Thinline vs solid body?

[Mark the Moose]

Blindfolded, with the same pickup array, can you really tell the difference in tone? The only tele I've owned was a baritone which I sold some time ago. Looking at a partscaster project, I'm torn between the classic solid body or a thinline. Aesthetically I prefer the thinline, just curious how different they really are.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I like the idea of a thinline, but the only difference in tone I ever noticed vs. a solid body was the thinline sounded, well, thinner. I don't know if it's just me, if it was pickups or what, but there has been a definite difference in every thinline I've tried. The only exception is the 73 reissue with the WRHB...they sound pretty good to me. But, apples to apples, I'll take a solid body.

 

[Spawndn72]

I think the thinline has a more rounded/mellow sound which I liked. Could just be the difference in pickups though. I have not played a ton of thinlines though, only the CV 60's and the MIM Deluxe.

 

[MAXXFIELD]

If you're using a strap, and standing, your back will send the difference signal to your eyes that you've entered "flavor country"

 

[Mark the Moose]

If you're using a strap, and standing, your back will send the difference signal to your eyes that you've entered "flavor country"

I definitely prefer the aesthetics and the weight reduction of a thinline, but I'm building a tele to sound like a tele...

 

[schmee]

Big difference in tone. I've had both in the past(fender) and have both now (albeit not Fender brand) A Thinline is more like a semi hollow 335 type tone a bit.

 

[Robert H.]

If I don't play loud, I can hear the acoustic sound from the Thinline while I'm hitting the strings much more so than the solid body. If its cranked, I can't say I hear a difference in tone. It is not like a Gibson ES style guitar where the tone really changes with the large chambers or hollow body.

 

[Nick Fanis]

Like all hollow/semi hollows the thinline sounds... well a bit
thinner because it has less mids than a regular solid body tele.
Still it sounds just like a tele.

 

[KC]

do a search on this one -- a thread that seems to come up every few months, without ever coming to a definitive conclusion. my best guess, having owned one of each, is that strings / pickups / pots / break angle / fingerboard material have more of an influence on sound that the body style. A Thinline still sounds like a tele but every tele sounds a little different.

 

[Festofish]

Yup! I’ve owned a few teles of varying pedigree before finally getting a thinline. Immediately I understood what people meant by a “Sweeter” sound. I’ve got a Squier VM thinline and you’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands!

 

[ejphotos]

In general, a solid body Tele sounds snappier, while the Thinline sounds rounder.

Every guitar sounds different.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Big difference in tone. I've had both in the past(fender) and have both now (albeit not Fender brand) A Thinline is more like a semi hollow 335 type tone a bit.

Are Tele Thinlines basically hollowed out backside to front, thenwith a ( say, 2 piece ) separate back attached ?

Or are they 'scooped out from the front?

 

[Lobomov]

I never could hear any difference .. I mean, not rooted in the fact that old school thinlines traditionally have 1mpeg pots and thus are overly bright.

The only thing that bothers me with thinlines is that the tone and volume are in the wrong place (mostly that the tone knob is out of reach for tone swells)

 

[schmee]

Are Tele Thinlines basically hollowed out backside to front, thenwith a ( say, 2 piece ) separate back attached ?

Or are they 'scooped out from the front?

I'm not sure if they are made 2 ways or not. Seems most are milled out from the top then a top attached. But if there are double bound... I wonder if back and top are put on?

I also think that tone matters less the louder you play. Play in front of a Marshall stack and you can have a plastic lucite guitar! Play jazz in front of 25 people and the guitar matters more.

 

[slimpickins]

To me a thinline is a little more round/mellow. Maybe the mids aren't quite as pronounced.

 

[SJFR80]

I have to agree the thinline is more pleasing on the eye but I do prefer the sound of the solid body.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I'm not sure if they are made 2 ways or not. Seems most are milled out from the top then a top attached. But if there are double bound... I wonder if back and top are put on?

I also think that tone matters less the louder you play. Play in front of a Marshall stack and you can have a plastic lucite guitar! Play jazz in front of 25 people and the guitar matters more.

Got it.
I'm on a budget...

( well, done for this year after going kind of crazy- had not bought anything for 15 years, except pedals)

...and basically plan on selling my 2004 Standard Tele (my only Tele) as I'm no longer playing in a Classic Country band ( and don't plan on going back to this music regularly- it's too heavy and I play sitting down!
I'd like to get the mahogany-body Squier '69 Tele Thinline RI someday, because of the lighter body, love the looks, and the ones I played sounded/felt like Teles.

Just a bit of a change up, play my blues, Dead, Country, funky stuff- just with a Thinline.
But not till I sell the Standard- but it's just not getting played

 

[Fuelish]

My Fender Thinline appears to be routed from the back, with the back glued on, no top to body joint visible, just the bottom. I love my thinline.....I came close to buying a VM Squier Thinline some years back, but the only color they had was black, and really wanted a shoreline gold, which they told me they could no longer get - am guessing this was when Squier was switching over from regular VM Thinlines to the newer ones with the WRHBs....dunno, but they couldn't get me gold and wouldn't deal on the black one, which I would have willingly bought, little to their knowledge....and now, here I stand, with a Fender Thinline with the WRHBs.....and I rather like them, after messing around with adjustments, sound a lot better then my Epi LP '57 Classics, or whatever Epi calls 'em