Tele love

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elvis

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I picked up a 2005 American Deluxe Tele last year because it was a decent price and you sort of have to own one just because. I never expected to play it all that much, as I am an Ibanez Jem kind of guy.

Since then, the tele has been taking over. I play it often, and I prefer it for any song that doesn't HAVE to have humbuckers and vibrato.

Why? Tone. Dynamics. Feel. It's like a living thing. It can scream. It has unbelievable dynamic punch. It has killer mellow tones. It is not as comfortable to play as my pointy guitars, but it blows them away. I use it with my Dyne and my Mini Recto, and it just burns the place down. It brings out the best in amp tone and makes other guitars sound dead.

In some ways it is like a speaker cabinet with V30s. People complain that they're too bright, but many will advise that they will cut through so well with a band that they are indispensable. The tele is the same - kind of shrill by itself, but so much more audible with the band.

What a great instrument.
 
Love a good tele. It is such a great guitar. So many people secretly used them on albums, and publicly played their sunburst LP... :lol:
 
Totally! There are a bunch of covers I have recorded with the tele, then played back and thought "That is EXACTLY how it sounds on the record, but I've only ever seen him play a LP..."
 
I own a LP and have realllllly wanted a tele for quite a while but just can't see myself spending the $1,000 for one.
 
its next on my list...tele love,indeed
I have a T Anderson hollow T, and it is spectacular, but more modern..I want an old beater so I can spank the plank old school style
gonna try to build one that looks like Bill Kirchen's tele:
kirchentele_zpsa7aa8053.jpg
 
Mine was used in 9/10 shape for $800. No reason to pay $1k.

I do like the beater look, but I'd have to get another for that. Mine's too pretty 8)
 
John 5

Ritchie Kotzen


both amazing players, favoring different flavors of teles


there are some cool tele setups out there
 
I picked up an ASAT Classic a couple months ago. Another GREAT tele. Pickups are a bit too hot and dead-sounding to me. Plays AMAZINGLY well. I'd like something a little hotter that my American Deluxe, but without sacrificing the tone.
 
Anyone in the market for a Tele should look into a Fender American Special Tele. Better than the standards IMO and cheaper!! The stock pups are killer. I was looking into replacing them before I got mine but later realized after hearing them and doing research that there was no point. Larger frets than a standard. Brass saddles. Well under 1000 bucks for an American made classic guitar!!! Hell yeah!
 
My vote goes towards the Squier Classic Vibe tele. The guitar is dirt cheap (I paid 366€) and it sounds&plays amazing. Also it gets a lot of love on the Tele forum and around the internet as far as I could tell, I didn't really see any negative opinions. I A/B'd it with an American Standard and I much preferred the Squier CV.
 
Teles are more of an acquired taste and tend to become favorites for most players after they've already played the more obvious types of guitars for years and wanted to try something different. Sometimes I get in Tele mood and it feels foreign to go back to my other guitars...I have to detox before I can enjoy them again. The bridge twang in particular is the most addictive, nothing else compares. So many noobs don't realize how many classic Zep tunes were actually recorded with a Tele. 8)
 
No tele love here. I've tried over and over. Hopefully I will find a tele that is playable someday, lord knows I keep trying. My '55 strat plays a lot like an early tele, big fat baseball bat neck, just like tele's necks from that year that I've tried. It must be the body that bothers me, no contour. I just don't jive with tele's, or maybe they just don't like me! I pretty much don't like strange shaped guitars, I only own strats, Jackson RR's, and non-cutaway dreadnought acoustics, and vanilla ice cream.
 
It may be the necks you hate. I love teles and can't stand Strat necks. Have you ever tried a G&L ASAT Classic? They are wonderful, and at the same time not exactly a tele.
 
Current Tele is a Zola Swamp Ash body, Moses graphite neck, brass saddles, Shaller tuners, EMG SA neck and EMG 85 bridge.

If you can't do it with a Tele, you can't do it!!!

Noted Teleists:

Early Jeff Beck
Jimmy Page
Keith Richards
Roy Buchanan
Albert Lee
The Hellecasters
Bill Frissell
Danny Gatton
David Gilmour
Vince Gill
Ted Greene
George Harrison
John 5
Muddy Waters
Andy Summers
Steve Morse
Syd Barrett
Jeff Baxter
Jerry Reed
Elliot Easton

and a **** ton more!!!
 

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