YO DAWG I herd u like Telecasters.

[CBA]

Hello again, my up-until-recently-missing ILF friends.

My band played a show last Saturday night, I'm talking the 9th, and it was dope... mostly because of my new custom 3-knob Algal Bloom! Anyway, I got to mess around a little with a vintage thinline Tele, and it was super nice. My first two guitars were Teles, but I think I was too naive to appreciate them when I had them like ten years ago.

BUT it made me want to pick up a new one. I used to think the Telecaster body was the ugliest guitar shape, but now I love it. I don't know what it is. I think it's that horn. But yeah, I wanna get a new Tele.

The only concern I have is how Teles interact with fuzz. I used to just use your basic like Boss Overdrive or Distortion pedals when I had my old Tele, and that was just through a solid state Princeton. Now I've got piles of lovely new fuzzes that sound great with my Les Paul Special (P-90s) and my tweed Fender Blues Deluxe. I'm fairly certain that fuzzes would probably sound pretty screamin' with the bridge pickup on a Tele... just not so sure about the neck...

...which leads me to wanting to install a nice soapbar P-90 (probably a Lollar) into the neck, but THEEEEN I'm not sure about how it will match the output of the bridge pickup.

SO MY QUESTION THEREFORE IS THUSLY: How many of you lambs and bunnies use a nice Telecaster for your main guitar, and what sort of benefits does it have with something like an Algal Bloom or a Devi US Fuzz or what have you? Or even a Big Muff?

It may sound KARAZY, but I am going to buy an American Standard Telecaster (black with rosewood fretboard), and then POSSIBLY have some P-90 mods done on it. P.S. Harmonic Design makes a "P-90" that is the same size/look as a Tele bridge pickup.

Ya-YAYEEE.

C

[Ghost Hip]

I think my (MIM)Telecaster is my favorite guitar to use with heavy fuzz. The neck pick up has a lot of low end, and I can switch to the Bridge to get screaming punk trebles. It's the fullest sounding, most versatile guitar I've owned and it's completely stock. It should be perfect for the US and Algal Bloom, I know I loved my Tele through them.

I used to use the Treble pick up exclusively which was pretty awesome, but once I had a two piece I slowly moved to the neck pick and it gave me all the low end I could ask for. Compared to my SG with P-90s (which I assume is close to your P-90s Les Paul) it has more body, low end, but still holds the high end as much as the SG.

Hope that helps!

[CBA]

Cooooool.

That's reassuring about the neck pickup being heavy yet retaining some highs. I actually prefer the sound of heavy fuzz through a neck pickup, and especially with my Algal Bloom and P-90s, the neck pickup sounds GREAT. It's just not defined enough for live settings, I think. I need to mess around with the EQ on my amp, probably.

But yeah, I may head over to Elderly Instruments tomorrow and have a look at the one they have. WOO!

C

p.s. Still hope to play with you in GR sometime.

[sevenSHARPnine]

Aye yo, how's about I record an Algal Bloom demo with my Tele later this afternoon? Then you can Telecaster with your Telecaster while you Telecaster your Telecaster!

[CBA]

Right right... I remember now that yous guys both play Teles from the demos you've done.

Can I get a Telecaster with an Algal Bloom demo instead of pickups? 'Cuz then I could watch a demo of you playing an Algal Bloom through a Telecaster while I played an Algal Bloom through my Telecaster.

Also, I'm sure you've all seen this, but this was an entirely new concept to me:




I'd never seen or even considered Kurt Cobain playing a Telecaster. Wonder how that would have sounded. Probably sweet.

C

[sevenSHARPnine]

Right right... I remember now that yous guys both play Teles from the demos you've done.

I can't remember if any of my demos have my Tele in them. Maybe a few but definitely not the AB one I have.

Don't think I'm doing a demo just for you sweet cheeks, I've been meaning to get one up with a Tele for a while. And a new Arc Flash demo too.

(But really I'm kind of only doing them for you. Kinda.)

[Bellyheart]

I use a Nashville Deluxe and it's great. No matter which fuzz I've used, it's completely crazy sounding and as over the top as the pedal allows. I believe all the Frazz Dazzler clips on the Dr. Scientist site are with a tele and it gets really heavy!

[elbandito]

Go to the FH forum... there's a demo of the Algal Bloom with a tele. It's a good one, too.

As to teh Kurdtz playing a tele thing, apparently, that bound one in that photo you posted was actually made custom for him - a gift from his tech Ernie. He really liked teles, and toured with them during the In Utero shows.

There's a pic of him with a red one that he painted with blue housepaint and scratched a heart and the name courtney into.

[sevenSHARPnine]

There's a pic of him with a red one that he painted with blue housepaint and scratched a heart and the name courtney into.

[eatyourguitar]

I can tell you what I like in a tele+fuzz and it may not be what you like. I would go with a U shape maple neck that was common in the late 90's on a mexi. its getting impossible to find this neck on anything they make now. I prefer maple neck/ash body on a tele so I have a tight and bright sound to start with. then roll the tone knob off and go to the neck pup. the bigger the tone cap, the more bass, and the more bad ass it sounds with a tonebender. also, I think the ash tray bridge and the horribly designed tele saddles are necessary to get the sounds I like. although it is one of fenders more shit designs, its just so important to sound like a tele. more important than lipstick pickups even. and brass saddles like the old school teles all contribute to that badass zepplin tone. I have played it so its not just a dream. if you do it right with the right pedal, you can have a big sound that can totally hang with the LP's

[sevenSHARPnine]

Here's the demo Elban is referring to. How could I forget Burg's demo?!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5xK40JwRdA[/youtube][/quote]

[CBA]

Yeah, that's a hot demo. Guess I'll just have to get the damn thing and DO IT.

BUT...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3q7l4gmfPM[/youtube]

Now there are all these new Teles, and like I mentioned in the NAMM thread, that white '62 with the block inlays and double bound body is SO FINE. And of course, it's the one he has the least to say about: "This '62 is really nice, fully bound, tuxedo look... and... uh... it's a '62." Good job.

Also, here's that:



There are quite a few pics of Cobain with a Telecaster, and they must be from different shows as his choice of attire is different in each one. I did mention the block inlays and bound body up top, but the simplicity of a Tele with a dark solid color and dot inlays on a rosewood fretboard is hot.

C

[tuffteef]

There's a pic of him with a red one that he painted with blue housepaint and scratched a heart and the name courtney into.

fixd
btw one of my first guitars is an esquire same kinda boat, played it the other day after sitting in the case for like 2 years
stil got crang

[adrianlee]

My fave guitars.

Seriously.

The best. Ever.

[CBA]

My fave guitars.

Seriously.

The best. Ever.

Yeah but like f'reals why then?

Just wonderin'.


C