A General Preference For Teles

[ErikH]

How many of you like the look of a Strat style headstock, be it Fender; large or not, or Charvel, on a Tele versus the traditional style headstock.

I like the Tele headstock and think it fits the simplicity of the guitar. However, I do like the look of a Strat style headstock on them, especially when they are hot-rodded a bit.

What's y'all's take?

[Powdered Toast Man]

*preference

[ErikH]

*preference

DOH!!! Thanks for pointing that out. Quite tired still from being out late last night gigging.

[gibson175]

yeh. i like the big cbs headstocks. they look cool.

[FuseG4]

I like the look of the '72 deluxe style with a big CBS headstock.

[TheLivingDead]

Exactly what those guys said. ^

[ParameterMan]

Yes. Brown or black thinline/deluxe teles look awesome with the big headstock.

[ItsaBass]

They are OK, but if I had the choice, I'd pick the Tele head every time.

[JeffB]

For me it depends on the pickguard bridge and pups. If its a trad tele bridge and pg, the strat headstock looks lame. But if its a tele deluxe or something elee with a strat style hardtail, or TOM, than the strat headstock is fine. And i mean tge CBS style as well. Smaller headstock, no workie for me.

Of coure we all know that if its not a trad tele bridge and pups, its not a real tele anyway

[Tor]

Naw, the Tele head is much sexier than the Strat.

[Gypsyblue]

Interesting that Leo Fender didn't steal the Paul Bigsby headstock design at first. First he came up with the Tele headstock shape. Then four or five years later he went ahead and copied the Paul Bigsby headstock and used it on the Stratocaster and it became the Fender trademark. Kind of like how Dimarzio trademarked double cream coil humbuckers even tho Dimarzio didn't create that look.

[Gypsyblue]

[ratherdashing]

I can dig a CBS Strat headstock on a thinline, custom, or other any other non-traditional model.

For the standard 2 single coil solid body Tele, it has to be a Tele headstock.

[Ball&Chain]

I think they would look better with a Jackson style reverse headstock and a set of blackouts.

[ItsaBass]

Interesting that Leo Fender didn't steal the Paul Bigsby headstock design at first. First he came up with the Tele headstock shape. Then four or five years later he went ahead and copied the Paul Bigsby headstock and used it on the Stratocaster and it became the Fender trademark. Kind of like how Dimarzio trademarked double cream coil humbuckers even tho Dimarzio didn't create that look.

Well, they're both kind of bastardizations of the traditional violin headstock. Look at a violin, viola, cello, bass, etc. from the side and imagine the shape in 2D, do a few flips and distortions, and you have the Bigsby head.

My point is that they both have the same general idea, but each is different enough from the other to both be trademarked itself, and to not infringe on the other's trademark. Simply getting the idea for something from another product does not in and of itself constitute trademark theft.

[ImmortalSix]

[ErikH]

I'm kinda surprised with the way the numbers look right now; 14-9-4. I expected a majority to be in the "Heck no" camp.

Hunter, that Tele is sweet. Came out great.

[hareek]

I voted blasphemous, although I don't think it's THAT big of a deal if one were to swap necks. To me though, a strat is a strat, and a tele is a tele. Other than trying to maybe achieve some tone of one in the other and vice versa, I'm sentimental and think the looks should stay true to their original ones. Just my 2 cents.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I think the Tele Deluxe can only loosely be called a Telecaster. Strat bridge, humbucking pickups, body contours, Strat headstock... It's kind of a mongrel.

[blueman335]

I think the Tele Deluxe can only loosely be called a Telecaster. Strat bridge, humbucking pickups, body contours, Strat headstock...

Yeah, at that point it starts to look like a real guitar.