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Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
VS
Playability
72
Sound
75
Build
69
Value
57
Score
72
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Playability
68
Sound
75
Build
70
Value
61
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple vs Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline

Reasons to Get
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple over Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline

Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
1959 D vs Deep C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Heavy Relic vs Poly
Looks like an old and heavily beaten up instrument

Reasons to Get
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline over Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple

Release Year
2019 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Deep C vs 1959 D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs None
Modifies the pickups
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Poly vs Heavy Relic
Resistant paint that ages well
Value Score
61 vs 57
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple vs Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline

Bridge Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Tele Single-Coil vs Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Nut Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple vs Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline

Neck Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Ash
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
SS
Beautiful cleans
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple wins when it comes to playability. On the other hand, the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline has the upper hand when it comes to build quality, value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Overview

  • From Fender Custom's 2017 Time Machine series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Select Ash body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • 1-Piece Maple Neck fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Tele Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Compensated Brass Barrel Saddles bridge
  • 1959 D Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Narrow Tall frets
  • Vintage Style tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline Overview

  • From Fender's 2019 Artist series
  • Britt Daniel Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Ash body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Strings-Through-Body Tele bridge
  • Deep C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • American Performer tuners
  • Compare Specs >

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
Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

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.

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are SS. SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.

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 Britt Daniel Tele Thinline comes with some kind of pickup modification: S-1 Switch.

An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple's switch options
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline's switch options

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 Britt Daniel Tele Thinline.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
Pickups 100
Sustain 75
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75

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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple compares to the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

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: Tie

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.

The Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. 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.

Winner: Tie.

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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple's are Vintage Style while the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline's are American Performer

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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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 Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • S-1 Switch Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 69
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
Quality of materials 56
Features 60
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 70

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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Nut Width
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Nut Width
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline Nut Width
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.9mm (0.035'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline, 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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple and Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline'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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Neck Profile
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple's neck profile
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline Neck Profile
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline's 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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple has a D type of neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

The Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline, on the other hand, has a C 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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple and the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline have the same fretboard radius of 9.5". This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Frets Size
Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple's Frets Size
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline Frets Size
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline's Frets Size

The Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline'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 Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 68

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple vs Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
General Fender Custom '59 Tele Custom Relic Maple Fender Britt Daniel Tele Thinline
Brand: Fender Custom Fender
Year: 2017 2019
Configuration: SS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Time Machine Artist
Colors: Sunburst, Black, Green Yellow
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Semi-Hollow
Body Material: 2-Piece Select Ash Ash
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele with Compensated Brass Barrel Saddles 6-Saddle Strings-Through-Body Tele
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage Style American Performer
Fretboard: 1-Piece Maple Neck Maple
Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple Maple
Decoration: Micarta Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: 1959 D Deep C
Frets: 21 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Tele Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Shop Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1