Show us your Telecasters

[jeremyb]

That's why they were cheaper....

[Molly]

See the odd thing about this is that in 1953 a telecaster was $189.50 US, which in todays money is $1712.97 how does that work???? We're paying a lot for marketing...

JB. I honestly don't know where you're going with this. Fender do a good job of providing something for everyone. I'm not sure there's a part of the market they don't have covered and I suppose that's their intention.

At the premium end of things the law of diminished returns applies and you pay a whole lot more for the extra details. Doesn't stop them selling as many as they can make though. We can all separate what things are from what they mean and filter-out the romance from the spec. Regardless, no Value for Money 101 class is going to stop us buying the best we can afford. A passion is a passion and rationality has no part in that.

Just my 9c (I traded my 2c in for a Custom Shop model).

[null_pointer]

That's like saying a house was $10k back then, so there must be a large marketing cost these days to buy the same thing for 100x the price..
Should note using the same calculator as you the aforementioned $10k is worth approx $88,000 these days, which just isn't true on the vast majority of items.

[GrantB]

lol seeking aside...

Median wage in USA 1953 was $3,139 - a new Telecaster ($189.50) cost 6% of your wage.

Median wage in USA 2017 was $55,775 - a new Telecaster ($1,449.50) cost 2.6% of your wage.

Added to that, solid quality wood is now relatively scarce, and along with copper price increases beating CPI and other raw material hikes, it's a relative bargain!!

I remain of the opinion...price/value arguments are moot.

[Slowy]

See the odd thing about this is that in 1953 a telecaster was $189.50 US, which in todays money is $1712.97 how does that work???? We're paying a lot for marketing...

It's not marketing, it's demand. Is there fat in a Fender price? You bet! Do Fender have a backlog of unsold stock? Not that I've heard of. Part of the art of corporate accounting is to find the maximum price the market will tolerate while still consuming all your production. We complain about Fender and Gibson's pricing but we, the people are an integral part of setting it.

[JustMatt]

Big builders need big multi level distribution networks. Fender in NZ for example gets sent out to Direct Imports and then out to stores, each needing a cut to keep operating.

Smaller builders often deal direct with stores, thus cutting out the middle man and a whole bunch of costs.

Nothing deceitful about it. Just some old fashioned diseconomies of scale.

[JHorner]

Telecaster acquired for less than 1953 pricing

[Bg]

it cost less than $3k, its shit.

[JHorner]

lol it is a bit shit.

Needs a fret dress.

Definitely going to replace the genuine tele style jack with something that isn't idiotic. like an LP jack.

Tempted to replace all the electronics.

Keep telling myself: it's just a beater! don't spend anything on it!

[MakoGat]

Some nice Tele's here, Im more of a Les Paul fan but always liked the Tele for its robust simplicity and they dont look to bad either, well except for that headstock eeeew

Heres my cheap ass, go to hack, C# / Db tuned, Squier CV 50s body, new 6 way bridge, neck humbucker, pots, cap, switch. Neck is about to come off (that damn headstock) got a new maple with rosewood board coming, also black tuners then Ill get some black vol & tone knobs Grrrrrrrr - will post another pic when done.

[Molly]

Some nice Tele's here, Im more of a Les Paul fan but always liked the Tele for its robust simplicity and they dont look to bad either, well except for that headstock eeeew

Heres my cheap ass, go to hack, C# / Db tuned, Squier CV 50s body, new 6 way bridge, neck humbucker, pots, cap, switch. Neck is about to come off (that damn headstock) got a new maple with rosewood board coming, also black tuners then Ill get some black vol & tone knobs Grrrrrrrr - will post another pic when done.

Is it an air-guitar?

[MakoGat]

Eerm, newb here, isnt there some kinda limit before i can post pics maybe??

[TmcB]

Eerm, newb here, isnt there some kinda limit before i can post pics maybe??

I don't think so? Haven't been a newb for a while. The file size on here is rather tiny - I tend to upload my shots to Photobucket and then post them here.

[TmcB]

In Tele related news, I've just put a vintage guard on my Hotrod '52 and popped in some Wilde Bill Lawrence Keystones with a 4 way switch *swoon*

They're just sublime pickups, I am extremely impressed, with the caveat I was looking for something a little sweeter, richer, and more vintage Tele-like. Bite without harshness, deep lows without being murky, midrange that doesn't overcook everything.

The SD Mini-Hum + Area T Hot is a winner combo too, but a lot ruder and snarlier.

[sizzlingbadger]