I'm mainly a Strat guy, but I've always wanted a nice Telecaster and I've tried several. I really like the Seymour Duncan pickups and the 6 point bridge. The big neck feels fine to my thin long fingers and the big frets are different, but I like em. I was concerned that there's no tone control and just the parallel or series selector where the tone control normally is, but it is nice to just have 4 distinct sound choices and I actually like it. The fit and finish on this made in Japan guitar is beautiful with nice binding a deep glossy Poly coating over the Flamed Maple top and Swamp Ash back. Pretty guitar that sounds as great as it looks!

Shout-out to Ryan Thorpe for hooking me up with a sweet demo model. Much appreciated, thank you! This tele is a force to be reckoned with, lots of power and tasty bite. Incredible tones from the DiMarzio pickups through my Blues Junior. Love the body bevel, fingerboard radius, and raw maple neck. The jumbo frets are smooth and easy on the fingers. Although the neck profile is large it doesn't hinder playing as the setup can be dialed in to your liking, plus the 12 inch radius board makes for easier playability. I owned a Kotzen Tele several years ago and stupidly sold it because of the weight, but this new one is much lighter, a mere 8 lbs which is featherweight in comparison to many. Not a huge fan of the gold hardware but that's no big deal, I can live with it. I've owned and played many electric guitars that are like silly toys in comparison to this professional tone machine.

Of my 40+ guitars, this would without a doubt be one of my desert island top five. Incredibly flexible, outstanding tones and playability - this one will always be in my collection.

My FedEx delivery came yesterday and I let the guitar sit overnight. I set it up about an hour ago, when I get a new guitar I just start setting it up for my preferences immediately. Looked like it was set up decent but I didn't play it. Definitely not the neck for me but I knew that when I bought the guitar. I had a thin roasted maple neck on a delivery truck before the Tele got here. I prefer Ibanez style shred neck profiles and I think Aaron Judge could hit a home run with this stock neck. Getting the neck swapped and adding locking tuners soon. Can't wait to get my mods done and get it professionally set up by an actual guitar tech. I didn't love the playability out of box (as usual, with almost any guitar) but it sounds fantastic. There are a range of useful tones that you can pull from that pickup combination and once you dial in your pickup heights it sounds amazing. Still learning the electronics, but I would consider this to be pretty versatile if you like fat tones. I'm not getting spanky clean vibes but I'm not looking for them right now. This one sounds good with some overdrive and delay. Looks nice but not so nice you wouldn't be worried about a little scratch somewhere. Quality components, this guitar is asking to played…

This guitar is amazing! I went with the reviews just like a few others who were looking for a solid telecaster. Man oh man, spot on! Quality, finish and tone are outstanding. Very happy with this one.

It's a big, bold, beautiful Telecaster with a Huge Honkin neck that feels fantastic Perfect with the jumbo frets . It's a heavy guitar, almost Les Paul territory, solid ash with a beautiful flamed maple top with really elegant appointments. Gold hardware, abalone inlays. Superb quality like most Fender Japan guitars I've played. Not for everyone but if it is for… well boy howdy it's sweetie

Absolutely best Telecaster I've ever played built to Richie's specifications.The neck on this thing is a monster the sustain and Scream Factory is level 10 love the Abalone fret markers I took the twin King out of the neck replaced it with a Demarzio Area T a true Double Stack that was meant to go with the Chopper T I put American pots in 3D flame top swamp Ash bear claw figuring on the back I got Richie to autograph my pickguard this Telecaster is like no other I promise

I've been playing 34 years. I've owned hundreds of guitars. I can honestly say this has been the best Tele I have ever owned. Even over more expensive US models. Big neck, big frets, DiMarzio Chopper T. It's a tone machine. I have guitars three times the price of this one. But this is the one I grab 99% of the time when I walk out the door to play a gig.

I have wanted one of these for years and Joe Holsclaw, at Sweetwater, reached out at the right moment. I'm glad he did. This thing is highly playable out if the box. It's comfortable to play for long sessions. The neck is silky smooth and fast. The finish is beautiful. Lastly, it tracks fantastic and sits very well in a mix. Thanks Joe!

My 5th Tele. This one can be a true Tele or a rock wizard. Awesome pickups, flawless quality. Boost button is cool and I don't miss the treble pot. My amps have one.

If you're considering a nice unique telecaster, look no further because this sunburst offers just that! I was considering customizing a telecaster through the mod shop, but this MIJ telecaster has more than what you ask for. Nice looking gold hardware gives it the perfect flair that matches the flame maple top. DiMarzio pickups sound great. The smooth thicker maple C neck feels sturdy and comfortable. (In case anyone wonders if it might be too much, I have medium size hands). This guitar doesn't fail to disappoint!

I love this guitar so much I bought 2 of them. I did some personal upgrades for my playing styles. Although the pickups in the stock model are great I did some switching to fit my personal styles. In the the 1st model I installed Dimarzio Area T bridge and neck pickups for great single coil sounds without the 60 cycle hum. In the 2nd model I installed a Seymour Duncan Little 59 in the bridge (a bit warmer sounding PAF tone that the stock Dimarzio) and a Duncan Vintage Stack Tele pickup in the neck. As I stated before the stock Dimarzio pickups sound great but these mods fit my style of playing better. I also upgraded the tuners to Gotoh locking tuners.
I have played various Telecasters over the years and have to say this is one of the best Telecaster Guitar models I have ever played or owned. The neck is on the chunky side and does have a fingerboard radius of 12 instead of of 7.5 or 9.5 like most Teles. But for me that fits my lager size hands perfectly. The fit and finish on the guitar is of top quality and looks outstanding!
The only drawback to this guitar was no case!

I love this guitar so much I bought 2 of them. I did some personal upgrades for my playing styles. Although the pickups in the stock model are great I did some switching to fit my personal styles. In the the 1st model I installed Dimarzio Area T bridge and neck pickups for great single coil sounds without the 60 cycle hum. In the 2nd model I installed a Seymour Duncan Little 59 in the bridge (a bit warmer sounding PAF tone that the stock Dimarzio) and a Duncan Vintage Stack Tele pickup in the neck. As I stated before the stock Dimarzio pickups sound great but these mods fit my style of playing better. I also upgraded the tuners to Gotoh locking tuners.
I have played various Telecasters over the years and have to say this is one of the best Telecaster Guitar models I have ever played or owned. The neck is on the chunky side and does have a fingerboard radius of 12 instead of of 7.5 or 9.5 loke most Teles. But for me that fits my lager size hands perfectly. The fit and finish on the guitar is of top quality and looks outstanding!
The only drawback to this guitar was no case!

I am incredibly happy with the Richie Kotzen Tele I purchased from Sweetwater. I had previously dealt with some wrist tendonitis while playing guitars with thinner necks. The thick C-shaped neck on the Richie Kotzen Tele has almost entirely eliminated my tendonitis issue. The satin finish on the neck feels smooth and fast. Fretwork, including fret ends, was great right out of the box. I also got the guitar set up by the luthiers at Sweetwater and they set it up exactly how I like it. The belly cutaway and forearm contour are super comfortable. The flame maple top and abalone fretboard inlays are absolutely beautiful. Just overall a phenomenal instrument which has quickly become my #1 guitar. As always, great customer service from Sweetwater too.

So this is my first review for Sweetwater after buying quite a few things over the years. This guitar is really really great. I've played US strats, PRS CE's, PRS McCarty's, Ibanez JS/Jem, ESP Horizons, Les Paul studios, standards, etc., and I like this better than all of them. Sure, it has a thick neck like everyone says but I can't even tell. The neck is very well made and plays like butter. The tones are super versatile, I love having the parallel/series thing in the middle position, it works great for my use.

My ONLY complaint, which is more on Sweetwater than Fender is that I knew I was not getting a case or a gig bag from what read from many other reviews. However, in the photos that Sweetwater sent me they did include a picture of a Fender gigbag. So I thought "oh hey nice, going to get a gigbag after all. Nope. No gigbag. So, Sweetwater...if you are reading this please don't get our hopes up with photos of our new guitars or gear and include something that's not actually going to be included.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've never heard of Richie Kotzen until I researched this guitar. I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by him or this awesome signature tele. I have really big hands for my size and my fingers are pretty meaty, therefore I never found a guitar that felt comfortable to play until this one. I've owned lots of guitars and this bad boy is the ticket for me. I wasn't sure if I'd like the gold hardware cuz Im not a fan of blingy stuff but I gotta say it looks good. I was also a little concerned about the weight but unlike my Les Paul traditional which is heavy in the behind, this guitar is much better balanced and is easy to play sitting down. I can't put this guitar down and I'm being totally honest when I say that I'm considering trading my Les Paul and a custom shop Strat in to order a custom tele from the custom shop based on this guitar.
If you are thinking of buying one, I can't recommend it enough. And when you do, make sure ya ask for Josh……he's awesome!

Was looking for a hot telecaster. Got exactly what I wanted, comfortable neck with pick ups set up that range from traditional smooth tele to a more aggressive and hot sound.

Great bang for the buck

I had my eye on this guitar for ages but was concerned the neck might be too fat....if that's your concern I can tell you categorically that you don't need to worry about it at all. My guitars all have modern C, thin or soft V necks so this is much bigger but it feels perfect and as soon as I started playing it I was unaware of it because it felt so good. I play mainly 80s hard rock but one of my bands covers songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today and this guitar can handle everything from AC/DC to Bruno Mars - it's a truly versatile tone beast. And EVERYONE who sees it tells me it's beautiful....because it is a beautiful looking guitar. I wouldn't have been able to buy this had I not picked up the phone to Ryan, my Sweetwater sales engineer, who is always awesome. I don't know how Sweetwater does it but they hire the best, most customer-focused staff I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Thank you Ryan!

OK, so the neck...? yes, it's fat. I've owned a series of guitars, mostly teles , over 40 yrs. According to my taste and perception of small hands the necks I like have gotten smaller and flatter as the years go by. A self-described disliker of "baseball bat" necks I was drawn to the potential sounds and beauty of this RK telecaster. I thought I'd give it a try and I gotta say that there's something about the solidness of the neck/guitar that begs/enjoys to be played. Very and pleasantly unexpected playing experience! I love this ax and can hardly put it down. I feel I am doing Richie and fender proud every time I gig with it. I play blues grooves, small venues mostly, Willie Nelson/Van Morrison/ American Crooner Jazz lead stuff and worship choruses at church. No, I'm not a shredder nor a fast player and I don't really crank it too much like a lot of the typical aficionados of this guitar do. That's why I wanted to let you know how substantial and graceful this guitar feels and how sweet it can sound. I play it almost exclusively through a Mesa Cali. Tweed amp and it often sounds like liquifide sweet honey butter dripping out of the bee hive with a few stings thrown in for sharpness

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM ADAM VAUGHN AT SWEETWATER.I HAD TO BUY A SECOND RICHIE KOTZEN TELECASTER.PLEASE CHECK THESE OUTAND ONLY TALK TOO ADAM VAUGHN

This has to be the best Telecaster I ever bought. It's beautiful, plays extremely well, and sounds fantastic.

The fit and finish on this guitar is amazing. Top shelf quality! I've always thought the Japanese make a better Tele than us here in the states. This model definitely shows their attention to detail and craftsmanship. The sound? Even better! This is my favorite tele in my collection. Pair it with a Fender amp and you are even better off! The only thing that would be a negative is that it doesn't come with a gig bag. That was a big letdown considering the price, but I quickly forgot about it once my hands were on it!

I'm a Tele man, through and through. This guitar is wonderful, partly because it extends that Tele range into genuine hard rock + blues sound, while still sounding like a telecaster. I will never trade or sell this instrument. And the Japanese quality is a very strong plus. All of my guitar friends (much better players than me) also love this Tele and free with me how special it is. It's overall tone does not beg for a lot of pedal support: I use some bluesy driver (sometimes) and it likes a little delay. With a Fender tube amp, it makes the vibrato come alive. This wonderful guitar can give you everything from a gentle morning kiss to distant rolling thunder. Of all my guitars, and I own some other also-great Teles, this is the one I would most likely choose for a gig to which I could bring only one guitar.

I've never written a review so be gentle. I'd been looking at these for years and finally pulled the trigger. Couldn't be happier with this beast. The Chopper T in the bridge is fantastic and incredibly versatile. The Twang King is an all-around great sounding Tele neck pickup. I play anything from country, funk to metal and this guitar can nail all of it. If you're familiar with this guitar you're aware that the neck is on the larger side. Folks always say "I have large/medium/small hands" which may not be helpful so, for perspective, my left hand is 9" from thumb to pinky when open and the neck feels amazing. I wish I could get replacement necks for all my guitars with the same profile. It really is that comfortable. DEEP "C", 12" radius, jumbo frets.. What more could you ask for? This thing is my new #1 and I doubt that will be changing anytime soon. Thanks for always being awesome Mike W.!

The Richie Kotzen Telecaster is flat-out amazing. It's the type of guitar that makes me want to play it all day. The neck is definitely big, but is very comfortable to play. The neck pickup has lots of character and the bridge pickup is clear and crisp. When you're using both pickups and you click the series/parallel knob you can get some mean tones with that boost. All-in-all the guitar is great looking and even better sounding. This is a Fender for the ages.

So I bought this guitar based on reviews only. I never played one and had only heard it on YouTube videos. I was looking for a tele, and from what I'd read this sounded like the one. I was a little hesitant just because many reviews mentioned the big neck and I have smaller hands. I gave it a shot just because the reviews were so good. I'm glad I did because it's a beautiful guitar. I own a strat, a les paul and a prs custom 24, and this one might be my overall favorite. The neck is big, but not uncomfortable. The shape of it just feels nice. The setup and craftsmanship of this guitar was spot on. The variation of tones you can get with the different pickups and the parallel/series switch is amazing. Really versatile. For lovers of the classic tele twang, this might not quite be what you want. You can get a good telecaster sound, but really it suits rock more than country or rockabilly which is more of what I play. If you're looking for a versatile telecaster, this is what you need

I rarely write reviews but this guitar is totally worth it. I've had the Kotzen tele for over one year now and can provide my "not-so-unbiased" feedback to any potential buyer and/or anybody who's on the fence buying it.

The good: The Made in Japan quality is great. It is as good or better than any of my American Fenders. This guitar is absolutely gorgeous. The pickups sound great and are very versatile. I can cover anything from blues to metal. The neck is really big and not for everybody but like most reviewers stated it's easy to get used to it. It actually forces me to play a little bit differently and develop other sides of my playing.

The bad: It was pretty noisy out of the box (Even the bridge humbucker). It was actually the noisiest of all my guitars. I know I have a bunch of recessed lights on dimmer switches in my basement but my other guitars are dead quiet. I could not explain why it was so noisy. I checked all the wiring and grounding. Everything was perfect. I decided to shield the pickguard and all the cavities with cooper foil. The guitar is now dead quiet. I still don't know what the issue was since the guitar comes with quality Dimarzio pickups and neat wiring. The guitar also came with the 21st and 22nd frets a little bit high. That was preventing me from lowering the action to my liking. I had to do a local fret leveling and re-crowning. Not a big deal to me since I routinely do fret jobs but it could be an issue for somebody that doesn't have the tools or the experience. BTW, I had the same issue with some of my American Fenders. The action is great now. The jumbo frets are beautifully dressed but are not high enough for my taste. I typically use Jescar 57110 or 58118 stainless or EVO fret wire on my guitars. It is much higher and provide better playability (less friction when bending). I will refret this guitar with SS or EVO fret wire when I have the time. Again, it is on par with any of my American Fenders original fret work but tall stainless steel frets would make this guitar so much better out of the box. The parallel/series switch was not useful to me (entirely subjective). I rewired the guitar when I shielded pickguard cavities. It is now more like a regular tele. The parallel/series switch was replaced by a tone knob/humbucker coil split switch. The Dimarzio Chopper T humbucker sounds great when split and makes this guitar even more versatile. I can truly go from Country to Metal now.

Conclusion: This is a gorgeous, high quality, and inspiring guitar. The fact that a guitar god like Richie Kotzen was involved in its design is just icing on the cake. Like any guitar, it can be improved based on one's specific tastes. I highly recommend it. I was actually thinking about buying a spare before they stop making them but my wife will most likely be mad at me. I might still do it….

I have been eyeing this Guitar for 10 years.
I couldn't wait any longer.So I pulled the trigger last week and it arrived 2 days ago.
Played it all day yesterday. Flawless.
There is no cons on this Guitar that I can say.
Everything is Top Notch on this beauty.
From the neck to the electronics and the stunning look of the Guitar.
The sound is extremely beefy and Rocking and bluesy and clean up extremely well.
Worth every penny.
The bridge DiMarzio Chopper T is hot enough to give you the right bite you need for rock tones and clean up beautifully.
The Twang King in the neck is bluesy and perfect.
The additional series parallel switch is a added bonus and combo of both pickup together.
Giving you a mid range boost and different tonality.

If you are wanting a Telecaster.
Give this one a chance.

Very easy to play and the range of tone from the pickup selection is extremely wide. The large neck is not an issue and like others have said, is not noticeable after a few minutes of playing. Once you play this Tele, you can't go back.

Don't think I've ever actually wrote a review on a product before but had to for this unbelievable tele. It is bad to the bone Just like Richie. Never thought I'd ever own a signature guitar nor did I ever really want to. I saw this and just went for it and sooo glad i did. I'm actually back on the website as we speak to buy a second one as back up. When playing live and I break a string on my kotzen tele, all I really want to do is pick up another one! That's why I'm about to buy a second one! I'm even selling another tele of mine in order to do so. My point is, this tele is everything it says it is and more! Get it!! It does have a bigger neck, but you get used to it within 5 min and don't even think about it after that. It's fat for a reason and works the way it should. Don't be skeptical of the bigger neck. It's awesome. The pickup options allows for so much versatility within a live performance. I've never have that with another guitar. I could go on and on about this. Don't hesitate buy this GUITAR NOW!!!

I've had this Tele for almost two years and it was totally worth it. Excellent range of tones from clean to overdriven with just a change of pick up selection. Extremely comfortable to play for long periods, though it does weigh more than a typical Tele (~9lbs). Very happy I made the decision to go with the Kotzen. All the other reviews are true.

Magnificent. The mix of pick-ups on this Tele make it really something special. You can get a beautiful clean, and a powerful growl. From a secret lover's whisper to distant rolling thunder. I have long lusted after Ritchie's tone, and this certainly helps me get there. (I don't think of it as cheating.)

Fit and finish was perfect. Sweetwater did their usual super-careful inspection, plus they lowered the action to just how I like it. People talk about the Sweetwater customer service --- in my experience it is absolutely true. Just try ordering a guitar from one of their most prominent competitors and see if they give a crap whether you wind up happy or not. So, my technician/contact is Ryan Springer. He's helped me with several things. If you don't already have a "Guy" at Sweetwater, call them and ask for Ryan. He's been great. You'd be surprised at the ways he can help you, that you haven't even thought of yourself.

I'd heard about the quality of the Fenders made in Japan. It's all true. I was slightly concerned about the thicker neck on this tele. It's no big deal. Doesn't feel very different to me than a "C" or a modern C. And the maple neck is like butter. Definitely my best guitar. So much fun to play.

Neck is thick, not in a bad way. It is actually comfortable. Best guitar i have so far. It sounds really good. It made me forget that i have other guitars at home.

absolutely amazing guitar...
action, fit and finish is perfect...
tone is "to die for".

I am a finger style guitarist and I chose this guitar because Ritchie Kotzen is a also a finger style player and he gets amazing tone playing finger style on this electric guitar... not only is this a beautiful guitar but it has the perfect combination of pickups for a finger style player who wants to ROCK OUT... or one who plays with a plectrum.

A big thanks to Greg Savino for always guiding me in the right direction and being the best sales engineer that anyone could wish for.

I just bought this guitar with the easy payment plan. Haven't received it yet but every time I order anything from Sweetwater Noah Huffman always contacts me very quickly to let me know the details of the order. I have never seen such awesome customer service. You rock Noah Huffman!

The guitar plays like a dream, the thick neck and jumbo frets make any style "flow" the pickups are a little noisy when not grounded by your body so plan to use a noise gate when adding gain. You won't want to put it down, plan to practice allot!

The first time I played this guitar it was a bucket list event, I have made it my business to try to play every guitar ever made like a holy grail search! This guitar is one of the best sounding and most comfortable that I have ever played! I couldn't put it down! The neck is the size of a nocaster, and as comfortable. The pickups can do it all! This guitar is a steal for this price. Cant say anything bad it has no weakness!

This guitar is a beast. Easy to chord, fast action, super chunky fast neck, killer vintage nec p"up, ripping bridge p"up. Def gonna want a case with this when it is shipped, even if it;s just a soft Gator.

We got off to a bad start. First guitar shipped with all the tone control wires not connected. Sweetwater did an UNBELIEVABLE turn around, shipping a new guitar immediately so I could swap out and return. That's why I only buy (a lot) here!
The guitar itself is a gem in every way. I'm not a big Tele guy. Had one a long, long time ago and I just didn't care for it. Reviewing specs on this one and checking out RK's music, I thought it would be more versatile than a normal Tele. I do a lot of variety in a cover band and write a large scope of original music so I need a versatile platform.
The pickups do exactly what you are hearing in other reviews here: quack and clean to powerfully strong sustain. The meaty neck is a players dream. Finish goes beyond the pictures. Flawless.
I attribute the damage issue to the fact that Fender, for some reason chose to manufacture a guitar of this caliber and not provide a case or even a gig bag to protect a high quality instrument. I would have gladly paid more. If you buy this great guitar, please purchase a case or bag and have Sweetwater ship it in that along their usual great packaging. Sweetwater could have maybe caught this switch issue, but I have to say they are EXTREMELY focused on correcting the rare issue that comes up.
GREAT guitar, GREAT service!

I wont rehash the specifications. I will say that I have an American Special Tele, American Standard, Pro and Elite Stratocasters, and Gibson Les Paul Studio, and the Kotzen Tele hangs with them all quite easily. The visual and physical build quality, and tone are top notch. Pictures dont do it justice. You can play virtually any style on this instrument. You can actually play heavy-metal on this bad boy if you wanted. Having no tone control is a little different, but the pickups have a thicker sound that any other Tele and you really dont miss it. Richie literally plays these same models. The only difference is that he uses a special tuner built into his. And it goes without saying that Richies tone is amazing, and yours will be too. Clean and distorted are equally good. The added comfort body contours, make this a pleasure to play. I cant recommend this guitar enough. No disappointments here. Worth every penny.

I did not buy this guitar at Sweetwater, but I do find these reviews useful. This guitar is a dream. It's perfect in every way. It's been 6 months, and every single day I look at it and I'm blown away by the extreme beauty, it's hypnotizing. In other reviews, one person said that this is the guitar you would present to a king, I could not agree more with that statement. The Japanese craftsmanship is top-notch, it's perfect in every way. And tone... well, this is Kotzen's guitar, you can get that tone. The Chopper T at the bridge is awesome! So much fun to play.

Every review on here is right. Amazing well crafted flawless guitar. Neck is fat and wide but not an issue. Easy to chord and play. This thing should be in the 2500.00 price range. And as always, great service from Brandon Eden and Sweetwater.

i ordered this guitar against my better judgement. I had ordered an Ibanez from another company before and it was a very bad experience. I called and spoke with Chris Sonya and he took time to answer all my questions about this guitar. He helped with the the buying process- I got to pick the exact guitar I wanted. I saw the different guitars and their weights. Then Chris asked the most important question....did I want the guitar Plek"d? What is that?? Ok so I took the bait and got it plek"d- best decision I could have made. Do yourself a favor and research this process. Fast forward to the date of arrival, I opened the box and was amazed at the craftsmanship of this guitar. The colors, the finish, the playability- my first tele and I was amazed. The neck is pretty big and itconcetn d me a bit(it"s very close to a les Paul neck) maybe a little bigger. Sometimes you pick up a guitar and know that it"s a quality instrument, this was this guitar. Now to the sound. I play a flyrig in a church through a $100,000 sound system and it cuts through the mix. For this of you who know what it"s like to get lost behind the voices of singers and cymbals then you will understand how important cutting through is. I also play at a smaller church through a crate g65 amp and not through the house- this is where the series/parallel switch shines- I can do the rhythm work and slight lead in one setting and the switch the know and get a fat huge sound that def cuts through. I"ve played this thing through several amps and it shines. Best guitar I own( I have strats, les Paul"s, several 7 stringed guitars, multi scale guitars, ibanezes....I have them all) and I will plek every guitar I buy again. Sweetwaters customer service is far beyond any other company. The ONLY bad thing I can say is that it does not come with a case but that shouldn"t be a deciding factor. Just buy it. Seriously. Buy it.

What can I say that hasn't been said in other reviews? For me, this is the guitar I've always wanted - incredible fit and finish work, a plethora of tones and quite a looker. I was a little worried about the larger neck as I have smallish hands but there's no issue playing this guitar. The neck shape is comfortable and the larger frets make bending a breeze. The maple top is absolutely beautiful and the gold hardware complements the two-tone sunburst nicely.

Of course, being able to choose the one I wanted via the Sweetwater website was great. Kudos to Sweetwater for their customer service and product selection. Color me very happy with this purchase!

Finally a quality guitar with no issues. Wish I would have started with this one first. I have owned a bunch of Mexican Strats and Chinese Epiphones. All have had issues with something that I ended up living with. Took me a while to bite the bullet and spend the money on a quality guitar, but I am so happy I did. Out of the 9 guitars I have purchased over past few years this is the first one worthy of a 5 star rating.
I tried the American Special Tele right before this Kotzen Tele, and it was nice but the neck is way too thin for me. So glad Sweetwater let me return it in exchange for this one. It has the perfect neck for me. Bigger than any other Fender I've played, but not too big for anyone with grown man size hands. Fills my hand and I can play it comfortably longer than any other guitar I've owned. Sounds amazing. No need to change anything on this guitar. The details are perfect. Man I wish every guitar was this nice. I'm gonna spring for an American Professional Strat next. But this Tele has me wanting more guitars from Japan. Thanks Fender Japan for making an excellent guitar.

Love the guitar. I really haven't been a Telecaster guy up to now; but this one changes everything. I love the beefy neck and the Dimarzio pickups are awesome. The quality and workmanship is top-notch as well.

I love this Tele. I bought it mainly for the thick neck, and it has that - in spades! Wide frets. To me the pick-ups are superior to stock Tele pickups....the Twang King is still "twangy" but I think it has a little more bottom end, and the Chopper T humbucker has a lot of punch. The real treat is the the middle position with the parallel switch engaged...creamy strong sustain. So....you get the best of both worlds, neck and middle position (parallel off) still totally "tele-like"....middle (parallel on) and bridge sound a little more "Gibson-y". The gold hardware really works with this finish - beautiful guitar. Comfort cuts a huge plus. I haven't found the lack of tone control to be an issue - I'd rather the "4" pickups, which is essentially what you get. Your mileage may vary. I can't find any quality issues with this Japanese made guitar as compared to American (I own a '71 Tele, I prefer the RK Tele), great fit and finish. I bought this guitar just based on demo/reviews, and I am very, very pleased. If you're considering this one, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

I love this guitar. My wife gave me this tele for our anniversary. I've been playing a 99 Fender Strat and a 94 LP Custom for the past fifteen years. I'd wanted to try something new and stumbled across this bad boy while reading Tele forums. To be honest I'd never heard the Winery Dogs or any of Richie's solo material prior to becoming interested in the guitar. I am now a HUGE Richie fan. His solo material is amazing. Just caught my first Richie show in Bethlehem PA last week.

The guitar: It's HEAVY! Feels heavier than my 94 Les Paul to be honest. I have a healthy leather strap and strap locks for it.
I love the comfort cut in the back. Why aren't all Tele's made with that?
Finish is beautiful. Impeccable quality.

I really love the super fat neck. I have long fingers so it works pretty well for me. I'm so used to it now I'm wondering if there is a way to get a similar neck on my strat without ruining the balance of it. It feel really good in my hands.

Pickups: Love the Chopper T and Twang King combo. The chopper T has enough bite to do many styles of music really well. The Twang King is a hidden jewel in my opinion. It's very versatile.

I had some work done on the tele almost immediately. I constantly use my tone knobs on my LP's and strats and felt like not including them was a major oversight. Richie might be able to get away with it because he's playing Marshalls and Cornfields but I can't with a Fender HRD. So my tech guy modified the parallel/series switch to be a push pull that engages the series option no matter what position I'm in (instead of only the middle position as originally specified.) The switch also acts as a master tone control for all four positions (including series boost.) I really like the mids bump I get when I switch from parallel to series. It's perfect for making my leads jump out into the mix.

I'm really, really happy with this guitar. SO much so I've barely touched my LP or strat in the past year. I still bring a backup to gigs but I haven't busted a string on this tele yet.

Just got mine today. 10/10 two thumbs up. Such a joy to play. My other guitars are a vintage strat and an Ibanez 8 string but this tele is going to be a welcomed addition! Incredible tone and playability and I haven't even had my guitar tech set it up yet. Bravo Fender and Ritchie!

This is hands down the best guitar Ive ever owned. I was very nervous about the 12" radius neck but my playing has improved tremendously because of the neck action and feel. The tone and playability of this entire piece is unmatched. Running through a Fender Blues Deville amp with nearly the exact setup as Richie runs with the RK5 Fly rig and wah pedal. Fellow musicians have picked my guitar up to play it and they all agree its one of the best feeling guitars they have ever tried.

Love the sound and especially it's huge neck. I'm selling all of my other guitars after having this for 2-3 weeks cuz I just realized how much difference a thicker neck makes playability wise for me!

Been playing professionally for 35 years.. Absolutely love my new Richie Tele,, my first time purchasing a guitar online.. These boys know their business, keeped it short, simple, and to the point, very positive experience.. Love the fat, bightty sound,, Ready for the stage.. just can't believe did NOT include a case.. thanks again,

Great guitar! I always loved Telecasters; but, I prefer a more substantial neck to suit my large hands. This guitar gives me that! I also think that the larger neck may improve the tone! You get both the classic Telecaster sound and a little more aggressive sound by including the Humbucking pickup. As far as looks, it is the coolest looking telecaster that I've seen. You won't find a better guitar out there without spending substantially more money. So glad that this guitar is part of my collection!

I love this guitar.
I have been shopping for a telecaster for over a year, but everyone I played seemed to have a neck built for a 10 year old with tiny little fingers.

My main guitars have always been Les Pauls and SGs, so I am used to a more hefty neck. I wanted the tele sound but didnt want the tiny neck.
As I shopped around, it seemed that I would have to have a guitar custom made with my neck specs...
Then I read about the Kotzen tele, I played one at a local music store and was instantly a fan.
The neck feels perfectly nice and fat with a wide fret board, goes very well with the large gauge strings that I prefer (12-52).

Pickups are awesome, Chopper T is not too gainy and cleans up amazingly with the volume control.
Twang King sounds like butter!
Series Parallel switch is a great Idea since I really don't use the tone control that much anyway.

This guitar will get plenty of use in my sessions and personal recordings as well as live.
Well worth 1500.00

Love the neck. Love the frets. Love the pickups. Love the look. This is the best Tele I own....and I have a lot of em.

Best Fender I have ever owned but perhaps not the optimal choice for those with small hands. Maybe they should consider a Deluxe or Elite Tele. Substantial but comfortable (for me) neck, much like my Custom Shop '57 Les Paul reissue. Great tone. Sweetwater's Ted Hunter prevented me from making a really dumb mistake by ordering what was actually a soft gig bag. He found me a genuine Fender case for about the same price. I was so pleased that I bought an amp and several effects pedals from Ted shortly thereafter. Thank you Ted and thank you Sweetwater.

Just received the guitar from Sweetwater. Could not be happier, it was even tuned! This guitar apart from being aesthetically beautiful, may be one of the most comfortable and playable guitars I ever picked up. Recommend to anyone who likes Fender and Gibsons. The 12" radius fretboard is a dream! It is the perfect marriage of all the best aspects of a Les Paul and a tele. Thanks again to Nathan Wall (and Sweetwater) for the OUTSTANDING customer service.

If you want the traditional Tele sound, you don't want this guitar. It sounds nothing like a Tele, or a Srat, or any Gibson I've ever owned. It is as unique as a Unicorn. This guitar is very versatile with regard to the different tones it produces. Which is great, I own an American made Strat (H, S,S configuration), I own an American Tele, I own a Gibson, LP. Why would I want something that does what I already have? This Tele is made in Japan and it is as good as any American made Fender I have ever played. Top notch craftsmanship. The size of the neck may be the only thing one needs to really consider. It is fatter than any guitar I've ever played before. It does take some getting used to. For me, that took about 5 hours playing time. Not an issue any longer. Bottom line, if you are looking for something that sounds different than anything else out there, this is for you! If you are looking for another Tele, save your money and buy a traditional Tele. Me, I love this guitar, and once you get used to the neck you will too.

Another winner from Fender and Sweetwater. Beautifully designed and sweet playing guitar plus Sweetwater service, what more could you hope for. Thank you guys for everything.

Normally very reluctant to buy w/o playing in person 1st, but these guitars are not real common: FANTASTIC guitar, esp for my needs. It sounds very good in all pup positions. I play totally clean with only a touch of amp reverb. Definitely a 'Tele' even with the strong parallel pup mode (nice).

Execution of build quality is top notch from nut, fret work, neck/bridge alignment, etc. I'm not a real flame maple or gold hardware etc. fan (utilitarian looks for me!) but the appearance is very tasteful. (bought it for how it sounds/plays/neck/quality!!)
In the best die hard Tele player tradition I will put in a tone pot sometime, but the lack one is NOT a criticism. I highly recommend this guitar. Thank you, Stuart.

Someone said "not your daddies tele" and man is that right on !! I have been looking for a tele for a while and I found it !! Craftmanship is a ten, the tones are unreal--4 distinct sounds that you will use--pickups are perfect, I just love it !!! I was a bit worried about having it shipped to me, but the Sweetwater staff did a first rate job--NO PROBLEMS !!! The photo gallery at Sweetwater is the best I have seen on-line--but the photos do not do this ax justice !!! Kudos to my guy Mark Stein for making everything go so eazy !!! Sweetwater gets all my biz !!!

I bought this guitar mostly because I'm a huge fan of Richie's and I wanted a Tele that looks and sounds classic but plays like a modern hot-rodded guitar. This guitar is just that and more!

All of the pictures don't do this guitar's looks justice. It is a beautiful looking guitar! Not only that, but it plays like a dream.

A lot of people would read that it has a large neck and be turned away by that. Even though it does have bigger neck, it is still the most comfortable neck I've ever played. The flatter fretboard radius and larger frets allow you to have a low action and still pull off huge bends all across the neck.

The comfort cuts, like on a Strat, are also very nice.

The DiMarzio pickups sound amazing! The Chopper T is a really versatile pickup. On clean and lower gain settings, it has a lot of classic Tele twang but has more bottom end to it and when you crank up the gain, it really has a great searing lead tone to it, but at the same time has some twang. The Twang King sounds great too and has a nice bluesy tone to it. It's a true single coil, so it does hum a little bit when using gain, but you hardly notice it. Using both pickups at the same time is sounds great too and this guitar gives you an extra sound with the series/parallel switch. This guitar sounds so good, you won't miss having a tone knob!

Sorry for the long-winded review, but there aren't enough words to describe how incredible this guitar is. Also the service from Sweetwater is great and they set up the guitar beautifully. It is definitely worth the money and it's great for playing much more than just Richie's songs on! I highly recommend it!

Top notch guitar in all respects, compares with my Custom Shop Tele. Richie has designed a great combination and Fender Japan has executed it perfectly. My only complaint is that this guitar deserves for a hardshell case to be included. They are on lesser Fenders. Sweetwater service and follow up was excellent in all regards. Highly recommended. top .

Absolutely amazing. Not only the best Tele I've ever played or heard, but the best guitar I've ever played...period! Finally, a fat necked guitar with Fender stability and tuning. Dimarzio is the Uber-Pickup company in my opinion, and these are no different, absolute tonal perfection and balance. Played mine today for the first time with my band, and the drummer just smiled and twice he stopped to comment on the amazing tone of this machine. Hats off to two of my favorite people, Richie Kotzen for creating this guitar design, and to Kurt from Sweetwater for being my personal gear rockstar! Thanks again guys, you never disappoint. Sweetwater is in a league all it's own when it comes to gear, cost, and customer satisfaction.

Great guitar from top to bottom! I haven't had it long, but it has become my go-to guitar. A WIDE variety of tones at your fingertips! Get it!

I have owned and played Telecasters for many years and the Richie Kotzen Tele is the best one I have had the pleasure to play.It has one of the most beautiful flame maple bodies and a real slick and fast neck. Just a real pleasure to play. This was my first purchase from Sweetwater and it want be my last. Sean put me on to this guitar and he was dead on with hid description. Everything was first class!

This guitar is amazing. First, it's probably the best looking guitar I've seen, especially up close. I just got today so I haven't had a lot of time to play and test it out. The fat neck is the first thing that will throw you but it quickly feels comfortable and is easier to play than you might think. I have a couple of other telecasters, a strat, '78 Les Paul and a couple others. I think this will become my main guitar. I was lucky enough find a 'demo' model on here for a few bucks less so I jumped on it. You can't even tell it's been played. Just all around great.

First, I'll start by saying that I'd only owned a few old school Kramers, Peavey Wolfgang, and a Gibson BFG Les Paul and had never even played a Fender.

My Sweetwater Sales Engineer Josh Estock was telling me about the Kotzen Telecaster since I mentioned wanting to play something different. I still play mostly hard rock music but was looking to branch out.

Wow, what a terrific guitar! It was ready to rock right out of the box and looks so much better than in the pictures with the gold hardware.

It sounds killer!! The neck pick up has an incredible tone....made me want to play differently than I had......out of my comfort zone. The bridge pick up can really scream too when pushed and string bending is done with ease. The Rotary series/parallel switch gives you a few more tonal varieties too.

So to sum it up, this is a great addition to my now growing collection of guitars. I'm off Monday & Tuesday, my wife is at work, my son at school, and I usually line up 3 of my 16 guitars in their stands to play those days. I play other days too...but this is crank it up time! The Kotzen is always out, and hogs up most of the playing time!!!

Check this guitar out and if you don't already have a Sales Engineer, ask for Josh. His advice has been invaluable!

This guitar has a wide range of tones. Takes a little time to coax the different sounds out of it by once you get your to the set up and the phase switch it is killer. Sounds best through my tweed champ!

Also really appreciate the work put into the guitar by Sweetwater before shipment. I did not have to make any modifications or tweaks to the guitar before playing

This is just a great looking, sounding, and playing Telecaster. This may become my main guitar.
It has obvious great looks with sunburst finish and gold hardware and the back cut of body is incredibly comfortable when playing for hours. Super quality and attention to detail for the price.

This guitar is a tone monster, with an incredibly fat sound as well as the sparkle of a normal Tele.The neck pickup gets a great hollow sound ala Jimi Hendrix but with more depth and definition.

The tone control which switches to a midrange and more definitive tone is just amazing when soloing and really cuts through, like a violin on steroids......Sounds way beyond the typical Tele.

If I could change anything I would have a separate switch for this mode. I would still like to have the tone knob to fully rotate in all pickup selections. I believe Richie Kotzen now has a similar modification on his latest guitars.

Biggest surprise is the neck. It is big and fat but amazingly easy to play.
I have been a fan of the vintage soft V necks and some of the modern C necks that Fender makes.
The Kotzen neck much bigger and beefier, but I can play this guitar much longer without hand fatigue than my other favorite guitars.

It feels really good and the fat neck really adds to the overall sound and tone. You can feel it.
The big neck and ash body make this a truly unique Telecaster and a truly unique Guitar overall.
This guitar comes with a gig bag (my only complaint) . This guitar deserves a hardshell case and I bought one from Sweetwater .

The overall price for a guitar of this quality is worth it and I feel lucky to own it. Fender is making better guitars than ever. Of Course Sweetwater service is the best.

I recently purchased this Richie Kotzen telecaster through Sweetwater and before leaving any revues for such purchases, I allow a cooling down period of what I call the 'honeymoon' stage. It's only been a month, but I can tell potential buyers that this is a great guitar. The quality is top notch. Though it is made it Japan, it DOES NOT take away from the quality build, parts, playability or overall enjoyment. In fact, it probably keeps the price down because this is a stunning guitar to look at. The brown sunburst with the gold hardware is gorgeous!!

Now for some of the specifics of why I am so pleased with this guitar. I have typically been hesitant to get a guitar with a bigger/thicker neck than what I am used to, mainly a typical stratocaster c-shape. I love the neck on this guitar. It is comfortable, even with my smaller hands with snausage sized fingers. In fact, I seem to play cleaner with the bigger neck and the super sized frets are awesome too. The guitar is very resonant, which I really look for in a guitar. Let's face it, we all want to get in that groove zone with the good vibrations of a resonant guitar. The thicker neck, I believe plays a big part in this.
As far as tone is concerned, this Richie Kotzen telecaster is very versatile. You can get the classic tele twang to a more modern rock sound. A very unique instrument indeed. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the comfort cuts which looks to be something that Fender is doing more of with their Telecasters, are a nice touch too. This one is a Keeper. Thank you Sweetwater for giving my option of guitars with a selection to choose from and individually listing their weights and pictures to choose.

Beefier neck than most standard Teles, this guitar plays wonderfully with jusy a slight lowering of action (any guitar I've ever bought from Sweetwater has needed this). Anyway, aside from that it is an absolute tone monster with the Dimarzios installed. The mid boost in middle position is very tonally useful (selected by tone knob) and the belly route cut is a nice option, too. All in all a joy to play, and as usual it is nice to pick between tops and weights on SW's site. Happy camper.

Looks: Well, if you were purchasing a tele to present to a King - this would be the model. The Japanese craftsmanship in this telecaster is flawless. Everything's very simple, just as any tele should be - but the fit and finish and the colors on this are amazing. Don't tell your wife not to worry, that you only spent around $500 dollars on it - she'll tell you that you are a damn liar. This is an elegant, luxurious and well made guitar and even an untrained eye will recognize that fact,

Playability: What makes this telecaster special to me are the chunky neck and jumbo frets which make the guitar so much more comfortable to me to play for long periods of time, The "comfort cuts" in the body are just a godsend - and make the guitar feel like it's a part of your body. I don't think I'll ever be able to purchase another telecaster that doesn't have these cuts and I may have to retrofit my other telecasters with them.

Sound: Wow. I thought, based on Richie Kotzen's playing, that I might be getting a guitar with JUST a full overdriven sound. Nope - this thing is full of traditional country twang if you want it. If you don't - just dial up the amp and you get that raunchy overdriven sound that Kotzen is famous for. This is absolutely stunning to me - and I really wonder if anyone would ever need more than JUST this guitar - it seems to do everything from country to jazz to hard rock. Big thumbs up to the series / parallel switch that adds a new dimension to the sound of the two pickups when switched on simultaneously. There's no tone control. Honestly - a lot of is tele players never used it anyway and it's certainly not missed on this guitar.

Overall - a great guitar ... buy it from Sweetwater - you won't have a better buying experience anywhere else I guarantee!

I purchased my RK tele from sweetwater about a year ago. Had to wait awhile for it to arrive from japan. But man was it worth it. I have had straits, both vintage, u.s.a. american deluxe etc.this tele falls somewhere between deluxe and custom shop. And that's no ****.! It is absolutely precisely precious. Its smooth , fat, chimey. Chunky. If you can't get behind this beauty. Well you've got a real problem. The neck is fat, way fat. I have small hands and I love its playability. no problems. I just got rid of a USA charvel San dim as, and a Ernie ball music man Steve Morse. Butyou won't see this beauty going aanywhere. Nuffsaid.

This is "the" Telecaster. Neck, body, pickups and sound. It is all perfect and what a Tele should be. Tight neck pocket, thick and playable neck with beautiful fret work. Tele tone that is what a Telecaster should sound like thanks to the Dimarzio pickups, maple top and ash body. Craftsmanship and sound comprise the best Tele I have ever owned from both a sound and build standpoint. Richie Kotzen knew what he was doing when he designed this guitar.