Leaderboard

Yeah, inreality they're quite a lot cheaper than the Squier CVs which they at least equal.

Another shout for Vintage here! I'm a bass player as a rule, but I've ended up doing the guitar work on our latest recording. I had the heavy side covered, but needed a strat type for a couple of tunes. After ages going through reviews I ended up opting for a Vintage V6 Reissued. I bought through Richards Guitars as I know he's pretty vicious in terms of setup and quality control, It was maybe about 15 quid more than the cheapest I could find, but it arrived beautifully set up, and plays like a guitar at twice the price. I was prepared to swap out the pickups, and had budgeted for that, but the Wilkinsons that it came with use are really good, so I shan't bother. Hardware is all quality stuff, and overall build quality is excellent. Edit - Don't pay too much attention to the RRPs quoted on the Vintage website, most dealers carry them at a fair bit less.

Pretty much word for word what I'd have said. Were I looking a cheapish Tele with no mods to make to add to my armoury now I know what I want (and bearing in mind it would be slipping in alongside a CIJ 71RI Tele), I'd start by comparing a 50s CV Tele with a Vintage (JHS brand) V52 or V58 or V62 or V75 model. Aesthetically, the headstock on the Vintage guitars is less pleasing (simply because it's a lot more Strat than Tele), but those Trevor Wilkinson designs are cracking otherwise. https://www.jhs.co.uk/-4463/vintage-electrics/vintage-reissued-electrics Vintage also do some in a slightly distressed finish, if you fancy the novelty of a relic but don't want to pay out the big money: https://www.jhs.co.uk/-4463/vintage-electrics/vintage-icon-electrics TBH, if I was going to gig out regularly in rough venues or otherwise wanted a few guitars I didn't need to worry about much, I'd quite likely start with Vintage. Just a shame for me their left hander provision is limited, or I probably would pick up a couple for fun. If I wanted a Tele type just as an initial experiment to see if the basic style worked for me, I do hear good things about the HB. The Squier Affinity Tele, however, is surprisingly good for the money. String thru body, generally quite good pups in it. Every so often I toy with the ideas of buying one of these and a blank pickguard, and rewiring it as an Esquier. Always seemed odd to me that Fender don't do more with the Esquier design, compared to the big deal Gibson/ Epiphone have made of their singly pup guitars over the years.