Telecaster for rock - what is recommended to look at?

  • If your budget includes Squires, the Classic Vibe series of all types are considered by many as one of the best values that can be had. Check reviews online and you'll see huge praise. I'm not a "tele guy" but wanted to have one and found a used one that someone put Antiquities in and did a couple other little mods to and its great. Go try them out and compare them with others, including Fender American series and see what you think. Personally I think they are usually better until you get to the American Deluxes. Of course each guitar is a little different but if you can bare having a Squire logo on your headstock, your pocketbook might thank you and with the savings you can try different pickups, saddles, bone nut, etc.

    "Tone is in the fingers" is not a necessary response to anything that I might type on any internet forum threads. Thank you.

    Edited 2 times, last by BuckeyeBrown ().

  • Squiers are quite highly regarded in the bass world, so it might be true in guitar land as well. Not the California ones, the classic vibe ones, as suggested by Buckeye Brown. Some people say they trump the "real" Fender P and J basses, just change pickups and they're like magic.


    For most bang for your buck, try to scope out a used piece in good condition. Doesn't matter if it's beat up, I'm presuming you want a second guitar as a road warrior.

  • For the rock thang, I love the 62' Tele Custom.. rosewood slab warms it up a bit. The Japan version is nice but if you have the cash go for the AVRI.. and combine it with a Two-Rock from Andy... smokin'. and if you've got to replace the pickups consider Lollars...


    Also notably, the Anderson Cobra is a killer Tele as well as his Classic T. Both have a bit different tones and his neck action is incredible, at a very fair price.


    enjoy your quest

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • This one's for sale!
    Specs are in the description...
    asking 2000 Euros...


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    There are few more nice Tellys for sale here...

  • If you can afford buy a Fender Classic Baja Tele. A tele should have the original Pu setup, no humbuckers. Thoose are good guitars and very good value for money.

    I went this route and really like this guitar. Nice thick but very playable neck and very nice twang off that bridge 'Broadcaster' pickup - although I spend most my time on the "Twisted" Tele Single-Coil Neck Pickup. Also has an S1 switching system if you like such things.
    If you're real picky about intonation like me you can swap out the bridge for a Wilkinson compensated saddle, although I didn't really have to do this. All in all a quality instrument that goes very nicely with the KPA. Granted blues rather than straight ahead rock, but this chap makes it sound nice even without a Kemper! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7OJgglI3GU

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

  • I would really push you to try a squier classic vibe, they got the same specs than their original and are incredible guitars for the money. I got A thinline squier classic vibe with a great finish ( bought it 2nd hand for less than 300€ ) I kept the stock pickup since they are just perfect for this classic twang, but also rock, blues , hard rock , jazz ....


    Only drawback is that they are noisy , with noiseless fender PU this would'nt be a problem ( I got another classic vibe strat with this setup , this one turned out to be my main guitar !!!)


    A clip is better than all explanations to me


    blues


    another blues


    cranked leads

  • With a limited budget I'd look at Fenders MiM/Baja models and G&L ASAT Tribute series (Korean built). Tonal difference between all the models available is mostly in the pickups, and you have to try yourself to see how well different models fit your style. Lots of rock-players favour the bluesboy models that have a humbucker in the neck. Myself I would go for a G&L ASAT Classic S Alnico, but that's a more expensive US-built model. It has the tele-layout with a regular tele-like singe-coil bridge and lipstick neck pickup, but with a 5way switch and a center single-coil that adds the strat-type phase-shifted 2 and 4 positions.

  • Also, I'm a bit leary of humbuckers, as I am concerned that part of the tele mojo is in the regular single coil pickups. Is that way wrong?


    You're absolutely right!


    I've got a MIA standard tele. What a friggin' workhorse. It'll survive anything 8) I'd really consider a used tele, whatever type you chose to go for. These are (usually) solid pieces of wood, and if you know where the truss rod is and how to set up a guitar, you'll be able to make most teles play fine (unless they're cheap garbage with twisted necks etc.).


    Btw, do not be afraid of using the tone control on a tele. The volume control for that matter (slightly backing it off to shape the highs). Makes it a very versatile axe :thumbup:

  • Nice guitar :thumbup: I recently played an original '54 Telecaster Blackguard, what a great guitar...


    It's all about spending more or less money (like very often...), if you'll buy an Asian G&L or Squier for about 500 EUR ($ 648,00), it might be ok for the money, but nothing more. If you want to have a really good tele, you have to pay a little more. There are many good teles available for less than 2.000 EUR ($ 2592.00) like Fender (USA), Fender Custom Shop, G&L Asat Classic (USA), the linked Maybach ect. I would also take a serious look at used 70's teles, there are great ones around.

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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    Edited once, last by guenterhaas ().


  • It's all about spending more or less money (like very often...), if you'll buy an Asian G&L or Squier for about 500 EUR ($ 648,00), it might be ok for the money, but nothing more. If you want to have a really good tele, you have to pay a little more. There are many good teles available for less than 2.000 EUR ($ 2592.00) like Fender (USA), Fender Custom Shop, G&L Asat Classic (USA), the linked Maybach ect. I would also take a serious look at used 70's teles, there are great ones around.


    Well, following your logic most of the now iconic sounds of the 60's or 70's wouldn't have happened, because what was available then in the shops was 'stock' quality, some better than today, but some worse as well.
    Custom shops then? Zero. The guitarists had to play what was available.
    I know you're a sound connaisseur and enthusiast for old guitars so I'm neither knocking your taste nor expertise, but remember that finding an old instrument that is still around and a player says in itsefl that it is a good instrument, and has been from the beginning.
    You can also find just as good instruments today, if the QC is good and if you know what to look for.
    You seem to overlook this fact regularly. ;)

  • Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.


    I don't think I was clear enough in my original post :) I'm not going to get something expensive here. I'm being cheap, and that's the end of it, dammit! :D


    I am considering various options. But I am going the traditional rout/route of 2 single coils - I can always replace them with SC sized humbuckers or P90s if the fancy strikes me.


    I am definitely going to try out a G&L tribute, there is actually one in a store near me. And the Squiers. And looking for parts to slap my own together.


    I'm in no rush for any of this, but it's nice to get a bit smarter regarding what I should go for :)

  • You can also find just as good instruments today, if the QC is good and if you know what to look for.
    You seem to overlook this fact regularly. ;)

    You're wrong, I'm not a vintage-fanboy, I also own many new instruments and from the 5 teles I recommended 3 are new ones and the custom shop tele is from 2005. ;)


    There's just a noticeable difference between cheap Asian guitars and better ones like Fender custom shop modells, G&L's made in USA or handbuilt instruments for a reasonable price. I did not recommend a '54 Fender Telecaster Blackguard for 33.500 EUR.... The guitars I recommended are all between 1.259 EUR and 1.990 EUR like Olio1965, who recommends the Maybach Teleman for 1.399 EUR.


    So I didn't overlook any facts, buying vintage guitars from the 50's and 60's is a different story and and by the way one of the best investments in a time where the ECB (European Central Bank) just decreased the base rate to ridiculous 0,05%. But like I said I did not talk about vintage guitars, I just would prefer f.e. a '78 tele for less than 2.000 EUR to a new one for the same price, because used guitars feel more comfortable to me than -any- new ones. They've been played for a while and they just feel different (for me), nevertheless more than 50% of my guitars I bought when they were brandnew. ;)


    But anyway, these are just my recommendations, if Michael_dk will buy a cheap one like an Asian G&L or a Squier that's ok, too. He will get a good guitar for the money.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

  • I didn't say that you're vintage fanboy. ;)
    In fact I agree with most you say anyway.
    I know that a certain quality requires a certain price, and that price dumping will eventually and inevitably lead to a quality loss at some point.
    And as I said, a well played instrument is one and has been one for a reason.


    And hey, I'm looking forward to go guitar shopping with you one day... :)

  • Vintage Fanboy??!!!?? a little negative bias, I'm feeling. The 60's & 70's didn't need custom shop.. I bought my 52' Les Paul for less than a hundred bucks in the 70's and my 63' strat for nothing as well.. I've had tons of 70's teles and strats all that played and sounded magnificent that will stand their own ground today against any custom shop or custom manufacturer.. Honestly, Guenterhaas made a good recommendation with looking for a 70's model... Fender built really good guitars back then... and then we got flooded in the 80's from Japan with knock offs... Still many good parts and guitars built... and now today, we have custom shop guitars to compete with custom manufacturers and to build a guitar much more like the original.. not knocking it, I own a few and love them. Will probably never buy another vintage strat or tele again as a result. Now I'm jones-ing a SVL strat... :) It's just never enough....

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • I know that a certain quality requires a certain price, and that price dumping will eventually and inevitably lead to a quality loss at some point.

    Basically that's what I wanted to say. ;)


    I actually don't like Korean or Chinese guitars, they are ok for the -little- money, but they don't have any "soul". Very different to a 70's-tele, like DukeOURL pointed out right, Fender made very good teles back in the 70's and because they're not "vintage" yet, they are affordable and often less expensive than a custom shop model.


    But it seems there will be one more Asian guitar around... ;)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

  • Basically that's what I wanted to say. ;)


    I actually don't like Korean or Chinese guitars, they are ok for the -little- money, but they don't have any "soul". Very different to a 70's-tele, like DukeOURL pointed out right, Fender made very good teles back in the 70's and because they're not "vintage" yet, they are affordable and often less expensive than a custom shop model.


    But it seems there will be one more Asian guitar around... ;)


    That will probably be the end result, unless I can find good used parts to build my own (which really appeals to me, but I don't know what the final price would be - and it still might not be the greatest parts anyway). I just can't justify having too much money tied up in gear when I'm just a hobbyist :)





    Unless anybody wants to donate.....? :D