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 Telecaster Overdose
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| Author | Topic: Telecaster Overdose |
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Larry Miller Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA |
posted 22 July 2001 01:43 PM
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I love the sound of a Tele just as much as the next guy, but don't you think some of what we don't like about today's country(besides the big ass snare drum) is the overuse of the Tele. Is there not a place for the Pete Wade, Jimmy Capps, Steve Gibson kind of simple electric lead guitar on todays radio? After much thought I am fixing to hit the "Submit New Topic" button. Flame throwers, "ready on the left", "ready on the right", commence flaming!! (I've got an Iron @$$)  Larry |
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John Floyd Member From: Somewhere between Camden County , NC and Saluda S.C. |
posted 22 July 2001 02:26 PM
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I got a sure fire fix for this, Send in Earl Erb with his Tele.  But his doesn't sound like a Tele, It has TONE.It Doesn't have to be this way and I agree with you too much of a good thing is too much. ------------------ |
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Earl Erb Member From: Old Hickory Tenn |
posted 22 July 2001 02:54 PM
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John,thanks for the plug but that's the way its been for the last 33 yrs....Earl who?...you mean the guitar player that worked for Skeeter Davis and Jim Ed Brown in the late 60's early 70's? I heard he died. [This message was edited by Earl Erb on 22 July 2001 at 03:53 PM.] |
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TomP Member From: Encino Ca |
posted 22 July 2001 03:10 PM
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It ain't the poor tele's fault! It's about as cool a tool (!) as Fender could come up with at the time. Of course you can get alot more tonal variations nowdays, but you can do it with a tele, too. A larger problem than the classic tonal "bark" of the tele, is the huge stockpile of standard licks everyone relies on to stick in these recordings. It's just easier to say play that lick like so and so and God knows, most producers like it easy. ------------------ |
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Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida |
posted 22 July 2001 03:55 PM
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I have one of the newer Nashville Tele's. It has a 3rd pickup (a strat pickup) and a 5 position switch like a strat. Gets the out of phase tones similar to a strat. I don't pick much lead but have it so I can do my Luther Perkins licks when I have to double on steel and lead. Back in the 60's when I was trying to pick lead, I played a 61 PX6120 Chet Atkins Gretsch but they really never found favor in sessions. I like the sound but can't afford one today. Seems like the "Nashville" sound goes in cycles and currently the Tele is the "in" sound. Back in the early 70's it was a 355 stereo Gibson. Personally I never liked the feel of the Gibson neck. I'm not sure what it was, just that it felt "big". |
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Earl Erb Member From: Old Hickory Tenn |
posted 22 July 2001 03:57 PM
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Your right Tom,you can get any tone out of a Tele if you experiment and get away from the stigma of what the classic Tele tone sounds like.Don't get me wrong,I love the classic Tele sound but there is more to these guitars than everyone thinks. Jack, to get away from the large neck syndrome of a Gibson you would like a Byrdland or an L-5 Gibson. I never liked the neck on the Les Paul for the same reasons.I still have my 68 Byrdland that I bought new in 68.The guitar that made me famous.LOL [This message was edited by Earl Erb on 22 July 2001 at 04:02 PM.] |
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Steve Feldman Member From: Millbury, MA USA |
posted 22 July 2001 04:41 PM
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I have a 52 Tele Reissue that has great tone, but can be a little tough to play because of a small neck radius. Additionally, you can't get at the truss rod without pulling the neck, so anytime you want to tweek the action, it's a big pain. SO - I go into my local Guitar Center and I tried about 6-8 other Teles, all through a Fender Twin and in the back room so I didn't embarrass myself (at least publically, that is...). Most had really great neck action and some had really nice pickup/switching configurations. I tried a beautiful red one with that piezo pickup combination, and I must say that it was really cool. However, NOT ONE of the Teles that I tried even came close to that honking, barking, make-the-hair- stand-up-on-the-back-of-your-head sound that my 52 Reissue had. The originals must really sound incredible. Anyway - I kept my 52, and the little things don't seem like such a bother anymore. I don't know - I don't get tired of the sound. But I listen to a lot of different types of music, too. My $0.02. [This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 22 July 2001 at 04:44 PM.] |
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erik Member From: |
posted 22 July 2001 04:41 PM
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Occasionally, you'll hear something different like a Danelectro, but yeah, it would be nice to hear a variety of tones, as well as a variety of styles, musicians, etc. |
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Andy Volk Member From: Boston, MA |
posted 22 July 2001 05:04 PM
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I think that, generally speaking, the Fender Tele is hands down the most versatile, best sounding solid body ever made. Individually, there's a wide difference depending on the wood used, the quality control at the time, etc. There's a beauty in simplicity - marriage of form & function - that even the Strat & Les Paul can't touch IMHO. If a particular Tele sound is over used it's not the fault of the instrument but the producer. I've got mine set up as a Jazz guitar with extra heavy flatwounds and through the right amp, it rivals any archtop I've heard. Listen to what Danny Gatton & Ed Bickert have done with the Tele in Jazz ... as different from Albert Collins as Luther Perkins was from Steve Cropper and Albert Lee from Bonnie Raitt. |
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Michael Holland Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
posted 22 July 2001 07:50 PM
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That's right, it all depends on the amp/pickup/effect configuration as it relates to the player. I saw Widespread Panic on ACL last night and the guitar player played a Tele all night. He was using Soldano amps with Mesa cabinets and had a great tone (if somewhat inarticulate and ham-fisted style). Garbage in - garbage out. |
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Keith DeLong Member From: Dartmouth NS Canada |
posted 23 July 2001 05:38 AM
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I have a '67 Tele, it's been modified a little, original bridge pickup,another bridge pickup in the middle and a Seymour Duncan neck pickup that really honks. I put graphite saddles and nut on it; I also have an Ibanez Les Paul copy that has the Super 70 pickups, tons of sustain, which is where the Tele falls short. When I think of great Tele tone, I think of Vince Gill--really full-bodied sound, not to forget the great James Burton and Don Rich, who put the Tele on the map in country music. |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 23 July 2001 08:49 AM
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It's probably not the Tele you're tired of, just the lack of variety in tones that the guitar players like. Nowadays, everyone is hung up on the bridge pickup with lots of overdrive and/or compression, with very little body. To me, Vince's sound is thin and sharp...not much "body" there at all. This is cool for fast stuff, but slow songs need the character that comes with fullness. The older guys like Jimmy Capps and Leon Rhodes have it all over the new guys when it comes to playing behind a pretty, slow song. Face it, there ARE times "twang" doesn't fit. |
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Ron Page Member From: Cincinnati, OH USA |
posted 23 July 2001 09:07 AM
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I agree with a lot of what's been said. I never get tired of the "Tele" sound, especially when it's delivered by some of the players Keith listed. Man! What I hear on radio today -- and am dreadfully tired of -- is the "Strat" sound with a bunch of distortion mixed in. That makes me long for the "tele" sound. Steve, you have to ask for the Merle Haggard signature model to get that tone you're after. ------------------ |
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Gregg Galbraith Member From: Goodlettsville,Tn.,USA |
posted 23 July 2001 12:13 PM
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Larry, While much of the session work that I do these days never gets heard on radio, I never leave home for work without my Les Paul, which is "locked" in the front pick-up position, just in case I am allowed to render some mellow, clean sounds to a song.This is the same guitar I used on "You Take Me For Granted", by Haggard and the "My Kind of Country" CD by Reba. I know that I'm a long time between hits, but I refuse to give up trying.I DID get to play the Les Paul quite a bit on the forth-coming Gene Watson project. Please E-mail me, at your convenience, and refresh my memory concerning when I worked with/for you a few years back, which you have alluded to on this forum. Thanks in advance, Gregg |
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John Floyd Member From: Somewhere between Camden County , NC and Saluda S.C. |
posted 23 July 2001 02:22 PM
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quote: Keith ------------------ |
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Roger Miller Member From: Waterloo, Ia. |
posted 23 July 2001 02:22 PM
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Go buy a Ed Bickert trio album and for sure you will change your mind about Tele's. |
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Larry Miller Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA |
posted 23 July 2001 04:09 PM
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Great thread guys, I have owned many Telecasters through the years, and know that the forward position or even the middle position with a tweak of the tone knob, make these guitars very versatile. Thanks for your input. Larry |
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Jerry Bruner Member From: Albany, NY |
posted 23 July 2001 07:02 PM
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I recommend the album NO STRANGER TO A TELE by Redd Volkaert. It's on my want list. The guy can play the heck out of a Tele and the CD is great. |
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Tim Rowley Member From: Pinconning, MI, USA |
posted 23 July 2001 08:45 PM
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I admit to being biased, but I think that the Fender Telecaster is arguably the greatest (and simplest) electric guitar in the world. Having owned a number of electric guitars in my time, sure I like the tone of a good humbucker, soapbar, Filtertron, DeArmond, etc. But when I got bored with the others I took a professional's advice and switched to an old Telecaster in 1974. Since then I have purchased two additional Tele's. I use good pickups and I replace the springs on the pickup mounting screws with short pieces of 1/8" automotive vacuum hose. I use the best US-made switches I can find. My Telecasters take a knockin' and keep on rockin'. They are capable of just about any tone you want. They are NOT boring. They are a far better guitar than I am a player! Tim R. |
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Harry Hess Member From: Blue Bell, PA., USA |
posted 24 July 2001 02:35 AM
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Having owned 4 different alder body Teles in the 70's, I like my '52 Reissue better than any of them. It's the ash body. It's the only way to go. I have a Duncan '54 Tele pickup in the treble position and a reverse wound Rio Grande in the neck. This gives me a humbucking position. I also switched to the new 4 way Tele toggle switch. I use .010 to .052's on it and get a very broad range of tones from it. I really recommend the 4 way toggle switch. Regards, [This message was edited by Harry Hess on 24 July 2001 at 02:37 AM.] |
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Keith DeLong Member From: Dartmouth NS Canada |
posted 24 July 2001 02:53 AM
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Hey Gregg I know all about your tone, I heard you playing with Bill Anderson many years ago, plus your work with Conway Twitty,will be looking forward to the new Gene Watson CD. I think the mellow sound is coming back to some degree at least, that's why I kept the Les Paul copy Ibanez. |
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Mike Perlowin Member From: Los Angeles CA |
posted 24 July 2001 07:51 AM
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I own 17 guitars, but my '68 Tele (with the very rare two piece maple neck) is my absolute favorite. It has a humbucker with a coil splitter in front that was allegedy made be Red Rhodes. This pickup produces has a very mellow almost jazz like tone. Then of course, the rear pickup has that classic tele twang. |
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Frank Estes Member From: Huntsville, AL |
posted 24 July 2001 08:31 AM
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I prefer Teles as well. I have a 1992 brown sunburst MIM (made in Mexico) Tele to which I have had a middle strat pickup and 5-position switch added. It gives me all the tones I need and I really like the thinner neck. I have grabbed some Teles with a thicker neck and I find them harder to play. I also use a very light gauge of strings (1st string is an .008). I guess the only thing I would add is the through-the-body bridge, if I could be convinced it will make that much of a difference. I have found that the single-coil at the neck sounds pretty cool. I always thought I would go with a humbucker there, because one of my first guitar heros played a beautiful black 72 Custom Tele--humbucker and 4 knobs. As for too-much Tele on recordings, I simply love Brent Mason's work. For me, he is the master of taste and tone. His "Hot Wired" CD is awesome. Frank ------------------ |
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Robert Member From: Champaign, IL |
posted 24 July 2001 06:41 PM
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Hello - I think I know what Larry's getting at, but it's not the Telecaster's fault - it is (as somebody else stated) a matter of editing. Whether the editor is the guitarist or the producer is a matter of debate - maybe a bit of each. No matter - the guitar is capable of a wide range of tones, but only a couple of them are "commercially viable" right now, or so somebody thinks. Those "hot rod" chicken pickin' or "pedal" sounds can be fun, but sometimes I think that the sound should be left to the real masters/originators. Kind of like scat jazz singers: lots of jazz singers have a go at it, but almost none of them do it as well as Ella Fitzgerald or Mel Torme. BTW - nobody mentioned the great Jimmy Bryant, who got all kinds of sounds from his Tele and (almost?) never did a bent-tone-over-tone lick. Rob |
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Craig A Davidson Member From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA |
posted 26 July 2001 06:24 AM
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I have a Mexican Tele and love the sound of it. I have other guitars but keep going back to the Tele. I did replace the factory bridge with a vintage three-saddle one. It really shaped the sound up. I know that sound has something to do with the style of bridge. I can also use the ashtray cover that my buddy, Roger Miller, gave me years ago. At least while it's in the case. He and I were talking about the versatility of the Tele, last night as a matter of fact. You can play anything with it. ------------------ |
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Terry Downs Member From: Garland, TX US |
posted 28 July 2001 11:11 PM
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Over use a Tele?? Get out of town!! I have several Tele's. That is all I play. I am a Telecaster nut. I build them, modify them, dream about them. Heck, I've even slept with one. ....but... I must admit I am a HUGE fan of the mellow tones from the 70s. There is nothing more beautiful than to hear than the guitar on Conway Twitty's "Linda on my Mind" and "Hello Darlin'". Those good old Mel Street songs had that kind of guitar in them too. I think Grady Martin played a lot of that. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. It was a very mellow smooth sound, sometimes with echo on it. I grew up playing guitar with that stuff. I love it. If you listen to Alan Jackson's "Under the Influence" CD you will notice Brent using a pretty mellow tone on "Pop a Top". I am guessing that would be his Tele switched to the Gibson mini humbucker neck pickup. Other than that, I can't think of many that have that mellow Gibson like tone in recent years. I would rather not think of the this era as an over-use of the Tele, but a distinct lack of classic mellow guitar sounds. ------------------ |
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Larry Miller Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA |
posted 29 July 2001 06:09 AM
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Terry, Pete Wade played some of the Conway stuff. |
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Herb Steiner Member From: Cedar Valley, Travis County TX |
posted 29 July 2001 08:42 PM
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Youse guys wanna talk Telecaster overdose? Oh, from left to right: Boomer Norman, yours truly, Dave Biller, Paul Skelton, and Bill Kirchen. Fortunately for me, each one of these guys is a total monster on the axe in hand. PPS: Though I am not a performing guitarist, I do own one electric guitar. A 1956 Telecaster, of course. ------------------ [This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 29 July 2001 at 08:47 PM.] |
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Ernie Renn Member From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA |
posted 30 July 2001 01:41 AM
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Herb; That borders on "Tele-Overkill". You got to set right in the middle of 'em, too. You lucky dog, you... ------------------ |
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erik Member From: |
posted 30 July 2001 02:28 AM
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I don't get it, why doesn't at least one of those guys walk on with a Strat and change-up everyone? |
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Larry Miller Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA |
posted 30 July 2001 06:21 AM
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Herb, LMAO!!!, THAT IS FUNNY! LARRY |
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