Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

[Artie]

I'm wondering what folks thoughts is on this. Should names like Telecaster and Stratocaster be used generically? Or should they be used only to refer to those specific instruments?

For example, when someone asks about a pup recommendation, and I say something like: "I have a C5 in my Tele." (Refering to a Peavey Generation.) Is that misleading?

If you have a guitar thats styled like a Tele, do you call it a Tele? Only in one context or another?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Artie

 

[tone4days]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

i refer to my tokai as a 'tele clone' ... i think that "tele-style" is best to describe a non-fender, telecaster-style guitar ... so, "i fell in love with a Suhr tele-style this summer" ... 'tele copy' works too ...

i reserve "tele" or "strat" for actual fender guitars ...

not sure it really matters much .. i think this is just a habit i got into

cheers
t4d

 

[rinse_master]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

Hmmm, I'm kind of divided on that, maybe something along the lines of "Peavey Tele", best of both worlds?, so people know it's not a Tele but it looks like one?...

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

i reserve "tele" or "strat" for actual fender guitars...

+1. I always say "Tele-copy", "Strat-copy", "Les Paul-copy"...

However, I will say "Jackson/Hamer/ESP Flying V" and I refer to all liscensed Floyd Roses as "Floyds" and all Bigsby-style trems as "Bigsbys."

 

[ankalar]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

If it's a G&L, Squier, Suhr, Grosh, or something like that, I would call it a Strat. Warmoths are called Warmoths. Any other copy is called a copy.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

It's always seemed to me that Gibson gets far more leeway than Fender when it comes to the realness of copies. Many people seem much more ready to accept a Fake Strat as a legitimate Strat option than, say, a Fake ES335 or Fake SG or Fake Les Paul...

It's always "If you really want a Les Paul, you have to buy a Les Paul" but "If you want a Strat, here's a list of choices from 15 manufacturers..."

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

It's always seemed to me that Gibson gets far more leeway than Fender when it comes to the realness of copies. Many people seem much more ready to accept a Fake Strat as a legitimate Strat option than, say, a Fake ES335 or Fake SG or Fake Les Paul...

It's always "If you really want a Les Paul, you have to buy a Les Paul" but "If you want a Strat, here's a list of choices from 15 manufacturers..."

isn't that funny!

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

I wonder if it has to do with the companies' own marketing. Fender goes out of its way to make their less expensive lines LOOK much like the more expensive ones; they use the "Fender" name on a WIDE price range of instruments, made in no fewer than four different countries and offer the Squier lines up as legitimate low-cost alternatives.


Gibson, however, has always kept some distance between the Epiphone line and its USA guitars.


Plus, Fender has had so many wood and pickup and hardware configs for their main insturments over the years that what does and does not constitute a "REAL" Tele or Strat is kinda muddled...Gibson on the other hand has been markedly conservative in the modifications to their root designs over the years.

 

[Artie]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

I agree with most everything said here, but the main focus of my question is relative to pup recommendations. (However, all the comments are welcome and interesting.)

If someone asks, "Whats a good Tele bridge pickup?"

and I reply, "I like the C5 in mine."

Have I misled them?

 

[ankalar]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

That's not misleading unless your Peavey is made out of a wood completely opposite to theirs in respects to tone.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Whats in a name: I cannot Tele a lie.

If that C-5 is capable of producing a sound similar to what the person asking the question is looking for, and your "Tele" is roughly similar to theirs...I don't think it's misleading at all.