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New Tele love


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I've been wanting a Telecaster since what feels like the beginning of time. Could never decide on color or configuration...and there was always some other piece of gear I wanted or needed more. :idk:

I finally got over that. Just bought a brand new Black Custom Vintera '70s. Been lost in it for days now.... :rawk:

My only regret is that it took me this long to get around to acquiring it. Getting to know this bad boy is way more fun than I thought it was going to be... :boing:

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Nice!

 

I honestly think the new Fenders are more playable and sound better than the vintage stuff that goes for so much $$$$.

The flatter fingerboard radius and larger frets are much better for the way I like to play. The pickups are now consistent, not something you could count on decades ago.

And except for the vintage reissues they've abandoned the old style of bridge with the snap-on ashtray that everybody yanked and tossed. That left uncomfortable edges for you picking hand if you were palm muting (and who doesn't palm mute a Tele now and then?).

 

I think I was 16 when I went downtown to the pawn shops and paid $75 for a 65 Tele with a one piece maple neck (no ashtray). Somebody had painted it a bright metalflake purple, rattle can job. To make it even more beautiful they also covered the pickguard with a green wood-grain contact paper. Too fugly so I refinished it natural, ash body and it looked and played cool at the time. Now I dunno if I would like it much.

 

Enjoy!!!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Thank you, gentlemen.

 

I've been an acoustic owner for years, and have several basses I like to pretend I can play...but although I've borrowed electric guitars before, I've never owned one outright. :idk:

 

I completely mean it when I say I am so blown away by what an expressive instrument this thing is. Being a keyboard guy mainly I'm way into the touch and dynamics aspect, and it's amazing to me how quickly this thing can go from a sweet purr to a nasty growl without doing anything other than changing the way I'm playing it!~ The bridge pickup is especially fun in that respect.

 

I also really dig the four witch hat knobs - makes it so easy to tweak and mix the balance between the Custom's single coil and the humbucker.

 

dB

 

 

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Thank you, gentlemen.

 

I've been an acoustic owner for years, and have several basses I like to pretend I can play...but although I've borrowed electric guitars before, I've never owned one outright. :idk:

 

I completely mean it when I say I am so blown away by what an expressive instrument this thing is. Being a keyboard guy mainly I'm way into the touch and dynamics aspect, and it's amazing to me how quickly this thing can go from a sweet purr to a nasty growl without doing anything other than changing the way I'm playing it!~ The bridge pickup is especially fun in that respect.

 

I also really dig the four witch hat knobs - makes it so easy to tweak and mix the balance between the Custom's single coil and the humbucker.

 

dB

 

 

Yes, electric guitar is one of the most expressive instruments humankind has come up with. A violin can speak with incredible, subtle and not-so-subtle voices too but it is much more difficult to master.

I've scalloped the fretboard on my Strat (Parts-o-caster) so there is zero friction. For me, the scales dictated by the frets are a fluid concept since a very light touch is all that is required to explore the infinite variations between the "notes".

 

Keys make some lovely sounds but the player is disconnected from the source of expression, you are pushing buttions and turning knobs instead of "touching the note".

It takes time to get good at using your right and left hands to generate pure expression but it is available to all and there is zero lag time.

 

Would recommend you listen to some Jeff Beck tracks, he may inspire some ideas as to what is possible.

(Ignore poor Eric C and his barrage, not in the same league...)

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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No need to point me towards Mr. Beck. I've been a big fan since the 70's, and have seen him several times. The tour with Stevie Ray may have been my fave, with the 50th anniversary show at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back a close second. . :2thu:

 

As far as the touch thing, I'm a piano player first and foremost so I do understand that to a degree...but I completely agree with you that no keyboard can come close to the expression possible with a stringed instrument.

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Would recommend you listen to some Jeff Beck tracks, he may inspire some ideas as to what is possible.

 

Sorry, but no, what Jeff Beck does is absolutely not humanly possible.

 

(Ignore poor Eric C and his barrage, not in the same league...)

 

Even so, it's some of Clapton's more inspired playing of the last few decades. Unfortunately some of his worst tone. It's simply unfair for any guitarist to have to share a stage with Jeff Beck. Nobody will ever look good in the shadow of someone that masterful.

Scott Fraser
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No need to point me towards Mr. Beck. I've been a big fan since the 70's, and have seen him several times. The tour with Stevie Ray may have been my fave, with the 50th anniversary show at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back a close second. . :2thu:

 

As far as the touch thing, I'm a piano player first and foremost so I do understand that to a degree...but I completely agree with you that no keyboard can come close to the expression possible with a stringed instrument.

 

dB

 

I've only seen him once but yes, a fantastic musician.

 

And he still plays a Tele sometimes!!! I've always had one for decades and played a LOT of gigs with Teles.

They are sort of the "Jeep of guitars", a fantastic utlilitarian design that has proven to be timeless.

 

Have fun!

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Et Tu, Brute?

 

Another keyboard player whose secondary instrument is guitar, and a fellow Tele owner. My brother is the guitar player of the litter and through him I own a good LP and strat. Neither of us dreamed of owning a Tele but I found this mutt in a store some years ago. It has grown on me... "old school" crunch (even does a decent AC/DC), R&B rhythm, 80s processed clean guitar, modern overdrive... very versatile. The lead guitar player in our band likes it too. When it was in the hands of a fellow tech he described the hot neck pickup "like a PAF with gain". My diehard LP brother likes it so much that he is now seeking a Tele with similar tone. Easier said than done as we have sampled many of them.

 

Many guitar players cling to superstrats and LPs, but a good Tele is a thing to behold.

 

http://www.analoguediehard.com/studio/guitars/fender_telecaster-52-reissue/fender_tele-glamour-1-front.jpg

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Et Tu, Brute?

 

Another keyboard player whose secondary instrument is guitar, and a fellow Tele owner. My brother is the guitar player of the litter and through him I own a good LP and strat. Neither of us dreamed of owning a Tele but I found this mutt in a store some years ago. It has grown on me... "old school" crunch (even does a decent AC/DC), R&B rhythm, 80s processed clean guitar, modern overdrive... very versatile. The lead guitar player in our band likes it too. When it was in the hands of a fellow tech he described the hot neck pickup "like a PAF with gain". My diehard LP brother likes it so much that he is now seeking a Tele with similar tone. Easier said than done as we have sampled many of them.

 

Many guitar players cling to superstrats and LPs, but a good Tele is a thing to behold.

 

http://www.analoguediehard.com/studio/guitars/fender_telecaster-52-reissue/fender_tele-glamour-1-front.jpg

 

 

Nice! I read an article where they tested amplitude and concluded that a Tele with a maple neck should out sustain a Les Paul as you go higher up the neck.

I've never had any problems with sustain on my Teles and there have been a few different ones and a few different interations of the current one.

They all sing like a bird!!!

 

Yours looks great, classic!!!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Well The Real MC got me wanting to post my Tele too.

I've had the neck since the late 80's, it's been played a bit, broken, a victim of a slightly too long neck mounting screw, refretted, etc.

I'm pretty used to it by now.

 

I can mount a Fishman Triple Play on there, has been a while but it's fun.

683.thumb.jpg.9b91756d52c318d74b126c16b86533e1.jpg

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Would recommend you listen to some Jeff Beck tracks, he may inspire some ideas as to what is possible.

 

Sorry, but no, what Jeff Beck does is absolutely not humanly possible.

 

(Ignore poor Eric C and his barrage, not in the same league...)

 

Even so, it's some of Clapton's more inspired playing of the last few decades. Unfortunately some of his worst tone. It's simply unfair for any guitarist to have to share a stage with Jeff Beck. Nobody will ever look good in the shadow of someone that masterful.

 

I can't disagree with you, I am stunned by Jeff's beautiful music.

I do like to think big though!!! Set the bar high and fail!!! :- D Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Leo got it right the first time.

 

Well the addition of a truss rod and 6 inline tuners was good.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I've always had a love-hate relationship with the Tele. Partly because of its association with country twang (not my thing); partly because most have maple fretboards (not my preference). Guitar player in a former band had one, and in the studio, took forever to get the 3 saddles to intonate properly (or close enough).

A few years ago, I decided I'd give one a shot and see if anything worked for me, just because everything else I had was humbucker-loaded. (To this day, I still haven't played a Fender Strat that I like.) At Music-Go-Round, I played an American Fender, a Mexican Fender, a Squier, and one with a Bigsby (forget its origin); plus the one I ended up with. It's an ESP-LTD model that they made for Music-Go-Round's 20th anniversary; made to look used. Has a worn finish on the neck that is super comfortable. Seymour Duncan Phat Cat in the neck position. Rosewood fretboard (nice thick slab of it with a pretty grain, too), and 6 saddle bridge. It's still not my go-to guitar, but it is fun and spanky without being super harsh. And that Phat Cat is quite versatile. Still single coil, but more of a sizzle than a harsh ice pick tone.

 

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684.thumb.jpg.2f5d09f599bb488187bf33b3de158efd.jpg

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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a good Tele is a thing to behold.
:yeahthat:

 

I can't stop playing the thing. It's just freakin' awesome. :rocker:

 

I really dig the four witch hat knobs - it's a really cool way to dial in and mix the sound of the pickups. Bridge pickup dimed and the Humbucker pulled back to around 8 is a nice place to be...

 

The sound/twang of the bridge pickup is my favorite aspect of the guitar though - for me, it's simply the sound of rock 'n roll. I keep playing all these tunes that I've known for years on keys/acoustic guitar, and getting totally lost in how much more fun they are to play on the instrument for which they were written.

 

I shoulda done this years ago. :idea::facepalm:

 

dB

685.thumb.jpg.09c458e6c766b7e6c697703052c01914.jpg

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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a good Tele is a thing to behold.
:yeahthat:

 

I can't stop playing the thing. It's just freakin' awesome. :rocker:

 

I really dig the four witch hat knobs - it's a really cool way to dial in and mix the sound of the pickups. Bridge pickup dimed and the Humbucker pulled back to around 8 is a nice place to be...

 

The sound/twang of the bridge pickup is my favorite aspect of the guitar though - for me, it's simply the sound of rock 'n roll. I keep playing all these tunes that I've known for years on keys/acoustic guitar, and getting totally lost in how much more fun they are to play on the instrument for which they were written.

 

I shoulda done this years ago. :idea::facepalm:

 

dB

 

Awesome, it is good to have revalations now and then. I've played guitar for a bit over 50 years now and will sleep when I'm dead.

I've got an ES-335 with 4 knobs. I disconnected all of them but one, it is a volume knob now. I have the two pickups adjusted (height or proximity to the strings) so the middle switch position is balanced - both pikcups on.

Then I just move my pick (2mm Dunlop Gator) to adjust the tone. There is a world of tones instantly available on the fly that way, no interruptions turning knobs.

 

Then I see Jeff Beck riding his volume knob, working his vibrato bar, picking with his fingers and realize I am way too far behind to ever catch up!!!!

But, I'll keep on trying.

 

Play your own way and ENJOY!!!! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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There are a ton of YT videos with Jeff and Eric playing live on stage wowing many audiences. Both are excellent at what they do and obviously enjoy their time on stage together. I would be more than happy to play half as good as Eric...I notice Jeff lets him do all the singing. I liked Jeff better back in his Tele days without the fingers using a pick, with no whammy and no volume knob swells. I like and admire him with those tools as well. I noticed Eric locked out his whammy and tossed the bar and kind of liked the Tele concept in that regard as opposed to the stock Strat. He didn't use the hardtail bridge as he liked the string through and the springs sound for tone much like the other Eric, Eric Johnson. EC did have his secret DB gain wiring on his active bottom tone knob...:cool:

 

+1 in my Tele days I adjusted the volume and tone settings with the selector switch in the middle and found my sweet spot blending both pups. I controlled the bass, treble and middle by where I picked the strings over the pups or away from them (people forget there are bass, mid, treble, settings on their amps too). I liked having that large amount of space between the bridge and neck pups with no middle pickup for hybrid finger style picking. I also preferred the cutaway bridge plate with the Strat style saddles as opposed to the 3 barrels ash tray model. Teles have a great sound going for them. The 70's model with the 4 knobs with the humbucker up front would also be a gas to play around with. You can get some nice jazz sound with that front neck humbucker...Have fun with it Dave! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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