#1 Fender Telecasters
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 12:51 pm
I'm hanging back on the last of the Strat experiments ... soon.
I spent the morning in the local guitar shop (without coffee) trying Teles.
Way back in the days when I aspired to rock stardom I used to look at Teles and think a variation of '... you've got to be kidding...' In the last ten years I have owned a couple of Squier Teles and am enjoying borrowing a 'custom vibe classic' (thin but lovely neck - feels a bit like a toy; I thought this when I tried a classic vibe Strat, in a shop, too) .
All three...well there's something about them that makes me want to really bash out the chords. They were lively, fun and errr my kind of guitar, perhaps.
I have also played a Mex Tele a couple of years ago and should have bought it for the well made bargain it was - in a local Cash Converters, but didn't.
I was up in the dreary town of Harrogate a couple of weeks ago (great Blues Cafe there though Betty's intimidated me with all those well dressed ladies of a certain age with their coiffure, gold and expensive clothes - phew..) There is however a little guitar shop run be a friendly chap with whom I tried a couple of G&L Teles - very well made, accurate but felt 'too big'. - not sure what to make of them really. (Made in Indonesia)
Today, though, first up was Standard Mex Tele - well made and sounded... pretty much like I think Squiers sound.
Second was Baja Tele (Mex) with four position switch. It was heaven but had had a lot of setting up done to it, so not 'straight out of the box'.
Third American standard (over a thousand quid) - gorgeous.
By this time I had overcome my appalling embarrassment at having actually to play a guitar in front of other people. The sweat had dried on my brow and ceased to flow elsewhere. I was coming up on a roll!
A custom shop American Tele with TexMex pups - Ooooo I could hear the difference; more percussive attack to the notes. But I didn't like it.
So I am kinda finding out what I sort of found out about Strats. The American standard (with fat 50 equivalents) sounded much more of an instrument though the Baja had a greater tonal range with the extra position switch. As the Baja had been set up and the US Tele straight out of the box, the Baja had the edge, for me. The Mex Standard Tele really sounded like a slightly better Squier and played a little better.
And I want to bash the expensive better made Teles too!
Just a few thoughts if anyone is interested.
I spent the morning in the local guitar shop (without coffee) trying Teles.
Way back in the days when I aspired to rock stardom I used to look at Teles and think a variation of '... you've got to be kidding...' In the last ten years I have owned a couple of Squier Teles and am enjoying borrowing a 'custom vibe classic' (thin but lovely neck - feels a bit like a toy; I thought this when I tried a classic vibe Strat, in a shop, too) .
All three...well there's something about them that makes me want to really bash out the chords. They were lively, fun and errr my kind of guitar, perhaps.
I have also played a Mex Tele a couple of years ago and should have bought it for the well made bargain it was - in a local Cash Converters, but didn't.
I was up in the dreary town of Harrogate a couple of weeks ago (great Blues Cafe there though Betty's intimidated me with all those well dressed ladies of a certain age with their coiffure, gold and expensive clothes - phew..) There is however a little guitar shop run be a friendly chap with whom I tried a couple of G&L Teles - very well made, accurate but felt 'too big'. - not sure what to make of them really. (Made in Indonesia)
Today, though, first up was Standard Mex Tele - well made and sounded... pretty much like I think Squiers sound.
Second was Baja Tele (Mex) with four position switch. It was heaven but had had a lot of setting up done to it, so not 'straight out of the box'.
Third American standard (over a thousand quid) - gorgeous.
By this time I had overcome my appalling embarrassment at having actually to play a guitar in front of other people. The sweat had dried on my brow and ceased to flow elsewhere. I was coming up on a roll!
A custom shop American Tele with TexMex pups - Ooooo I could hear the difference; more percussive attack to the notes. But I didn't like it.
So I am kinda finding out what I sort of found out about Strats. The American standard (with fat 50 equivalents) sounded much more of an instrument though the Baja had a greater tonal range with the extra position switch. As the Baja had been set up and the US Tele straight out of the box, the Baja had the edge, for me. The Mex Standard Tele really sounded like a slightly better Squier and played a little better.
And I want to bash the expensive better made Teles too!
Just a few thoughts if anyone is interested.