Telecasters ugly?

[tennispro91]

I've read a lot of posts of people saying Telecasters are ugly. What do you guys think? Do you think teles are generally ugly?

[Steadfastly]

Tele's are one the of cleanest designs of any electric guitar ever produced. They are not flashy but have classic good lines.

[kayd_mon]

Well... when I first saw a Tele, I thought it was ugly. I still don't think they're the best-looking guitars, but they're far from the worst. Some look really cool, though. For instance, this guitar:

 

[honeyiscool]

They're plain, but far from ugly, and can be very pretty with a nice blonde finish. There are plenty of old, retro guitars that were really fugly, and the Tele is not one of them.

 

 

Well... when I first saw a Tele, I thought it was ugly. I still don't think they're the best-looking guitars, but they're far from the worst. Some look really cool, though. For instance, this guitar:

 

I'm really not a fan of the dolled up Deluxe/Thinline pickguard on a plain Tele body look. I know some people love them, but I think 95% of people who think Tele Deluxes look good are musicians.

[vintage clubber]

For me, Teles were an acquired taste. I've been playing for nearly 35 years, but only got my first tele about 13 years ago which is a Frankenstein I put together. I currently have5 including a La Cabronita style under construction...

[Brocken Jr.]

At first I didn't like them at all, but now I think they're the best-looking guitars in existence.

[honeyiscool]

I also think the Tele is one of those things that makes the player look good. It doesn't draw attention to the guitar much and just makes the player look like a serious player.

 

It also means that it generally looks better with someone holding it than it does on a stand.

 

I sometimes think that Les Pauls often outshine the ugly mofos that play them.

[dmc69]

I used to think they were ugly.

i still think they're not the best lookers around, but man, teles are my favourite guitars right now.

[MojoFilter]

 

I also think the Tele is one of those things that makes the player look good. It doesn't draw attention to the guitar much and just makes the player look like a serious player. It also means that it generally looks better with someone holding it than it does on a stand.

 

 

I agree with all of this.

 

There's beauty in simplicity, and a Telecaster's about as simple as you can get.

[Emory]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people like 57 Chevs, some like Porsches (strats). Something appealing and "form follows function" about a tele. Seems little if anything was done to them to make them eye candy. A working man's guitar.

[kayd_mon]

 

I'm really not a fan of the dolled up Deluxe/Thinline pickguard on a plain Tele body look. I know some people love them, but I think 95% of people who think Tele Deluxes look good are musicians.

 

 

I'd bet the percentage of people who think a Tele looks good period is largely made up of musicians.

[codecontra]

I think they are FUGLY. Never liked the way they look and not sure why. But I used to dislike the look of SG's and now I love them so go figure.

[billybilly]

I like them and agree they are an acquired taste. I dislike anything pointy, SG included.

[BoneNut]

This is not an ugly guitar, quite the contrary.

 

 

It's beauty stems from it's simplicity and how it's form so purely follows it's function.

 

 

This POS on the other hand...

 

[mnhhngbfs]

i have an ugly tele. however, the design of a tele itself is not ugly. well, maybe the huge pick guard on the '72 customs.

[dcooper830]

This guitar is beautiful to me:

 

 

[TheBlueStrat]

teles are the tits but if you don't look them, just check out its hotter sister the stratocaster

[honeyiscool]

 

I like them and agree they are an acquired taste. I dislike anything pointy, SG included.

 

And the Peavey logo.

[soundcreation]

they're kind of like a bulldog. A little strange at first..but lovable when you get to know them.

[DeadNight Warrior]

I don't think they're ugly, but I do find they're incredibly awkward guitars for me to play.

[Willyguitar]

I used to find them less attractive than stratocasters, but over the last few years, I have felt the opposite. I think I found the bridge plate a bit odd and rudimentary looking and the headstock seemed too puny. Now, having owned and played a tele properly for a few years, it looks natural and 'right'. These days, for me, the stratocaster appears plasticky by comparison.

 

It's amazing how your perception can shift 'aint it?

[Angelojf]

Just look at that tele in the post above by dcooper830. That is so cool looking, and far from ugly! The tele has an awesome beauty to it, not like other guitars that seem to me to be too gaudy.

[Takeaway]

Castro sure doesnt think they're ugly!

 

[jimdunk]

I like them. But I'm an older guy who grew up at a time when a handful of guitar heroes were probably playing teles. So that certainly helped their appeal. So maybe the acquired taste answer is the best one. But count me as one who thinks they look great.

[SpaceProg]

I've felt an attraction to them since I first started playing. I don't have any now, but one of the best guitars I've played in the past some-odd years was a Tele slimline semi-hollowbody. Actually not very far removed from that 70s slimline someone posted earlier.

Same finish and pickguard, but with the trad Tele pickup configuration.