Strange but true

[TelePrince]

I do hope this is a new topic: we all know that Jimmy Page recorded many Led Zeppelin tracks on a Tele when common belief would be that he used his famous Les Paul...so, are there any other artists that are typically known to play other guitar models, that actually recorded tracks in the studio on a Telecaster? The weirder or more surprising the better in a strange but true kind of way...like if Mark Knopfler used a Tele to record Sultans of Swing!

 

[Double Stop]

Jimi used a Tele for his solo on "Purple Haze". He didn't have his Strat at the time because it was being worked on, so he cut the solo with the Tele.

I don't know if the entire track was with a Tele, but definitely the solo was.

 

[brookdalebill]

Howdy and welcome!
Joe Walsh used a Tele on Funk #49, though he is often thought of as a Les Paul guy.

 

[Dukex]

My understanding: Page played a Tele on the first album. Then he switched to a Les Paul, but he did play a Tele on the Stairway to Heaven solo. He did not secretly play a Tele on albums while playing a Les Paul on stage.

 

[Killing Floor]

Mick Ronson recorded with a Tele sometimes. He is also most known for the LP but it was not his only guitar.

 

[jedediahd]

Lowell George liked to put a Tele bridge pickup in his Strats. Live and in studio.

 

[ClashCityTele]

J. (Jazzmaster) Mascis uses a Gibson LP Jr for rhythm & a Tele for lead in the studio.

Johnny Marr recorded most of the Smiths 1st album with a Tele, though he was rarely seen on stage with one.

 

[dlew919]

Brian may played a telecaster for the solo of ‘crazy little thing called love’. I don’t think that’s a secret but I wonder how many know it.

 

[LocoTex]

Howdy and welcome!
Joe Walsh used a Tele on Funk #49, though he is often thought of as a Les Paul guy.

I read a Joe Walsh quote once where he said "Tele in the studio, Les Paul on stage."

 

[AAT65]

Alex Lifeson frequently used a Telecaster in the studio to double parts recorded with other guitars and build a more interesting sound. (Live he used to play a Tele for a few specific songs like New World Man, but he used it much more in the studio.)

 

[Platefire]

Jimmy used a tele on LZ's first album but a large part of the tone was his Supro amp. The Les Paul like tone came
from playing that bright tele through a rather dark sounding amp. You can accomplish the similar sound by running a
tele through a Silvertone 1482 with a slap back delay and a touch of reverb. No I don't work for Sears:>)--besides, their
out of business!

 

[shallbe]

There is a whole lot of Tele tones on the later STP albums. Dean DeLeo is known as a LP guy, but plays a lot of Teles, as well as a LP Special, to get more cutting and clearer tones.

 

[blackbelt308]

Pete Townshend is mostly associated with SG Specials and Les Pauls during the late 60s and 70s. But nearly all of the guitar work on Who's Next and Quadrophenia were recorded using a 1959 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins through a Fender Bandmaster (gifts from Joe Walsh). He almost never played the Gretsch in concert (wouldn't hold tuning).

 

[TeleBluesMan]

Brian may played a telecaster for the solo of ‘crazy little thing called love’. I don’t think that’s a secret but I wonder how many know it.

Here's a clip from SNL. Brian May plays 3 different guitars during the song, including a Telecaster.

 

[dlew919]

Here's a clip from SNL. Brian May plays 3 different guitars during the song, including a Telecaster.

Hadn’t seen that. Thanks for posting.

 

[loudboy]

Howdy and welcome!
Joe Walsh used a Tele on Funk #49, though he is often thought of as a Les Paul guy.

I cut a band demo of that tune, using my '57 > TS-9 > SFPR and it pretty much nailed it.

 

[willietheweirdo]

I love that we can't always be 100% sure if it's a fender or a gibson we're hearing, yet we'll spend years debating the sonic virtues of... like... paint.

 

[Skyhook]

I do hope this is a new topic: we all know that Jimmy Page recorded many Led Zeppelin tracks on a Tele when common belief would be that he used his famous Les Paul...

Yup... all of Led Zeppelin I as well as the solo to Stairway, at least.

so, are there any other artists that are typically known to play other guitar models, that actually recorded tracks in the studio on a Telecaster? The weirder or more surprising the better in a strange but true kind of way...like if Mark Knopfler used a Tele to record Sultans of Swing!

My main example would be Ace Frehley(also known as a Les Paul player):

Here are the interviews:

Ace Frehley: I Have to Be Honest - I Used Fender Guitars on All KISS Records

UG exclusive: 'One of the tricks I used was: I'll record a rhythm track with a Les Paul and I'll double it with a Strat or a Tele.'

www.ultimate-guitar.com

KISS' Ace Frehley Shares Opinion on Fender Strats & Teles, Talk How They Compare to Gibson Les Paul

'When it comes to rhythm guitar tracks, I like to use Les Pauls and Fenders.'

www.ultimate-guitar.com

My next example is Jimi Hendrix(TL;DR - The Purple Haze solo is played on a Telecaster):

Why Jimi Hendrix swapped his Strat for a Fender Telecaster to record his Purple Haze solo

Roger Mayer recalls the seldom-discussed 1967 session at Olympic Studios, which saw the legendary Stratocaster player wield a Tele for his iconic leads

www.guitarworld.com

 

[Fretting out]

Howdy and welcome!
Joe Walsh used a Tele on Funk #49, though he is often thought of as a Les Paul guy.

Joe Walsh playing tele…. Page playing a tele…, page got his les Paul from Joe….

Is there a connection? I don’t know, we’ll yea kind of…

There’s a pretty good video of Joe playing hotel California live in 77 in largo MD, he’s rippin it up on a tele, I’m not sure if it’s still on YouTube though, I’m also not sure what he used in the recording

 

[Fretting out]

Yup... all of Led Zeppelin I as well as the solo to Stairway, at least.


My main example would be Ace Frehley(also known as a Les Paul player):

Here are the interviews:

Ace Frehley: I Have to Be Honest - I Used Fender Guitars on All KISS Records

UG exclusive: 'One of the tricks I used was: I'll record a rhythm track with a Les Paul and I'll double it with a Strat or a Tele.'

www.ultimate-guitar.com

KISS' Ace Frehley Shares Opinion on Fender Strats & Teles, Talk How They Compare to Gibson Les Paul

'When it comes to rhythm guitar tracks, I like to use Les Pauls and Fenders.'

www.ultimate-guitar.com

My next example is Jimi Hendrix(TL;DR - The Purple Haze solo is played on a Telecaster):

Why Jimi Hendrix swapped his Strat for a Fender Telecaster to record his Purple Haze solo

Roger Mayer recalls the seldom-discussed 1967 session at Olympic Studios, which saw the legendary Stratocaster player wield a Tele for his iconic leads

www.guitarworld.com

Good one! Ace! Didn’t even think about him

He used a ovation breadwinner on the first kiss album