TE-52 NA LH Vintage Series : Even better than expected

So I already own the leftie CST24T and Harley Benton's jazz bass copy, both of which I love. I'd been looking for a Tele style for a while for my country band and the TE-52 looked just right.

I'd read some mixed reviews, but based on my experience so far with HB guitars I thought I'd give it a shot. Boy, was that a good idea!

First, the only niggles ... the frets needed a polish, and the strings were shot. The but was cut too high. And that's all! The nut popped right out and was filled down in 15 minutes. The frets polished up fine, and the strings were replaced.

Now the good stuff.

Unlike others I've seen, my TE-52 is made from just two pieces of wood for the body (beautifully matched) and to for the neck. No extra bits stuck here and there ... it looks amazing. The neck is hefty but not uncomfortable and the hardware was all in top condition. No sharp edges on the tuners, electronics work perfecty, scratchplate cut smoothly and accurately.

The sound is exactly what I was looking for. A bridge pickup that's bright but not harsh, with some nice meat to it, and a warm neck pickup. Tuning stability is rock solid.

This is my third HB guitar ... but it will not be my last!