I've bought this guitar because I adore the looks and sound of a telecaster.
I've owned an Epiphone SG (made in 2006) before. It was much more expensive than HB TE20. However, this tele is made much better. Epiphone SG had so many flaws, but I don't think this is the place I need to nag about it.
What I loved about this guitar:
1. This guitar came set up so well, that I don't even know what to add. The frets are polished, fret ends are smooth (we will see what's going to happen after our Northern winter). Even stock strings aren't terrible.
2. The body is well made, no "pickholders" like original Fenders have between the neck pocket and neck. All the plates and knobs feel good, the bridge is reliable and doesn't give any problems.
3. It stays in tune well. I didn't have any problems with tuning it up, which was a big surprise. Most people say that these 89 euro guitars have bad tuners, but honestly, I didn't experience any problems with it. Maybe I'm just lucky?
4. The neck. Oh God, I love this neck! It is chunky and awesome. It is super smooth and not sticky! It feels just right!!! Mind that I'm used to SG neck and jazz bass neck. Adjusting to this chunky thing wasn't a problem. With my big hands it's perfect.
What I didn't like:
1. The sound. I think it's the only point I didn't like. Although the sound met my expectations. I knew it won't have the sound I want, so I've ordered Fender Vintera 50's pickup set together with this guitar. They are 79 euros, so I'm guessing it will work. Anyway, the bridge pickup sounds so bland. It sounds incredibly boring! I couldn't get anything with the help of my amp and effects. It's just so dull. It actually sounds as if you are just playing into a mic, which is kinda strange. The neck pickup sounds quite OK. I mean it's not ideal, but it's way better than the neck pickup. You can actually get some interesting sounds out of it. In 2nd position the guitar sound quite unbalanced. Bridge pickup overpowers the neck one, so you are left with a bridge sound + a little of this dull neck sound. Again, as I said before, I was expecting it to be bad, so no surprise here.
What I have to say as a reviewer:
Because this guitar is so well made and costs so little, I was looking for "the catch" in this guitar.
1. The tiny dots on top of the fretboard aren't consistently round. Some are oval, some have a little paint sticking out. (I know it's something you won't even notice, but I was trying hard to find "the catch"!
2. The edge of the pickguard on the top isn't perfectly smooth when you trace your finger along it. There are some tiny waves and I don't think I will try to fix that.
3. The paintjob behind the bridge isn't ideal. It looks as if it has little navy spots there. I think it looks cool though. The blue colour itself is amazing though.
Summary:
I love this guitar. It is amazing. I was thinking it won't be as good as it is. Feels amazing, super well-made, stays in tune. It's a perfect guitar to start playing or just having fun with it!
The sound is not great, but I was planning to change them anyway. I got a set of Fender Vintera 50's, so if you are interested, I'll leave a review there as well. If you just want to play at home or start learning, the sound won't be a problem anyway.
I'm extremely happy with this guitar, if you have any doubts - trust me, it's a good buy. Especially for that price!
