Steve Howe (yes) Tele

turn_up_the_tele · January 26th, 2006, 01:44 PM

hey everyone. Just wondeing if anyone could help me out with some info on steve howes yellow/white guard tele that he uses. I think its from the 70's but that all i know really. It looks like a standard with the neck pick-up swaped out for a humbucker. But what is throwing me off is the extended pickguard on the non-cutaway side, which seems to have a 3 way switch in it. I am trying to re-create this tele, so any help would be amazing... sorry for the poor quality pics, they were the only ones i could find.

LINK edited so it doesn't stretch the page width

(Moderator's note: In order to give a link a title, you have to close the first set of brackets, then type something in between the two sets of brackets, like this:

Type whatever title you want here

Otherwise, it just shows up as a pasted-in link.

Thanks!)

thanks guys

eryque · January 26th, 2006, 02:26 PM

Looks to me like a customized job. The pickguard on the bass side looks like it's similar to the shape of a Tele Custom, but the treble side has the standard shape. I bet he had it made like that when he had the humbucker installed.

tiktok · January 26th, 2006, 02:47 PM

You'll want to pick up a copy of "The Steve Howe Guitar Collection" book, which has a good picture of the front of his guitar and the history of his modifications, which he quietly admits to somewhat regretting in hindsight (humbucker in neck, gibson style switch, top of body routed away to allow for countersinking a BadAss type stop bridge, binding, refinish). I believe it was a pre-CBS whiteguard originally.

moonshiner · January 26th, 2006, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiktok

You'll want to pick up a copy of "The Steve Howe Guitar Collection" book, which has a good picture of the front of his guitar and the history of his modifications, which he quietly admits to somewhat regretting in hindsight (humbucker in neck, gibson style switch, top of body routed away to allow for countersinking a BadAss type stop bridge, binding, refinish). I believe it was a pre-CBS whiteguard originally.

Man.. I should buy that book... Or at least, look at a copy.. When I bought my Strat, when I lived in London, my friend stated that it came from Steve's collection of guitars... It's been quite modified... Thanks for the tip...

kp8 · January 27th, 2006, 04:00 AM

Dude's got a wicked "broadcaster" too... My first intro to blackguard teles (and my first real yearning) came from his 1978 Yes lp (Tormato) ... Some sweet playing on that very wierd record (i LOVED that record), but that was a classic line up and Howe was at the height of his prowess.

Is that a tele on "America" (Yesterdays)? It sounds like it.

-kp--

tiktok · January 28th, 2006, 06:44 PM

Had a chance to dig out my copy of the Howe book. The Tele that you're thinking of is blonde '55 (sn 8414). He replaced the pickguard with a standard Tele shaped three-ply (w/b/w) when he had the Gibson humbucker added to the neck position. There's also a secondary pickguard on the upper bought, which holds the Les Paul style three-way switch. He doesn't say what that switch does (he's still got the Fender switch down on the control plate), but my guess would be coil tap for the humbucker. Six-piece Fender bridge, replacement Schaller tuners. He paid $500 for it in '74, probably before the mod's.

His Broadcaster is on the same page (sn 0669) and it's been stripped to natural, white binding added to the body, replacement tuners, LP style jackplate added. The Fender bridge has been sawn in half behind the pickup and the top of the guitar routed out to allow a BadAss stop tailpiece installed. The hold for the new bridge is also bound in white for that touch of class. Recently he's been using it in Nashville tuning (all the light strings from a 12-string set).

"At the time I had no second thoughts about...all this irreversible work. I wasn't really thinking that I'd done anything particularly corrupt, because my style had always been to do what the guitar is telling you to do. But today, I can't say I'm entirely without guilt."--SH

Right between the pictures of those guitars is his '60 Jazzmaster, which has been converted to a fretless.

Oster · January 28th, 2006, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kp8

Dude's got a wicked "broadcaster" too... My first intro to blackguard teles (and my first real yearning) came from his 1978 Yes lp (Tormato) ... Some sweet playing on that very wierd record (i LOVED that record), but that was a classic line up and Howe was at the height of his prowess.

Is that a tele on "America" (Yesterdays)? It sounds like it.

-kp--

You might be right. That's his Tele for sure on 'Relayer' (especially 'Sound Chaser').

Tormato's a favorite of mine too. Although I'm with Steve Howe: It should have been called 'Yes Tor' and Roger Dean should've done the cover instead of Hipgnosis (same for 'Going For The One').

I'm of the mind that we all do judge a book by its cover contrary to what we're taught and the music within both albums is hardly given justice by the cover art in both cases.

Steve Howe's a mean pedal steel player too ('To Be Over', 'And You & I', et al.)

Unburst · January 29th, 2006, 07:53 PM

It is a '55 with a Gibson HB in the neck.

The extra switch is phase reverse I believe, definitely out of phase tone on "Sound Chaser"

Steve Howe is the reason I play a Tele, his Tele tones are my favourite.

January 26th, 2006, 01:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
turn_up_the_tele TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 52	Steve Howe (yes) Tele hey everyone. Just wondeing if anyone could help me out with some info on steve howes yellow/white guard tele that he uses. I think its from the 70's but that all i know really. It looks like a standard with the neck pick-up swaped out for a humbucker. But what is throwing me off is the extended pickguard on the non-cutaway side, which seems to have a 3 way switch in it. I am trying to re-create this tele, so any help would be amazing... sorry for the poor quality pics, they were the only ones i could find. LINK edited so it doesn't stretch the page width (Moderator's note: In order to give a link a title, you have to close the first set of brackets, then type something in between the two sets of brackets, like this: Type whatever title you want here Otherwise, it just shows up as a pasted-in link. Thanks!) thanks guys

January 26th, 2006, 02:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 7,127 44 Photos	Looks to me like a customized job. The pickguard on the bass side looks like it's similar to the shape of a Tele Custom, but the treble side has the standard shape. I bet he had it made like that when he had the humbucker installed. __________________ my blog: eryque.blogspot.com Updated 9.17.08! Subscribe_____________________

January 26th, 2006, 02:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
tiktok Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 3,953	You'll want to pick up a copy of "The Steve Howe Guitar Collection" book, which has a good picture of the front of his guitar and the history of his modifications, which he quietly admits to somewhat regretting in hindsight (humbucker in neck, gibson style switch, top of body routed away to allow for countersinking a BadAss type stop bridge, binding, refinish). I believe it was a pre-CBS whiteguard originally. __________________ It takes two people to paint a perfect painting: one to paint it, and the other to shoot him when it's done. http://www.myspace.com/travishartnett http://www.myspace.com/sugarcanemutiny http://www.myspace.com/davidbavas

January 28th, 2006, 06:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
tiktok Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 3,953	Had a chance to dig out my copy of the Howe book. The Tele that you're thinking of is blonde '55 (sn 8414). He replaced the pickguard with a standard Tele shaped three-ply (w/b/w) when he had the Gibson humbucker added to the neck position. There's also a secondary pickguard on the upper bought, which holds the Les Paul style three-way switch. He doesn't say what that switch does (he's still got the Fender switch down on the control plate), but my guess would be coil tap for the humbucker. Six-piece Fender bridge, replacement Schaller tuners. He paid $500 for it in '74, probably before the mod's. His Broadcaster is on the same page (sn 0669) and it's been stripped to natural, white binding added to the body, replacement tuners, LP style jackplate added. The Fender bridge has been sawn in half behind the pickup and the top of the guitar routed out to allow a BadAss stop tailpiece installed. The hold for the new bridge is also bound in white for that touch of class. Recently he's been using it in Nashville tuning (all the light strings from a 12-string set). "At the time I had no second thoughts about...all this irreversible work. I wasn't really thinking that I'd done anything particularly corrupt, because my style had always been to do what the guitar is telling you to do. But today, I can't say I'm entirely without guilt."--SH Right between the pictures of those guitars is his '60 Jazzmaster, which has been converted to a fretless. __________________ It takes two people to paint a perfect painting: one to paint it, and the other to shoot him when it's done. http://www.myspace.com/travishartnett http://www.myspace.com/sugarcanemutiny http://www.myspace.com/davidbavas

January 27th, 2006, 04:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
kp8 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 2,817	Dude's got a wicked "broadcaster" too... My first intro to blackguard teles (and my first real yearning) came from his 1978 Yes lp (Tormato) ... Some sweet playing on that very wierd record (i LOVED that record), but that was a classic line up and Howe was at the height of his prowess. Is that a tele on "America" (Yesterdays)? It sounds like it. -kp--

January 29th, 2006, 07:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
Unburst Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 185	It is a '55 with a Gibson HB in the neck. The extra switch is phase reverse I believe, definitely out of phase tone on "Sound Chaser" Steve Howe is the reason I play a Tele, his Tele tones are my favourite.