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Post subject: Looking For My First Telecaster.
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 6:28 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:39 pm
Posts: 413
Location: New Britain, CT.
Hi Everyone, I'm looking at a Telecaster on ebay, What do you guy's think. I own 2 Strats but know nothing about the Telecaster only that I want one . http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0192920950


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
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Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 7:44 pm
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Amateur
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Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:50 pm
Posts: 188
Location: Texas, USA
If it is to be your first Telecaster my only advice would be to go and play one before you buy. I personally love Teles, but they aren't for everyone.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 5:36 am
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
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It says you're in CT....go to Daddy's or a similiar store and play a few...there are many models and options available now. :wink:

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:36 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am
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I'd get a 2008 MIM Standard maple/alder tele, any color except pink, purple, ...no girly colors for guys.

I've had a guitar around since...1964. I played an older American alder/maple 3-barrel blonde ash try holder tele for months back in 1980. I've played many, many brands to present. Currently, we have 5 guitars in the family, all high quality guitars. The MIM tele is by far the most useful instrument right out of the box. After getting it setup for feel and tone, it's just a dynamic work-horse, and it was cheap. I got mine for $399.00, just after the price increase. They're now...$549.00, and the gig bag sucks that comes with it, but the playability and tone are indisputably quality tele, I can see why Fender put the country of origin on the back of this run, it's right up there with any American run in playablity and tone, the finish on the one I got is not as good as the American runs, and...a few parts are different than the American. BUT, the one I got is proably one of the worst looking ones in the run as I've seen perfect paint on the MIMs, you just gotta look. I ordered mine online but the company knows what I want, cheap and highly playable, so they pick my guitars out of the batch they've got and in this case, the tele they picked was quite a find for $399.00, just an amazing example of the tele sound, no other guitar sounds like it. And, with the new "hot tele pickups", when the volume and tone are wide open, you get a real "hot" tele sound, and when you turn down the volume and tone a bit, you get the Standard tele sound, you get two guitars.

Also, if you get one, it will not be setup for tone and feel, just standard medium action with fuzzy strings and random pickup heights and usually no intonation, usually saddles are either too high or low, but the neck is always got good releif from the factory from what I've seen thus far. Hence, when you get it, don't touch the relief of the neck if it's not off. Just get the string and pickup height right and then intonate it. From there, find you're ideal neck relief. I recently discovered what works best for me on this guitar and I'm shocked at how low and loose the feel is but how tight and clear the sound is. I'm using Ernie Ball 9-42's, tried the D'Addarios, too plasticy and didn't tune or intonate well.

I think the magic of the tele lies in the original concept of inexpensive but functional. Somehow or another, it's this simplicity that creates the unbelieveable tele tone. Any addition or subratction to it seems to diminish the magic.

Whatever it is about the tele, it stimulates creativity and composing. It's one of the few guitars I can pickup and just play something completely new each time whereas on other guitars, I always find myself inspired to play other people's stuff.

I was contemplating exchanging this tele for an American Standard, but I every time I play it, I just can't imagine parting with it as it does every mainstream tele sound I've ever heard, a one trick pony!

Anyways, a 2008 MIM is an inexpensive way to compare all past and future teles. If I get a new American and it plays better than this one, I'd be shocked, just shocked. The American I played back in 1980 just didn't compare to this one in tone and playability. It was good, but not this good. The improvement on the new tele, which is why I got it are, the 6 saddle bridge without the ash-tray type bridge that just sucks to play on if you ask me, and...the hot tele pickups are knarley, just amazing. This is the sound I envisioned hearing when I got my tele. I'd have sent it back if it din't! It would be a bad day if it ever got stolen or I had to part with it!


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