Proof That Leo Got It Right Early On

[refin]

Great tone and playing------notice the Princeton Reverb?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FA4EYr1VJ0

[jerryjg]

Leo definitely got it right, as far as tone; nothing even comes close.
I would say that I can certainly live without the mandolin size frets, and also could care less for the 7.25(?) Radius fretboard and the strings falling off the edges of the neck. I can also do without the saddle adjustment issues, and possibly the sometimes brittle sounding bridgeplate... but this is just living proof that in THIS world, at least, one cannot have ones cake and eat it too.

[pseudocat]

Holy Moley, that was a great clip! Wow!

Thanks for sharing, Refin.

[Stonefreefuzz1]

Great clip, He's got some other great vids on there as well, Very cool!My telecaster is my favorite guitar, lately I can't stop playin' it!

[refin]

My parts-o-tele is just a go-to guitar for me now,I can't seem to put it in the case.
MIJ '50s neck (the BEST I've ever played--refretted)
MIM Std. body
MIM Classic RI neck pup
Zhangliqun Paul Bunyan wind bridge pup
Black guard,ashtray bridge (no tray,just the raised sides)
Compensated brass saddles

After playing rockabilly/country/R&R all summer,this guitar has really become part of my sound.

[NTBluesGuitar]

Tele and Princeton Reverb...what a combination. Does it get any better?

Campilongo helps a bit.



I hear he's got a signature Tele in the works.

[Stonefreefuzz1]

Nice Refin, Real nice!

Here's my Numbah one Twangster that I'm playing as we speak....


Leo got it right, that's fo' sho', at least I think so!

This guy thinks so too!

[refin]

Nice Refin, Real nice!

Here's my Numbah one Twangster that I'm playing as we speak....


Leo got it right, that's fo' sho', at least I think so!

This guy thinks so too!

Sweet,love that color!

[chuckocaster]

i think that the OG tele and strat hit the mark, the p bass not until the third version (comfort cuts and the split coil pickup). but damn, who else really nailed it down that way?

granted there are tweaks we do to these guitars, like rewiring tone pots. but dammit, they are benchmarks, and always will be. name two other (one is obvious, yes) guitars that even come close to this, and is still reproduced to this day.

as for keef? i worship at that shrine! you can't find a better rhythm guitar player, except for malcom young, but those guys are in a class unto themselves!

[Stonefreefuzz1]

Yup, This is one of my favorite classic Keef shots...

[hudpucker]

but damn, who else really nailed it down that way?

Who else nailed it?




Uh....

Gibson SG
Gibson LP
Gibson 335, etc
Many Gretsch models
Lots of people like their Mosrites.
RICKENBACKER.


We all have our preferences and the tele is an obvious benchmark but it's hardly the sole or dominant design of the beast (electric guitar, that is). Let's not get myopic here.

[Kap'n]

Gibson SG

Sideways tremolo made it a non-starter for a couple of years.

Gibson LP

Combination of neck angle and tailpiece made 'em virtually unplayable for a couple of years.

Gibson 335

Perfect out of the box. I'll give you that one.

Many Gretsch models

Actually, lots of folks don't like out of the box old models. Zero frets, tone sucking space control bridges. Crappy glue that makes 'em fall apart. Even Gretsch's biggest cheerleader, Setzer uses a tune-o-matic on his. To be fair, lots of folks love the rocking bar bridge.

Lots of people like their Mosrites.

I count Joe Maphis, Larry Collins, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Ricky Wilson and the guy from Smashmouth. That's probably more than most people can name. The Ventures....I think only one member was into them. Vince could firm that up.

RICKENBACKER.

This is hardly getting it right out of the box




Leo had a pretty damn good batting average up until '63. Even if he kind of slacked on guitars after '54, the advances in Fender amps up to July '63 were amazing.

[hudpucker]

That's evolution of design.....even the late, great Leo Fender tweaked his designs. He was ALWAYS tweaking designs. I have to believe that a serial tinkerer such as Leo himself would be more than a little amused that so many think he 'got it right the first time', IMO. Getting it right the first time would've precluded the development of the strat and the Jaguar, etc.


"X got it right the first time" really means "I prefer and admire design Y sometimes to the point of being incapable of merely entertaining otherwise." Sorry, but this is probably applicable to many at TFF. No biggie though; we all have our predjudices and biases. The only real 'crime' is being incapable of admitting so.



I'm not denying the benchmark status or great design of the tele. But it has it flaws, too.


Yes, it does.

[Kap'n]

I'm not denying the benchmark status or great design of the tele. But it has it flaws, too.


Yes, it does.

Serial tinkerer is right. Leo did at least two or three prototypes of Spanish guitars before he settled on the Broadcaster, which again, evolved before it came to the instrument most people know, especially with wiring.

I think the whole thing with the telecaster is not only is so much right on it, from so early on, is that the perceived weaknesses can also be strengths. Much like the 5E3 circuit. There's a whole zen about the instrument, simply because it's not a flat radiused, 24 fret, humbucker and floyd equipped instrument. You get out what you put in.

[jerryjg]

I really say that Leo Did get it right the first time. Its like , the technology really didn't exist at the to do what many folks do now to their Tele guitars ( copper sheilding/ noisless pickups, exotic wiriing schemes and modern pickups, Jumbo/Stainless frets, flatter radiused necks,Exotic woods , and yes even Floyds). The Tele is basically in stock form , STILL the perfect prototype. You can ad whatever your little heart desires;Humbuckers, P90's, Mini's..anything.
I still maintian that nothing sounds as good as an old Tele. I don;t know why.
One thing I do know, ois that unless I actually do have an old Tele, I'm going to modernize it.

[Kap'n]

But, Jerry, again, the weaknesses are the strengths.

A properly wired tele is pretty darn quiet, even in a neon-filled bar, if you're not playing high gain. Microphonics from the baseplate, screw and springs, etc. Not a problem.

No high gain = no hiding your playing ability under a bunch of fuzz and legato playing.

The bare bones Tele (or Esquire). It's not for everybody. But then again, we kinda like it that way.

To be honest, I'm not a Tele-exclusive player. I play a lot of different instruments. But every time I pick up each instrument, I enjoy becoming the player that the instrument imprints on me. A Tele takes me places I wouldn't be on a Strat, or a 6120, an LP or an acoustic. Each one has different techniques to bring out its best. I kind of like the simultaneous growth on all of them. If I stuck to one, I'd be probably pretty good at knowing it's ins and outs, but I'd be sunk on a different instrument. I'm probably pretty stunted on all all of them individually.

Sometimes I think I want to get a guitar "that does it all." I think if I ever do, it'll make my playing a complete homogenized pile of slop.

[jerryjg]

But, Jerry, again, the weaknesses are the strengths.

A properly wired tele is pretty darn quiet, even in a neon-filled bar, if you're not playing high gain. Microphonics from the baseplate, screw and springs, etc. Not a problem.

No high gain = no hiding your playing ability under a bunch of fuzz and legato playing.

The bare bones Tele (or Esquire). It's not for everybody. But then again, we kinda like it that way.

To be honest, I'm not a Tele-exclusive player. I play a lot of different instruments. But every time I pick up each instrument, I enjoy becoming the player that the instrument imprints on me. A Tele takes me places I wouldn't be on a Strat, or a 6120, an LP or an acoustic. Each one has different techniques to bring out its best. I kind of like the simultaneous growth on all of them. If I stuck to one, I'd be probably pretty good at knowing it's ins and outs, but I'd be sunk on a different instrument. I'm probably pretty stunted on all all of them individually.



Sometimes I think I want to get a guitar "that does it all." I think if I ever do, it'll make my playing a complete homogenized pile of slop.

I think everything on the original late 40's/50's Tele design was best for tone., pickups included.
Maybe I would say that some foil shielding tape might of been a good idea had it been available.
Compensated saddles and a thicker Solid Steel or even Titanium bridge plate would have been better I believe , but again thats just wasn't part of the technology..
Other than that, I'd say that it would have been great to have bigger frets , a flatter radius at the high end of the neck and a wider string spacing. I don't see how any of these few things I just detailed could hurt the tone of the original design.In the case of a thicker bridge, it would just make it slightly less microphonic and plinky and compensated sadles would be easier to intonate.
Otherwise, the original Telecaster design, including wood, pickups, neck, anfd the entire craftsmanship is , in a word, perfect .

[Stonefreefuzz1]

Also, a great weapon when needed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyK0y02HvVc&NR=1

[thegeezer]

I play a telepartscaster and I would do so more but it is easier to do more sonic expression on a strat, but that's just me, I still love the tele.

[refin]

Well,my tele I pictured in post #5 is basically a copy of a stock '50s,except for the refret and angled saddles.But I've heard that alot of players do this,and I don't think it's a real radical mod.
Most players do at least a refret,because the originals are either (A)worn out,or (B) too small.