Tele Fever, Oh Yeah!

[bluesmann]

I've been thinking about trying to find a Good telecaster for a while. I played 2 custom shop and a master built first and one had some great tone but none of them played as good as what I already have. Seems the lower in price they went today the better they played. But then I do like a flatter radius where most of what I played today had a 7.25" Some of the other cheaper ones were pretty good but when I played the American special it spoke to me. this guitar was already setup to my liking too. The neck plate says its a anniversary 2011 something or another. So she's been played a bit. Still no fret wear but needs a cleaning. After taking off the plastic scratch guard it looks perfect. They can keep the gigbag and I bought a fender tweed case for 129. So today I added some twang to the fold. I'm digging the jumbo frets too.

[DeepEnd]

Congratulations. Happy New Guitar Day. Play it in good health.

[onelife]

Welcome to the club. I was never into telecasters until about eight years ago and now I wonder why I waited so long.

[Phil O'Keefe]

That's a hot looking Tele. I like the 70s era logo too. Nice!

[bluesmann]

Thanks guys! I thinks she's a pretty good looker too but I bought it mainly on how it played and sounded. One of the custom shop guitars that was a reissue of a 1954 I think. The front pickup position was very dark with no treble at all. The other two positions were just fantastic for chords. I was told the early ones were like that with the front pickup being so dark. She had chime no doubt about that. The master built tele , they were asking 6 grand for it. I just didn't see it. Where was that 6 grand put? aged plastic parts? Jesus my Lord , were they kidding with that asking price?

 

Oh! and there was a 1969 tele he was asking 4 grand for. It was not a bad player and sounded pretty decent too. but I'm not a collector, I'm a player.

​It was a fun couple of hours with all being played through a clean twin amp. I have a collection of Landgraff pedals and I heard the MO'D is a perfect match for a tele. I'll be checking that out real soon. Earl Teat music in Dover De. was where I went today to PLAY! They have a killer selection to pick from.

[Phil O'Keefe]

From about 1952 until about 1967 Telecasters came with a different switching setup than what you'll find on most Teles today, with the three positions giving you bridge alone with a standard tone control, neck alone with the tone control, and neck with no tone control but a big cap on it to kill the highs so you could simulate bass playing on it... which most modern players don't find very useful, but you'll still find in some of the 50s reissues for authenticity's sake.

[gardo]

Congratulations , there's nothing like a good Telecaster and you've got one.

[bluesmann]

From about 1952 until about 1967 Telecasters came with a different switching setup than what you'll find on most Teles today' date=' with the three positions giving you bridge alone with a standard tone control, neck alone with the tone control, and neck with no tone control but a big cap on it to kill the highs so you could simulate bass playing on it... which most modern players don't find very useful, but you'll still find in some of the 50s reissues for authenticity's sake. [/quote']

 

​Thanks Phil, I was wondering why they would do that. Why would they want to keep the truss rod adjustment at the pickguard area? I understand the RI thing, but who the heck wants to pop the neck to adjust it? Not I.

[bluesmann]

I really like this American special a lot. I noticed with all the Allen wrenches I have for different guitars, not a one fit the American special Telecaster.

It must be recessed deeper into the neck. I guess its one of the bi-flex truss rods that take a special allen wrench. I need to get a couple for sure.

 

I did notice its a tight fit going for anything up around the 22nd fret. Seems like a little more of the wood needs to be scooped out from the bottom cut away to make it more comfortable playing in that area. Have any of you Tele players noticed this? did you mod it or just grabbed another guitar a head of time if you know you're going to be playing in that area. What other mods in general do most tele players do to their guitars besides the B-bender thing. what's a favorite pickup change for some old albert King sting, Roy Buchanan etc. Most remember Albert King for his flying V. I remember a Album from the 60's where albert played a Telecaster on songs such as Matchbox blues. that Tele would cry some blues.

[bluesmann]

Looking for a Telecaster being played by Albert king. I remember it being on a album cover. Am I mistaken?

[GAS Man]

Some of the other cheaper ones were pretty good but when I played the American special it spoke to me. this guitar was already setup to my liking too.

 

I also have an American Special and I'd say it spoke to me too, i.e. as in better than my other Teles. It's just one of those guitars where the pickups and wood seem to be "One" rather than one on top of the other and I didn't put it down as quickly as most NGDs. I also have a '52 RI (which is better in some tonal aspects) and an American Deluxe, but indeed, I've bonded more with that Special than my others, but I can't say I've compared it against Custom Shop models. But indeed, too many of the Custom Shop models copy of bit too much of what was vintage. I prefer a few more modern appointments, especially in regards to a little flatter radius and bigger frets. However, I did recently get a Deluxe Player Strat with a 12" radius, and while that may have it's advantages, I find the 9.5" radius FBs to feel a bit more ergonomic for fitting the natural curve of my fretting fingers.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

​Thanks Phil, I was wondering why they would do that. Why would they want to keep the truss rod adjustment at the pickguard area? I understand the RI thing, but who the heck wants to pop the neck to adjust it? Not I.

 

Dude you don't have to pop the neck, you just unscrew the pickguard, remove it and there's an access channel from the neck pickup rout to the heel pocket

 

[bluesmann]

I guess that's a lot better than de-tuning and popping the neck off. Still common sense says, put it at the other end!

[uab9253]

Thanks guys! I thinks she's a pretty good looker too but I bought it mainly on how it played and sounded. One of the custom shop guitars that was a reissue of a 1954 I think. The front pickup position was very dark with no treble at all. The other two positions were just fantastic for chords. I was told the early ones were like that with the front pickup being so dark. She had chime no doubt about that. The master built tele , they were asking 6 grand for it. I just didn't see it. Where was that 6 grand put? aged plastic parts? Jesus my Lord , were they kidding with that asking price?

 

Oh! and there was a 1969 tele he was asking 4 grand for. It was not a bad player and sounded pretty decent too. but I'm not a collector, I'm a player.

​It was a fun couple of hours with all being played through a clean twin amp. I have a collection of Landgraff pedals and I heard the MO'D is a perfect match for a tele. I'll be checking that out real soon. Earl Teat music in Dover De. was where I went today to PLAY! They have a killer selection to pick from.

I go into Earle Teate down here in their Delmar location a lot. Not as much as Dover but still good. I'm currently getting ready to pull the trigger on a Baja Tele. Love the switching system and, surprisingly, the v shaped neck. It's a really nice guitar and a great value at $800 street.

[bluesmann]

I believe that Dean down in Delmar De. I've been down there a few times and used to go to the jams next to the truck stop. check out the American special before you jump. If you do a lot of bends the jumbo frets help a lot.