Why a Tele?

[DrewHulva]

I personally love the looks, sound, and feel of a tele. Seems like the perfect balance of refinement and simplicity. But to all the non-tele-(ers?) browsing, and to the rest of us, explain why the Fender Telecaster?

[ADK Teleman]

I have Fender Strats and I have Fender Teles. I was a Strat player all my life. My wife recently bought me 2 Teles...I no longer play my strats. There is just something about a Tele that gets you..the tone, the way it fits, the playability. IMO there is nothing in the world like a Fender Telecaster. It is like when you meet your soulmate...you just know!

[DrewHulva]

I recently bought mine at GC and I was getting talked into an Ibanez RG and as I was patrolling one last time, they brought out an agave blue tele with a blue(looks blue to me) pearloid pickguard from the back fresh off trade. Never even made it to the shelf. haha

[igorBG]

You'll get many answers here. We answered this question many times.
Here is my quick view:
Tele is the simplest electric guitar. It's just piece of wood (ash or alder), with neck attached to it, and two pickups bellow strings. And that's all you need. Sound of Tele is pure mixture of wood, steel and electricity. Comparing to Teles all other guitars has some extra thing added to their sound or design.
If I want for example to try some new song, or I need to try some chord, I will always take Tele, even I have other guitars (currently I have friend's Custom shop Gibson LP but I rarely use it).
Just buy one if you can afford it (unless you need tremolo, or some heavy metal guitar) and in few months it will become your first choice.
Somehow everything about it is just made as it should be.

[Bad Chile]

Why I play a telecaster:

The Titanic wasn't made from Telecasters. But rumor has it the iceberg was.

[mke52]

A collection without a Telecaster is like:

Xmas without Santa
Thanksgiving without Turkey
Easter without eggs
A Birthday cake without candles
Tecno music
Bob Dylan singing Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple singing Blowing in the Wind

It just doesn't make sense!

[Tonetele]

A close friend of mine, Carmine Russo, who studied classical guitar in Italy/ Spain under a government grant loves my Telecasters and now wants one. He hit it on the head- a Tele feels like a guitar. No cutaways, thicker body than his Gibson 335. likes the string separation for finger style playing and you can from twang to rock to a jazz sound . What more can you ask for? To me I've just loved them since about 1963 seeing one played on local television. Tonetele, Australia.

[david_lewis93]

Why not. They work.

bend em tight and let er scream.

[Donnie55]

The Telecaster is the benchmark for all electric guitars .Classic looks, simple design and you can do any style guitar with it. You either love it or you dont own one.

[Parma_TeleMon]

Originally Posted by Bad Chile

Why I play a telecaster:

The Titanic wasn't made from Telecasters. But rumor has it the iceberg was.

HAH!!

My advice: plug a Tele into an AC15, dial up a little bit of dirt, leave the bass and treble around 12:00 and rip a blues lick on the neck pup. That may answer the question in a hurry for ya!

[BigDaddyLH]

This is just begging the question. Imagine you're on a gypsy jazz forum. Everyone loves Selmer Maccaferris:



Same question, same answer? Because of the sounds?

[telepathetic]

I've played over 40 years and I like most guitars, but I was mainly a Strat guy for about 25 years straight. Tele's got a hold of me (and vice versa) a few years back. I never saw it coming, but DAMNNNN! I have 4 now and Tele's are the main thing now.

I just had one hopped up yesteday and am picking it up later today. I'll post later on that.

My Strats are in a pile for the time being. Not the "burn" pile mind you. I'll still play them eventually, but tele's rule for me right now.

[boris bubbanov]

I want you to look carefully at this image:



If you still have any confusion, I think counseling in is order. If that doesn't work, be patient. The pharmaceutical industry will come up with something eventually. Miracles happen.

++

I disagree that all folks who don't buy Teles, don't want or like them. There are people who do like Teles but they are being manipulated by others and so don't have one. They get bullied into buying something else, or they receive something else as a gift.

[BoogerRooger]

As the man said

[strumminsix]

Chuck Norris told me to.

[cowardm]

Teles are magic. End of story.

[Red Square]

I've been playing for 43 years. I spent the first 25 playing SG's and Les Pauls exclusively.
Fender's just sounded thin to me. I didn't bond with them.
Then I eventually found a Strat that worked for me a little. I could get it to growl, and it was easier to bend notes on. The neck could take a beating and be replaced if need be. That was a big reason for my Strat use, as I played live alot back then.
I tried the occasional Tele but they felt clumsy to me. Like crude blocks of wood someone slapped strings and pickups on. They seemed like cheap guitars to me and I didn't get them.
Then I went through a PRS phase. My PRS was a fine guitar. But then I had money issues and had to sell the PRS, but it was a well built, brilliant instrument. I wish I still had it.
Anyway, I then came back around to Strat's and SG's. They were light. They recorded well. My budget could handle them better.
I would try Tele's on occasion because the look of them, for some odd reason, began to appeal to me, but playing them was like wrestling a gator. They were clumsy beasts. They didn't feel comfortable, the necks felt too tight, I couldn't pull tone out of them. The pickups sounded brittle to my ears.
Then one day I was playing one, and everything just suddenly clicked. The neck suddenly felt right. No. Not right. Perfect. Like it was made for my hands. The tone just suddenly poured out. The guitar was punchy and clean, or could howl. The word epiphany doesn't even apply. It was world changing for me as a guitarist. I couldn't put the tele down. My playing level jumped. Exponentially. I instantly had better vibrato. Command of the fretboard. My hands ranged freely on the neck. All of a sudden Gibson's felt cumbersome, and over the top to me.
So, after 42 years of playing I felt like I finally found the right guitar. And it wasn't a $4000 LP 59ri, or an expensive PRS. It was a $200 mexi Tele! Life changing.
I've since been on sort of a Tele quest. There are great ones and dogs out there. But I'm learning what pickups I like best. What neck radius. What series Tele's work for me. I have 3 tele's now. I am happy with my sound now, as never before.
Sorry...I guess I went on a bit there....
So...why a Tele?
Sometimes, if you are lucky, something just speaks to you.
No easy answer. Like life.

[Telesavalis]

To me the Telecaster is THE sound of rock and roll.

[jimbach]

My first (electric guitar) was a new, 1976 Fender Musicmaster. I played it for years, and got used to the Fender neck. Then for years I played a Strat. I still do, from time. It was an 'upgrade' from the Musicmaster. But after a while it started to feel too complicated. Three pickups I don't kneed. I don't need a whammy bar. And the sound is a little too "spongy", if that makes sense. So, I tried a Les Paul. One fewer pickup, and a fixed bridge. Plus, I like the fact I can control the pickup volumes separately. But I'll never be that comfortable with Gibson necks. It always feels like there's something in the way of what I'm trying to play and what I'm playing.

A few years ago I bought a Tele. A nice, simple guitar. It's got a Fender neck. It does practically everything I want an electric guitar to do. I love it. I guess the point is that, to me, the process of selecting a guitar is to eliminate the barriers between what you're trying to express and what ends up coming out of the amp. I don't necessarily mean a minimalist setup. I just mean, what is the most natural feeling, playing, and sounding guitar there is (for me)? And the answer to that question is the Fender Telecaster. It's not the only electric I play, but it's my go to guitar, and if I could only pack one guitar, I'd pack a Tele.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by DrewHulva

I personally love the looks, sound, and feel of a tele. Seems like the perfect balance of refinement and simplicity.

Yup, that's why ...

[Nighthawk]

Probably saw my first one in 1966 when the lead player in my very first bad bought one. It was the looks and the sound. I always wanted one of those and an ES-335 but a poor boy could not afford either. I was the singer, a microphone and a tambourine. Fast forward to the late 90's. After a good career I had the money. The first guitar I wanted was a Tele, so I bought a MIJ. Now I've got two Teles and a Brent Mason. I bought that 335 too but the American Deluxe I bought has been THE ONE. However, I swapped out the PUPS in the MIJ for some EMG-T's and its coming on up in my estimation. Its a beast!!!

[P Thought]

I've just recently discovered (wish somebody had told me 30 years ago) how much fun it is to play electric guitars. I think teles are classic, the coolest-looking electric guitars there are, and I love the fact that you can cut one out, buy some parts, and build your own.

My favorite guitar repair person is finishing up right now, setting up my first tele ever. It's a project that started about last April--it's beautiful--and I'll play it tonight! Might play it all night. I know , I just know I'm going to love it.

[JosephB]

The possibilities of a telecaster are endless.

[tpaul]

These tele appreciation threads make me nostalgic for 0le Fuzzy. I think he would appreciate some of these posts.

[jjkrause84]

Basically it all starts with my Gretsch. I played my first one not even knowing what a Gretsch was...I saw it and thought "I've never played a hollowbody before, I'll have a go!"/ Well I did and oh baby! It just grabbed me...I had to have one.

Well, I got one and yes I do love it but after a year of owning it I can't help but thinking, "Man, I wish this had a little more twang"....you can imagien where that lead me....

[Dave_Strat]

When you first try a Tele, it sounds a little on the thin side if you are used to humbuckers. Then, you eventually experiment with the tone controls and find the sweet spot. It begins to fatten up and the sound begins to grow on you.

I've had mine a year (been playing various guitars for 46 years) and it's growing on me. I still play a Paul live, and played a Strat through the late 70's and the 80's, but I'm taking the Tele out more and more. I beginning to think I need both on stage.

[chezdeluxe]

Originally Posted by Tonetele

A close friend of mine, Carmine Russo, who studied classical guitar in Italy/ Spain under a government grant loves my Telecasters and now wants one. He hit it on the head- a Tele feels like a guitar. No cutaways, thicker body than his Gibson 335. likes the string separation for finger style playing and you can from twang to rock to a jazz sound . What more can you ask for? To me I've just loved them since about 1963 seeing one played on local television. Tonetele, Australia.

No Cutaways???? Are you sure you are talking Telecaster?

[Shiro]

So you can hang at TDPRI of course!

[Hiker]

Originally Posted by Shiro

So you can hang at TDPRI of course!

What Shiro said...

[Dizi]

Before the Telecaster sunk its hooks into me, I always thought the Stratocaster was basically a Telecaster, but with a bunch of improvements. Shape, contours, trem, pickups, etc.

Boy, was I wrong. I wish someone would have sat me down 20 years ago and made me play their Tele. Its all I want to play now, and already feel a greater connection with it than my Strats.

[telewhat]

I'm a welder/fabricator and when I get stuck on that hard to fix piece I pull out my Telecaster 'cause I know it will get the job done. Who say's it can't be used for heavy metal?

[Blazer]

I'm a Gibson-guy, I played Les Pauls, SG's and Explorers on stage. What I love about my Gibsons is that they are killer live guitars especially when you play in a metal band like I do, that fat sustaining roar that a mahogany bodied guitar can give you. I also love the way they smell, Gibson uses a kind of varnish that has a very typical kinda sweet smell. But I learned to play on Fenders, on a 1989 Squier Stratocaster nicknamed "the Veteran" to be precise.

What I love about Fenders (and that includes my strats as well) is that they are rock solid, I can walk into a store, pick up several Fenders and just by the way one feels in my hand just by picking it up can go "that's a good guitar" I also love my Fenders because they are the most versatile guitar when it comes to recording. I use my Teles and my Strats for recording exclusively, I can do everything with them.

I recently bought myself an SX Thinline Tele and I love the way it sounds, I have since learned to resist the temptation to switch the pickups and pots (which is something that seemingly everybody is doing with those), it's the charm of a simple guitar, those cheap pickups can still harbour cool tones.

[ter93]

Originally Posted by DrewHulva

I personally love the looks, sound, and feel of a tele. Seems like the perfect balance of refinement and simplicity. But to all the non-tele-(ers?) browsing, and to the rest of us, explain why the Fender Telecaster?

Teles are easy to play, great-sounding (I love the single-coil sound, even for high gain), and look great.

[shinigami747]

Originally Posted by Bad Chile

Why I play a telecaster:

The Titanic wasn't made from Telecasters. But rumor has it the iceberg was.

man, this is an awesome line!

[falconer]

Originally Posted by shinigami747

man, this is an awesome line!

+1

[Fatmanstratman]

Why the Fender Telecaster?

Because it makes complete strangers seek you out on guitar forums and ask you cool questions, like "Why the Fender Telecaster?".

The best answer here so far? Try Donnie55 - "You either love it or you dont own one".

I'm not quite sure what answers you're expecting, or why you asked, but hopefully you'll enlighten us?....

[sonny wolf]

The Tele is one of the most versatile guitars ever because it covers so much ground.It does the total Fender thing but can also fake a lot of Gibson like tones(the first 2 Led Zep albums were all Telecaster but you would think it was Jimmy Page playing a Les Paul).It is a simple yet powerful guitar with a lot of presence and musicality in many different musical contexts.You can play hardcore country,classic rock,blues,r'n'b ect with a Tele and totally sound credible doing so.Last night,I jammed with my friend at his show and we played 'Little Wing',I had no problem making it sound almost identical to a Strat.I can then play ZZ Top on a Tele and make it sound almost like a Les Paul.As a player,the Tele is very rewarding because it very unforgiving...so if you make it sound good,youknow your playing is on!!!Plus they have such an amazing vibe and look.An old blonde 50s style Tele is hard to beat in terms of coolness.

[Willyguitar]

I like its simplicity. I mainly like it for the bridge pickup sounds. When I first properly played one about 10 years ago - a friend's guitar - I just thought - wow, i have to get one of those. However, I am also a huge fan of the other great simple, but strangely versatile guitar, the Les Paul Junior.

[Kornelius]

Maybe you could ask Keith Richards, Danny Gatton, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Andy Summers, Joe Strummer, Muddy Waters, Merle Haggard, George Harrison, Albert Collins, John5, Waylon Jennings, Luther Perkins or Jimmy Page. Cos i dunno why i play a tele and i don't have the authority or the talent to convince you, but maybe those guys above have proven that it's possible to play good music wiz a tele. And maybe that's why some of us are playing a tele too. Enjoy your tele

[barkley]

They are easy to build!