What do you dislike about the Telecaster ?

[ChicknPickn]

I've come to the conclusion that if there's anything about a Tele that doesn't please me, I generally can change it with readily available parts. I don't like the vintage truss rod adjuster, but I still have a few guitars that have it, and I haven't felt compelled to swap those necks yet.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

Please show the court on the doll where the Telecaster touched you.

 

[Telecaster88]

Never had any beef with my Am Std, and it's been bone stock since I bought it in '89. Knock on wood, but I've never had an issue with switch tips or the jack falling off or out. I had one 90° cord that wouldn't fit the jack, learned you just have to check the plug length and pick a brand that fits.

Last year I busted up the nerves in my strumming arm and suddenly the non-contoured body hurt me, but that's not the Tele's fault. I ended up getting one of the Parallel Universe Whiteguard Strats, which is a Tele neck and hardware on a Strat body, problem solved.

I can understand all the issues people bring up with Teles, but luckily they've never really bothered me. To me, they're the most beautiful looking and sounding guitars in the world.

 

[willietheweirdo]

Ummm.... more than 5 holes in a tele pickguard makes it look studded/bedazzled. Can't think of anything else.

 

[PARCO]

To me the Telecaster design is brilliant in it's simplicity. However to me most Tele's suffer from one or a combination of features. Either the neck is too thin or the fret's are too narrow or the guitar itself is too heavy.

 

[oregomike]

We all love Telecasters and we’re all keen to express our love of them ... but what is it about them that bugs you ?

(I’ll go first) ...

• I dislike 3 barrel ash tray bridges.
• When the upper bout of the body goes above the 17th fret (eg. 70’s Fender body shapes).
• When the screws on the pick guards protrude, especially the one nearest to the bridge that keeps catching my fingers and nails when picking.
• Hidden heel truss rod access.
• When the string tree is too close to the nut thereby eliminating the possibility of behind the nut bends (eg. Brent Mason model).
• 2 string trees.
• Fender American Standard string trees (that scratch and ping whenever you move the string behind the nut).

I don't really like bound teles, and I have no idea why.

 

[4pickupguy]

First let me list the things I like most about the tele:
1. That bridge pickup!
2. That neck pickup!!
3. The middle position funk sound!
4. That utilitarian farm equipment mojo aesthetic.

What I don’t like:
1. That volume knob may as well be on the frickin headstock!!! Strat players give me a collectIve volume knob pinky finger amen!
2. The no contoured thing.
3. As much as I love the tele sounds, there needs to be something between those two lonely pickups. Some quackage.

 

[4pickupguy]

I dislike that when I'm playing my Telecaster, the women in the audience throw themselves at me.

It's hard to make music and finish the gig when all these girls are frantically wanting to have intimate relations with a humble, hard working guitar player.

Sheesh, ladies.
Have some dignity for gosh's sake.

I know,..Right..?

 

[somebodyelseuk]

The way they attach the jack socket.
Everything else is fine.

 

[msalama]

I dislike its reputation as a C'n'W guitar, because a Tele is versatile as hell. Get yourself a setneck HH version and that thing does metal too!

 

[Skyhook]

The shape... It's as sexy as knitted long johns, but if it didn't look like that it wouldn't look like a Telecaster. I think Glenn Fricker put it rather well when he said a Telecaster looks like it came off of a tractor.

The 3-saddle ashtray bridge... Especially if set up so that the three intonation screws poke far up between the strings. However, nowadays I've become a purist on that as I wouldn't want any "newfangled fakery" such as 6-saddle rimless bridgplates to sully my Tele:s! "When I was your age we played on 3-saddle ashtray bridges and made it work, dagnabbit!"

So, yeah, I don't like those two things but it wouldn't be a Telecaster without that shape and bridge.

 

[Skyhook]

I dislike its reputation as a C'n'W guitar, because a Tele is versatile as hell. Get yourself a setneck HH version and that thing does metal too!

It does metal perfectly well in standard config too. You just need a little more gain saturation and a noise gate.

 

[raysachs]

I love telecasters, love their simplicity, love their sounds, love everything about em except one thing. When I have them, I never play them. I always reach for a strat instead. There have been a couple of short periods where I’ve had a tele and no strat and I played the teles full time and loved them. I have nothing but fond memories of those times. But I’m a strat guy and I’ve never gone long without having a strat. And no matter how much I’ve loved a particular tele, when there’s a strat next to it on the wall, the tele dies of neglect.

I sell the tele, always end up wanting another at some point, but anytime I give into that and buy one, I play it a lot for a week or two, then it dies of neglect, then I sell it. I sold my last one right before the pandemic started. I’m starting to gas for another one, but I know what’ll happen if I break down and buy one. I’m like that with other stuff too. I LOVE P90s, absolutely LOVE them. When I wanna hear the sound of P90s, nothing else will do. In addition to my strat, I now have an SG with P90s. It’s a wonderful guitar! I love it! I never play it. Im thinking about selling it to help finance my next tele, which I won’t play either.

I love teles, I really do. Can’t hold onto em though. That’s the ONLY thing I don’t like about em.

-Ray

 

[24 track]

too many models of tele, hard to keep track ,
give me a butterscotch blond , body through, 6 saddles , headstock trussrod, well put together, stays in tune , intonation , action , lefthanded, maple or rose wood fret board and good sounding fender pickups and Im happy , I dont care what flavor tele none of that matters
and a high radius fret board.

I'm tired of buying a fender guitar and having to gut it , If I buy one it should be ready to play out of the box.

 

[PCollen]

The lack of the forearm body contour that the Stratocaster has ....

 

[Midgetje94]

I don't really like bound teles, and I have no idea why.

I’m a big bound guy lol. Well it depends. I’m picky about it.

And really? I’ve played teles from the get go pretty much. I’ve never had a issue with switch tips falling off. Actually kinda shocked to hear so many people have.

 

[Midgetje94]

First let me list the things I like most about the tele:
1. That bridge pickup!
2. That neck pickup!!
3. The middle position funk sound!
4. That utilitarian farm equipment mojo aesthetic.

What I don’t like:
1. That volume knob may as well be on the frickin headstock!!! Strat players give me a collectIve volume knob pinky finger amen!
2. The no contoured thing.
3. As much as I love the tele sounds, there needs to be something between those two lonely pickups. Some quackage.
View attachment 954572

What’s going on here? Lol. It’s kinda cool

 

[Midgetje94]

I love telecasters, love their simplicity, love their sounds, love everything about em except one thing. When i have them, I never play them. I always reach for a strat instead. There have been a couple of short periods where I’ve had a tele and no strat and I played the teles full time and loved them. I have nothing but fond memories of those times. But I’m a strat guy and I’ve never gone long without having a strat. And no matter how much I’ve loved a particular tele, when there’s a strat next to it on the wall, the tele dies of neglect.

I sell the tele, always end up wanting another at some point, but anytime I give into that and buy one, I play it a lot for a week or two, then it does of neglect, then I sell it. I sold my last one right before the pandemic started. I’m starting to gas for another one, but I know what’ll happen if I break down and buy one. I’m like that with other stuff too. I LOVE P90s, absolutely LOVE them. When I wanna hear the sound of P90s, nothing else will do. In addition to my strat, I now have an SG with P90s. It’s a wonderful guitar! I love it! I never play it. Im thinking about selling it to help finance my next tele, which I won’t play either.

I love teles, I really do. Can’t hold onto em though. That’s the ONLY thing I don’t like about em.

-Ray

That’s how I am with Les Pauls. Love the look, the sound, the history. Hate playing them. I’ll buy one. And love it for a while. Then be like “umm… wish you were a tele” then the vicious cycle of getting a new one and selling. I’m actually eyeballing a SUPER classy Epiphone. Even if I don’t play it. It would look killer on my wall

 

[Call Me Al]

I have a Squier Tele. It came with a 6 saddle bridge, which I appreciate. I’ve also been daydreaming about modding it, alternate wiring or some humbuckers.

But whenever I feel like modifying my Telecaster, I spend some time with it. Then I decide to leave it alone, I can always get a good sound from it.

Love this video:

 

[BostonTeleGuy]

I like most everything about them but thats part of my problem. I love the sound and feel of the brass 3 barrell saddles so I have to accept the intonation being off a little. I wish i could get mine a little closer to perfect tune.