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FENDER MODERN PLAYER TELE

#122
steveinohio said:
Ive got the Tele. Ive played it. I have a crappy cell phone pic that is not uploading for proof.

I bought the model in Butterscotch Yellow. It weighs 10 pounds on a digital scale. The bass has a nice fit and finish. The Butterscotch paint job is definitely Fenders modern interpretation of that color.

The body is a bit smaller than a normal Fender P. Pretty much the same size of the Squier Tele bass.

The neck has a gloss finish, vintage tint, with a skunk stripe on back. Truss rod access at the top. The fret work is solid. No sharp edges. The nut is just a standard cheap plastic nut.

The pickups are without a doubt the same pickup they have been using in the Squier Vintage Modified TB. It seems like the mounting is a bit different though. The sound is the same.

The tuners, bridge, and electronics are pretty cheap. Nothing high end about them.

The sound is comparable to the Squier Tele. The neck p/u solo sounds spot on to it. A little of the bridge mixed in gives it some clarity. Both full on is a little much for my taste. Probably the best sound is found with the bridge p/u full on and the neck at about 1/3.

Overall the bass feels like a high end Squier. Not really up to the quality of the MIM line. Nice but still feels a bit cheap. Great sounding and fun to play. If you like the Squier line this will not let you down! Worth $600? For me probably not. Since I already have a Vintage Modified TB it will probably be returned or traded.
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Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions, Steve. Less than a rave, at the same time still sounds interesting to me. I've never had much luck getting close to any bass with more than one p/u... having options to fiddle with usually means I never stop fiddling! I'm hoping that one will show up at my local GC so I can get my hands on it and try it out. Maybe a rich uncle will ask me what I want for Christmas. :D
 
#123
Chef said:
That's a great suggestion.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I guess the big difference in sound comes partly from the fact that with each coil's impedance reading in the range of 12K, in series the impedance is at 24K, while in parallel it drops to 6K.

The difference isn't mind-blowing, but it sure brightens up the sound. And even more so when just a single coil is used.
 
#124
The bolded part would be really useful, to me...

slowburnaz said:
Thanks.

I guess the big difference in sound comes partly from the fact that with each coil's impedance reading in the range of 12K, in series the impedance is at 24K, while in parallel it drops to 6K.

The difference isn't mind-blowing, but it sure brightens up the sound. And even more so when just a single coil is used.
Click to expand...
 
#125
If I could find a good deal on one of these, and T-bird pickups happened to fit in the routes without too much trouble--hmmm...
 
#127
I played the modern Player Jaguar bass, here is my observations below.

The neck was nice, the fender logo a tad cheesy looking. The truss rod access was at the nut (like the CVs).The frets were well finished ( like the CVs). The body had nice contours to it and felt good when held tightly , nice smooth belly cut. The body joins on tghe back stuck out. It sound like a mellow version the the VM special jagur bass that costs 200$ and has active electronics.

The neck had blocks i really didnt like , maybe its the blocks without binding look or something about the blocks i didnt like , they seemed shorter and stubbier then i thought they would be , i though the blocks would be longer and again it maybe the lack of binding throwing me off.

Also just personally the stamped fender neck plate looked cheesy.



IMO its just a classic vibe , i have owned 6 CVs and you can tell its just a one of those with a fender logo. Not a bad thing as its only 400$ , 50$ more and has some more options. If you like the feel of a CV then 50$ more for blocks and a PJ set up maybe your deal.
 
#128
I love my CV but to be honest i would prefer something with a Fender logo vs. Squire. To me Squires are great but if I am playing out I want a Fender. Squire makes me feel like a kid with a starter bass in some Alt-hipster band. So, yes I would pay a couple bucks more for the Fender logo.
 
#129
Xavier Zed said:
I love my CV but to be honest i would prefer something with a Fender logo vs. Squire. To me Squires are great but if I am playing out I want a Fender. Squire makes me feel like a kid with a starter bass in some Alt-hipster band. So, yes I would pay a couple bucks more for the Fender logo.
Click to expand...

The marketers have gotten to you.
 
#134
steveinohio said:
Ive got the Tele. Ive played it. I have a crappy cell phone pic that is not uploading for proof.

I bought the model in Butterscotch Yellow. It weighs 10 pounds on a digital scale. The bass has a nice fit and finish. The Butterscotch paint job is definitely Fenders modern interpretation of that color.

The body is a bit smaller than a normal Fender P. Pretty much the same size of the Squier Tele bass.

The neck has a gloss finish, vintage tint, with a skunk stripe on back. Truss rod access at the top. The fret work is solid. No sharp edges. The nut is just a standard cheap plastic nut.

The pickups are without a doubt the same pickup they have been using in the Squier Vintage Modified TB. It seems like the mounting is a bit different though. The sound is the same.

The tuners, bridge, and electronics are pretty cheap. Nothing high end about them.

The sound is comparable to the Squier Tele. The neck p/u solo sounds spot on to it. A little of the bridge mixed in gives it some clarity. Both full on is a little much for my taste. Probably the best sound is found with the bridge p/u full on and the neck at about 1/3.

Overall the bass feels like a high end Squier. Not really up to the quality of the MIM line. Nice but still feels a bit cheap. Great sounding and fun to play. If you like the Squier line this will not let you down! Worth $600? For me probably not. Since I already have a Vintage Modified TB it will probably be returned or traded.
Click to expand...

Does the added versatility of the 2nd pickup make it worth keeping over the Squier TB? Is there a downside to the modern player, aside from cost?
 
#136
I tried one the other day! The bass had no info sheet with it which intrigued me initially plus I did not recognise it. Though I do really like the sound of fender basses as a petite player I have never really been able to get to grips with them unfortunately. But the modern player tele was a dream to play, such smooth action. I have been reading about the new blacktop range and wanted to try the blacktop jazz, and from what I read about that, I think this tele probably comes close to how that one sounds. Even though the modern player series is manufactured in china do not let this put you off because this is one creamy warm and very beautiful sounding piece of equipment! The tone nobs are so versatile! I was surprised that the shop I tried it in we're retailing this beaut for only £400 too! Based on the 1970s player series also according to the sales assistant. Dawsons are stocking it and I would definitely encourage you all to try it. For me, it is a wonderfully perfect sounding bass. The only critisism I could offer was the action was a little low and buzzed on the first fret but that could easily be fixed. A serious contender in my quest to satisfy my tone needs. I was very surprised at how cheep it was too.
 

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