Help ... I hate my Tele.

[dominus]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

I t most likely is not the wood , it is an ELECTRIC guitar. Look at it , I mean realy look at it and figure out what is your real problem.

I have 4 identical guitars. Three sound great, one was dead. It also weighed a pound more than the others.

What's your problem?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Not to sound like a jerk, but this is why buying online is crazy IMO. I would sell the Baja, not start modding the hell out of it. Go into a local shop and buy the Tele that speaks to you the most...or at the very least get an idea of what the different models are like.

And of course, there are also the mental and emotional factors here. You are trying to replace a guitar that you dearly loved, and which you had to part with against your will. In your head, it's going to be hard to match that guitar, no matter what you get.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Yeah, the lure of a 15% discount, no tax, and free shipping finally bit me in the butt. I got lucky on the Hwy 1.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Don't worry, I hate my CS Tele
Can't wait until it is sold off!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Yeah, the lure of a 15% discount, no tax, and free shipping finally bit me in the butt. I got lucky on the Hwy 1.

That is definitely a nice offer for online purchasing. If I was to buy a new guitar online again, I'd go through Sweetwater. If you talk to them and ask them to pick the most resonant one of their stock, they'll do it. I've heard nothing but good things about going through them.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

I hate thieves.

 

[DreX]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

I am concerned that it may be the Ash body whereas the Hwy 1 was Alder.

I could start changing pickups, get rid of the thick urethane finish (Hwy 1 was nitrocellulose lacquer), and so on, but if I still don't like it I've wasted money and a fair amount of effort. What would you do ... sell it as is in brand new condition with no mods ... or experiment?

IMO finish and wood types are overrated as factors. It's luck of the draw with any piece of wood. Your current guitar is probably just average where as your stolen guitar was exceptionally resonant. I think your only hope of getting something like it is to cruise guitar stores and try out all the Teles that look half decent, and then being willing to rewire and reroute a standard Tele to your liking, if you want a pickup in the middle, or a full sized humbucker in the bridge. Some Tele bodies come pre-routed for a middle pickup and/or a full size neck HB.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

FWIW, the successor to the Highway One series is the American Special series not the Baja Tele.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

I hate thieves.

Me too, Jolly, and that kid will regret it if I ever see him again. I know who did it.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Here's what needs to happen:

I can't tell from your post whether or not you have already changed pickups but GUT the electronics...put better pots and caps and then your chosen pickup combination.

This will get you in the right zip code.

Secondly, you have to realize that what happened with your old guitar also happened TO YOU and you could also be holding some kind of subconscious resentment towards the new one. You may be going through a "reverse honeymoon" phase.

Yes...everything everyone is posting here about tone woods is true and I would also like to add that two telecasters shouldn't be so night and day unless you are comparing a Mexican with a Custom shop.

Good luck and I hope you can find a happy medium until maybe you find another Highway 1 on ebay.

What happened to you totally sucks and I really hope you can get passed it.

Later,

~LD

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Me too, Jolly, and that kid will regret it if I ever see him again. I know who did it.

You know who did it and he's still alive???!!!!!!

I'd make it a point to "see him again". But I'd do most of my "seeing" with something other than my eyes.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Me too, Jolly, and that kid will regret it if I ever see him again. I know who did it.

You know who did it and he's still alive???!!!!!!

You didn't report it?!?! I don't really know the situation but maybe getting your tele back (if the kid still has it with him) would be easier than finding a replacement with that 'exact' sound. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

You didn't report it?!?! I don't really know the situation but maybe getting your tele back (if the kid still has it with him) would be easier than finding a replacement with that 'exact' sound. Sorry for your loss.

I reported it as soon as I came home ... seven guns and five guitars ... hell yeah, I reported it. Several days later my son's girlfriend asked my son if my house got burglarized. She heard about it from a friend of the thief. I called the police with that additional information and they said "Yeah, we know him". He is a pro. All my stuff undoubtedly went straight from Fort Worth to Austin to a private dealer. It was never going to show up on Craig's List or Ebay or in a pawn shop. Those are the avenues the police are set up to track electronically.

There were no fingerprints. I suppose they can know who did it and still not nail him. I don't know why and don't care. I have met him before, and I know what he looks like, but I'm not going to waste any time and effort looking for him. My homeowner's insurance treated me right and out of everything I replaced only the Tele was a bad selection. I also lost $1,700 in deductible.

As I said, I won't look for him, but if I happen to see him it will definitely test the limits of my self control. He will likely get the same treatment I gave the guy who tried to kiss my wife.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Thieves....scum of the earth!
Hope the Tele part will become better!

 

[chadd]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Here's what needs to happen:

I can't tell from your post whether or not you have already changed pickups but GUT the electronics...put better pots and caps and then your chosen pickup combination.

This will get you in the right zip code.

I disagree. If it doesn't feel right and isn't in the right zip code now, it never will be. Plus, all the cash spent on upgrades will be wasted.

My suggestion is to sell it and go play a ton until you find the one that speaks to you. New, used, whatever. Just play as many as you can and be patient. Eventually, you will find the right one for you.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Sell the Baja and get an American Special

 

[DreX]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

He is a pro. All my stuff undoubtedly went straight from Fort Worth to Austin to a private dealer. It was never going to show up on Craig's List or Ebay or in a pawn shop.

I wonder how the "fences" flip so much stolen stuff without ebay or CL. That green Tele is distinctive, though, you should put the word STOLEN over your avatar in case the buyer happens across the forum.

I had stuff stolen from my garage a while back, and I saw the stuff on CL, sprawled out on a dirty mattress about a week later. The real annoying thing was that the police blew smoke, telling me they're going after the guy, but I've watched enough TV to know that claiming the items in a picture is yours won't fly in court, you need serial numbers. I take pics of the serial numbers on my guitars now. If they ever get further than my garage, I'm pretty sure they're the first thing a thief would grab.

I disagree. If it doesn't feel right and isn't in the right zip code now, it never will be.

I think this is the point at which guitarists discover wood matters. You change everything only to discover that the last step would be swapping out the entire body.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Help ... I hate my Tele.

Your problem could be that the wood simply didn't make a guitar that's to your taste, but there's one thing to check before your sell it, Look at the neck pocket.

My current #1 was a dead-sounding dog when I got it. The strings were off-center, though, and when I started chasing that problem, I found the key to its tone. The neck pocket was full of paint runs and other glop. Once I had the neck off, I scraped and filed the gunk out, flattened the biotin of the pocket. Then the neck could be mounted straight, but more important, coupled up to the body tightly. The tone of the guitar improved immeasurably.

It's worth a look in your neck pocket to see what's in there.