Tell me everything you know about Teles!!!

[The Don]

When I get the money I think I'm going to get a custom-built Telecaster from Warmoth. I'm planning on filling out the paperwork for it now though and saving it for when I have the money. And because I know I'll want to go back and make changes and overthink the entire situation for days on end - trying to avoid that this time.

I want a Tele that can give me that fat, super-twangy sound that I associate with a Tele. Most specifically, that gutsy, punchy, unique middle position. I have a pair of '59s in my LP but I don't think that comes close to what I'm looking for here. I guess you can say it's a Jimmy Page middle position sound on steroids. Think the Stairway to Heaven solo live. I know that's on a double neck guitar and there's a HUGE amount of wood that amounts to the thick tone - but that's my dream sound. I figure if I can't get it outta a Les Paul Custom I can out of a Telecaster.

So, what type do I want - a standard, 2 single coil pickup telecaster, a Tele Custom with the big humbucker, a Tele Custom with 2 humbuckers, or a Tele thinline? What will give me the fattest sound out of the bunch and get me closest to what I'm looking for?

And also what pickups? I'm sure SD makes what I'm looking for.

[guymanperson]

i think i would use the traditional tele setup with....

ash body, big an comfy maple neck (i feel like neck size effects tone on fenders) with rosewood board, and a real telecaster bridge (the kind magnents stick to and has 3 brass barrels) and one of these soul benders!


for pickups id go for the antiquities

[Dooogz]

Well we have 4 in our house, kitchen, dinning room, study and 1 bedroom. You watch tv on them. sorry has to be me that lowers the tone! Umm i dont really know much about teles, all i know is that some people on this forum go crazy over them!

[The Don]

ha. That's a knee slapper.

[Dooogz]

Sorry

[The Don]

lol nothing to be sorry for

[Hellion]

I figure if I can't get it outta a Les Paul Custom I can out of a Telecaster.

So, what type do I want - a standard, 2 single coil pickup telecaster, a Tele Custom with the big humbucker, a Tele Custom with 2 humbuckers, or a Tele thinline? What will give me the fattest sound out of the bunch and get me closest to what I'm looking for?

I hear ya! There's a reason that I only tote 2 guitars to most of my jobs. My '76 LP Custom and my Bastardaster Tele. If one of them doesn't have the tone, the other one will. Personally, I think they have a lot in common. There's nothing on them that doesn't need to be there, totally utilitarian in construction. Two pickups, solid construction, etc.
If you're looking to build a Tele, I'd go with an Alder or Ash body (alder seems to be a little warmer), Maple neck, newer bridge plate with the bullet saddles and either 1)space for a humbucker (in which case I'd go with a hot pup) that you can tap) or 2) regular Tele pup (in which case I'd go with a Quarter Pound Tele or maybe even BG1400). Use decent tuners and a Virtual Vintage in front so you can have the really wide range of tonal possibilities. That's what I'd do. Again, this is open to speculation.

[Norman_T]

People will think I am a pimp or that I am being paid commission but do check out our resident builders on the forum - Blueline, JohnJohn etc before going the custom build job. I am sure that they will be able to offer you something far superior - there is no harm in asking them?

[Hot _Grits]

I hear ya! There's a reason that I only tote 2 guitars to most of my jobs. My '76 LP Custom and my Bastardaster Tele. If one of them doesn't have the tone, the other one will. Personally, I think they have a lot in common.

I can see that. My PRS sounds a lot like the fattest tele ever made to me, and that's relatively gibson-like in construction.

Don, you need to go try some nice teles and make a decision yourself.

For twang, go for a swamp ash body and a fat maple neck. Get a vintage tele bridge and the wilkinson brass three piece intonatable saddles. these give the old tone while also being adjustable. for pickups, I utterly recommend SD antiquity tele pickups. Fender's custom shop nocaster pickup is a killer, too.

But if you want super fat, go for a lightweight mahogany body and two p90s. Choose a maple neck for some zing or a mahogany/rosewood neck for extra fatness.

[PUCKBOY99]

UUhhhhhh....they're really coool !!!!
















Check out some of the bada$$ Teles over here:

http://www.telemodders.com

They might give ya' some ideas!

[The Don]

Thanks a bunch. I was thinking along the lines of a Swamp Ash body, maple neck, etc. The P-90 idea crossed my mind - what about putting a Phat Cat in the neck just in case I want a real humbucker in there at a later time?

Basically what I'm gonna use this axe for is the basic blues/classic rock stuff but I still do like a beefed up sound. Sorry for an obscure reference, but a tele tone that really inspires me is that of the guitarist who played with Les Claypool's Frog Brigade when they recorded their "live frogs" album - they cover the entire Animals (Pink Floyd) album and the solo at the end of Pigs is so twangy, fat, and at the same time a little beefed up. I wonder if anyone's even heard that.....

[The Don]

What wood/pickup configuration would be best for what I'm looking for, though?....humbuckers, a humbucker in the neck, single coils... agh?

[Curly]

For twang, go for a swamp ash body and a fat maple neck. Get a vintage tele bridge and the wilkinson brass three piece intonatable saddles. these give the old tone while also being adjustable. for pickups, I utterly recommend SD antiquity tele pickups.

I'm down with that:
Warmoth custom tele with Antiquities

[Kelsey]

The Phat Cat will sound great at the neck position of a Tele, but you will need a fairly hot bridge pickup to keep up with it. I have one paired with a Jerry Donahue lead pickup in an ash Fender American Series Tele, and they work very well together -- fat and punchy with plenty of high end and low end, but no ice-pickiness or muddiness.

BTW, Teles are superb guitars for an incredible range of applications. If you get a good one, you can't miss.

[drew_half_empty]

i'd say get a hot rail bridge and either an antiquity or those twisted neck pups that the signature teles are always toting around. Also, traditional alder body, brass saddles, you MAY wanna consider an ebony fretboard to give you the extra brightness


if you plan on going with the p-90's, i'd get it routed for soapbars, better options IMO

also, check out www.torresengineering.com 's tele sets, sure they give you an uncarved headstock, no fender tag, and a basswood body, but you could come out A LOT cheaper than with warmoth, get a body off ebay or something

[mrfjones]

Swamp ash and a maple neck for sure, but from that all i have asked and read about jimmy page used standard fender pickups. They weren't overly hot or anything and i don't know if you would want really hot pickups for a classic rock kind of sound. Jimmy's tele should have had alnico 5 magnets in the pickups and they were staggered. Oh yeah and for that real gutsy sounding midle position you should have a neck pickup that is a bit hotter than the bridge pickup. I would suggest that you try either the antiquity II tele pickups or the 1955 set that has staggered bridge pickup magnets

[mrfjones]

one more thing, a good way to fatten up your tele is to play with slightly heavier strings