What makes a Telecaster a Telecaster?

[Jeffblue]

How do you infuse tele in a strat?
Add a tele bridge pickup.

I like it much better than a strat bridge pickup.

[Mincer]

A Tele was never my thing *because* of the pickups and the bridge (and the weirdo control plate). But other people make it sound great.

[ArtieToo]

A Tele was never my thing *because* of the pickups and the bridge (and the weirdo control plate). But other people make it sound great.

Speaking of which . . . it was only a couple hours ago that I watched this video. This guy has some pretty good licks.

[JamesPaul]

Hmmmm... So if my Tele has a six saddle bridge, a belly cut, 12" radius fretboard, but traditional Telecaster single coil pickups, is it still a Telecaster? It sounds like a Telecaster to me, but now I am curious.

[ErikH]

Hmmmm... So if my Tele has a six saddle bridge, a belly cut, 12" radius fretboard, but traditional Telecaster single coil pickups, is it still a Telecaster? It sounds like a Telecaster to me, but now I am curious.

Since Fender makes them that way now too, yes, it's a Tele...LOL.

And the six-saddle bridge on them has been around since the American Standards were launched in the 80's. I get that the 3 brass saddles lend something to the sound but come on, some get really overly purist when it comes to that. Even Brad Paisley has 6-saddle bridges. Who's gonna tell him his guitars aren't Tele's? LOL

[justFred]

Ask Greg Koch…

[PFDarkside]

Hmmmm... So if my Tele has a six saddle bridge, a belly cut, 12" radius fretboard, but traditional Telecaster single coil pickups, is it still a Telecaster? It sounds like a Telecaster to me, but now I am curious.

I’s say so. Strats are my thing and I have 6 screw with vintage radius/frets and vintage style pickups and I have 2 post with noiseless pickups, bigger frets and flatter radii, they are all pretty Stratty to me.

25.5” bolt on with a Tele plate style bridge and Tele pickup sounds pretty darn Tele to me.

Since Fender makes them that way now too, yes, it's a Tele...LOL.

And the six-saddle bridge on them has been around since the American Standards were launched in the 80's. I get that the 3 brass saddles lend something to the sound but come on, some get really overly purist when it comes to that. Even Brad Paisley has 6-saddle bridges. Who's gonna tell him his guitars aren't Tele's? LOL

I’d say it’s more the brass than the two strings sharing a saddle, but I’m sure an A/B would show a very, very slight difference. I think it’s splitting hairs, but all options are available now!

[Mincer]

Fender puts the Tele name on pretty much anything that has the same silhouette. I go by what I think of a 'traditional Tele tone'.

[beaubrummels]

You guys know they make these, right?

[GuitarStv]

You guys know they make these, right?

Yeah, we know that there are round wheels these days, and that they can be produced easily and work well . . . but we're sticking with square ones for this particular vehicle. But we can upcharge you for square wheels with slightly rounded edges to make the ride better.

:P

[beaubrummels]

Yeah, we know that there are round wheels these days, and that they can be produced easily and work well . . . but we're sticking with square ones for this particular vehicle. But we can upcharge you for square wheels with slightly rounded edges to make the ride better.

:P

Yeah, square wheels are the period-correct traditional ones. You can't get THE tone without the square wheels.

[JamesPaul]

You guys know they make these, right?

...

Yeah, square wheels are the period-correct traditional ones. You can't get THE tone without the square wheels.

This is likely my primary concern. What if I set the intonation, ever so slightly off, on my 6 saddle? I am probably diving too deep or splitting hairs, but the thought has crossed my mind.

[Securb]

Bet it sounds a lot like a superdistortion though. :P

Thankfully it does. Randy Rhoades, Tom Scholz, Phil Collen, Al Di Meola, Vivian Campbell, and Dave Murray all gut a slightly useable tone out of a Super Distortion I think I will leave it in for a while.