Telecaster exposes bad playing.

[Oregoncoast]

I'm new to the guitar and the Telecaster and have seen this said several times in the short time I've been reading the forum. Could someone enlighten me as to exactly what it means and what makes it a characteristic of the Telecaster.

[Mark Davis]

The Telecaster is a pretty direct sound from your fingers or pick. It will duplicate everything you do very clearly and there isnt anything to hide behind like The Strat with its whammy bar.

So on a Tele what you play is what you hear mistakes are loud its not a forgiving guitar at all but a very good way to get your vibe across to the audience cause it replicates everything you do very clear.

[ajgus]

+1, Mark. There is nowhere to hide on a Tele. I believe that Elliot Easton's signature says something the effect of the fact that you can't tell lies on a Tele. I think that preety much sums it up.

[neocaster]

I think it's the case with any single coil played through a clean(ish) channel. I can often sound better by using a dirtier/gainier amp, or humbuckers through mildly dirty channels, or with heavy compression if I want squeeze/artificial sustain. If I want to hear how I'm realing doing, I play the bridge pickup straight through my modeling amp faking a black 2x12.

[woodman]

let's remember that the reverse is true, too -- a Tele definitely exposes GOOD playing in spades!

[Mark Davis]

Jeff Beck said on my Strat when I make a mistake I can hit the whammy bar and make it look like its not a flub on a Tele nothing to hide behind when you make a mistake its right out there as loud as the good notes.

[ajgus]

Originally Posted by woodman

let's remember that the reverse is true, too -- a Tele definitely exposes GOOD playing in spades!

+1.

[Wild Rice Chris]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

... its right out there as loud as the good notes.

Need to play those good notes a little softer then!

[Jellecaster]

Greg Koch said something along the lines of "There's no place to hide on a Tele. If you ain't got it, the suck button will be on!"

When I was a metal head playing an Ibanez with tons of gain and a Floyd, I totally sucked but could make it sound cool. The Tele has made me a much cleaner, more accurate and all-around better player.

[Fatmanstratman]

Originally Posted by Jellecaster

The Tele has made me a much cleaner, more accurate and all-around better player.

Yep - I would agree with that. I really believe that the Telecaster can improve your guitar playing skills.

I don't necessarily agree that the Tele "exposes bad playing" - ANY electric guitar will do the same. But unless your overdrive/gain is cranked right up into a mass of fuzz, and unless you are simply going up and down the neck playing power chords, it WILL show up your lack of chord knowledge and technique.

[minorseventh]

this is double true for a tele with a U shaped neck or a 7.25 radius, such as on a 52. there is NO faking it with a vintage spec'd neck.
ive been playing 23 years and until I bought my first teles this past year I thought I was mr fancypants... not so much anymore.
I have become addicted to playing again though.

[neocaster]

Originally Posted by minorseventh

this is double true for a tele with a U shaped neck or a 7.25 radius, such as on a 52. there is NO faking it with a vintage spec'd neck.
ive been playing 23 years and until I bought my first teles this past year I thought I was mr fancypants... not so much anymore.
I have become addicted to playing again though.

Welcome minorseventh! Best forum on the internet, bar none. Have fun.

[chabby]

When asked on different threads about the playing aspects of the Tele I have always said that the Tele changed the way I played. But until reading this thread, it was difficult for me to explain how. But this nails it, the Tele made me have to be a much more accountable player. It forced me to practice technique and not be near as sloppy as I used to be.

It's a real honest guitar when it comes to one's playing and will tell listeners right away where your at with regard to ability. It made me step back and perfect the simple things before moving any farther forward. Now it's turned me into a practicing maniac.

The reward had been much greater than the reality the "suck button" provides.

[eddiewagner]

and now add a clean amp to the scenario.....

[ajgus]

Chabby...Same for me. Tele changed the way I play.
On another note...sometimes, unfortunately my suck botton gets stuck in the ON position no matter what guitar I'm playing...

[scooteraz]

Originally Posted by ajgus

Chabby...Same for me. Tele changed the way I play.
On another note...sometimes, unfortunately my suck botton gets stuck in the ON position no matter what guitar I'm playing...

Wow, that really applies to me. Particularly the suck button getting stuck on no matter the guitar.

Still, I agree with everyone else here that the single coil tone tends to cut through a mix better than most humbuckers and then there is very little to hide behind when you are, how should we phrase this...not at your peak of playng perfection. On the other hand, it does inspire one to get better!

[Joe Gagan]

timeline for most guitarists:

teens/twenties- les paul type or other HB equipped guitar to 'smooth out' the innacuracies of sloppy fingering and picking, use lots of gain for single note stuff

late twenties---
discover the strat, get a little cleaner with the tone and playing


early thirties to 40s---

enter tele-dom. everything you know is wrong , more or less. slow everything down and learn to make every note count. you are now a 5th degree guitar black belt. add gain back in to taste whenever you like, but you have the mastery to play crystal clean and still kick ass.

[bradpdx]

Long ago I recall an interview with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. This was in the late 1970's when Knopfler's clean, twangy Strat was a sharp contrast to the big, heavy Les Paul sounds in vogue at the time. He said something to the effect of "On a Strat, all those little mistakes come out and make it sound interesting".

In general, a clear, bright electric guitar without distortion or compression leaves little to hide behind. I'll add that when that clear, bright sound is on a bridge pickup there is even LESS to hide behind!

[casadyrocks]

The Tele makes me play differently than my other guitars, but was certainly not the first guitar to expose my bad playing. Actually , I think all five of my guitars do that pretty well.

[johnnylaw]

You can't hide behind that skinny headstock either, its too small!

Personally, I enjoy the range of dynamic response offered by the Telecaster. From a whisper to a scream. You get a great musical sound when you lightly brush the string with the meat of your fingertip. You get a nice musical sound when you really dig in and snap/pop the string with great force. And everything in between. Its a particularly expressive instrument.

[TelZilla]

Originally Posted by Oregoncoast

I'm new to the guitar and the Telecaster and have seen this said several times in the short time I've been reading the forum. Could someone enlighten me as to exactly what it means and what makes it a characteristic of the Telecaster.

I think it means "hey, I'm macho. My choice is kickass."

I'm willing to bet they say the same thing on the Les Paul forum...

[Mark Davis]

When you play a tele it sounds like YOU.

When you play a Les Paul or Strat it still sunds like you but wearing different clothes. A Tele is as pure as a new born baby.

A Tele with new strings especially 52-10 light top heavy bottom thru a clean amo sounds real close to an acoustic guitar.

It reacts alot in the same way.

Nothing else sounds like a Tele thats why they are so cool.

[Elliot Easton]

I love the title of this thread-I can imagine seeing it as a headline in the National Enquirer while waiting in the checkout line at the supermarket!

[TelecasterBlooz]

I've played a zillion guitars, and NEVER felt complete as a musician, and a guitar player until I played a Telecaster. Don Rich DEFINITELY shaped my guitar choice as a child. A Tele just "feels" right. A Tele has the right neck profile, and while the PU's might be a little noisy, the neck PU gets me where I need to be as far as being amp'd is concern. A Tele with a set of heavy-ass strings comes alive. A Tele can do it all. A Tele is one of the most comfortable guitars you will ever play. A Tele gives you what you give IT. The Telecaster is my "ultimate" guitar. I could get rid of everything I own, except my Tele. For me, its just the right thing at the right time. Gimme a Tele and I can give you funk, R&B, Blues, Metal, Hard Rock, C&W, you name it, I can do it on my Tele....Lotsa guitars are one trick pony's..a Tele does it all...Anyone can buy a LP and a Marshall and get a "sound". A Tele player is unique. We actually have "talent" and get that "sound" without a lot of pedals, and processor crap. Hell.. I dunno how to explain it.