Author Topic: Telecaster why do I hate you? (Read 6963 times)

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **on:** January 26, 2010, 08:47:23 PM »

I've always hated Telecasters. I think the body is ugly, the headstock is ugly, and they remind me of twangy country guitars. However, after seeing the Smithereens the other night, and how killer Jim Babjak's Tele sounded, I may be reconsidering. Now, of course, the 100 watt Marshall JCM800 may have made a difference. Either way, I'm up in the air about it. Somebody help straighten me out here!

73109 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2010, 08:50:59 PM »

I have always hated them. Too laid back for my taste, but that does not mean they can not rock. Look at Bruce, and I saw James Hetfield use a tele to play a cover of Seger's Turn the Page. That was epic.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2010, 08:59:03 PM »

True, Bruce rocks it. Didn't know about Hetfield.

I think I'm also worried about excessive single coil hum.

73109 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:01:08 PM »

Well, that is what you get when you get a guitar with single coils, but that is not always bad. I love metal and I am a metalhead to the bone but nothing sounds better than a perfectly over-driven strat. It is audio-porn for guitar lovers. If I could own one tone ever, it would be David Gilmour's.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:12:34 PM »

That's a tough call for me. Whose tone do I love the most? I really like Eric Johnson's tone. Strat. My Strat doesn't sound THAT good, but its passable.

BlobVanDam · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:13:28 PM »

Quote from: GuitarCozmo on January 26, 2010, 08:47:23 PM

I've always hated Telecasters. I think the body is ugly, the headstock is ugly, and they remind me of twangy country guitars.

Seconded. I also don't like most of the finishes, or the pickguard. It always makes me think of slide guitar, because of the whole country thing.

sonatafanica · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:15:14 PM »

I think they're ugly as well. And I don't plan on playing any Pearl Jam soon, so there's no reason for me to ever get one.

73109 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:15:55 PM »

I have never seen McCready or Gossard use a tele. Just Strats and Pauls.

sonatafanica · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:27:56 PM »

Is that an Eddie Vedder I see thar?

73109 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:28:53 PM »

Ah. You be correct. i did not take him into the situation.

Sigz · « **Reply #10 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:59:15 PM »

I love teles. I really like the simple look they have, and they almost have this natural chorusy type sound, I love it. Just add a millisquigent of distortion, and you have near perfection.

ddtonfire · « **Reply #11 on:** January 26, 2010, 10:06:17 PM »

I hate Teles. I think they're butt-ugly. However, a tele was used on the Stairway solo. And if you can get a good tone from a tele, more power to you!

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2010, 10:21:38 PM »

I'm afraid I cannot agree or disagree; I just pick up and play it.

juice · « **Reply #13 on:** January 26, 2010, 10:25:20 PM »

im not a fan of the way they look but i've never played one. Jari Mäenpää of Wintersun uses a tele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnhdJVh9iIY

sneakyblueberry · « **Reply #14 on:** January 27, 2010, 01:42:51 AM »

Tele's are lovely. James Root's signature tele has balls as.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INw3tKsYYdA

LTE · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2010, 07:26:07 AM »

I think Tele's are great. Prefer strats though as far as fenders. Though that tele neck pickup is hard to beat.

I think they look great, one of the first solid body guitars.
Some great tele players:
Roy Buchanan: SOOO underrated blues guitarist, check him out. Played with just a tele and a twin, and would use the volume and tone to simulate wah pedals and such.
Jeff Beck
David Gilmour (Dogs solo)

millahh · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:10:50 AM »

I'm generally not a huge fan, but in the right hands, in the right application (i.e the guy from dredg), they can be amazing.

Zydar · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:24:14 AM »

Many players have used the Telecaster, most famously Bruce Springsteen and Keith Richards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Telecaster_players

I haven't played it myself so I can't say how it feels or sounds, but I wouldn't mind trying it out.

emindead · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:36:08 AM »

It depends. There are great players such as David Gilmour who use the Telecaster, and there's also the asshole, lame player, Keith Richards. So it depends on which hands.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2010, 09:52:51 AM »

David Gilmour usually plays Strat.

I've always been a Strat man myself, and I've always hated Telecasters.

sonatafanica · « **Reply #20 on:** January 27, 2010, 10:10:29 AM »

I was once in a band where the guitarist who started the band wanted me to play a stratocaster. It was something like an $800 version or something like that. The reason I don't like any Fender model now is because that guitar just went twang twang twangity twang.

skydivingninja · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2010, 10:20:30 AM »

The headstock certainly is ugly. However, Bruce uses a telecaster, so that gives it some credit. My friend actually traded his in for a PRS guitar because "you can't play metal on it."

rumborak · « **Reply #22 on:** January 27, 2010, 10:33:40 AM »

The only thing I don't like about Teles is that they're "intentionally retro". It's sort of like driving a Model T all the time.

rumborak

LTE · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2010, 12:38:56 PM »

Quote from: hefdaddy42 on January 27, 2010, 09:52:51 AM

David Gilmour usually plays Strat.

I've always been a Strat man myself, and I've always hated Telecasters.

He only uses it occasionally on songs like Dogs.

LTE · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2010, 12:40:47 PM »

Quote from: sonatafanica on January 27, 2010, 10:10:29 AM

I was once in a band where the guitarist who started the band wanted me to play a stratocaster. It was something like an $800 version or something like that. The reason I don't like any Fender model now is because that guitar just went twang twang twangity twang.

So you'll base an entire company off of one guitar?

I play a MIM strat with dimarzios and through a good tube amp, you can get a variety of sounds. And I RARELY use it for clean/twang tones, in fact I almost exclusively use it for thick, fat, creamy lead tones.

antigoon · « **Reply #25 on:** January 27, 2010, 01:11:12 PM »

I used to not like the design but it has grown on me over the years. I'll always love the Stratocaster more, though.

Tuneman · « **Reply #26 on:** January 27, 2010, 02:44:31 PM »

I always hated them and their tone until I saw this prince solo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifp_SVrlurY

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #27 on:** January 27, 2010, 07:34:58 PM »

That solo WAS another reason why I started to change my mind about them. I knew there was another reason, but I couldn't remember it.

Gwii · « **Reply #28 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:04:44 PM »

I use to hate everything about telecasters. But for the past year or so, I've kind of wanted one.

I could really use one now for the new band I'm in. I might have to fix my strat up (including getting new pups) to use instead.

73109 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:05:27 PM »

Noiseless sound

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #30 on:** January 27, 2010, 08:41:08 PM »

Fender now has a Tele with "noiseless pickups":

https://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Standard-Telecaster-FSR-Ash-Electric-Guitar-with-Vintage-Noiseless-Pickups?sku=502530

I really have to wonder just HOW noiseless it is.

Fuzzboy · « **Reply #31 on:** January 27, 2010, 09:29:06 PM »

Quote from: GuitarCozmo on January 27, 2010, 08:41:08 PM

Fender now has a Tele with "noiseless pickups":

https://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Standard-Telecaster-FSR-Ash-Electric-Guitar-with-Vintage-Noiseless-Pickups?sku=502530

I really have to wonder just HOW noiseless it is.

Fender noiseless pickups are very much noiseless.

I've always loved teles.

millahh · « **Reply #32 on:** January 28, 2010, 07:52:09 AM »

A good shielding job should be able to cut down on alot of the noise in the standard pickups.

cthrubuoy · « **Reply #33 on:** January 29, 2010, 03:33:57 AM »

I love playing on Tele's but can't stand the sight of them.
The neck is pure win.

Gwii · « **Reply #34 on:** January 29, 2010, 10:14:40 AM »

So I played on a Tele yesterday (through a Fender Deluxe) and it sounded niiiccee. It was an American tele with Texas Special pups.

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Author Topic: Telecaster why do I hate you? (Read 6963 times)