It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:12 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 18 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:55 pm
Posts: 4
Hi. I am very interested in buying a tele but am totally unfamiliar with Fender products. I've pretty much only used gibsons and ibanezes up to this point because I only played heavy stuff growing up to classic rock.

So now I see lots of today's bands using tele's for heavy rock music and I have been getting into some country like Keith Urban and Jason Aldean as well.

Can you guys recommend me a tele or two I can check out thats not going to be used for traditional country twang but more rock and new country? I have to keep the budget so I was looking in the 500-900 area if possible. I dont care too much about the finish, just the tone and neck playability.

I use a Les Paul type of guitar now (Indie brand) with EMG Zak active pickups so I like the hot pickups. I find when I switch to passive stock pickups in my ibanezes for example, I get a loss in volume for sure.

I know Epiphones for example are all the same pretty much but the hardware and paint/finish is the pricing point, not sure if Tele's do the same.

Thnx for any input. Appreciate it.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:30 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:28 pm
Posts: 1135
Location: Sitting on my La La
Hello Grampa Bob,
Welcome to the forum, lots of good people here. Imho the best thing you can do is get out to a few stores and play a bunch of different teles, and don't overlook the used dept. Your hands and ears will tell you what you're looking for.

Happy hunting,
John.E


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:41 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:55 pm
Posts: 4
I should probably add that I play thru a Peavey JSX head with marshall 1960cab straight up no pedals type of preamp sound.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:36 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:10 pm
Posts: 2261
Location: Elay
Welcome to the forums Gramps. You're making me feel good just calling you that since I've been around awhile myself. You'll get a lot of good info on Tele's here. Here's my totally biased opinion. Since you mentioned you've been mostly playing Gibson's and your budget is under 900 I thought I should at least mention the Jim Adkins JA-90 Telecaster. I just ordered one the other day and haven't gotten it yet but I'm real excited about this guitar. I paid $650 for it new, no tax, no shipping but it doesn't come with a case. I have an extra gig bag so no biggie for me. Here's a link to it on this site:
http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0262350538

Good luck and happy hunting. I have a feeling which ever Tele you choose, you're going to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:58 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
check out one of the H-H teles, such as the spalted maple. i got one for $665 and the sey-duncs could be switched out for active emgs if you know how to wire them. although i kind of like the pups that came with it... if you can't get enough volume, i'd recommend a new amp... this might fit in with what it sounds like you are playing. i'd sort of classify the sound as a "tele-paul". with the s1 switch you can get a lot of different tones too. it's a pretty decent set-up, light, playable, and flexible. a very unusual tele.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:09 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
here's a link: http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0262600521
oh, and they also have this with the same setup:
http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0262000520

the only thing i didn't like was the bridge. it will eat your hand if you do a lot of palm muting.
the main problem was the set screws sticking out, but there's an easy 'grinder-based' solution to that. and the saddles are squared off instead of being rounded. there are a few solutions to that. you could replace that saddle on the low E, smooth off the stock saddle, or replace the bridge. all pretty simple solutions.

again, i can pretty easily get a 'les paul sound' with my setup. i usually refer to a good les pauls as "big bucks! no whammy!" but this is a very decent guitar, and you can probably get one of the FMTs for around 500.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:52 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:55 pm
Posts: 4
Thnx for all teh input, keep it coming. My amp has plenty of volume, I might just need a small booster pedal to equalize the volume difference between active humbuckers on one guitar and passive single coils on another.

I would like to get away from humbuckers on this tele.

I have found a used blackout tele (single coils) with fender hardshell case for $400 thats mint, but is this blackout a cut down tele guitar like a squire or epiphone type of deal? Also looking at a 2005 USA standard tele with original case for $700. I like used, saves me some taxes.

Then I have also glanced at a highway1 and american special which is in the budget, new that is. the nashville tele with teh strat middle looks nice too.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:18 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:40 am
Posts: 987
Quote:
I would like to get away from humbuckers on this tele.


Why's that? A humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge would give you a wide range of tones, from rock to jazzy to country... not sure what (if any) current models other than the reissue MIM 70's Tele Customs are available with this pickup configuration. One option (and always my favorite :D) is to scrap one together from spare parts...you could build a really nice tele for what an American Special would run you and you'd have lots of options as far as neck width, fret size pups, color, etc... There's a ton of helpful folks on here that would be happy to help you if you go that route... it's fun and really feels like a custom instrument when you're done. The downside is, it won't be worth a pile of beans if you decide to unload it, but you can always scrap it back out and sell it off that way.

As far as the Nashville Tele, those have always perked my interest... they seem like cool guitars and are still a pretty good bargain. Of course, the HWY 1's are also a very popular choice for many but they're on their way out of production.

_________________
Image
Dust off those rusty strings just one more time...

For more info on my gear, visit my blog at http://www.jgsguitargoodness.blogspot.com


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:07 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
" I might just need a small booster pedal to equalize the volume difference between active humbuckers on one guitar and passive single coils on another."

heh heh, oh i see what you were saying.

re: humbuckers
with the s-1 switching system you just pull on the knob to turn your humbuckers into single coils. you might check one out at a shop and play with it a bit to see if it will get you where you're going.

well, if you're looking for something used that's kind of a whole other ball of wax...
not that it's a bad idea or anything. but, it's a little harder to recommend a guitar that you would never have played. a used tele could have infinite variations (pups, bridge, tuners, wiring) and considerations to take into account, so it's hard to really give any specific recommendations. but, i'm assuming you will be able to play these in advance...?

so it's really down to the basics: if you can afford it american is usually the way to go, (although i have tried out a thinline MIM with a cutout that i liked quite a bit).


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:11 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
one thing for sure though, if you like maple necks, you'll have a LOT more options.
i tend to go for rosewood, so selection is a little more limited with teles...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:25 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:54 pm
Posts: 147
You can make a single coil sound like a humbucker but not the other way around.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:52 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:55 pm
Posts: 4
For neck wood, thats too much detail for me lol. I wouldn't notice a difference I think, just the playability. As for humbuckers, I like them and have them on all my other les paul heavy body guitars, but I'm just checking out something totally opposite like a tele. for the single coils. I appreciate all the input. Forums are great.

For trying them out in general, I live an hour form teh city and the closest dealer has schecters and godins for sale....big trip to try guitars so thats why I'm putting out the feelers on whether a "cheaper" tele like a blackout, is more like a made in indonesia replica guitar or if its actually a really decent quality guitar. If anyone has played one, did you put it back on the shelf and keep looking type of thing.

The other downfall is music stores in my area only have little boutique amps to try which is not really a good comparison if you use high gain equipment lol.....hence the forums use.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:57 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
AngryHatter wrote:
You can make a single coil sound like a humbucker but not the other way around.


um? are you talking about running two single coils at the same time using the three-way switch? if so, that's not what i'm talking about. i'm talking about a coil splitter.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:08 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
yeah, even in the springs they can have a pretty limited selection of stuff to look at.
you want to look at this one specific guitar, but they don't have it so you try to piece it together by playing a few different guitars that have similar components. this type of neck, these pickups, similar level of build, etc., and you can't trust the sales guys to know what they're talking about. you have to watch their face when you ask them something. if they kind of pause or hum-hah even slightly, they don't know. if they say, "i'm pretty sure", they don't know. if they say "i don't know, i'll check" that's better. it's like buying a car, half the time i end up explaining the car to the dealer because they don't have a clue... if you go guitar shopping, take your laptop (if you have one) so you can do research in the store.

a lot of online stores do a "money back" deal, but be careful, they might have a 15% restocking fee unless it's damaged.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Buying a tele but not familiar with Fenders, help!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:14 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:39 pm
Posts: 10
AngryHatter wrote:
You can make a single coil sound like a humbucker but not the other way around.



good article here:
http://www.smitspickups.com/coiltapping.htm


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 18 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: