MusicRadar Verdict
If you're a player, not a poser, you should be blown away by this electric.
Pros
- +
Stunning Tele vibe. Ballsy tone.
Cons
- -
Whibley could have worked a bit harder…
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First he played a Les Paul ("but I got sick of that because of all the jumping around"). Then he tried an SG ("but I bashed it about so much it didn't stay in tune").
At last, just when it seemed he'd never settle down, Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 tested a '72 Fender Telecaster and promptly fell for the boneheaded joys of this classic design.
It was only a matter of time before someone upstairs at Fender suggested a signature model. More surprising is that it's only available through the firm's entry-level Squier division.
Overview
From the '70s Deluxe-style body to the bolt-on maple neck, Whibley can't claim he had much input in the nuts and bolts of his new squeeze.
As is signature model protocol, you'll find his influence more in the visual trimmings. "I modified my own Tele with one custom pickup and took off some of the knobs," explains the punk.
"The Xs, for whatever reason, have been on all my guitars and amps since high school." And the result? "I like it a lot," says Whibley. "It sounds great and is really comfortable to play."
You can imagine Whibley 'designing' his Tele on a napkin, in a stray five minutes at an Ohio truckstop.
The only factors that really set this apart from Squier's stock Teles are the Xs and the headstock signature. Oh, and we're a pickup down too.
Granted, it's not much for fans to get their teeth into, but if you're a player rather than a poser you should be knocked out by the performance of this electric.
Built on the same principles - just with cheaper woods and less human involvement - Squiers get admirably close to their Fender equivalents, while the Korean-built Duncan pickups often
give their US Seymour Duncan equivalents a run for their money.
The upshot is that this always felt like a 'real' Tele. TG had a blast planting 5th chords along the C-profile neck, took full advantage of the searing clarity of the Duncan to nail that fiddly bit from In Too Deep, and is pleased to confirm this model both stays in tune and is great for jumping about with.
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