Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

[loudriver23]

Besides looking cool, what else do I need to know about these guitars? How much different to they play, or sound from a standard solid body telecaster?
The Fender offerings have either a Mahogany, or Ash body. The idea of a Mahogany telecaster is interesting for sure.
Does anyone rock one of these guys?

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Not a fan of them purely on looks !

I prefer the "regular" solid body Tele's, and the kick arrrse Aerodyne models !!!


James

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Not a fan of them purely on looks !

I prefer the "regular" solid body Tele's, and the kick arrrse Aerodyne models !!!


James

I hadn't heard of the Aerodyne before, P90 in the old neck eh.... Would be pretty darned cool!!

 

[DesertRat]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

There are several variations as you mentioned.
The '72 style has fender "wide range" humbuckers. The original design of these pickups was good, but all the reissue ones use different materials and are average to average+ in my opinion. They're on the weak end of the output range for humbuckers. There are limited options for replacement pickups for the 72 style because the wide range HB is larger than normal HB size (though it's not hard to make an adaptor ring for regular size pickups from some pickguard material.)

The '69 thinline style usually has standard Tele pickups and is offered in mahogany.

Thinlines feel pretty much like regular tele's but have just a bit more resonance and less weight. The swamp ash models sound a bit scooped and have a snappy attack while the mahogany bodies are warmer sounding while still retaining some tele twang.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Thanks DR,
Yeah I'm getting the bug to build something. I was thinking of some kind of tele, and since I already have a solid body, why not a thinline?
I was thinking of the standard tele pickup config, but perhaps the mahagony body thinline, with a P90 in the neck might just be a very cool guitar indeed.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

to me they sound a little rounder and honkier than regular teles

definitely have their own sound, once you plug one in you'll be able to hear it right away

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

to me they sound a little rounder and honkier than regular teles

definitely have their own sound, once you plug one in you'll be able to hear it right away

Perhaps a trip to the local guitar shop is in order before I get too deep into the planning phase of this project.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

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This is a pretty poor shot of my custom thinline. It was made by a small Company here that is no longer in business. All mahogany body with a flame maple cap. 25.5" scale with ebony board. It sounds a lot like a 335 rather then a Tele. Its got a JazzN & a 59B so its big sounding adn it can have similar feed back issues like with any semi hollow guitar. the pickups in this are coil tapped so I can get a very good single coil sound, but it sounds best when both coils are on. then it rocks like a 335! These are great Teles uf you favor the Tele body shape, but are looking for something with more balls. A great overall guitar

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

^^^
That's a cool looking guitar, I bet it sounds awesome too! I guess I'm looking for a more pure tele vibe then trying to get 335 type tones. I have my Ibby 335 copy for that.
Is that a SF Super I see behind your guitar? It looks pretty nice in any case.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

^^^
That's a cool looking guitar, I bet it sounds awesome too! I guess I'm looking for a more pure tele vibe then trying to get 335 type tones. I have my Ibby 335 copy for that.
Is that a SF Super I see behind your guitar? It looks pretty nice in any case.

Yes it is. Its a drip edge from 68 or 69. The small amp to the right of it with the Fender cover is a "matching" Deluxe Reverb. I still have both of them as well as the 900 nest to it on the other side. I used the 900 to gig with mostly with my last band, my new band I'm not sure yet. We have only been rehearsing at a local studio so I until we actually get out and get our complete set together I won't know. I may use my Bogner Shiva instead. The Cleans on the Shiva are better than the Marshall. Although the 900 gets a bad rep I think its a great sounding amp.

Don't give up on the thinline. When they are properly equipped with single coils the sound very much like a Tele but have a little less high end from what I remember. Haven't played one in a while.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

i saw a mahogany thinline reissue today at the local store... i picked it up and just holding it it did nothing for me... i picked up a MIM Standard tele right after that did... guess i prefer the standard tele over a Thinline... never liked the Thinline looks...

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I've played a mohagony squier thinline that was 24.75 scale with buckers and it sounded more like a Gibson than a Fender. I've also heard/played my cousin's custom-made tele thinline with a traditional bridge and pickup and a Fralin strat neck pickup and it was one of the best Teles I've ever played.

I think a thinline with a tele bridge pickup and a P-90 neck would be a killer combo.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I hear them as being a bit more airy than the solids. One feature to consider too is that they are considerably LIGHTER than the solids. It feels nearly weightless, in fact.

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Don't know too much about the newer ones, but I have had 2 from the 90's that were mahogany and both were the shiznit as far as Fenders go.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I hadn't heard of the Aerodyne before, P90 in the old neck eh.... Would be pretty darned cool!!

YUP, i really like these . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rooey/539727625/


James

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I love mine. Compared back to bakc with my solid body tele, the thinline has a sweeter top end and a slower, softer attack. It still twangs hard, but there's more air to the sound. I tend to play the thinline more, as the solid body can get a bit grating with the wrong settings.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I love mine. Compared back to bakc with my solid body tele, the thinline has a sweeter top end and a slower, softer attack. It still twangs hard, but there's more air to the sound. I tend to play the thinline more, as the solid body can get a bit grating with the wrong settings.

Is yours a Fender or clone thereof? Do you have the standard pickguard, or do you have the pickups mounted right into the body.
I've been looking at the Warmoth Gallery, and I must say, I am not a fan of how Tele's, or Thinline Tele's look without a pickguard, regardless of how pretty the wood grain is.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

I've been looking at the Warmoth Gallery, and I must say, I am not a fan of how Tele's, or Thinline Tele's look without a pickguard, regardless of how pretty the wood grain is.

Teles in general look weird without pickguard.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Teles in general look weird without pickguard.

Yeah, honestly, Tele's look kind of weird under the best of circumstances, but I've grown to love their looks in the stock form.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Talk to me about the Thinline Telecaster please.

Is yours a Fender or clone thereof? Do you have the standard pickguard, or do you have the pickups mounted right into the body.
I've been looking at the Warmoth Gallery, and I must say, I am not a fan of how Tele's, or Thinline Tele's look without a pickguard, regardless of how pretty the wood grain is.

Mine is a MIJ 69 Thinline RI (Fender). It was made in '91 and now sports a Paul Bunyan Tele set with an uncovered neck pickup. One thing I forgot to mention is that this guitar has a nice "bloom" to notes under gain. I don't know if it's the pickups, the mahogany, or the semi hollow construction, but I've never heard this effect to such an extent in any other tele.