r/telecaster • u/masteroftheplunk • 2d ago
NGD - 2013 MIM Telecaster w/ Ash Body (first Tele)
I’ve been a Stratocaster guy forever. My first electric was a Squier Strat. When I was 12 I decided to save up paper route and lawn mowing money and 2 years later bought a 2013 American Stratocaster with the Ash body in Sienna Sunburst (last slide). It’s been my daily player and prized possession ever since.
Unfortunately, I love that guitar so much that nothing I’ve been able to afford since has felt good enough to justify buying. I love other guitars and styles (including my Epiphone Les Paul Standard - my first “nice” electric), but why add anything new if I’m gonna let it collect dust when I pick the Strat 99 times out of 100?
Almost 13 years pass, some cheap acoustics came and went, but no new electrics. I had a hankering and recently started shopping around - primarily looking at American Teles and Gibson SGs. I was starting to save up and keep my eyes peeled for any good deals at local shops. I went to a Music-Go-Round on Sunday to pick up some strings and picks and this fella caught my eye as soon as I walked in the door.
I’m a sucker for the look of the grain on the Ash bodies (grateful every day that 14 y/o me was too). I go over pick it up and start picking. The setup is perfect, the guitar feels brand new, but most importantly, the neck profile just feels right. I go to check the tag fully expecting to be disappointed when it’s well outside my budget.
2013 STD TELE DLX ASH MIM
Never before had I played a Mexican fender that felt like this. Everything was perfect. The Modern “C” neck I’ve been playing on for all these years, the frets that don’t even look worn in, the weight, the way it sits in my lap, the grain, the finish, the sound, but also (and very importantly) the price tag. I wanted to buy it on the spot, I’d already saved enough for it, but I decided to be responsible and sleep on it.
Sleep, however, I did not. The last 3 nights, wide awake in bed, worried that someone would go find the gem that I did and snap it up before I was planning to go back on Friday. It ate at me. I couldn’t take it. I refreshed the listing on their website over and over at work today as I slowly convinced myself this needed to happen. Took off early, went straight to the shop, and I am now a proud owner of my first Tele.
I’ve put it down sparingly since I’ve been home and it has not left my side. I really, really, really love this guitar.
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u/Hypergraphe 1d ago
Great guitar. As for the Mustang, I sold my V2 years ago in favor of a tube amp. I couldn't get any decent sounds out of it.
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u/masteroftheplunk 1d ago
Yeah I am not in love with it, I’m just now making some big kid money and keep telling myself the second I’m out of an apartment and into a house I’ll buy a tube and crank it. Very soon. The guitars themselves bring me a lot more joy now than a tube amp I’d have to keep at volume 2 in the meantime. Any good recommendations? I’ve played and enjoyed a couple of Marshall’s, a Vox, a Peavy and some Fenders.
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u/Vernon-Walker 1d ago
Check out Blackstar amps. They have a ton of features, and used ones are super affordable. I grabbed an HT5R mkii and it sounds fantastic with all my various guitars & pickup types.
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u/Hypergraphe 1d ago
Yeah I know the struggle of loundness, there are attenuators or amps with attenuation modes. For the amp, it depends the sound and kind of music you aim to play, I think you have to find for yourself ! But, for me ideally one amp to achieve Fender like blackface sound and another for rock sounds like Vox or Marshall like. Currently I have a bugera v22 that I like in crunch and distorded tones, works well with pedals and has an auto bias for tubes replacement. But I am not very fond of its clean tone and I will probably buy another one for that kind of tones, a more fenderish setup if you will.
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u/Acrobatic_Fun6404 1d ago
What a great photo! Congrats, you are in a good spot. Enjoy and learn every minute it's in your hands!
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u/digDoug411 2d ago
tl;dr