Tele Or Strat?

[RorySquier]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I voted for the stratocaster, but I also like the Tele. Mine is a '52 RI and I love the neck on it. It's fairly thin and plays great. A tele is more of a straightforward guitar and I love the nostalgia of it. The stratocaster was supposed to replace the tele, but the tele is still going strong to this day. I think country music has really solidified the telecaster. I think the most popular mod to a telecaster is putting a humbucker in the neck position and leaving that bridge pick-up alone. I just love the twang and shiny sound that you can get from the bridge pick-up.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Recently one of my guitars were stolen (a strat) an now I need to replace it but im not sure weather to buy a tele or a strat? Can anybody offer any advice or opinions on this delimma of mine.

I would just go to a store and play every affordable Strat and Tele in the place. Walk out with the one that is the best for you (after paying for it, of course). My gut would say to replace a Strat with a Strat, but if you want a bit of a change, a Tele may be the way to go. Teles are inherently more wild and aggressive sounding IME. They bark. Strats are inherently sweeter. That said, both of them are so versatile that they can do practically anything with ease.

 

[Kramer Guy]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Strat !

 

[LReese]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I would just go to a store and play every affordable Strat and Tele in the place. Walk out with the one that is the best for you (after paying for it, of course). My gut would say to replace a Strat with a Strat, but if you want a bit of a change, a Tele may be the way to go. Teles are inherently more wild and aggressive sounding IME. They bark. Strats are inherently sweeter. That said, both of them are so versatile that they can do practically anything with ease.

I like that. I kept saying for a long time I wanted a Tele... I'd go to the store, try one out and feel underwhelmed. The Tele is the bridge pickup to me - and that part is freaking fantastic.

I wound up after several years a Relic NoCaster, which actually has a very nice neck pickup. I complimented it with a Suhr T, which has a humbucker in the neck. Middle position to me is still meh. Its ok, just not for me.

I still lust after a Tele Deluxe at times - I thought those were so cool when I was a kid back in the '70s.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I can't understand the hate for the standard telecaster neck pickup. I personally get amazing tones out of it.

x2, love it.

It's the first part of this clip, my purple-n-gold-n-pearl pimp Telecaster:



I think it sounds awesome. And be honest with yourself - you do too.

 

[scorch]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I have two strats and a tele. I'd have to chose strat for the versatility and comfort. Put nine-way switching in a strat and you've got a guitar that can go from beautiful cleans to thermo-nuclear heat.

That said, only a tele will sound like a tele. It's unique in the tone it delivers.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

MY PERSONAL choices are as follows:
H-H Strat
HSS Strat
H-H Tele
HSS Tele
SSS Strat where the bridge pickup is a TELE pickup instead of a Strat one.
SSS Strat (classic strat plus a pretty darn hot amp/pedal)
SS Tele.

In short, I prefer Strats over Teles but put more weight on the (mutt) pickup configuration over the body shape.
In their 100% classic configurations, an SSS Strat and an SS Tele are too different to make a direct comparison, it's apples vs oranges. A completely subjective decision based on individual taste.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Split the difference. Either a three pickup Tele or a Strat with a Twangbanger pickup in the bridge position.

 

[ExplorersRock]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Strats are more comfortable to me all around. Ergonomics win! I also prefer the tone. Teles are GREAT guitars, but they don't suit me, my playing style, or my preferred tone. I'll tip my hat to them and their fans, but for me, I'll take a strat.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Both great guitars...You just have to pick the model that speaks to you.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

View attachment 36094

 

[BluesDisciple]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Stratocaster - must be because I own three to the one Tele that I have! Love the feel of the neck and the versatility of the three pickups. Nothin like it except maybe a Les Paul...

 

[Bludave]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

If you are a serious guitar player you really need both (as well as others). Certain things you will need a Strat, certain things you will need a Tele...

 

[925SS]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Oh and im not tryna go all out ima spend maybe 200 max cause i just built a custom superstrat from warmoth parts so im a lil low on funds at the moment

You have a superstrat, why not get a tele.
As far as budget goes, a buddy of mine showed up at my house with an SX tele, the one with the P 90 in the neck. He just came from the pawn shop where he picked it up for $50!
I played it a little, & adjusted the intonation for him, it had a good feel, & the overall quality was good, & the pups weren't screaming "replace me quick" I was kinda impressed, in fact, i've been checkin the pawn shops for one for myself

 

[blueman335]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

If you are a serious guitar player you really need both (as well as others). Certain things you will need a Strat, certain things you will need a Tele...

Oh, I don't know about that. I'm a serious blues player and don't have a Strat or a Tele. I can do everything I could ever want on Gibson-design guitars.

Between Leo's career highpoints, I again reaffirm Tele's as the better of the two. I've heard more songs ruined, live and on CD, by screechy Strats than all other kinds of guitars combined. I wish more Strat players would be more considerate of audiences, and use Teles instead. Apparently it's a lot harder to get a good tone out of a Strat (a number of good Strat players have confirmed this). God bless those that know how to do it.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

Put a tallboy in the bridge of a strat. Or build a ridiculous hybrid like mine.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I didn't say anything about Blues. I said if you were a serious guitar player. In other words if you are going into a studio an was asked to do Country, you would probably bring a Tele, if you were going into a studio and were asked to play Jazz you would use a 175 or L5. You know different guitars for different situations. IMHO a serious guitar player needs 4. A 335, a Les Paul, a Strat & a Tele.... Maybe you don't but I certainly do..

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I didn't say anything about Blues. I said if you were a serious guitar player. In other words if you are going into a studio an was asked to do Country, you would probably bring a Tele, if you were going into a studio and were asked to play Jazz you would use a 175 or L5. You know different guitars for different situations. IMHO a serious guitar player needs 4. A 335, a Les Paul, a Strat & a Tele.... Maybe you don't but I certainly do..

I agree with your statements Dave...If I could only bring 1 guitar,it would be a strat...I can cover alot of ground with just a strat...At a gig,I usually have 2 strats and maybe a Tele or a LP,or the SG...The strat get's most of the play time..Once I get my tone dialed in,I prefer to stick with whatever that guitar that I start out with is..Sometimes what and how I play,is dependant on the guitar I play also..I also can say that I'd gravitate more towards a Tele for doing country before I'd use my 335,but I Like having and using the different guitars for these reasons..

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I have 5 Strats and 2 Teles, so I'd have to vote Strats.

I'd say they have the edge in that they are that bit more comfortable to play, and more versatile. They are the best two guitars out there though in my opinion.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Tele Or Strat?

I didn't say anything about Blues. I said if you were a serious guitar player. In other words if you are going into a studio an was asked to do Country, you would probably bring a Tele, if you were going into a studio and were asked to play Jazz you would use a 175 or L5. You know different guitars for different situations. IMHO a serious guitar player needs 4. A 335, a Les Paul, a Strat & a Tele.... Maybe you don't but I certainly do..

I know some serious professional guitar players in this part of the state, and none of them play country, so that's not really the genre to judge that by. Besides, these days a lot more county players are using Gibsons, so the old stereotypes there are falling by the wayside. Looking at your '4' essential guitars. there are many Fender owners, serious players included, that don't have or want any Gibsons, and vice versa. It's easy to say every serious player has to have this and that, but the fact is that a number of them don't. The better a player someone is, the less dependent the are on the 'tool.'