Telecaster Overdose

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 22 Jul 2001 12:43 pm

I love the sound of a Tele just as much as the next guy, but don't you think some of what we don't like about today's country(besides the big ass snare drum) is the overuse of the Tele. Is there not a place for the Pete Wade, Jimmy Capps, Steve Gibson kind of simple electric lead guitar on todays radio? After much thought I am fixing to hit the "Submit New Topic" button. Flame throwers, "ready on the left", "ready on the right", commence flaming!! (I've got an Iron @$$)

Larry

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 22 Jul 2001 1:26 pm

I got a sure fire fix for this, Send in Earl Erb with his Tele.

But his doesn't sound like a Tele, It has TONE.

It Doesn't have to be this way and I agree with you too much of a good thing is too much.

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John

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 22 Jul 2001 1:54 pm

John,thanks for the plug but that's the way its been for the last 33 yrs....Earl who?...you mean the guitar player that worked for Skeeter Davis and Jim Ed Brown in the late 60's early 70's? I heard he died.

[This message was edited by Earl Erb on 22 July 2001 at 03:53 PM.]

TomP · Post by **TomP** » 22 Jul 2001 2:10 pm

It ain't the poor tele's fault! It's about as cool a tool (!) as Fender could come up with at the time. Of course you can get alot more tonal variations nowdays, but you can do it with a tele, too. A larger problem than the classic tonal "bark" of the tele, is the huge stockpile of standard licks everyone relies on to stick in these recordings. It's just easier to say play that lick like so and so and God knows, most producers like it easy.

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-Tom www.tompowell.org

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Jul 2001 2:55 pm

I have one of the newer Nashville Tele's. It has a 3rd pickup (a strat pickup) and a 5 position switch like a strat. Gets the out of phase tones similar to a strat. I don't pick much lead but have it so I can do my Luther Perkins licks when I have to double on steel and lead.

Back in the 60's when I was trying to pick lead, I played a 61 PX6120 Chet Atkins Gretsch but they really never found favor in sessions. I like the sound but can't afford one today. Seems like the "Nashville" sound goes in cycles and currently the Tele is the "in" sound. Back in the early 70's it was a 355 stereo Gibson.

Personally I never liked the feel of the Gibson neck. I'm not sure what it was, just that it felt "big".

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 22 Jul 2001 2:57 pm

Your right Tom,you can get any tone out of a Tele if you experiment and get away from the stigma of what the classic Tele tone sounds like.Don't get me wrong,I love the classic Tele sound but there is more to these guitars than everyone thinks.

Jack, to get away from the large neck syndrome of a Gibson you would like a Byrdland or an L-5 Gibson. I never liked the neck on the Les Paul for the same reasons.I still have my 68 Byrdland that I bought new in 68.The guitar that made me famous.LOL

[This message was edited by Earl Erb on 22 July 2001 at 04:02 PM.]

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 22 Jul 2001 3:41 pm

I have a 52 Tele Reissue that has great tone, but can be a little tough to play because of a small neck radius. Additionally, you can't get at the truss rod without pulling the neck, so anytime you want to tweek the action, it's a big pain.

SO - I go into my local Guitar Center and I tried about 6-8 other Teles, all through a Fender Twin and in the back room so I didn't embarrass myself (at least publically, that is...). Most had really great neck action and some had really nice pickup/switching configurations. I tried a beautiful red one with that piezo pickup combination, and I must say that it was really cool.

However, NOT ONE of the Teles that I tried even came close to that honking, barking, make-the-hair- stand-up-on-the-back-of-your-head sound that my 52 Reissue had. The originals must really sound incredible. Anyway - I kept my 52, and the little things don't seem like such a bother anymore.

I don't know - I don't get tired of the sound. But I listen to a lot of different types of music, too.

My $0.02.
[This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 22 July 2001 at 04:44 PM.]

erik · Post by **erik** » 22 Jul 2001 3:41 pm

Occasionally, you'll hear something different like a Danelectro, but yeah, it would be nice to hear a variety of tones, as well as a variety of styles, musicians, etc.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Jul 2001 4:04 pm

I think that, generally speaking, the Fender Tele is hands down the most versatile, best sounding solid body ever made. Individually, there's a wide difference depending on the wood used, the quality control at the time, etc. There's a beauty in simplicity - marriage of form & function - that even the Strat & Les Paul can't touch IMHO. If a particular Tele sound is over used it's not the fault of the instrument but the producer. I've got mine set up as a Jazz guitar with extra heavy flatwounds and through the right amp, it rivals any archtop I've heard. Listen to what Danny Gatton & Ed Bickert have done with the Tele in Jazz ... as different from Albert Collins as Luther Perkins was from Steve Cropper and Albert Lee from Bonnie Raitt.

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 22 Jul 2001 6:50 pm

That's right, it all depends on the amp/pickup/effect configuration as it relates to the player. I saw Widespread Panic on ACL last night and the guitar player played a Tele all night. He was using Soldano amps with Mesa cabinets and had a great tone (if somewhat inarticulate and ham-fisted style).

Garbage in - garbage out.

Keith DeLong · Post by **Keith DeLong** » 23 Jul 2001 4:38 am

I have a '67 Tele, it's been modified a little, original bridge pickup,another bridge pickup in the middle and a Seymour Duncan neck pickup that really honks. I put graphite saddles and nut on it; I also have an Ibanez Les Paul copy that has the Super 70 pickups, tons of sustain, which is where the Tele falls short.
When I think of great Tele tone, I think of Vince Gill--really full-bodied sound, not to forget the great James Burton and Don Rich, who put the Tele on the map in country music.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Jul 2001 7:49 am

It's probably not the Tele you're tired of, just the lack of variety in tones that the guitar players like. Nowadays, everyone is hung up on the bridge pickup with lots of overdrive and/or compression, with very little body. To me, Vince's sound is thin and sharp...not much "body" there at all. This is cool for fast stuff, but slow songs need the character that comes with fullness. The older guys like Jimmy Capps and Leon Rhodes have it all over the new guys when it comes to playing behind a pretty, slow song. Face it, there ARE times "twang" doesn't fit.

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 23 Jul 2001 8:07 am

I agree with a lot of what's been said. I never get tired of the "Tele" sound, especially when it's delivered by some of the players Keith listed. Man!

What I hear on radio today -- and am dreadfully tired of -- is the "Strat" sound with a bunch of distortion mixed in. That makes me long for the "tele" sound.

Steve, you have to ask for the Merle Haggard signature model to get that tone you're after.

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HagFan

Gregg Galbraith · Post by **Gregg Galbraith** » 23 Jul 2001 11:13 am

Larry,
While much of the session work that I do these days never gets heard on radio, I never leave home for work without my Les Paul, which is "locked" in the front pick-up position, just in case I am allowed to render some mellow, clean sounds to a song.This is the same guitar I used on "You Take Me For Granted", by Haggard and the "My Kind of Country" CD by Reba. I know that I'm a long time between hits, but I refuse to give up trying.I DID get to play the Les Paul quite a bit on the forth-coming Gene Watson project.
Please E-mail me, at your convenience, and refresh my memory concerning when I worked with/for you a few years back, which you have alluded to on this forum.
Thanks in advance,
Gregg

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 23 Jul 2001 1:22 pm

I also have an Ibanez Les Paul copy that has the Super 70 pickups, tons of sustain, which is where the Tele falls short.

Keith
It depends on the Wood, Bridge material and the pickups. I've got a solid Oak Tele Body that will knock your socks off with sustain, The Tone ain't half bad either with Duncan Quarter Pounder Pickups and a Fishman Power Bridge. My Tele has every thing from the classic Tele Twang to the Sweet warm tone that has been heard on Earl Erb's Cd. Now if I could learn how to pick Like Earl, I would have it made.

I get all of the out of phase sounds too, with only two magnetic pickups. Next to a 1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom, This is the best sounding Guitar I ever owned in over 40 years.

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John

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 23 Jul 2001 1:22 pm

Go buy a Ed Bickert trio album and for sure you will change your mind about Tele's.

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 23 Jul 2001 3:09 pm

Great thread guys, I have owned many Telecasters through the years, and know that the forward position or even the middle position with a tweak of the tone knob, make these guitars very versatile. Thanks for your input.

Larry

Jerry Bruner · Post by **Jerry Bruner** » 23 Jul 2001 6:02 pm

I recommend the album NO STRANGER TO A TELE by Redd Volkaert. It's on my want list. The guy can play the heck out of a Tele and the CD is great.

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 23 Jul 2001 7:45 pm

I admit to being biased, but I think that the Fender Telecaster is arguably the greatest (and simplest) electric guitar in the world. Having owned a number of electric guitars in my time, sure I like the tone of a good humbucker, soapbar, Filtertron, DeArmond, etc. But when I got bored with the others I took a professional's advice and switched to an old Telecaster in 1974. Since then I have purchased two additional Tele's. I use good pickups and I replace the springs on the pickup mounting screws with short pieces of 1/8" automotive vacuum hose. I use the best US-made switches I can find. My Telecasters take a knockin' and keep on rockin'. They are capable of just about any tone you want. They are NOT boring. They are a far better guitar than I am a player!

Tim R.

Harry Hess · Post by **Harry Hess** » 24 Jul 2001 1:35 am

Having owned 4 different alder body Teles in the 70's, I like my '52 Reissue better than any of them. It's the ash body. It's the only way to go.

I have a Duncan '54 Tele pickup in the treble position and a reverse wound Rio Grande in the neck. This gives me a humbucking position. I also switched to the new 4 way Tele toggle switch. I use .010 to .052's on it and get a very broad range of tones from it. I really recommend the 4 way toggle switch.

Regards,
HH[This message was edited by Harry Hess on 24 July 2001 at 02:37 AM.]

Keith DeLong · Post by **Keith DeLong** » 24 Jul 2001 1:53 am

Hey Gregg I know all about your tone, I heard you playing with Bill Anderson many years ago, plus your work with Conway Twitty,will be looking forward to the new Gene Watson CD. I think the mellow sound is coming back to some degree at least, that's why I kept the Les Paul copy Ibanez.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 24 Jul 2001 6:51 am

I own 17 guitars, but my '68 Tele (with the very rare two piece maple neck) is my absolute favorite. It has a humbucker with a coil splitter in front that was allegedy made be Red Rhodes. This pickup produces has a very mellow almost jazz like tone. Then of course, the rear pickup has that classic tele twang.

Frank Estes · Post by **Frank Estes** » 24 Jul 2001 7:31 am

I prefer Teles as well. I have a 1992 brown sunburst MIM (made in Mexico) Tele to which I have had a middle strat pickup and 5-position switch added. It gives me all the tones I need and I really like the thinner neck. I have grabbed some Teles with a thicker neck and I find them harder to play. I also use a very light gauge of strings (1st string is an .008).

I guess the only thing I would add is the through-the-body bridge, if I could be convinced it will make that much of a difference.

I have found that the single-coil at the neck sounds pretty cool. I always thought I would go with a humbucker there, because one of my first guitar heros played a beautiful black 72 Custom Tele--humbucker and 4 knobs.

As for too-much Tele on recordings, I simply love Brent Mason's work. For me, he is the master of taste and tone. His "Hot Wired" CD is awesome.

Frank

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1978 Rosewood Emmons Push-Pull D-10 8+4

Robert · Post by **Robert** » 24 Jul 2001 5:41 pm

Hello -
I think I know what Larry's getting at, but it's not the Telecaster's fault - it is (as somebody else stated) a matter of editing. Whether the editor is the guitarist or the producer is a matter of debate - maybe a bit of each. No matter - the guitar is capable of a wide range of tones, but only a couple of them are "commercially viable" right now, or so somebody thinks. Those
"hot rod" chicken pickin' or "pedal" sounds can be fun, but sometimes I think that the sound should be left to the real masters/originators. Kind of like scat jazz singers: lots of jazz singers have a go at it, but almost none of them do it as well as Ella Fitzgerald or Mel Torme. BTW - nobody mentioned the great Jimmy Bryant, who got all kinds of sounds from his Tele and (almost?) never did a bent-tone-over-tone lick.

Rob

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 26 Jul 2001 5:24 am

I have a Mexican Tele and love the sound of it. I have other guitars but keep going back to the Tele. I did replace the factory bridge with a vintage three-saddle one. It really shaped the sound up. I know that sound has something to do with the style of bridge. I can also use the ashtray cover that my buddy, Roger Miller, gave me years ago. At least while it's in the case. He and I were talking about the versatility of the Tele, last night as a matter of fact. You can play anything with it.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele