Warning!!!! Long story.
So I've been gassing for a Tele for years. Now keep in mind that I consider myself a Stratman, relevance later in the story.
Well I have a buddy the works in a local music shop and I pop in often just to say hi and for him to tempt me with the latest gear. On a particular day I walk in and there is a Charvel So-Cal with Dimarzio's and with a case going for less than 6 grand. The neck was like butter and the sounds were awesome. Take into account I don't like Floyd's and just a toggle and Vol is not my cuppa tea either. But this guitar was awesome. So I asked why the low price, it's OLD stock, smelled new to me ?
Anyway I can kick myself. I walked out the shop thinking I was going to mull it over. I didn't like the baby blue colour. Well that night I had a dream about it, fate was calling. So I tell the wife about the dream and she says I should get it. Green light!!!!
Get to the shop, and it's gone. Bummer.
So I ask if they don't have any old Strats or Tele's they want to get rid of. Turns out their is one of each, slightly dinged though. I took a chance and he gets them sent to the shop. Now the excitement is peeling over.
I open the box I. The shop and the Tele has two BAD dings on both upper bouts of the body. So I wasn't keen on taking it. The Strat had a long scratch on the back but wasn't bad.
So I took a chance and plugged in the Tele, holy smoke that guitar sounded awesome. Loved the sound from the first "brang" of the bridge pickup. So I tried the Strat as well, loved it too.
Decisions decisions.
I took both! Thought if I didn't want the one after a while I'll flip it.
Well it's three weeks later and they are both a part of the family now.
The tele has remained standard. I've actually started chipping away some of the paint at the dings to make it loom road worn.
The Strat got a make over. After getting my repaired Hot Noiseless back from Neil at Rude rocknroll pickups(he did an awesome repair job), I put them into the Strat. Now being a black Strat I thought let's do the Gilmour look. So black scratch plate. Threw in a EMG afterburner I had lying around, with a TBX tone control, and finally the 7 sound Strat mod with a Vol push/pull. With the maple neck the Hot Noiseless weren't so dark anymore, they came alive.
So after putting out the fire with wifey about keeping both when the deal was to keep one, I am a very happy camper.
Since this photo I have gotten the same colour knobs as the pups on the Strat.
The tele damage
After a bit of chipping. Taking it slow.
And a family photo with the new additions.