I prefer an "inferior" Telecaster

[BrettFuzz]

Not pretending I am good enough to tell the difference between a vintage Tele and a reissue. Or a difference between a "this US re-issue" and a "that US re-issue" and a "this or that MIM issue"... not at all. Not even close. Nor do I care, honestly.


What I am talking about is this - I have Teles that, spec-wise, should kick the living daylight out of my favorite Tele, I mean... no contest. And even when I play them I realize and clearly hear things like "yep, that pickup is more clear than the other one", "wow, the neck pickup is so much more articulate", "the bridge pickup is fire, just the way I like it!", "this neck shape is killer!!!", "OMG that rosewood fretboard!!", etc... However, my favorite Tele and... ok, going out on a limb here... potentially my favorite guitar overall is a... gasp!!!... what???? A lowly Classic Vibe Squier '60s Custom Tele!!!??? Yep!!!
Something about that Tele, when I pick it up, makes me feel like it's my baby and I need to love and protect it... and yes, I have taken my meds today. Somehow its "inferiority" to my other Teles makes me care for it more... and I am not only talking about its physical presence, it's about the character, even if imperfect!!! The tone I get out of it is technically inferior to the tone I get from my other "better" Teles but, for some reason, I like the faulty, inferior tone of it more... in my mind it has more character (fight?) than the other more "perfect" Teles. Idk, honestly, I am probably going crazy like the rest of you Tele guys on here already are (way to derail your own thread, right) but... anyone can explain what the heck that is all about!!!???

 

[Boreas]

It is the individual instrument that counts - not the headstock decal.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Sometimes the stars just align.

I have bodies or necks or whole guitars that just seem to have “it”. They’re made from organic materials, and I have found once in a while I am drawn to a particular guitar over its twins. Sometimes you just bond.

I have had a couple CV ‘60s Teles, and after a little work they were great guitars. A little on the heavy side (pushing 9lbs) and I ultimately preferred other ‘60s re-issues, but I did enjoy playing them.

 

[peteycaster]

Same here. One of my faves is a kit body, hondo strat neck, humbucker from a 335 copy, neck pick up from the kit and a four way switch mod. Plays and sounds great and I have a bout 30 gtrs either bought or made.

Disclaimer. My MIM Classic series probably has better sounding pick ups though.

 

[msalama]

Nothing wrong with that, we all prefer what works for us. A case in point is my MIM Vintera '50s Fiesta Red Telecaster - 600 yoyos secondhand, yet in pristine condition with no fret wear whatsoever, and it plays every bit as good as any high end guitar I've ever tried or owned. Yup, some axes are indeed cheap and good, Squiers included!

 

[Holy smokes]

It is a strange thing isn’t it. We all know it but nobody can adequately explain it. Like music itself.

 

[Highway 49]

Yes, providing you have a comfortable (for you) neck, decent pickups, and a good setup, you should be able to get a good Tele for not a lot of money.
The expensive Fenders are cool too, with their particular features, but I don’t think that necessarily makes the more expensive guitar, more loveable or reachable for.
I’m happy kicking around at the MIM Classic Series level… although those American Vintage II 61 Strats… they do look quite nice… nitro finish and clay dot inlays, whatever they are…

 

[Tele-friend]

Good guitar is a good guitar.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

"...that pickup is more clear than the other one...the neck pickup is so much more articulate"...Somehow its "inferiority" to my other Teles... ...imperfect!!! The tone I get out of it is technically inferior to...other "better" Teles...the faulty, inferior tone...

Hi.

I'm inclined to (politely) argue that your metrics may be faulty or skewed. In a subjective area, conventional folk wisdom is just that, folk tales. If you prefer one thing over another, then the preferred one is in fact the good thing. Regardless of what others may argue.

Incidentally, Jack White used to argue that he liked guitars that played bad, because they fought back and challenged him to achieve things. He liked to overcome the impediments.* I get his take, but might argue here too, that contextually, he's in fact experiencing a 'good' and not a 'bad.'

Pax/
Dean
* but not sure, now that he has signature models (entire 'collections' in fact), if he still holds to this view

 

[hawk620]

I've had/have two of them I've modified to the hilt but even stock they were great guitars. I just preferred different necks and pickups is all.

Those original MIC CVC models and the CV Basses are among the best imports Fender has ever produced. I sold the sunburst model awhile ago but I'd love to pick up another of those early CVC and upgrade it again.

 

[toanhunter]

I ignore labels and just go off feel, for example I tried out about 20 telecasters in my local shop and basically it left one,

the one I liked the most was a mexican one, it was just the perfect weight, feel everything, less than £1000, sometimes it's just the setup as well.

 

[sammy1974]

Something about that Tele, when I pick it up, makes me feel like it's my baby and I need to love and protect it... and yes, I have taken my meds today. Somehow its "inferiority" to my other Teles makes me care for it more... and I am not only talking about its physical presence, it's about the character, even if imperfect!!! The tone I get out of it is technically inferior to the tone I get from my other "better" Teles but, for some reason, I like the faulty, inferior tone of it more... in my mind it has more character (fight?) than the other more "perfect" Teles.

You have a soft spot in your heart for the runt of the litter.
If it works it works, enjoy!

 

[drmordo]

Some guitars are just better than they should be. It's a weird and magical thing.

 

[Call Me Al]

Yup. Not too long ago I got a Player Strat thinking it would replace my Squier. But I just couldn’t bond with it. Sold it, still playing the Squier. Sometimes I think it’s just a matter of what we grow accustomed to, and nothing else can ever replace that bond we build with a particular instrument.

 

[Greenstreet]

It is the individual instrument that counts - not the headstock decal.

Well said.

 

[ChXpensiveVintage]

All about aural/tactile familiarity vs expectational preference.

Those who got sold on spec should have gone to Specsavers… or summat.

 

[misterdontmove]

Not pretending I am good enough to tell the difference between a vintage Tele and a reissue. Or a difference between a "this US re-issue" and a "that US re-issue" and a "this or that MIM issue"... not at all. Not even close. Nor do I care, honestly.


What I am talking about is this - I have Teles that, spec-wise, should kick the living daylight out of my favorite Tele, I mean... no contest. And even when I play them I realize and clearly hear things like "yep, that pickup is more clear than the other one", "wow, the neck pickup is so much more articulate", "the bridge pickup is fire, just the way I like it!", "this neck shape is killer!!!", "OMG that rosewood fretboard!!", etc... However, my favorite Tele and... ok, going out on a limb here... potentially my favorite guitar overall is a... gasp!!!... what???? A lowly Classic Vibe Squier '60s Custom Tele!!!??? Yep!!!
Something about that Tele, when I pick it up, makes me feel like it's my baby and I need to love and protect it... and yes, I have taken my meds today. Somehow its "inferiority" to my other Teles makes me care for it more... and I am not only talking about its physical presence, it's about the character, even if imperfect!!! The tone I get out of it is technically inferior to the tone I get from my other "better" Teles but, for some reason, I like the faulty, inferior tone of it more... in my mind it has more character (fight?) than the other more "perfect" Teles. Idk, honestly, I am probably going crazy like the rest of you Tele guys on here already are (way to derail your own thread, right) but... anyone can explain what the heck that is all about!!!???

Have you assembled a Partscaster. Talk about personal connection to an instrument. I have 2 of them. The one in my avatar and a Nashville. They are my main, "go to" instruments. I'll never give them up. Disclaimer: I don't have a "superior" Telecaster to compare them to, but the tone and playability is AWESOME.

 

[Jazzy-Will]

Some guitars are just better than they should be. It's a weird and magical thing.

That is so true. I'd never part with my 2015 Mexican 50s Lacquer. It punches way above it's weight.

 

[arlum]

Some guitars are just better than they should be. It's a weird and magical thing.

So true. Twenty five years ago I picked up an Ibanez Gio version of their AR sitting in a window display while I waited on my original transaction to be completed. I was just curious and putting in time. The Gio, (priced at $179.00), had the fastest neck I'd ever played on. The weight, balance etc. were perfect. The pickups were lacking but I could replace them. I added it to the original ticket and walked out with the guitar in hand. A few months later I replaced the pickups with an SD Alinco 2 Pro in the neck and a SD Custom Custom in the bridge along with an under the knob coil split switch. It's 25 years later now. I still own it, play it off and on and would never ever sell it. It sits proudly among my other guitars many of which were purchased for prices exceeding four grand. It's possibly the best $179.00 I've ever spent and certainly the best deal among all of my guitar purchases over the years.

 

[Boreas]

If guitars were made of milled aluminum and had robot-wound pickups, they would be "more similar". But there would still be variation in tone/plyability. Part of this is player expectation and prejudice.

But anything made of wood is at least partially "organic" in the true sense. Each tree has a wide range of wood quality (density, strength, resonance, etc.) with even more differences from tree to tree! And keep in mind, Asian-sourced trees are different than European and North American wood of the same "species". Climate, sunlight, and growing conditions makes the wood what it is, not the mill or factory.

I know little about wood, but any general assumption that wood sourced from the East is inferior to wood sourced from the West would be illogical. It could well be that USA sourced woods are losing tonal quality while Asian sources are improving. This may become even more evident with future climate changes. Growth ring spacing, growth rate, and lignin qualities are all important factors in producing what mere humans perceive as superior tone. Interweb ordering of guitars is partially responsible for placing many inferior instruments into the global "guitar stew" because people don't get a chance to let the instrument speak to them before buying. This may have the long-term effect of dumbing-down of our ears and expectations. And many people buy based on appointments and appearance and not tone. Everyone has different priorities on how to spend their disposable income.