FenderAmerican Performer Telecaster - Satin Sonic Blue with Rosewood Fingerboard

f you are looking for the iconic, instantly recognizable look and sound of a Tele, seriously consider this guitar.FINISH/FEEL: 5/5 I can’t take my eyes or hands off it!The finish on this guitar is subtle but striking. The contrast of the gorgeous dark rosewood with the delicate sonic blue is perfect. The color lends a heavy dose of classic Fender nostalgia, but the matte finish gives it an extra touch of class; it looks expensive, if that makes sense.When I first received this instrument, it was ready to play out of the box; I only tuned it up and made a slight action adjustment to my taste. The neck is an absolute beauty; if you have played any fender-ish guitars recently, you know the “modern-C” shape. If you haven’t, suffice it to say it is a slim, fast neck shape that doesn’t get in the way. The satin finish and large frets enhance this speed; the guitar feels effortless to play. The body is wonderfully resonant and a nice medium weight (my guess is about 7 pounds).SOUND: 5/5 It sounds exactly like a Telecaster… enough said.Once it was ready to play, I plugged it straight into my Bugera V22 tube amp, cranked it up, and let rip exactly the Telecaster tones I had been jonesing for.It was all there! I first tried out my favorite country riffs, and was greeted with that classic Tele twang, bright and cutting, yet still musical and vocal. I switched to the neck pickup, dialed up some reverb, and instantly got a lush, bell-like, Jeff Buckley-ish clean tone. The middle position, again, gives that unmistakable, spanky, funky chirp so popular in funk and pop music.Adding some overdrive, the neck pickup achieves that “tubular,” Tom Morello-y sound, which sounds positively lovely. Not to be outdone, the bridge pickup absolutely screams with some drive. It sounds really hot, and has ample treble bite; think “Communication Breakdown” by Led Zeppelin. The middle position has an interesting, highly articulate sound with some distortion; it works great for leads.BOTTOM LINE:This guitar is through and through a Tele, so reviewing it kind of feels like reviewing Telecasters in general. Simple, versatile, and iconic. If you want a Fender Telecaster, the American Performer is the real thing. I love it!

great and great!

I was very VERY hesitant to order a guitar off of amazon but this guitar in this color wasn't available anywhere else when I went to order. Also, the pandemic has slowed production and many guitars are heavily in backorder.I got lucky. The guitar was in perfect condition and exactly what I hoped for.

Nothing else to say.