The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: 2004 Fender MIM Muddy Waters Artist Series Signature Telecaster

Review: 2004 Fender MIM Muddy Waters Artist Series Signature Telecaster

If you wanted to name a guitar after a blues legend, probably none would be as powerful an association as Muddy Waters, an artist of almost mythical status. One of the guitars most associated with him was a candy apple red telecaster, with a 50's style body, Fender amp knobs instead of the stock metal ones, and an extra-large custom-made neck. In an interview with Johnny Winter, he said that many other players found it hard to play due to its thick strings and high action. The reason? It was the guitar that gave him that distinctive single note slide sound that characterized his solos.

In 2000, the Fender Custom shop put out a limited run of 100 special edition “Muddy Waters Tribute” telecasters, which garnered excellent reviews. At around the same time, the company released a lower cost version on its “Artist Series” called the Muddy Waters Telecaster. It was made up of American parts that were shipped to Mexico to be assembled and painted. As such, it's one of the higher end models from that country, but with an average street price of around 600.00. Not bad compared to an American made.

Obviously, it couldn't be released as it was in the custom version, with higher action, pre-made scratches and dents (I don't know about you, but I find it silly to pay a king's ransom for a scratched-up guitar). You'd be paying a lot just for labor.

It's a nine-pound guitar as it is, heavy even for a tele, and a beefy neck with high string height simply isn't going to sell to the average guitar player. So, a 60's style “C” neck, with a nice rosewood fretboard was used, with medium jumbo frets and good vintage “ping” style tuning pegs. One intersection thing about the pegs is that the tuning ratio is a bit higher, so tuning is fast yet accurate.

The 50's style body is thick and made of ash. It's a solid plank, and for me it recalled the days back when I played a 1971 maple neck model and carrying it even a short distance was serious business. I bought mine used in a Gator case, which makes it a relatively lighter package. It's no accident that Fender includes a custom gig bag with it instead of a case.

The bridge is a 50's style three-piece brass type, with molding that will strike some as being cheap or primitive. I would have to agree, but keep in mind, the idea was to duplicate as much as possible what was stock on Muddy's guitar back then.

The pickups are a mixed bag. The neck and bridge “classic” pickups are running at around 6.9 ohms with staggered Alnico V magnets. What I've noticed is PU adjustment is important, and if improperly placed, can sound too thin and strident. By the same token, find its sweet spot, and you'd be hard pressed to hear the difference between the Muddy and an American made.

Keep in mind, it’s a 50s style Tele, so it’s going to sound different to those who are used to hotter pickups (though, for some, it’s a definite plus).

The sound is versatile, covering a range of jazzy sounds (thanks to the thick, dense body), biting blues, and a back pickup that makes that country pinging sound easy. Using it for slide (the way Muddy did) will give you a different tone, a biting, stinging sound as opposed to the thicker Elmore James roar.

The finish is a bright red polyester, which isn't exactly classic, but realistically, easy to keep clean and tough to scratch. Also, it makes the guitar look just like the original, and at this price range, that's more than good enough.

With a guitar that is already a legend in itself, they couldn't have picked a better namesake. Fender took the trouble to put more quality and vintage vibe than they normally would in a Mexican model, and as a result, to this day, it's one of the more sought-after models in the used market.

As if that wasn't enough, one more touch gives inspiration when you strap on this impressive and fun guitar. As you look down, there's the Muddy Waters signature on the neck plate, and if you're like me, you'll feel a connection to a real hero of the blues.

- Al Handa

2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa