I am down to ONE Telecaster

[yell03]

At one point I had 4 Teles (2 Squier CV50s, 1 Baja, and 1 American Special), 1 PRS Custom 24 , and 1 Gibson Les Paul Trad Pro Goldtop.

As of a week ago I still had the Baja and American Special, along with my PRS and Gibson.

Then I made the mistake of going to Sam Ash and trying a Gibson Les Paul R7 Goldtop, it is by far the best guitar I have ever played, but I couldn't afford it.

So, I quickly sold my Budda SD45 1x12 combo for $850, my PRS Custom 24 for $1800, and my Baja for $650 to get the R7.

It was tough deciding which Tele to keep, but the market dictated that for me.
The Bajas hold their value and are in demand, the American Special is a great guitar, but it is just not as desired and will actually bring in less than the Baja.

I preferred the Twangy Baja Tone, best sounding Tele I have ever heard in my life. Great for Country and Rock.
The American Special has that 22nd fret I really like and really loves to rock.
So, now I have my American Special, I guess if I ever really want that Baja Tone I could just swap pick-ups, but I also like the Texas Specials in the American Special.

My beloved Telecaster will be my Travel companion and it will probably be my back-up gigging guitar to my Les Paul Traditional Pro.
If the Les Paul did not have coil splitting to mimic a Tele tone, then the Telecaster would share time, it still might, nothing sounds like a Tele

I also played a New 2012 American Standard Tele that has the Baja pickups and 22 frets, tempting. I did not like the Belly cut and I prefer a 3 barrel bridge on Teles, but it is a nice mix of tone and playability.

In the end, when you find that perfect guitar, whether it be a Gibson or a Fender, you have to do whatever it takes to get it.

[ac15]

Sounds like a good move to me. Historic LP's are fantastic. I fell for a Historic 54 goldtop several years ago. Still have it and it's still great.

Plus at least you still have a Tele.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by ac15

Sounds like a good move to me. Historic LP's are fantastic. I fell for a Historic 54 goldtop several years ago. Still have it and it's still great.

Plus at least you still have a Tele.

Quality over Quantity.
I am down to 3 Electrics, but they are 3 really good ones.
The 2 Gibsons are 2 of the best guitars I have ever played and the Tele is a solid good guitar, very good playability and good tone.

The Baja was amazing, but the American Special is close enough and has 22 frets.

For the 1st time in my life all of my guitars have been hand picked by me at retail stores and I feel I have good judgement when it comes to guitars.

[Lee Harvey]

Quality over quantity are words to live by.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by Lee Harvey

Quality over quantity are words to live by.

I agree, except when it comes to food

[Lee Harvey]

Originally Posted by yell03

I agree, except when it comes to food

Food is another story all together.. gluttony is my friend when food is involved..

Why yes, 2 chicken fried steak plates is a good start.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by Lee Harvey

Food is another story all together.. gluttony is my friend when food is involved..

Why yes, 2 chicken fried steak plates is a good start.

Excellent choice!!!

BTW - I just added pics....

Of the guitars, not my lunch

[Lee Harvey]

Originally Posted by yell03

Excellent choice!!!

Yes, yes it is.. I didn't get dunlop desease by eating rabbit food

[yell03]

Originally Posted by Lee Harvey

Yes, yes it is.. I didn't get dunlop desease by eating rabbit food

Dunlaps disease, where your stomach dun laps over your belt.

[Lee Harvey]

Originally Posted by yell03

Dunlaps disease, where your stomach dun laps over your belt.

That is the one..

[63dot]

We are all different, as I would sell that Les Paul, if I already had one and get teles and amps. I liked my Les Pauls just fine but never saw the need to have more than one, or probably more than one Gibson electric. Where one tele is fine, they are so handy, like a pencil or well used tool, and I can't think of a better, stronger, more reliable instrument in the world. The Les Paul is certainly more of a craftsman's work of art, but being so delicate, and heavy, it just never inspires me to use it to work on music. It's a nice backup but somehow it's just not a tele.

I had a beautiful cherry sunburst finish on my Custom and I spent time polishing it and keeping the easy to dirty ebony fretboard polished. The tele, I just picked it up and played (and became productive as this is the goal) and rarely, if ever, polished it.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by 63dot

We are all different, as I would sell that Les Paul, if I already had one and get teles and amps. I liked my Les Pauls just fine but never saw the need to have more than one, or probably more than one Gibson electric. Where one tele is fine, they are so handy, like a pencil or well used tool, and I can't think of a better, stronger, more reliable instrument in the world. The Les Paul is certainly more of a craftsman's work of art, but being so delicate, and heavy, it just never inspires me to use it to work on music. It's a nice backup but somehow it's just not a tele.

I had a beautiful cherry sunburst finish on my Custom and I spent time polishing it and keeping the easy to dirty ebony fretboard polished. The tele, I just picked it up and played and rarely, if ever, polished it.

I totally understand where you are coming from, but for me a Les Paul is what inspires me to play.
Sure, I love my Tele, but no other guitar makes me want to play like a Les Paul.
I have tried other Gibsons and Fender Strats, in my book...
Give me a good Les Paul and a Tele and I am happy.
I do see another Tele in my future, but I always find myself looking at Les Pauls, except when my back is out, then I loves me my Tele.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by yell03

I totally understand where you are coming from, but for me a Les Paul is what inspires me to play.
Sure, I love my Tele, but no other guitar makes me want to play like a Les Paul.
I have tried other Gibsons and Fender Strats, in my book...
Give me a good Les Paul and a Tele and I am happy.
I do see another Tele in my future, but I always find myself looking at Les Pauls, except when my back is out, then I loves me my Tele.

I tried so hard to have any Gibson inspire me and I had a few (2 1970s era L6S, Sonex 180, the Paul (basically like a LP Special with humbuckers), '65 Melody Maker, '80 Les Paul Custom, 2 mid-60s LGOs, 2 reissue '67 Flying Vs). Other than the first LGO and the Sonex 180, the others served only as backups, and always to a Fender or Fender type guitar.

The LGO served its purpose for a time being my only acoustic but then I found an old 00 Martin. The Sonex had a coil tap so I could sound somewhat like my Fender tele so I found it just fine. Without a coil tap, I would have rarely used the Sonex. Right now, I got a push pull coil tap knob for my SG copy so I could get that percussive, snappy sound of a single coil which inspires me and doesn't get in the way like a humbucker often does when working with other instruments and vocals.

[daniel o]

gotta play what inspires you, Gibson or Fender..... for some its gibson for some its fender.
For me it's My american special Telecaster. to each his (or her) own. as long as you enjoy playing it and you're happy with your choice,,,,then congrats man. that is a nice les paul, and the special is the same one i have!

guitar unites us all!

[Telepi]

Looks like you have the bases covered: LP, Tele, and acoustic.

Tele's and LP's changed the world. Owning one of each is like being part of that history.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by 63dot

I tried so hard to have any Gibson inspire me and I had a few (2 1970s era L6S, Sonex 180, the Paul (basically like a LP Special with humbuckers), '65 Melody Maker, '80 Les Paul Custom, 2 mid-60s LGOs, 2 reissue '67 Flying Vs). Other than the first LGO and the Sonex 180, the others served only as backups, and always to a Fender or Fender type guitar.

The LGO served its purpose for a time being my only acoustic but then I found an old 00 Martin. The Sonex had a coil tap so I could sound somewhat like my Fender tele so I found it just fine. Without a coil tap, I would have rarely used the Sonex. Right now, I got a push pull coil tap knob for my SG copy so I could get that percussive, snappy sound of a single coil which inspires me and doesn't get in the way like a humbucker often does when working with other instruments and vocals.

Originally Posted by daniel o

gotta play what inspires you, Gibson or Fender..... for some its gibson for some its fender.
For me it's My american special Telecaster. to each his (or her) own. as long as you enjoy playing it and you're happy with your choice,,,,then congrats man. that is a nice les paul, and the special is the same one i have!

guitar unites us all!

Everybody is inspired by different stuff.
My American Special Telecaster sometimes steps in and inspires me with its comfortable to play style, like wearing an old pair of jeans.

Originally Posted by Telepi

Looks like you have the bases covered: LP, Tele, and acoustic.

Tele's and LP's changed the world. Owning one of each is like being part of that history.

I have two Acoustics, the one in the pic is my Acoustic/Electric.
Both Acoustics are Rogue Brand, not very inspiring to play.
The Acoustic/Electric was $77 new and the Acoustic was $50 used so I can't complain.
I did return my Alvarez Acoustic electric, it was great, but I just don't play acoustic.

[birv2]

I decided to stay with one tele and learn to play the **** out of it. So far I'm really happy with that decision.

I also have 2 strats (a Jimmie Vaughan and a Squier) that rarely get played anymore. But knowing how things always go in circles, I'm hanging on to them.

[yell03]

Originally Posted by birv2

I decided to stay with one tele and learn to play the **** out of it. So far I'm really happy with that decision.

I also have 2 strats (a Jimmie Vaughan and a Squier) that rarely get played anymore. But knowing how things always go in circles, I'm hanging on to them.

Smart move...

I think I'll stick with 2 LPs and 1 Tele, maybe another Tele in the future.

[Torz Johnson]

There's no shame in trading in stuff to get a great LP. Keeping that Tele means that your judgment is sound. If you cleaned out all of your Teles that would be a different story.

[Jvm210Guy]

Nice GT's... The American specials are quite nice and solid guit's.

Here's my old strat special that I miss...