Punkavenger Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 One of my best friends passed away a few years back ... He always used to tell me "I'm a Tele guy". Fantastic guy and fantastic musician. Once when he fell upon hard times I let him borrow my Strat and amp ... even though he was sick and also dealing with less than desirable living conditions and had no other guitars, he only played it a few times. "I'm a Tele guy" he said when I went to pick it up. I'm not a natural musician ... painting, drawing, I can do that in my sleep. So for me to play something that sounds halfway decent everything has to be right. I had played a friends Tele in the past and it sounded like crap. Or I should say, I sounded like crap. The damn thing weighed like 12 lbs. Just hated it. But recently I've noticed whenever I go over to a musician friends house they always have a beat up Tele partscaster leaning up against a chair or in a corner somewhere. It's usually their best sounding/favorite guitar even though they have nicer instruments scattered throughout the house. I've been taking bass lessons at the local music shop. When I'm in there I've been looking at the Teles ... they had a nice American Standard, black with white binding that everyone said was their favorite guitar in the store. I considered buying it, i've been working a lot and have some disposable income, but it was a bit on the pricey side. What if I didn't bond with it like so many other guitars that have come and gone? An expensive mistake, that's for sure. So when that very same day Dave posted the black Tele body in the for sale section. I jumped on it. Oh shit, what if it was sold? Halleluiah! I was the first caller. Perfect. Hey Dave, you wouldn't happen to have maple Tele neck laying about would you? Bingo! SCORE! Package arrived safely a few days ago (Daves packing is impeccable) I have never put together a partscaster before and even though I have skills I was really apprehensive about putting it together myself. I know there are only 4 screws but what if I fuck something up? So I went over to my friends shop. He's a amp repairman (that I just bought my Ampeg from) and Tele guy. Found the right length screws, BAM! Neck on securely. Once home I started watching youtube videos about stringing Teles and intonation etc. I slapped my favorite strings on there, once again apprehensive about set up, action, intonation etc. I was expecting it to be a big mess that I would have to take to my guitar tech for fine tuning. Wow, a miracle. It sounds and plays perfect. Low action, no buzzing ... neck pickup is incredible. How the heck did that happen? Anyway, after all these years I finally have found a pleasing amp / guitar combo that I can sit around the house and play ... and actually sound good. No constant knob fiddling, No icepicking, need for 6 different pedals, static cling, buzzing, weird annoying sounds etc. I think I'm a Tele guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptm1diver Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Now you have to play country music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorch Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Great story! It damn looks like you are a Tele guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 31 minutes ago, ptm1diver said: Now you have to play country music. Or Led Zeppelin I, II, or III... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennyboy-UK Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 /\ I was going to say something like that I had use of an ash bodied maple necked Japanese reissue tele in the early-mid 90s and the neck pickup on the thing was amazing. It was massive! How the hell it did it I have no idea, if you think of a pissy little tele neck pickup, as small and basic as it could be - the thing was monstrous! to this day I'm looking for another one... Dad flogged it in eBay for about 300 quid... I have a soft spot for teles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 2 hours ago, Punkavenger said: Wow! That's a nice one! Tele Custom style body, 3 compensated brass barrels, and a flamey maple neck with gun oil tint. Way to go! And yes, the Tele neck pickup can have a great sound, sweet and musical. There are even jazz guitarists who favor the Tele, such as the late Ted Greene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff R Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Took me two decades really to warm up to teles, now I love them. Vonnie and I hand-picked four interesting bodies at the Dallas vintage show for custom jobs we'll move through the shop. The "shop's" next guitar is the all swamp ash Thinline. As you can see by my buddy Fred's tight grasp, he bought the spalted maple over one-piece figured mahogany Thinline on first sight. The other two are a lacewood over mahogany Thinline and an alder solidbody with stratty arm and tummy cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killerteddybear Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 8 hours ago, Punkavenger said: I think I'm a Tele guy I got suckered on one about a dozen years ago. GC had one of the Highway One models on deep discount ($350!), and I preferred it over all others in the store (except the American Deluxe, but a grand more...). I still have it, and it's my go to guitar. That one's not going anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonge Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 10 hours ago, Punkavenger said: But recently I've noticed whenever I go over to a musician friends house they always have a beat up Tele partscaster leaning up against a chair or in a corner somewhere. It's usually their best sounding/favorite guitar even though they have nicer instruments scattered throughout the house. Welcome to the club lol. I have a basement full of Hamers sitting in their cases, and a mutt tele that never sees a case or gig bag until we're heading to a gig (never much more than 6ft from me lol). I had a T51 for years, but never got teles. The mutt sat as a pile of parts for a few years until I bolted it together out of sheer boredom one day. Even without pickups, I knew it was the one. It spent a couple of years as an Esquire (with a sweet Eldred mod). and I added a neck pickup when we started covering Western swing. I also added a four-way switch for heavier tones. I saw the Smithereens last month, and Jim Babjak played a Ric for the first song and then a tele straight into a JCM 800 for the rest of the night; mrs stonge told me I had to find that tone (the tele) because it just killed. Never heard her say that before lol. Teles are fun; you can pretty much mutate them into whatever you want them to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwhitcomb3 Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I've bought and sold a bunch of guitars, but the most painful "one that got away" was a late 80's red American Standard Tele with a rosewood board. I bought it new when I walked into the Berklee School Of Music LaSalle Music store with a wad of cash to buy a 12 string Strat. But the Tele caught my eye when I walked in, and I asked to play it. An hour later I walked out with the Tele having never even played the Strat. I'd never considered a Tele before then, but it became my main guitar for several years, right up until I got my first Hamer. Ten years ago I sold most of my gear when I went to law school, and I figured I could always replace the Tele when I wanted. I even bought Japanese made Aerodyne Tele (arched top, bound basswood body, P90 neck pickup) that I slapped a Babicz bridge on. And while that's a cool guitar (presently living with a buddy in Durham, NC), it was never really a replacement for that first Tele. Congrats on finding your Tele. Sure looks like a keeper to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthes Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I never thought of myself as a Tele guy - they were too basic, nothing at all sleek or sexy about them to me when I was a kid and through my 20s. I was at a vintage guitar show in the early '90s and for some reason, picked up a '61 Esquire, the Tele's one-eyed sister. I was floored...smitten. It sounded unbelievably great, played and felt great, and somehow, actually made me sound good too. I traded a bunch of guitars that were my "keepers" on the spot, and gained a ton of trunk space in the process. I played the snot out of that guitar, but ended up selling it for a TON of money when I bought my house. Always missed that guitar, so ended up making a "tribute" version a few years ago, with the assistance of Stike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FGJ Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 I remember wanting a Tele after watching "Crossroads" back in the 80's. Never did get one, but finally scratched both the Tele itch and the Hamer-acquisition itch and got a T-51 (which had a Fender ashtray brass-barrel bridge, four-way switch, and Rio Grande pups added). It's the best sounding guitar I've ever played. No, it's not a Fender nor a stock T-51, but I think it has the best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveL Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 12 hours ago, cmatthes said: I never thought of myself as a Tele guy - they were too basic, nothing at all sleek or sexy about them to me when I was a kid and through my 20s. I was at a vintage guitar show in the early '90s and for some reason, picked up a '61 Esquire, the Tele's one-eyed sister. I was floored...smitten. It sounded unbelievably great, played and felt great, and somehow, actually made me sound good too. I traded a bunch of guitars that were my "keepers" on the spot, and gained a ton of trunk space in the process. I played the snot out of that guitar, but ended up selling it for a TON of money when I bought my house. Always missed that guitar, so ended up making a "tribute" version a few years ago, with the assistance of Stike. That's awesome... love the blonde, had a 64 AVRI reissue tele, in this same color, was really nice... pic of my 2009 Fender road worn 72 tele, upgraded with rutters saddles... they didn't make too many of these, which is strange, because it's (IMHO) the coolest one they did, although the jazz basses are kind of cool too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorrow Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 The other day I went to visit a friend (who also is a great musician, a great repairman and a great individual) and I played one of his Teles. Its snappy sound and its pronounced fretboard radius charmed me. Awesome guitar! BTW, I don't know why he's making the horns sign in the picture below, because I actually played funky and bluesy stuff all the time while there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddie Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Hey Punk! Is that flames going horizontal on the neck? Nice catch! Cheers! caddie OMG, Father Corcoran would be livid! "caddie! You know that should be "Are those flames going..." Thanks Corc! RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punkavenger Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 23 minutes ago, Caddie said: Hey Punk! Is that flames going horizontal on the neck? Nice catch! Cheers! caddie yes flamey 59 Warmoth neck, medium jumbo frets ... perfection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddie Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Never was much of a Tele fan, until I assembled a Warmoth Tele with a belly cut and forearm relief. It resolved the "body edges" complaint. Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Tele pups and Graph Tech Piezo saddles. The piezo saddles were almost always on, they ran thru the PA. The Tele pups ran thru whatever amp i brought along. So it kinda almost sounded like an acoustic and an electric guitar were out there. Worked great for me anyway. At the time i was a little disappointed that Warmoth couldn't do a Tele Thinline with a tummy cut AND forearm relief. Not enough wood, eh? I guess those Greek mathematicians couldn't spend a little more time focusing on the needs of guitarists. caddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff R Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 15 hours ago, Caddie said: At the time i was a little disappointed that Warmoth couldn't do a Tele Thinline with a tummy cut AND forearm relief. Not enough wood, eh? In addition to the CNC nightmare - let alone trying to chamber it another way ... by hand? pin router template with a variable depth component? - you'd be left with virtually no hollow bass-side chamber to speak of, at least nothing akin to an actual Thinline's cavity footprint. You'd have to hollow elsewhere, behind the bridge for example, to get the "void" so to speak. And the F-hole would be a moot point ... nothing hollow in the traditional spot to expose LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloozguy Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 On 5/21/2017 at 3:01 PM, Punkavenger said: So when that very same day Dave posted the black Tele body in the for sale section. I jumped on it. Oh shit, what if it was sold? Halleluiah! I was the first caller. Perfect. Hey Dave, you wouldn't happen to have maple Tele neck laying about would you? Bingo! SCORE! Mark -- I am so glad you ended up with that Tele -- for two reasons. First, you can finally release your inner "tele guy" and second, my willpower was on the verge of running out over that body Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cary Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Sweet! When it comes to Tele's I'm usually an "any color as long as it's blonde with a maple board" guy, but that is cool AF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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