I've been thinking about it for ages and I reckon now is maybe the time for me to give a tele a go. I can't afford a fancy one but to me part of the appeal of a tele is it's cheap, rough and ready and not posh. I've played an Affinity tele and really liked it but had these concerns:
- pickguard. First thing I'll want to do is change the pickguard but have heard it's not a standard fender size? Is it a pain to find a black one to fit without going custom?
- narrower nut. The narrow neck on this feels really nice to me but is it a problem to find replacements? Or will any good luthier have no problem sourcing or making a nut to fit?
- thinner body. Does it really affect tone or sustain when plugged in that couldn't be compensated for with pickups?
- top loading bridge. As above re the body, is there really much noticeable benefit to string thru? Suppose I could always drill it in the future.
Or is there any real merit to saving a bit longer and getting a used CV 50s, or a used Fender MIM? As I said I've played an Affinity and liked it but that wasn't a long term test. I have a set of hipshot tuners I can drop straight in so that's one cheap guitar "problem" fixed. I didn't play it plugged in but had kinda factored in getting some Oil City pickups in it at some point unless the stock ones are any good.
Comments
The neck pickup is a bit lifeless (unless you remove the cover) but the bridge pickup is great fun and very authentic sounding in an early 1960s kind of way.
Affinitys/Affinities/Affinitii are fine guitars "as is" but there is a point where Triggers Broom sets in.
Judging by your comments I'd be looking at the CV50s or a MIM- a good, ready made guitar that the majority of future upgrades will drop into. Failing that, have you considered a Partscaster?
Tele Partscasters are easy to put together and you can get the spec you want from the outset (& mod it as your tastes change).
IIRC @lonestar ;; has a beautiful blue tele body for sale, get a neck, hardware and Robert's your mothers brother.
If you're thinking OilCity pickups, it's worth considering a harness from Ash too- excellent quality & a real improvement on virtually anything I've seen fitted in a factory.
Regarding the toploading bridge- some people prefer them. I THINK ICBM falls into this camp- lower string tension over the bridge = more twang?
Other guitars to consider - the Vintage Tele copies are superb and come up really cheap. There was one in the Kettering Crack Converters recently for £85. Tokai chinese ones are OK and cheap - although I'm not a fan of the pickups, the necks are OK. Finally the Harley Benton (Thomann) guitars - ok, the headstock is eaten up with the uglies but they are generally fine guitars... although some can be a touch heavy in weight.
Or as mentioned above, build something or buy a Partcaster - buy carefully and you can end up with a guitar that is greater than the sum of its parts.
I think you're all confirming what I knew all along though, that I'd get an Affinity and spend a fortune doing it up, only to have spent the same as I would have on a CV!
“Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay
The CV teles do have vintage split tuners which I sodding hate, I restrung mine the other week though and managed it just fine
The best neck I've ever played was on a Squier Trohman tele. It was phenomenal... I'd love to buy one of those, but they've dropped off the face of the earth.
Yip I have this unloaded body for sale
https://i.imgur.com/bDbYKpi.jpg
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars