When I first starting playing, I could never really get or understand telecasters.
They all seemed ugly, cumbersome, thin and reedy sounding. Some weighed as much as Pluto, some sounded worse than Pluto the dog.
Then, one day I found my 1966 Custom and suddenly I 'got it'. It was an epiphany.
Here was the most resonant, light, powerful yet simple thing with the most tactile and gorgeous neck I've ever held, separation on the strings, incredible sustain and every single thing Id ever wanted in my main guitar.
Why is it so hard to find a great one? Is it the simplicity that underpins the fact it's two SCs and nothing else? Does it rely more on wood and natural resonance? Are they incredibly pickup and electronics sensitive?
I have never found one to compare or to come close to it- not even original blackguards.
Why is it so difficult to find an amazing tele?
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Comments
I really like it, superlight!
Chronologically (I think)
- MIM Standard, 3TS
- MIM Telecaster Custom, black
- MIK Lite Ash Telecaster
- USA Standard, vintage blonde
- USA Standard, LPB
- MIM Classic Series Telecaster Custom, 3TS
- American Original Telecaster Custom, Vintage blonde
- Custom Shop 70th Anniversary Broadcaster
I can't see me ever parting with the last two to be truthful; I've come to accept that Teles are just better than anything else. I love my Jaguar like family, and the Rickenbacker 330 has a unique charm... but the utter saturation of offsets has dulled the appeal somewhat and the Ric is niche, and the bare facts are that for almost every part I find that a Telecaster just sounds better than the alternatives. There's something more rewarding in playing them too - no other guitar has the immediacy or encourages you to dig in and have fun as much as a tele does.*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Mine has only been played for a year but the finish is wearing in some spots - mostly because wudtone isn't the toughest finish around, but partly because it's the guitar I tend to pick up most of the time. It's super loud unplugged as well, so no need for an amp of an evening!
Mine has pretty big frets @Gassage - little frets are an inconvenience for what I play, and I'd not consider any guitar with anything smaller than medium jumbo frets.
I was watching an interview with Vince Gill about his white/blonde 53. Said the neck pup was broken for 22 years and he never bothered having it fixed!
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
After a couple of years of not playing - I was walking down Denmark Street and saw this guitar in the window of Rockers, it really caught my eye, a beautiful three colour sunburst Fender Telecaster. I walked in and bought it. The assistant went to plug it in for me, but being as I couldn't really play guitar I said, "it's ok mate, I'll just take it anyway". He looked at me a bit funny and said "ok". After a few weeks of playing about with it, I decided to learn what the two skinny strings were for, bought a few tutorial books and have never looked back.
I still have the Tele, but it has now been refinished in metallic goldburst, thanks to Richard.
I also have eleven other guitars too.
There's our very own @jamesoliver1234 doing my Dreamcaster some justice. It didn't want to come home after a day in his hands after my hamfisted attempts.....
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
I mean if new body (same pickups and neck, bridge etc) counts as a new guitar we're at number 6.
But as it stands this is version 5.1.2
On that basis, I don't really need any other electrics which I why when I have more than one I get a bit twitchy. Tele really can do almost everything - and usually better than anything else.
When I got back into guitar a few years ago, it was my dream to own a good Tele - an idea borne from the guitarists and their tones that I admired during my youth.
I went through four attempts but couldn't make it work until I got my Custom Shop, which absolutely hit the sweet spot for me. Sad that it had to be a high end guitar, but it really did the trick. @Gassage; as you have said, when it happens, it really happens. I can echo pretty much the same - it is light, resonant, tactile, gorgeous neck, gritty, chimey, clear and dirty and has a neck pickup that gives me a woody Strattyness within a Tele bite. It's just great...
A photo I have shared before - but any excuse eh ?!!?
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Super clear sounding, no mud. Works great for me at least!