50s Tele tone vs. 60s Tele tone?

[OutlawSteph1975]

How would you compare and contrast a typical 50s tone to a typical 60s tone?

Since most of us have experience only with reissues, it complicates the issue even more factoring in 'did they get it right'. I've been playing along with my Don Rich cd using my 60s Classic and it sounds right tone-wise. I have to tame the treble a bit. (I might put in brass saddles.)

Comparing the 60s Classic to my 70s Teles, the 60s tone is much more resonate and it affect how it twangs. So, were the 50s originals even more resonanate than the 60s? The 70s tone is more beefy and distorts sooner.

The more Tele tones.. the better.

[Mark Davis]

Your 60's Classic probably sounds better than the 70's Teles would be my guess.

Always keep this in mind. Ir doesnt have to be vintage to sound great. It doesnt even have to be expensive to sound good.

A good guitar sounds good no matter where its made or how much it cost.

A 50's Tele doesnt automaticly mean it sounds good just because of its age.

Your 60's Classic could sound better than alot of 50's Vintage Fenders.

They made dogs in the 50's just like they make dogs today. Some turn out fantastic others just ok others are dogs. This can happen on any guitar @ any price.

[Geo]

I honestly don't think originals vs reissues vs '70s, '80s or later
are a big factor getting those sounds. Granted there are some duds.

What you got there is very good.

[pbenn]

There's more than one variable. Brass bridges pre '55 vs. steel after. Maple necks pre '59 or so versus rosewood. Different winds on the pickups. And different amps -- all Teles recorded in the 50's were through Tweeds; as studios and players invested in gear in the 60's, they bought Blackfaces. Check early Cropper versus late (6L6) Cropper for a good example of this. This is a very interesting question.

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by pbenn

There's more than one variable. Brass bridges pre '55 vs. steel after. Maple necks pre '59 or so versus rosewood. Different winds on the pickups. And different amps -- all Teles recorded in the 50's were through Tweeds; as studios and players invested in gear in the 60's, they bought Blackfaces. Check early Cropper versus late (6L6) Cropper for a good example of this. This is a very interesting question.

You cant hear any of this on a recording.

If so you should be able to easily tell steel saddle Teles apart from brass just by the recording.

The player makes the guitar sound the way it does more than the guitar itself.

Cropper is always gonna sound like himself if I took his Tele and played it thru his rig I wouldnt sound like him at all I would sound like me.

[OutlawSteph1975]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

Your 60's Classic probably sounds better than the 70's Teles would be my guess.

Different.. I put a Duncan Jerry Donahue bridge pickup in the 70s reissue and got a big fat twang that I love, and that pup was based on Jerry's '52 blackguard and was supposed to be great for a resonant Tele. The 70s reissue is more resonant than my '76 which feels more Gibson-ish compared to the Classic Series models that I have.

[gtech]

Pickups in the '60s were hotter than the pickups in the '50s it seems.

I think that it can make a difference for the same type of player.

An example of this is Brad Paisley a Crook Paisley VS a Fender Paisley. He doesn't sound the same.

Gilles

[zombywoof]

Problem is, it is hard to tell how much of the tone of a 40 or 50 year old guitar is the product of design as opposed to age (magnets losing power or whatever).

What I do know is the bridge pup on my '58 put out more midrange than later guitars. Whether this was characteristic of all or just the attributes of this guitar I do not have a clue.

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Problem is, it is hard to tell how much of the tone of a 40 or 50 year old guitar is the product of design as opposed to age (magnets losing power or whatever).

What I do know is the bridge pup on my '58 put out more midrange than later guitars. Whether this was characteristic of all or just the attributes of this guitar I do not have a clue.

58-59 Teles have a great midrange boosted sound. Jimmy Pages and Jesse Ed Davis both had that sound.

[David Barnett]

Originally Posted by pbenn

There's more than one variable. Brass bridges pre '55 vs. steel after. Maple necks pre '59 or so versus rosewood. Different winds on the pickups. And different amps -- all Teles recorded in the 50's were through Tweeds; as studios and players invested in gear in the 60's, they bought Blackfaces. Check early Cropper versus late (6L6) Cropper for a good example of this. This is a very interesting question.

And 250K vs 1M pots...

[Dacious]

Pickups winds (less in 60's for lower DC resistance) staggered magnets, 1 meg pots, modern (post-'66) wiring all would cause differences. Then factor in amps. Plus for a while in the 60's Fender produced slimmer profiile necks and went to steel threaded saddles which definitely produce a different tone to brass. Plus the alder vs ash bodies on many.

60's from '66-on would sound far more like 70's than 50's. And sorry, those 70's pickups are nicer than reissues IMO, even with a baseplate like my Thinline's bridge has - both clearer and more nicely compressed breakup.