and enjoyed each one, but still didn't keep hold of any of them. I've had American, Mexican, Japanese and
even Indonesian but every one got sold on.
I have been getting the itch to get another and was offered a stonking price on a Vintera J.M. that was a real
beauty and sounded very nice, too. Mmmmm, that got me thinking. So with the J.M. as a back up, I went out
today, to see if I could do any better, at my usual watering hole, Sound Affects. For some reason, I started out
noodling on some nice Epiphones, both solids and semis but nothing really grabbed me, especially when
amped up. I guess I was really looking for that certain single-coil sound. After a quick go on a single P90,
single cutaway Gordon Smith, which was very decent, for not much cash, I headed into the Fender room.
Here, I played 3 Teles. A Vintera, an American Performer and a MIJ Hybrid. All had their strong points and I
was feeling quite good about the MIJ Tele. I'd had this model before, in a different finish. But then I spotted a
preowned, Fender 2018 Ltd Ed MIJ, Offset Telecaster, in Mahogany. I'd been wowed by this model, on the
web but had not seen one up close. It has a J.M. body, with Telecaster headstock, controls, bridge & bridge
pickup, with a P90 soapbar, at the neck. Both the J.M. body and U shaped neck, are solid mahogany. The
fretboard has a 10 inch radius and is made of rosewood.
Now I am sure, many Tele and J.M. officianados would throw up at this idea. But I have to say that the design,
with the gorgeous, natural mahogany finish, looks stunning, to my eyes. The guitar is beautifully built, with
superb finishing and a comfortable neck. Played acoustically, it seemed to have both more snap and vibrancy
than all the others I had played. And amped up through a Marshall valve head and 2X12 cab, it again, out
did the competition. The bridge pickup sounded awesome, with some light crunch and overdriven. The P90
was thick and warm, with enough definition, to both rock and jazz it up.
As you'd expect, the mahogany body gives a different edge to the sound. A little more warmth and depth than
a straight tele. So if you want that typical Tele twang and bite, this'll get you close but has a different character.
I love what this kind of hybrid guitar can do. It's responsive feel, superb quality and gutsy or smooth tones,
are all winners.
