Schecter PT Special VS Fender Telecaster (Comparison)
Our pick: The Schecter PT Special
Outside of brand loyalty, there isn't much that draws us to the Fender Telecaster ahead of the Schecter PT Special. Schecter's take on a Tele-style guitar gives you a little bit more but at a far cheaper price point. With that extra discount, we'll take the PT Special.
This is a simple comparison page for two very similar guitars: The Schecter PT Special and the Fender Player Telecaster.
While there are several different versions of the Fender Telecaster that we could compare, the Player Tele is closest to the PT Special in terms of price and target market, so we'll use that in our PT Special VS Telecaster comparison.
For some simple specs and pricing comparison, use the table below and the COMPARE buttons for each guitar.
You can also browse the guitars on Sweetwater.
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Compare
Use the COMPARE buttons in this table, or browse the guitars on Sweetwater for basic information about each one.
GUITAR | Title | Rated | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schecter PT Special | n/a | |
 | Fender Player Telecaster | n/a |
The Schecter PT Special and Fender Telecaster look similar, but which one is right for you?
Basic Specs and Grading
If you want more than just pricing and quick comparison, we've pitted the Schecter PT Special and the Telecaster against one another in two tables. The first one below is for specs, to see where each one differs and where they are graded differently. The blue arrows mean they are the same in that category or the distinction is a wash.
Note that when a row is highlighted in yellow, it indicates a difference that isn't necessarily a quality concern.
Red is where a difference on the spec sheet results in a preference between one or the other.
Read the review: Schecter PT Special
PT Special | Telecaster | |
|---|---|---|
Body Material | Swamp Ash | Alder |
Body Finish | Semi-gloss | Gloss polyester |
Neck Material | Maple | Maple |
Neck Shape | C | Modern C |
Radius | 12" | 9.5" |
Number of Frets | 22, extra jumbo | 22, medium jumbo |
Scale Length | 25.5" | 25.5" |
Nut Width | 1.653" | 1.650" |
Bridge/Tailpiece | Vintage Ashtray with Staggered Brass Saddles | 6-saddle String-thru |
Tuners | Grover vintage | Fender stock |
Neck Pickup | Schecter Diamond V-90 Single-coil | Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single-coil |
Bridge Pickup | Schecter Diamond VT-1 Single-coil | Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single-coil |
Controls | 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone (push/pull for series), 3-way blade pickup switch | 1 x volume, 1 x tone, 3-way blade pickup |
Strings | Ernie Ball, .010-.046 | Fender NPS, .009-.042 |
While Schecter might seem a little unoriginal in their design, they've clearly done a better job of choosing parts for their PT Special. We like the Grover tuners, the bridge hardware, the controls, and the strings all in the PT Special.
The pickups are both stock, but even there, we like what Schecter puts out a little better than the Fender stock options.
Our Grading
In this section we've added some simple grading based on the four categories we rate in electric guitars. Again, perhaps surprisingly, we found that the PT Special performed a little better than the Telecaster. It's not that the Tele is "bad," but we just liked it a little less than the PT Special in these crucial areas.
PT Special | Telecaster | |
|---|---|---|
Overall Tone Grade | B- | B- |
Versatility | A- | B+ |
Pickup Quality | C | C- |
Cost/Value | B | B- |
The Telecaster is also not helped by the fact that Fender has been raising the price of its guitars over the past few years, pushing the Player series firmly into the $750 arena. Yet, the PT Special is still just $600, giving you more value for what we believe is a slightly better guitar.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the Schecter PT Special might only be marginally better than the Fender Telecaster, but it's significantly cheaper. This ends up knocking the value of the Telecaster down while boosting the PT Special. We'd argue that both guitars are similar and fairly solid, yet the PT Special gives you a little more for your money.
It might also come down to brand loyalty, or someone who wants to break with the common brand name of Fender and get a less common guitar in the PT Special.
Our vote goes to the PT Special, mostly based on price, but you can't go wrong with either guitar.
As a closing note, we'd recommend a pickup upgrade for either guitar, just because of the stock single coils and the Telecaster's history of noise issues.
If you have questions about our comparison, drop us a line in the comments section below and we'll chat.
See ya there.
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