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Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
VS
Playability
75
Sound
80
Build
65
Value
73
Score
73
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Playability
72
Sound
72
Build
62
Value
64
Score
69
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline vs Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

Reasons to Get
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline over Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

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
Modern C vs Enhanced V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Switch Positions
4 vs 3
More tone options
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 1'' (25.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
73 vs 64
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster over Deluxe Tele Thinline

Release Year
2017 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Enhanced V vs Modern C
Combines vintage and modern feeling
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
1'' (25.4mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline vs Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele vs Fender Custom Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-Style Telecaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele vs Fender Custom Shop Twisted Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Spruce
Different Body Wood

Shared Features
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline vs Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
SS
Beautiful cleans
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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 Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp
The Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline was discontinued. Check out more current guitars from Fender.

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster in every aspect.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline.

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

New Player Friendliness

Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
  • 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 Deluxe Tele Thinline Overview

  • From Fender's 2016 Deluxe series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail With Block Saddles bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Narrow Tall frets
  • Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking with Vintage Style Button tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2017 Artist series
  • Brad Paisley Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Spruce/Paulownia/Spruce body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-Style Telecaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Twisted 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
  • Enhanced V Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 6.15lbs (2.8kgs) and 6.25lbs (2.8kgs)
  • 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

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

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.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline's and use them on any guitar:

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

The Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline gives you 4 switch options while the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline comes with some kind of pickup modification: Series Split.

The Series Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in series. When wired in series, the resulting tone is similar to a Humbucker's. The pickups will work together and produce a fuller tone with more output than single-coils, but less than Humbuckers.

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline's switch options
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster'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 Deluxe Tele Thinline.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline
Pickups 100
Sustain 75
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 80
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 Deluxe Tele Thinline compares to the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster.

Country of Origin

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

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.

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.

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

The Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline.

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 Deluxe Tele Thinline
  • Locking Tuners
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Series Split Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline
Quality of materials 51
Features 70
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 65
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 62

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 Deluxe Tele Thinline Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline and Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster'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 Deluxe Tele Thinline Neck Profile
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline's neck profile
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster'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 Deluxe Tele Thinline has a C type of 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.

The Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster, on the other hand, has a Soft V to C neck. This neck is also called boat neck because it resembles the shape of the bottom of a boat. It combines the Soft V many people like for playing chords for the first frets, and it transitions to a rounder shape as you get closer to the highest frets. It's a neck that takes a while to get used to, and it's not as popular as a simple C shape.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline Fingerboard Radius
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline's Fingerboard radius
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster'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 Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline'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 Deluxe Tele Thinline.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster favors large hands more than the Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline.

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline Frets Size
Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline's Frets Size
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster Frets Size
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster's Frets Size

The Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster'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 Deluxe Tele Thinline
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75
Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline vs Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
General Fender Deluxe Tele Thinline Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2016 2017
Configuration: SS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Deluxe Artist
Colors: Sunburst, Red Gray Patterns
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Spruce/Paulownia/Spruce
Bridge: 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail With Block Saddles 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings Through Body Tele with Compensated Brass Barrel Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking with Vintage Style Button Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Pearloid Dots Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C Enhanced V
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) - 12th Fret: 1'' (25.4mm)
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-Style Telecaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Custom Shop Twisted Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 4 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Series Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1