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Post subject: new player, new guitar
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:45 pm
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Location: Windsor, ON Canada
I am new to this forum and a new guitar player.

I'm 52 years old and I have never picked up a guitar until about 2 weeks ago. I have wanted to learn ever since I was a kid but never did.

I figure why not now.

So I will be ordering a Tele Standard next week. I plan on purchasing the Mexican model in black. I think it will make a excellent first guitar. I like the sound, history, looks and simplicity of the Fender Telecaster model.



Can this guitar be ordered with a black pickguard?

Should I tell the store to replace the strings immediately?
Should I pay and have the guitar setup or is a factory setup usually sufficient?

What would it take to upgrade the pickups to the equivalent of an American Standard? (What pickup are in the American standard and what is the price-line for these pickups?)

The type of music I hope to be eventually playing is Dylan and Jim Croce type. Perhaps in a few years some Zeppelin.


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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:04 am
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I have a black Standard Telecaster with a black pickguard (maple neck, of course) and it is a wonderful instrument. Unfortunately, you must swap pickguards after you've bought it; Fender doesn't offer black-on-black in the Standard series. That said, it's a relatively easy process: very self explanatory.

As for the strings and setup, I would ensure that the guitar has been set up to your liking before any money changes hands. I've been setting up guitars myself ever since I started, and for me that's not a big issue, but beginners can be easily fooled by a bad setup that conceals serious flaws in the instrument. My suggestion is that you agree on a price and then make sure the shop sets it up just the way you wanted (for free) before you fork over any cash.

And then there's the old pickup upgrade debate. My own belief is that you should play the guitar as-is. You may come to realize that you don't have to invest another $200 for better pickups; the stock parts may well give you everything you need. Play it for awhile and then make a decision. If you're bent on the upgrade, it might be worthwhile to forget about the standard series and buy a Highway 1 or, perhaps, a used American.


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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:22 am
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thanks for the reply Vulkan.

I figured as much that the Standard could not be had with a black pickguard but was more or less trying to find out if Fender made a black pickguard or if I would have to look at something that was not Fender branded.

I will play the instrument and get the store to set it up.

I'll play it for a while before I make any decisions on a pickup upgrade. With my limited playing ability I'm not sure if I would notice a huge difference yet but as I progress I may want to upgrade. I was considering the noiseless pickups as the upgrade. (feedback and such)

As about purchasing an American Standard model. The idea of this model has entered my mind but I cannot justify it at this early stage of my playing ability. But as I progress I can foresee an American Standard or perhaps a few.....I do know it will be a Fender. I like the sound, looks and yes the history behind Fender guitars.


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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:33 pm
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Hey theoldman, welcome to the forum. Wise choice on the Tele, it will fit your needs as a beginner and as Vulkan said, you may realize overtime that you can't go wrong with a Tele and it may suit your needs for years to come. What amp are you planning to use? It will influence your tone a lot. I started playing electric myself two years ago when I hit the big fifty. Keep us posted on your choices and hope to hear from you soon. Good luck. :)
Claude. 8)


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:36 pm
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Black pickguards for Telecasters are eminently available: after all, they do make several models with it. You just have to ensure that it has the right (or, perhaps, lesser) number of screws than the stock white one. Then it's just a matter of swapping the neck pickup out and screwing the new one in. Easy!

As for noiseless pickups, I don't personally see the need. Unless you're playing at absolutely absurd volume, your guitar should not feed back
unless you want it to. Solid-bodied electrics were designed to eliminate the feedback inherent to archtops; semi-solids like the ES-335 bridge the gap somewhat. But feedback should not be an issue unless you want it to be. Moreover, my own experience with noiseless pickups is that, unless you're in a very quiet room with your amp, single coil sound is not a big issue. It might sound horrendous in your bedroom, but on a stage or in a club it's buried by everything else. Besides, the volume pot on your guitar allows you to turn the pickup down when not playing. Judicious manipulation of the guitar's controls should effectively eliminate noise.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 4:32 pm
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thank you


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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 4:49 pm
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Lots of good advice here---take it.

I had good advice when I started and it helped.

_________________
It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:08 am
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Welcome!
GREAT time to pick up the guitar and learn how to play!

52 ain't old; 'am working with an 83 year-old doctor on a book project; she figures people have 150 in them if all goes well, etc.

Remember; 47 was expected American lifespan in 1900.

A pro setup is HUGE important. Worry about guard and pups as time goes on unless they really bug you. Personal feeling and shared by a bunch, a modern MIM Standard is a lot, a lot, a lot like what the original 1950s and 60s guitars were like, when new.

BEST OF FORTUNE!


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:28 pm
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Location: Windsor, ON Canada
Thanks everyone

I'm quite pleased to say that I picked up my Fender Tele Standard tonite. I'm quite pleased and excited. It's a black model. It looks fantastic and sounds even better.
Couldn't be more excited.

MZ8271590
would appreciate some help in dating it.

theoldman


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:03 pm
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Welcome to the board and congrats on the Tele! I'm taking guitar lessons at age 58 so I figure its never too late to start...

I believe the "8" after the "MZ" in the serial number indicates the guitar was built in 2008..


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:02 pm
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Have fun! To get a glimpse at the crazy world of pick up swapping look at www.lollarguitars.com , you might want to change the capacitor too, www.angela.com , paper in oil for woody tone.... 8)


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:35 pm
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Welcome to the forums and playing! Best hobby known to humanity and as my girlfriend often says, it keeps my hands busy and out of trouble :)

As for being 52 and starting, why not. I'm 56 and I've played for nearly 40 years but have yet to take the plunge into recording. So at 56, I got the software and now I'm on my way to sound engineering stardom (probably not).

Strings and setup -- not to repeat, but the strings that come on it should be fine to start with. You can always experiment once you know your way around the fretboard a bit and fingering is becoming natural. Just my opinion, but you don't want strings too light to start with because they'll bend on you and make mastering clean fingering more difficult.

Setup -- critical -- and if they'll let you, watch. Eventually, especially if you're going to try different gage strings, it becomes a useful skill to master


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:02 am
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thanks for all the support everyone.


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