How old are you two? About 14 -17? Know much about guitars? Doubt it!!
I know guitars can be subjective, but to listen to you two, you'd go away believing that the Telecaster FMT is a crap guitar, and it's anything but!!!
I've been playing almost 30 years, and nearly all the Korean made guitars I've played piss all over some of the "big name brand" guitars!! Yes, I agree you should play it first to see if you like it or not, but you should also make sure you are playing through a decent amp, and getting a reasonable tone (not turn the amp up all the way to ear splitting volumes, which I've often seen people do in music shops), otherwise you are bound to be disappointed.
I've played at least 3 of these guitars, and whats not to like? For the price they are amazing. It's an all mahogany, set neck tele with a maple top, and those Seymour Duncans
cook!! You can't get the RP '59 or Pearly Gates Plus on another guitar, as Seymour Duncan don't do them as a separate item. They suit the guitar down to the ground!! And it
sings! They are definitely
not weak!?!
I think I'm experienced enough as a guitarist to tell if a guitar is good enough. You don't need a heavy guitar to get sustain, just a decent guitar with good pickups, and a good tube amp helps as well. I even played the blue version of this guitar with the Fender pickups and it's still an excellent guitar, no question!
There was a Les Paul on the wall of the shop I saw the Fender in, and it was at least 3 times the price of the Fender. Just because it has "Gibson" on the headstock does not make it 3 times the guitar of the FMT. I personally do not like Les Pauls as I find them too heavy, the burstbucker pickups they come with are just "loud" with no particular tone, and there is the "fret access" issue.
I'd pick the Fender any time, and save some cash for something else. It's constructed the same way as a Les Paul, looks better and I prefer it.
When you've been playing a while you can get the best out of almost any guitar you play, and the construction, plus the pickups make this guitar a
steal in my opinion! I think some people judge a guitar by whether it's got "made in USA" stamped on it, or not. Just because it's from Korea, it does not mean this guitar is somehow "
inferior"!!
Just because it's a little on the light side doesn't mean it has no sustain. If that were the case how come the Van Halen guitars, and the Satriani
JS series have bodies made of basswood, eh? Can't get a lighter wood than that, but it's still "toney" and gives good sustain.
I do realize that some people like certain guitars, and others hate them, but to say this guitar is like a $149 one is
ludicrous!! Anyway a good enough guitarist can get a tone out of even a cheap piece of plywood.
Van Halen used a $150 for over 10 years, so it's actually the
guitarist and not the
axe, in my opinion!!!