Do I want a tele?

rico

I had a play with my bandmates' tele on Saturday and it had a thing going on that I rather liked. 

However I can't get my head around the way they look. One day I can appreciate the looks then the next I think it's dog rough. 

I've got a Strat and a LP Junior that aren't getting played much and I'm considering chopping them both in for a new guitar. Should I get a tele?

mikeyrob73

Yes.yes you should everyone should have a tele :-)

cacophony

to me, it's the eye as much as the ear. i know that shouldn't be the case, but it is and there's nowt i can do about it. and to me, again, the tele is an ugly slab of wood.i wouldn't even consider one, i know i am probably 'missing out' on something in the opinion of many on here, but... *shrugs shoulders*

Jack_

Depends on what shows you watch.

thebreeze

What other guitars have you got?  I'm asking because if the Tele is going to be your only guitar I think you might get a bit bored with it/it's limitations.  (I'll probably get lynched for saying something like that).

Iamnobody

The answer is yes. A Thinline 69 would be my recommendation if you are concerned about looks. 

bacchanalian

I love teles. The minor criticisms above are strengths in my eyes.  Simplicity and reliability. Most people will reach the limitations of their ability long before exhausting the possibilities of a tele. 

mikeyrob73

I hated the look of teles, refused to have anything to do with them, country & western, just thought they looked boring and sounded twangy. 

I was wrong, I find I play my tele differently in the way I attack the strings for some reason. And I adore the neck on my classic vibe. 

thebreeze

bacchanalian said:

I love teles. The minor criticisms above are strengths in my eyes.  Simplicity and reliability. Most people will reach the limitations of their ability long before exhausting the possibilities of a tele. 

Good point I think.  But if you're a Strat player (and Rico has one) then a Tele never quite delivers in terms of the palate/range of sounds.  At least that's my experience.

proggy

Of course you want a Tele.

Danji

I have two T-type guitars, one is a cheap-as squire affinity and the other is a hand-built nocaster. I love the simplicity, and I play them daily.

Jalapeno

Of course you do

richardhomer

I love some Tele players (Roy Buchanan in particular) but not wild about them personally. I've owned a few - including a lovely CS 63 - but never kept one.

There is significant on-line pressure to be a Tele player - unless you're really convinced you need one - I'd resist the urge to buy....

Teyeplayer

thebreeze said:

bacchanalian said:

I love teles. The minor criticisms above are strengths in my eyes.  Simplicity and reliability. Most people will reach the limitations of their ability long before exhausting the possibilities of a tele. 

Good point I think.  But if you're a Strat player (and Rico has one) then a Tele never quite delivers in terms of the palate/range of sounds.  At least that's my experience.

Interesting view, I always do the exact opposite and end up back on the tele because a strat is lovely but just doesn't seem to cut through in comparison. I also find though that I am most likely to swap between my les Paul special and tele depending on my desire for warmth or top end clarity, the strat sounding soft in comparison.

In answer to the OP's question, I think there is a clear need for a tele, a strat, a les Paul, a 335, a gretsch, a jazzmaster and possibly a Ricky in every collection (or at least this is what I tell the wife) -so why not keep the strat and Les Paul special and save for that tele, you will find it the perfect middle ground between the two. After that you can save for any of the others from the 'essentials' list too.

Roland

Of course you want a Tele. They hang differently. You play them differently. 

ICBM

You can get guitars which sound like Teles but don't look like them. As long as it has a Fender-style maple neck and the classic Tele-type bridge with a fat single-coil pickup then it will sound in the same ballpark. Tele purists make far too much fuss about the little details like three bridge saddles and through-body stringing, but it really doesn't matter that much.

Even if you go for a Tele body style, a nice paint job makes them look a lot less like a plank.

mgaw

coda have a 2nd hand K Line truxton...job done

merlin

Roland said:

Of course you want a Tele. They hang differently. You play them differently. 

Wise words, as every instrument has a different feel, hang and of course sound. Personally I love the way they sound and I love the way they play but I'm a smaller guy and they look kind of huge on me. 

I can get pretty close to (in fact VERY close to) that sound, with my Ovation Viper. No kidding, and the neck on it is superb AND it's a bit more individual. I wanted one since I was a kid, ended up buying one a few years ago and it's going nowhere....apart from gigs that is....

I totally get the love so many people have for them but they're not quite for me. I keep looking at them again and again and I've owned four but always end up selling them...

paulnb57

Yes, bit put some really decent pickups in it!.....

bacchanalian

I have owned a few, from an original 1973 sunburst (awful) through to my current CS. Probably the easiest to play was a 2014 US Deluxe. Not the one with the Humbucker but compound fingerboard, noiseless pickups, locking tuners. It was a sensational player and I think used prices are reasonable. As @ICBM mentions, some purists can be a bit sniffy and I have the feeling that the US deluxe was not well liked.

I have a strat that I am thinking of selling as I much prefer my PRS if I need a wiggle stick.   

tone1

Of course you need a Tele........>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...>>>>>
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/100215/fs-ft-fender-vintage-hot-rod-52-telecaster-callaham-upgraded#latest ;