My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
- Thread starter Mr Wolf
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9unslin9er
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
"I want the best of both worlds
And baby I know what it's worth
We can have have the best of both worlds a little
Heaven right here on earth"
-Sammy Hagar
"I want the best of both worlds
And baby I know what it's worth
We can have have the best of both worlds a little
Heaven right here on earth"
-Sammy Hagar
DreX
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
This looks like a guitar for someone who's in denial.
I get a toothache just looking at those.
This looks like a guitar for someone who's in denial.
I get a toothache just looking at those.
DreX
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
The Tele is a guitar that says "you don't need all that ****." It really does somehow make what you're playing more front and center, and pushes the minutia further into the background.
I have multiple reasons for not believing that's true, such as measuring the magnetism of the bridge and neck pickups at the mid point, and comparing RWRP versus non-RWRP pickups. After having played a variety of bridge pickups in both Strats and Teles, I think the main difference is the hotter Tele bridge pickup, typically wound to 7k to 8k ohm, as well as the base plate on Tele bridge, dispersing the magnetic field.
My experience matches yours almost note for note, except I like using the trem for occasional feedback effects and I often rock it at the end of a song for a class outro, and then I'm holding a hard tailed guitar, I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do when those whammy bar situations come up.
The Tele is a guitar that says "you don't need all that ****." It really does somehow make what you're playing more front and center, and pushes the minutia further into the background.
I have multiple reasons for not believing that's true, such as measuring the magnetism of the bridge and neck pickups at the mid point, and comparing RWRP versus non-RWRP pickups. After having played a variety of bridge pickups in both Strats and Teles, I think the main difference is the hotter Tele bridge pickup, typically wound to 7k to 8k ohm, as well as the base plate on Tele bridge, dispersing the magnetic field.
My experience matches yours almost note for note, except I like using the trem for occasional feedback effects and I often rock it at the end of a song for a class outro, and then I'm holding a hard tailed guitar, I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do when those whammy bar situations come up.
dominus
King Midas to Cheap Guitars
Bludave
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
Well what you are describing is a constant delima for us guitar players. I would strongly consider a "Nashville Tele" Its kind of a cross between the two. Check it out!
I didn't watch this whole clip but the beginning of it appears to be on the middle pickupup, but these guitars can get some pretty cool "Strat" type of tones as well as some really cool Tele tones! Its a little bit of both, but more Tele then Strat!
If you decided that you really needed a Whammy. I would consider this guitar with a Bigsby!!
Well what you are describing is a constant delima for us guitar players. I would strongly consider a "Nashville Tele" Its kind of a cross between the two. Check it out!
I didn't watch this whole clip but the beginning of it appears to be on the middle pickupup, but these guitars can get some pretty cool "Strat" type of tones as well as some really cool Tele tones! Its a little bit of both, but more Tele then Strat!
If you decided that you really needed a Whammy. I would consider this guitar with a Bigsby!!
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DreX
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
I installed a third pickup in a Tele for someone, which had a route for a third pickup hidden under the pick guard, and I have to say, once you add that third pickup, the simplicity thing goes out the window. In a way, it's more complicated than a Strat, because with a Strat I'm accustomed to all the positions and sounds, but on the Tele, the 2,3,4 positions still came as a bit of a surprise and that threw me off. I only had in for about a month though, I might have got used to it, but it didn't quack as deep as a Strat, and I can see why three pickup Teles still aren't such a common occurrence after sixty years.
Another thing to note, the three pickup Tele's aren't wired to do B+N, so you should install a push/pull to access that nice B+N combination, which any modern two pickup Tele would have given you.
I installed a third pickup in a Tele for someone, which had a route for a third pickup hidden under the pick guard, and I have to say, once you add that third pickup, the simplicity thing goes out the window. In a way, it's more complicated than a Strat, because with a Strat I'm accustomed to all the positions and sounds, but on the Tele, the 2,3,4 positions still came as a bit of a surprise and that threw me off. I only had in for about a month though, I might have got used to it, but it didn't quack as deep as a Strat, and I can see why three pickup Teles still aren't such a common occurrence after sixty years.
Another thing to note, the three pickup Tele's aren't wired to do B+N, so you should install a push/pull to access that nice B+N combination, which any modern two pickup Tele would have given you.
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DreX
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
Are you saying that a Tele bridge pickup is not hotter than a Strat pickup, or are you saying that just to say it?
Are you saying that a Tele bridge pickup is not hotter than a Strat pickup, or are you saying that just to say it?
Falloffthebonetone
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
A Pickup's DC resistance obviously can tell you about the pickup, but only within a certain context. Without the context it is almost meaningless. In the context of a traditional telecaster pickup design, yes, more resistance would mean the pickup is hotter than a pickup with an identical design but fewer winds of copper wire. A 9k DCR A2 humbucker will sound hotter than a 7k DCR A2 humbucker when wired the same way (at least the majority of the time). Obviously there are plenty of other things in a pickup that contribute to how hot a pickup is and that DC resistance doesn't have the final say on output by any means. It does, however, obviously tell you something depending on the design associated with it. Lets not pretend it has nothing to do with the pickup's output, especially when context is already provided.
A Pickup's DC resistance obviously can tell you about the pickup, but only within a certain context. Without the context it is almost meaningless. In the context of a traditional telecaster pickup design, yes, more resistance would mean the pickup is hotter than a pickup with an identical design but fewer winds of copper wire. A 9k DCR A2 humbucker will sound hotter than a 7k DCR A2 humbucker when wired the same way (at least the majority of the time). Obviously there are plenty of other things in a pickup that contribute to how hot a pickup is and that DC resistance doesn't have the final say on output by any means. It does, however, obviously tell you something depending on the design associated with it. Lets not pretend it has nothing to do with the pickup's output, especially when context is already provided.
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Mr Wolf
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
I agree, although I actually think it is kinda cool!
I agree, although I actually think it is kinda cool!
Mr Wolf
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
Those ones are pretty cool. That said I am particularly loving single coils, and I have enough humbucker equipped guitars for now.
Those ones are pretty cool. That said I am particularly loving single coils, and I have enough humbucker equipped guitars for now.
Mr Wolf
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
Never played one of these but they do seem like a cool variation on the standard tele platform. Definitely going to try to get my hands on one. That said i think I will probably end up with something with a whammy. I haven't got one within my current stable at the moment but I have enjoyed mucking around with them whenever I have had the chance. As far as installing a bigsby I'm guessing that would involve shimming the neck and all sorts? Won't completely rule it out although that would greatly alter the feel of the guitar I am guessing. Anyway a billion options out there, and that's before even looking at the non-fender options!
Once again thank you all for the advice. Greatly appreciated, good to know I am not the only one who has thought about all this!
Never played one of these but they do seem like a cool variation on the standard tele platform. Definitely going to try to get my hands on one. That said i think I will probably end up with something with a whammy. I haven't got one within my current stable at the moment but I have enjoyed mucking around with them whenever I have had the chance. As far as installing a bigsby I'm guessing that would involve shimming the neck and all sorts? Won't completely rule it out although that would greatly alter the feel of the guitar I am guessing. Anyway a billion options out there, and that's before even looking at the non-fender options!
Once again thank you all for the advice. Greatly appreciated, good to know I am not the only one who has thought about all this!
dystrust
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
You can install a Bigsby on a Tele without shimming the neck or drilling any permanent holes. All you need to do is replace the bridge with a Vibramate which incorporates a Tele bridge along with a mounting plate for a Bigsby B5. My Tele had one when I bought it, but I preferred the Bigsby on another guitar so I removed the Vibramate. If you're interested, I'd sell you mine though shipping / customs may be a pain with you in the UK.
You can install a Bigsby on a Tele without shimming the neck or drilling any permanent holes. All you need to do is replace the bridge with a Vibramate which incorporates a Tele bridge along with a mounting plate for a Bigsby B5. My Tele had one when I bought it, but I preferred the Bigsby on another guitar so I removed the Vibramate. If you're interested, I'd sell you mine though shipping / customs may be a pain with you in the UK.
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Mad-Max
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
A Tele with a Bigsby would be orgasmic!
A Tele with a Bigsby would be orgasmic!
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
Do you want a Tele in a str@t ? . . . or a str@t in a Tele ?
Do you want a Tele in a str@t ? . . . or a str@t in a Tele ?
jimijames
New member
Re: My mind says "Strat", my heart says "Tele"
I had to reply to this because I had a tele with a bigsby - it's a great tremolo but I never found myself using it. When I would bend one string, the others would go flat, so doing faux pedal steel licks go right out the window. If I had the option of having like 3 teles though one of them would have a bigsby. I had to switch back to the hardtail though because oblique bends are kind of a big deal to me... I never knew until I couldn't do them anymore.
I have both a tele and a strat. The strat I've had in a variety of different configurations and always find myself fiddling a lot - maybe a little more of this, maybe in parallel, etc. etc. With the tele, I'll flip to the bridge (for example) and just sit there. To clean up I'll just ease up on the volume knob. Or, I'll go to the neck pickup and just adjust my technique.
Both have features I "must have" - with the tele, it's the headstock (which makes behind the nut bends a breeze) and with the strat it's the body contours (which let you play the guitar standing without cutting off circulation to your picking hand). So, what I did (and many will regard this as a crime) is I carved my own forearm/belly contours with a file, a rasp, and sandpaper. They aren't as deep as the strat contours - I didn't need to take off that much wood - but they make the guitar a thousand times more comfortable to play standing up. Couple that with the sub 4 lb swamp ash body and the tele is also the lightest guitar I own. Unfortunately the 1" neck and the light body tends to create very slight neck dive, nothing like an SG but still noticeable.
Without further ado,
Bigsby
I don't think I have a photo of it with the ashtray on yet...
I had to reply to this because I had a tele with a bigsby - it's a great tremolo but I never found myself using it. When I would bend one string, the others would go flat, so doing faux pedal steel licks go right out the window. If I had the option of having like 3 teles though one of them would have a bigsby. I had to switch back to the hardtail though because oblique bends are kind of a big deal to me... I never knew until I couldn't do them anymore.
I have both a tele and a strat. The strat I've had in a variety of different configurations and always find myself fiddling a lot - maybe a little more of this, maybe in parallel, etc. etc. With the tele, I'll flip to the bridge (for example) and just sit there. To clean up I'll just ease up on the volume knob. Or, I'll go to the neck pickup and just adjust my technique.
Both have features I "must have" - with the tele, it's the headstock (which makes behind the nut bends a breeze) and with the strat it's the body contours (which let you play the guitar standing without cutting off circulation to your picking hand). So, what I did (and many will regard this as a crime) is I carved my own forearm/belly contours with a file, a rasp, and sandpaper. They aren't as deep as the strat contours - I didn't need to take off that much wood - but they make the guitar a thousand times more comfortable to play standing up. Couple that with the sub 4 lb swamp ash body and the tele is also the lightest guitar I own. Unfortunately the 1" neck and the light body tends to create very slight neck dive, nothing like an SG but still noticeable.
Without further ado,
Bigsby
I don't think I have a photo of it with the ashtray on yet...
