Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster - Silver Sparkle Reviews

This is my first real telecaster I have a 54 Esquire that was left to me and it's not something I like to gig with in most cases considering the incredible sentimental value and the monetary value anyhow this guitar is incredible Great neck to pick up sound great it's super light which in my opinion a telecaster should weigh between six to seven and a half on the very high end anything more than that your tone is going to start getting eaten up by mass anyway give this guitar a shot they're an incredible value good luck

I sold a '56 tele last year because I needed the cash after a financially tough covid year, I didn't mind parting with it so much as I'd gotten 30+ years of hard gig use out of it. And I have other teles to gig with. But I did miss the fat V neck - a Tadeo Gomez carve - *a lot*. I banked most of the cash but put a couple grand aside to spend on gear.

. I was impressed by the light poundage, the looks, the body resonance, and the sound of the pickups together with the unusual wood combination. But it was the neck that got to me most, a hefty medium V that's the closest size and feel to the neck on the 56 I sold.

I've owned 8 teles, including one custom built for me by Bill Nash in 2004, before he stopped taking custom orders,and a Fender Will Ray Jazzacaster, a limited run of only 250. I've always changed out the pickups in my stock teles. I have another MIM tele I bought in '99 in which I swapped the stock pickups for Harmonic Design pickups out of Bakersfield. I have Lollars in the Nash. The Will Ray has SD overwound pickups built to resemble Jazzmaster pups, but in reality designed similarly to G&L MFDs.

So I fully expected I'd want to swap out the pups in the Brad Paisley tele, but after several rehearsals and gigs with my Stones cover band, I think it's actually the nicest sounding tele I've owned, other than the 56 which sounded great for blues and country but was way underpowered for rock. The bridge pickup was custom-designed for Paisley while the neck comes out of the Twisted Tele series. The balance between the two is excellent and they're surprisingly hot, probably the hottest in my current arsenal of 4 teles.

I like the roadworn look, personally. I gig hard with all my guitars so they get naturally beat up pretty quickly, so having a headstart from the factory means I feel less guilty when the first dings appear. Build quality is very good, fretboard is nicely rolled, intonation is solid. I may re-shield the body to reduce hum but that's it.

All in all this guitar is quite a nice package, well worth the listed price. I imagine that when Fender stops producing this model, it's going to fetch premium prices in the used market.

I got this tele and have played it some and love it, I have another tele with a Glaser bender that I have played for years but the frets were getting worn down. This tele has great tone and is light weight and I love the neck also. I had a issue with one of the tuners but Joshua Dillon and Carlos Intriago sales/service quickly got me a new tuner. Great sales and service.

It is probably the best guitar i have ever had. I have a few telecasters, had les pauls,strats.
This tele is just simply better, and knows it all. It can win against a lester, a strat, a tele with the correct combination of the volume and tone pots any time.
The sparkly finish is rad altought i put an aged white 1 ply pickguard on it.
The weight is insanely light it is a big bonus on stage.
It performs well in any genre. Even metal. The pickups are quiet enough to handle tons and tons of gain. Bridge pickup is dark and powerful with a lot of harmonics going on. Neck is bluesy, middle position is pure sweetness.
Would recommend it for everyone who loves chunky necks, and telecaster madness.

I have never been much of a tele guy. But reviews made me check it out. And its worth every single penny. You can play for hours because it weights nothing and that was one of the things that scared me. That ended the minute I plugged this thing in. Its an absolute beast the pick ups are awsome they love pedals and they push tubes very well. Role back the volume knob and its all fender crank the same knob up and its another animal all to together. Now I have never understood the relic guitar thing still don't but it gets tons of compliments. Love this guitar

I finally broke down and bought this Paisley silver sparkle. This is by far one of the best feeling MIM teles that I have had the chance to hold and play. Although the sparkle isn't everyones cup of tea, it has a beautiful look in person. The Nitro finish with checking is just the icing on the cake. The nitro finish and the pickups are worth the extra cash for this model.
The twisted tele neck pick up sounds great, while the 64 bridge has just a classic sound to it. I am really loving the middle on the selector switch drawing both into it.
I have not had the opportunity to hold a V shape neck until this guitar, but it is perfect shape for the hand.
The sound is classic drawing out either that classic county twang, or even get gritty and get into some distortion pedals for some grungier songs.
All parts and pieces are quality. The aging on the hardware give it a nice touch.
The price over the usual MIM tele can make this decision hard when shopping. This model has the options you are not able to find on a traditional MIM tele.
The weight of mine came in 5lbs 15 ounces. Don't be fooled by the light weight of this guitar, it is quality. I went to our first practice after receiving this guitar and had this strapped to me for 4 hours straight. The weight allows you to enjoy rehearsal without that shoulder ache that can come after many hours of a guitar strap sitting on the shoulder.
If you are looking for a quality custom shop type guitar with nitro and aged finish this is a great pick!
I'm sad I didn't run out and get this when I first started looking.

Sweetwater is amazing and so are their sales reps. They do a great job assisting you in your choices. Also this was fully set up and ready to go out of the box. the inspection card showed me all that was completed during their process. I was emailed pictures of the guitar from the day they set it up. GREAT SERVICE!!!!!
Packaging was awesome with a double box and packing material.

A great experience overall from not only Sweetwater but also Fender Guitars

I love this guitar! The sound is spectacular, this is my first electric guitar and I'm in love with it.

I ordered this guitar thinking there is no way a Mexican tele could hang with the custom tele I had built by a luthier.... well I was totally wrong !!! This guitar is a freaking joy to play and hold !!! The light weight is truly incredible!!!! U have to usually spend over 5 grand to get a tele under 6 lb’s and it always something I have yearned for but never could to spend that much. Thanks fender for an amazing guit.

This Telecaster its perfect, the price is right. light weight yet the resonance of the wood gives a nice spark and sustain, sound great, the b pickup sounds just like brad paisley vintage tele, the neck pup sounds very stratish which is wonderful, the V neck its my favorite profile and the distressed nitro finish looks cool and will age beautifully.

Two words...AMAZING GUITAR. I've been playing 41 years and have owned so many guitars I've lost count. My first was a 1972 Custom Tele (black) bought in 1978 and my latest is the Brad Paisley tele. The past ten years I've been fixated on light guitars with chunky necks, and last year stumbled onto this model while visiting Texas. It's been on my radar ever since, and a week ago took delivery. Out of the box I marveled at the light weight, 5.6 lbs, the super tight neck pocket, as well as the sharp looks. I realize the silver sparkle is not for everyone but I love it. Before plugging it in to my Deluxe Reverb I adjusted the truss rod for a straight neck and lowered the action real low, just the way I like a tele. Once tuned and ready to go I was blown away by how great all 3 positions sound. Twangy bridge, sweet middle, and strat like neck. I play in a fairly busy country band and can't wait to break this out next week. For those insisting they'll never pay this amount for a "Mexican made tele", you are missing out. If you like an effortless playing, lightweight and twangin' tele this is highly recommended.

Owned many telecasters since my first in 1974. This one is so good in so many ways.

The tones this guitar can get are just that much more "present" and clear — vs any other Ive owned or played. Both pickups have a standout design and work brilliantly together.

The feel of the neck, and the ultra light weight, make it comfortable to play In any setting. Great couch potato guitar.

The looks? I like the sparkle but some might not.

Truly a Custom shop quality guitar for the masses.

I saw this Telecaster and I fell in love. Brad Paisley is a great guitarist and if I do say so the top dog in country today. I am not a country guitars I"m a rock guitarist who can play country. I have played 100s if telecasters some good, and some bad. This one takes the cake by far! This is a replica of Brad"s 63 tele and it is a dead ringer! I always liked telecasters but no ever found the right one. Now I have it! The sound is outstanding! The neck is a great and can be a handful but yet it is still comfortable. The nitro checking looks natural it doesn"t look fake or like it was rushed. The feel of the finish is not sticky and the guitar will wear as you play it! Fretwork was spot on and intonation is spot on! The pickups have that nice telecaster bite and spank but they are very dynamic, some telecasters lead pickups will tear your head off with so much treble but this pickup is not overly trebley. The neck pickup is a nice blend between strat and tele. I it"s bell like but doesn"t have the honk of the telecaster neck pickup. In the middle it"s that infamous telecaster honk and a little bit of the strat quack. The guitar is great! Brad is a West Virginia boh and so am I! I can"t knock it our of tune! It also rocks it"s not a one trick pony! Thanks Ryan Murray!

I've only owned this instrument for one day and felt compelled to review it ASAP--that's how amazing this Tele is.

At 5.6(!) lbs, this is THE lightest Tele I own in an eclectic arsenal that includes: Two John 5 Squire Teles (Gold & Black), a Fender Buck Owens Tele, A Fender 50's Esquire, and a rare RockNRoll Relics Jeff Beck Esquire.

This instrument is an incredible value for the price--featherweight but not neck heavy, resonant, responsive, amazing pickups, nitro finish, effortless action, and an amazing sparkle finish. Made to be further modded and personalized by respective owners is also a bonus--I outfitted mine with a clear pickguard to let that sick finish show and for a more utilitarian feel--find the right sticker to cover the cowboy hat decal on the headstock and we're in business!

A testament to the incredible playability is that I normally play 10's--I'm leaving the stock 9's on this one as its absolutely effortless to play and has just the right feel--notes 'pop' off the fretboard. I busted out some clean country licks and hi-gain metal arpeggios on this one without even trying.

Thanks again to Mr. Bob Mondok for his continued expeditious and top-notch customer service--I've been a Sweetwater customer for many years now and am now a lifer!

I was somewhat concerned on whether I would like this guitar or not due to some negative reviews I read, but I went ahead and purchased it anyway and I am glad that I did. The sound and feel of this guitar is amazing! I also love the fact that it is so light and of course the silver sparkle is beautiful.

When I first heard about a Fender Brad Paisley Signature Telecaster coming out, I was wowed! I then decided I was gonna get this guitar. I remember Brad saying on his video for this telecaster, "I want someone who wants to change the world to buy this guitar." I always wanted to become a famous country artist and bring country back to it's roots and I'm planning to do that by buying this guitar. Unfortunately, I just spent the rest of my money on a Fender Stratocaster and some guitar equipment before I heard about this guitar coming out. A lot of them are being sold and I just hope that I can get one before they all go out. I think this is one of the best things Brad's ever done!

Ordered it and was immediately contacted by Mark, what a profressionall operation they have!! Guitar was 3 weeks out but arrived early and every step of the way Mark called me and kept me in the loop. You just don’t get service like this anymore. Guitar arrived and from the minute I removed it from the box I was in love! They say it’s a lite guitar, holycrap it’s lite!! Plugged her in, did some minimal tuning and it came to life. I’ve been a drummer for over 35 years and about 3 years ago decided to learn guitar and I’m a Les Paul nut, never really got into fenders but boy am I glad I pulled the trigger on this gem!!!!!!!! Thank you sweetwater and Mark, you have my business for life!

Silver tunged devel sings like a dream. Her neck is smooth her voice is heave and her action is fast and responsive this girl will give you whatever sounds you are qualified to "properly" ask a lady to give you. She can be as sweet as honey or growel like a tiger or roar like a lion. Mr Paisley knows how to build an ax. The back pick up is a buxom redhead. She can be sweet or growl. Get a guitar designed buy a guitar playing super star. The man made champagne at beer prices.
Thank him by doing yourself a favor.

This tele has a great feel to it. The enhanced V shaped neck feels really comfortable and the pickups sound amazing. The sparkle finish is definitely a looker and the "worn out look" gives it that vintage vibe which I absolutely love. Also the weight is a plus! It's super light. I just can't put this guitar down. The only thing I didn't like is that it came with a gig bag. For the price, and for being a signature guitar, it should have came with at least a paisley textured hard case or any hard case at all.

my knocks are as follows: i'd like to have the b or g bender on this thing. the fake worn relic work is ok if you like it. i'd rather have the whole guitar sparkly and clear coated. the worn look almost made me not want to buy it.

everything else is fantastic on this. i believe these are twisted tele pups and they are fantastic. the d shape neck "baseball bat" feel amazing, where have D shaped necks been all my life? the paint on this thing is drop dead gorgeous. it's light as a feather. clear paisely pickguard is beautiful. if you take the time to set this thing up properly, it plays oh so nice!

i have a wall of strats and teles. this one is my favorite

i play country

I never thought I'd buy a new guitar with the "road worn" treatment, but I fell in love with this, so I had to swallow my pride and accept the fake wear and tear... This thing is super light, making it a pretty comfortable player. The paisley pickguard and silver sparkle finish look fantastic. The neck is a bit wider than I expected, giving it a beefy feel while still being extremely comfortable and easy to play expressively on. The pickups have a nice sound. The neck pickup has a much thinner sound than a G&L ASAT Classic I compared it to... but it also felt a lot more bluesy to me. Comparing to the ASAT Classic bridge, the Fender was again thinner and also brighter, but it also has a really sweet edge and twang to it that the ASAT just didn't have. From a purist perspective the G&L may have been a better choice, but for blues and country the Paisley had some personality to it that made it the hands-down winner for my current wants and needs. Fit and finish on this guitar are excellent, and everything just feels right (except the weight, which is so light it takes a little getting used to)

Looks great, sounds great, plays great. This is a great addition to my collection.

First, I'm a huge Fender lover. I have 2 Teles, 3 Strats, and 2 Fender amps. I would have more if I could afford them. :) I'm also a Brad Paisley fan, so I was really excited about this guitar. I have to admit that it wasn't what I was hoping for when I saw it announced. It's not American made, it's road worn, it doesn't come with a bender or a hard shell case. However, I was willing to set aside those prejudices and give it a shot. Wow. My prejudices were the least of my concerns. I have honestly played Squires and lower-end Fenders that felt better than this guitar. I really wanted to love it, but I honestly hate it. The body feels like it's made of balsa wood. I know it's supposed to feel light, but instead it feels like it cost $3 to make. The relic'ing job is not good. One corner looks like it was dropped (maybe the one I played was actually dropped). Aside from the horrific body, the fretboard is awful. The edges are sharp! I'm used to my American made Fenders having softer, more rolled edges to the fretboard, but this one is sharper than other non-American made Fenders I've played. Again, I hate to trash on this guitar because I love Fender and I really wanted to like this, but it is frankly just awful. $ is WAAAY too much for a guitar of this low quality. I'm not sure why it's getting good reviews. Maybe people are just hung up on the Paisley aspect. If you want a great Tele for country, look at the Fender American Nashville Deluxe B-Bender, which I got from Sweetwater. It is 10 times the guitar for only a couple hundred more.