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Post by zontar on Feb 20, 2021 20:29:10 GMT
Incredible work you did on that butchered ‘59. Can’t even tell that any work was done to it other than a refinish. I’m also loving that Esquire...great colour and the white pickguard just makes everything “pop”. Back in the ‘80s I had a local music store fit a humbucker between the two pickups on my ‘75 Tele. I think they drilled holes to weaken the wood and then chiseled out the remains. Quite a butcher job. Thank God it’s covered by the pickguard. When I was working, I thought of bringing it into the machine shop and having the machinist clean it up on the milling machine. But I was too lazy to take the guitar apart. However, I still have a couple of months before the place shuts down completely and seeing as I’m at home with nothing to do, maybe I should look into finally getting it done. The Les Paul I bought used had Humbuckers originally, but a previous owner had put in P-90 copies Due to the size they were in diagonally with some rough gouging to be able to do that as P-90s are wider than Gibson Humbuckers (& indeed most humbuckers) When I put humbuckers back in (the P-90s sat in the holes rather haphazardly and moved--so they didn't work properly. As well it wasn't the sound I was looking for. I traded the P-90s for work to mod the guitar & some miscellaneous parts.) I added more wood in the cavities. Although I was tempted to fill the holes & re-rout them--but the holes for the wires would have been tricky to do properly--so just reinforced the gouged areas. The pickup rings cover it up--and it works great.
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Post by Die Bullen on Feb 20, 2021 20:52:45 GMT
Incredible work you did on that butchered ‘59. Can’t even tell that any work was done to it other than a refinish. I’m also loving that Esquire...great colour and the white pickguard just makes everything “pop”. Back in the ‘80s I had a local music store fit a humbucker between the two pickups on my ‘75 Tele. I think they drilled holes to weaken the wood and then chiseled out the remains. Quite a butcher job. Thank God it’s covered by the pickguard. When I was working, I thought of bringing it into the machine shop and having the machinist clean it up on the milling machine. But I was too lazy to take the guitar apart. However, I still have a couple of months before the place shuts down completely and seeing as I’m at home with nothing to do, maybe I should look into finally getting it done. The Les Paul I bought used had Humbuckers originally, but a previous owner had put in P-90 copies Due to the size they were in diagonally with some rough gouging to be able to do that as P-90s are wider than Gibson Humbuckers (& indeed most humbuckers) When I put humbuckers back in (the P-90s sat in the holes rather haphazardly and moved--so they didn't work properly. As well it wasn't the sound I was looking for. I traded the P-90s for work to mod the guitar & some miscellaneous parts.) I added more wood in the cavities. Although I was tempted to fill the holes & re-rout them--but the holes for the wires would have been tricky to do properly--so just reinforced the gouged areas. The pickup rings cover it up--and it works great. Amazing at the butcher jobs people do to their guitars...
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Post by zontar on Feb 20, 2021 21:14:10 GMT
The Les Paul I bought used had Humbuckers originally, but a previous owner had put in P-90 copies Due to the size they were in diagonally with some rough gouging to be able to do that as P-90s are wider than Gibson Humbuckers (& indeed most humbuckers) When I put humbuckers back in (the P-90s sat in the holes rather haphazardly and moved--so they didn't work properly. As well it wasn't the sound I was looking for. I traded the P-90s for work to mod the guitar & some miscellaneous parts.) I added more wood in the cavities. Although I was tempted to fill the holes & re-rout them--but the holes for the wires would have been tricky to do properly--so just reinforced the gouged areas. The pickup rings cover it up--and it works great. Amazing at the butcher jobs people do to their guitars... Hey, he wanted P-90 type pickups (Must have either given up on P-90s or found one with them already--so he sold or traded the Les Paul--well I think I won on this as I got a great deal on the guitar and saved money on modding it (Not really an intentional restoration as I used what I wanted, not paying attention to what would be "period correct"
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Post by Die Bullen on Feb 20, 2021 21:28:46 GMT
Amazing at the butcher jobs people do to their guitars... Hey, he wanted P-90 type pickups (Must have either given up on P-90s or found one with them already--so he sold or traded the Les Paul--well I think I won on this as I got a great deal on the guitar and saved money on modding it (Not really an intentional restoration as I used what I wanted, not paying attention to what would be "period correct" Then it is a win/win!
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Post by zontar on Feb 20, 2021 21:32:06 GMT
Hey, he wanted P-90 type pickups (Must have either given up on P-90s or found one with them already--so he sold or traded the Les Paul--well I think I won on this as I got a great deal on the guitar and saved money on modding it (Not really an intentional restoration as I used what I wanted, not paying attention to what would be "period correct" Then it is a win/win! I love the guitar--it has parts I like better than what it would have originally (& better than the previous owner modded it with) And it feels like a part of me when I play it. If it hadn't been modded previously I may not have been abel to afford it. But what I paid for the guitar, the parts & the work someone else did still came in well below what a used Les Paul could have cost me. (And I already had some of the past-including one of the pickups--from a previous project that never happened--and it's a good thing that one never happened.) But it's not a Tele--which is cool with me.
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Post by Die Bullen on Feb 20, 2021 21:59:31 GMT
I love the guitar--it has parts I like better than what it would have originally (& better than the previous owner modded it with) And it feels like a part of me when I play it. If it hadn't been modded previously I may not have been abel to afford it. But what I paid for the guitar, the parts & the work someone else did still came in well below what a used Les Paul could have cost me. (And I already had some of the past-including one of the pickups--from a previous project that never happened--and it's a good thing that one never happened.) But it's not a Tele--which is cool with me. Oh yeah, I totally forgot this is the Tele thread!
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Post by zontar on Feb 22, 2021 8:14:44 GMT
So yeah, Teles aren't my thing, they may be yours--here's a list I did of 5 best things about Teles & 5 worst things. Keep in mind that these are based on my opinions (Although #1 is based on facts, but you might have 5 or more things you like about Teles more than that one) Yours may vary--and if you wish to add yours, go for it.
best things: 1-Their importance in the history of the solidbody electric guitar-whole not the first, Teles/Esquires (& the Broadcasters/Nocasters)-were the first large scale success solid body electric guitars (Spanish guitars --as solid body lap steels/Hawaiian guitars were already established) They were a proof of concept & at least part of the incentive for other guitar makers to get into the solid body market. They could ignore the one offs & small makers, but not the success Fender had. 2-The way people like Roy Buchanan & Albert Collins (And many more) play them. 3-The cool looking headstock 4-Their simplicity 5-Tele Thinlines-soemhow you hollow out part of the body & give it an F hole--and I like it much better.
worst things: 1-I find them uncomfortable & awkward to hold & play 2-While appearance is way down the list on what I like on a guitar, I do appreciate a nice looking guitar, but the Tele is not one of those in my mind. 3-Awkward control layout (Switch too close to volume control) 4-Not a fan of the necks--although the Jimmy Page Teles have nice necks 5-The three bridge saddles can make intonation troublesome. (Although it is better than what some guitars have)
That said, would I buy one? no-#1 on worst things is enough for that. (Although I might make an exception for a thinline)
Would I play one if it's the one guitar available & there's a jam? Sure, I have played them more than once.
Would I accept the gift of one? Of course-and I would be gracious about it. I'd even give it a fair shot.
Coming up in other threads 5 best & worst things about other guitars.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2021 18:38:26 GMT
I was more of a Tele fan for many years from a standpoint of playing, although I'm probably more comfortable with the rounded contours of a Strat body now. When I started building guitars, I realized that it's a lot more challenging to find ways to customize Teles, unless you're really thinking outside the box. The basic formula of controls in the channel and routed pickup integral with the bridge dictates that a lot of them look a lot alike. I've come to like the JA-90/Jim Adkins-style pickguard as an alternative to the Standard Tele and Deluxe Tele styles. It offers compatability with the solid body and thinline body styles and just about any regular Tele pickguard can be cut down into this shape without having to change any of the other design elements.
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Post by zontar on Feb 27, 2021 21:11:37 GMT
I'm okay with no pick guard n a guitar in many cases. Obviously if anything like pickups or controls are mounted to the pick guard, it's needed. And I think solid colour guitars benefit from it so you don't wear off the colour & see the primer or wood. And sometimes they look cool.
But sometimes the pick guard is not a good fit. You've used something here though that does have a purpose & doesn't stand out or distract.
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Post by pat6969 on Jul 5, 2021 5:22:15 GMT
I agree! My Tele loaded with a Little 59 in the bridge is killer sounding!🤪
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Post by Colchar on Jul 6, 2021 3:58:23 GMT
Personally, I love everything about Teles. Leo got it right the first time. Shitty picture, but this is my Tele.
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 6, 2021 10:13:09 GMT
I used to have 3 teles. You can just about see 2 of them in this old pic at the top. The Royal Blue one was a Custom Shop, whereas the one next to it was a Baja I bought to try out some modifications. Both have now moved on. All I have now is a Trussart Steelcaster, which is a T type Mine was featured in Guitarist magazine.
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Post by laristotle on Jul 6, 2021 10:46:41 GMT
I can't explain why, but I don't like them. I wanted to. I went through six. Just couldn't bond with them. Same with Strats. Had four of them. The basses? Love my P and J.
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 6, 2021 12:08:21 GMT
I used to have 3 teles. You can just about see 2 of them in this old pic at the top. The Royal Blue one was a Custom Shop, whereas the one next to it was a Baja I bought to try out some modifications. Both have now moved on. All I have now is a Trussart Steelcaster, which is a T type Mine was featured in Guitarist magazine. That's a wild one, JR!
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 6, 2021 14:04:24 GMT
I used to have 3 teles. You can just about see 2 of them in this old pic at the top. The Royal Blue one was a Custom Shop, whereas the one next to it was a Baja I bought to try out some modifications. Both have now moved on. All I have now is a Trussart Steelcaster, which is a T type Mine was featured in Guitarist magazine. That's a wild one, JR! The Pension Fund pic or the Trussart?
The pension fund pic took me ages to set up. As well as taking all the guitars from my music room in the attic, down and back up two flights of stairs, positioning the guitars in the circle took a while.
I used a small round trampoline as a guide for the 21 guitars, I had at the time, and then removed it when happy the headstocks formed a circle. I then climbed up a step ladder to take the shot.
Luckily we had decking at the time, so no guitar was damaged. The decking has since gone along with most of the guitars. Only have 4 left of those in the pic & one of them is my sons
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 6, 2021 16:01:42 GMT
The Pension Fund pic or the Trussart?
The pension fund pic took me ages to set up. As well as taking all the guitars from my music room in the attic, down and back up two flights of stairs, positioning the guitars in the circle took a while.
I used a small round trampoline as a guide for the 21 guitars, I had at the time, and then removed it when happy the headstocks formed a circle. I then climbed up a step ladder to take the shot.
Luckily we had decking at the time, so no guitar was damaged. The decking has since gone along with most of the guitars. Only have 4 left of those in the pic & one of them is my sons
Actually I meant the Trussart is a wild looking guitar- but both pics are great
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 6, 2021 17:29:13 GMT
The Pension Fund pic or the Trussart?
The pension fund pic took me ages to set up. As well as taking all the guitars from my music room in the attic, down and back up two flights of stairs, positioning the guitars in the circle took a while.
I used a small round trampoline as a guide for the 21 guitars, I had at the time, and then removed it when happy the headstocks formed a circle. I then climbed up a step ladder to take the shot.
Luckily we had decking at the time, so no guitar was damaged. The decking has since gone along with most of the guitars. Only have 4 left of those in the pic & one of them is my sons
Actually I meant the Trussart is a wild looking guitar- but both pics are great It’s a great guitar. At gigs, I can switch from a Les Paul to the Trussart without adjusting any EQ on the amp. I could never do that on my Teles
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 0:34:40 GMT
I have this one that I like a lot:
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Post by laristotle on Jul 7, 2021 0:44:51 GMT
I have this one that I like a lot: Luv the hat too.
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 7, 2021 0:58:37 GMT
I have this one that I like a lot: I always wanted a Broadcaster!
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 7, 2021 8:07:54 GMT
I have this one that I like a lot: Is that original or a reissue George?
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 10:37:23 GMT
I have this one that I like a lot: Is that original or a reissue George? 70th Ann production line got it last year.
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 7, 2021 11:03:42 GMT
Is that original or a reissue George? 70th Ann production line got it last year. I thought it might be as it looked too shiny to be an original. Looks great though
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Post by infant on Jul 7, 2021 12:38:09 GMT
I have two….my ‘75 Tele which I’ve owned since day one and a 2009 Tele ‘72 Thinline RI FSR. Both are great guitars and they feel very comfortable in my hands. My ‘75 was my only electric guitar for over 20 years so it became the standard for me.
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Post by zontar on Jul 8, 2021 6:35:04 GMT
I can't explain why, but I don't like them. I wanted to. I went through six. Just couldn't bond with them. Same with Strats. Had four of them. The basses? Love my P and J. I just don't get along with them--although I will play one every year or two.
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Post by zontar on Jul 8, 2021 6:37:11 GMT
I used to have 3 teles. You can just about see 2 of them in this old pic at the top. The Royal Blue one was a Custom Shop, whereas the one next to it was a Baja I bought to try out some modifications. Both have now moved on. All I have now is a Trussart Steelcaster, which is a T type Mine was featured in Guitarist magazine. I once played a Les Paul style guitar like that--I don't remember if it was a Trussart or not though, and they don't currently have one on their website. It was cool, not as heavy as I though i would be.
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Post by johnreardon on Jul 8, 2021 9:57:59 GMT
I used to have 3 teles. You can just about see 2 of them in this old pic at the top. The Royal Blue one was a Custom Shop, whereas the one next to it was a Baja I bought to try out some modifications. Both have now moved on. All I have now is a Trussart Steelcaster, which is a T type Mine was featured in Guitarist magazine. I once played a Les Paul style guitar like that--I don't remember if it was a Trussart or not though, and they don't currently have one on their website. It was cool, not as heavy as I though i would be.
Perhaps a Zemaitis. Our other guitarist has one
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Post by george on Jul 8, 2021 23:20:54 GMT
I can't explain why, but I don't like them. I wanted to. I went through six. Just couldn't bond with them. I find that perspective has a lot to do with it ..lol
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 9, 2021 0:50:20 GMT
I can't explain why, but I don't like them. I wanted to. I went through six. Just couldn't bond with them. I find that perspective has a lot to do with it ..lol What? No coaster?
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Post by highdeaf on Jul 9, 2021 16:13:19 GMT
Tele's were the guitar I related with 'hated country music' before I grew up. Never liked them just because of the association. Then I actually did grow up (at least a bit). Now I've got a pair.
2008 Hwy 1 Texas Tele. Big fat neck (maple 'board), very thin satin (but not nitro) 2 color burst finish. I bought it used and the replacement pickups installed were nasty so I bought a set of Fender CS Nocaster pups for it. It is my 'trad' tele, for when I want that kinda thing. I really like the more rounded neck, hard to find in lower end Teles.
2019 Performer Series Hum Tele. Years ago, I mod'd a tele with an SD 59 in the neck position. Never really worked out. Tried different wiring and phasing but never happy with the two pup sound. Plus, it also had a maple 'board. So I bought a new Performer in satin seafoam green with a r/w 'board and tapped tone control for the 'bucker. Great range of sounds, with SC and HB settings and a decent bridge pup. Levels between HB and SC are balanced and the tone control has a nice range. This is my rocker Tele. I liked it so much I put a Bigsby on it. I gigged this guitar a lot before the lockdown shut everything down.
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