when is a fender telecaster NOT a telecaster ???

Keira-WitherKay · 2013-04-18T18:33:14+00:00

i post this cos i had an interesting conversation last week on the topic and keen to see the response... and there's no correct answers this is all "opinion...

when is a fender telecaster NOT a telecaster ???

chris77

Not so easy....

This is my go to guitar atm: A Fender special run std tele.

But the pups aren't tele pups. They're tele sized P90's from http://harmonicdesign.net/allpages/teles.html

So you guys are certain she isn't a tele because she doesn't have traditional Pups? I'm not...

I also have one of these, but transparent black with a couple of aftermarket mods.
http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Custom-Telecaster%C2%AE-FMT-Transparent/dp/B003FIPGNU

Now that I will concede isn't a tele, despite it saying so on the headstock. Despite the aftermarket mods, she comes standard with :Set Neck, two buckers, bound maple cap, toggle switch.... great guitar, beautiful as well, but certainly not a tele.

StefStoep

Giggsy wrote: Good topic... I have one of these:

Two Seymour Duncan P90s, semi-hollow body, mahogany set neck, tune-o-matic bridge... is it a "Telecaster"? Well, it says Fender Telecaster on the headstock and when I play it, it makes me smile. That's all that really matters to me.

Giggsy really like your Tele or is it a Tele? ?
I'm not a fan of Tele's but I would like one like that! Maybe it is something like this that will convert me to become a "traditional Tele" fan......

singemonkey

Normally people are looking at the body shape as the definition. But if you want the "Tele sound," you need at least an ashtray bridge with a single-coil in it, and a bolt on neck, I reckon.

coynegfsa

We should be asking: Is a Stratocaster still a Stratocaster when it's a Keiracaster? ?

Reinhard

I have been pondering this all morning. I think the moment you stop playing country on a tele, it stops being a telecaster.

I was playing a little AC/DC on the tele I had and Brad Paisley came to my place and gave me quite the tongue lashing. So I sold it ☹

giggsy

StefStoep wrote: Giggsy really like your Tele or is it a Tele? ?
I'm not a fan of Tele's but I would like one like that! Maybe it is something like this that will convert me to become a "traditional Tele" fan......

Thanks StefStoep - yeah, it may not be a traditional tele, but it does what I need it to do 8)

Tokai-SA

Giggs'y 'Tele' seems like an awesome guitar.
I'm imagining with P90's, set neck, mahogany, and with that bridge, it sounds more like a P90 Les Paul than a Tele...which is cool if that's the tone you're aiming for.

giggsy

Tokai SA wrote: Giggs'y 'Tele' seems like an awesome guitar.
I'm imagining with P90's, set neck, mahogany, and with that bridge, it sounds more like a P90 Les Paul than a Tele...which is cool if that's the tone you're aiming for.

And when I fit a Bigsby it will be even better ? ?

EDIT: Like so:

Bob-Dubery

Fender themselves have long had Telecasters with humbuckers (or just one such), with semi-hollow bodies, with various shape scratch plates, with different body woods ... so, as Alan says, the argument isn't really an argument.

Also it seems to me that Leo Fender built his guitars to be modular, to be easy to take apart and to modify.

My own checklist is: Traditional tele body shape and headstock, bolt on neck, ashtray bridge, and single coil (not P90) in the back (front is free, and if you want something in the middle then please go right ahead). Which still allows for lots of variants.

nicovlogg

:-\

You're all missing the point. Reinhard was closest.

It's not a tele anymore when you can't hit someone in the face with it and go right back to playing.

rebelwithoutaclue

When you have a tele body and a tele neck- it's a tele! I love teles!

nicovlogg

Video proof.

peterleroux

nicovlogg wrote: ...It's not a tele anymore when you can't hit someone in the face with it and go right back to playing...

beat me to it, was just searching youtube for that same video

selbydoodl

A tele by any other name would not sound so sweet (sorry William Shakespeare).

My only concession when I got my last tele was that I had the tummy and elbow cut put in to accommodate my enormous belly!

Problem with the straight tele is that it gets a but uncomfortable for the fatties..

studmissile

Of course the only thing better than a Tele is a "Breezy"! I love the shape of that headstock too!

Airguitar

If you can play "Born in the USA" on it, or any Status Quo tune, It's probably a Tele, no matter what's on the headstock.
?

studmissile

Or hillbilly highway!
=