Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

There are many folks who love the Tele neck pickup (and/or the resulting middle position) and many who don't. True "Tele tone" comes from the bridge pickup (including the bridge and the all-important bottom plate). Since none other than Keith Richards has seen fit to put a humbucker in the neck position, everybody pretty much gets a pass on neck pickups and it can still be a "Tele" no matter what you stick in there. My MIM has an SSL-1 Strat pickup at the neck; at other times it's had a '59N. I've also used an SM-1; minihumbuckers make great Tele neck pickups.

Thats kind of what I figured. The "tele" tone was mostly a bridge thing as the pup mounts in the ashtray thing and all. But, I didnt know if Id be missing out on any classic tellyness not using a traditional neck pup.. If I really liked the way they play and felt, Id have a standard config and something diff, but Im looking for the sound.. In a low budget, decent playing model

the best low dollar tele i've found is a used squier classic vibe telecaster. i just picked one up for $250 and it plays great. some people like the stock picups as well. i swapped mine out for a stl2 hot in the bridge and a twang king in the neck and this guitar kicks a lot of butt for the money i paid for it.

Dont doubt it.. I really enjoyed to vintage modified I had.. So much so, Im thinking about just replicating that one. Just want to make sure Im covering the tones as that one had the minibucker in the neck.. But Man, that mini bucker tone was awesome... I got pretty good rock and metal tones even out of the Jerry Donahue bridge pup.. hee hee

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

Actually the tele neck pickup isn't a liptstick tube. It's just a cover over the pickup. A lipstick tube has the wire wrapped directly around a small bar bar magnet and is inside the tube.

Thanks! Yeah, I know the lipstick pup is diff. I was just in a hurry and couldnt think how to communicate the other.

 

[DreX]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

Thats kind of what I figured. The "tele" tone was mostly a bridge thing as the pup mounts in the ashtray thing and all.

There are Tele's with half-ashtrays, like the G E Smith Tele, that still sound 'Tele', or the Cabronitas that have Filter'trons and and simple bridges that still sound very Tele. People says "if you want a Strat sound, you must buy a Strat, if you want a Les Paul sound, you must buy a Les Paul", but suddenly if you want a Tele sound, all you need is an ash tray and a base plate? I think that just because it's the most visually striking feature that it must therefore be the most acoustically significant also. We obsess over pickups here, but some point out that at the end of the day, all they do is transfer information from one place to another, and that's ultimately the reason why you can't stick PAFs into a chunk of plywood and get a Les Paul out the other side.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

ESP LTD TE-212. Cheap, good woods, and an awesome base for upgrades.

those look pretty cool!! especially the black with the maple board! And they prolly have bigger frets than most tele styles. ONLY draw back, is Id rather not have a humbucker in the neck. either a standard tele pup , single or minibucker. I know, Im being picky.. but have a few humbucker axes and want this to be different.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

that pickup could be interesting... Those really do the trick?

In absolutely "purist" terms, no. I have this pickup in three Stratocaster guitars of varying quality. Through an overdriven Fender valve amplifier, by playing archetypal Tele double string bend licks, it is possible to create the illusion that a Strat is a Tele. The Fender NoLoad tone control helps.

There, again, playing double string bend licks on a Filter'Tron-equiped guitar gets sufficiently close also.

*

Leftfield suggestion. Buy Squier '51. Remove stock bridge and humbucker. Install modern, machined Tele bridge and single coil pickup.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

this is what I had before, only black.. I had forgotten it had the single coil in the middle.. Plus, the stock pups are Duncan designed.. Dont remember that mine had a cedar body.. but maybe it did..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Squier-Tele...793?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aabd67909

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

This is cool too... traditional tele pup config and big frets!

anyone know if these LTDs have close to a traditional tele tone?? If so, I may jump on this..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP-LTD-TE-...195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23529df5fb

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

$350 OR LESS. Hopefully much less. I like the vintage modified teles.

The G&L ASAT line is something to consider, too. Great guitars.

^
This.

Squier VM Series and G&L Tribute Series guitars are both crafted in Indonesia, in the self same factory. If you are happy with the quality and finishing of one brand, you will be equally happy with the other.

The G&L ASAT is a slightly misshapen Telecaster derivative. It wears the same US-made MFD pickups as the American-built models. The Classic gets traditionally sized bridge and neck single coils. The Special gets the big, P90-ish units. Both twang.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

HMM.. so the pups would be good out of the box huh? Ill look at em.. did a quick peek on ebay ( at work) and most I saw were $450-539. the ones that were in my price range were butterscotch which im not a fan of.. but, would go for function over form..

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?

man, Im torn... I want to make sure to get the proper tones.. And obviously the best playability.. Id like the big frets of the ltd, but worry that it wont sound as good. prolly get the g&l or squire.. we'll see...