Svenddw wrote:
Yes the telecaster was originally conceived before the strat. I can’t be certain but I think it was first design around 1949.
'46. The oldest production solidbody and longest running electric guitar.
But when Hendrix played at Woodstock the strat had had an unsuccessful career thus far and was due to be replaced by an updated telecaster that featured the same unique pickup as the strat but was a more versatile guitar. Since that was the apparent flaw of the Stratocaster.
Sorry - wrong. The Strat already had a
very successful career behind it (Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, Dick Dale, The Ventures, et.al.). The Strat was temporarily out of favour in the late '60s because of Richards, Clapton, Beck, Bloomfield, Green and others playing Les Pauls to get more distortion from their amps (the
Les Paul itself
was out of production from '60 to '68 due to unpopularity until these players brought it back from the dead). There was never any such thing as "an updated Telecaster" - the Tele was supposed to be replaced by the Strat, but was kept in production as a cheaper guitar.
But keep in mind that EC’s strat (the one he was most noted for, i.e. Blackie) was put together by himself using parts and pickups for a range of Fenders. So not exactly a standard strat is it? The same applies for mark knopfler and I think Beck (not sure about Gilmore).
The six Fenders EC bought were all vintage models, bought cheap because no-one wanted old guitars.
Anyway the point I was getting at is that kids today are gullible as to what guitar they want, in the sense that they all want strats, for no reasoning of their own and completely overlook the Tele. ?
Fair enough. Kids have always been and will always be influenced by their heroes Keith Richards wanted a Les Paul because Muddy waters played one, Mark Knopfler wanted a Red Strat because Hank Marvin played one. So what? The important thing is they play - they'll make up their own minds later. What guitars do you play and who are your heroes? Any correlation there? Anyway Teles are not unpopular with younger players - they are very big on the indie circuit.
But, like the OP, you stated your opinion ("the strat was rubbish", "Hendrix... ...thought the Stratocaster was rubbish too") as the way things are and back it up with a lot of outrageous claims that have no basis in fact. And all because
you think the Tele is better?
I have no problem with anyone who thinks a Tele (or Strat or Les Paul, etc.) is the best guitar
for them - but to think because you like it no-ones else's choices of guitar are valid is delusional. And I would also argue that for a beginner, the Strat
is a better instrument - it is more comfortable than a Tele and has a more varied tonal range.
