Why is Telecaster basically = country?

[reach3]

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

[robt57]

Natural progression considering the bridge pickup is a lap steel unit before 1948-9...

[Kafka0622]

New here are you? A lot of us are of the opinion that great guitar playing is just that, great guitar playing no matter what the genre.

[sax4blues]

In general the premise may be true.

But for me I chose my telecaster for it's rock n roll and blues heritage. I have never paid attention to country music, so before I started playing and got my telecaster I didn't know what country musicians played.

[63dot]

Country and western have long been associated with two guitars, the dreadnaught and the Telecaster. I don't know why a Martin New Yorker, Ovation, Les Paul, or Stratocaster have simply not captured the imagination of most country players. In reality, many guitars could get the job done but there is something country about a steel string Takamine with a cutaway and a butterscotch Fender Telecaster with maple neck. Just look at all the videos and live performances. I think a lot of it is imitation.

Look at the genre of '80s heavy metal and how almost all the players (before Slash) were so into superstrats with Floyds. Why didn't a player just use an SG or Mosrite?

Certain guitars, and amps (like Marshalls in hard rock and Fenders for surf music), seem to be just as much about style as it does function.

[Sin Nombre]

In addition to the Tele evolving from steel guitars, cowboy guitarists in western bands were the early adopters, needing more volume than their acoustics would provide. That doesn't mean the Tele isn't capable of far more than western music.

[Platefire]

Well you are going to get a lot of folks sturred up with that terminology regarding country music. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I'm a Christian blues rocker but love country guitar too. What I've found with the tele is I can adjust my amps and pedals to get my hardest thickest blues rock sounds pretty much to my satisfaction on all counts and easily get back to that classic country twang with flick of a switch or two. With my LP's, strats or other humbucker guitars I can't quite get all the way back to that classic country tone as the real thing--standard tele setup. I just like to use a tremolo now and then and I sometimes miss that on a tele. I would be afraid a tremolo on a tele would take away from the classic tone/feel which is priority #1 regarding gound "0" guitar tone. Platefire

[RedTele58]

Originally Posted by reach3

The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap.

Dude...

Really?

You need to start over...

[BackNtheSaddle]

Originally Posted by reach3

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

Wow. Just wow.

[kidmo]

Originally Posted by reach3

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

I'm sure they didn't know how upset you would be. If I were you I would write a harshly worded e-mail to the president of country music.

[decsnspace]

I cant say that I am or ever was a big fan of "country" myself. That said, ever since I became obsessed with the tele, as the years go by I crave that signature tele "twang" more and more... There are so many amazing artists that have bridged the gap between country and rock with the tele. Keith Richards, Clarence White, James Burton, etc etc... Do yourself a favor and go back and listen to the history of this awesome instrument!

[mickeydean]

Originally Posted by reach3

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

if i wanted to fight trolls i would play wow. they give you a sword.

[thestreet]

Originally Posted by reach3

The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap.

You're new, and without respect.
I would have picked a better way to introduce myself.
You are trolling.

I'm not a country guy, but your comments are way out of line and you clearly know nothing about the history of music and the Telecaster.

I suggest a do-over.

[stars]

a friend of mine plays slayer on his thinline. a instrument is just a tool of expression similar to a paint brush. it is up to the individual artist to reflect emotion and to tell the story.

stereo-typing any genre of music leads to close-mindedness that often hinders a musicians growth. (not judging or condemning your statement or view points just my humble opinion based on life experience)

[63dot]

Sometimes a band comes out and is so in the groove that they transcend simply being called "country". Take a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5r16...sted::twisted:

[Jimmy R]

Originally Posted by reach3

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

I can see you're really going to make a lot of friends around here.

[Green Lantern]

Telecasters are and can be used in many different styles of music. No one genre has "claimed" them.

[LegChai]

The telecaster can produce a twangy sound that is highly appropriate for (and has become a signature of) country music. No other guitar makes that sound. Which is not to say that you can't play country on something else (many do) or that you can't play something else on a Tele (many do that as well). Country isn't a person. It can't "claim" anything.

You would do well to educate yourself on some real country music and other associated genres, because many rock artists you probably admire have been influenced by them. Johnny Cash and Hank Williams are recommended starting places.

[J Lacey]

To the OP,


There's two reasons that you'll never see me talk about Nuclear Submarines on the TDPRI.

# 1- This is a Telecaster Forum not a submarine forum therefore submarine topics would not fall under the guidelines of the subject matter intended here.

# 2- I know absolutely nothing at all about Nuclear Submarines .


# 2 is the same reason you shouldn't post about Telecasters .

[rebelwoclue]

Originally Posted by reach3

It seems the country industry has branded the Telecaster as "theirs" and mostly when people think telecaster they think of country, which is sad! The Telecaster is too good a guitar to be lumped with that crap. Its tones are godly with the correct setup, I mean listen to Page's recordings and thats just the beggining!

And where do you think Page, Richards and others' roots came from way back in the day? It was blues and country. But I must digress, you seem to think there is a conspiracy by country music to brand the tele as theirs? And all this time I thought I just liked the sound of single coil telecaster- in all types of music... I guess I've been brain-washed by those nashville conspirators