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Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
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Playability
72
Sound
73
Build
62
Value
69
Score
69
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Playability
72
Sound
77
Build
67
Value
72
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Show Full Spec Comparison
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe vs American Performer Telecaster Hum Specs Comparison
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe American Performer Telecaster Hum
General
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2012 2019
Configuration: HH SH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico United States
Series: Artist American Performer
Colors: Gold White, Sunburst, Green, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Strat Strings-Through-Body Hardtail 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Fender Vintage F Stamped Fender ClassicGear
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: 1-Piece Maple Maple
Decoration: White Dot White Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C Modern C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender CS1 Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender CS2 Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) Fender American Performer Double Tap Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's switch options
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe over American Performer Telecaster Hum

Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs SH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum over Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2019 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Pickups
SH vs HH
Very bright bridge tone and a very warm neck pickup
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
72 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe vs American Performer Telecaster Hum

Bridge Pickup
Fender CS1 Humbucking vs Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender CS2 Humbucking vs Fender American Performer Double Tap Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup

Shared Features
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe vs American Performer Telecaster Hum

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum favors large hands more than the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe has an HH configuration while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has SH pickups.

Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

On the other hand, SH is a more versatile version of the classic telecaster (SS) configuration. The bridge pickup usually produces a bright and twangy tone, while the neck Humbucker gives you the warmer tone you'll need for more Jazzy/Bluish solos and chords.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 58
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 73
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 77

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe compares to the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe is built in Mexico while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum is made in United States.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Synthetic Bone nuts. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's are Fender Vintage F Stamped while the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's are Fender ClassicGear

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
Quality of materials 61
Features 50
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 62
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Quality of materials 61
Features 55
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 67

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe Nut Width
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe Nut Width
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Nut Width
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe and Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe and the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe Fingerboard Radius
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Fingerboard Radius
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe.

Fret Size

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe Frets Size
Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's Frets Size
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum Frets Size
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum's Frets Size

The Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72