Best Thin Neck Electric Guitar (2024 Update)

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

My first guitar years ago was a classic early 70s American Tele which I needed to sell to help pay for school. Years later, I'm back to gigging regularly and I have plenty of guitars that play reliably on stage, but I never found something that replaced my first guitar and I've had a telecaster shaped hole in my life for 20 years. I decided to rectify this a week ago. I can afford anything at this point and thought for sure I'd come home with an American Tele Deluxe with Shawbuckers, but spent half a day at our local Mom and Pop guitar store playing every configuration of telecaster. I'm here to tell you, this is the one. As I suspected, you want the maple fret board on a telecaster. For a guitar that excels at spitting out sharp percussive twangy notes, the harder maple fretboard just works so much better than rosewood. Also as I suspected the thinline body adds so much with subtle overtones and resonance — this is a guitar with a distinctive punchy twang but a fullness that is lacking in solid body telecasters. I've only played this with the entire band once, but this guitar has a sound that is unique and stands out in the mix. The big surprise though is the "noiseless" pick up system which does not seem to be widely available on the American Tele Deluxes, in favor of the Shawbucker set up. This is what ultimately sold me. The noiseless pick ups just have so much more percussive, twangy personality than the more typical humbuckers. I like playing a guitar that sounds like the guitar and not the pedal chain I'm playing and this guitar sounds more like a telecaster than any other telecaster I've played. And It sounds amazing through every overdrive pedal I've got which just brings out more of its distinctive sound. Yeah, I'm a little sheepish about the "made in Mexico" on the back, but I have to be honest and say I could tell zero difference in playability between the American and Mexican guitars I played, so get over it already.Dr Sour Puss

I have wanted a semi hollow guitar for a really long time, and within the last couple of years, I've been wanting a tele. I love the color, and combo overall. It's my first guitar that the fretboard is part of the neck (never really looked at Fenders that closely). Satin neck is pretty nice too. The profile is thicker than what I'm use to, but not so thick that it's uncomfortable. I have small hands, so that was a concern. I've never really cared for string trees, but the locking tuners make that less of an issue for me. I've had the guitar for less than 2 months.For the price, I wasn't expecting the fret sprout, but I know it can be taken care of fairly easily. It plays nicely outside of the frets needing attention. Gig bag is nice and padded. I love having string through body. It's what all but maybe 3 or 4 of my electrics have had on them. Just know it will need a setup when you get it. I don't have any major complaints. There was a piece of paper inside the sound hole that got missed at the factory, and the finish isn't perfect. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be. It's close enough not to be a problem. It's my first Fender, but likely won't be my last after this experience. I may change the bridge to a babicz at some point, but I really want to get to know this thing before I do. I know there are lots of people who may look down on where something is made, but I am not disappointed by this thing.UncleB

Just love this guitar, feels great to play, sounds wonderful, locking tuners absolute bonus and I would have changed to them if they hadn’t come as standard. No issues with build quality, although I might get the neck dressed as I can feel a couple of frets ends but again no biggie.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

Overall: I am now in my 2nd day of ownership and I decided to set this extremely light and sexy purple (blemished) have not found one …down long enuff to read reviews.and ya if I could find something about it I dont like… well havent!. What's there not to love at the reasonable price and the abilities this ax possesses. 5way and quantum is a nice pxkge.what. would one expect? At fraction of the price on those high dollar "others".. I feel pretty smart these days not emptying my wallet and can say. The wizard neck is so sweet jatoba fretboard is not only beautiful sustain harmonics….for days….VERY NICE..zZOUNDS AND IBANEZ….THANK YOU FOR. A GREAT DEAL ON A KEEPER….OH YEA AND WHY UPGRADE ANYTHING SEEMS TOVDEFEATCYHE PURPOSE AND UNNECESSARY IN MY OPINION. BUT IM A TIGHTWAD.been a member of the ibz family for awhile and they never stop making great products with reasonable pricing.Kenneth

This (and the blue with rosewood/hardtail) are my first Ibanezes. I mostly play strats and Les Pauls. As I understand it, these have been referred to as Super Strats, because of the double cutaway and the HH. The blue has a matching headstock and a five tone switch. The neck is the most comfortable I've played, the strings are evenly spaced and there's plenty of room for your fingers, even at the top. The satin finished body has the same feel as the neck and it weighs around 6 pounds. After I found the dragon eye (reverse matching headstock, maple fretboard and whammy) at the same price, I couldn't let go of the blue, so now I have two. I'm playing them through my Boss Katana, and it's a good match. Gotta say, it's a totally new guitar playing experience, and the only question is which one to pick up first. If you're thinking about an Ibanez, this would be the one (or two).Rich at the Beach

With the RGA series Ibanez finally got away from using junk basswood with its poor sustain and articulation. The mahogany/maple combination on the RGA is vastly superior in both categories. I have an RGA70M. It's a bit of a challenge to play but not moreso than other 7-strings and what's really impressive is the sweetness and sustain on clean settings with both active pickups engaged. Excellent workmanship and very pretty flamed transparent black finish.JJ

I had played one of these in a store and liked the feel. After having one for a few weeks, I like it even more. I'm slightly taller than the average guy. Hence my fingers are a bit longer than the average guy. Maybe it is just because the neck seems to get thinner as you get up to the higher notes, but it seems like the neck is a little wider than the rest of my guitars up around the 15th to 24th frets. ("rest of my guitars" include Les Paul, Strat, Ibanez RG550, EVH Wolfgang, and others for reference). Aside from how great the paint job LOOKS, it does not have a gloss coat on it. This is a good thing since the paint job extends up the back of the neck allowing your hand to slide quite freely on the back of the neck. The bridge humbucker is fantastic. It screams the notes clearly with ZERO noise or hum when not playing. I'm not that impressed with the neck humbucker, but that's comparing it to the neck hum on my Les Paul, Carvin, and PRS Custom. AND, for about 90% of the 80s hair band songs you are never using that pickup anyway. The Floyd Rose is great! I got tired of waiting for it to need minor tuning adjustments naturally, so I'm to the point of TRYING to make it go out of tune even slightly and it STILL stays locked in tune. Overall, this guitar is now my GO TO for anything 80s (the biggest chunk of my playing preference).Steve

I was keen to find a 6 string that had a fixed bridge that I could use for covers and so I can retune to alternate tunings easily without having to get the screwdrivers and spending a lot of time retuning like a Locking Tremolo guitar. Thankfully the guitar already had Seymour Duncan pick ups in which are essential to having a aggressive tone but as well allow good expression so this meant it would be a case of getting the guitar out the box and playing rather than buying separate pick ups having to fit them in and so on. As I wanted a guitar that wasn't black or brightly colored the desert sand finish on the guitar really stood out and attracted me. Most of the SLP2's have a great selection of finish's. As for the neck and wood finish it is very smoothly and allows you to get quick access from from end of the neck to the other. Behind each the tuners on the headstock, there is this interesting circular turning device to help lock in the strings. This may help keep it in tune more but I also just attribute it staying in tune due to the general quality of the guitar. I bend the strings a lot for my lead playing and I play very aggressively with thick picks and rhythmically so once I put some heavier strings on (my preference) and configured the bridge saddles with a very small L shaped Allen/hex key the guitar stayed in tune.Tom H.

I already own an Am Std Strat and Tele and a G&L Tele all single coil. I wanted to try a humbucker sound and being loyal to Fender, I purchased this guitar. The high quality feel, looks and sound of this guitar were immediately apparent. The sound has a distinct "bite" which is perfect for certain uses with the typical humbucker "growl". The Pearly Gates can get dirty, clean and somewhere in between depending on my settings. Though not made in America, this guitar is not "cheap", corners were not cut. Rock, blues, jazz all sound great. I use to be an "American Made", single coils only snob, but this purchase changed my opinions.GM

Overall: This guitar is a real surprise. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The pictures do not do it justice. It's comfortable to play and the weight is fine even for long gigs. The neck is very comfortable to play and easy to get to the high notes. You can do most any style of music with it. I use it with Fender, Marshall and Boss Katana Amps and it complements them all like they were made for each other. I definitely recommend this guitar to anyone wanting to have a Tele sound and Les Paul style sound all in one great guitar. You get the best of both worlds without paying a fortune for it. Absolutely worth every penny spent!Bill

I have a Peavey (Steve)Cropper Classic guitar as my daily driver, now sadly discontinued. This Fender HHFMT is perfect as a replacement. It is very light. It looks great. The pickups are powerful and very smooth. It sounds like a tele, it punches shred like my 1960 model, LP Classic. I always wanted the Fender Robben Ford guitar to get that “Talk To Your Daughter” tone which this guitar delivers on brilliantly. It covers the Stevie Ray Vaughn sound and feel, I also think it could handle a set of 12 gauge strings without dropping tuning as the action and play-ability is excellent right out of the box. You-tube it, research it and buy one before the price goes silly. Chris xReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I have twenty Fenders, including seven telecasters, and this is better than all of them. The neck feels like its been played for years, and the shape is perfect. Heavy rolled edges make it a pleasure to play with my thumb over the neck. First guitar I have bought that I had to raise the action slightly on the top two strings. Set up for fast playing or chords straight out of the case. The colour is sparkly brownish, but looks black in most light. Very well made guitar. The pickups are noiseless and are silent even with pedals. They sound like standard pickups, no loss of signal because of the extra windings for the noise cancellation. Sound fine. I must say, the pro 1 series pickups sound better. All in all a lovely instrument, well worth the extra few quid.STEVEN T.

Overall: I have an Ultra Strat in Cobra Blue, an Ultra Jazz Bass in Texas Tea, a Les Paul Standard Gold Top and other guitars. This has the most beautiful finish (Sunburst). Way better than the picture or videos. The tone is amazing. Light weight at 6.2 pounds. Officially my favorite guitar. Add to that they shipped it to me in 25 hours after promising 5 days. Ordered Monday noon and here it is. They had it in a warehouse near Reno and I got it next day. zZounds you ROCK.William

The Fender Ultra Telecaster Texas Tea is an amazing guitar, at first I noticed the D-Shape neck and quickly adapted to it. The neck feels silky smooth, hand glides over frets and is easy to play. The sound from pickups are brutally brilliant, and wit the S1 switch built into the tone knob, sends a slightly different signal, bit more gain with full richness depending on the selector position of course. I went initially seeking for the Jimmy Page Dragon Guitar and walk out of the shop with this Ultra instead, and for the few hundred dollars more, this guitar is totally worth it. The look of it is killer, and so classy – if there is an ultra guitar series in your guitar shop locally, don't hesitate to pick it up and test it out. This guitar is HOT! It's difficult to see in these photos but the colour under certain light angles are different and has small sparkling metallic substances mixed in with the colour. It's a black oily dark grey/brown. The neck has a vintage tone colour and the rosewood neck and skunk stripe just makes this guitar special.Jim T.

1 month review with guitar being setup professionally: Great pickups and tone and overall good sounding guitar after a proper setup, gorgeous nitro finish and paintjob. Relic effects are beautiful. The nitro finish feels thin enough for you to eventually make your own marks from repeated playing – a perfect way to tell a story and give the guitar character. Worn in neck feels amazing to play and not sticky to touch. Worth noting that the Pure Vintage 59 pickups on these don't have a reverse-wound middle pick, so there will be hum including positions 2 and 4. If you are easily annoyed with single coil hum, these pickups might not be for you. Also worth noting that these pickups do sound a bit warmer than a stock Fender Player pickups. These respond so MUCH better to high gain type of playing, all while still sounding amazing on low-gain and clean playing. Despite the pros, there are still some areas are lacking and needs improvement. The guitar had razor sharp frets along the binding that could easily cut you, meanwhile I have a $700 MIM fender player didn't have this problem straight out of the box. It's crazy to think that $700 guitar went through better QA than a $1200 guitar, but whatever, the frets are bound to be polished and worked on anyway with your initial setup regardless. CME's shipping page policies say "Every guitar gets a full inspection, as well as basic setup." Guitar came with an inspection card that had overall playability specs checked but some of it was questionable. The guitar was not playable at all out of the box despite letting it acclimate for over a day before opening BUT that is a given considering it spent time in a delivery truck trunk in freezing winter. However, it was a bit bogus how they even checked off volume output when the pickups were NOWEHERE near the appropriate height out of the box and there was BARELY any audible output on the treble side of the guitar. I highly doubt weather and temperature fluctuation will make the pickup screws spin by themselves to the degree at which the pickups came out of the box. Secondly, the tremolo springs at the back also weren't ******* in the appropriate depth for a either a floating or flushed trem setup – it was just sort of in the middle of the cavity. Weather fluctuation from their shop and may have affected string tension, but I also don't think it would make the claw springs in the back unscrew themselves to the degree the guitar came. Makes me wonder how thorough the inspection was. These might not matter as much to some especially those who will get their new guitars setup anyway, but it's good to note that you may still need to budget for a setup if you aren't doing it yourself. Although there could've been improvements on Fender and CME's part that I don't think could be blamed on external factors such as weather and climate fluctuations, overall, I would still 100% recommend this guitar, and it's a gem. The guitar played well after a proper setup, so I'm happy with it now. The price may be too expensive for some considering it's not made in USA, but it must be considered that this is the cheapest proper nitro-finish guitar you will currently find. The next best thing are Fender custom shop, so this guitar is perfect for those looking to enjoy vintage style paint/nitro body finish, and vintage specs without paying custom shop prices. The appearances are just a plus, since they sound and play amazing after a proper set up.Carlos T.

I've been playing for a little while, I rehearse with my band once/twice a week so my guitars definitely get played quite a bit, I've preferred Stratocasters from an early age. The shape is legendary and the tone is versatile. I own Chinese, Japanese, U.S. and Mexican Strats. This one is very comparable to my American Professional Stratocaster, the neck profile, the weight and intonation. Electronics are great, single coils produce a sweet twangy clean tone and the humbucker roars really nice with the right amount of gain/distortion. Makes it a very comfortable instrument that plays as easy as mantequilla on a hot tortilla. Only issue, (hence the 'almost comparable to MIA strats comment in the headline) are the frets… They are a little bit on the sharp side, I'm guessing it comes down to a player's preference? A competent luthier can dress the fret ends and make this one a real player/main axe. Other than the sharp frets, everything else is pretty solid and straight, the vatos down in Ensenada MX do great work producing these!Benjamin

So my story goes like this, I flew into Portland Oregon for work and immediately drove from the airport to Guitar Center. Upon walking in, someone was shredding on a guitar and it went on for a good 10 minutes. The guitar he was playing was the Candy Red Burst Fender Stratocaster Player Series. After he was done, I grabbed it and saw why he played it so long. It felt just solid in the hands. The strings, fret board and neck were silky smooth; Super easy to glide up and down with no fret buzz. The pickups are all Fender Player Stratocaster series which I have had no issue with and perform great out of the box. Also, just holding the guitar is a treat in the hands. It's a beautiful guitar. The Candy Red Burst has a very high functioning coat that gives a deep black fade anyway you turn it. It also fit my bill for something to remember Oregon by since the guitar is a deep Rose Red and Portland is know as the City of Roses.The Pau Ferro fingerboard is also eye candy as it has black veins that run through the grain matching the black hardware of the guitar. Other then that, I have had this guitar for 5 months as of this review and absolutely love it. The guitar holds its tune very well I enjoy playing it every time. Wait, you still reading this? Go get one already!Allan

This is an amazing instrument at this price point. Plays like a custom shop piece. Dont be fooled by online sales where all you get is a guitar in a cheap soft case leftover from the last eBay transaction. Or worse, a nothing but a cardboard shipping box. This instrument is better than new because It has just enough living room playing time to validate that everything works as expected. It has Fenders newest compound maple neck with easy access truss rod adjustment at the bottom of the neck. The noiseless pickups sound best through a warmed-up tube amp cranked to just where it starts to breakup and then the tele volume backed off to about 2/3 or less. You will be amazed at the tones you can get through your fingers and the guitar's volume knob. Give the volume knob a twist and you are in a whole new gear. I have a small collection of instruments that include a Stratocaster and Les Paul both with Jescar Super Jumbo fret wire and a Gretsch. The American Elite Telecaster is by far the lightest guitar I own. Take advantage of this opportunity before I tear into it and it becomes one of my favorites.hillte9267

I have used this guitar with my band, live and in rehearsals… Plays fantastically once I set it up to my desired specs (Std D tuning, 10-52 strings, FU Tone brass block), but these PRS stock pickups have no grunt and snarl to them, so I plan to add an SD Black Winter set like in my EC Black Metal FR (dropped C). I have reverted back to using my Kramer Assault Plus which came loaded with the SD Alternative 8 set. Will likely use Custom 24 as primary D guitar again after replacing pickups. For this pickup issue alone, I'm giving it 3 stars, otherwise, it would be 5, as spending over 200 bucks more is a bit off putting after spending over $1100 for this plus a hard shell case for an import.Steve

From the moment you pull the case from the shipping box, to that incredible moment you set you’re eyes on this thing and pick it up. You experience a whole new level of quality craftsmanship, choice parts and select materials. Small innovative ideas that make you think, “now that's a better way to do that, why didn’t anyone else think of that?” The guitar was set up perfectly, fret work is incredible and is such a joy to play. Not to mention that it’s so beautiful. I’m sure whatever finish you select, it will look incredible. But it’s not just a pretty face. This instruments excels at what it’s suppose to do. Be a tool for your music. Nothing is perfect so here is what I found. And I’m being VERY picky The pickups are fantastic. Quality tones and I’m impressed with the clean tones and split combinations (truly great tones). I’m not as impressed with the drive tones. Purely personal opinion but I find they have too much “bite”. THAT’S ALL! Haha! Seriously! Buy it!Grumpy Guitar Player USA

My husband had wanted one of these for a long time and I surprised him with this one. He loves everything about it and couldn’t be happier. I don’t play guitar but he said it plays like a dream. I can say that it probably has the best sound of all the guitars he has.B.Farley903

I have bought several guitars in the 100 to 300 range. I was surprised on the quality of this guitar and felt it was superior to many other brands in this range. From neck joint to fret polish & leveling and finish this guitar is quality except the tuners, however the guitar stays in tune and rarely goes out. The neck is not a Fender Strat or Tele neck so don't expect it to play like one, Its its own thing. It is not wide at the nut so if you need a wide neck at the nut it may not be for you. I find it fine and would not consider it narrow. The neck is slightly fatter than a Squire neck but it is still a C shape and a bit thicker as you go up the neck to higher frets. It plays great. Its set up well for Rock and Blues playing, neck adjusted with a light bow and strings set low (but not to low to buzz). Bridge saddles are stainless steel and this make the strings ring out bright and loud even when not plugged in. Intonation was spot on. Frets are tall enough to allow for string bending (there not super low). As regards pickups this is a personal thing. Pickups are very basic and do okay, one may want to upgrade them to ones own liking other wise there fine.pchapm

I was hesitant when ordering the guitar, but after I received it worry washed away from a single glance. I'm not good at instruments, I never played anything than doing ukulele club when I was a kid so I didn't expect myself to buy a guitar. It's delicate and beautiful, feels great to hold and sounds just as good. I do not regret buying this guitar at all, in fact I'm greatful that I'm able to own it. I strive to become great at playing it, little by little . Thank you!Nazma B.

It's a beautiful guitar and really well made. I bought it for my 9 year old daughter and she loves it. I don't know anything about guitars as I'm a pianist myself, but her guitar teacher was absolutely delighted with it. It's definitely worth paying the extra for the upgrades. I can definitely see it lasting her as it feels really solid, and the knobs and twiddly bits etc feel really solid. I genuinely can't get over how nice it is. Makes me want to learn the guitar myself!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Sound: The stock pickups sound great especially with high gain. Nice crunch and break up. Features: For me the reason that I bought this model is that it is the least expensive way to get a real Edge tremolo. I can do subtle things with the Edge that I can’t do on an Original Floyd Rose. The bar is easier to position and it stays where ever you put it. As long as the torsion bushings on the bar aren’t worn out, the pop in bar is neither too tight or too sloppy. Value: This guitar is worth every penny. Manufacturer Support: I did not use Ibanez customer service and I did order half a dozen sets of torsion bushings, but had to order them from different places. The Wow Factor: I love the color of this one, Desert Sun Yellow. Overall: In the last 2 months I’ve bought 5 different Ibanez guitars, both lower and higher price. I must say that this guitar is the most bang for the buck out of any of my 21 guitars that I own.Got more than 200 bucks off on mine as it was sold as a slight blemish. When the guitar arrived, I noticed it did have a hairline crack in the paint on the bass side at the neck pocket. That was the only flaw I could find and it probably would have happened anyway if I would have got a “new” one.This is the shreddiest guitar that I have. The only thing that I had to address is that the 6th fret was a little proud. Other than that the fret job was good. All the frets were shiny and smooth and no fret sprout.This is the guitar that is at the price point where if you spend more money, you aren’t going to get much better. And the fit and finish were top notch.Scott

Overall: This guitar was a total impulse buy and I’m so glad I bought it! It’s easily worth twice the price of it. Can’t get too many mid tier guitars that are neck thru with decent pickups and a 5-way switch that has a fast and slim neck at this price. I mostly play baritone 6 strings and 7 strings but I needed a 25.5” scale for drop C and this is perfect for it with 10-54 strings. I did upgrade the nut with a Graphtech tusq nut and Hipshot locking tuners with knurled tuner buttons and looks even more badass while staying in perfect tune! I have an Ibanez rgib6 Iron Label 28” baritone and this is up there with that as far as quality and playability. The stock pickups aren’t bad at all and definitely surprised me cuz that’s usually the first thing I’ll change in an inexpensive guitar. As you can see by the other reviews people say it’s a great guitar and they’re not lying so if you’re on the fence about getting it then go for it! You won’t be disappointed at all and if for some reason you are then zZounds has a return policy within like 30-45 days so you won’t be stuck with a guitar you don’t love.Josh

I got this guitar on September 14th, 2021, and have had some minor issues with it. When I receive this guitar, it was perfect. Not a single case of fret buzz, the nut was perfect, and it was an all around great guitar. However, after about a month. I realized the tuners were a bit out of wack. I would be a bit flat, and turn the tuning peg over and over and over, only to not tighten the string at all. Then when I finally did one last turn, I'd be sharp by a whole note! Whatever, just replace the tuners. I had been putting that off. The next issue was a bit weird. I play really hard, and over time, the bridge pins were starting to get loose, and eventually a whole screw came out, and I had to take the guitar to a tech. I know this is probably user error, but still. I eventually just decided to turn it into a Jonny Greenwood tele, with lace sensors, a kill switch, and all. And let me tell you, this guitar is perfect now. The neck is (and always was) exactly what I was looking for. It's a bit thinner that my Squier Affinity Strat, but I like a thinner neck. Bottom line, I would recommend this guitar if your okay with getting new tuners. No one else I know has had problem with the bridge, so consider that. (P.S. I forgot to say that the stock pickups are amazing! I almost just kept them, they sound really good)Cory

I have bought several guitars in the 100 to 300 range. I was surprised on the quality of this guitar and felt it was superior to many other brands in this range. From neck joint to fret polish & leveling and finish this guitar is quality except the tuners, however the guitar stays in tune and rarely goes out. The neck is not a Fender Strat or Tele neck so don't expect it to play like one, Its its own thing. It is not wide at the nut so if you need a wide neck at the nut it may not be for you. I find it fine and would not consider it narrow. The neck is slightly fatter than a Squire neck but it is still a C shape and a bit thicker as you go up the neck to higher frets. It plays great. Its set up well for Rock and Blues playing, neck adjusted with a light bow and strings set low (but not to low to buzz). Bridge saddles are stainless steel and this make the strings ring out bright and loud even when not plugged in. Intonation was spot on. Frets are tall enough to allow for string bending (there not super low). As regards pickups this is a personal thing. Pickups are very basic and do okay, one may want to upgrade them to ones own liking other wise there fine.pchapm

I was hesitant when ordering the guitar, but after I received it worry washed away from a single glance. I'm not good at instruments, I never played anything than doing ukulele club when I was a kid so I didn't expect myself to buy a guitar. It's delicate and beautiful, feels great to hold and sounds just as good. I do not regret buying this guitar at all, in fact I'm greatful that I'm able to own it. I strive to become great at playing it, little by little . Thank you!Nazma B.

It's a beautiful guitar and really well made. I bought it for my 9 year old daughter and she loves it. I don't know anything about guitars as I'm a pianist myself, but her guitar teacher was absolutely delighted with it. It's definitely worth paying the extra for the upgrades. I can definitely see it lasting her as it feels really solid, and the knobs and twiddly bits etc feel really solid. I genuinely can't get over how nice it is. Makes me want to learn the guitar myself!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I have twenty Fenders, including seven telecasters, and this is better than all of them. The neck feels like its been played for years, and the shape is perfect. Heavy rolled edges make it a pleasure to play with my thumb over the neck. First guitar I have bought that I had to raise the action slightly on the top two strings. Set up for fast playing or chords straight out of the case. The colour is sparkly brownish, but looks black in most light. Very well made guitar. The pickups are noiseless and are silent even with pedals. They sound like standard pickups, no loss of signal because of the extra windings for the noise cancellation. Sound fine. I must say, the pro 1 series pickups sound better. All in all a lovely instrument, well worth the extra few quid.STEVEN T.

Overall: I have an Ultra Strat in Cobra Blue, an Ultra Jazz Bass in Texas Tea, a Les Paul Standard Gold Top and other guitars. This has the most beautiful finish (Sunburst). Way better than the picture or videos. The tone is amazing. Light weight at 6.2 pounds. Officially my favorite guitar. Add to that they shipped it to me in 25 hours after promising 5 days. Ordered Monday noon and here it is. They had it in a warehouse near Reno and I got it next day. zZounds you ROCK.William

The Fender Ultra Telecaster Texas Tea is an amazing guitar, at first I noticed the D-Shape neck and quickly adapted to it. The neck feels silky smooth, hand glides over frets and is easy to play. The sound from pickups are brutally brilliant, and wit the S1 switch built into the tone knob, sends a slightly different signal, bit more gain with full richness depending on the selector position of course. I went initially seeking for the Jimmy Page Dragon Guitar and walk out of the shop with this Ultra instead, and for the few hundred dollars more, this guitar is totally worth it. The look of it is killer, and so classy – if there is an ultra guitar series in your guitar shop locally, don't hesitate to pick it up and test it out. This guitar is HOT! It's difficult to see in these photos but the colour under certain light angles are different and has small sparkling metallic substances mixed in with the colour. It's a black oily dark grey/brown. The neck has a vintage tone colour and the rosewood neck and skunk stripe just makes this guitar special.Jim T.

I was amazed at the quality for the price on this guitar . I own over 20 guitars and actually purchased this one for my sons birthday. All my guitars will be my boys one day but wanted to ad one to his current collection and this was a great choice. I have been a AMS customer for over a decade and love their prices, selection and payment plans. I always recommend AMS to my musician friends, they are the best!!!!Mike

LOVE this guitar! It have a smooth rosewood fret board which makes soloing slick and precise. The tone is perfect for Metal & clean playing. It stays in tune & is all around well built. Great price too!traviveg_9

I expected better from Jackson. Pickups are iffy,tuners are junk will not stay in tune. Pickup selector switch is scratchy and works sometimes. Action is ok after a good setup and string change. Had it for about 5 months now and thinking about trading it in for something a little better. It does look great hanging on the wall though.Keith C.

Kudos to Fender/Squier for the paranormal concept. I love Telecaster style guitars and this one with a thinline body and jazzmaster pickups is really cool looking. The guitar is superlight (less than six pounds) and has a really resonant sound when played unplugged. Overall the build quality is really good at this price point. No issues with fret buzz or sharp fret ends. Plugged in this thing almost sounds like an electric/acoustic guitar, works really well for chords in the middle position giving it a bright and airy sound. It's not a true Tele but the bridge pickup on its own can get you somewhat close to a Tele sound. The tuners are just ok but will be looking to replace as they seem to slip a bit. Needed to file the nut slots down just a tad and overall the nut is probably something I'll also replace in the future. I have never owned a Jazzmaster so not quite sure I know what the pickups should sound like but I think these are a good pairing. The neck pup is a bit darker sounding and more suited for jazz type sounds. The middle position yields a nice country rock sound great for rhythm guitar playing and the bridge pickup is brighter and I have found it useful for solos. This is not a rock guitar although you could get by with it as that, more of a nice sounding rhythm guitar for someone looking for an airy acoustic type tone. Lead tones are suitable for blues or jazz. I did put some pedals in front of this guitar and you can fuzz it up with some success but overall there are better guitars if you're looking for a metal or hard rock type sound. Guitar plays great and the light weight is a big plus. The neck has a nice thin C shape and it's got a bit of a heavy gloss but its not tinted like a lot of squiers are and the grain int the maple on mine is really nice almost quilit like in some spots. Overall a fun guitar with some cool factor to it.Mr Mustang

I have this Thinline in Olympic white. It's a beautiful guitar, very lightweight with the hollow body. The tone is amazing out of the stock Jazzmaster-style pickups (which are actually p90s in disguise). I play through a Vox AC4 and can get anything from crunchy blues to ballsy stoner rock and everything in between. I brought it to a guitar tech for a setup and the only upgrade he recommended was swapping the output Jack for a Switchcraft with an Electrosocket mount. He was impressed by the weight and sound, and he said the tuners are great quality. He had to reduce some relief in the neck and dress the frets, but it was well worth the $100 setup as this guitar is a keeper. Love the slick maple neck and string-through body too.Brendan

Guitar plays ok (after a prolonged set-up), but there are some problems with the quality. For example, instrument cables don't fit snuggly into the input jack … they just fall right out. Not an insurmountable problem, I know, but I have never had that happen on ANY guitar I've owned. Also, the pickup selector doesn't stay in the bridge position (it also has an electrical buzz when you hold it there). Again, not something that can't be fixed, but I bought this new and I shouldn't have to deal with such problems right out of the gate. Where was the quality control? Buyer beware!Joe

Having a couple guitars I was curious about the short scale. Came across a Mustang P90 in surf green with maple fret in the open box section. Awesome deal , guitar is a joy to play. Sounds great clean or with overdrive. What an fantastic bang for the buck fun. Fun to play blues , metal , punk thrash…etc Cannot say enough good things about this guitar.Michael P

Overall: I can't believe there aren't any reviews of this guitar yet!I have the Burgundy Mist version of this with the pao ferro fretboard which, sadly, zZounds no longer carries. It's pretty, really pretty, and it exudes a seriously vintage vibe. (I saw an antique Burgundy Mist Chevrolet last week and I immediately thought of my feisty little Fender.)The hardware; bridge & tuners, is your standard MiM Fender quality. They're more than up to the task. The Strat-style bridge makes this an easy guitar to keep in tune. (I once had a 1978 Mustang and keeping it in tune was a nightmare that not even Edgar Allen Poe or H.P. Lovecraft could imagine.)The MP-90 pickups are capable of so much that it I could fill a whole page trying to accurately describe them. They are beefy enough to really drive a good tube amp. (My main amps are a Marshall DSL1 and Vox AC4-C112.) On a clean setting the neck pickup on its' own isn't particularly impressive, kinda dark, but the middle and bridge positions are really versatile if you tweak the volume and tone controls.With distortion, in my case a Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion (it's more of a gargantuan fuzz than a distortion pedal), all three positions sings with a tone that would make Leslie West smile broadly.I'm not a big guy (5'9", 150 lbs) so the small offset body and short scale neck are really comfortable.There is only one real drawback to this marvelous axe but it's something that shouldn't for even a second dissuade anyone from adding this guitar to their guitarsenal, and that's the pickup selector switch. It's junk. It cuts out and is rather staticky (is that a word?). It's a cheap piece of junk but it usually works so I can deal with it. (And you can as well.) I'll eventually replace it but there's no need to right now.My particular specimen had a truly beautifully grained pao ferro fretboard, with the frets being smooth and very well dressed. I love a big monstrous tone and this little wonder genuinely delivers.(Fender's prices have gone up since I bought mine but this particular axe is an absolute joy to play and for the price is still a true bargain. It loves, LOVES, full six-string power chords so if you're in a Mountain tribute band then you'll find a lot to like in this guitar.)I am first and foremost a "Telecaster guy" but I love pulling out this little dude and blasting away like Han Solo in a cantina full of Greedos.I've gone on for far too long here but it's only because I really, really like this guitar.[In my 'stars' rating I give this guy five stars in the 'manufacturer support' column because I own a bunch of Fenders and have never had a problem.]Mark

Just an excellent, well crafted multiscale ESP/LTD. Seymour Duncan Nazgul/Sentient combo pups get it done! Clean or metal very versatile pickup set.johnarcher123

Plays like a dream. Fishmans off the chain. Neck feels awesome, stable tuning, ultimate shred machine. Highly recommended if you can find one.Nexus Six

I am both surprised and please with this guitar I purchased this guitar at GC Nashville after returning a Gibson Les Paul Classic that I bought online. (lesson learned, don't buy from GC online.) The staff there were great and had no issues with me returning a $2200 guitar that I bought online. Even more supportive in helping me pick out a much less expensive guitar. Great people. This Epiphone is awesome. The fit and finish are great. The action is low and no buzz. The tone is great and It is lighter and easier to handle than the Gibson . The best part is it cost a third of the one I returned. I really wanted a Gibson but I am so glad I picked up this Epiphone. A word of caution. I looked at and played several guitars at GC before choosing this one. I even played a couple of other Epiphone Les Paul Customs. No two were the same. One had razors for frets, one had an action you could drive a truck under and this one was just right. Go in an play them before buying.Mike

This is my second 6 string electric, and I couldn't be HAPPIER with it! My first guitar is an entry level Epiphone SG Special that was a couple hundred bucks back in the day. It got the job done…good frets, good tune, good everything. I recently decided to step it up and get a "mid-range" guitar but still not break the bank with an Epiphone. And I'm not calling Epiphone cheap…they are just more in my price range when compared to Gibsons. Stepping it up is the right description for this guitar!! It is AMAZING! The feel, the tone, the look! It sounds great and feels good in the hands too. I especially love the Silverburst color!! The main reason I wanted this specific guitar. It's Adam Jones from TooL color scheme finish but on an epiphone! They are coming out with his own model of epiphone, but I'm impatient lol. Looks are important to picking out a guitar as much as sound! The inlays on the fretboard look beautiful. The pick guard and finish are beautiful, the trim/binding around the guitar… this guitar has reignited my passion for playing! As of this writing, I have no complaints! Excellent guitar!Matt

I purchased this guitar because a Les Paul was missing from my gear arsenal and I didn't want to drop three grand on a Gibson. I played a wall model at a local GC store and decided to buy, but requested a factory new model sent to me, because the wall model I played had some nicks in the fretboard, a sketchy 3 way switch and had worn strings and the intonation was way off above the 14th fret. I paid for next day air shipping to expedite the process because I tend to want the things I pay for fairly quickly. The shipping tag originated from the same city I live in, meaning they had a factory new either in the warehouse or at the neighboring store about 20 miles away. So I essentially paid 42$ for expedited shipping and could had likely gotten it same day if I asked the right questions I suppose. Shame on me. The next business day my guitar is delivered to my residence, I open it and immediately inspected it for possible shipping damage or factory flaws. It arrives with a broken 3 way switch, all strings tuned nearly 2 steps flat and also needed to make a truss rod adjustment to straighten the neck. Completely unacceptable that these issues left both the factory and GC's "quality control" in the condition it did. Luckily I work at a local small box music store and worked with our own luthier after hours to set it up and correct the problems. All that said, this guitar is absolutely fantastic. It plays and sounds very good and even though the stock pickups aren't top tier, they are excellent performers at a very reasonable price point. Monster value in this guitar. If you can acquire one some where other than Guitar Center, do it. If you do purchase from guitar center, make absolutely certain to have it looked at by a professional before accepting it. 5 stars for the guitar and it's value. 1 star for guitar centers lack of QC shipping items.Dan