strat vs. tele

[kazoo u]

I've been playing a strat which I really enjoy but recently played around with a tele and was very impressed. Does anyone think that a tele is superior to a strat or vice versa and why?

[Philip OKeefe]

I currently own both, and have for years. And I've had several of each over the years. They're very similar in many ways, but each has its own strengths. The Strat has superior ergonomics - it's just SO comfortable to wear and play. It also has that two pickup / phasey thing tone in position 2 / 4 on the selector, which the Tele really doesn't do. But nothing does "twang" and snaps like that bridge PU on a good Tele.

 

In short, they're both good. Deciding on which one is "better" is a matter of personal preference and taste, and maybe genre dependent. Personally, I'm glad I have one of each.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Hey, Kalamakazooclear Meltdown!

 

I love a good Strat, and a good Tele, though I've been on a real Les Paul kick for a while.

 

There are definite personality trait differences between Strats and Teles, but I love them both. It would be hard for me to choose just one forever!

 

Teles have more bite and twang and spank, while Strats have more snarky "in between" tones, a fatter, more bell-like neck-pickup tone, and the whammy bar; the springs for the whammy contribute a shimmery ringing to the tone, as well.

 

Teles are notoriously rock-solid, too. There's a great story about Bob Dylan and Michael Bloomfield having walked through a blizzard to a recording session, M.B. carrying his vintage Telecaster by the neck, with no case. When they got inside, Bloomfield banged the guitar against the wall to knock the snow off from it, tuned'er up, and recorded songs for Highway 61 Revisited. 'Nuff said right there!

[roy d]

add a third strat pickup in the middle with a 5 way switch and an on/off for the bridge pickup and get the best of both worlds...

[groove guru]

I really dig the sound of those old custom tele's with the humbucker at the neck.

[Blue Strat]

I think that a good Tele is more versatile than a Strat. For one thing, a Tele has a completely different voice than a Strat. The bridge pickup works great for rock and blues, and also is the king of country twang. A Strat's bridge pickup is about useless by itself if it's a stock pickup.

 

The out of phase sound only works in certain situations, and gets muddy with heavy distortion. A Tele stays crisp with almost any amount of distortion, like a guitar with humbuckers.

[revolead]

I picked up a Powerhouse Strat at the shop. Didn't think much of it, but then I tried an American Standard Tele, and loved it. I think I'll get a Tele for my next guitar. It was sweet. I just need a grand.

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by revolead:

I picked up a Powerhouse Strat at the shop. Didn't think much of it, but then I tried an American Standard Tele, and loved it. I think I'll get a Tele for my next guitar. It was sweet. I just need a grand.

I like my Mexican Tele better than any of the American Tele's I've tried. The Mex Tele's are a lot cheaper too, ~$300 new. Seriously, try one out. Do a double blind test. Have a friend hand you one without telling you if it's American or Mexican and don't look at the label, just play it. Then switch, again without looking at the label. See if you notice a difference in the tone or feel.

[James-Italy]

They are both great guitars. There really should be no One vs. The Other - you should get one of each if you can afford it.

 

I'd vote Tele if I had to pick just one- for me it just feels better than a Strat. The Tele is a blast to play. But to me it's pretty difficult technically and not very forgiving. The sounds out of my Am St Tele are simply amazing. There is a real range that I wouldn't have expected. I'd always considered the Tele kindof a one-trick pony.

[Dave da Dude]

revolead,

 

Another option (to US Tele at $1,000 and Mex Tele at $300) is the Highway 1 Tele at about $550. With the Highway 1 Strat at $550 you could get BOTH! The best of both worlds!!

 

I know I love the Highway 1 Strat!

 

Dave

[Stan_Frenchie]

Hi,

 

Originally posted by Roy d

 

add a third strat pickup in the middle with a 5 way switch and an on/off for the bridge pickup and get the best of both worlds...

Fender sell those directly, see :

 

http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?node_id=2414

 

http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?node_id=2323

 

I remember having read a very good review about the second one ...

 

Bests.

 

Stan.

[revolead]

Originally posted by Dave th Dude:

revolead,

 

Another option (to US Tele at $1,000 and Mex Tele at $300) is the Highway 1 Tele at about $550. With the Highway 1 Strat at $550 you could get BOTH! The best of both worlds!!

 

I know I love the Highway 1 Strat!

 

Dave

I'll look into that. The ultimate option would be to get an American Vintage in that beautiful maple finish, but that's a $1300 axe. I'll just have to wait till after college when I have a real job.

[Gabriel E.]

Neither are "superior" (BTW, what's with all the who's best/what's better threads these days?).

 

Both are made from two planks of wood bolted together.

 

Strats have more of an oblique sound with a lot of overtones. The stock bridge pickups are pretty weak and thin sounding but they otherwise offer a wide variety of tones. Very forgiving guitars - I've never played one that didn't sound good.

 

Teles have a much more direct sound with a sharper attack and more high end. They are also superior for dark, fat jazz sounds IMO. Teles aren't very good for hard rock or metal though. Harder to play and fairly unforgiving.

 

If you can rip it up on a tele, other players respect you.

[Blue Strat]

What's with all of this "Harder to play and fairly unforgiving" stuff? My Tele feels great and plays as easy as any other guitar I own. You can't hide poor technique with a Tele, so I guess it is fairly unforgiving in that respect, but I like to hear what I'm playing.

 

As for not being for metal, a very small modification to the tone control can cure that. Just take the stock .033uF cap out and replace it with a .01uF cap. It cuts just enough treble when the tone control is set to zero to get a much fatter tone. It does have a kind of nasal sound to it, so it's probably not for everyone, but it's a cool mod IMO.

[doc taz]

I can make a Strat play some heavy metal. Really. Just make sure the tone controls aren't above 8 to cut out some of the icepick feel if you must, and do the Eq in a V shape. I wouldn't scoop out all the mids, though. Instead of .009's, try .010's or even .011's. This is in standard tuning. You'll probably have to use a noise gate, but not all the time, though. Harmonic feedback from a Strat is musically useful, if you can control it.

 

A Tele would probably work just as well. If you really don't like the background noise generated by singel coils, then buy some dual blade or stacked humbucker pickups that emulate the Strat and/or Tele tones, and use those. Some of those types also sound great clean, and have extra sustain compared to the usual pickups, due to the lower magnetic pull that humbuckers have.

[roy d]

You can purchase a metal plate that goes on the back of a strat bridge pickup from either Fralin or Callahan that gives it more of a tele sound... or Duncan makes a tele-like pickup for a strat called a twangbanger. Either solution might be a good one.

[Dave da Dude]

revolead,

I'll just have to wait till after college when I have a real job.

Good plan!

 

I got my 1972 Martin D-18 three years after I got out of college, one year after my Jaguar, and one year before I got married.

 

I have NEVER regretted spending the money on it and I still have it (thanks in part to the guys here who persuaded me not to sell it to finance buying 2 or 3 other guitars).

 

BTW, I just saw a comment go flying by while scrolling about being hard to play. If that means the Tele, I'd have to disagree. I thought it was very easy to play.

 

Another BTW, I just thought of another option. I played a Samick Tele (Formula 2) in a HSS coniguration (Nashville Tele?). It was very, very nice and at $275 (at a dealer) a good value; very easy, low action, great sounds. I almost bought that one, burrrrrrrrrp. Way too much GAS.

 

Their site is at, http://www.samickguitar.com/

 

If you ".. choose wisely .." now, you can sell it (or keep it for backup) when you get a better one.

 

Choose wisely my good guitar geek (3G), Dave

[Gabriel E.]

You can't hide poor technique with a Tele, so I guess it is fairly unforgiving in that respect, but I like to hear what I'm playing.

Exactly. That's what I meant about teles being hard to play. It's hard for someone who hasn't played one to pick it up and make it sound good right away.

 

And yes, that's a good thing.

[martianrebel]

Got both...

 

Play the tele 10 times more than the strat.

 

I just like the way it feels, the weight of it, the chunky body. Sure the strat is more comfy with it's beveled body contours, but I'm a bit of a masochist anyway

 

If you're looking for cheap and easy to play with the phat tone and humbuckers etc... check out a Squier Double Fat tele. I played one the other week and it sounds FABULOUS. Looked great in the lipstick red too... $325 CANADIAN (I think that's about the same as a happy meal in USD!!)

[RichardAshkenazi]

Originally posted by martianrebel:

$325 CANADIAN (I think that's about the same as a happy meal in USD!!)

For that, you only get the McNuggets.

[RichardAshkenazi]

Originally posted by Gabriel E.:

Teles aren't very good for hard rock or metal though. Harder to play and fairly unforgiving.

 

If you can rip it up on a tele, other players respect you.

The guitarist in my rock band (which plays some pretty rocking and heavy stuff) uses a Tele and makes it sound great. Though he IS a lefty, so he doesn't think right. (HAH! Punny!)

 

He also uses an SG and a 7-string Schecter. Just so you know.

 

He owns a Strat, but for some reason doesn't use it for our band. Personal preference strikes again!

[tahitijack]

I love to play my Strat. For me the Tele just isn't right. Having said all that. When it's time to trim down my collection, my PRS Custom 22 will be the keeper. It is smooth, gives me all the tone I need and you can feel and see the quality. Happy Sunsets.

[strat0124]

I just HATE Tele's and Strats, give me a Charvel any day!

[Dave da Dude]

Geenard Skeenard,

I just HATE Tele's and Strats, give me a Charvel any day!

Wow! That's a surprise. I woulda' thought you'd be a stauce Tele supporter.

 

What Charvel model?

 

I understand why you hate Strats, I used to until I played my Highway One, but what don't you like about the Tele? I played a Samick Nashville Tele clone that was very nice. I almost bought it on the spot, $275.

 

Dave

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by Dave th Dude:

Geenard Skeenard,

I just HATE Tele's and Strats, give me a Charvel any day!

Wow! That's a surprise. I woulda' thought you'd be a stauce Tele supporter.

 

What Charvel model?

 

I understand why you hate Strats, I used to until I played my Highway One, but what don't you like about the Tele? I played a Samick Nashville Tele clone that was very nice. I almost bought it on the spot, $275.

 

Dave

I think that's a joke Dave. If you check out the Moaning Lisa's website, there's plenty of pictures of some long haired, hippie looking dude playing strats and teles.

[Dave da Dude]

Oh!

 

Duhhhhh!

 

Sorry, BUT the Samick Tele clone is still cool.

 

Dave the Dumb

[strat0124]

Dave I was pulling everyones leg.....I've been destroying Tele's and Strats for many many years. In fact my old handle here used to be STRAT0124.

[DC]

I've been through bunches of strats and teles. I ended up making most of my guitars. The strat body is perfect, I've gotta have the forearm and tummy cuts and the volume knob right there (strat position) since my pinky needs to have it handy.

 

I've settled on a PAF in bridge and single coil at neck. Get most of the tones I need with these.

 

The thing I hate about strats and teles is that they're so skinny at the nut. My fav necks are 1 & 3/4" at the nut or at least 1 & 11/16".

[adam b]

i like teles

teles have a kindof bluesy sound that i like

but strats sound more rock

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by Dave th Dude:

Oh!

 

Duhhhhh!

 

Sorry, BUT the Samick Tele clone is still cool.

 

Dave the Dumb

One of my friends has a Samick Les Paul copy, and it really is a great sounding guitar. It's as least as good as the Epiphone LP's, and it's made in the same factory, if my sources are correct. Samick is the biggest guitar manufacturer in the world, and they've probably made over 50% of my guitars. Four are made in Korea and two are Mexican made Fenders. Good instruments!