SoulRocker
TDPRI Member
Hello everybody!
I'd like to share my experience with this guitar.
I bought this about three weeks ago from a local shop in Stuttgart. I've played almost every Tele in the shop and this was by far the one that I liked best. While some of the other Teles were great, this one stood out for the mix of spank and fullness. All the bite you want from a Tele but always giving a rounded out tone with some bottom but never muddy, not screechy at all, good taper on the controls, very well set up and a neck shape that I find very pleasing. It is rather full and rounded but with little shoulder on the sides so I can easily use my thumb for e-string fretting.
The neck pickup is wonderful IMO, I can't quite understand all that negative talk about Tele neck pickups being too muddy. I've played Squiers MIJ 80s, Tokais from the 80s and a cheap Korean Cheri I bought in the 90s and played some other Teles, including an original 68, and although they were all pretty different, I liked all of them. But that's just me, btw. I don't need a Tele to sound like a Strat, I have one.
This 51 front pickup is spanky but warm and very sensitive to the attack. I played some "Hendrixy" stuff last rehearsal with a touch of flanger/univibe added and it sounded massive. Very clear but also very "explosive" - can't put it another way - when played with dynamics. And, with ever so slight crunch, it nailed the "Blue Jean Blues" thing perfectly.
The middle setting is everything I want for R&B rhythm but it's also a great solo voice that covers a lot of ground, especially when you experiment with volume and tone controls.
The bridge pickup is nothing like thin or overly bright. You can dial in any kind of spank you want but you'll always have a full tone, like there's something going on under the springy tone that backs it up.
I've played it clean, slightly overdriven and almost high gain with the band at gig level. No matter what setting, the guitar never loses it character. It sustains very well - what I mean by that is not counting the seconds 'till the note is inaudible but how long a note stays powerful in a musical context.
I've never played an original blackguard but I've listened to lots of records of guys using one. And I listened to lots of stuff where you could hear a 60s rosewood Tele. There's a noticeable difference IMO and I think this one does the 50s thing pretty well. Problem is, I like both! Like to have one of these, too!
There were no QC issues with mine, well I've played it in the shop so I should've noticed. I bend a lot and sometimes quite excessively, but the vintage radius is no problem for me. The action was very low without any buzz, so low in fact, that I raised it a bit to get my stubby fingers under the strings for bending.
It's a great guitar, it inspires me, it's comfortable and feels almost indestructible, It's not super light but not heavy in an uncomfortable way, rather like a substantial feel that doesn't get in my way.
I'll gig it this weekend. This will be the crucial test because that's when it all matters.
Cheers everybody and have a rocking good time!
I'd like to share my experience with this guitar.
I bought this about three weeks ago from a local shop in Stuttgart. I've played almost every Tele in the shop and this was by far the one that I liked best. While some of the other Teles were great, this one stood out for the mix of spank and fullness. All the bite you want from a Tele but always giving a rounded out tone with some bottom but never muddy, not screechy at all, good taper on the controls, very well set up and a neck shape that I find very pleasing. It is rather full and rounded but with little shoulder on the sides so I can easily use my thumb for e-string fretting.
The neck pickup is wonderful IMO, I can't quite understand all that negative talk about Tele neck pickups being too muddy. I've played Squiers MIJ 80s, Tokais from the 80s and a cheap Korean Cheri I bought in the 90s and played some other Teles, including an original 68, and although they were all pretty different, I liked all of them. But that's just me, btw. I don't need a Tele to sound like a Strat, I have one.
This 51 front pickup is spanky but warm and very sensitive to the attack. I played some "Hendrixy" stuff last rehearsal with a touch of flanger/univibe added and it sounded massive. Very clear but also very "explosive" - can't put it another way - when played with dynamics. And, with ever so slight crunch, it nailed the "Blue Jean Blues" thing perfectly.
The middle setting is everything I want for R&B rhythm but it's also a great solo voice that covers a lot of ground, especially when you experiment with volume and tone controls.
The bridge pickup is nothing like thin or overly bright. You can dial in any kind of spank you want but you'll always have a full tone, like there's something going on under the springy tone that backs it up.
I've played it clean, slightly overdriven and almost high gain with the band at gig level. No matter what setting, the guitar never loses it character. It sustains very well - what I mean by that is not counting the seconds 'till the note is inaudible but how long a note stays powerful in a musical context.
I've never played an original blackguard but I've listened to lots of records of guys using one. And I listened to lots of stuff where you could hear a 60s rosewood Tele. There's a noticeable difference IMO and I think this one does the 50s thing pretty well. Problem is, I like both! Like to have one of these, too!
There were no QC issues with mine, well I've played it in the shop so I should've noticed. I bend a lot and sometimes quite excessively, but the vintage radius is no problem for me. The action was very low without any buzz, so low in fact, that I raised it a bit to get my stubby fingers under the strings for bending.
It's a great guitar, it inspires me, it's comfortable and feels almost indestructible, It's not super light but not heavy in an uncomfortable way, rather like a substantial feel that doesn't get in my way.
I'll gig it this weekend. This will be the crucial test because that's when it all matters.
Cheers everybody and have a rocking good time!
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