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Thread: Telecaster Search is Confusing

  1. #1
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Telecaster Search is Confusing

    As some of you have guessed from my other posts lately, I am on the trail of a Telecaster. I find the whole Tele market somewhat bewildering. I even looked in Wikipedia and was still confused. It was easier 40 years ago. You wanted a Tele, you bought a Tele. There are too many versions now.

    It looks like there are several versions of the 52 RI Tele. Is this the case and if so, what are the differences? There seem to be a lot of '52 Tele RI's under slightly different names and none of them seem horribly expensive. I gave up on finding a Tele in a cute colour. Now I just want a lightweight ash (probably) body and a maple neck. My Strat is two piece lightweight alder and I think this gives it a very woody tone. I think I should be looking at ash in a Tele for maximum twang. Also, it has to be MIA.

    Sorry to drive all you guys nuts with my Telecaster questions of late but Fender doest not make it easy to figure things out. And they seem to change it every couple of years.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

  2. #2
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Maybe it's just me, but I like the MIM Baja Tele better than the regular '52 RI. It's even better when you rip out all the extra wiring.

    The RI's I've tried just never felt comfortable, and left me cold.
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    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Doc, just make sure you get one with a box bridge and (I prefer) the 3 saddles...on top of that, I'm with Kap'n in that I'd put the Baja Tele on par with the Jimmie Vaughan Strat and say I'd rather have those than the twice-as-expensive American stuff.

    OTOH, I have a heavily modified MIM Nashville and a Squier CV, so maybe I'm biased against spending a shit-tonne of money on a slab o' wood with some plastic and wires on it.

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    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I am beginning to weaken. After having been brought the edge of a coronary by a sweet little custom shop baby blue Tele at 4 grand with tax, I am truly open to suggestions (that guitar reminded me of that really cute girl in high school who everyone KNEW was destined to marry a rich guy). A second hand 52 RI seemed like an option but I keep hearing a lot of very positive things about the Baja Tele. I am going to try out a Baja although I may have to go out of town for that. None around right now.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Doc,

    Don't overlook the American Stds. A buddy of mine has one, and it's just a super guitar. I played one in a shop and was really impressed with it--of course, I'd replace the bridge for a 3 saddle one.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I love the look of the 52 RI… Mine’s an MIA lefty, so actually looks like what I believe is called a ‘nocaster’. I’ve had it for about 8 years and above other guitar is my comfort blanket when it comes to playing – it’s always there. I rewired to the modern wiring, replaced the pickups and changed the machine heads. Never had an issue with the 3 saddle setup. The only thing to get used to was the 7.5” radius neck.. doesn't take long. A great guitar.

  7. #7
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Doc,

    Don't overlook the American Stds. A buddy of mine has one, and it's just a super guitar. I played one in a shop and was really impressed with it--of course, I'd replace the bridge for a 3 saddle one.

    I've heard they've changed the design with the newer models, but on the American Standard/Series teles from a few years back it was not possible to retrofit a standard box bridge without serious modification.

    Just something to keep in mind.
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    Forum Member stratcat62's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I believe one of the issues of a 52RI vs baja tele is the 52RI has the 7.25 radius as the original did and the baja has the more modern 9.5 radius. Some folks really have trouble adjusting to the vintage radius. As for me, I prefer the 52RI as there are some things easier to play with the vintage radius. That being said, the baja is probably a better bang for the buck but the 52RI is just more tele like to me. As in all things guitar it is primarily personal taste. I'm happy with my 52RI.
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  9. #9
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I don't have an issue with the old school radius - it's what I grew up on. I just haven't been that impressed with the 52 RI's I've played as instruments.

    Most of them have a horrendous attempt at an aged color finish. Squiers look better. Although the ones in copper look pretty neat.
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  10. #10
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    My only real issue with the '52 re-issues is the frets. I've grown accustom to taller frets and can't handle vintage style frets anymore.

    I also don't care for the color and thick look of the finish and the last one that I saw had a larger body edge radius than I expected. I'd overlook these two issues if I liked the guitar otherwise.

    My USAGC T-Style is a better guitar for me in every respect. You could say that it suits me to a "T"!

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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    If light is a priority I'd start scouring the Wildwood site or the few others like Wildwood that list the actual weight of the guitar they are selling.

    FWIW, the CV hollow bodies are ridiculously light. And they sound great to boot. Not MIA and not really a classic Tele look but they are a whole lotta' bang for the buck. For the low cost entry fee of the CV you could add all the ala carte amenities you'd like and still be spending less than a MIA Tele.

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    Forum Member stratcat62's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    My 52RI doesn't have a thick finish although I think the color could have been better. The small vintage frets are consistent with the vintage radius and that is what you got in the 50's. I wouldn't care for this guitar if it were my only one and it is not my number one. As a go to tele with that early tele twang it is hard to beat. Unlike some, I also like the sounds of the neck pickup and the short frets and radius encourage a different style of playing. All things considered, I'm more of a strat man but when the tele calls this one pleases me.
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  13. #13
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by DanD View Post
    If light is a priority I'd start scouring the Wildwood site or the few others like Wildwood that list the actual weight of the guitar they are selling.

    FWIW, the CV hollow bodies are ridiculously light. And they sound great to boot. Not MIA and not really a classic Tele look but they are a whole lotta' bang for the buck. For the low cost entry fee of the CV you could add all the ala carte amenities you'd like and still be spending less than a MIA Tele.
    I looked at the Wildwood stuff and there are some pretty nice guitars from modest prices right up through the clouds. Thanks for the tip.

    I want a light Tele but I want a solid piece of wood. Just a light piece.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

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    Forum Member concert410's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Do what I did. Go buy an American G&L ASAT and be done with it.
    A good, screaming Strat just might be the greatest guitar sound of all..... -Slash

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    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by concert410 View Post
    Do what I did. Go buy an American G&L ASAT and be done with it.
    I have one and to be honest, I am not crazy about it. It weighs a ton and does not have the twang I desire. However, I am gonna haul it out tonight to see if my tastes have changed. Sometimes not playing something for a while makes a diff.

    Do you play a 4x10 Concert? I have an early 60s Concert and love it although it doesn't break up like the blackface Concerts.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

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    Forum Member Billy Porter's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Oops - posted into wrong thread
    Last edited by Billy Porter; 07-16-2011 at 03:44 AM.

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Doc, As much as I love ASe Strats, the Teles left me cold. They left the baseplate off the bridge pup and it doesn't sound right. You can change it but I've never had much success buying a guitar for its "potential", so now I only buy them if they work.

    I love the 52RI's. Never even noticed the neck radius difference until the internet tone gurus told me about it.

    I guess my must-haves on a Tele are a baseplate on the bridge pup, safety tuners and a three saddle bridge. Neck pickups are optional.

    Other than that, Teles are more about the amp then the guitar.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  18. #18
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    Other than that, Teles are more about the amp then the guitar.
    I agree with this. I was on the fence about my USACG T-Style until I got my tweed Deluxe clone. That amp opened up my ears to the Tele's tones and abilities and I'm fine playing one through any amp now.

  19. #19
    Forum Member concert410's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    "I have one and to be honest, I am not crazy about it. It weighs a ton and does not have the twang I desire. However, I am gonna haul it out tonight to see if my tastes have changed. Sometimes not playing something for a while makes a diff.

    Do you play a 4x10 Concert? I have an early 60s Concert and love it although it doesn't break up like the blackface Concerts.
    ."

    My G&L ASAT Special is extremely light and I figured they were all that way. Mine is mid 90's model with the "Blue Swirl" finish. I never liked Tele's much before, but I love this guitar.
    I had one of the Rivera Fender Concerts for about 25 years. It hasn't been gone quite a year yet, but as much as I had grown to love that amp, it was too loud and heavy. Nowadays, I make sure the amp works, then I make sure I can lift it, then I check the tone. Aside from some gigs using a SANSAMP direct into the board, my main gigging amp has been a Mesa F-30 with a Mesa Thiele ext cab. Give me my Strat, a TS-9 and Vox Wahand I am good to go.
    Last edited by concert410; 07-18-2011 at 10:19 AM.
    A good, screaming Strat just might be the greatest guitar sound of all..... -Slash

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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    I guess my must-haves on a Tele are a baseplate on the bridge pup...
    While you mention it... a few years ago, I changed the stock 52RI pickups for Seymour Duncans, though at the time I didn't notice that the original was made having that metal plate at the bottom of the bridge pickup. The SD was plastic and had no such plate.

    When I put it all back together, it had a terrible earth buzz. I ended up having to run an extra earth wire from behind the bridgeplate...to somewhere, I can't remember... maybe the jack ring. And the buzz was gone.

    I guess somehow the backplate on the pickup completed the circuit from strings->bridge->screw->pickups->earth... and the plastic version didn't complete the circuit!

  21. #21
    Forum Member Mesotech's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    For me, the alure to the 52RI was the Buterscotch Blonde finish. It seemed the only model at the time offered in that color. When I went to pull the trigger on one, I also tried out an AmStd in natural finish. I walked out with the AmStd instead of the 52RI. While the 52RI was a very nice guitar, the paint job felt thick and gooey. The AmStd seemed to fit me better, even though I really wanted a Butterscotch Blonde color.

    After I got the new guitar home, it didn't seem as happy with me as it did at the store. It was a very nice instrument, but something wasn't quite right about it. After a couple of months, I changed the white pickguard to black and the guitar has been very happy ever since. It is my "go to" guitar for almost everything I play. I do use other guitars, based upon the music I'm playing, but the Tele could handle nearly everything I needed and do a good job doing it.

    A few years later, I picked up and promptly got rid of a MIM Tele that had no future with me. It wasn't even half the guitar of the AmStd, so I found it a new home, and made a few bucks in the process.

    The next Tele I bought was an old 72 with Blonde finish that has been relic'd the natural way. Again, while being a fine guitar, it is still no where near my AmStd. I may end up swapping out the white guard of that one to see if it gets happy afterwards too.

    A friend of mine fell in love with my AmStd, and opt'd for a Thinskin 52RI from Wildwood (when they had a ton of them). His has the 9.5 in. radius fretboard, and is the closest Tele I've found to my AmStd. In the blindfold test, I can't tell which is which.

    I've wanted a Baja ever since they came out. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to try one out. The thing that prevented me from odering one online was no one had the Blonde version, but the Desert Sand version was everywhere. I just didn't like that color.

    If I were to consider yet another Tele, I would first search for the Thinskin 52RI like my buddy's, and second I'd hunt for a Blonde Baja.

    The box bridge with the 3 brass saddles is a plus, but I'm very content with the bridge and 6 saddles of my AmStd. I loose some twang factor due to it, but it's plenty twangy for my tastes just as it is. More twang in my opinion might hamper the versatility that I enjoy with this particular guitar. If I need ultra twang, I have the old 72 Blonde.
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  22. #22
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by fatdog View Post
    I guess somehow the backplate on the pickup completed the circuit from strings->bridge->screw->pickups->earth... and the plastic version didn't complete the circuit!
    You are correct! The baseplate on a traditional style Tele bridge pickup completes the ground circuit.

  23. #23
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I had an American Standard Tele along with my USACG T-Style and enjoyed them both. The Am. Std. had a slightly less twangy, more modern tone.

    In the end, I sold the Am. Std. I really liked it but it violated my policy of only having one of each type of guitar and I preferred the the twang and slightly better overall tone, as well as the feel and looks of the USACG.

  24. #24
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    You are correct! The baseplate on a traditional style Tele bridge pickup completes the ground circuit.
    A perfect example of Leo's ingenuity/frugality.
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  25. #25
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Agreed on the "confusing" thing. I've not been an active hunter but a casual Tele grazer for a few years now, and haven't found one (from a pretty long list of Fender models) with the right combination of features. And I'm not asking for the moon... I wanted a plain, traditional Tele without a goopy "archival" finish but with a modern neck, a box bridge, a nice snappy bridge pup and something non-traditional in the neck, like a P90 or mini bucker. I thought they had come pretty close with the Vintage Hot Rod '52, but when I finally played one I was disappointed by the finish, the playability of the neck, the balance between the pups, and the ridiculous price. 1,500 simoleans at Guitar Center, for "a cutting board with a ball bat screwed onto it?" In a pig's eye. I can get the stuff at Warmoth for 60 percent of that or less.

    I'm beginning to agree that Fender may have too many models in the line. But what do I know? It's working for them... they're selling guitars and buying guitar companies, so they must have the market sorted.

  26. #26
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    PS: the best Tele in the world is a mid-80s MIJ 50's model. You can get them for 500 bucks or so, and they have the sweetest neck ever... Absolutely mops the floor with the MIA '52 RI, IMHO.

  27. #27
    Forum Member Mesotech's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I don't know about the best Tele in the world portion of the statement, but another person I know purchased a mid 80's Lotus Tele clone that was a 52RI build. He didn't pay attention to the Ebay auction and bought it thinking it was a Fender. The price alone should have told him otherwise.

    Aside from the lack of a Fender decal on the headstock, this guitar was fantastic. The electronics had been changed from stock by a prior owner, and I didn't bother to find out what was in there at the time I played it. The current electronics worked well with the guitar and there was no reason to change them back to stock.

    I offered to buy that guitar at the time, but he wouldn't sell, even though he only buys guitars for collectability purposes, and this one had no future of increasing in value. It was just a great Tele clone that was better made than the new 52RI's coming from Fender. That alone is ironic because the reviews of the Lotus line on the web said they were pretty much junk. All I can say is if that guitar was considered junk and it was better than what Fender is putting out, then the Fender 52RI must be really poor.
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    Forum Member Wilko's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    MIM Classic for me. The necks are great. Newer style necks (with truss rod adjust at the heastock) are not in my world. I just don't like 'em.

    I can't see paying the ridiculous prices for MIA stuff. I'd rather support American workers, but I'm not so surethere are any building these guitars, or that the prices are fair.

    For VRI prices you can get a 70s USA tele. Swap the bridge and be done.

    MIM, MIA('73), MIA('72), MIM.

  29. #29
    Forum Member buckaroo's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Wildwood 10 reissue tele. Can't go wrong.

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    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Wilko, I like how you've got your tele bases covered...Esquire, standard tele pickups, dual humbuckers, and the single hum/tele bridge. :)

    All you can do now is hire a roadie/guitar tech to carry 'em, keep 'em in tune, and hand 'em to you at gigs!

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  31. #31
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Cool old Baldwin too.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  32. #32
    Forum Member Wilko's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenjangle View Post
    Wilko, I like how you've got your tele bases covered...Esquire, standard tele pickups, dual humbuckers, and the single hum/tele bridge. :)

    All you can do now is hire a roadie/guitar tech to carry 'em, keep 'em in tune, and hand 'em to you at gigs!
    That's right. The four main food groups!

    And now that I look at it, they're out of order.

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  33. #33
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    The search continues...

    I think I am pretty turned off by the MIA choices. Yes the Custom Shop could make me a decent Tele for a zillion dollars, but that is just wrong, so I am considering a MIM

    The closest I have some so far is Road Worn sunburst Tele. It played great and had lots of twang and schwing. The downside is the goofy relic finish and the 7.25 radius. Why can't Fender just make a nice light Tele that doesn't look used with a few options, like a more modern neck radius? I may have to suck it up and get a compromise Tele, like this Road Worn, or go with plan B and build one.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

  34. #34
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    In the end I became less confused when I realized I didn't need a Tele.
    Unless the same wonderful basswood, MIJ 50's Tele, which I sold (get this) because I didn't want to rout it for a mini-HB neck p'up became easily available to me, I can't foresee me even wanting a Tele.

    Even though it's jack is in the wrong spot, and it's strange olive green finish can't evoke any era or icon, with it's particular switching and knobs etc, I have all the solidbody, single-coil sound I want from my Schecter Strat.

    I not so secretly still crave a slim, hollow Guild Starfire II, maybe w/a Bigsby.
    But there are more important searches underway at the moment.
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  35. #35
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Doc, I had a thought about your Tele issue...it seems to me that you might want to think about the ESP Ron Wood signature...We used to carry them in the store I worked for, and they are pretty nice...and Ron Wood knows his telecasters!

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  36. #36
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I'm not certain that Ron Wood knows anything but the precise distance to the nearest bar no matter where he is standing.

    Neo makes a good point. I had a pretty good California Tele, and I ended up selling it... It just isn't different enough from a Strat. Same scale, single coils, steel saddles, solid body... With D'addario XL 110s on both guitar, you couldn't tell (when recorded) which guitar had played the part, and refer to play my Strat clone.

  37. #37
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Oddly enough, I think I can make a better telecaster sound with a LP than a strat, although the 'blender wiring' in my Strat helps quite a bit.
    Several guitars in different colors
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  38. #38
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    Quote Originally Posted by Kap'n View Post
    Oddly enough, I think I can make a better telecaster sound with a LP than a strat, although the 'blender wiring' in my Strat helps quite a bit.
    I feel that way as well. My Gary Moore Les Paul, with its 7.4k ohm Burstbucker 1 pickups, makes very convincing Tele sounds! They both have more mids than my Strats.

  39. #39
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I'm very pleased with my RoadWorn in the vintage blonde variety. The relicing, although formualic, is fairly understated. Three peice brass saddle, snappy tele pickups, twangalicious. Plays nice, feels nice, neck is sweet in shape and feel (for my hands, anyways) and is not heavy at all.

  40. #40
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster Search is Confusing

    I agree that comparing a Strat and a Tele is like comparing a Macintosh to a Granny Smith or Golden Delicious (i.e. apples to apples) but I don't see much similarity between the stock bridge p'up on my Strat and the bridge p'up on my Tele. To me, those two guitars are like brothers, of course but they're not identical twins.

    And I'd also opine that ESP's Ron Wood signature does the Tele Custom thing better than a Fender Tele Custom. No matter how pickled is Ronnie's liver, the guitar is still pretty great.

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