Fender Player and American Professional - My Experience Owning American and Mexican Telecasters 

What's the better value in your opinion? American Made or Mexican made?

I took a quick look at Reverb. MiM Tele’s are there around $400. All of the Fender branded Tele’s are EASY to upgrade because most aftermarket parts fit without drilling. And no matter the cost of a guitar, pickups are matter of taste. At the end of the day, MiM and American Tele’s are nearly indistinguishable unless you get into the custom shop or upper tier priced models.

I love my Mexican Tele! You can play anything you want on a Tele. Rock , County , Jazz , Blues , you name it. So freakin' versatile it's scary! 🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠🤖👍

Summary: the difference between an American Tele and a Mexican Tele is about $900.

This is by far the best guitar channel I've ever come across. Such a bummer I didn't find your channel earlier. Keep rocking dude.

Sometimes its about having a guitar that you want to pick up and play and what inspires you to play. Who cares about value really ?

Thanks for the demo. Cleaner , less confusion, "transparency" , that is what we need more of in this world, especially now. Cheers

I’m ordering an orange player strat in a few days. Thank you for making me feel more comfortable doing so. Sounds like the things that could be inferior can be easily upgraded if I feel compelled to do so. Great channel!

Your channel is fast becoming my favorite. I very much appreciate your honesty and attention to detail.

I used a MiM Standard Tele for about a decade, and it never once let me down in that time... I retired it after wearing the frets down to the wood and practically fossilising the bridge and pots with sweat. I will get it refretted and fixed up one of these days. I bought an American Special as a replacement for the MiM a few years back, and I was honestly quite disappointed with it. It had a few quality control problems, plus I never quite got on with the Texas Special pickups or the jumbo frets. The finish was nicer than the Mexican, and it's a fair bit lighter but that's about it really. Just never quite bonded with it like I did with my old Standard.

I've owned many brands and makes of guitars, For Fender Ive owned MIA and MIM.. I now own 5 MIM and I wouldn't really go back to spending 2x as much since Im good at making adjustments on MIM so they play as well. Rock on bro

Thanks Landon really enjoyed your guitar insights. I got a Tele Player recently. Loving it! Thanks!

Always great reviews Landon 👍👍👍✌😎

Good, honest points, and I like the humour you use to present this, which makes it original and not copying others. Andertons is my local store and my favourite. Modding guitars is fun, and makes them personal and cheaper guitars lend themselves to this. But one characteristic that matters to me is weight, and the USA tend to be lighter on average.

Good comparison Landon. Just my preference in sound I'll take the players series.

Landon I really appreciate your point of view on guitars. Very practical and no nonsense. I just recently purchased a Gibson Les Paul Studio to replace the Les Paul Classic I had to sell during rough financial times. Why do I love Gibson Les Pauls? Because Slash, Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton and Ace Frehley play them. It really comes down to that. But I can’t objectively say that Gibson Les Pauls are exponentially better than Epiphone Les Pauls. Frankly I find the Epiphone guitars quite similar to the sound and feel of the Gibson. I just got a Fender Player Tele and Classic Vibe Strat. They play and sound exactly how they’re supposed to. And they’re both well made. I really like the Player Tele. I’m going to change the string tree to a Graphtech. Fender Mexico and Squier have well made guitars. I was thinking of getting an American Ultra HSS Strat down the road but frankly it would mainly be because of the “prestige” factor. I’m sure the Player series HSS Strat would be more than enough.

I love the fact the channel (and you ) is so Telecentric. Fender should make a Landon Bailey signature Tele ! My only Tele is my Avri '52 , love that guitar . It is a pretty accurate rendition imo which is subjective in itself because there really is no one correct set of '52 Telecaster features, because so many small changes were made over the course of that year. Both my Strats are Mexican , 60th Anniversary with nitro Desert Sand , anodised guard & gold hardware, and the Jimi Hendrix Olympic white polyester. Both these Strat models came with American pickups. I'm pleased with them all and think with Fender ,you get what you pay for and Mexican quality of fit & finish is usually on par with the American stuff, especially if you're able to spend that little bit more on a Player over the Standard model, for example.

I bought a Vintera Mexican for 700 pounds UK. I needed to roll the frets and also the pickguard was ever so slightly unparallel to the bridge so I had to sand it down slightly by about 1mm to get it straight with the bridge, the volume and tone mob were at slightly different heights which I adjusted and the switch knob was loose. Apart from that it's a beaut!!

Yeah agreed. I have a MIM FSR butterscotch Tele I bought from Long and McQuade about 5 years ago. Its my only electric. It’s the one with the reversed control plate and the vintage style bridge. At the time I couldn’t justify the price difference between that and the US model. I’ve since reversed back the control plate, put compensated barrel saddles on it, installed Custom Shop 51 Nocaster pickups and put those classic gear notched tuners in. Great guitar now. My kids are just starting to play and they can use it whenever they want and I don’t worry about it. The professional series is kind of a no man’s land for me - not different enough from the MIM to bother. It still has a poly finish and the feel to match. My other guitar is a D28, which I spend most my time with and was worth every penny. I’d like a guitar to match it in feel, which means something with a nitro finish; either a custom shop or something like a Nash. That’s the end game for me. I’m looking at a Gretsch semi hollow to pair with my Tele - the G5622T with the Bigsby. Same deal with the Gretsches. The Electromatics are so good now that it’s hard to justify 2 grand more to get the Japanese version. For me it’s the Electromatic or a jump to the custom shop.

Love this new angle, real nice

Cool about the change !! And nice job on the diffrences between the 2 guitars !! :)

Thanks for the video, Landon. Greetings from Victoria. Just picked up a Fender Tele Player at Tom Lee today - $599 Cdn. Seriously good guitar for the money!

A few months ago, just before the Corona Virus changed the World, I bought a 2019 MIM Fender Tele at my local music store. I am primarily a bassist and I do own an American made P-Bass, but I enjoy playing guitar also. Having bought a used MIM Strat many years ago I knew that buying a Mexican Telecaster would either meet or exceed my expectations. Let's just say that playing my Tele through my also recently purchased BOSS Katana Mk. II is a real pleasure.

Totally sensible comparison,keep safe and healthy mate \m/

I have a Fender MIM Stratocaster because of the price which leaves more money to do upgrades if you want to. Like you said it is a personal thing and you really won’t recoup your money. I will be looking to make another purchase in a year or so and I will be looking at Fender MIM Telecasters. Great video!

Great video Landon! Sound wise I prefer the Player MIM. Be Well and Be Safe.

is are everything alright man ??? you sounded a bit "sleepy" on the vid ... but well ... oh well i guess we all ae in this "qurenTimes" we're living ... i hope everithis is going fine with you ... ... great vid ... i agree with you ... we should try before buy it .. sometimes the difference isnt worth the increased price ... but well ... the more you pay ... the best you get ... Keep Rockin ... stay safe ... greatings from Portugal!

I really admire your passion for guitars, particularly the teles.👍

You can get great value with used guitars. Thanks for the fun Landon! Keep up the great work!🤙

Bi-flex means the truss rod is adjustable both ways, tightening and loosening. Actually after my previous rant, the American one is nicer but I for one don't have any extra money these days. 2 grand for a Tele custom is a lot. If I still had my 76 custom it'd probably be worth 3 grand. Oh well. I'm going to rebuild an Indonesian Squire Strat I inherited. You're observations about the building of guitars is spot on. They all require a lot of hand work.

MIM or CV any day . Besides , for me the most important part of any guitar is the neck . Its what you play on . Over 2K just because its USA is foolish for me . Made in usa does NOT necessarily make it a better guitar neither does triple the price . Esp a tele , all it is , is a plank with a neck . The neck makes or breaks the guitar for me . I stay clear of bad necks and sharp fret ends . Again bro , excellent honest well done video . Always interesting stuff . Love all your Tele's man !

LIKE! You tells it like youz sees it Brandon and that is refreshing, respectable and trustworthy. Thank you. I LIKE your assembly videos too! Yep ~ Subscribed!!

I got a fender player series tele. I had to some work on the neck and tone controls and also the switch. But now it's great. I use it for recording and I have fallen in love with it. The neck is awesome and it's so versatile and cuts through the mix

I have a $1000 Charvel Pro-mod DK-24. I play my $160 Squier Bullet Tele more than the Charvel... I LOVE the Charvel. Feels so insanely nice, sounds incredible, would recommend to others. There's something about a tele that I just love though, can't explain it. Trading in the Charvel for a Player Tele whenever i can get to my local store.

I bought a used MIM Tele I’m butterscotch and I had to take it to my luthier to get the frets rounded and sanded. They were scraping me above the 9th fret. I do love it though

I own mim and us fenders. Personally Im looking for proper specs like neck shapes etc. I dont care where its made actually. ;)

Just bought a player Tele. I don't regret buying it in the least. Great guitar. Helped my decision owning a mim Strat that I love.

Hi, Landon. A fan here. I have the certainty that current Player Series are those good old now discontinued American Standard series from 2008. Same specs, same sound.

I have a Fender player Stratocaster and it’s the best playing guitar I’ve owned, so much so I sold my 2011 American Strat. Great guitars.

Nice to meet you Landon Daily. Like you channel a lot. It seems that all of my favorite guitar channels on RU-vid are Canadians.

I have a Player series tobacco burst Plus top Strat. I have modded it since I got it... Changed the nut to a Graphtech Tusq, changed the saddles to Graph tech string savers, Fender locking tuners, Bootstrap Sun City Selects pickups, and wanted to try the Obsidian Wire 7-way Gilmour switch (like it, but don't love it). I rounded the edges of the fret board. No plans to sell it ever as a Strat was my first guitar in the 70's and I wanted another and got this one for my 50th birthday from my wife and kids. My biggest beef with the mexican strat was the plastic (aka synthetic bone) nut. TUSQ nuts are great.

I’ve been agonising for weeks over what Humbucker a Tele to get and I just can’t afford what I want from Fender. I’m going for a G&L Tribute Asat Deluxe it €200 cheaper here than the Player and it has the same bridge as my fallout which is unreal in its sustain. Someday I will get the American ( bucket list) I’d love to see you review a G&L someday. Great video Landon it’s always fun - cheers

I have had Fender guitars starting in 1968, with a Mustang, a Tele Custom in 1980, then an American standard Strat in 1997, and finally a Squire 50 classic vibe in 2019. I've never played a Mexican Fender. For the price difference these days, I'd get a Mexican for sure. I'd never pay over a grand for a Fender of any type. I'm happy with Chinese Squire and American surf green Strat. I like your fancy Tele man!

I’ve got a MIM Tele and absolutely love it. I’ve always wanted a Strat and looking to buy a American Pro II. I’m really torn now whether I should.

Great video 👍🏻 As an American deluxe strat owner , I purchased a player tele. It’s a solid , awesome sounding guitar, what more do you want really.

appreciate your videos landon

Good job Landon everything about guitars is subjective. I have both USA Strats and MIM Strats I agree there is a big price difference I don't feel it is justified in my opinion. I heard someone say you could buy guitars made in Mexico by Mexicans or you could buy guitars made in California by Mexicans which I thought was funny. I have heard that at the Mexican plant most of the workers there are musicians so who would know better what a guitar should feel like. Price doesn't always mean it is going to be better I bought a USA Eric Clapton Stratocaster which I got on a really good sale that had to have the nut replaced because the nut was cut wrong and the high E string would slip off the fretboard and I have never had issues with MIM guitars that I have. Your USA Tele doesn't sound like what I think a Tele should sound like because of the humbuckers but that is just my opinion but it does sound nice. Your MIM tele sounds like a tele and as you said is a great value. Thanks for sharing your experience.

What’s going on? Hope all is well. The American Performer Tele SH came in today. Seeing that you love Teles, you have to get one of these in your collection. The neck feels so good. It’s satin on the back and the fretboard. I’m hoping to see you make a video of yours eventually. It feels amazing playing this guitar. If you need any more information let me know. Take care.

Ive mixed and matched parts on squires with no problem. Im not sure what measurements are different because they are made in Asia but Im open ears. I cant say ive done it all but a heads up with examples would be awesome.

Correction you have to know which squier to up grade. And don't get rid of the old parts. When you want to sale you put them back in.

Great video. I’m currently waiting on a Fender American Performer Tele HS. I had the same Tele Deluxe in Sonic Gray but the neck was too thick and there was circular marks all over the body plus the D string would buzz when I was tuning it up, sent it back. The major reason for the difference in pricing is based upon labor of making the guitar. Workers get paid more in the US compared to Mexico and Asia. We never see an American guitar for under $500 brand new but in Asia, they vary from Squier $150 to Ibanez $1000 plus nowadays, that’s crazy. Hopefully you’ll get an American Performer Tele and do a review on it. When it comes to buying a guitar it all comes down to what the individual is looking for. I like the roll edged fretboard of American Fenders and I wanted the Tim Shaw designed pickups because hopefully they might be worth something someday like the pickups he made for Gibson’s back in the day.

Thanks...Alot man ... 699 SOUNDS BETTER TO ME... DON'T THINK I'LL BE SELLING IT ANYWAY BUT YOU MADE MY MIND UP...

I like the American Tele with that nice pickguard for the price of the Mexican , Nice demo Landon !

Love mim fenders for the price & quality.

I would argue that the you lose money on any new guitar. It’s a matter of which is easiest to resell or trade. I think especially here in the states that both guitars are a great value for what you get. The American Pro’s or older Standards immediately have a higher end feel to the neck. The rolled edges are so nice, the neck finish, the appearance of the necks are more consistently nice etc. The case they come with is tops. BUT...MIMs still feel substantial, the pickups are more raw and I feel more expressive! Electronics a serviceable. You can’t go wrong with either guitar.

What color was the telecaster in the first part of the video and do you still have it

I suubbed for the tele, but you seem like a real good fella. I'm mar 27 too :)

Nice job - thanks. Man you are a replica of a young Bill Murray - even have a comedic touch. If not mistaken he was Canadian as well.

MIM better deal due to cheaper labour. Get the MIM, sand the neck edges and the frets. Too bad the MIM doesn't have a belly cut. Many as good if not better guitars for a lot less money even compared to MIM or American Fender: AIO, Wolf, Artist, Sx! Gr8 job Landon!

The neck makes all the difference in the world to me. My 2003 American Strat feels so comfortable in my hands with that rolled fretboard edge. Anything else feels like grabbing the edge of a table to me. I can accept that with cheap, intro guitars like my Squier Affinity Tele, but if you're going up to $700, screw that--I'd rather just save my money for an American Fender.

How do you feel the player series alnico tele pickups compare with your standard series ceramic pickups? Do you find one sounds better or worse with your vox or marshall? I love my standard series tele but find the neck pickup lacks some clarity with a few different amps.

I actually have both of those( I got the red pro) I feel the same as you. Both great guitars!

I agree with you. I prefer my squier classic vibe 50 strat (2015) over my american standard strat (2009). I onestly regret of buying the american one.

I love the neck feel on the MIM Player Series guitars. Playing and soundwise it's hard to tell the difference between the Player and American Standard series Teles.

Just purchased a used Plus Top blue Player Tele. I love it. Stilll want one with double humbuckers, but looking at Sire T7's due to the contours and the tremelo, and the roasted maple neck, ..........and the price.

I luv a bargain. I'm still learning guitar but I see no reason to spend tons. I have an early 2000's MIM Strat and MIK Epiphone LP that I got barely used. Both feel and play great for half the price plus cases were thrown in. 🙂

I have a Mexican Strat that I love. I'm thinking about the Mexican Tele. I was looking at the Squier Vintage Vibe, but keep coming back to the Fender Player. Just a better deal all together.

Hey Landon I know this is off topic but I am looking for a comfortable chair. I want something I can work on the computer and something that doesn't get in the way of playing guitar. I noticed in your video you have a chair that the arms can be tilted away where did you buy this chair if you don't mind me asking.

I like the looks of player much better. Simple and sexy. Also sound seems crunchier

Just a comment on price of MIM Players and their residual value. From what I have experienced recently, they hold their money extremely well and any mods or work can easily put their value up above new price. I've just missed out on a nice tidepool player with locking tuners and some luither neck attention. It made £60 more on eBay than I have just paid for a brand new identical one (less the lockers obviously) from a Fender main dealer here in the UK.

I bought a Fender FSR American Pro stratocaster in Long and Mcquade just this month. But before that I had Fender American Standard Strat which I sold to my friend two years ago, I did regret it. I am keeping my new Fender FSR stratocaster for sure. I currently also have the Fender FSR butterscotch blonde MIM, which I do really like. I need to get a hard case for it.

Nice Fender man

What's messed up is I have a 2015 Charvel San Dimas that came out of the Fender Mexican factory and it has rolled edges. It also has some of the best fretwork I've ever seen in my 31 years of guitar playing. I paid $600 for it brand new. Now they're $1000. It's just interesting to see Fender cut features while jacking up the prices all while paying Mexican workers an average of $2 an hour.

I've seen a lot of videos on the player tele but the neck always looks like a different colour in each one. would you say that the tint on the neck is enough in person, or is it a bit pale?

Landon, I wish you would take a few minutes to talk about the Squiers, especially their classic vibe models. I think they bring a ton of value relative to their cost.

Landon, off topic question here. I have been looking to buy a Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. In one of your early videos where you changed your pick guard the Sonic Blue looks Green. Online in many pics it looks almist white. This is the model I might be looking to buy. How would you describe the colour? The way things are these days I can't check out one in a shop before I order. It's funny but if I google Fender Sonic Blue I come up with tons of pics of beautiful blue guitars (not pale green). Cheers.

Got a american pro 2 strat and a player series strat in buttercream . I love my player series and just gravitate to it more often the feel is very much like my 2015 american standard strat . The fit and finish on the player is outstanding . Frankly I think a fender is a fender and the difference these days is more about the features rather than quality . I paid 849 u. S. .Dollars for the player I don't think there is a guitar that can touch these at this price. They are solid real deal fenders and I don't buy them with the intent of selling them. I play them . Gonna get a butterscotch tele next like yours . Such a classic work horse of a guitar at a working man's price .This was Leo Fenders original mission and this series is true to those ideas. Can't go wrong with these I own high end american made guitars like les Paul's and strats and I am floored by what fender is offering here with the player series ..what's not to love here. Great perspective Landon and you are spot on with your review of this . My experience has been similar . Goodhonest stuff ....keep it heavy and rock like a mutha ......

love the radiohead in limbo guitar at the beginning

The natural finish is gone from the website because it's Ash. Fender had to discontinue more or less all of their Ash guitars due to an infestation in North America. They are not able to get instrument-quality wood, so 44 products are gone. There's posts about it on The Gear Page and TDPRI, if you want to read Fender's letter to dealers.

My USA pro shawbucker Tele has narrow tall frets.. It takes getting used to but have a few pros like easier string bending. Sliding across frets is biggest con..

Awesome

The only thing with telecasters is I wish they had more versions with a bigsby. I play fingerstyle Jazz and the lack of a bigsby on most telecasters is a no go for me. Love the chord shimmer they provide.

Landon, who does the guitar art in your studio? And thanks for this video, exactly the discussion I have been having with myself for the last few weeks. Still undecided. Soon I need to start spending some time with my new guitar whichever I choose and watching less comparison videos ;-)

Used MIM's is all I buy any more.

About to be new to electric guitar, played acoustic. With the Professional II series, the necks are rolled. Would you recommend one or the other when first moving to an electric guitar, rolled PRO II vs Player MIM for example. Some people say they bend the high and low e strings which slip off the fret board occasionally? Any thoughts on this while I make my purchase decision? Thanks.

Rolled neck is not such a good thing, I've one of those and both e strings slide off if you're not careful. You can get around this by adjusting the saddle spacing but it would be better not to have rolled edges. This from an AO owner.

Mexican all day long.. I buy guitars purely on how they feel and play. Choosing an acoustic I played dozens Landon , all the big names and big prices to match and could've bought any of them as I had the wedge to. Yet the one that felt and played the best in my hands was way under a grand. I would bet money I'd find MIM teles sufficient for my needs 😁 ps I buy to keep so resale value doesn't enter into it.

i just bought a Vintera 60s modified and it's amazing tho it's a shame it doesn't come with a bone nut when a Squier CV at half the price does .

I agree. 6:44 I laughed out loud, thanks. I love Teles and just found your channel today. Subbed and checking back catalogue as soon as I finish typing. Cheers.

Definitely prefer the sound of the single coils to that of those "Shawbuckers".

You didn't mention the different nut widths. Wouldn't think 1mm makes much difference, but I notice it right away, and much prefer the wider one.

Radiohead in the beginning and the end 👌

Just bought a MIM Player Telecaster in Butterscotch. Placed the order online with Peach Guitars in the UK. Ideally I'd go to the store to try them, but obviously impossible atm. Heard so many good things about them I thought I'd just go for it

I plan on buying a new Fender tele sometime soon. I think I'll go with the Mexican made one. I see a slight difference in overall quality there. It's just simply not enough to make up for the difference in price, in my point of view. I've been a musician for over nearly 4 decades. So I really know what I'll be paying for when I get my new telecaster. Every musician has their personal choice which is something to respect, of course. As for myself, that gigantic price difference doesn't mean that the US of A Fender telecaster is going to magically make me fly, or something like that. I find that the made in Mexico fender tele is good enough, which also means it's not bad at all. I also plan on keeping the damn thing and not re selling it. So that gigantic extra price difference is pointless to me. I'll go for the made in Mexico tele any day over the American one.

Bless it’s heart.....

I find instruments just as subjective as the music I listen to. It all comes down to personal taste. You also need to think about what you want to get out of it. I am a beginner and will never become a pro knocking out licks left right centre. I have had cheap guitars before that I would pick up every so often but didnt feel much for it. I have a steady income at the moment (well until current global situation but hey all in same boat) I went for a MIM butterscotch player tele. Bought from andertons (im uk resident) and i cant put it down. Frets bit ruff on edges, that can be fixed easy. Apart from that it feels great. For me it's a feeling of owning a fender, a peice of music history. It is lovely just to look at and i went for a VOX AC10C1 to pair with it. Total £950 gbp inc amp. The value for me is sentimental. I wanted something nice to show for my work. When i was younger i wasted pay on drink and drugs. Now in my 30's I have a steady job, nice car and I enjoy just relaxing with my guitar trying hard to play a bit of rhcp and staring at stevie ray vaughn tabs and thinking if only. Now that i have it i would love a custom strat. Its going to cost prob 6 times my player tele and it wont make me a rockstar but everytime I pick it up it will remind me that if you work hard you can get nice things. Also owning something like a custom guitar and being able to appreciate the time and effort that went into crafting it, I think I would feel humbled to have the chance to own such a thing. Anyways I didnt really have a point to make. I just felt like sharing my thoughts.

I’ve found from owning and playing Fenders for 20 years or so that locking tuners are less stable than ordinary ones as far as staying in tune is concerned but are great when you come to change the strings. I actually prefer the simple old~fashioned vintage style tuners every time. Except when changing strings of course.

I have 3. A stock one, a ltd one with a custom shop paint that replaced the first one and a new ltd with CS '51 nocaster pick ups. ALL three rival my american instruments (pro II, AO60 tele and ultra). Most of the stuff those american ones have can easily be added to the mexican. I take my player series out instead of my fragile, nitro AO60. It's why I got them. they really make me wonder why i paid 3 times (nearly 4 times) as much on my american instruments. They're, at best, 10% better.

Thank you for the interesting video. I have seen also Vintera. Better Vintera or American Performer?

I agree upgrades will not make you money on the resale market.