Strat or Tele?

Walter Broes

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I have a Strat and I just can't help hitting that pup selecter switch, m ocking it into the bridge pickup. :-/
That's because you naturally just want to ROCK!!!

Pascal, what you say about strats is true, but it almost goes for teles too. Thanks to guys like James Burton, all the Bakersfield guys, and the people they inspired, they have a chicken pickin' country image, but they're the archetypal R&B and Soul guitar too : Steve Cropper of course, and Cornell Dupree played a tele most of his career too.
And it's a hell of a blues guitar too, just think of Albert Collins, there are pictures of Johnny Guitar Watson, Guitar Slim, even B.B. King with one, and there was Roy Buchanan of course, a hard guy to fit into a category.

And Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Status Quo, Wilko Johnson, etc... are not exactly hiccuping greasers or chicken pickin' country twangers either, are they?
 

bluesypicky

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That's because you naturally just want to ROCK!!!

Pascal, what you say about strats is true, but it almost goes for teles too. Thanks to guys like James Burton, all the Bakersfield guys, and the people they inspired, they have a chicken pickin' country image, but they're the archetypal R&B and Soul guitar too : Steve Cropper of course, and Cornell Dupree played a tele most of his career too.
And it's a hell of a blues guitar too, just think of Albert Collins, there are pictures of Johnny Guitar Watson, Guitar Slim, even B.B. King with one, and there was Roy Buchanan of course, a hard guy to fit into a category.

And Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Status Quo, Wilko Johnson, etc... are not exactly hiccuping greasers or chicken pickin' country twangers either, are they?

Agreed on all counts. Believe me, my Tele ain't going nowhere! It is a unique and awesome guitar.
Just saying the list you put up there is a drop in the bucket if you compare it to the Strat players list.
I will never try to deter a Tele guy from playing his Tele.... I love these bity sounds too much, but ya know... just sayin... in the stupid scenario where I'd be dropped on an island with only one guitar, it would be the strat because of the feel and the versatility.

Status Quo!!! Wow! thanks for the flashback... I almost forgot them! And they did have a cool sound, even though they kept playing the same song over and over again... :laughing:

I remember seeing them live in the late 70's or early 80's, they made it on the power level, but in my ears the opening band stole the show. Funniest thing is I never heard of them again later.... the band was called "Ramus Down Boulevard". Awesome band, guess they didn't have the right contacts...
 

Bill Ashton

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Walter brings up something that was percolating in my head...how many teles are really on record, when you think it is a strat...Reggie Young, Steve Cropper, the Motown gang, the "Wrecking Crew"...always a tele in there...
 

dklsplace

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Welp, I just did some work on a maple neck tele this afternoon so I had some time to play around. I believe that has tipped the scales more decisively in the strat direction. It's funny now that I think of it...I've had a handful of teles come through in the last couple years for set ups, & one for a pickup change out. I remember being mostly underwhelmed by all of them, even the high $ USA models. The teles that I have owned were real standouts for one reason or another, but weren't as easy to come by.
 

dklsplace

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Ultimately one of each, but first things first....cash.

Browsing my local craigslist this morning & see the blond beauty that I recently set up, which is the one that got me started on this current bit of GAS. So it would appear that he's trying to turn a quick $100 after getting a deal on it to begin with. :unsure:
 

dapmdave

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strat or tele? Kinda like choosing between air or water.

I'll just keep one of each, TUVM.
 

dklsplace

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Well, I've just finished cutting a new bone nut for my frankentele, put on a fresh set of strings & played it hard for awhile. I really like the P90's on it with the 5 way switch!

I found a local guy with a Godin Artisan ST with maple neck & we're talking turkey on some potential trade items. That may satisfy my GAS for awhile....if nothing else, it's a new toy to tinker with!
 

griehund

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Well, I've just finished cutting a new bone nut for my frankentele, put on a fresh set of strings & played it hard for awhile. I really like the P90's on it with the 5 way switch!

I found a local guy with a Godin Artisan ST with maple neck & we're talking turkey on some potential trade items. That may satisfy my GAS for awhile....if nothing else, it's a new toy to tinker with!

You familiar with these guys in new Hampshire?

http://stores.ebay.com/The-STRATosphere/Necks-/_i.html?_fsub=2&_sid=105525814&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
 

dklsplace

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You familiar with these guys in new Hampshire?

Don't think I've run across them before. Since I've been doing side work on guitars for a number of years, I had set up a handful of dealer connections (have had a retail license, but let it lapse), so I tend to be on the cheap side when it comes to buying pieces parts as I can get most things at dealer cost.

Here's my frankentele. Think my total into this one is right around $200, not including my time.

20130824_140358.jpg
 

griehund

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Don't think I've run across them before. Since I've been doing side work on guitars for a number of years, I had set up a handful of dealer connections (have had a retail license, but let it lapse), so I tend to be on the cheap side when it comes to buying pieces parts as I can get most things at dealer cost.

Here's my frankentele. Think my total into this one is right around $200, not including my time.

20130824_140358.jpg

Nice. I'm thinking about a winter man cave project but I still have my bassman hanging fire. :unsure:
 
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Hi, new guy here. My first guitar - which I still own is an early '70s Strat. 3 bolt adjustable tilt, neck, over sized headstock. Over the years I've addressed all of the neck stability problems, shielding issues and have blocked the trem. It's got that classic Strat sound that I love. I've played Teles and have seriously considered buying a couple of times but ultimately they don't fit what I want to do. That being said one of my all time favorite live performers was Albert Collins.
 

mad dog

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I spend lots of time with both, have been thinking about this for years. My strat is a '61. Stripped of finish long ago by the idiotic original owner. No matter, it's a special guitar. I use it most often now in open tuning, open A, with and without slide. Came to teles later, now own three. One - an orange partscaster with spruce topped, chambered body and Don Mare pickups - is pretty much number one for gigging.

Very different instruments. The strat has two significant downsides for me. I keep turning the volume down by mistake when I play, and the tone knob is basically useless. On the upside, nothing sounds or feels like a strat. One of the most versatile guitars ever. And due to the springs/tremelo, it has a unique feel. Not every amp agrees with a strat, but when it does ... this '61 and my Gibson GA40 are truly something special together.

Teles are so remarkably versatile, they make strats seem like specialty instruments. Not sure why, but teles beat everything else. Something about the feel of it, how the right hand position works with that bridge. Teles are also versatile as a form. My three teles are all very different, in construction, pickup type, other details. They end up being quite distinct tonally, though obviously more or less the same model. I really cannot think of any tele downsides. The tone knob is an essential part of this design, extremely useful. Teles are completely promiscuous with amps. I've yet to come across an amp I want to play that doesn't work with a tele.

Bottom line is personal taste. Teles work for me in so many ways. The strat does too. I'd be lost without it. Good thing I don't have to choose.
MD
 

dklsplace

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Bottom line is personal taste. Teles work for me in so many ways. The strat does too. I'd be lost without it. Good thing I don't have to choose.
MD

Yep. Well, my frankentele has been getting some love lately & I'm liking the heck out of it. Even used it live a week ago with very positive results! If it had a maple fretboard, I wouldn't still be having this gas...I'm taking a hard look at the new Fret King & Vintage Brand electrics.
 

crank

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I spend lots of time with both, have been thinking about this for years. My strat is a '61. Stripped of finish long ago by the idiotic original owner. No matter, it's a special guitar. I use it most often now in open tuning, open A, with and without slide. Came to teles later, now own three. One - an orange partscaster with spruce topped, chambered body and Don Mare pickups - is pretty much number one for gigging.

Very different instruments. The strat has two significant downsides for me. I keep turning the volume down by mistake when I play, and the tone knob is basically useless. On the upside, nothing sounds or feels like a strat. One of the most versatile guitars ever. And due to the springs/tremelo, it has a unique feel. Not every amp agrees with a strat, but when it does ... this '61 and my Gibson GA40 are truly something special together.

Teles are so remarkably versatile, they make strats seem like specialty instruments. Not sure why, but teles beat everything else. Something about the feel of it, how the right hand position works with that bridge. Teles are also versatile as a form. My three teles are all very different, in construction, pickup type, other details. They end up being quite distinct tonally, though obviously more or less the same model. I really cannot think of any tele downsides. The tone knob is an essential part of this design, extremely useful. Teles are completely promiscuous with amps. I've yet to come across an amp I want to play that doesn't work with a tele.

Bottom line is personal taste. Teles work for me in so many ways. The strat does too. I'd be lost without it. Good thing I don't have to choose.
MD

Funny I have never heard anyone claim a Tele was more versatile than a strat before. To me Strats are like the Swiss Army knives of the electric guitar world. A tool that can be used for many things but is not the best available for most situations. I am a long time strat player because I like to get a variety of sounds. I use my tone knob and my volume knob as well as my volume knob and all switch/ pup combinations as well.
 
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