I think I want....

PC_Dave

... a Telecaster.

There, I've admitted it. I want a Telecaster, I really do, however all the ones I've tried in the past have had such a thin or "weedy" sound to them I've never really been able to get to like them.

Can anyone give me some pointers as to where to look to find a Telecaster I will like, and hold dear forever? (At least until the next thing that I want comes along)

No baseball bat necks please - I have a very lovely Suhr Classic S which has the "perfect" neck profile, so something not a million miles away from that would be good. 

Thanks,

Dave

Hattigol

If you want to steer well clear of weedy, how about this?

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200107353546008-5226825--fender-american-original-70s-tele-custom-3-tone-sunburs

PC_Dave

Hattigol said:

If you want to steer well clear of weedy, how about this?

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200107353546008-5226825--fender-american-original-70s-tele-custom-3-tone-sunburs

I think I want the "classic" Tele - single coil pickups rather than anything Humbuckery, as I have a HSS strat.

Logie

If you can find a 90's Tele Plus V2 they've got a great range of sounds from traditional Tele to more ballsy tones when you combine the bridge with the neck. The bridge on it's own is quite hot and it's got the TBX mid boost on it as well which gives it another kick up the arse. I've had mine 8 years now. Cracking guitar. It's the one in my profile pic.

PC_Dave

Logie said:

If you can find a 90's Tele Plus V2 they've got a great range of sounds from traditional Tele to more ballsy tones when you combine the bridge with the neck. The bridge on it's own is quite hot and it's got the TBX mid boost on it as well which gives it another kick up the arse. I've had mine 8 years now. Cracking guitar. It's the one in my profile pic.

Thanks for that - i'll have a look into them

Whitecat

Something with Twisted Tele pickups would be good - or neck at the very least - you can buy them aftermarket too and retrofit anything if you can find a good plank. The Twisted Tele neck pickup is wound like a Strat pickup. The TT bridge pickup is completely great but there are loads of other exceptional Tele bridge pickups out there - IME the neck is the trickier one to sort anyway if you're not a total traditionalist...

Onpar

I've been through lots of teles and if you want something full and ballsy that's not wimpy sounding then go for a 50s style maple neck tele with a decent chunky neck. It's doesn't have to be full on baseball bat but neck girth adds fullness, fatness and awesome tone. Stay away from 60s style thinner necks. In my experience the neck makes more difference to tone than pickups. I swapped necks and pickups on my teles and found this to be the case.

wrinkleygit

I went down the same road recently & ended up with a two year old telecaster elite that came up locally. For me it’s probably one of the best necks I’ve ever played, the new noiseless ( well nearly) pickups are fantastic, love the S1 switch and after a while I’ve bonded with the “ no tone “ setup. Try to get your hands on one if you can.

richardhomer

Counter-intuitively, one piece maple necks on ash bodies always seem to sound fattest to me.

thegummy

Could you not have put the word telecaster in the thread title?

Sassafras

I don't get the so called 'thin and weedy' thing about Teles. Turn your bloody amp up and use the tone controls on it.
They're big sounding, punchy guitars.

The_Whisper_Thief

I have a tele plus v1 with the wonderful lace sensor pups in it, it's the exact same as Jonny Greenwood's but with a rosewood board. It's classic tele tones but with just more to it and with the flick of the mini switch a tremendous hum bucker sound. It's sunburst and really rather traditional looking. It's definitely a tele but just more. I've had her for 25 years but I'm thinking about finding her a new home. Drop me a line if you are interested  

Onpar

richardhomer said:

Counter-intuitively, one piece maple necks on ash bodies always seem to sound fattest to me.

This. As long as the neck isn't thin and weedy. 

Tone71

I picked up an American Standard on here with Broadcaster/Twisted Tele pickups (ash body/rosewood board) and it sounds really full and meaty, have also compared it back to back against my '62 with Texas Specials which can get a bit shrill at times (but is still superb).

PC_Dave

Sassafras said:

I don't get the so called 'thin and weedy' thing about Teles. Turn your bloody amp up and use the tone controls on it.
They're big sounding, punchy guitars.

No, i'm afraid they are not.

PC_Dave

wrinkleygit said:

I went down the same road recently & ended up with a two year old telecaster elite that came up locally. For me it’s probably one of the best necks I’ve ever played, the new noiseless ( well nearly) pickups are fantastic, love the S1 switch and after a while I’ve bonded with the “ no tone “ setup. Try to get your hands on one if you can.

I shall have a look, thank you for the recommendation

PC_Dave

thegummy said:

Could you not have put the word telecaster in the thread title?

I could have, yes, but then you wouldn't have looked. You could have been the key to my tonal hapiness.

PC_Dave

Onpar said:

I've been through lots of teles and if you want something full and ballsy that's not wimpy sounding then go for a 50s style maple neck tele with a decent chunky neck. It's doesn't have to be full on baseball bat but neck girth adds fullness, fatness and awesome tone. Stay away from 60s style thinner necks. In my experience the neck makes more difference to tone than pickups. I swapped necks and pickups on my teles and found this to be the case.

Interesting. I was looking at the Vintera 50's Roadworn which looks rather tasty in Lake Placid Blue. It might fit in those specs.

Winny_Pooh

I'd look at another Suhr if you like the necks or buy a regular tele and put in a set of Fishman Fluences. Check out Greg Koch as he uses them and they can be fat or classic sounding.

Sync

Sounds like you really want a Gibson Les Paul Std with 60s neck @PC_Dave .......

No need to worry over those shrill tele twangs then. 

Roland

Sync said:

Sounds like you really want a Gibson Les Paul Std with 60s neck @PC_Dave .......

No need to worry over those shrill tele twangs then. 

No. @PC_Dave has grown up now. If his hearing is anything like mine then he needs some cut in the sound too. He really needs a Tele.