Fender American Deluxe Power Telecaster w/ Fishman Power Bridge Reviews 5

I've already a Zoom 504II acoustic floor simulator that I use with a Japanese Squier Silver Series Strat and three Fender Gold Lace-Sensor Strat pickups and that's enough for my huge needs to play acoustic through an electric guitar rather than acquiring an extremely priceful American Deluxe Power Telecaster with the popular Fishman PowerBridge transducer and the two Fender Vintage-Noiseless Tele single-coils....

Shimmering acoustic sounds and spanking Tele tones through a single package: many things can be easily coaxed besides this American-made beauty. The two Noiseless single-coils with the unique stacked-coil design given the traditional Tele twang without the annoying buzz while the PowerBridge produces bright acoustic sounds with sparkling highs when the 12db mid-boost control was set to "flat". However, a dreadnought-like tone can be created when you crank the boost control to the full and selecting the single-coil bridge pickup during piezo/magnetic pickup mixing. You can also simulate other types of acoustic guitars by selecting the two magnetic pickups and the PowerBridge. For example, try to mix the neck pickup with the PowerBridge and increase slightly the midrange boost depth: you will got a typical Ovation/Adamas-style sound rather than a more conventional Martin, Takamine, Taylor, Epiphone or Guild-like tone.

Although this is an excellent instrument, however, like many other guitars, the American Deluxe Power Tele has also his weaknesses. Since Fender launched the Hot-Rodded American Series US Fat Telecaster in 1997/98, the fact that you can combine credible country twang and genuine rock muscle with acoustic-like sounds had always been the dream of any guitarist. Both Ken Parker and Robert Godin had first the idea to meld the acoustic qualities of a transducer with the glassy tone of a classic single-coil and the crunchy rock distortion of a scorching humbucking pickup. Install a DH-1 neck humbucker instead of the VN neck single-coil and replace the 3-way selector by a super 5-way pickup switch and you got three different guitars in a single package: Imagine a hybrid Martin D28 acoustic/Fender Telecaster/Gibson Les Paul-like tone through your favorite amp or PA mixer!

Flawless quality and construction. Guitar aficionados will love this almost terrific ax. Extremely priceful and recommended for professional guitarists only, because it's an American Deluxe model.

Perhaps the most versatile Telecaster ever seen before, but I prefer to install a neck humbucker and 5-way pickup switch to fit the bill: From crunchy rock rhythm to twangy country lead, through bright acoustic guitar tones, an American Deluxe Power Tele with the classic Vintage-Noiseless bridge single-coil, the popular Fishman PowerBridge and a DH-1 neck humbucker, was able to attract many famous artists: Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Joni Mitchell, Andy Summers, Albert Lee, James Burton, the late Muddy Waters and Albert Collins, as well as Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, Will Ray, Clarence White, Jeff Beck and Ronnie Wood.

John D. Constantinides rated this unit 5 on 2002-12-14.

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