My Telecaster Story, And why I sold my Strat ...

[Stratoclutter]

Well I'll always remember being mesmorized by David Gilmour jamming along on stage in Toronto with the famous all black Stratocaster.
It was a deal done, I was in and out of Steve's music store with a n AVRI Stratocaster in Black with a Maple neck ...

I was happy with the guitar, it sounded great, had the tone, the feel ... my life was beautiful ...

but as my interest waned from the Floyd and I started doing other stuff I soon realized I was using the guitar less and less, and for what I had paid for it, It was spending alot of time in it's case ...

untill the day I came across a Fender Esquire in a pwn shop ... it wasn't that much and I decided to give it a go ...

I'm selling my Strats, although keeping one under my bed just in case ... but the Esquire has gotten me a tone I can live with day in and day out, something I had problem with when it came ot the Stratocaster...

I am presently custom building an Esquire from varying Ebay parts to have a backup, any of you guys have any suggestions for a pickup with some spunk ?

[cacibi]

I went through almost exactly the same process. Although - I have to admit that I'm using strat neck pickups in my teles now. I think that's the only useable position on that guitar. I went from strat worship inspired by Gilmour, Clapton, Hendrix etc. - to strat loathing. It's weird, I used to LOVE that strat sound - I remember listening to Momentary Lapse of Reason and thinking how amazing the tone was, now I can't hardly stand it. I think Wicked GTR and Hershel Yatovitz are the only two guys I enjoy listening to on the strat anymore! Maybe it's a Strat with Twin = Good, Strat with Marshall = Bad sort of thing.

[city lights]

Generally,i think that strats are more versatile than teles,but strats are not teles and teles are not strats.

Since i got my late 70s tele,i felt my american standard strat was like a toy.Planning to sell it and find a strat that truly 'speaks' to me.I love my tele but cant live without a strat.

[Stratoclutter]

I like Strats too for their versatility ... but I just feel that a GOOD Strat a REALLY EALLY GOOD STRAT is waaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive

for 1000 $ or under I can get a mindblowingly good Tele or do it myself,

[Jellecaster]

A pickup with some spunk? If you are looking for twang I suggest the Duncan Broadcaster... if you're looking for something a little hotter with no hum, I love the Fender Samarium Cobalt... both are great pups.

And welcome to the obsession that is Tele - you'll never be the same!

[Ronkirn]

Me too.... I have always been a Strat guy... wait!! I always WAS a Strat guy.... until late in the 90's when the Tele craze really took off. Wonder why it took so long. . . anyway... I started getting order after order for Teles... and part of my setup regimen is playing the guitar for a few days.... Bingo!! I was hooked.... I started saying what is it with those little simple boat oars.... daymmmmmn... they sound good... even the cruddy ones have a personality... Kinda like a Mongrel Puppy.... how ya gonna NOT like it.

Now,, I have made Strat after Strat trying to get one close.... sorry... Strat looses every time....

Ron Kirn

[esteban]

I think you need to define spunk first... that can have several meanings, depending on who you talk to.

[bglaze]

I am glad you saw the light my brother... I did a similar thing, I started with an expensive Gibson Les Paul, then sold it cause it was to fancy for an American Strat, wasn't really impressed, so I sold it and bought my first tele... A MIA Chrome Red tele with a perfect neck! I play 2-5 hours a day now, even days I work a full 8 hour shift... I play so much that my wife (in order to spend time with me) let me buy her her first tele to teach her how to play.

A gorgeous situation... All thanks to Telecaster.

[shades]

The Telecaster simply is a no-nonsense guitar. No frilly BS to contend with just plenty of vibe waiting to be turned loose. I owned a Strat for a while and then let it go be happy elsewhere, there just was no connection for me with that guitar. Different strokes for different folks I guess...indeed there are lots of very talented Strat players as there are talented Tele players but personally I'll take a Tele anytime. Works for me.



Stratocaster---sorta like a high maintenance beauty princess...she needs constant attention and stroking just to screw with your head.

Telecaster---like a hot redhead wearing tight jeans & tight sweater and heels...no-nonsense, can take care of herself and you know what she wants.

[bglaze]

Originally Posted by shades

Telecaster---like a hot redhead wearing tight jeans & tight sweater and heels...no-nonsense, can take care of herself and you know what she wants.

I can agree with that!

[dibber124]

My recent Tele purchase led to my finally selling off the "best"guitar I kept after quitting playing professionally 20 years ago-a '65 ES-335. The tone and simplicity of the tele made the Gibson sound more and more like a one tone wonder. I had always liked a good strat, my old '64 rosewood was a favorite, but hearing too much of bridge&middle quack through the years made this sound tired. The crispness and overtones of the tele just speak to me, clear and simple.

[esteban]

Originally Posted by Stratoclutter

I am presently custom building an Esquire from varying Ebay parts to have a backup, any of you guys have any suggestions for a pickup with some spunk ?

No offense to any of the above posts, but this guy asked a question haha. I can't really provide any real answer because I have very little experience with pickups... but from what I hear, GFS pickups and the Seymour Duncan pickups are supposed to be really good.

[PJ]

StratoClutter:
I recently put a set of Duncan Alnico II Pros in one of my Teles. And they have tons of tone - nice on all three
settings. Bridge not too offensively bright, but very twangy, neck to die for and middle a nice combo blend.
I like them a lot. Fender puts them in the Lite Ash model, which is where I first heard them. Liked the pickups better than the Lite Ash guitar (not much finish on the neck).

[Hafner]

Oh we have another Strat-versus-Tele-versus-Esquire talk ...

But here my experiences:
I own 4 vintage Telecasters with original pick-ups.
I own also a 69 Esquire, she sounds very well.
BUT: I acquired a 60 Esquire - and this guitar blows me away: her sound is just TERRIFIC, really really the same sound as on the old Yardbirds-LPs - I still cannot believe it.
My Esquire-pickup runs directly through a vintage Vox-AC30.
SHE SOUNDS "BETTER" (subjective) THAN MY TELECASTERS - really.



The mysterium is here:

[Scotland]

I love my Strats as much as I love my Tele's. It's like family, I love my brother as much as my sister. Teles are better than Strats for some songs and vice versa. I will never get rid of any of them...well, unless UPS are involved as they seem to have "lost" one of my Strats

[degsycaster]

I used to love Strats. I was passionate about them. But, the one thing that bugs me about them is the bridge pick-up sound. This, IMHO is where the Tele excells over the Strat. To me, Tele's are like red wine or Guinness - the first time you try them you're not keen, but if you stick at it you soon discover you can't live without them

[Hafner]

Strats - I simply hate them. Perfect guitar for Jingle-jangle-older-people-dancing-hall-silently-playing-afternoon-music - not too loud, otherwise you hear that silly childish tone coming out of them. Sorry Jimi, you should have played a Telecaster for ever. The only problem with Jimi H. and David G. are their Stratocasters.

[davis502]

I like a Seymour Duncan Broadcaster in an Esq. - Jim

[Scotland]

Originally Posted by Hafner

Strats - I simply hate them. Perfect guitar for Jingle-jangle-older-people-dancing-hall-silently-playing-afternoon-music - not too loud, otherwise you hear that silly childish tone coming out of them. Sorry Jimi, you should have played a Telecaster for ever. The only problem with Jimi H. and David G. are their Stratocasters.

That is hilarious, The Arctic Mondays and Iron Maiden playing afternoon music for old people.

[Platefire]

I love my Tele and it has got most of my attention since I got it in Oct 05 but no, I'm not selling my strat or paul. Its been said variety is the spice of life and I have found it's really nice to take a side trip on something a little different. A different guitar or amp will sometimes force you down a different trail and help get you out of some ruts you may be been running in. Then when that is finished, it's time to apply it all to the tele. Platefire

[kb1rcefn]

Funny, isn't it?? I've had an American strat for quite some time, along with a '64 Epiphone Coronet - with orig P-90 pu - and since I've had my HW1 tele, I hardly ever pick the others up - what is it with these things????

[frogger]

I have owned Strat's and Tele's lots of them and all I can say is they either got "it" or they don't. Two different animals for sure so comparing them is difficult. I did recently sell my CS Strat and haven't missed it yet. There are some mighty fine Strat's out there waiting to be found but right now I'm in lust over my nitro *****in, nocaster,swamp ash Tele. As for Strat's and the "old people connection" ........well there is none that I know of. How old is Les Paul?

[Cottage]

I dunno, my 52RI is gradually taking over. My LP is still my main stage guitar, but the tele is all I use to rehearse with and I can see it playing a much larger role at gigs. I'm done experimenting with strats, they're all gone now.

[austintele]

I've always had a toe in the telecaster pool but fell under the SRV spell when he was about. I bought a SRV strat and loved it. Eventually, my love for SRV faded a bit and started loving Jimmie with the thunderbirds more and more. And my love for country music grew as well.

Telecasters to the rescue; sold the SRV and got a relic nocaster

[Hafner]

Originally Posted by Scotland

That is hilarious, The Arctic Mondays and Iron Maiden playing afternoon music for old people.

Never heard of those bands. Afternoon players in dancing halls ? Anyway: they also would sound better with Telecasters

[mattman007]

My conversion story: A G&L "strat" and a L.P. studio had been my main two axes for the last 12+ years. I had never really considered a Tele. The other guitarist in my band bought a used Squire Tele cheap from a co-worker and it sat on a stand in his living room. I picked it up one night waiting for the rest of the band to show and liked the feel. I asked if I could give it a rip during rehearsal. His reply, "No problem, it is just a cheap tele"...(Did I mention, He is a Les-Paul snob?". I plugged in and it just ripped! the tone cut through against his LP... The feel and balance felt great playing up compared to an LP...such simple controls with so much tone variation...Needless to say, I was hooked! I bought it from him that night, got some Frailins and it really rocks! My new "Goto" is my MIM Nashville Tele. who needs anything else?

[onceagriffon]

Wow I am not alone, I tried real real hard to love Strats. I mean LOOK at them they are beautiful. I looked at a Tele, naw look at that small headstock and funny little neck pickup...country only for sure. Well I went through about 6 Strats before I settled on a 60s Classic. I put in a set of 57/62s (after much experimenting) and away I went.....I tweaked this blocked un-blocked.. and away I went. I shielded, wired did cap mods....tried strings picks and stompboxes and......well you know. Then one day I had some cash from a sale of some stuff and went to look at guitars. This dusty kinda beat MIM standard on a wall in GC said "Hey Play ME jackass". Sold my Strat. I still love the way they sound, but they aren't for me! I still toy a bit, MIM standards are so easy to upgrade, but unlike the Strat that never quite "felt" right my Tele feels good. I got my Strat to sound amazingly nice, but it never "felt" good to play. Teles now, I just so dig how a Tele middle position sounds, and the bridge and after bypassing the tone pot on the neck position man, I think teles are just as versatile as Strats. Edited to Add: And besides I feel like my Tele could get run over by a truck and still be in tune!
Rob