I'm confused by a couple of the posts below...

J_Gordon · April 15th, 2003, 08:57 AM

...I'm thinking of getting a back-up Tele. I have a gold sparkle Custom Shop Tele with a Little '59 Duncan I installed in the bridge. It sounds great.

I want a backup Tele with a similar sound but not at the same cost. So I was thinking about the MIM Std Tele's, MIM Classic Tele's, or MIA Tele's. I had a Nashville Deluxe Tele but traded it for an Epiphone Joe Pass jazz box that I do love. I wish I didn't have to trade the Nashville away for the Joe Pass but I couldn't afford to keep both at the time.

Anyhow...Spyder's "entry level" comment about MIM Std Tele's got me thinking. I'm not a pro player but I feel that I'm not an entry level one either. The sound I'm after & the feel of the guitar are the important points for me. I guess I'm just wondering what eveyone thinks...in comparison to my CS Tele w/the Lil '59, would I be wasting my time and money by getting a MIM Std Tele and installing a Lil '59? Or should I buy a "better" quality Tele and put a Lil '59 in to get a similar sound and feel to my CS Tele?

Comments?

gtrjones · April 15th, 2003, 01:36 PM

I would say, let your hands and ears guide you... if it feels good, and it plays good, then it doesn't matter what the label says... my favorite guitars are 'entry-level' guitars w/ some upgraded parts, and I've got a couple of those that I won't ever sell... they just speak to me... if you can find a guitar that speaks to your hands and your ears, then it's a good one...

J_Gordon · April 15th, 2003, 02:12 PM

...I tried out a couple of MIM Std Tele's at lunch today but they didn't "speak" to me. But I agree with ya...I'll be looking for a Tele that sounds & feels right to me, no matter what the label on the headstock says

Abe · April 15th, 2003, 02:25 PM

Do you have the specifics on your current guitar? Woods, neck dimensions, etc?

I have two telecasters. One Ash/Maple, one Alder/Rosewood (well, Pau Ferro). They're not duplicates, but I like the subtle differences between them.

For me at least, I prefer my necks to be similar. I prefer a C shape over a V, and I can't deal with vintage-type 7 1/4" radius, 1 5/8" necks. I like a flatter radius (9 1/2 or more) and at least a 1 11/16" nut width. I know that I prefer vintage 3-saddle bridges over 6-saddle AM STDs.

If you can narrow down what it is you need to feel similar enough to your CS tele, you should be able to get something pretty similar, even if you have to go used to find it (like I did with my Esquire).

Headstock name or country of origin doesn't matter as much to me as the feel of the guitar. YMMV.

Abe Mathews

jimmiboots · April 15th, 2003, 02:57 PM

I had been looking for a strat for years. (I admit to currently being a strat guy

, keep reading...) About a year ago I came some conclusions: 1. Unless I win the lotto, i will probably never own a pre CBS strat, 2. The "custom shop" style guitars I had played didn't do it for me (I even ordered a '62 Reissue reissue strat from Fender in '90 or '91, and since I wanted Daphne Blue, I had to go custom) 3. There are several companies out there making replacement woods and hardware. So for about $750 bucks grand total, I built my own "strat". That $750 included a Brazillian rosewood fingerboard, quatersawn maple neck, 3 1/2 lb. swamp ash body with nitro finish, Fralin pickups, and all Callaham hardware. I had to scour ebay and the rest of the web for deals, but I basicaly got the highest quality parts available and built it myself. I did have the neck drilled and setup professionaly, but did the finish myself with aerosol cans from the Reranch. The finished product is sweeeet. Plays, looks, and sounds better to me than just about anything I've seen in a big music store, and the satisfaction of knowing I brought this beatiful instument to life is something everyone should feel.
I'm currently working on a tele (I just finised spraying some laquer), so I've been lurking around for a while. I'll post some pics when I have them, maybe I'll start documenting the whole process (?). All I'm saying is: If you even have an incling of a desire to build a guitar, don't be afraid. The quality of products out there these days is incredible, and any and all headaches aquired thriugh the building process will all be worth it. (Well maybe not if they're really bad migrane style headaches....)

Dacious · April 15th, 2003, 07:24 PM

Just get a Classic 50's or 60's MIM series. You probably won't even need to change the pickup. Unless your Tele has modern radius 'board.

bek · April 16th, 2003, 11:09 AM

A vastly underappreciated (and very hard to find) Tele clone is the US-made Washburn Laredo. One shows up on ebay now and then (I got mine there), and they are flatout incredible. Since they are largely unknown and unpopular they are usually not that expensive. Definitely worth searching for.

davidmenke · April 16th, 2003, 11:54 AM

As stated above... have time??? Build your own.
Building it, you probably will keep it for life , and best of all you can choose neck hardware ,pickups , and wood.
You can make a replicate of a52' with the Duncan you like and a neck to your liking....
I am on my 2nd.

PhatBoy · April 16th, 2003, 12:08 PM

own, necessarily. There are those who are quick to say that and I believed them. WELL, it AIN'T for the faint-hearted or the cost concious. You can get what you want,m but if off the shelf is ok, then ok.

That said, the MIM's, MIJ, etc. etc are great guitars! I've bought MOST of my current electric guitars/basses (8) off of eBAY (sight unseen) and have yet to be disappointed. I knew what I wanted when I bought them.

You can very easily buy a MI? as an additonal guitar and be happy with or without mods.

MY $0.02

PB

TequilaCaster · April 16th, 2003, 12:34 PM

F_Gordon, did you see spyder's 'reconsideration of a MIM Standard Tele' (eating crow) thread?

http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=1667

It takes a big arachnid to keep an open mind. Don't be afraid to do the same.

As another forum member put it, and I'm paraphrasing, the MIA's are just 'slick' MIM's. Both are quality instruments.

davidmenke · April 16th, 2003, 12:47 PM

yes for a secong guitar you can buy a new MIM standar for 299 ....
But building your own for the "not so lazy" weekend project will yield you a guitar , that maybe your #1 favorite..
Time and sweat , do have their profits.
And best of all, get whatever bridge , pickups ,color , neck size, body weight and frets , neck width to your preference... you can probably have it identical to your other tele... HEY "TWINS"

Darrell · April 16th, 2003, 03:48 PM

Abe took the words right out of my mouth.

April 15th, 2003, 08:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
J_Gordon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 101	I'm confused by a couple of the posts below... ...I'm thinking of getting a back-up Tele. I have a gold sparkle Custom Shop Tele with a Little '59 Duncan I installed in the bridge. It sounds great. I want a backup Tele with a similar sound but not at the same cost. So I was thinking about the MIM Std Tele's, MIM Classic Tele's, or MIA Tele's. I had a Nashville Deluxe Tele but traded it for an Epiphone Joe Pass jazz box that I do love. I wish I didn't have to trade the Nashville away for the Joe Pass but I couldn't afford to keep both at the time. Anyhow...Spyder's "entry level" comment about MIM Std Tele's got me thinking. I'm not a pro player but I feel that I'm not an entry level one either. The sound I'm after & the feel of the guitar are the important points for me. I guess I'm just wondering what eveyone thinks...in comparison to my CS Tele w/the Lil '59, would I be wasting my time and money by getting a MIM Std Tele and installing a Lil '59? Or should I buy a "better" quality Tele and put a Lil '59 in to get a similar sound and feel to my CS Tele? Comments?

April 15th, 2003, 01:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
gtrjones Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TX y'all Posts: 800	I would say, let your hands and ears guide you... if it feels good, and it plays good, then it doesn't matter what the label says... my favorite guitars are 'entry-level' guitars w/ some upgraded parts, and I've got a couple of those that I won't ever sell... they just speak to me... if you can find a guitar that speaks to your hands and your ears, then it's a good one... __________________ www.myspace.com/treystapletonband We Love ya, Gaff! www.helpgaff.com

April 15th, 2003, 02:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
J_Gordon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 101	gtrjones, you're right... ...I tried out a couple of MIM Std Tele's at lunch today but they didn't "speak" to me. But I agree with ya...I'll be looking for a Tele that sounds & feels right to me, no matter what the label on the headstock says

April 15th, 2003, 02:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
Abe Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 236	Do you have the specifics on your current guitar? Woods, neck dimensions, etc? I have two telecasters. One Ash/Maple, one Alder/Rosewood (well, Pau Ferro). They're not duplicates, but I like the subtle differences between them. For me at least, I prefer my necks to be similar. I prefer a C shape over a V, and I can't deal with vintage-type 7 1/4" radius, 1 5/8" necks. I like a flatter radius (9 1/2 or more) and at least a 1 11/16" nut width. I know that I prefer vintage 3-saddle bridges over 6-saddle AM STDs. If you can narrow down what it is you need to feel similar enough to your CS tele, you should be able to get something pretty similar, even if you have to go used to find it (like I did with my Esquire). Headstock name or country of origin doesn't matter as much to me as the feel of the guitar. YMMV. Abe Mathews __________________ Member-in-exile, The non-Cult of the Hamer Tele Creator of the TeleFAQ

April 15th, 2003, 02:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
jimmiboots Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Jacksnoville/RIVERSIDE Posts: 361	Build your own! I had been looking for a strat for years. (I admit to currently being a strat guy , keep reading...) About a year ago I came some conclusions: 1. Unless I win the lotto, i will probably never own a pre CBS strat, 2. The "custom shop" style guitars I had played didn't do it for me (I even ordered a '62 Reissue reissue strat from Fender in '90 or '91, and since I wanted Daphne Blue, I had to go custom) 3. There are several companies out there making replacement woods and hardware. So for about $750 bucks grand total, I built my own "strat". That $750 included a Brazillian rosewood fingerboard, quatersawn maple neck, 3 1/2 lb. swamp ash body with nitro finish, Fralin pickups, and all Callaham hardware. I had to scour ebay and the rest of the web for deals, but I basicaly got the highest quality parts available and built it myself. I did have the neck drilled and setup professionaly, but did the finish myself with aerosol cans from the Reranch. The finished product is sweeeet. Plays, looks, and sounds better to me than just about anything I've seen in a big music store, and the satisfaction of knowing I brought this beatiful instument to life is something everyone should feel. I'm currently working on a tele (I just finised spraying some laquer), so I've been lurking around for a while. I'll post some pics when I have them, maybe I'll start documenting the whole process (?). All I'm saying is: If you even have an incling of a desire to build a guitar, don't be afraid. The quality of products out there these days is incredible, and any and all headaches aquired thriugh the building process will all be worth it. (Well maybe not if they're really bad migrane style headaches....)

April 15th, 2003, 07:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,605 35 Photos	Just get a Classic 50's or 60's MIM series. You probably won't even need to change the pickup. Unless your Tele has modern radius 'board. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!

April 16th, 2003, 11:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
bek Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: California Posts: 537	another Tele choice A vastly underappreciated (and very hard to find) Tele clone is the US-made Washburn Laredo. One shows up on ebay now and then (I got mine there), and they are flatout incredible. Since they are largely unknown and unpopular they are usually not that expensive. Definitely worth searching for.

April 16th, 2003, 11:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
davidmenke Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 232	As stated above... have time??? Build your own. Building it, you probably will keep it for life , and best of all you can choose neck hardware ,pickups , and wood. You can make a replicate of a52' with the Duncan you like and a neck to your liking.... I am on my 2nd. __________________ David Menke davidmenke@comcast.net

April 16th, 2003, 12:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
PhatBoy Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: OKC, OK Posts: 344 3 Photos	Don't build your own, necessarily. There are those who are quick to say that and I believed them. WELL, it AIN'T for the faint-hearted or the cost concious. You can get what you want,m but if off the shelf is ok, then ok. That said, the MIM's, MIJ, etc. etc are great guitars! I've bought MOST of my current electric guitars/basses (8) off of eBAY (sight unseen) and have yet to be disappointed. I knew what I wanted when I bought them. You can very easily buy a MI? as an additonal guitar and be happy with or without mods. MY $0.02 PB

April 16th, 2003, 12:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
TequilaCaster NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 7	F_Gordon, did you see spyder's 'reconsideration of a MIM Standard Tele' (eating crow) thread? http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=1667 It takes a big arachnid to keep an open mind. Don't be afraid to do the same. As another forum member put it, and I'm paraphrasing, the MIA's are just 'slick' MIM's. Both are quality instruments. __________________ The answer is 42.

April 16th, 2003, 12:47 PM	#11 (permalink)
davidmenke Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 232	Build your own "Disagree" yes for a secong guitar you can buy a new MIM standar for 299 .... But building your own for the "not so lazy" weekend project will yield you a guitar , that maybe your #1 favorite.. Time and sweat , do have their profits. And best of all, get whatever bridge , pickups ,color , neck size, body weight and frets , neck width to your preference... you can probably have it identical to your other tele... HEY "TWINS" __________________ David Menke davidmenke@comcast.net

April 16th, 2003, 03:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,424	Abe took... Abe took the words right out of my mouth.