I quit trying last night... (telecaster content)

[MantraSky]

I'm also one that has wanted to "Like" Tele's over the years But found the Strat Shaped bodies more comfortable. I also prefer 12-16" Compound Radius, 1 11/16th, Jescar SS 6100, QS, HSH, Floyd, Schaller etc.

I've also tried with Les Paul's Years-Ago at least 20 or more Custom's & Standards, and after all these years "The Shorter Scale" 24.75 (approx) & Body seems "awkward", my hands feel more freer at 25.5" length......

 

[pinkfloyd]

Anderson Hollow-T with Anderson minihumbucker in bridge and noiseless Tele-style in neck location. Weighs about 6.5 lbs. Nothing thin or wimpy about the tones with this guitar!

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• ucnick
• Jan 10, 2019

TAG Hollow-T Custom

This one has short scale and three noiseless P90s and also kicks some serious booty in the tone department!
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The Anderson Hollow-T ended my search for a perfect Tele. It's extremely lightweight (5.1lbs) and easy to play.

 

[Tiboy]

I have a LP. I have a Tele. I recently acquired this. No doubt it’s a polarizing instrument. But, I must say I’m digging it.

 

[PatriotBadger]

People told me when I got older, I'd appreciate the Telemacaster. It took until I hit half a century, but they were right.

I'm still a Strat guy at heart, but I own two fine Telecasters now. I like guitars to fight back just a hair. And the Teles do fight back a bit more, even more than my Strats and definitely more than my buttery playing Les Pauls.

Exactly this for me. I have a love/hate with my proper Tele. It fights in just the right way, but some days I'm not up for putting in that level of effort. Sometimes I want the buttery playing experience and sweetness of my LP clone or the pop and burp of my Strat instead.

But sometimes that Tele recipe just comes together when I'm feeling punchy. The enormosly thick neck, the big dumb slab body, the muscular twang, the fight....when I've got the mustard I find myself ripping out all kinds of warp-speedy, ghost-bendy finger-picked goodness that can surprise even myself. Nashville shred is real and it's fun as hell to play.



When I want a rock machine that is a Tele In Name Only, I have this.

 

[skhan007]

So you need a tele... with better ergonomics?

Might I suggest a Salen?

So awesome! This video is solid proof that a modern guitar that does not have the traditional Tele bridge can still sound like a Tele !

 

[patodruida]

I’ve always been attracted to tele’s, they just have a vibe to them, and I always find myself thinking of ways to customize and make them “mine.”

The problem is, I also hate them. I’ve played a lot of them, in fact one of my good friends is a fairly well known builder and I’ve demo’d teles for him in the past.

I’m not sure what it is, but last night while trying out a pretty good “sounding” tele, I finally realized I hate the feel of a tele. It doesn’t set right on my body, I find myself stumbling over notes and lines that are a breeze to play on my other guitars. At first I was interested in finding out why, but as of last night, I just don’t care, I love my LP type guitars and my prs. I don’t think I’ll ever get along with a tele, but it took 10 years to just let that boat sail.

anyone else hate these things?

You may want to check Godin’s Stadium and Session Custom range. Flawless workmanship, comfy neck, ergonomic, highly playable and great-sounding. My experience is that Gibson players find it easier to transition to Godins than to Fenders.

The only reason I didn’t keep mine is because I need individual tone and volume pots for a T-style guitar with a neck humbucker but that might not be a deal-breaker to you.

 

[bobcs71]

I’ve always been attracted to tele’s, they just have a vibe to them, and I always find myself thinking of ways to customize and make them “mine.”

The problem is, I also hate them. I’ve played a lot of them, in fact one of my good friends is a fairly well known builder and I’ve demo’d teles for him in the past.

I’m not sure what it is, but last night while trying out a pretty good “sounding” tele, I finally realized I hate the feel of a tele. It doesn’t set right on my body, I find myself stumbling over notes and lines that are a breeze to play on my other guitars. At first I was interested in finding out why, but as of last night, I just don’t care, I love my LP type guitars and my prs. I don’t think I’ll ever get along with a tele, but it took 10 years to just let that boat sail.

anyone else hate these things?

As someone who just feels right with a Tele. Move on. It ain't for you.

 

[zekmoe]

I want to love a Tele but I just haven’t found the right one. I want a super fat sounding Tele with growl, and all the Teles I’ve owned have been wimpy and thin.

Same here, maybe a just me and how I play. I’ve owned 10 and currently have none but still want one.

 

[Vaibhav Joshi]

Is there an obligation to like some guitars?

So many have described their struggle with some guitars, spanning over decades, and owning several versions of the model and eventually giving up.

Why?
My experience is limited but I sound the same through different guitars.

For an year or so, I had 2 guitars and I only played the one I liked more. Never touched the other one. Didn't feel like doing so at any point.

 

[Vaibhav Joshi]

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Really pretty Schecter.

 

[saltbird]

I’ve always been attracted to tele’s, they just have a vibe to them, and I always find myself thinking of ways to customize and make them “mine.”

The problem is, I also hate them. I’ve played a lot of them, in fact one of my good friends is a fairly well known builder and I’ve demo’d teles for him in the past.

I’m not sure what it is, but last night while trying out a pretty good “sounding” tele, I finally realized I hate the feel of a tele. It doesn’t set right on my body, I find myself stumbling over notes and lines that are a breeze to play on my other guitars. At first I was interested in finding out why, but as of last night, I just don’t care, I love my LP type guitars and my prs. I don’t think I’ll ever get along with a tele, but it took 10 years to just let that boat sail.

anyone else hate these things?

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but Telecasters rest on your body closer toward your fretting hand than most guitar designs, so the guitar effectively hangs to your left a bit more. This is a big part of why the natural picking position on a Tele is closer to the bridge than a strat. It's exactly the kind of thing that's going to be well-received by some, and despised by others.

I too find the Gibson type, specifically Es-335s, to be more comfortable to play and generally get around the neck quicker and easier.

That's the nice thing about having options—everyone is different so we can all find something that tickles us. It's wonderful!

 

[Digital Larry]

I want to love a Tele but I just haven’t found the right one. I want a super fat sounding Tele with growl, and all the Teles I’ve owned have been wimpy and thin.

Super fat is not the first thing that comes to mind for a Tele.

I recently revitalized an old Peavey Reactor and put 9-42's on it and played that exclusively for a few weeks. It has "that sound" that to me conjures Steve Cropper and Keith Richards. So, it's great for that sort of thing. I also like how straightforward it is, say, compared to any guitar with 5-way switching. I liked it so much I got a G&L ASAT Special which is similar but the neck is much brighter than the other one.

I like them both. They don't replace any of my other guitars. When getting crunchy maybe it's a good idea to dial the tone down a fair ways.

 

[hawk45]

Funny I was just going to post a thread with the question "Have you tried telecasters and just realized they weren't for you?". Good thread, thanks! While I've never owned one, I've played a few and they didn't do anything for me, at least the more rock oriented type of music I prefer to play. I do like the tele-style and history of them for sure, but probably need to find the look of one in a more aggressive layout like a H-H version and maybe not even a Fender.

 

[BenTobith]

I went through several Teles over the last year and finally settled on a custom G&L ASAT Classic. The pickups are more versatile, but more importantly, I get a 12” radius neck and medium jumbo frets (I’m mostly a Gibson player).

 

[gunslinger]

I'd take one. A lot of people have made good music with them including Jimmy Page. And Fender makes great necks. And there's no trem on them to worry about.

 

[goodwater]

I never used to like Teles but now they're my favorite...everything about them

I've always liked SGs and probably owned a dozen but I've never kept one...they just don't feel right to me. Very awkward. I've learned to love them from afar....

 

[JDthaddeus]

You may have luck with a Tele that has features like the guitars you're used to playing. For example, the Tele Ultra has body contours and 6-saddle bridge, so it "feels" very strat-like, but retains a good amount of the tele sound. I can totally relate to the OP as I also have found Tele's to be hard to get used to, as I have been a strat player for decades.

Thanks for saying that, I never heard of the Telecaster Ultra but I've been wanting to try a Telecaster and that Ultra sounds perfect for me

 

[Warkli]

Proud owner of a 72 Deluxe Tele. The perfect spot between a Tele and a LP for me.


Photo taken from google

 

[KONTAKTMOI]

I am a terrible player, at it for decades and still just as terrible as I ever was. I can only gets a decent sound out of a single coil Strat or Tele matched up with a scooped Fender amp. I did find that a 7 1/2 radius neck gives me that little extra feel and comfort on both S & T models and a lightly rolled fretboard add some more of that for me. Interestingly enough, low output pups do it for me, nothing hot or hard because it loses part of that angel's or devil's voice ( depending on how you are wired that night) I am looking for. As a player-at-home hearing that angel and devil fight in the room is heaven and hell all at the same time. Then I unplug, ears ringing for a while, smiling and waiting for the next fight. But that might be just me!