Do I Need a Tele Deluxe?

[Hallski]

A simple question, that I'm sure will have many answers!

A little backstory; I never owned a proper Tele, and when I finally did get one, it was a Nashville Power Telecaster (not proper at all, haha, had the Piezo bridge, etc) and I couldnt get along with it and promptly sold it. Then, I swore off ALL Tele's! A few years have gone by, and I had the Tele itch again as I was watching different players and getting into playing different styles of music myself. So I traded a few guitars and came out with a Road Worn 50's Tele and I loooooooove it! It's changed my whole approach to guitar and what I'm wanting out of an instrument. I feel like myself on the Tele, I'm playing in ways I didn't think I could play. That said, it's inspiring! And of course I want another

That brings in the question. It's only been a short time since I've had the Road Worn, but my other main guitar (a PRS SE Custom 24) isn't doing anything for me anymore. I have a chance to trade this for a 2008 72 RI with Tremolo (pictured). I'm primarily playing worship, and at my core, I identify as a hard rocker style wise. Would adding the Tele with Humbuckers (and essentially losing a solid HB guitar) be an asset, or overkill? What I want in a second guitar is a backup to the main guitar (the Road Worn) but also something different enough tonally to have another option, but still maintain the same vibe.

Thoughts?

 

[AquariumRock]

If you’re just soliciting style opinions— sure. Tele deluxe are awesome. Never liked the dumbo ear headstock, but it beats a PRS in the looks department, imo.

Your two guitars wouldn’t really overlap in anything other than body shape. It’s not like you’re just trading for a standard tele with an HS layout or something. The deluxe is pretty distinct.

 

[tshoe71]

Yes! Then add a Thinline and you've got the Tele family in my mind.

 

[7171551]

Yes! Then add a Thinline and you've got the Tele family in my mind.

Yep... That's what I did

 

[Cosmic Cowboy]

They are very cool. But using a good ole tele and learning to get the sound I want is a very rewarding journey too.

Still my number 1.. and Ive got a bunch of fiddles.

 

[Hallski]

If you’re just soliciting style opinions— sure. Tele deluxe are awesome. Never liked the dumbo ear headstock, but it beats a PRS in the looks department, imo.

Your two guitars wouldn’t really overlap in anything other than body shape. It’s not like you’re just trading for a standard tele with an HS layout or something. The deluxe is pretty distinct.

I actually like the big ol' Strat headstock on a Tele! But it's different for sure. And I was kind of thinking the same thing, that if I added another Tele right now, it would have to be something quite different, which the Deluxe does I think.

 

[middy]

Do it!

 

[Hallski]

Yes! Then add a Thinline and you've got the Tele family in my mind.

Would love a Thinline too! Just took me to many years to realize that the Tele is for me after all.

 

[Hallski]

They are very cool. But using a good ole tele and learning to get the sound I want is a very rewarding journey too.

Still my number 1.. and Ive got a bunch of fiddles.

I love the idea of just going with 1 guitar for everything, and based on what I'm getting out of this Road Worn through my rig, I could very well try to do just that. But, you know, GAS .

 

[hdvades]

Nice road Worn 50s. Just my opinion but...I'll never get the Telecaster Deluxe concept. If you want dual humbuckers w/2ea vol and tone knobs, just get a Gibson LP of some sort. On the other hand, if you don't like the PRS and you like that 72 RI...go for it. Good luck!

 

[Hallski]

Do it!

This post might have been for this comment alone haha. I needed an enabler comment!

 

[Hallski]

Nice road Worn 50s. Just my opinion but...I'll never get the Telecaster Deluxe concept. If you want dual humbuckers w/2ea vol and tone knobs, just get a Gibson LP of some sort. On the other hand, if you don't like the PRS and you like that 72 RI...go for it. Good luck!

Thanks, really liking it! All around its surprising me. Chunkiest neck I've ever played but its feeling very comfortable!

I agree about the HB in a Tele concept, seems slightly off base and might be better served with an LP style, which I am thinking about in terms of a PRS replacement, maybe even a PRS singlecut, but I haven't really found a singlecut I dig (besides the Tele of course). Keeping my options open but wanted to possibly jump on this Deluxe because it does check some boxes for me

 

[middy]

Here’s mine… kind of. It has PAF style pickups and a shorter Gibson scale with medium jumbo 70s Les Paul style frets, so it’s not really a Deluxe, more of a LP in disguise.

I made it with a standard Tele body and a chisel… do NOT look under the pick guard!

 

[Hallski]

Here’s mine… kind of. It has PAF style pickups and a shorter Gibson scale with medium jumbo 70s Les Paul style frets, so it’s not really a Deluxe, more of a LP in disguise.

I made it with a standard Tele body and a chisel… do NOT look under the pick guard!

Nice! I can dig that for sure! I think I like the idea of being able to experiment with HB's in the Deluxe if this deal happens. I dont love the feel of Les Pauls, so a LP disguised as a Tele might be where its at

 

[middy]

Nice! I can dig that for sure! I think I like the idea of being able to experiment with HB's in the Deluxe if this deal happens. I dont love the feel of Les Pauls, so a LP disguised as a Tele might be where its at

Yeah, the wide range humbuckers are a different size than the PAFs, but it’s cheap and easy to swap out the pickguard.

 

[AquariumRock]

Nice road Worn 50s. Just my opinion but...I'll never get the Telecaster Deluxe concept. If you want dual humbuckers w/2ea vol and tone knobs, just get a Gibson LP of some sort. On the other hand, if you don't like the PRS and you like that 72 RI...go for it. Good luck!

SG is probably a closer feel. LPs have a compact curve feel. The SG is the slab of wood offering from Gibson.

There’s not a ton of shared sound between the two. If you’re the kind of person that’s going to pick apart the ways a tele deluxe is only 95% of the way to the Gibson sound, you’re probably already not in the tele deluxe demographic, which I always think of as a punk rock or “whatever, as long as it growls” group. If there’s any iconic tele deluxe usage, it’s probably being put through a rectifier at festival volume, it’s probably Warped tour, and it’s probably 2004 again. And I’m not saying that as a criticism.

But besides that, the scale and neck feel are really different. I see the tele deluxe as the guitar for someone who wants the Gibson layout but the Fender feel. I’ve owned an LP and I’d probably get a tele deluxe before another Gibson or Gibson shape. I’m just in too deep to the shape and fit and finish of Fender style guitars. I’m a terrible fiddler though. The fewer knobs, the better for everyone involved.

In fact now that I say that: Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack played a tele deluxe during their heyday. He had the neck pickup, selector switch, and three of the knobs removed. I think he mentioned it was because he was constantly hitting the knobs on his follow through when strumming. So you had a bridge pickup and a volume knob and that massive blank pickguard. It looked like a guitar with male pattern baldness. That’s a quintessential tele deluxe usage, imo.

 

[Hallski]

I see the tele deluxe as the guitar for someone who wants the Gibson layout but the Fender feel.

I would have to put myself in this camp for sure. I would take an SG over an LP in terms of feel all day. But, I've an LP (Studio) and an SG Standard and didnt really fall in love with either. This Road Worn is the first guitar that I can honestly say has me head over heels, so I think thats factoring into me wanting to grab another Tele so quickly.

 

[Robert H.]

I love Teles with Humbuckers. Especially in the neck slot. But they are not LPs, and that’s a good thing. Especially with the Wide Range PUs. But Hallski - you’re starting down a slippery slope. Once you have more than one Tele, there’s no telling what you’ll want or where you stop. The chains come off. It’s life. Enjoy.

 

[Hallski]

I love Teles with Humbuckers. Especially in the neck slot. But they are not LPs, and that’s a good thing. Especially with the Wide Range PUs. But Hallski - you’re starting down a slippery slope. Once you have more than one Tele, there’s no telling what you’ll want or where you stop. The chains come off. It’s life. Enjoy.

I can feel the chain's loosening and my feet losing traction as I type this!

But I agree, I dont think I want a LP, I want a Tele with humbuckers. That seems to be the distinction in my mind. I of course want to compliment the Road Worn, but I want to try to do with something in the same realm, so yea, Tele Deluxe!

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

My first encounter with a Fender "Deluxe" was a tele that I bought sight-unseen from Washington Music (up in DC) back in 1972. This model ($275) came with the first humbuckers that I've ever seen Fender install, at that time. Since I already had a LPC, I did not appreciate the Fender HB's at all. It also had a faulty 3-way switch, so I sent it back in trade for a more traditional single coil loaded Tele. All that has just left a bad taste, for me, when I see Fender lable something as "Deluxe".
But I did purchase a Deluxe Nashville (MIM) in 2016 and it has proven to be a quality built, versatile guitar.