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Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2017-09-20T08:34:08

Rated 5 out of 5

As good as it gets

Unbelievable value

Rodney K.

2017-07-04T09:15:09

Rated 3 out of 5

Short circuited

This elite arr telecaster was beautiful but arrived with either a bad neck pickup or a loose wire...i had to jiggle it to engage...Adorama accepted the return and sent a prepaid label for a painless return.. ;)....5 stars for Adorama and 1 star for Fender!

DAVID K.

2017-01-31T14:30:11

Rated 5 out of 5

Well set up! Great tone!

Adorama had a great sale on this -- cheaper than quotes for the American Professional at other places. I didn't have to decide between buying the Professional for less or the Elite for more -- the higher model was cheaper! No-brainer for me! The guitar came in a flight case and included cables and a strap. Beautiful color (I have the aged cherry burst)! It's a pleasure every time I look at it. This was the color on sale and it's the one I would have liked to pick anyway. The (assumed factory) setup was as good as you would hope for the cost of this guitar -- the action was low, intonation was spot on -- I've forgotten what having a properly setup guitar was like as I ashamedly neglected the maintenance of my other guitar. Every note in every chord up the neck was in tune. No fret buzzes. The pickups were indeed practically noiseless. The guitar stayed perfectly in tune after a few aggressive whole note bends. Having chords in tune everywhere makes it a joy to play. I didn't appreciate how bad the condition of my other guitar was and therefore how unmotivating it was to play it; I've since sent it to get plek'd. I will be sure to make sure this tele baby gets plek'd after it breaks in and that I keep it serviced more often. The guitar came tuned a step down. I do need to tune it slightly when I pick it up; the strings/neck are probably still breaking in to my environment. I consider myself a beginning/intermediate player. This is my first tele so I have no other live tele guitar to compare to, but it does tele twang and it has pleasing tone without pedals. It sounds great in all 3 switch positions through my tube amp. Striking a chord with force gives it a rockin' great bite, especially with mild overdrive. Adding reverb with my tube amp really gives a smooth heavenly sound that I could listen to for hours. If you like teles, you won't be disappointed. My other guitar has humbuckers with coil tapping and a tremolo, but I've found that I enjoy the tone of a single coil sound a lot more. Bottom line, I'm pleased. This guitar highly motivates me to practice and makes practicing enjoyable. That brings me that much closer to getting as proficient as I'd like to be some day. Rock on, friends! Yeeha!

WING W.

2017-01-18T12:27:18

Rated 5 out of 5

Great feel and sound

Guitar arrived in a very nice case ready to play (needed nothing but a quick tune). Pickups are very nice and give a good tone; similar to traditional telecaster but slightly smoother.

Michael N.

2017-01-18T12:09:06

Rated 3 out of 5

Great guitar, but not the tone I'm looking for

First of all, thanks to Adorama, I received the package in excellent condition. I'm only giving it 3 stars, not because there's anything bad about the guitar, but because I did not like the tone. I did not read the reviews before I made the purchase. The guitar looks really nice. I would have preferred cream binding instead of bright white. It comes with 9s strings installed, I use 10s which would have given this guitar a beefier tone. My hands are used to the 10 inch radius, so the compound radius felt strange. I did not care about the locking tuners, they are prone to breakage. I never liked the noiseless pickups but I thought I'd give it a try now that they are 4th generation pickups. Again, I should have read the reviews first. The ATA case is great. Overall, great guitar, just not my style or the tone I'm looking for. I've been playing for over 40 years, so I may be picky. I'm sure other players can rate it 5 stars.

Robert R.

2017-01-18T09:43:57

Rated 5 out of 5

Great quality guitar with an extraordinary offer

I love this guitar from top to the bottom. The Adorama shipping service was phenomenal and I received it a couple of days after the purchase. I will 100% recommend this webiste.

Roberto C.

2017-01-15T08:28:50

Rated 5 out of 5

Sweet Guitar!

This is the newest version of the Telecaster with the latest pickups and upgraded design. I have never liked the Tele body because the edges cut into my ribs when I played it. Not this one, it has taken one thing from the Strat that made it the most popular electric guitar ever and incorporated it. The smooth cutaway on the back that molds around your body. Also on the back of the neck where it attaches to the body is curved so you can easily reach the highest notes on the 22nd fret. the new 4th gen noiseless pickups sound great. with the S1 switch, you now have double the amount of different pickup selections in parallel and series.

David S.

Fender American Elite Specifications

  • Body Shape

    Telecaster

  • Body Material

    Semi-Hollow Ash

  • Body Finish

    Gloss Polyurethane

  • Neck Material

    Maple

  • Neck Shape

    Compound Back Shape, Modern "C" to "D"

  • Scale Length

    25.5" / 647.70mm

  • Fingerboard Radius

    9.5-14" / 241.30-355.60mm Compound Radius

  • Number of Frets

    22

  • Fret Size

    Medium Jumbo

  • String Nut

    Synthetic Bone

  • Nut Width

    1.68" / 42.67mm

  • Truss Rod Nut

    Heel-Mounted Spoke Wheel Adjustment

  • Neck Plate

    4-Bolt Asymmetrical

  • Neck Finish

    Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck with Gloss Urethane Headstock Face

  • Fingerboard

    Maple

  • Position Inlays

    Large Black Pearloid Dots

  • Bridge Pickup

    New 4th Generation Noiseless

  • Neck Pickup

    New 4th Generation Noiseless

  • Controls

    Master Volume (with S-1 Switch)
    Master No-Load Tone Control

  • Pickup Switching

    3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup

  • Pickup Configuration

    SS

  • Bridge

    New Elite Suspension Bridge

  • Tuning Machines

    Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts)

  • Orientation

    Right-Hand

  • Pickguard

    4-Ply Aged White Pearloid

  • Control Knobs

    Knurled Flat-Top

  • Strings

    Fender USA, NPS, (.009-.042 Gauges)

  • UPC Code

    885978682379

About Fender American Elite

FEATURED REVIEWS

As good as it gets

By Rodney K.

Unbelievable value

Well set up! Great tone!

By WING W.

Adorama had a great sale on this -- cheaper than quotes for the American Professional at other places. I didn't have to decide between buying the Professional for less or the Elite for more -- the higher model was cheaper! No-brainer for me! The guitar came in a flight case and included cables and a strap. Beautiful color (I have the aged cherry burst)! It's a pleasure every time I look at it. This was the color on sale and it's the one I would have liked to pick anyway. The (assumed...

View full Review

Hot-Rodded Semi-Hollow Fun
Innovation is the name of the game with the American Elite Telecaster Thinline, a semi-hollow instrument for the 21st-century guitarist who embraces innovation in an instrument and their playing. Genuine and amazingly flexible Thinline tone, their leading-edge technologies and classic Fender style work in harmony to create an easy-playing instrument you won't want to put down.

• Single cutaway semi-hollowbody electric guitar
• Two all-new fourth generation Noiseless single-coil Telecaster pickups
• S-1 switching switches between parallel and series pickup wiring
• Compound profile neck; redesigned contoured neck heel
• 9.5-14" compound radius fingerboard
• Locking short-post tuning machines
• Includes redesigned ABS Elite Molded Case with TSA locks

All-New American Elite Neck
Designed for 21st-century players, the American Elite Series sports a new compound neck profile designed for comfort and the ultimate playability. A modern "C"-shape at the nut, the profile morphs along the length of the neck to a modern "D"-shaped profile at the updated neck heel, providing plenty of ergonomic support.

All-New 4th Generation Noiseless Pickups
With the all-new 4th generation Noiseless pickups, exclusive to the American Elite Series, they have achieved the sonic equivalent of cold fusion-authentic vintage-style Fender sound combined with noise-free performance. A quantum leap in pickup technology, these bleeding-edge pickups are the pinnacle of their pickup designs, offering crisp, clear cleans as well as gigantic overdriven tones that are bursting with pure rock power.

All-New American Elite Neck Heel
For improved upper register access and elegantly functional modern style, the American Elite Series' new cutaway neck heel blends into the asymmetrical neck volute for comfortably enhanced playing feel.

New Suspension Bridge
The brand-new Suspension Bridge uses a screwless mount to increase the vibration transfer, driving the top for nearly endless sustain and lively response. In a nod to their past the Suspension Bridge retains their classic brass three-barrel design.

New Double Action Truss Rod Adjustment Wheel
The new double action truss rod adjustment wheel makes it a snap to adjust the instrument's neck relief without any special tools.

S-1 Switch
The S-1 switch on this model activates series or parallel wiring options when using both pickups for even more tonal variations. Discreetly placed atop the volume control, it engages or disengages at the tap of a finger for on-the-fly adjustments.

Fender American Elite Features

  • ALL-NEW AMERICAN ELITE NECK: The American Elite Series sports a new compound neck profile designed for comfort and the ultimate playability. A modern "C"-shape at the nut, the profile morphs along the length of the neck to a modern "D"-shaped profile at the updated neck heel, providing plenty of ergonomic support.
  • ALL-NEW 4TH GENERATION NOISELESS PICKUPS: With the all-new 4th generation Noiseless pickups, exclusive to the American Elite Series, we've achieved the sonic equivalent of cold fusion authentic vintage-style Fender sound combined with noise-free performance. A quantum leap in pickup technology
  • ALL-NEW AMERICAN ELITE NECK HEEL: For improved upper register access and elegantly functional modern style, the American Elite Series' new cutaway neck heel blends into the asymmetrical neck volute for comfortably enhanced playing feel.
  • NEW SUSPENSION BRIDGE: The brand-new Suspension Bridge uses a screwless mount to increase the vibrationtransfer, driving the top for nearly endless sustain and lively response. In a nod to our past the Suspension Bridge retains our classic brass three-barrel design
  • NEW DOUBLE ACTION TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT WHEEL: The new double action truss rod adjustment wheel makes it a snap to adjust the instrument's neck relief without any special tools.
  • S-1 SWITCH: The S-1 switch on this model activates series or parallel wiring options when using both pickups for even more tonal variations. Discreetly placed atop the volume control, it engages or disengages at the tap of a finger for on-the-fly adjustments.

Key Features

  • NEW DOUBLE ACTION TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT WHEEL
  • ALL-NEW 4TH GENERATION NOISELESS PICKUPS
  • ALL-NEW AMERICAN ELITE NECK HEEL
  • ALL-NEW AMERICAN ELITE NECK
  • NEW SUSPENSION BRIDGE

What's in the box:

  • Fender American Elite Telecaster Thinline Electric Guitar
  • Elite Molded Case with TSA Locks
  • Fender Lifetime for Guitar and 1 Year for Components Limited Warranty