Fender American Professional II Telecaster Review

My First Telecaster

I love this guitar. It's beautiful, feels nice in my hands and it sounds great. I'm already playing way more than I was before. And thanks to Paul for the great service. I look forward to doing more business with Paul and Sweetwater over the years.

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Nothing short of amazing

I have had my first Tele for a few weeks now... and it is amazing. The neck is so nice to hold and it sounds the business and quickly became my Number One!The Miami Blue looks better in person and everything seems super solid. I MAY change out the tuning machines for locking or the Klusons... I don't what it is about them. I know the are upgrades, but they just don't feel as good… read more as they could. I will, however, give them a good long try before I do a swap. Still, overall, the guitar was worth the upgrade from the MIMs.

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The best Telecaster ever!

Having owned Tele's in the past I had no idea Fender was making them this nice! Great attention to detail and the sound is great. Easy to play and it makes me sound good, that takes some doing. Love the rosewood fretboard and the sunburst is sublime. Great service from Sweetwater, great packaging for shipment and customer service is the best.

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Awesome guitar!!

Best Telecaster I have owned. Awesome guitar!

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First Telecaster!

This guitar plays and sounds better than I could have imagined. Once you pick it up you won't put it down.

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This covers all tones - Strat, Les Paul, Es-335, even Metal

I am a believer - single coils can blow away a humbucker if wound right, with the right magnets, and the right hardware and tone wood. I have owned every mainstream guitar and this tele is my new gigging monster. I can not believe the bridge pickup it growls with amazing sonic balance. I was able to dial in The Cult's booming chords, the Stones Start Me Up, Mike Campbell's perfect… read more Petty tone, even Van Halen, Metallica, and Jet's tone. The Middle pickup is beat in series if you want full humbuckers tones like Lenny Kravitz, the Bridge tones mirror SRV - I mean nail them even better than my strat. I am in love with this guitar. The neck is absolutely butter, bending notes in the upper neck is effortless with the radius and extra reach is easy with the contoured heel. The weight is spot on 8 lbs, which is perfect and it balances well on a strap. Again, the tones I am getting are bringing my tone alive for Classic Rock, Blues, Country and Southern Rock., I have a PRS, Les Paul, Es-335 and a Strat and some custom guitars, but this guitar is WAY more utilitarian and effective. The Olympic White color is drop dead gorgeous and relic-y with creamy overtones. The Rosewood neck feels right to me but the neck did have a bit of fret sprout but c'mon it's a tele neck with rounded edges, some fret sprout is going to be present. The case is lightweight, molded and has very thick furry felt. Very happy with this guitar and so glad I didn't settle for a MIM. If you ever doubted a tele as being to tele sounding, this guitar solves that issue. Buy one!!

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Lovely.

Super smooth. Ultimately beautiful and sings like a sweet child. Catching all the feelings for this gem of gems.

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I love this Tele

I can't even feel my fingers anymore. I can't put it down. This thing sounds AMAZING!!

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A Tele lover's dream

After years of playing stock and modded Squier Classic Vibe and Mexican Fender Telecasters (all solid workhorses), it was time to stop settling for "good enough" and order an American Professional. Those other guitars were great "for the money" instruments, but I would have a hard time going back to them after playing this beautiful machine. The neck alone is worth the price of… read more admission. The thick depth, rolled edges, dark rosewood and narrow tall frets all work together to create a great playing experience. The pickups give you what you want in the bridge and middle positions, but the neck pickup shines compared to the muddier tones I was getting out of the Squiers and MIM Fenders. It is highly usable and still retains some of that top end Tele sizzle with a richer low end. The series position is also a great option when you want a beefier sound; not quite a humbucker, but almost there. After 4 months with it, the only thing I changed was some 10s a new mint pickguard to give it that 60's Tele look. I have since sold the other Telecasters, because I don't want another one taking time away from this one. Big thanks to my sales engineer Robert Williams for all the amazing service he has provided to me over the years. There's a reason I make larger purchases with Sweetwater when I have a choice of online and retail stores.

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It’s a Dandy

After purchasing lower price point guitars for many year's, i went all in and purchased this Dandy of a guitar. American made Fender, I'm not a professional player but you don't have to be to see, hear and feel the difference in this instrument. The only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Sweetwater support and service 5 Stars as well.

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Am Pro II Tele

My first impression has not changed. I have had this guitar for a couple of weeks now and still impressed. The neck feels perfect. Frets and neck finish are good. Overall weight is good. The V-Mod pickups sound good clean and with heavy gain. It is a keeper.

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Awesome guitar! great service!

I just got one of these Miami Blue APII telecasters, and it is everything I was hoping for. The whole process went extremely well. I viewed the guitars in the gallery, picked the one that got my attention (the colors actually vary somewhat), ordered it, waited one week for shipment to the West Coast, opened the box, and did the "grand reveal." Since then, I've had trouble putting… read more it down. The range of tones exceeds my Les Paul and Stratocaster guitars. The fidelity of the tones is incredible!! Beautiful guitar at a reasonable price, plus the $150 in bonus bucks... what a deal! I definitely agree with the YouTube bloggers, such as "intheblues"... Fender quality seems to be at an all time high. I am glad I made the decision, and I am thankful to my sales engineer, Tom Maxwell, for expediting the shipment -- despite all of the current challenges with retail, shipping, etc. Sweetwater rocks... quite literally!! Thank you very much. I'll be back.

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The best yet to come from Fender

Tiberious my sales guy had the action set and intonated with the strings I asked for, after un boxing it, I was amazed at the quality of the work, they have out done them self's with the new Telecaster, it is better than an older ones, sound is the same and I don't need another guitar , this one goes from true classic Blues and jazz to full on rock, and everything in between, case… read more is great and sturdy well lined for protecting the guitar, cant say enough about it, best yet from Fender, worth every penny I spent and more , even sold my Gibson Les Paul, was a 70's tribute model, this is light in weight and good for my back problems, also the neck makes it fun to play, cant put it down when I pick it up, it inspirers me to play more, at least for me, this is one great guitar

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It's a great tele!

After spending forever looking at different telecaster models, I finally pulled the trigger and decided to give the pro ii a shot. It arrived in two days. The first thing I noticed when I picked it up and strummed it was how amazing the neck felt: the satin finish and deep c (compared to a more glossy modern c neck on my other guitar) felt like a dream. It resonates very well and… read more the pickups give you the tele sounds you probably already love if you're looking to pick one up. I haven't quite found a use for the push-push control on the tone knob, but that's a feature I can play around with. Worst case scenario I just don't use it in the alt position. It's a great guitar anyway. For aesthetics I swapped the pickguard with a mint one and I think it looks amazing. Sweetwater did a great job on the setup! The action was low but reasonable and it was intonated very well. Thanks for making this one easy!

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American Professional II Telecaster

Ordered a demo butterscotch blonde and it was better then I could hope for. Been playing a Stratocaster for years and always wanted a Telecaster. Very happy with this guitar and extremely impressed with the neck and overall playability of this guitar. This was my first time ordering from Sweetwater and it won't be the last. Thanks to all the people at Sweetwater, keep up the great… read more work.

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Best Overall American Telecaster

Let's start by explaining why I think it's the best overall American Tele. I have a few MIM guitars, and also an Ultra Telecaster. If you have been tossing around in your sleep trying to decide between Am Pro II and Ultra, this review will help. Overall, the Am Pro II is better value than the Ultra. It's considerable less money, but just as much a guitar. The Am Pro II Telecaster… read more sounds more like a "Tele" than the Ultra. I've played them both back to back tons of times and I prefer the sound of the V Mods over the Ultra Noiseless. There is more character to the tone and it's also sweeter and more lively. There is one area where the Ultra Noiseless excels at — Higher gain. The Ultra Noiseless sound much fuller and less raspy when you really crank up the gain well past "blues" levels. The Ultra will do hard rock better, even though it still falls short of humbuckers. Heck, you can even pull off metal with it (to an extent). They also possess a brilliant and juicy bell-like quality that the V Mods II don't have. I love it on single notes. However, as said earlier, overall the V Mods sound better, but of course, they hum. The neck on the Am Pro II Tele is awesome. It's just a little thicker than on the Ultra. I feel very comfortable on both. Keep in mind the Am Pro II has narrow tall frets over the Ultras Medium Jumbos. What this means is that when sliding, you "feel" the frets more on the Am Pro II. This is something I'm fine with. That speed-bump effect. Others don't like this as much. I do feel complex chording is easier on the Am Pro II's narrow tall frets, but lead is a little more natural on the Ultra's medium jumbos. I like the American Pro II Telecaster so much that I bought a second one. In fact, this review is on the page of my second one, Dark Knight. My original one is Butterscotch and is the first guitar I always pick up for practice. My Dark Knight has a rosewood fretboard as opposed to the Butterscotch's maple, and while it's a great neck too, it has a tiny bit of fret sprout on the bottom. You can't feel it on the top side of the neck. This is more typical with rosewood since it shrinks more than maple, but I think it could have probably been dressed a little better at the factory. Not a big deal though as dressing a rosewood board is easier and cleaner of a job than it is on maple. Anyway, if you've been torn between Am Pro II and Ultra and don't have either… go Am Pro II. You will not regret it. I have both, but if I could only have one, it would be this one. Oh, one last comment. I haven't fully set up my blue one yet, but my Butterscotch Am Pro II Tele is the only guitar I have that intonates PERFECTLY at the open fundamental, at the 12th fret fretted and at the 12 fret harmonic… ON EVERY STRING. It's unreal. I don't except I'll get as lucky with the blue one, but maybe. Either way, this is great because Teles are not known for perfect intonation due to the pairs of strings that have to share each of the 3 barrel saddles. Big shoutout to Michael Duncan for the awesome service as always.

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Superb guitar

I love the playability of this guitar. I have only ever played through humbuckers and Gibsons, so I wanted a totally different sound. This really delivers! I've picked up and strummed some older 2010's American Standard Fenders in the past, and this one blows those out of the water. The neck feels amazing and played in! The tele tone is something else. My SG has been collecting… read more dust since this one arrived. Totally different feel and sound! Would recommend.

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Sweet Tele

I have to say the Pro II tele is a fantastic specimen from the smooth neck to the V-mod pickups to the push push knob, saddle and bridge upgrade and spectacular dark knight finish let alone the tones Fender left no stone unturned. Thank you to sales engineer Damon Spragia and Sweetwater for the awesome customer support and service.

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WAY better than expected!

I've wanted a real Fender American Tele for years. I finally added it to the collection and love every minute of it. The classic Tele sound rings so true, especially the bridge pickup. You can hear a little bit of every rock song for the last 50 years when you play it. I plan on putting plenty of miles on this one, just wish I didn't wait so many years!

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Heavenly Sent . “ Fender American Professional II Telecaster “

" Only the Best for Me " .. has been promised since the beginning of time , and Sweetwater is part of that " Best " I've been promised . All Sweetwater's products and Staff are not your normal sale representatives like " hurry up and buy anything " their representatives are people who play music themselves and are looking to help and inform you of what your interest is , they… read more will always be My first choice of business . re Rise Music

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Open the case and wow!

When this guitar arrived and I opened the case, it was a special moment. Absolutely beautiful. The guitar was already in tune and set up beautifully. Not a spot or smudge on it. Thanks for that Sweetwater. As far as the guitar goes, I've barely put it down in 3 weeks. Amazing feel and sound. Classic Telecaster with some great touches. The smoothed cutaway lets you get into those… read more higher frets easily. The rounded neck makes for a smoother touch. I love the versatility in the sound. The extra push feature on the tone knob offers another layer of tone. To me, this is the pinnacle of classic American Fenders.

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Great Guitar

Got this gem in less then 24 hours! Plugged it into a Fender 57 Custom Deluxe amp and rocked out. Very articulate sound. The pickups & phase parallel switch gives you multiple options of tone. Thanks to my sound engineer Rob Amaral! He has recommended several items (including this guitar) & has been 100% correct on every item. The service that Rob supplies is without equal. If you're… read more looking for a sound engineer, run don't walk to Rob Amaral.

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Can’t Put It Down

I love this telecaster! Everything about it feels right. The neck is ESPECIALLY super comfortable to play, and the tinted neck gives it a vintage vibe without affecting modern playability. The pickups are versatile—neck, middle, and bridge all sound good. The series switch can help you fake a bridge humbucker sound where you've rolled the treble off. I considered getting a… read more custom shop tele, and while I'm sure it's marginally better, I'm fully satisfied with my American Pro II Telecaster in Dark Knight. My wife took one look at this guitar and told me to buy it. Everyone loves the color. Between the looks and tone, I promise that you'll have a hard time putting this guitar down. Shoutout to my man, Nick Grawcock! This is the third guitar he's helped me purchase at Sweetwater, and I couldn't ask for a more awesome sales engineer.

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Oh Wow!

I made the trip to Sweetwater today intending to play all rosewood necked Tele's in the store. This was one I asked them to set aside as the drive was long and two of the three in the store had sold; ironically this very guitar was my "pick" of the three. I played this through a Fender Blues Jr amp and immediately made my decision. This guitar sounds and feels perfect. It's going… read more to be a studio guitar and I plan to record with it all day tomorrow. Oh and I bought the amp too. Staff was amazing and every person working there was helpful!

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You get what you pay for

With the American Pro II series, you get everything at a fair price. The guitar sounds amazing, plays very well, and just has a very high quality feel that you don't get with less expensive guitars. I bought this as a guitar I plan to have the rest of my life, and I have no doubt it will hold up for years to come.

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Amazing

Well made beautiful guitar. Tone is bright and crisp. Hard shell case is great I keep my tele in the case when its not in use. This is my first telecaster and it was well worth it! 5 big Stars 2 thumbs up and highly recommended!

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Great support from Sweetwater. Thank you.

A professional musician sibling told me about Sweetwater. They were completely helpful and trustworthy thanks to both James and Matt. Thanks!

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Americsn Professional II Telecaster.

I have wanted a Telecaster for a long time, This one caught my eye and looed like the perfect blend of vintage and modern. The color just called out to me. The tall narrow frets were much different than I a used to, and require a light touch but the expressive sounds you get are so worth the brief learning curve. It came from Sweetwater well packed and ready to play. I love it.

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American Pro 2

Phenomenal out the case! Action is everything I wanted! Great player and looker!

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Terrific Tele

First, this is the best fit, finish and workmanship I have seen on a Fender in a long time. At least one not from the Custom Shop. Starting with the neck, the new finish and rolled edge on the neck are superb. Rivals Music Man for smooth feel. The roasted pine body feels very light and has great tone. The pickups hit the classic Tele tone, but a touch more fullness. The series… read more switch is great. I have this function on my partscaster Tele also and like it a lot. But saving the best for last, the Sienna Sunburst w/maple is really beautiful. As good as Sweetwater's photos are, they do not do it justice. The way the colors come together to give both a traditional and modern feel has to be seen. Overall the quality and performance I expect from guitars well over $2K. :) And a molded hard case at this price? Sweet. No pun intended. And if you don't already have your own Sweetwater person, Aaron R has been my guy for 7 years, give him a call.

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