Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

[jeremy]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Ok, come on. The wood at the neck joint has nothing to do with it. If you took a Tele body, routed it for a complete Strat setup - I mean everything - bridge, pickups, etc. I would bet real money you would not be able to differentiate the tone from a regular Strat.

ill take that bet. the single cut vs dual cut body does effect what the guitar gives you. the belly rout probably not so much. its not as pronounced as the pups and the bridge but its there

 

[subanots]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

did anyone mention the angle of the bridge pickups?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

also, i hear a lot of talk about the stratocaster bridge pickup being entirely useless
and at the same time i also hear talk of the telecaster's bridge pickup being the "be-all, end-all" of guitar tone.
why doesn't someone replace a stratocaster bridge pickup with a telecaster bridge pickup ?

One of the many reasons I prefer G&L "strats" is the Leo Fender-designed Passive Treble and Bass tone system. PTB gives me total control over the bass and treble for all pickup combinations. It really makes the bridge pickup useable.

And one of the neat tricks with the PTB on my Comanches is to induce feedback and then "tune" the harmonic with the PTB Treble control.

I gave up my 1960 Strat years ago and went with G&L--and I now own 17 of them. Leo always said that the G&Ls were the best guitars he ever built; and since his passing in 1990, the company has really kept the quality high.

Oh, and I think there is a company that makes a tele-style bridge pickup for a strat. Um, Seymour-what's-his name?

Bill

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Someone with 635 posts doesn't know the difference? I doubt that...

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

also, i hear a lot of talk about the stratocaster bridge pickup being entirely useless

and at the same time i also hear talk of the telecaster's bridge pickup being the "be-all, end-all" of guitar tone.
why doesn't someone replace a stratocaster bridge pickup with a telecaster bridge pickup ?

That is a pretty silly statement, and I would pay it no mind.

Silly statement it might be . . . but i have heard that too, believe it or not.

Not that i care, as i do not gell with them str@ts anyways.



PS : Phil X rants and raves many times over the Tele bridges too



Something like this, i would deff play !

 

[DustyCat]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

I'm gonna jump in on this band wagon, i gotta couple Q's of my own...

Why do telecasters have their own section of pickups? Why not just lump them in with the single coils?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

It's all about the coupling of the metal bridge/pickup combination on the telecaster. A metal pickup baseplate is not enough to make for an authentic bridge tone as I had a '56 RI CS Fender Strat with an SD Twang Banger and it doesn't compare to my '63 RI CS Tele. You don't have to be a good or a bad guitar player to make that assertion, you just need to use your ears and draw your own conclusions.

I'd like to hear a strat with a tele traditional 3-saddle bridge and hear how close it comes. I do feel that a strat sounds like a strat because of the floating trem. The hardtails I've heard don't seem as resonant and I feel that they still sound like their own guitar - not anything remotely like a tele.

I haven't played a strat with just a bridge and neck pickup and that may have something to do with it as well. I can't say I've ever cared for a middle pickup on any 3 pickup design I've owned (and I've had multiple strats and a CS SG Custom). There are so many phenomenal players that have used strats throughout their career, so it's purely a matter of taste. With that said, having been through a lot of gear, the telecaster has spoken to me in a way the strat hasn't.

 

[Securb]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

A proper Tele neck pickup is

a) wood-mounted (not into the pickguard)

b) only used together with the bridge pickup

Ooo my friend. I love my Tele neck by its lonesome for some blues or punk, especially a bit of ska. I also think it lends itself to some great 50s and early 60's tones. You are being gentle I have heard people describe the Tele neck pickup as being totally useless.

 

[Securb]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Something like this, i would deff play !

Very similar to my No. 2 Tele with the T.V. Jones Classic Plus in the neck

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Someone with 635 posts doesn't know the difference? I doubt that...

Huh????

Number of posts relates....how?

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Also, there's a middle pickup on strats. 3 of them. Not 2.

off u see did MRSAge, I m on tapa talk and auto correct is hating on me

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

I'm gonna jump in on this band wagon, i gotta couple Q's of my own...

Why do telecasters have their own section of pickups? Why not just lump them in with the single coils?

Cause they arent the same? The neck pickup is smaller the bridge is larger with a metal plate on the bottom... atleast tradional tele pickups do.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

ah ffs.. just noticed the 3 year old necro on this...

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Ah lookit that. So it is.

off u see did MRSAge, I m on tapa talk and auto correct is hating on me

 

[jimijames]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

Still, I think it's a good topic. Fwiw, I tend to gravitate towards strat neck sounds and tele bridge sounds and it's easier to get a good strat neck sound out of a tele than a good tele bridge sound out of a strat.

I've also found the strat middle pickup very tasty on its own, but not compelling IMO the same way the two aforementioned pickups are.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

I know nearly nothing about teles.

*checks post count*

 

[Securb]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

I know nearly nothing about teles.

*checks post count*

I got your Tele right here buddy

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

I'd say it is the tele bridge, and pickups. The tele bridge pickup is at a different angle, and the neck pickup has that cover over it.

I just have to say it; the neck pickup is perfect. It sounds round, clear, and bell-like to me and I love it.

 

[B2D]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

ah ffs.. just noticed the 3 year old necro on this...

In spite of that... the correct answer is:

Because it IS so much different than a Strat.

The Tele sound comes from many elements comprising the whole, not just one individual part. Though some parts have a bigger influence than others.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Why does a telecaster sound so much different from a strat?

for anyone having done the B+N mod on a strat, this sounds pretty pretty close to a tele. No matter if we are talking about SC or HB. OTOH the same combo does not sound similar in a single cut-away mahogany!