Do I still need a tele?

[AustinPaul]

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I cannot possibly fathom asking relative strangers such a question. Then again, unless it was just generally BS'ing with friends, I still wouldn't seek their advice on the need to own a Tele.

BUT, I'll say this - the new shiny object will always get more or all of the attention, in the beginning. Over time, things tend to level out. Sure, new pickups might make it pop for you. Maybe just removing the strings, giving it a good cleaning and polish, including a fret polish, and a fresh set of strings - maybe even a new gauge or a hybrid set.

 

[Gary in Boston]

If You Sell It You'll Be Sorry Because Teles are Forever And Those Other Guitars You Mentioned Are A Passing Fad.

 

[ChicknPickn]

Well. I think every player needs a Standard Telecaster. To start with.

 

[Justwilliam]

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I cannot possibly fathom asking relative strangers such a question. Then again, unless it was just generally BS'ing with friends, I still wouldn't seek their advice on the need to own a Tele.

BUT, I'll say this - the new shiny object will always get more or all of the attention, in the beginning. Over time, things tend to level out. Sure, new pickups might make it pop for you. Maybe just removing the strings, giving it a good cleaning and polish, including a fret polish, and a fresh set of strings - maybe even a new gauge or a hybrid set.

You’re completely right of course.

Also it is similar to walking into Pizza Hut and asking “should I stop eating pizza”.

I’m not going to make a decision based solely on the advice here. Also my initial question was probably poorly worded. But some of the comments have been useful, and it has made me pause before selling it.

 

[burntfrijoles]

I don’t think “need“ enters the picture if you don’t “want” a Tele. Almost any guitar will get the job done.

 

[T Prior]

Tele's are like any other guitar that we may decide to purchase. When we pick it up , if it doesn't sing a love song to you , put it back down and move on. Someone else could pick up that exact same guitar and it will sing THEM a love song. Not every Tele connects with every player and not every player connects with every Tele. Many players do not connect with ANY Tele.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I'll be needing one......

so long as I still have a pulse. After that, not so much.

 

[kbold]

American Standards are 'meh' ..... time to get rid of it.

I'll forward you my mailing address.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

I have an SG, but I prefer my Esquire.
I have a 335, but I prefer my Avatar Tele.
I have a Strat, but prefer both the Tele & Esquire.
I have a Tele Thinline build in progress, and suspect I will prefer it over the SG, 335, & Strat.
Everyone has their own preference, mine preferences just happen to revolve around a Tele. So my vote is keep your Tele. It is easier to have a closet queen than paying to replace it later.

 

[SampsonRustic]

Life is too short to hold on to guitars that you don’t play or aren’t collectible. Sell it without rushing, get your moneys worth, ask the buyer to give you first right to buy if they sell it someday. Buy something else, rinse and repeat until you’ve got your dream quiver. And yes you need a telecaster.

 

[Peter Graham]

So… I played it for two hours this morning. You’re all right of course. Spent ages playing the middle position in particular.

It’s probably impatient GAS that’s making me look to move it on. The list is too long: Heritage, Fiore, Rick Turner, Godin Radium (it just looks cool)

I may still keep it. So thanks all for the advice

In Arthurian literature, there is a chap called King Pellinore who devotes his entire life to hunting down the Questing Beast. If he had been a member here, he'd have been endlessly chasing the Questing Tone.

If your hobby is collecting guitars, then GAS isn't really a problem. It's what will drive the desire to grow a collection.

If your hobby is playing guitar, GAS might well become a distraction. The perfect guitar or the perfect rig probably doesn't exist, so there probably isn't much to be gained by embarking on an endless quest to find it. You might be better off giving yourself time to properly understand whatever guitar you currently have. If you do that, you might find that you have had 'the one' all along

For 34 years, I just had the one electric guitar - a 1988 strat. It's a lovely guitar, but although I liked the noise it makes, it slowly became apparent that I didn't like the Kahler tremolo system. Just too fussy and overcomplicated for my tastes. So, in 2021, I bought a second guitar - my telecaster. It's everything I ever wanted in a guitar, but it took me years of playing the strat to work out what it was I really wanted, which is stripped down simplicity.

In my younger days it was lack of money rather than patience that prevented me from hunting 'the one'. But had I had the gelt, chances are I'd have bought Les Pauls, Firebirds and Jazzmasters. I wouldn't even have considered a telecaster because they are for country musicians and that's not my thing. Smelly rockers use humbuckers. Pallid indie kids play offsets. So one of them had to be the answer, no? Well, no. All would doubtless have been fine instruments, but none would have really dealt with my strat 'problem'. It took 34 years to work out that it was the telecaster that solved everything for me.

It might well not work for you the same way, but rather than scratching the GAS itch, give yourself lots of time and space to work out what it is you want from your ideal guitar. Let other people hunt the Questing Beast whilst you get on with attending tourneys, rescuing people from enchanted castles and trying to avoid the bubonic plague

 

[Justwilliam]

In Arthurian literature, there is a chap called King Pellinore who devotes his entire life to hunting down the Questing Beast. If he had been a member here, he'd have been endlessly chasing the Questing Tone.

If your hobby is collecting guitars, then GAS isn't really a problem. It's what will drive the desire to grow a collection.

If your hobby is playing guitar, GAS might well become a distraction. The perfect guitar or the perfect rig probably doesn't exist, so there probably isn't much to be gained by embarking on an endless quest to find it. You might be better off giving yourself time to properly understand whatever guitar you currently have. If you do that, you might find that you have had 'the one' all along

For 34 years, I just had the one electric guitar - a 1988 strat. It's a lovely guitar, but although I liked the noise it makes, it slowly became apparent that I didn't like the Kahler tremolo system. Just too fussy and overcomplicated for my tastes. So, in 2021, I bought a second guitar - my telecaster. It's everything I ever wanted in a guitar, but it took me years of playing the strat to work out what it was I really wanted, which is stripped down simplicity.

In my younger days it was lack of money rather than patience that prevented me from hunting 'the one'. But had I had the gelt, chances are I'd have bought Les Pauls, Firebirds and Jazzmasters. I wouldn't even have considered a telecaster because they are for country musicians and that's not my thing. Smelly rockers use humbuckers. Pallid indie kids play offsets. So one of them had to be the answer, no? Well, no. All would doubtless have been fine instruments, but none would have really dealt with my strat 'problem'. It took 34 years to work out that it was the telecaster that solved everything for me.

It might well not work for you the same way, but rather than scratching the GAS itch, give yourself lots of time and space to work out what it is you want from your ideal guitar. Let other people hunt the Questing Beast whilst you get on with attending tourneys, rescuing people from enchanted castles and trying to avoid the bubonic plague

Great response- thank you!

 

[ChicknPickn]

It's like what my dentist told me when I asked if I needed to floss between all my teeth.

He said no - - only the ones I wanted to keep.

Keep the Tele only if you need a real solidbody.

 

[Justwilliam]

It's like what my dentist told me when I asked if I needed to floss between all my teeth.

He said no - - only the ones I wanted to keep.

Keep the Tele only if you need a real solidbody.

Thanks! Since my original post I have restrung it and been playing it a lot more. And remember mostly why I bought it in the first place.

There are still things that I’d love to ‘fix’- eg, the tone could be a little warmer… Maybe it’s the maple neck, maybe it’s the pickups. But I suppose that’s the difference between an American Standard and something like the Suhr Classic T at twice the price…

I may hold onto it for a little while

 

[ChicknPickn]

Thanks! Since my original post I have restrung it and been playing it a lot more. And remember mostly why I bought it in the first place.

There are still things that I’d love to ‘fix’- eg, the tone could be a little warmer… Maybe it’s the maple neck, maybe it’s the pickups. But I suppose that’s the difference between an American Standard and something like the Suhr Classic T at twice the price…

I may hold onto it for a little while

Want to try something that can really mellow out your Tele - - but still sizzle, AND be hum-free, impossible though that might sound?

I have these in several Teles. I believe the Lawrences have a holiday sale going on now.

Noisefree Series #2- L280/L290

Wilde Bill Lawrence Noise-free Series The L280 series for Strat and Tele was launched in 1995. It has been almost 25 years and is still one of the best noise-free pickups on the market because of its versatility and innovation to what it can bring. The L290 series was launched two years later in...

www.wildepickups.com

 

[Peegoo]

The Telecaster is a great guitar. Why should everybody else in the world have one and you don't? You've worked hard, you've saved your money, and you've earned the right to have any guitar you want. You deserve a Telecaster.

 

[Doctorx33]

Don’t sell it. I don’t even like telecasters. When I joined TDPRI I had no Tele’s. Now I have three, and love them all.

 

[ReverendRevolver]

Thanks! Since my original post I have restrung it and been playing it a lot more. And remember mostly why I bought it in the first place.

There are still things that I’d love to ‘fix’- eg, the tone could be a little warmer… Maybe it’s the maple neck, maybe it’s the pickups. But I suppose that’s the difference between an American Standard and something like the Suhr Classic T at twice the price…

I may hold onto it for a little while

If you like the feel of the guitar, but not the sound, pickups, a 4 way switch, and treble bleed mods are all viable options.

I mean, after you've played with the pickup heights.

My first tele was (is) a mim standard. It was my backup gigging guitar for years. The neck pickup has always been incredibly bland, I can honestly only get a useable sound from the neck pickup alone plugged into my 5e5, nothing else makes it sound even OK. The texture of the barely finished neck, and the great bridge pickup kept it around.

My second tele is my '89 US standard. I swapped the pickgaurd, raised the pickups. It does exactly what I need it to, and plays really easy.

But my wrist has been getting fatigued fast since I've returned to being in a band.
I'm 5'3", and my old gigging guitar was a LP scale fender. It doesn't work for the style of music I'm doing.

So, Fender Japan put out Telecaster Juniors. I ordered one from a Japanese ebay seller. I bought pickgaurd material, pots, and bridge/saddles from a nearby parts shop. I ordered a TV Jones for the neck and a Bootstrap for the bridge.
I've put more effort and money into it than my other guitars, and still have a bit to figure out regarding the highs on the bridge pickup, but I've got a guitar that sounds good, plays really good, looks good, and I'm the only one with something exactly like it (I mean, I had to cut/file a whole pickgaurd....).

From what you have, the tele needs to do something the other don't. That doesn't mean you have to be into that specific thing, but if you like the feel of that tele, keep it.
You can make it different sounding, but still versatile if you want. You can add a Bigsby if you want.
Because it's a tele, and you can do all sorts of things with them. A hot bridge pickup, a low wind p90 in the neck, a 4way switch, and a Bigsby and it won't sound like any normal tele. But it'll still feel decent to play.

Now,

Let's talk about amps.....

 

[deepintheblues]

I was looking at a Dusenberg TV Phonic. At almost £3K my wife says I can look but don’t touch. So I’ll stick with my MIM Tele.

Put it away for a bit, and pick it up in month or so, see if it puts a smile on your face. If it does/doesn’t then reevaluate.

 

[AustinPaul]

You’re completely right of course.

Also it is similar to walking into Pizza Hut and asking “should I stop eating pizza”.

I’m not going to make a decision based solely on the advice here. Also my initial question was probably poorly worded. But some of the comments have been useful, and it has made me pause before selling it.

Good luck with your decision brother.