Who makes a better Tele than the T-51?

[kizanski]

Who's TM?

lol

[elduave]

Who's TM?

lol

Oh.

[Punkavenger]

Hamer's are nice guitars but when it comes to single coil guitars other people do a better job at it then Hamer.

Hope youre not referring to the Daytona mine blows every "real" Strat I've ever played away. (I think it's a combination of SFG, light weight and those cheap GFS pickups )

A friend of mine has a really nice (looking) Fender Tele USA ... She loves it, but I think thats because its a "real" Tele ... in reality its a piece of crap, heavy and flat sounding.

I guess it really boils down to there being clunkers in every category.

I've never played one but those Nash Teles LOOK sweet anyway... love to try one someday.

I love vintage and I'm sure the majority of pre CBS stuff is just incredible ... I love Ferrari's too, I just try not to think about it

[Guest bondedbybrick]

Having never played a T-51, I can't comment on its "telecapability", but I have played a number of other tele copies. Wanting something a little different than a Fender, I became hooked on the late 80's/early 90's USA Peavey Generation Series guitars. The Series 1 model, with active pickups, is quite nice but alittle heavy, so I purchased a 1992 Series 3 model - with chambered alder body. flamed maple cap and three single coils, ala a Nashville Tele.

After replacing the stock pickups with Bill Lawrence L280's/L290 and the stock electronics with a HAS Sound ST3 harness, it became the Tele of my dreams - lightweight, a neck to die for and oh so sweet sounding.

Derek

[NewAKowner]

+1 on the Talladega. Its got the b@lls!

G&L makes a very good Tele.

+1 on your cork sniffing comment.

+1 on G&L making a very good tele - the USA & Korean made ASAT's are outstanding and deliver great sound via USA - made MFD pickups. I picked up a Korean Tribute ASAT Classic Semihollow last February & continue to be more impressed with it the longer I play it. Tribute production has been moved to Indonesia, so overall quality may not be the same as the Korean was, but definitely sample these before you buy.

[Guest Mike Lee]

The G&L ASAT Classic seems to be the best value in a non-Fender Tele. I'm not a big fan of the MFD pickups, but that's easy to fix. The semi-hollow versions are especially nice, and keep the weight down.

Anyway, that's what I'd get. But a big reason for that is because G&L makes lefties with no upcharge and no limitations on options. No one else treats lefties so equally.

[Travis]

Conversely, I have yet to play a T-51 that I thought was worth damn.

That's reassuring.

[Gino]

I'd say there isnt't the 'best-Tele-brand' per se - it's rather a matter of an individual instrument.

My tele is a basically very humble 94' Fender American Standard, that I "freed" 2nd hand from a guitar-butchering punk musician for 700.- DM ('bout 500 bucks, now).

After a thorough clean (and I mean thorough!!) it was upgraded with Sperzels, Barden pups, a Callaham vintage bridge and RS guitarworks electronics and it got a PLEK-job.

It's light weight and resonant like crazy, plays like a dream and with proper use of the tone and vol pot covers everything from Jazz to shred metal.

Wouldn't trade it for any other Tele - for playin's sake. No value would be another story...

[Travis]

Thanks for ordering such a killer looking guitar. Extremely drool-worthy.

[Guest Michael]

Everything else is really a copy or spinoff of the design.

I totally agree, although I truly believe that the best Tele is the one you build yourself. Plain & simple, a Tele, by Leo's aesthetic, is a working guitar; unadorned, totally functional, and able to fit in a wide variety of styles. I put together a "homebrew" using wood from USA Custom Guitars, and parts I had lying around, the heart of which is an early `50's lap steel pickup converted to fit a Tele. I chose a neck to my specifications, nice and fat, just like the originals (The only deviation from Leo's original design is the rosewood fingerboard; I always wanted to try one.). I've owned a `57, a `72, and a couple of `52 RI's and this guitar is it! The Tele, more than any other guitar I know, values function over form, or substance over style, and in so doing creates pretty much the perfect guitar. Well, maybe with a humbucker in the neck, binding on the fingerboard, a middle pickup... (Tongue firmly in cheek!)

Listen to Roy Buchanan's first two albums, that pretty much sums it up.

[markman]

I know I'm gonna catch hell for this, but the best Tele I've played is a Peavey Reactor. I like the thickness, the radius and the finish on these necks.

[kizanski]

I know I'm gonna catch hell for this, but the best Tele I've played is a Peavey Reactor. I like the thickness, the radius and the finish on these necks.

Yes, I do believe you've got some Hell to pay for that one.

[sirDaniel]

DOC Badgercasters are to die for...

[DavidE]

I never played at T-51 that I'd buy. All were way too heavy.

My G&L Classic semi-hollow is amazing. But my Japanese Fender with a Fishman Powerbridge and USA Fender pickups is very sweet as is my TomTerrific modded ESP 400.

[stonge]

to me, it's not a Tele unless it has the bridge with 3 brass saddles on it; I dropped one on to my T-51 and I like the sound a lot better now. No modifications necessary, although it isn't as long toward the butt of the guitar and you might see any fading or wear from where the stock Wilky used to be. A cheap, easy reversible fix that jacks up the twang factor on a T51, and brings it back a little closer to the original (if that is what you want).

That being said, I fell heavy for a 52 Vintage Hot Rod - nice and light with a mini-hum in the neck position and a satin-finished neck. If it only had a little bigger neck profile (I have a great Warmoth boatneck on a parts guitar, but it's a little tough to justify to mrs stonge swapping out parts on the guitar I just bought a few months back lol).

I played a friends' 56 Telecaster, and it was amazing - the tone, the feel, everything. He won't sell, and I couldn't afford it anyway. But at least now I know what I am looking for.

[cmatthes]

to me, it's not a Tele unless it has the bridge with 3 brass saddles on it; I dropped one on to my T-51 and I like the sound a lot better now. No modifications necessary, although it isn't as long toward the butt of the guitar and you might see any fading or wear from where the stock Wilky used to be. A cheap, easy reversible fix that jacks up the twang factor on a T51, and brings it back a little closer to the original (if that is what you want).

That being said, I fell heavy for a 52 Vintage Hot Rod - nice and light with a mini-hum in the neck position and a satin-finished neck. If it only had a little bigger neck profile (I have a great Warmoth boatneck on a parts guitar, but it's a little tough to justify to mrs stonge swapping out parts on the guitar I just bought a few months back lol).

I played a friends' 56 Telecaster, and it was amazing - the tone, the feel, everything. He won't sell, and I couldn't afford it anyway. But at least now I know what I am looking for.

I had the pleasure (although brief) of checking out Stonge's VHR Tele earlier this week, and that is definitely a full-blood Tele. I'd recommend one of those (I spent some time with one through an AC30 in a shop a couple of months back and really dug it). Surprisingly enough, the MIM Joe Strummer Tele was another Tele that caught me offguard. Not really my thing from a look standpoint, but I've played a few now on the strength of seeing/hearing one live a couple of weeks ago, and I'm mighty impressed.

[JohnnyB]

The G&L ASAT Classic seems to be the best value in a non-Fender Tele. I'm not a big fan of the MFD pickups, but that's easy to fix. The semi-hollow versions are especially nice, and keep the weight down.

Anyway, that's what I'd get. But a big reason for that is because G&L makes lefties with no upcharge and no limitations on options. No one else treats lefties so equally.

To wit: