This is a gift I decided to give myself after concluding my Ph.D. thesis, as I got inspired to play a Tele after listening to some players like Julian Lage or Ed Bickert. At first, I wasn't expecting much other than playing some Jazz tunes more comfortably than my Epiphone archtop.
I have to say I was more than impressed with the playability of the telecaster, its feel and action, and its very distinctive sound; for my interests, the neck pickup and some tweaking on my amp settings achieve a clear piano-like tone. But obviously, it does more than that. It also has its character for playing rock and blues, which I like to call "a tone with body and presence." However, some people immediately classify this instrument to be a country-oriented one -- a light gauge of strings might take you quickly there when using the bridge pickup.
I've previously owned an MIA deluxe Stratocaster, which is, of course, a superb instrument. This time I decided to try the MIM player series, and honestly speaking, the quality of this particular Tele has nothing to envy that one from my MIA Strat. From this experience, I would choose a MIM Fender instrument over an MIA anytime for obvious economic reasons. Also, the tidepool blue color choice is simply fantastic to my taste.
In brief, I'm super happy with this instrument, and it has turned into my favorite guitar I've ever owned. If something happened to it, I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase the same tele model or at least some vintera series.