Life After Nocasters

[digthosetubes]

For you experienced Telecaster players and collectors, I am wondering where you would go next, after a Nocaster, in order to get an even finer, higher quality, better playing Tele guitar.

While I hope some folks will say that there is nothing better than a Nocaster, I invite all comments.

(I must say I am in love with the small radius neck and the small frets. Something very precise and satisfying about playing on that neck. So are there even better necks of that style than that fine Fender Nocaster neck) -- in your humble opinion.

I have heard a number of people discussing guitars that supposedly "smoke" the Nocaster. If there are such guitars, I would like to be on the alert and able to keep an eye out for them in the future. It's my goal to hunt them all down and destroy them. No. I mean it's my goal to consider buying one. That's what I meant.

Oh. And I was going to add a line here about not coming on and making me feel too bad about owning a Nocaster. But what the heck. Forget I mentioned it.

Thank you.

[Amplite]

Add a neck pickup!


Just kidding!!!

Hard to top perfection!

[mcgriff420]

I'd like a crook tele like Brad paisley's

[rhinocaster]

Originally Posted by Amplite

Add a neck pickup!


Just kidding!!!

Hard to top perfection!

But they have a neck pickup.

[rhinocaster]

Originally Posted by digthosetubes

For you experienced Telecaster players and collectors, I am wondering where you would go next, after a Nocaster, in order to get an even finer, higher quality, better playing Tele guitar.

While I hope some folks will say that there is nothing better than a Nocaster, I invite all comments.

(I must say I am in love with the small radius neck and the small frets. Something very precise and satisfying about playing on that neck. So are there even better necks of that style than that fine Fender Nocaster neck) -- in your humble opinion.

I have heard a number of people discussing guitars that supposedly "smoke" the Nocaster. If there are such guitars, I would like to be on the alert and able to keep an eye out for them in the future. It's my goal to hunt them all down and destroy them. No. I mean it's my goal to consider buying one. That's what I meant.

Oh. And I was going to add a line here about not coming on and making me feel too bad about owning a Nocaster. But what the heck. Forget I mentioned it.

Thank you.

You're going to be hard pressed to find a better Tele than a Nocaster. They're widely regarded as one of the best Fender offerings ever.

I had a magical Nocaster that I sold when I thought that I was going to be out of work. I had another one since, but I didn't like it quite as much. I spent all of 2007 working in a vintage guitar shop and during that time owned and had access to some of the best Teles available. Suhr, Anderson, Fender Custom Shop, RS, Glendale, G&L, and some truly great vintage pieces from the 50's and 60's.

The average Nocaster is my choice over most of the guitars I spent time with last year.

One type of Tele that you might have fun exploring is a Pine bodied version. The sound of a pine body is so sweet and different from other body woods, it should put to rest any argument by those that think that wood choice on a solid body is of minimal importance.

[Bryan T]

I've played some masterbuilt teles that I thought were great. It is more of a 'different, not better' thing. The most recent one was a blonde relic with a rosewood board. It was probably just over 6 pounds and sounded great. I'm not sure it is worth the $grand premium over a Nocaster, but it is a nice spin on the tele design.

Bryan

[EelEye]

I'd have to agree that you can't get much better than the Nocaster...although I prefer versions with the 9.5 radius and medium jumbo frets.

What an incredible neck! I have a sonic blue one with a killer flamed neck and modern wiring. That guitar simply slays everything in its vicinity. Sold 2 Suhr Teles after I bought that one...I've never played a boutique Tele that can touch it.

[62Tele]

Scott Lentz has done some of the best teles I've ever heard/played. He just dials them in consistently like nothing else I've ever gotten my hands on..

[bluesjuke]

Originally Posted by digthosetubes

...........................where you would go next, after a Nocaster, in order to get an even finer, higher quality, better playing Tele guitar.


Sorry, you're already there!

While I hope some folks will say that there is nothing better than a Nocaster, I invite all comments.

I just did!


I have heard a number of people discussing guitars that supposedly "smoke" the Nocaster.

Be careful who you hang with!

All in fun but I do think a Nocaster is the top of the heap.

[dkaplowitz]

If you can find someone near you who has one, try one of the Wildwood 10 teles. WAY better than the nocaster I used to own.

Link

[digthosetubes]

Originally Posted by bluesjuke

All in fun but I do think a Nocaster is the top of the heap.

I welcome the education. I sincerely would like to know what to watch out for in terms of Teles that, in your experience, are better than Nocasters. I didn't start this thread as a covert effort to get praise for the Nocaster. I've learned that folks like them a lot, and I like mine a lot after about five months. So no worries there.

I would like to be educated about the finest Tele style guitars available.

What prompted the questions was some recent posts about these 50-plus tele collections that some folks have. I thought, "Man. This fellow would apparently know a thing or two about really good teles."

[Boogie92801]

I owned a real 1955 tele, I have played a no-caster and many others and I would say that my CS Relic"63" Tele (sherwood green) is all that a tele should be. It has a rosewood board, is uber lite, has a four way, the control plate turned around big frets and a 9.5 board.

It is number one. I would sugest that you try one with a modern radius and big frets - to me it makes the tele a better guitar.

[sinner]

After a traditional Fender Nocaster I'd get:

1. A "Nocaster" thinline
2. A Custom (double bound body, Rosewood board)
3. A "replica" 50s T if I couldn't swing a real vintage one
4. A Gibson R4--the closest Gibson to a Tele, IMO; the wrap-tail and P90s, there you go!

[Bo Faulkner]

I played a Fat Sound "special order" that still haunts me.. light as a feather .. very alive feeling unplugged, modern spec frets and radius, and the neck felt like it was made for me

[Polynitro]

What's better than a Nocaster? That's easy: 2 Nocasters. If you've got the loot you could try buying a real Nocaster but other than the obvious mojo it will have there's no telling it will be better than the CS you already own...I say get a masterbuilt to your specs and color.