What the hell is it about vintage style Teles

[Jessie's ghost]

Of all the major electric guitar types I've never owned, it's easily the one I want the most. Definitely going to want one that's mostly vintage-style my first time out. I'll even try a super-tight fretboard radius, and I definitely want a three-saddle bridge.

[jalguitarman]

The telecaster is really my new love. I thought I was always a strat guy... I thought I wanted more pickups, more versatility, a trem for fancy tricks, a double cutaway for better upper fret access.... I was wrong. I kept listening to my favorite bands and something just clicked.

The problem I had was that most of them were too freakin' bright (like "ice pick in the ears" bright). I had bought a parts caster tele and sold it about as soon as I had it... just bright, thin, tinny... I hated it and swore off them completely. Somehow, I never really thought about an alder body, maple w/ rosewood telecaster until I just played everything I could get my hands on and that combination ended up speaking to me. All of a sudden I realized I had the bridge twang and authority I was looking out of a strat bridge single coil and I found I didn't miss the other strat positions because the middle position is so damn useful and the neck sounds just as good as any strat neck pickups I've used.

I thought I'd miss the trem, but having no trem is a blessing (I could never use the thing to begin with; I'm no Jeff Beck, that's for sure ). The vintage 6 saddle bridge irked me because of the way the strings would rest against the bridge springs. The vintage 3 saddle is limited access to adjusting the intonation and it really isn't the most stable design in the world, but it does work once the strings are tuned up and it adds such a unique tonal character to the instrument that is unmistakable and beautiful.

It's such a simple instrument and there's charm to that (at least for a simple guy like myself). Mine is a relic and it's beat to crap and looks like crap (and I hate that), but it just plays and sounds so good that it becomes the first thing I pick up these days. There's something about the clarity and the fact that the 3 positions are all so different and yet so useful, there's nothing excessive or wasted on it (which is the big thing for me). For the first time in my life, I find myself actually REALLY using the tone control. I can get faux humbucking tones if I want the smooth and dark thing and with a simple twist of the knob I get that cut and clarity that only a tele can do. Incredibly versatile and laughably basic.

Worst of all, I used to read thread after thread on Telecasters for years and I just didn't get it - I thought it was hype and I thought the fanboys were deaf and I thought they were a trend that was certain to die. I thought Strats were superior in every way and now I'm blown away at what I've been missing after 15 years of fooling around with guitar. I hate to be another one of "those guys", but yeah... I'm a strat turned tele junkie and I can guarantee for as long as you see me around I'm not buying another strat. These guitars are way more fun that any other electric I've ever owned, including all the PRS, custom shop Gibsons and such I've had over time. My tele and my Vibrolux Reverb and a cord and I'm entertained for several hours. Simplicity breeds creativity in my case and telecasters are amazing.

Depite what others may think, I think mine with the Swamp Ash body and Rosewood fretboard sounds quite nice. I don't think I would want an all maple neck with it though. It might be too bright for me if it did.

[ratherdashing]

The only thing I don't like about Teles is that I only own one of them.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

* http://acapella.harmony-central.com/...ster-Love-Fest - some nice Tele's

* http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...ont-twang.html - Teles that do not twang

* http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...er-thread.html - Teles on YouTube

[Kam]

Leo got it right.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Leo got it right.

. . . yes he did

[LReese]

My Nocaster has a killer neck pickup - it was stock. A little rounder than a Strat, but not what I would call weak or muffled. Not 100% sure, but think its a "Twisted Tele".

The middle position is my least favorite on a Tele. I sometimes think a "Nashville" configured Tele (with a B-Bender) might be ideal for me.

I like Strat pickups for what they are. My Suhr I have on order is going to have a standard strength pickup in the bridge.

[FretFire]

...weaker and slightly muffled tones of a vintage Tele neck pickup any day.

I'm thinking you need to try some different tele neck pickups. The neck side of my Klein 1952 set is anything but weak & muffled.

[JeffB]

I think people are talking about the vintage original wiring..the "bass" circuit. In which case, yeah seriously muffled

I have modern wiring, and neck and mid positions are glorious. Mid in particular is really juicy for vintage blues tones ala Albert King. Almost like the middle position on a les paul but with more chirp.

[the guy who invented fire]

I think Gypsyblue is talking about vintage style Tele neck pickups and with the use of 43 gauge wire, the smaller bobbin that got less winds and the chromed brass cover they do attenuate a little high end...

A lot of guys use nickel covers on Tele neck pickups these days which opens them up a tad more and I also see a lot of winders using taller magnets and deeper bobbins so they can wind a Tele neck pickup with 42 gauge wire and that combined with either a nickel cover or no cover yields a tone VERY similar to a Strat neck pickup.

That said a lot of guys just open it up a little and drop a real Strat pickup in and call it done...

[JeffB]

I do have a nick steel cover,but my rumpel neck is approx 7k, 43g, and A3. Its not that much murkier than the neck in my KWS strat..though of course there are many other factors than mag type. Pups screwed into wood versus plastic, ash vs alder,rosewood vs. Maple.

But def those old brass covered pups make a big diff.

[the guy who invented fire]

I do have a nick steel cover,but my rumpel neck is approx 7k, 43g, and A3. Its not that much murkier than the neck in my KWS strat..though of course there are many other factors than mag type. Pups screwed into wood versus plastic, ash vs alder,rosewood vs. Maple.

But def those old brass covered pups make a big diff.

Going from a chromed brass cover to a nickel steel cover makes a WORLD of difference in clarity...

[Powdered Toast Man]

I love Telecasters. I own 3 of them - all representing different eras and different specs. I also play almost exclusively on the bridge pickup. I've learned over time that a Telecaster is not a guitar that likes to have both the volume and tone knobs set to max at all times. OF COURSE it's brighter than hell if you do that. I roll off the tone a 1/4 turn or so and it really beefs up that bridge but retains the grindy clarity I love.

I've owned Teles basically my entire playing life and I absolutely do not understand the b!tching about the output jack. I've never had issues. On stage, I just loop my cable through the strap, but you're supposed to do that anyway.

In the end, it's the raw, pure simplicity of the Telecaster that I love. Once set up, they rarely need adjustment for years. There's also an aesthetic quality to them that's just... beautiful.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

I think people are talking about the vintage original wiring..the "bass" circuit. In which case, yeah seriously muffled

I have modern wiring, and neck and mid positions are glorious. Mid in particular is really juicy for vintage blues tones ala Albert King. Almost like the middle position on a les paul but with more chirp.

. . . the tone at 1m12sec = W O W ! ! !

<--- 2m20sec bassy neck pu explained !



I LOVE the neck pu in my 60's Rosewood fingerboard Tele, but then again, i do have some BK's in there

[the guy who invented fire]

. . . the tone at 1m12sec = W O W ! ! !

You mean that farty, speaker about to pop tone???

[Andrew Lamprecht]

You mean that farty, speaker about to pop tone???

Thats kinda what I was thinking... it wasn't bad but.....

[Powdered Toast Man]

Nothing like taking a $35,000 guitar and giving it to a complete tool to demo.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

You mean that farty, speaker about to pop tone???

. . . yup ! Reminds me a bit of Neil Young. Kinda.

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Nothing like taking a $35,000 guitar and giving it to a complete tool to demo.

I like those Phil X vids....

[the guy who invented fire]

. . . yup ! Reminds me a bit of Neil Young. Kinda.

Neil sounds like crap more often than not IMHO but the tone in that clip you were talking about is just a different thing all together.

That was a speaker getting it's ass kicked for a split second and I am just amazed by how many guys seem to be in love with that junk these days...