Don't lie...were you an acoustic player before a tele player

[Darrell]

I was just curious if you will admit to spending years on the acoustic before you ever touched a tele...or other electric guitar. I think sometimes we forget where are roots really were...when it comes to playing. I know I did. I played acoustic for years before touching a tele. I have to admit, I play the tele more now...but it hasn't always been that way.

[Teletwang]

Hell yea, I'm from the "learn & play on acoustic before
an electric" school of logic and personally think it's
a good idea.

[Eric Karonen]

I'm one. Played mostly acoustic for the better part of 25 years before I got my first tele.

Have you ever noticed how many great tele pickers spent their early days playing bluegrass: B. Kirchen and C. White come to mind.

[Reno Sepulveda]

Sure I was. I must say my first "good guitar" was a Tele
though.

Desert Island Guitar:
Martin D-18

[Darrell]

What did you play before the tele?

I know a lot of folks that played piano before the tele, some were steel guitar players, some were drummers...

What did you play before the tele?

[thrasher]

All I had to use was an old acoustic.

[Snailhand]

Yeah, 1964 I begged Mom for a guitar after I saw the Beatles on Ed. Of course a guitar was a pretty frivilous expense at that time, especially for a six year old. But of course, being an only child, I've been spoiled rotten. I remember her only buying gas and other household items only from places that gave S & H Greenstamps so she could save up enough to get me that guitar. 16 books later she cashed them in on that sunburst Montegomery Wards acoustic. You know, the one with the white painted on pickguard with the quarter note stenciled in. She also taught me the only chord she new,
"G". And I was happy to play just that chord for about a year. Seems like every song could be played with just one chord. At some point I taught myself how to play a "C" and my life changed forever. My first guitar after that was electric, and cost 37 and a half books.

[Telemaniac]

My first guitar was a Hofner archtop acoustic with a violin-style bridge (I'd been playing violin up till then) which I had for about two months before I bought an Ibanez Tele Custom, black, maple neck, H/S. So I guess that's quite fast into a Tele.

[telemann51]

I played acoustic for a long time before Tele. And I still play a lot of acoustic. Most of my gigs are acoustic. :(

[skepticult]

I thought my first guitar was a super strat until I got my Tele. Now I realize that even the superest of strat isn't as quite as super as advertised.

[Raymond]

I started to play electric after 8 years playing only acoustic....My first electric, was of course, a Telecaster...what else? are there any other guitars?

I still play mainly acoustic. In fact, 3/4 of my practice routine is on acoustic. I can only write in my cheap Ibanez R300, and whenever I'm learning a new song, I first play it in acoustic, even if the song is played in electric....

IMHO, an acoustic guitar really helps me play better, because it's very unforgiving...mistakes are amplified by 100 in an acoustic guitar!!!!. The firts thing I noticed when playing electric the first time was how easy one can get away with mistakes when playing with distortion....

[Joel Terry]

My first guitar was an inexpensive 3/4-size Alvarez (long before it was "Alvarez-Yairi") acoustic. I still have that guitar. She won't hold a tune, but I keep her for sentimental reasons. I learned all of the basics, the fundamentals on that precious little guitar. I still vividly recall playing her long and hard like the very devil; consequently, she's the one who gave me my callouses.

Joel

[el_extranjero]

An old Service Merchandise Kay Acoustic was my first that my mom got me for xmas in 78. I still have it but my primary acoustic is a Sigma (Martin Japan) cutaway that I got 15 years ago in a bluegrass shop in Baltimore. I just had new gears and a bone nut and bridge put on it and the frets leveled and polished.

Out of 25 years of playing, 90% has been on an acoustic. I'm purposely avoiding my acoustics now to help make the transition to electric. I'm still trying to find the setup and rig on my Tele that allows me to be as expressive on it as I can be on the acoustic and still get that Tele tone.

[Brad]

I've always ( and always will ) be an acoustic player. I would venture to say most over 40 started on an acoustic then progressed to electric.

I love acosutic guitars. Acoustics will always be a huge part of my guitar playing life.

[e-merlin]

My first guitar was a Kramer Pacer I bought from the friend who got me started playing. Took me all of about a month to figure out why he switched to Teles. I got one too! Wish I still had the Kramer at times, though.

[burak]

I played acoustic for almost 5 years and gigged as well, before I bought my first electric about 13 years ago, which happened to be a Squire Tele :) Second guitar 10 years ago a G&L Tele :D Now there are about a dozen axes in the house :)

[Kris]

I learned to play classical guitar in my youth and played mainly classical stuff for 30 yrs. Now I play mostly tele and steel string accoustic.

Kris

[nocasterbert]

i played acoustic for more than 25 years mainly bluegrass
before i bought my first tele.
when a friend of mine put aside his d 28 and started practicing chicken pickin`on a tele i couldn`t share his
passion.
took me some more years to discover the fascination
of the telecaster.
some of it has to do with the fact that it seemed to
get harder to please a crowd with acoustic instruments
and no drums especially on bigger events.
but that`s just one side, now i can honestly say that i
love my telecaster maybe even more than my old martins.
playing the tele acoustic in the evening on the sofa
enjoying that bright sustaining sound is so great.
the size of the tele is perfect to relax, not like the
huge dreadnoughts that seem too loud at home
and not loud enough on stage.
anyhow i`m still one of the truest bluegrass lovers
outside the u.s. i guess.

[John R.]

Okay, I can't lie to you anymore, I was. That's all I played in the 60's and 70's, then electric in the mid to late '70's, but it took me until the late 90's to discover telecasters. I loved all the old folk and hippie stuff from that time period. Don't care for it as much now.

First real electric was a '62 Gibson ES125 TDC though and I still have it. It spends all it's time in a case now.

[Skydog]

Got a Tele in '95 ..been playin' acoustic since 50's.

[Jef]

yes I was.

[esquire_player52]

i don't even own an acoustic. i want one though. i was thinkin about gettin one of those new fender acoustics they got out. anybody try'em? and i'm also waitin for a teleacoustic. i plucked the strings on a stratacoustic and it sounded sweet.

[stevedenver]

as a single child, divorced parents at a young age, I wanted to play guitar, i always loved the folks scene , kingston trio, kinks and beatles, and beach boys having been a California kid until i was 6-i loved blues too from the get go....

-wore glasses, chubby, so anything that might help the cool factor-

got a sears slivertone-no pick guard, no neck raidus-what would now be called a "vintage" neck-tough on a 9 year old....almost set up for lap

--played for about a year or more on that-then got a harmony soveriegn small body-a real guitar-then in 1969 a 64 fender jag-then in 1971 and 1969 LP black beauty and a used martin -and worked all summer for them all

played my martin D since 1971 and never stopped-took a long hiatus from electric duing college and law school -(realized after a year at Berklee College of Muisc and a come to jesus meeting with the folks - that i wasnt liklely to be a pro or be able to support myself)-so why have an electric? I sold my lp and my 58 vibrolux and balck face vibro champ and gibson scout for little more than my cost- it was a point of frustration and a reminder of a goal not reached.....and,

twenty years later

well until i had an epiphany in GC in 1997- i really missed playing electric-first it was a friends unwanted mint 83 strat-bought for a song., then a 2x12 deville -then i ...well .... i .... well.... i bought a few more lps and amps.....oh somebody help me....


and only after christmas this year did i get my first tele- and i really love it and didnt find it at all difficult to change between lps and tele-just havent quite got the behind the nut bending to where i return to pitch-and man is it a great guitar

[rebelern]

Played acoustic for years before electrics, leading to my first Tele, and still play and gig with acoustics, great for Country Rock/Rockabilly Rhythm!. 8)

Ernie.

[Paul in Colorado]

Well, I started out as a drummer, but could never get my rolls down so I took up guitar. My first guitar was an electric, my second an electric (Fender Jazzmaster, does that count?), the third an electric and finally I bought a new (1972) Martin D-18. So, yes, I had an acoustic before I bought my first Tele, but I played electric guitar exclusivlely for five years before I got an acoustic.

I think that having good acoustic chops helps your Tele-pickin'. But playing fiddle tunes on mandolin has helped me clean up my lead playing on electric guitar even more.

[Ian]

Yep, started on my Dad's J-45 (SB, paralellogram inlays,tortise guard, early 50's I believe), but his 2nd wife took it in the settlement. I then got a Saga Dreadnaught , and used that till I got my first electric , a Black Quest Attak 1. THEN I got a Tele.
I still pine for that Gibson. It's the one I judge all other flattops by. Probably the reason why I don't have an accoustic anymore!!! Nothing's lived up to it , that isn't $5000.00 !!!!
CHEERS!!!

[tahoebob54]

Originally Posted by Darrell

I was just curious if you will admit to spending years on the acoustic before you ever touched a tele...or other electric guitar. I think sometimes we forget where are roots really were...when it comes to playing. I know I did. I played acoustic for years before touching a tele. I have to admit, I play the tele more now...but it hasn't always been that way.

After reading all the posts I guess I am the only one here who started out on a tele. For the first 5 weeks I played I borrowed strat till my tele was finished being built, but all in all its been a tele from the start. thats the truth and nothing but the truth, but it is not the whole story......... I have only been playing for under a year and its easy to get good equipment when you are 48 years old all the kids have moved out of the house. Its a funny thing, I am making less money now than I was 15 years ago, But I have more to spend .

Bob P.

[Hucklebilly]

Yeah, me too. 25 years playing acoustic before I got into playing electric. I remember taking lessons when I was 9 or 10 and my teacher had this blonde tele hanging on the wall. I thought to myself, "that is one cool looking guitar. If I were ever to play electric...."

[lenny]

i started playing about 20 years ago, and i never owned an acoustic until 2 months ago, when i restarted after an approximately 5 year break
now i feel left out

[bj]

Yeah I know - , it's sad isn't it!?! I wanted a tele for a long time but... (insert standard pathetic excuse here). Drifted away from playing in my twenties and thirties because of the family etc. but I always had a guitar. I decided to get serious again only a few years ago and finally bit the bullet and got the tele 16 months ago, but I still mostly play finger-style acoustic.
Regards from down under - bj

[Zorba]

My first instrument was a banjo at 17, but couldn't figure the dang thing out... No wonder I have tourtured mind.

So, I picked up an acoustic guitar to learn the rudiments of music.

[genelovesjez]

Of course! I was about seven when I fell in love with the guitar, and asked for one that Christmas. I don't think my parents were thinking of getting me an electric guitar, that's for sure. I got an electric in about grade 7 (cheap Aria model), which lasted for a few years. Then I bought a nicer acoustic during university and didn't have an electric again until about 5 years ago.

[Darrell]

I wouldn't feel bad at all about starting late. I started playing, again, at 35. But you do need an acoustic in your arsenal.

[Darrell]

Fenders are OK starter acoustics...just try to get something with mahogony, or better, rosewood. Acoustics are about getting something with some punch in the sound.

[Mhat]

I've actually never owned an acoustic. I starting playing when I was 17. I thought it was way cooler to have a strat. It probably would have been better for me to start with an acoustic, but tell that to a 17 year old who wants to "cool". After playing for a few years, I bought my first tele when I was 20. I'm 23 now, and I'm a Tele man for life.

[PVTele]

I was an acoustic player (round the folk-clubs etc.) before I was a Strat player before I was an acoustic player again before I was a Tele player. Now I'm home at last 8)

[FraKo]

What did I play before the tele?

1) Acoustic (classic Nylon guitar)
2) Electric / acoustic
3) flute
4) electric bass (P-bass)
5) trumpet
6) back to the guitar, this time was a (Fat)Strat
7) Tele, AT LAST!
8) Going to get again a bass, just as a back instrument

[BruceM]

A friend who was playing in rock bands sold me a parts tele when I was in college in 1975. A year later I bought my first acoustic, a Yamaha dreadnought. I still have both, and they still sound great, although neither gets much playing time these days. The Yamaha in particular has a very full acoustic sound, and gets played around the occasional campfire.

I'm a Taylor and Hamer T-51 man these days.

[kickz28]

My first guitar was a Samick. It was kind of a mix between a strat and a super-strat.

Next I got an Ibanez JEM.

Few years later I got a Fender Strat.

My next: Tele

Thats right, I don't own one yet.

I do also play acoustic though, I have a Fender and Takamine acoustic. But I started on electric.

I still play my Strat and Ibanez all the time!

Most people will hate me for being a pointy-guitar lover :(

[Lightnin]

my first guitar was given to me.....a Fender Squier Strat....however I didn't learn to play much on it. By the time I started learning how to play, I bought a Martin acoustic/electric and learned on it.
In fact, the Tele is actually my latest addition/addiction. I've owned an archtop, a Danelectro and 2 other acoustics and a bass guitar before even playing a Tele.
Better late than never.