Chabenda wrote
I think that a Telecaster will really bring out the musician in you. They have some serious failings (is it fair to call them that?). There is this enormous hype and aura about them. When you pick one up and try and play one in a band setting, the sound is 'too thin', the pick ups may be microphonic - "Oooh let's change them!" -and perhaps end up with something that isn't a Tele in the true spirit of the word, there's no whammy - UGH!!! Just keep using it - as it is! Learn how to use the tone controls, your fingers (!!!) and the amp. A crappy Telecaster, if you persevere, will teach you a heck of a lot about playing guitar . (Rant over - now let me return to my Carlsberg Stout whilst I freeze my butt off in overcast Blantyre, Malawi).
^This!
There's something about the simplicity of the Tele that's just beautiful. I've been on so many forums where guys blame everything from the pickups to the electronics to the material of their strap pins.... Those guys are just plain dumb. (Lets face it. If I can go from John Mayer to Blink-182 and everything in between on my stock standard Cort X-1 then your R20 000 Gibson Les Paul is really not the problem....)
But with a Tele you're stuck with 2 simple pickups that hardly match and you're forced to make it work. It's an art. A stock standard Tele will amplify your weak points and force you to adjust and play better....
