Tele neck woes.

Low_fidelity2100

New member
So I got my First tele back in 1999. A Black MIM standard tele, and It quickly became my favorite guitar, and Its neck became the standard by which all other necks were judged (for me at least). Its Nice and Fat and just felt Right for the longest time. No matter what other guitars I got between 99 and now, the tele was always #1, and I thought nothing could change that.
So as time passed I modded the living **** outta that tele. Routed and Installed a Bridge bucker First, then a neck bucker. Then at some point used a planer to remove the finish, and then after that Eventually covered it in glitter and sprayed on a SUPER thick layer of clear coat on the top (back and sides left unfinished) and Thats how it stayed for a LONG time.
That tele stayed my favorite for longer than any girlfriend I've ever had, lasted longer than my marriage (to an evil demon) even. But over time it got totally messed up and basically looked like it had been through a house fire or two, or had been setting in a dumpster for a year, you get the point.

So I got a great girl friend, and apperently she took pity on me, And this year Bought me an American tele for christmas! So since the time she bought that and gave it to me (end of November as an early present), I haven't even TOUCHED my old MIM tele.
Well apperently My mother and sister also took pitty on me, and Didn't know about my Girlfriend buying me a new telecaster. So For christmas they chipped in together, and bought me a new telecaster Body, so My tele wouldn't look so pittiful anymore. Its a beautiful gold colored alder body. Its so Nice lookin I just stare at it in amazement, haha.

Anyways, So after Not touching that tele for over a month, and Only playing my American tele, I finally got all the parts I'de been waiting on to Finish up the MIM tele's restoration (if you can call it that), and I put er together, and fired er up.
And, It sounds amazing, Looks amazing. But heres the Problem, I ****ing HATE the neck on it now! The one thing I always loved about it, I hate now! How is that possible? The new pickups I put in it sound great, the body is amazingly resonant, and not hideous, its beautiful looking and Sounding. But The neck Feels Horrible to me now! What the **** happened?! haha.

I've gotten so used to the american Tele's neck that Now this old neck that I used to Love sooo much feels like trying to play a boat ore or sumthing. Its horrible. Well, Not horrible, but I just can't playo n it anymore.

The Neck on this tele is basically Everyone elses idea of the perfect tele neck, Big Fat U shape. It feels Exactly Like the necks on the 50's tele and esquire reissues. Just a great Big fat "Traditional" tele neck.
But for some reason, when I try to Play it, it feels like I'm battleing bridge trolls with swords and all I have is like, A spork or sumthing. Its horrible, I dunno what happened. Its actually really saddening to me in a way. Like its the end of an era.

So Heres where the trouble lies. I am Very attached to this neck. Sentimentally, But I just can't play on it anymore. So I dunno what to do. I know I NEED to get a different neck for the tele, something closer in shape to my American teles neck (which has now become my idea of the perfect neck). But I don't wanna let go Of this neck! haha, even though I hate it (litterally hate) now. But at the same time, Since its such a perfect Traditional Tele Neck shape, It seems like a waste to get a new neck, And then just let this one set in a box or sumthing unused. So I dunno what to do.
It feels Soo wrong to Go from thinking "This is the perfect neck" to a month and a half later just setting down and realizeing "Wow This just isn't for me anymore". Its just strange to me. I dunno.

Anyone else ever have something like this happen? Have a neck that just felt PERFECT to you, and Then after going unused for a little while when ya go back to it, it just feels totally wrong?
 
Re: Tele neck woes.

I think you can get used to it again,just play it more !
I have all kinds of necks on my guitars and they all feel ok now. In some situations
the thin neck feels to thin and the fat to fat,sometimes the string spacing is to narrow and sometimes to wide...hmmmm
I kind of see it as some of the personality of each guitar,heck i can`t buy new necks every time i feel one neck is better than the other.
I would stick to it,you`v had it for 7 years by now and your just going
thru some of the regular marriage crises.
 
Re: Tele neck woes.

keep playing it, i have some wide and fat necks but i can also play on a 62 reissue neck (which I think is pretty thin really). It can be done, just make youself pick it up and play it and you will be able to switch between noth guitars.
 
Re: Tele neck woes.

that's tough bro...i have similar contrasts between my teles...my tokai '52 has a huge baseball bat neck and my schecter pt has a more traditional C shaped neck.

just like mrfjones said...just play em' like crazy for awhile before you try to buy another neck just too see for sure you can't get along with it!
 
Re: Tele neck woes.

Yeah, yer all right. I've been playin it an while it still doesn't feel as perfect as before, It doesn't feel like such a fight as much either. It was just really really surprising when i was playing it and it felt bad, After years of feeling perfect. Honestly I don't think I could ever bring myself to get rid of that neck anyways.

It just seemed so odd because Normally I can get used to most necks really quickly. None of my other guitars have similar necks, but I never have issues with them. So it just seemed so weird that I felt like I had to fight the tele to play it. Maybe its just mad at me for neglecting it and its showin me who's boss, haha.
 
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