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Post subject: The Joe Strummer Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:38 am
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Hi All,

My first post here, mainly because I don't seem to be awake or logged on at the right time....The forum moderator must just be working office hours USA only.

Anyway, I'm thinking of adding a Fender Telecaster to the new Olympic White USA Strat/rosewood fingerboard and black Gibson Les Paul Studio I already own. I'm not a gigging and play at home just for the pure enjoyment along to stuff I love, through the wonderful Fender Blues Junior Ltd Edition - tweed with the Jensen speaker. It's all The Who, The Clash and The Stone Roses as well as SRV, ZZ Top, Howlin' Wolf.....etc

Now I've read various opinions regarding the Joe Strummer Telecaster and I have the chance to buy one of the last ones that still have the customisation kits (and at a fairly good price too) and wondered what the opinion here was from those who have actually bought the guitar to play, as opposed to hang on the wall.

Is it an over-priced alder bodied Mexican Tele with a bad paint job and damaged neck or potentially a decent instrument, which will give me a years of enjoyment and hold it's value ? Would I be better off with a standard USA Tele or perhaps the Muddy Waters model with a rosewood fingerboard ?

I know as a copy it's not great. I was surprised that Fender had not made more of an effort to replicate the original. Built to a price point perhaps ? Love to hear a few opinions from guitarists who have bought one....if there are any.

Cheers,

Pete,
London :lol:


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:31 pm
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Now, if the guitar is only for playing at home, why don't you but the same kind of guitar, use it for sometime, and then customize it yourself. I reckons it's something to look foward to in terms of the guitar. Becouse if you spend that much (this is obviously relative as your income) money, it might aswell be for a new one, that looks that way. And the difference can be invested in new dials, stickers, stencil(s) and paint(s).
....just a thought. Hope it works. Hahah.

Sofi :roll:


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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:17 pm
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Well.....I did buy it yesterday ! It's sitting on a chair behind me now !

It sounds brilliant through my Fender Blues Junior, particularly that bridge pickup - a sound which I can't get from USA Strat and so completely different from the 498T humbucker in the Les Paul Studio. I've barely played a Tele before, so really I've got nothing to compare it with. A guitarist friend currently favours his late 60's Telecaster, so maybe when he returns from LA I can make a comparison.

The looks are something to get used to. It's new yes, but not shiny and new like the Strat. I'll just pick it up and sling it around without too much caution. It's a 'heavy relic' and the only thing I've had to modify is the back of the neck.....yes, really !

The one relicing problem straight out of the case, were the slight 'ridges' along the back of the neck, from the nut to the 11th or 12th fret. I took some 600 grade wet and dry paper and 0000 grade steel wool and removed it. The guitar was $1280 and had it not been a heavy relic, then I wouldn't have dreamed of making any mods at all. The neck is now a smooth as the Strat, but with a slightly different profile and a 7.25" radius.

I'm going to keep the customisation pack in mint condition and just enjoy playing it. Maybe I'll try and 'distress' the shiny new scratchplate tomorrow. Hours of fun and creativity which I'd never consider on a genuine 'new' guitar.

Ignore Alien Orders !


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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:28 pm
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Hi Pete,
Congratulations on that Joe Strummer.
As for all those stickers and stencils I wouldn't be able to
resist, I do up as best I could, And feel great about it.
Best of luck.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:21 pm
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I love my Strummer Tele. I changed the bridge pickup to a Lndy Fralin Blues Special. It sounds great now. Here's a picture of it. I applied some of the stickers and stencils, and then "weathered" the stickers.
Image


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:09 pm
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That is one badass Tele! R.I.P. Joe...


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:12 pm
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Hi Guys,

Just slowly distressing my 'Strummercaster', working it bit by bit and deciding as I go what to do next. The stencil/sticker pack has been left in mint condition though.

It's quite easy to take a bit of wire wool and emery paper to a £ 640 guitar....surprisingly easy ! I've also taken to hitting it with a bunch of keys and slightly abusing with a belt buckle.....not something I'll do with my Olympic White 2007 USA Stratocaster w/rosewood !!

I'll post some progress photos at some point. What I didn't want to do was replicate Joe's IAO Telecaster exactly. I'm still trying to think of an original three-word slogan for a sticker which will replicate the look, but not the wording of the 'Ignore Alien Orders' one. I need a contemporary short three word slogan......Any suggestions welcome.

Pete,
LONDON

PS For all the Clash fans who read this please check out www.carbonsiliconinc.com This is the band of former Clash guitarist Mick Jones and former Generation X bass player Tony James. I went to see them about 10 days ago in a 150 capacity club in West London. Fantastic night, great music and Jonesy now plays a Thinline Telecaster. Going again this Friday.....Carbon Casino V


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:34 am
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I hate Fender for making that awful "replica" of Joe's guitar. I mean, the man is a legend! I'm a huge the Clash fan and when I first heard about a Strummer replica I was screaming out pretty loud..
but when I saw pictures of it I was close to breaking down and cry :?
HOW COULD THEY?! :shock:
Don't support/buy that model, it sucks. buy an original and tear it apart :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:52 pm
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Dude, relax. It's just a guitar!


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:33 am
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Hi Hansa,

Know how you feel about the Strummer tribute Tele and it's exactly what I thought when I saw the first pictures. It looks like Fender couldn't quite decide what to copy. For me it's not a problem....mine is that I couldn't bring myself to start the heavy relicing of a 'brand new' guitar....even a cheaper standard Mexican. I have a beautiful Olympic White USA Strat with a rosewood fingerboard and believe me I'm so careful....no belt buckles and always handled with great care !

On another note entirely, I've been watching Mick Jones (ex-Clash, ex-BAD and Tony James' (ex-Generation X, ex-Sigue Sigue Sputnik) new band Carbon/Silicon for the last few weeks in London on Friday nights and photographing them too. I spoke to both of them last Friday and perhaps this week I should drag along my 'Strummercaster', as well as my cameras, for Mick to pass comment on ! He's now playing a black Thinline Telecaster with pearl scratchplate and maple neck. Nice.

Click on this link for my pix, Carbon Silicon are page 9 onwards....

http://www.pmsphoto.co.uk/authenticate. ... sword=zulu

Cheers,

Pete,
London


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:20 pm
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..and one more thing....Hansa...

If by any chance I was able to afford to buy a completely original 1966 sunburst Fender Telecaster, my first stop would not be the auto body shop for a coat of grey primer and black paint....!! It would be my insurance broker !!!

The history of Joe's guitar is fairly well documented and there are mods which shouldn't be attempted. However good the relicing job, it still won't actually be Joe's IAO Telecaster. Fender have seriously compromised the JS model....Not really sure which of Joe's guitars to copy.

Mine now looks like this:

http://www.pmsphoto.co.uk/a.tlx?e=5651

I hope the link works !

Pete,
London


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:05 pm
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Hi All,

I'm a drummer but a huge Clash Fan! I bought the Joe Strummer Tele... I printed off the Tab for Death or Glory and damned if I'm not now playing it... sort of! As much as Joe wasn't about commercialism and might not have been happy about the guitar, he was ALL about the music! And I think if it made me want to run out and buy one and learn to play his song I think he WOULD have been all about that! I unfortunately didn't get the customization kit... does anybody know what serial numbered guitars should have come with it... maybe it's still laying around the guitar store somewhere?


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:54 am
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madman24 wrote:
I love my Strummer Tele. I changed the bridge pickup to a Lndy Fralin Blues Special. It sounds great now. Here's a picture of it. I applied some of the stickers and stencils, and then "weathered" the stickers.
Image





:twisted: Tele"F u c k'n"caster :twisted:


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:42 am
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Hi Madman24,

Finally, my Strummercaster is finished....

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk25 ... 4480SS.jpg

I love the sound of the standard 'vintage' bridge pickup. I guess it depends what you're playing it through. I have a Fender Blues Junior Ltd tweed with the Jensen speaker and it just screams and growls....

There is just a slight possibility that I may be meeting up with Mick Jones (yes, that one !) and Tony James later this week and maybe I should get Mick to give it the once over. He's now playing a nice black Thinline Telecaster with his current band Carbon/Silicon.

Cheers from London,

Pete.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:32 am
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madman24 wrote:
I love my Strummer Tele. I changed the bridge pickup to a Lndy Fralin Blues Special. It sounds great now. Here's a picture of it. I applied some of the stickers and stencils, and then "weathered" the stickers.
Image

cool i like it nice


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