Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

[Lewguitar]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

Wow, there are a lot of great and interesting thoughts here. I have tried, throughout my guitar playing life, to like Strats. I can't take the contours and the volume knob placement though. The only "real" reason I even like Strats is for the 2/4 quack positions. I get that with a Strat pickup in my Tele's middle position. It's not exact, but close enough. I also agree with the Tolkien analogy; very "right-on".

From my perception, and it's just that - my perception, when I go see a band or take part in an open mic/jam and I see a player with a Strat, the thought that, most-often, goes through my mind is, "Okay we have a Strat because the guy wants the guitar to do the work." In the same situation, when I see a player with a Telecaster, I think, "Okay, this is either going to be really good or really bad". That's because his/her fingers will need to do the work. I have other thoughts about players with other guitar makes/models; but we're discussing Teles and Strats here.

To me, there has never been a better bridge pickup made, than the Telecaster bridge pickup. The Tele neck pickup was invented to fill a marketing need; that's all. There have been major improvements regarding the Tele neck pickup; but to me, the original with a nickel-silver cover has a warm sweetness to it that's hard to beat.

Sheesh - I am talking myself into a Nocaster for sure....

There's a classic tone with strummy jangle that a vintage Tele neck and vintage Tele bridge pickup make when combined and if you heat up the Tele neck pickup to make it sound more like a Strat then you lose that classic tone when both are combined.

I think both a Strat and a Tele take a good player who knows how to shape the tone with his/her hands to sound good. Gibsons, on the other hand, automatically sound warm and full with a minimum of technique.

That's why so many beginners prefer humbuckers and use excessive distortion - the hotter the better if you're a beginner. I think even the guys who prefer humbuckers back off on the heat eventually though, because eventually you do learn to shape the tone with your hands and then you want a more vintage output pickup set and want to back off some on the distortion too, so that your own personality and playing style can come through more.

All that said, I have always liked soloing on a paf style bridge humbucker and playing rhythm on single coils. Since 90% of a tune is rhythm and fills, I've played single coil Strats and Teles all of my life.

I don't care for hybrid S/S/HB guitars - never have. Tonal compromise I can't live with. My guitars with humbuckers have two humbuckers. My guitars with single coil size pickups have two or three single coils. I don't mix them on one guitar - been there done that.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

There's a classic tone with strummy jangle that a vintage Tele neck and vintage Tele bridge pickup make when combined and if you heat up the Tele neck pickup to make it sound more like a Strat then you lose that classic tone when both are combined.

I think both a Strat and a Tele take a good player who knows how to shape the tone with his/her hands to sound good. Gibsons, on the other hand, automatically sound warm and full with a minimum of technique.

That's why so many beginners prefer humbuckers and use excessive distortion - the hotter the better if you're a beginner. I think even the guys who prefer humbuckers back off on the heat eventually though, because eventually you do learn to shape the tone with your hands and then you want a more vintage output pickup set and want to back off some on the distortion too, so that your own personality and playing style can come through more.

All that said, I have always liked soloing on a paf style bridge humbucker and playing rhythm on single coils. Since 90% of a tune is rhythm and fills, I've played single coil Strats and Teles all of my life.

I don't care for hybrid S/S/HB guitars - never have. Tonal compromise I can't live with. My guitars with humbuckers have two humbuckers. My guitars with single coil size pickups have two or three single coils. I don't mix them on one guitar - been there done that.

This post is one of the reasons I'm glad you're part of this forum Lew. They're always interesting, insightful, and thought-provoking...

I always am able to see another side to my own posts after reading yours. FWIW, I like to do my soloing mainly using a bridge position humbucker too. I like the Tele bridge pickup soloing pretty much only when chicken picking...

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

Cleans: Strat, it has 5 great different tones, I like especially middle/bridge, middle/neck and neck alone, though the bridge position is great for cutting rhythm sounds.
For overdrive, the Strat middle pickup is good for rhythm and bridge, too, for more cut. Neck pickup is solo heaven.
Distortion: Give me my LP.

 

[saladin]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

My two favorite guitars... as much as I love my Tele... the Strat is my #1.










As I sit here listening to the "White Album" jonesing hard for a Casino with some nasty P-90's!!!!!

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

Look like a G&L not a Telecaster to me!

You are correct.




Sprinter

 

[El CHupacabra]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

^ Lew, very true. I went through that phase before, but since joining a jazz band I'm trying to use cleans better as well. And with a Vox Ac30, that's very easy .

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

If we are talking strictly tone, Telecasters win for me.
I absolutely adore the tone Jeff Buckley got from his Tele.

 

[gkoelling]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

If I could only have one guitar, it would be a Tele.

If I could only have two guitars, they'd be Tele's.

If I could only have three guitars, I'd add an Esquire.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

Here would be my ultimate tele-strat.... Please comment what you think of this combination...

Body = Stratocaster made from one piece swamp ash
Neck = Scaled down to 24.5 inch, skunk striped maple neck with large headstock strat style headstock.
Neck pup = P-90 style (Seymour Duncan Custom Soapbar SP90-3)
Middle pup = Stratocaster style (Seymour Ducnan Classic Stack Plus STK-S4)
Bridge pup = Telecaster style (Seymour Duncan APTL-3JD)
Bridge = Telemodified so that that metal that stick up get's removed and does not cut into your hand. (Callaham Vintage T Model Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Enhanced Vintage Compensated Saddle)
Paint = real Nitro applied super thin.
Nut = cut from whale bone
Electronics = Toneshaper (http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/ToneShaper_for_Stratocaster__P2032C218.cfm)
Pickguard = shielded
Color = Clear skyblue tinned stain covered with lacquer made from Qualalacq™ Alcohol Resistant Lacquers (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17648)

 

[Hellion]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

I guess if I have to pick just ONE, it'd probably be a Tele, but it's because they're so annoyingly addictive to play. I've got both and they both have their merits. The best description I've ever heard in regards to the comparison between these two is that Strats "sting, then scream", while Teles "punch, then sing". I've kinda found that to be the case with mine. My bastardcaster Tele has a very full, punchy tone, and my Strats sound breathy in comparison.

Clean, I like the Strat tones better, ala Tye Tabor (yea, I know he plays a Yamaha now) and Clapton, but distorted, I prefer Tele tones, such as Page & Gatton.

With me, they get equal time, though not necessarily in the same format. Live, I'll probably go with a Tele for a little fuller tone, but recording I tend to stick to the Strat. They blend really well with a Les Paul. The bottom line is that "tone" is in your head and your hands.

 

[LReese]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

I tend to gravitate towards what I call "Airier" tones. Mid scooped Strat PU's, floating bridge. I figure with the proper combination of processing, good dirty tones are possible al a EJ (though he's a bridge on the body guy).

Tele's result in an easier to get distorted sound for me, kind of the right balance for that app.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

See now - this here is what I like....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC-NVauJ7y8

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Stratocaster Tone vs Telecaster Tone

That sounds like an awesome idea for a project. Hell I'd rock it!!