2) Does the bridge pickup have a metal plate on the bottom of it?

3) Put on some new strings. This will make any guitar sound better.

Your truly,
Tay Joslin

The closest thing to it is a 52 RI and even they are not exact, but they are closer.

The wire used in the PUPS, the wood, the bridge, the saddles , electronics , the whole deal..

The Mexican made Tele which is similar is the 50's classics..

The Guitar you have I believe is called the Nashville Tele. You may want to try a QUALITY vintage PUP in the bridge and see if that helps as all...

IF you can find an 82 thru 89 / 52 RI you will come across about the closest thing to one of the early Tele's as possible. I don't really know what they did in the 90's but the guitars were not consistent at all.

have fun

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 26 June 2006 at 01:42 PM.]

------------------
72 Professional 8&5,73 PRO II 8&4, 79/80 PRO III 8&4,Fender Steelking, Hilton pedal, USA Tele, Fender Twin,Peterson tuner,Tut Taylor Reso's and Twang to the Bone!!

I've had some guys tell me that are much better guitarists than I'll ever be that if you want to get a contemporary version of a Tele that's a lot closer to Leo's originals from the 50's - buy a G & L version of a Tele (the ASAT) and forget about Fender all together.

------------------
Mark

[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 26 June 2006 at 06:11 PM.]

------------------
Got Twang ?

Mark

Tube amp (Fender Twin) and my choice is the Kinman Broadcaster pickups. Oh, and get a high dollar cord like a George L which a lot of guys seem to like or Planet Waves, Monster...whatever you can get a hold of.
Maybe try a nice aftermarket maple neck.
If your Tele does not have an Alder body, or the real light swamp ash, consider getting one.

Little things make a difference as well as the big ones. I really like the idea of getting a loan at the bank and just get the best you can afford. If none of this works...get a Les Paul Custom.

The Teles with the lightest bodies and stout necks w/maple fingerboards and big frets always have more spank no matter where they're made or what brand they are. Good pickups help(no humbuckers allowed)but don't get them too hot or it will bulk up the tone.
---------------------------------------------
And I think he is totally correct...

I mentioned above the 82 thru 89 /52 RI's as those guitars are light, have very slick maple necks (7.5 round not V ) with medium jumbo's and not so HOT pups..

whatever the formula was for that series at that time was excellent..

I would only comment that I string up with 9's, and I would argue the case with anyone about whether the guitar can kick butt with 9's...

ash body
maple neck, small radius fingerboard
three heavy bridge saddles, brass or steel
250K vol & tone pots
simplest circuitry, no added resistors & etc.
strings thru body, 4-bolt neck, etc.
single coil pickups, not heavily overwound

These things all provide the best vintage Tele twang, IMHO.

Don't let anybody tell you that the 3-saddle bridges won't intonate. You can bend the length adjustment screws slightly (old-school) or purchase ready-made compensated s saddles where the length adjustment hole is drilled at an angle to compensate for string gages (hi-tech). I like the brass saddles better, some guys like grooved or threaded steel for even more bite.

Deviations from this checklist can make your Tele more versatile for gigging, but may also subtract from the basic twang equation. Also, to reinforce what Mark said, it's important to play it loud and proud!

[This message was edited by D Schubert on 28 June 2006 at 08:59 AM.]

Gotta love Em'!!

------------------
72 Professional 8&5,73 PRO II 8&4, 79/80 PRO III 8&4,Fender Steelking, Hilton pedal, USA Tele, Fender Twin,Peterson tuner,Tut Taylor Reso's and Twang to the Bone!!

it's all a marketing ploy...

I have taken my guitar to jam sessions played it and let other players play it through their amps and effects and always get the same results. IT SOUNDS GREAT LIKE A TELE SHOULD.

In My Honest Opinion, You get what you pay for. If you want $400 worth of tone buy MIM. A couple hundred dollars worth of pick ups is not going to help that much. If you want $1200 worth of tone and be done with it, buy MADE IN USA.

And in the words of Forrest Gump, "Thayat's Awl I Have To Sayee About Thayat!

------------------
Clark Custom D10 8&5
Fender Steel King
B-bender Telecaster
Line 6 Flextone II Plus
www.jimwalkeronline.com
My Space

I love the way the tone control goes instantly from all-bass to all-treble. That's great for the boo-wah effect. I play this guitar and my '94 tele on a lot of gigs (and my '76 Emmons PSG too!)

The '94 tele has slightly more sustain than the '68, but not as much bite.

------------------
My Site | My SteelTab

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 02 July 2006 at 10:37 PM.]

Picking style helps. I use a flat pick, but also use my middle & ring fingers to pull the strings upward. When I release, that strings strike the neck and that's the "bite-y-est" tone I could ask for.

BTW - I play thru a Blues Jr.

There are a lot of things which give the Tele its characteristic sound. I like a light body - it specifically does not sustain as much, and that is part of the characteristic sound I like. I have had both maple neck and rosewood fingerboard models that have "the sound". I prefer the classic 52-67 wiring, but I usually put a 1000 pF capacitor across the volume control, like on the post-1967 circuit. I've played so-called "top-loader" Teles that had plenty of snap, crackle and pop - I prefer the string-through-body design, but that's more for a bit more sustain - actually, I found the top-loaders real twangy.

But four very important features that make a big difference to me are:

1. Make sure the lead pickup base plate is ferrous. I strongly prefer the classic design with 2-to-a-saddle bridge saddles. To test it, see if a magnet is attracted to it. This has a huge effect on the pickup's magnetic field distribution, and affects the tone drastically, IMO. If yours is not magnetic, it's generally pretty easy to find a repro which is. If it's an old pre-80s Tele with 2-to-a-saddle bridges or a US made reissue, it should be if it's original.

2. Look at the bottom of the lead pickup. There should be a copper-coated plate. Again, this is a big part of the classic Tele lead pickup sound. Again, pre-80s Teles and US reissues should have this type of pickup, and good replacement pickups of this type are pretty easy to find - Duncan, Fralin, Fender, and others make them. Of course, they should not be overwound, as indicated earlier, but a light wind isn't enough for me.

3. I strongly prefer the traditional 2-to-a-saddle bridge saddles. There's something about that design that sounds unique, even apart from the ferrous bridge plates that generally seem to come with them.

4. Pay attention to string gauges. I usually prefer not too heavy on a Tele, although YMMV - that part is heavily affected by touch. But I think it's easier to get that "snap" with a bit lighter strings - I usually use .010-.046 sets, but sometimes use a .009-.042 set on certain Teles. Now, I do like heavier strings on Teles sometimes, but usually for more jazz-inflected tone.

Of course, playing style and attack are critical here. Compression and delay are nice, but not essential, IMO, for a good smap. It is possible to get a reasonable snap without these 4 elements present, but I think one gets a much better snap with them, coupled with a nice light resonant body and classic Tele neck, along with the classic pickup wiring.

Usual disclaimer - my opinions, YMMV, etc. Also, edited for two typos.

[This message was edited by Dave Mudgett on 09 July 2006 at 11:38 PM.]

Some of my students have recent Mexican Teles and those Teles have a surprising amount of pop and snap, certainly more than the American Teles of the 1980's, as far as I can tell.

The mid-80s Fenders vary widely in tone and quality because in 1985 Fender Co. was sold, and the new owners started all over with nothing more than the patents and the plans. No building and No machines were included in the sale. So all 1985 and 1986 Fender guitars were imported from offshore manufacturers, from India, Korea, China, and eventually Mexico. As far as I know there were no American made Fender guitars in 1986 and '87. By '87/88 Fender had new facilities in the USA (and Mexico).

Nowadays a Fender Telecaster can be ...a $200 Squire, a Mexican, Highway 1, USA, a $2500 Custom Shop, etc.

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 10 July 2006 at 01:11 AM.]

I live a little north of St charles these days, just haven't changed my profile. But it's more likely someone will recognize St Charles, IL than South Elgin, IL. S Elgin's practically St Charles anyway. Just less expensive.

Heyya Gabriel.

I was passing through and saw your names; thought I'd say hi.

My tele? A '96 Japanese "90's Tele Special" (I think that's what it's called). Combines vintage and modern pretty well. I believe it's alder string-through-body with a maple neck, ebony fretboard, and some sort of upgraded oem pickups. Sounds lie a tele.