The science of the telecaster

[drew_half_empty]

Re: The science of the telecaster

Teles are great....I've not stopped playing my own now since the Tele posts of about 2 weeks ago...It's just a simple guitar design that works and sounds great because of the sum of it's parts..

...I'm so proud of myself

a lot of people complain about the tele neck pickups, but i love them

a friend of mine picked up a lite ash today (one that was actually worth a dang) and brought it over. The tone knobs on teles, oh jeez, THAT'S what a tone knob should do. I started out on the bridge, played some classic rock (tone rolled back) & rockabilly with the tone dimed (yeah, it twanged beautifully), then switched to the middle position, it churned out great surf tones, rolled back the tone knob - had an almost PAF-type humbucker tone to it. Neck position - more surf, duane eddy though, who had some pretty thick tone, rolled back the knob, BLUES GALORE

yay for telecasters

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: The science of the telecaster

the rigid mounting to a metal bridge plate is the critical combination of features that define the fundamental Tele lead tone.

Well, since this is a science thread...

Is it because of the rigid mounting or because it's steel?

The metal baseplate functions to reflect or keep the pickups magnetic field close to the pickup (At least that's the explanation for why the Fralin base plate works when put on the bottom of a strat pup). I am wondering if the steel mounting plate is also a key factor. Could it also have the affect of focusing the electromagnetic field around the pickup?

 

[mrfjones]

Re: The science of the telecaster

Well, since this is a science thread...

Is it because of the rigid mounting or because it's steel?

The metal baseplate functions to reflect or keep the pickups magnetic field close to the pickup (At least that's the explanation for why the Fralin base plate works when put on the bottom of a strat pup). I am wondering if the steel mounting plate is also a key factor. Could it also have the affect of focusing the electromagnetic field around the pickup?

i believe that the metal baseplate does most of the work with the bridge, but i think the bridge also does some, not much though. Guys like anderson usually don't use the standard tele bridge and they still sound great.

 

[Kelsey]

Re: The science of the telecaster

Exactly. And lots of Tele bridges are actually chrome-plated brass. I think it's the rigid mount more than anything (other than the unique geometry of the Tele lead pickup). As for the pickup base plate, several overwound Tele pickups don't have one, but they still sound like a Tele lead pickup (e.g., the STL-2 Hot Tele lead).

Note that I'm not saying that the other factors mentioned don't have an impact on the sound, it's just that their presence or absence doesn't change a Tele into something else. OTOH, changing the shape and size of the Tele pickup or mounting it to a pickguard would likely alter the Tele-ness quite significantly. As an example, consider the Twangbanger for Strat, which is touted as a Tele-like Strat pickup. It does add something of the Tele tonality, but despite the base plate it really doesn't sound like a Tele in a side-by-side with any of my Tele lead pickups (with or without a base plate). I think the difference lies in the gemoetry of the pickup and the different mounting schemes (pickguard vs. bridge plate).

 

[Quencho092]

Re: The science of the telecaster

acoustically, the big bridge puts a firmer grip over a larger area of the body so the vibration transfers to the wood, and electrically the base plate amplifies the magnetic field.

I've been swapping off between my strat and tele now and am beginning to appreciate both tones more.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: The science of the telecaster

The tone knobs on teles, oh jeez, THAT'S what a tone knob should do. I started out on the bridge, played some classic rock (tone rolled back) & rockabilly with the tone dimed (yeah, it twanged beautifully), then switched to the middle position, it churned out great surf tones, rolled back the tone knob - had an almost PAF-type humbucker tone to it. Neck position - more surf, duane eddy though, who had some pretty thick tone, rolled back the knob, BLUES GALORE

drew, that is a GREAT description of the tonal versatility of a Tele. Exactly how I remember mine. The tone knob is the key. :fing2:

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: The science of the telecaster

Exactly. And lots of Tele bridges are actually chrome-plated brass. I think it's the rigid mount more than anything (other than the unique geometry of the Tele lead pickup). As for the pickup base plate, several overwound Tele pickups don't have one, but they still sound like a Tele lead pickup (e.g., the STL-2 Hot Tele lead).

Note that I'm not saying that the other factors mentioned don't have an impact on the sound, it's just that their presence or absence doesn't change a Tele into something else. OTOH, changing the shape and size of the Tele pickup or mounting it to a pickguard would likely alter the Tele-ness quite significantly. As an example, consider the Twangbanger for Strat, which is touted as a Tele-like Strat pickup. It does add something of the Tele tonality, but despite the base plate it really doesn't sound like a Tele in a side-by-side with any of my Tele lead pickups (with or without a base plate). I think the difference lies in the gemoetry of the pickup and the different mounting schemes (pickguard vs. bridge plate).

Chrome Plated brass? Really? My theory was relying on the bridge mounting plate being a magnetic metal.

Yes, you are probably right that it's likely all the mentioned factors. I wonder if a strat bridge pup were put in a Tele bridge, how would that sound? A Tele that sounds more strat?

But, then again I've never heard someone wanting their Tele to be more strat, just for the strat to be more Tele Go figure.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: The science of the telecaster

Chrome Plated brass? Really? My theory was relying on the bridge mounting plate being a magnetic metal.

Yes, you are probably right that it's likely all the mentioned factors. I wonder if a strat bridge pup were put in a Tele bridge, how would that sound? A Tele that sounds more strat?

But, then again I've never heard someone wanting their Tele to be more strat, just for the strat to be more Tele Go figure.

It also has a lot to do with the positioning of the bridge pickup. It's slightly further away from the bridge on a tele. I remember reading an article with Gerry Donahue, who already had a signature Tele, and his new signature Strat. He wanted the best of both worlds and found that by mounting the pup on a metal plate and moving it slightly, he got the tone he wanted.