One last Telecaster

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 18 Jun 2014 5:13 am

I am on a mission! One last Telecaster. Many steel players also double on guitar and the Tele has been the guitar of choice. I have been playing musical chairs with the Tele (pardon the pun) for decades and have not found the right one. Back in the 60's you went into a music store and there was ONE Tele and now there are many models with various pickups and neck radius profiles.

I am not interested Squires and low end models but rather the holy grail of Telecasters. Even a Tele replica but not a RELIc as I am a RELIC and don't want to play a guitar that reminds me of myself

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Lenny

Leon Grizzard · Post by **Leon Grizzard** » 18 Jun 2014 5:42 am

Like you say-lots of choices. The Made in Mexico Classic series are pretty darn good. The Classic 50s model has a chunkier neck than the 60s models. Both have vintage size frets and classic 7 1/4" radius.

Lots of people prefer more modern configuration of flatter neck and higher frets. The Baja series, also MIM, has those but a vintage vibe.

Another good option is assemble a Partscaster with neck and body from Warmoth or Musikraft. If you get a Warmoth finished body you know the weight.

I like the old school 3 saddle bridges and so don't know much about the modern six saddle models but I bet you could find a used one at a decent price.

Go to TDPRI.com for tons of further info.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 18 Jun 2014 6:45 am

Len, If you want a nice, high end American Tele, why not order one from the Fender Custom Shop? You can have it built to your specs and you can even choose the luthier at Fender who builds it for you!

click it -----> http://www.fender.com/custom-shop/how-to-order

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 18 Jun 2014 9:01 am

Check out Ron Kirn's guitars.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Jun 2014 9:34 am

I bought one of the American Ash Deluxe Teles a few years ago and really love the U shape neck. I put the neck on a different body and installed a Blackguard bridge pickup from fred Stuart and a Gibson mini-humbucker in the neck. Really a great guitar...but, alas, I am a Strat man.

Good luck in your search and don't rule out the Deluxe Ash. I don't care for the noiseless pickups, though.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 18 Jun 2014 9:45 am

too bad you don't want a squire. the classic vibes are the best value and probably one of the best guitars out there.
i wouldn't waste my money on anything else new.

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 18 Jun 2014 10:02 am

If you want to throw some money around, I think some of the nicest "Fenders" being built today are by this guy:

http://www.andersonguitars.com/product_ ... y/tfam.cfm

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 18 Jun 2014 10:50 am

Doug:

Interesting that you can have your own Tele made by Fender and choose the Luthier. I will look into this.

Also, am aware of other mfg's making high end Tele type guitars. I still don't get the relic stuff

Also, with all the guitars that have come and gone I want one Tele that speaks out to me so I want one last special guiatr. I made the mistake of putting Lace senson pickups in my PRS stat sty;e guitar. The neck position is nice but the middle and lead are uninspirting..

The hunt is on

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Jun 2014 11:01 am

Len, I'm a huge Telecaster fan. In my view, it's the best -designed, most versatile electric guitar ever. A few years back, I bought a Squire vintage vibe thinline Tele like the one below. This guitar is a terrific bargain and in fact, sounds and feels so good that after I acquired it, I sold my Fender 62 re-issue bound sunburst Tele because the Squire simply outperformed the more expensive Fender in every way. To each their own, but that was my personal experience. But that said, it's hard to get a bad Telecaster these days. There are a zillion options including the custom shop as Doug pointed out. Of the off-the-rack models I've played, the Hot Rod Tele in Butterscotch with the Seymour Duncan hum bucker in the neck was my favorite. If it's about sound and not tweed legacy, the Bill Asher T-Deluxe models also sound terrific. Check out their new Redd Volkaert signature model.

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 18 Jun 2014 11:23 am

Love my Nocaster, which is a Fender Custom Shop guitar. Patterned after a '51 Telecaster. Big neck, which I find very comfortable. I love the way it plays. Find a used one, and save a mess of $$$$$.
Doesn't sound like my old 60's telly, but with the old ones, there seems to be more variation from one to the next...Jerry

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 18 Jun 2014 11:24 am

The Squire Classic Vibe teles are a great value. A remarkably close 1950's feel and tone for not much money. I've tried two of them in the music store and I was very impressed. They felt and sounded a lot like my first tele, a 1950s blonde (not sure of the exact year) I had when I was a teenager. And I have worked with two guitarist in recent years... excellent players, who play these Classic Vibe teles on gigs, and they sound great. I would buy one if I didn't already have three teles, including a 1968.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 18 Jun 2014 12:14 pm

its real hard to screw up a telecaster...seriously. even the cheap ones i have played were fine. i am a big stickler on weight though.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 18 Jun 2014 12:54 pm

I had a Tele Squire that weighed a ton, so much so it was in Les Paul territory. I suppose you have to find the correct guitar. I will have to keep looking but it's something I want and not need. Then again, I could say that with all my gear

There is something about the Tele being a slab of wood and a neck with such tone.

Doug: What neck profile do you prefer? That is a factor in my choice as I do play a
highbrid picking and bend strings moderately. The classic Tele original instrument had a smaller fret a smaller radius while all my other guitars have higher frets and a flater radius. I think you can see why I am being selective in my choice?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 18 Jun 2014 1:13 pm

I like a standard Fender radius, about 9.5” I believe. And I like the C neck. I can't play a V neck. My hand is too small for that.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 18 Jun 2014 3:58 pm

Thank you Doug. You are helping me to dial in on the comfortable profile neck that so won't have buyers remorse. You would be surprised on other forums how opinions are set in stone. I tried a V neck and it was a strange feel.

Getting closer

Leon Grizzard · Post by **Leon Grizzard** » 18 Jun 2014 4:44 pm

Although it is "Squier" not "Squire." Just sayin'

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Jun 2014 6:16 pm

Leon Grizzard · Post by **Leon Grizzard** » 18 Jun 2014 6:27 pm

Leon Grizzard wrote:Although it is "Squier" not "Squire." Just sayin'

I was actually kind of relieved to learn that; "Squire" sounded foo foo ruffled collar Mod to me.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 18 Jun 2014 6:30 pm

I think Fender made a spelling mistake.

Joshua Clements · Post by **Joshua Clements** » 18 Jun 2014 6:38 pm

I have always advocated G&L ASAT Classics. I have never played one that wasn't wonderful. More meaty tone and response from the controls. They have allowed me to play everything from chickenpicking country to speed metal and everything in between. ASAT stands for "after strat, after tele". They were Leo Fender's last great gift to the guitar world. The culmination of his life's work if you will. This is just my two cents on the matter.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 18 Jun 2014 7:19 pm

I went through a guitar quest about 5 years ago, which included multiple Teles, Strats, an ASAT, 2 PRS, a 335 and a Gibson Johnny A Signature model. I finally found "The One" from Rice Custom guitars.

Within the first ten minutes, I knew the search was over. I've since sold all my other guitars (except for an old ES-125 that my sister-in-law gave me).

http://www.ricecustomguitars.com/instru ... serial=064

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 18 Jun 2014 8:36 pm

I have no idea what maple neck is on my 68' Tele, but, it plays real easy. I've never played a bad Tele, but, I've played Strats that were simply atrocious. I had a 69' Les Paul that played great, but, gave me bad shoulder pain.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 18 Jun 2014 9:25 pm

Having had 3 USA Teles,1 USA Esquire,1 MIM Esquire,and a G&L ASAT(Still have all but the USA Esquire),my thought is that the component needing the most attention is the neck.Thickness,shape,fingerboard radius,fret size,and finish are all important-and for obvious reasons it all has to work right the first time.Best thing to do if you're not sure of the specs you like is to play a lot of different Teles,and get numbers on the necks that feel right.And you might even find The One in the process!

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 20 Jun 2014 12:06 am

If I was a country picker and I was looking for a Tele, I'd get the 1969 Thinline version with the natural mahogany body and the white pearl pickguard (like the Squier Classic Vibe version pictured in this thread). But it would have to be fitted with a Bigsby vibrato. Fender did make a few Thinlines with Bigsbys, and the first time I saw one I thought it looked the most 'country' out of any Tele I had ever seen.

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 20 Jun 2014 12:09 am

Im a strat guy like Mike, but just can't resist the venerable tele either! Im working on another mexican custom sunburst now (like the black 72 RI on far left, but with maple neck) which will bring the herd to eight (which in my opinion is just enough).

The 72 is a favorite of mine. I put a higher output Dimarzio in the bridge, which was my only real issue. The neck is perfect (and the only rosewood tele I have) and, well..it just sounds like Keef Riffhard!

The far right is the only one made in China. Its a Modern Player and for the money its a great guitar. Its actually the most versatile with a 5 way switch and HSS pickup config, with a small toggle to switch the H to single.

Next most versatile is the American Nashville B-Bender in front on the left which I got from a forumite here. It too has a 5 way, but with SSS pickups, and of course the bender, which is so much fun to play and like nothing else (but heavy).

In front on right is an American Ash tele with S1 switching, which is heavier but adds some versatility with the push button volume knob. Absolutely beautiful body grain and a perfect neck as well.

The butterscotch mexican standard in back was a great deal from Musicians Friend, due to 3 small chips in the finish. Its a close to the quintessential tele as can be. This and the 72 RI are also the only ones with 3 split saddles. Only other difference is the control plate has the toggle in back and volume in front, which I love for its accessibility to do swells.

I fell in love with the mexican Deluxe in the middle in back and refinished it (it was black initially). Just something about that strat style neck and two humbuckers that is so un-tele like. Jimmy Herring had something to do with the fascination I suppose, as he described why he liked the middle position with separate volumes for each. You really can dial in tones unlike the standard tele or strat.

I kept longing for a tremolo arm too (theres that strat thing again haha), so there began my search for the Deluxe with tremolo. I got a great deal on the MIM sunburst in back from Sam Ash online. I had to keep checking the listing as I thought they had made a big mistake on the price. They did, and their loss was my gain!

Anyways, theres my take on the telecasters I love, and why I can't have just one! (Don't get me started on Stratocasters haha)