Help a poor SRV fan

I wouldn't say he rarely played in that position at all. He switches all the time. Even through riffs/leads on songs. Hell, within measures he would switch positions. But he did do songs in those in-between positions quite a bit. he's famous for that huge Neck tone. He does however mainly play in neck/bridge. You would be fine with a tele.

Lenny is pretty much all position 4.
Pride and Joy 2 (lead some neck)
Aint Giving up on Love 4
Couldn't Stand the Weather, 4
etc etc...

 

I'd hang on to the telecaster. If you pick up a strat, the first thing you'll notice is that the bridge pickup is weaker and thinner-sounding than those of a telecaster (unless you upgrade them), and you'll be bummed-out.

 

Listening to the crawl sort of confirms what I've always thought about SRV, heavy strings, single coils, and an absolutely brutal attack make up the biggest parts of his tone... The rest of it becomes more of an exercise in chasing subtleties... Which is fine, but maybe less productive at early stages of learning.

I would keep the tele and rather than focusing on tone, learn the more about his STYLE, the phrasing, note/voicing choice and especially his sense of timing. It was his timing that gave much of his playing it's aggressive feel. Changing guitars won't change that.

 

My biggest complaint about a Strat is the thin bridge compared to a Tele. But I often want the Strat neck for blues on my Tele. If Fender had have put a Tele bridge pup in the Strat in 54 they have truly have replaced the Tele.

 

yep, i agree. whatever you begin your playing life with - talking about your first DECENT guitar here, not a dime store dog - is probably always going to be what's right to you. stick with your tele!

 

Well a Tele is not a Strat and if you indeed devote your life to playing music and keep chasing SRV you will need a Strat eventually.

But right now you've got a guitar;

What do you have for an amp??

A good amp is generally more expensive than a good guitar, and a cheap guitar into an expensive amp sounds better than an expensive guitar into a cheap amp.
Extra guitars hurt your sound if you take away from your amp money to buy more guitars.
I'd agree with the suggestion to put a Strat or Twisted Tele neck pickup in your Tele to get the classic Strat neck pup sound, if you just have to have it and are still using a cheap amp.

Since a lot of the SRV thing is his sound, a good amp is massively important.
Then just play and skip the gear chase for a few years!

 

If you're an SRV fan then you're probably already familiar with this site: http://texasbluesalley.com/
Used to be called StevieSnacks.com, as in StevieRay... Anthony is a huge SRV fanatic, and has a lot of material devoted to getting that sound, gear-wise (in addition to all the lessons that are great). If you didn't know of it, you'll like it.

 

There is nothing wrong with a Squier VM.... If it's you first strat it's a great way to try one without sinking in too much money. The VM might be all you ever need in a strat or you may take a huge interest in strats and upgrade over time.

There are pickups specifically designed for this... and I accomplished it (to a certain degree) on my strat with a Texas Special and a tele plate attached to the bottom of it. But it comes with a warning... the #2 position goes for a dump with a thicker sounding bridge pickup. This is why adding a middle pickup to a tele really doesn't produce that sound people are expecting it would. Of course, this is just my opinion... others may feel differently.

 

I'm going to experiment with the plate on mine neck tIME I change strings. I don't use that in between tone often.

 

Squier VM's are great instruments.

You might find this interesting. And timely!

 

Here's the thing: If you play a strat and hit an SRV riff while playing a strat, everyone, EVERYONE will roll their eyes and compare you immediately to SRV or think you are an SRV wannabe, or KWS, or something negative.

Play the same thing with a tele, and I guarantee, GUARANTEE people have a different, less-judgy reaction.

I bought a guitar because of SRV: I bought it immediately after hearing Texas Flood for the first time. I bought a LPB MIM strat, which the MIMs had just come out at that time (that's how long ago it was), and I learned EVERY SRV lick from every album. And when I played, I loved, LOVED that I sounded like SRV (well, close you know). Then over time, it kind of grew tiresome and I wanted a different sound than SRV. SO I bought a tele. And BAM! instantly it sounded sooooo different. I could play the intro from Love Struck Baby on a strat and a tele. On the strat, people think I'm SRV wannabe, on a Tele, people love it and applaud. So I say stick with the Tele, man!

 

My philosophy on the whole deal is that I never try to do anything exactly like the guitarists that I admire. There has to be room for me being me. I don't want to be a tape recorder, I want to interpret my favorite guitarists through my own filter.

For example, I'm a big Johnny Winter fan. I have been since "Second Winter" was a new release (Yeah, I'm old). But you'll never see me with a Gibson Firebird or a Music Man 410. An Erlewine Lazer could happen, but not because Johnny played one. Just because I like 'em.

I cover a few SRV songs, on a Telecaster, with the neck pickup as others have mentioned. Everyone seems to think it sounds great, and yet I'm doing it my way. Well, sort of my way. It seems that others are onto the neck pickup idea, too.

As for Strats, I've owned a few, but I could never really warm up to one. I want to like them, but it just doesn't happen. I'll probably try a few more, but I don't know. Maybe one day I'll find a Strat that I love, or maybe it's just not meant to be.

Anyway, hang onto the Telecaster. Nothing beats a Telecaster for doing about anything. Go listen to some Albert Collins.

 

I had a strat just to sound like SRV, John Mayer, etc. I sounded close, and it feels great to sound and have a strat to play with when I'm playing their tunes. but eventually, the strat became a one trick pony. I can only play it if Im playing those kinds of music or in the mood to play in the same playing style, while I pick up my tele 99% of the time. time went by, sold the strat, kept the tele, and still play SRV, John Mayer, etc. on my tele. feels good, sounds good.

But I understand the feeling of getting the guitar like your guitar heroes are using. I bought a Gretsch full hollow body because of that. nothing beats it. even if you're in the outskirts of SRV tone city, it will still sound like "SRV" in your head. probably because of the feel and the emotional attachment of the guitar to you. if you can afford it, go and buy it, but Id wait and save for something really close to what they're using, like a Squier CV60's strat. if that's all I can afford, I'll save for it.

 

So many cowboy avatars in this thread.

Play your tele, save up for a decent strat.

 

We're actually a subculture of the Telecaster cult.

There is one difference between my cowboy avatar and the others, though. Mine is actually a picture of me, not just a cowboy picture.

 

All i can add to all these great comments. Ser_Bob, just try them both and choose the one YOU like the most. When a guitar sounds good to you, the price doesn't matter. Pick the one you feel comfortable with and let the good times roll

 

The Yamaha will be a better choice if you can negotiate the price closer to $100.
If not, what are the Squier Bullets and Affinities on your local used market? If you watch for the Indonesian-built ones you can get a solid-built guitar and if given choices get a cosmetically beat up one for a better price (SRV's Strat was pretty well worn as I remember).
Or check out the Rondo or Thommen guitars.
Find a local guy to check the frets and level/crown/polish if needed and that will transform the playability of even the least expensive guitar. It is amazing how much of an improvement this can do for a guitar.

Or as the others are suggesting, mod your Telecaster by putting in a Strat neck pickup which will go in with less work than a middle pickup unless your Tele is already cut for it.

 

Good Advice on the Yamaha or Rondo.

 

Try using using 12 gauge strings, adjust your pickups high, adjust your amp settings.

Also +1 for the Rondo recommendations. They are great guitars, just make sure you get a good neck + body. You can always swap the pickups out in the future.

 

This is really good advice. You need those fat strings.