Strat-tele hybrid

suspiciousminds

Has anyone tried the fender parallel universe strat-tele hybrid.
If so, whats your thoughts?

Funkfingers

My nearest Fender dealership has had one on display since they came out. I have successfully resisted all of the proprietor’s efforts to get me to even touch the thing. 

For me, if the bridge position pickup doesn’t have the characteristic steely Telecaster overtones, there is no point. As it stands, the hybrid is just an amputated Stratocaster.

I am fortunate to already have some nice American Fender S and T guitars. Vive la difference. Vive la overlap.

My preferred hybrid is a Telecaster with a Strat-voiced neck position pickup and some clever selector switch wiring.

ICBM

Abomination.

UncleBiff

I had a custom shop version that I wish I never sold as it was excellent. Strat sounds in a Tele body is win/win!

Kent747

I have a G&L ASAT Classic S Alnico - which is essentially a Nashville Telecaster. Not EXACTLY the same as the Parallel Universe guitar but it does cover a lot of ground. I’m a big fan. Plus 6 saddle brass bridge on the G&L means typically Tele sound but better intonation. 

suspiciousminds

UncleBiff said:

I had a custom shop version that I wish I never sold as it was excellent. Strat sounds in a Tele body is win/win!

So still very strat sounding then?
Whats the difference with the custom shop version to the standard one?

monoamine

I've seen a few of these knocking around over the years. Looks tempting...

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b434013830

Lewy

I'm not anti the hybrid idea at all but if the only difference is the shape of the body and the hybridising doesn't cross over into how the guitar functions or sounds it seems fairly pointless. I prefer Reverend's take on the strat tele hybrid:

 

kentuckyklira

I hava a G&L ASAT Z3 with Trem, that´s all the Strat Tele hybrid I could ever want.

Doctorfunk

I had a Parallel Universe Tele/Strat Whiteguard. It sounded like a Tele but played like a Strat. The only reason I sold it was because I really don't get on with maple fingerboards but I played the heck out of it beforhand even though it was a struggle. If Fender had offered it with a rosewood board it will still be in the collection. 

usedtobe

ICBM said:

Abomination.

I lol’d your comment, initially, but then I googled one, as I’d never seen one before. Came back to change it to a wiz. God, what we’re they thinking/smoking..?

DefaultM

I wouldn't buy one, but it just looks like a Strat with a bit of wood added. 

axisus

Lewy said:

I'm not anti the hybrid idea at all but if the only difference is the shape of the body and the hybridising doesn't cross over into how the guitar functions or sounds it seems fairly pointless. I prefer Reverend's take on the strat tele hybrid:

 

This for the win! Looks superb

Philly_Q

This one?

It appeals to me more than most of the other parallel universe models.  It's basically a Tele-shaped Strat, there aren't any Tele features as such - but of the two, I think a Tele hangs on a strap a bit more comfortably than a Strat does, so in principle I quite like the idea.

I think the '50s styling looks wrong though - it would be better in a different colour, with a black scratchplate and a big headstock like a '70s Tele Deluxe.

suspiciousminds

Yeh thats it,
quite like it tbh

Funkfingers

usedtobe said:

ICBM said:

Abomination.

what we’re they thinking/smoking?

I suspect that Fender has been browsing the customers’ finished projects gallery on the Warmoth website.

andy_k

I prefer this style

 https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--Tp-6cHA3--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1449699801/jjqmya03frqxkwkgy5ej.jpg

ICBM

As Lewy said, I don't mind some of the more creative hybrids which actually give useful combinations of the sounds of both guitars - but the Fender one is just a Strat with the wrong body shape and a really ugly pickguard.

stickyfiddle

andy_k said:

I prefer this style

 https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--Tp-6cHA3--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1449699801/jjqmya03frqxkwkgy5ej.jpg

That's definitely better, but also quite fugly.

Surely you'd want Tele sounds from a Strat shape, rather than Strat sounds from a less comfy guitar? 

martin1914

I have LSL Mongrel, which is a strat shape, tele bridge, strat middle and neck pickup, tele control panel with 5-way switch. One of the best guitars I have ever played. Bridge pickup is a 100% tele, the remaining positions sound like strat, positions 2 and 4 are perfect. Definitely a keeper.

DrBob

martin1914 said:

I have LSL Mongrel, which is a strat shape, tele bridge, strat middle and neck pickup, tele control panel with 5-way switch. One of the best guitars I have ever played. Bridge pickup is a 100% tele, the remaining positions sound like strat, positions 2 and 4 are perfect. Definitely a keeper.

Oohhh that’s cool, can I see a pic ? I’ve been bang into this design ever since DAG/Chad Underwood debuted it as the Telstar which @andy_k posted a pic of above. In fact I built my own bitsa based on it !