Telecaster and pedal steel ?

James Taylor · From: United Kingdom

I just wondered why many pedal steel guitarists seem to prefer a telecaster to a Stratocaster when changing from one instrument to the other? Has this got to do with: tone, handling as in more flexible, or the controls-- pickup shift, or volume and tone controls. Thanking everyone for information. JAMES TAYLOR

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Cause it don't mean a thang if it aint got that twang! Mr. Green

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Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

Just a guess but from a purely country music perspective, the 2 pickup Telecaster has always been synonymous with a "chickin' pickin'" country twang sound (perfect with a single coil pedal steel sound) as opposed to the slightly more refined 3 pickup Strat which is probably more versatile for different types of music i.e. rock, blues, country, jazz etc. The Tele was the first commercially successful solid body electric and the Strat came along a few years later. With the effects and amps available today you could probably duplicate the sound you're looking for on either guitar.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Because a Strat is not a Tele. You can play any style of music on either, no problem. But there is nothing like the classic, clanky Tele lead guitar sound, which is so synonymous with a lot of cool classic country music, and lots of other music too.

Another point - a lot of fingerpickers and hybrid flatpick + fingers/fingerpicks players find the middle pickup of a Strat gets in the way. I generally push the middle pickup of my Strats pretty far down - at least far enough down that I won't be hitting the pickup if I really dig in.

The large-knurl Tele volume and tone knobs also facilitate actuation with the pinky - they're just easier to grab onto. Some Strat players use Tele knobs, I've done it at times.

But if the PC police took the US over and, at the point of a gun forced me down to one guitar, it would be a Telecaster.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

What Dave Mudgett said👍A Tele seems to feel comfortable and highbrid picking is easier with no middle pickup. Working on a Tele is easy compared to a Strat.

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Twang, ie: Ralph Mooney, Don Rich. Good enough for me.
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Bill Ladd · From: Wilmington, NC, USA

Man, I've owned and played a ton of guitars over the years. Spent a lot of years on the road making money with them - Les Pauls, Strats, ESPs, Ibanezes...

Always go back to my Tele. It's the best feeling guitar I've ever owned. Agree with Dave 100%. I can play any kind of music on it, but when I want that Tele pop, well, there it is.

Right now I've got an old Squire Tele that is absolute magic. I'm a little under the weather right now and can't play steel so much. Been burning up the six strings though. Love it!!

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

You can spend zero energy trying to figure out how to get stable tuning out of the bridge on your Tele.

Unlike a Strat OR a pedal steel!

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I still have my 68', bought new, Tele. I added a few things over the years,
Ike a B- Bender, Mighty Might neck pickup and tried several bridges, but, went back to the brass bridge with brass saddles. I also had and played many Strats, Les Paul's, ES-335's and 340's. The're all gone, except for my Tele. My Tele just suits me. I like the way it sounds and plays and fits me. I'll never sell it.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I have three pickups on my Teles...I also have a couple of starts,I have no favorite of the two. Winking

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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

The Tele and the Strat are NOT equal when it comes to "how to play them". Our right hand position is very different with a Tele than it is with a Strat. The Tele knobs are easily accessible with your right hand "pinky" finger , the 3rd PUP is not there so it perhaps does not get in the way with a right hand picking technique.

Comparing the two is really not an A to A comparison, other than they are both Fenders and have single coil pups.

Overall tones are similar but not the same, other than the 5 position switch flexibility .

To me it's more about the right hand position and accessibility to the knobs.

The thing about it for me is , I feel I play totally different on a Strat than I do on Telecasters. I like Strats, have owned many and still own a couple but the primary guitar is a Telecaster for the reasons stated. But I do love the Tremelo arm on the Strats for extended chord sustain but not enough to change. Also, the Tremelo arm on Strats is NOT consistent, they vary from Strat to Strat which makes that a bit of an issue for me. The one Strat which I do bring out now and then is an early 2000's HWY One and I worked on the Tremelo arm position so that it was comfortable and accessible for me.

BUT...primary Strat players will say the same things, reversed ! They will tell us why they prefer the Strat over the Tele !

Also lets not forget, we can pick up 10 different Telecasters and put all 10 back down not liking any of them . And I have, many of us have ! Which makes the point that not all Telecasters are equal either. I love mine, others may not !

At the end of the day it's all good !
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Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

For me, a Tele with a split coil humbucker on the neck position is the most versatile guitar I would want to play. I love both Teles and Strats but as has been mentioned, they are both very different instruments. Kudos to Leo for designing and building the two most perfect guitars EVER.
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Ed Boyd · From: Illinois, USA

Plus you can't install benders on a Strat with all that contour body/ belly cut stuff. Right now though I'm playing more humbucker stuff with the new Country material. I miss the 90s.

Ron Brennan · From: Orlando, Florida, USA; Formerly, Edison, NJ

Alas, there is no "like" icon to hit on SGF. So, everything that has been said above, I "Like"... Cool

TX Rgds,

Ron
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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Here are two of my favorite Tele's. American Standard with Joe Barden pickups, locking stagard tuners, Glendale compensated saddles, CTS pots, Sprage orange drop cap and treble bleed cap on volume control. Custom hand engraved pick guard.

The G&L is basically the same except a 59 humbucker in the neck. A Tele is an unpainted canvas and my American Tele evolved over several years.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I played a Gibson Super 400 in my early years and, I'm ashamed to say, didn't even try a Telecaster until 1966 (thanks, Gerry Hogan!)

It was a Eureka moment and I loved it from the first time I had my hands on it. For over fifty years a Tele has been my go-to guitar for ALL applications - and, as a working pro, I have to play a wide variety of genres.

For nine years my favourite has been my Thin-Skin from Wildwood Guitars - a '62 reissue (my favourite neck shape) with a Glaser b-bender.

That's the guitar I'd save in a fire.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

😂
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Here's my G&L ASAT- Tele in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cWNPRtLE6g
Len do you know what ASAT stands for?
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I was told it meant ' AS A T-elecaster'

I have a beauty - double edge bound sunburst with a gorgeous birds-eye neck. Oh, and a Glaser bender, too.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

😊
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Kryptology is nothing like this, Roger!
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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I have no idea what ASAT stands for without googling the term😬

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I prefer a Tele because it is the closest sounding 6-string to a pedal steel.
Here is my '89 Custom Shop Tele, and my original '62 Strat.

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Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

I like that Twang of a Tele, but here lately I've switched to my Gibson "335" for several gigs when stage room permits. I'm always banging my guitars on the Pac-a-Seat, steel, or the guitar stand. I have 3 Tele's and a Strelly, (a Strelly is a hard tail Strat with a Tele bridge and pickup), all but one of these guitars has three pickups on them. Gibson humbuckers in the neck and middle, Tele single coil at the bridge. My "Joe Strummer Tele" is the only stock Tele I own. Love and Play'em all in rotation, even the Gibson Les Paul and Explorer come out once in a blue moon with a Marshall Stack for high powered Rock and Roll.

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