'm already planning to buy a Bigsby B5 ($99.99 @ Musician's Friend), to add to my Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90 (that I've ordered Gibson upgrade parts for), and after poking around at the Fender and WD Music web sites, earlier today, I realized that the Bigsby B5 that I'll be adding to my Epi is the SAME Bigsby used on the Fender 60s Custom Tele.
I figure if I buy another Fender Standard Telecaster, upgrade the hardware and pickups, and add a Bigsby B5, I should have a guitar every bit as good as the Fender 60s Custom Tele with Bigsby, but at half the price. I'm not sure what replacement pickups I'd go with, but I'll for sure upgrade the switching to 4-way, the same as I am with my 2005 model Standard Telecaster that's also getting a set of DiMarzio Twang King pickups.
In a way, this mode of thinking ain't all that far off, from when I posted the poll about modifying cheaper guitars, or buying exactly what ya want. In the case of my Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90, I figure that with the Gibson upgrades, it'll sound every bit as good as a Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker (doubtfull it'd sound as good as a Gibson Les Paul Jr.), and I'm only adding the Bigsby for surf guitar stuff. I just don't really see me wanting to spend $879.99 for a guitar, when the most expensive Fender in my Musician's Friend Wish List (after the Fender 60s Custom Tele w/Bigsby) is $699.99 (several models).
Matt in Indiana
I figure if I buy another Fender Standard Telecaster, upgrade the hardware and pickups, and add a Bigsby B5, I should have a guitar every bit as good as the Fender 60s Custom Tele with Bigsby, but at half the price. I'm not sure what replacement pickups I'd go with, but I'll for sure upgrade the switching to 4-way, the same as I am with my 2005 model Standard Telecaster that's also getting a set of DiMarzio Twang King pickups.
In a way, this mode of thinking ain't all that far off, from when I posted the poll about modifying cheaper guitars, or buying exactly what ya want. In the case of my Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90, I figure that with the Gibson upgrades, it'll sound every bit as good as a Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker (doubtfull it'd sound as good as a Gibson Les Paul Jr.), and I'm only adding the Bigsby for surf guitar stuff. I just don't really see me wanting to spend $879.99 for a guitar, when the most expensive Fender in my Musician's Friend Wish List (after the Fender 60s Custom Tele w/Bigsby) is $699.99 (several models).
Matt in Indiana