Fender Fullerton Tele - REVIEW

bazmaz

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Tell you what, I actually wouldn't mind that body shape but the colour and ridiculous pickguard make it seem like a toy. Awful. And even then I would massively prefer something like the Epiphone Hummingbird uke which is an acoustic uke modeled after an acoustic guitar. Makes much more sense to me.

I agree on the acoustic-electric issue. I would much rather they made a solid electric uke rather than these wishy-washy hybrids based on electric guitars. If I was after an electric uke specifically I wouldn't mind one modeled after en electric guitar if it's made properly. The kinds of ukes Risa makes, for example, are actually quite appealing. But this... meh.
 
Suppose the colour is one of the most popular Tele colours so they kind of had to offer it, but I see what you mean.

The more I think about the solid steel strung electric, the more I like the idea. Fender certainly know how to make them!
 
Agreed on all comments. As a Long time STRAT and Tele electric player, do we really need a Uke that shape that doesn’t live up to the billing. That said, I do like the Jazzmaster shape. Imagine if they did this with thinner build like a nice solid spruce top, ditched in preamp for a simple under saddle piezo pick up and used their expertise to make a nice light, balanced and acoustically GOOD sounding ukulele. Put on some Grover open back (lite tuners) for better precision tuning and balance. They could sell some at a much higher price if they sounded good. Those stamped metal in line tuners, cheap version are notorious for backlash.

I eco the comment, Fender with your building expertise, make a better Uke.........I don’t care if it mimic the electric or your own design.

I read in one report, that Fender thinks electric Guitar players may just buy them from normal guitar store as a novelty. Really, that is your marketing plan. LOL.

Interior pics are a good addition to your written reviews. Horrible bracing and build. No wonder the Uke in unbalanced . I was surprised by the volume as unsatisfying as it was.

Cheers
 
Agreed on all comments. As a Long time STRAT and Tele electric player, do we really need a Uke that shape that doesn’t live up to the billing. That said, I do like the Jazzmaster shape. Imagine if they did this with thinner build like a nice solid spruce top, ditched in preamp for a simple under saddle piezo pick up and used their expertise to make a nice light, balanced and acoustically GOOD sounding ukulele. Put on some Grover open back (lite tuners) for better precision tuning and balance. They could sell some at a much higher price if they sounded good. Those stamped metal in line tuners, cheap version are notorious for backlash.

Amen! And Thank You!
 
Fender’s Alternate Reality Tenor Telecaster is sort of a big, steel-strung baritone uke, given its DGBE default tuning. I’d love to see your take on it; it’s certainly truer to the Tele tradition.
 
I think there are actually a lot of members of UU who like electric ukes / plugging in Bill.

(ps - acoustic volume is not a problem with this one - it's loud unplugged. Just not a great tone IMHO)
 
I think that's Always been a problem with Fender. Justifiably legendary solid body guitars. Tele has appeared on more recordings than any other guitar

But acoustic Anything? Not so much; unlike Gibson who started out acoustic, then did archtops and eventually solid bodies.

Now a real steel-string solid body . . .That'd be something . . . . Let the pickup and wiring debates commence...
 
Fender’s Alternate Reality Tenor Telecaster is sort of a big, steel-strung baritone uke, given its DGBE default tuning. I’d love to see your take on it; it’s certainly truer to the Tele tradition.

I’ve been trying to find one of these....I was told they are limited editions. My question is can these be tuned G C E A, I was told it was possible....I would prefer a solid body such as this to many of the acoustic electric I have been seeing.
 
I’ve been trying to find one of these....I was told they are limited editions. My question is can these be tuned G C E A, I was told it was possible....I would prefer a solid body such as this to many of the acoustic electric I have been seeing.

I ordered one from Elderly when they were announced in early 2019 and didn’t get it until February of this year. I found the light strings that came on the Tenor Tele were floppy when tuned to DGBE, so I tuned it to FBbDG and found it played much better. Believe it or not, I haven’t tried GCEA, but I’m sure it would work.
 
I’ve been trying to find one of these....I was told they are limited editions. My question is can these be tuned G C E A, I was told it was possible....I would prefer a solid body such as this to many of the acoustic electric I have been seeing.

i read somewhere (but can't now find it!) that they are discontinued.
 
I ordered one from Elderly when they were announced in early 2019 and didn’t get it until February of this year. I found the light strings that came on the Tenor Tele were floppy when tuned to DGBE, so I tuned it to FBbDG and found it played much better. Believe it or not, I haven’t tried GCEA, but I’m sure it would work.

D'Addario and others have string tension calculators for people that want to do off-book things . . .
 
D'Addario and others have string tension calculators for people that want to do off-book things . . .


Yes - with the tenor guitar - pretty straightforward to play with tunings - the bridge makes adjusting scale pretty easy and the neck is strengthened I believe.

Shows that Fender CAN do it (or at least get close).

Just need their uke team to speak to guitar team.. But.. I suspect there lies the problem.. I am not convinced Fender guitars treat the ukes with all that much seriousness.... Sadly.
 
Thanks for the review Baz. I think it's just as important to review 'novelty' stuff like this as it is to do more traditional ukes, if, for nothing else, to keep a newbie from making a purchase they'll regret.
Call me silly, but I do like the colour.
Other than that, this just seems like something for a Fender guitarist to have hanging next to his guitar....I wouldn't buy one.
Sometimes I really wonder what companies like Fender and Luna are thinking....
 
Thanks for the review!
I wondering how the new Fender Fullerton Ukulele compares with the old Fender Ukulele '52 4-String Electro Acoustic Ukulele.
 
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Thanks for the review!
I wondering how the new Fender Fullerton Ukulele compares with the old Fender Ukulele '52 4-String Electro Acoustic Ukulele.

I completely forgot about those! Very very similar construction to be honest. But I never played a 52
 
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