Support NeoGAF

[mattx5]

Ok, I've been playing for a little over a year now on my cheap imitation Strat, and it's time for me to move on.

I'm looking at buying myself a nice electric this winter, no more than say 1000$ CDN.

I'm looking for a more bluesy, rock kind of sound. I tried a Les Paul, but if I'm gonna buy one of those, I'd want to get a top of the line one, which isn't a financial option right now

I'm more in favor of getting a Tele. I've tried a standard Tele and I like the feel as well as the sound.

So now I'm stuck.

Do I go for -

A Fender American Tele

http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0118400
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...39674/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/510593/

or do I go for the less expensive, but more stylish

'72 Telecaster Custom

http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0137502
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...39674/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/510475/

On a side note, I'm also looking to pick up a cheap acoustic guitar.... say... no more than 250$ CDN?

Any reccomendations?

 

[MrAngryFace]

The black one.

 

[Error Macro]

I like the looks of the traditional American Tele, with the sunburst finish. It's classic. I saw a Squier Tele once that had this freaking awesome greenish/blue paint job, but I only saw that one, and it was a couple of years ago. They probably don't make it anymore. I don't think they even made one under the Fender line.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Fender's suck. You'd rather get a decent ESP because:

1) Better quality wood
2) Fantastic pickups
3) Cheaper
4) Better sounding
5) Faster necks
6) Better build quality

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Get the American Fender Tele w/ the sunburst finish.

American Fender's sir, do not suck.

 

[Error Macro]

I'm tired of people that love to rag on Fender's. No, they don't suck, I'm sorry to inform you. I like all sorts of brands and models, so don't think I'm biased one way or the other.

 

[mattx5]

Fender's suck. You'd rather get a decent ESP because:

1) Better quality wood
2) Fantastic pickups
3) Cheaper
4) Better sounding
5) Faster necks
6) Better build quality

Hehe, you're late with the Fender trashing

I'll check out some ESPs, but to be honest, I'm really set on getting a Tele of some kind....

 

[skip]

I'm currently waiting on this one:

black cherryburst has been on backorder all summer (hopefully it ships on the 18th!), but the FMT is getting rave reviews, and it's a mere $600. thinner than a regular tele, too.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...254354513/g=home/search/detail/base_id/103163

 

[element]

Gretsch rules!

 

[AlphaSnake]

Fender's suck.

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[karasu]

Fenders suck, except for Telecasters.

 

[homerhendrix]

i play a thinline telecaster with two humbuckers

i'm not great on guitar but i like it a lot, has a great feel, looks good and sounds fantastic hooked up to the right amp (and with someone good playing it). i'm into blues and southern rock if that helps you at all

 

[mattx5]

Get back Fender haters!

i play a thinline telecaster with two humbuckers

i'm not great on guitar but i like it a lot, has a great feel, looks good and sounds fantastic hooked up to the right amp (and with someone good playing it). i'm into blues and southern rock if that helps you at all

Thanks for the impressions

 

[drohne]

why on earth would you recommend guitars with high output humbuckers to someone looking for a tele? BUT BUT THE GUY ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SAID ESPS WERE TOTAL TONE MACHINES

i mainly play an american series tele, and i think it's fantastic. you should be advised that a telecaster tends to sound like a telecaster -- that is to say bright and twangy. make sure you like that sound before you buy one. it's actually a great guitar for driving fx, though, and you can definitely get a big rock sound out of it. jimmy page played a tele on the first two zep albums!

the tele custom looks really cool, and i've played mexican fenders that i've really liked. the neck humbucker would make it a bit more versatile. certainly play one and see how you like it.

 

[homerhendrix]

Here's a webpage with good reviews (if a little biased) on the thinline tele

http://www.thetabworld.com/Fender__Thinline_Telecaster__electric_guitar_reviews.html

 

[drohne]

oh, and on the acoustic, try and play a seagull. they're cheap, and they sound great. they're canadian made too (i think they're a subsidiary of godin), which might work out in your favor.

 

[mattx5]

Thanks for the advice Drohne

I also noticed that there's a deluxe version of the '72 Custom Tele.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...4339674/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/511141/

I'm wondering if I should go for that, as I like the look of the wider headstock, though I'd have to try it to see if I like the neck size.

The only thing I don't like is the two humbuckers, but that can easily be changed.... I think. The wiring wouldn't have to be changed if I wanted the same setup as on the regular 72' Custom, right?

 

[AlphaSnake]

why on earth would you recommend guitars with high output humbuckers to someone looking for a tele? BUT BUT THE GUY ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SAID ESPS WERE TOTAL TONE MACHINES

BUT BUT YOU'RE AN ASSHAT. Fender's are generally the least flexible of guitars when it comes down to sound variation. Why? Because a guitar that primarily features single-coil pick ups sucks (hey! there goes that word again!). Not to mention Fender's also have lacking sustain and tone, once again, because their construction is rather lousy and cheap. Now, the reason you're an asshat is because brands like ESP and Ibanez have HSH guitars which would give Matt a great deal of flexibility. He could play something hard, and with a flick of a wrist still have that tone that he desires from a Tele...even better, because higher-end ESPs and Ibanez are stocked with EMGs and DiMarzios.

Even if he bought a guitar with an H-H setup, all he'd have to do is use only one coil of the selected humbucker. Why anybody would spend $800-900 on a guitar that is so disastrously limited is beyond me. Think about what you're spending your money on. If you want a Fender, Matt, then *at least* get an American Special Strat, American Deluxe Strat, or US Special Highway-1. Look into those, instead. I used to have a US Special Highway-1 for about a week, decent guitar. But I ended up returning it, it didn't feel right.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Thanks for the advice Drohne

I also noticed that there's a deluxe version of the '72 Custom Tele.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...4339674/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/511141/

I'm wondering if I should go for that, as I like the look of the wider headstock, though I'd have to try it to see if I like the neck size.

The only thing I don't like is the two humbuckers, but that can easily be changed.... I think. The wiring wouldn't have to be changed if I wanted the same setup as on the regular 72' Custom, right?

Just get this: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...tar/s=electric/search/detail/base_pid/511244/

 

[drohne]

well, if you wanted to put a slanted tele bridge pickup in that guitar, you'd need a new bridge and a new pickguard. don't think it's worth it just for the strat headstock.

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[mattx5]

Damnit, I'm confused now

I guess I'm going to have to spend a good day at the guitar shop trying out everything I can get my hands on

 

[drohne]

alphasnake, you've been playing for three weeks, and everything you know about guitars is third hand. it shows. i'm not about to have some wanky gear argument, but coil taps and/or hot duncan design or similar single coils are not going to sound anything like a telecaster. your recommendations assume that everyone wants modern metal sounds. thankfully this isn't the case. or i'd stop listening to music.

and next time you see someone playing a strat with single coil pickups, tell him his guitar isn't versatile, then report back.

 

[Kuroyume]

Gretsch rules!

I have one coming to me this Friday.

 

[mattx5]

Ok, I'm not clear on pickups at all. I'm not really familiar with good brands and what each feature of a pickup does for the sound, so could somebody break it down for me?

Also, what should I know about a guitar if I ever wanted to change the pickups, i.e. why would I be able to use such and such pickup, but not another one without having to reconfigure my guitar?

I'm a bit of a noob in the technical area of guitars

 

[Teknopathetic]

Personally...I hate telecasters with a damned passion. That said, Alpha, shut the hell up.

If you dig the telecaster sound, then an american fender will get that, no need to upgrade the pickups just get some hot rod custom pickups to sound cool.

 

[AlphaSnake]

alphasnake, you've been playing for three weeks, and everything you know about guitars is third hand. it shows. i'm not about to have some wanky gear argument, but coil taps and/or hot duncan design or similar single coils are not going to sound anything like a telecaster. your recommendations assume that everyone wants modern metal sounds. thankfully this isn't the case. or i'd stop listening to music.

and next time you see someone playing a strat with single coil pickups, tell him his guitar isn't versatile, then report back.

Precisely why I always thought you were thick-headed. Where did I say anything about metal in my post? No where. The *fact* is that he *will* get a more versatile sound with a guitar that features both types of humbuckers. I'm trying to steer him in the right direction. Your attempt to belittle my knowledge is cute, but not even worth a chocolate coin for the effort and your holier than thou act has gotten preposterously old.

I've owned more than one Fender over the past 18 months, I've played on 8 different Ibanez guitars, own an Ibanez Iceman, played a dozen of ESP guitars, own an ESP Eclipse, played on 4 different Les Pauls, own a Les Paul Concept, played 3 different PRSs, 4 different Schecters, own a Schecter C1 Classic, etc. etc. I speak from pretty good experience. While I may have been playing for just over a year and a half, I've been behind instruments since I was 10. Music is nothing new to me since it runs through my family's blood.

So you can kindly shove any belittling comments about my knowledge up your ass. Thanks.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Ok, I'm not clear on pickups at all. I'm not really familiar with good brands and what each feature of a pickup does for the sound, so could somebody break it down for me?

Also, what should I know about a guitar if I ever wanted to change the pickups, i.e. why would I be able to use such and such pickup, but not another one without having to reconfigure my guitar?

I'm a bit of a noob in the technical area of guitars

AIM me and I'll help you out with your questions: SniperHunter2001

 

[AlphaSnake]

Here's what I posted about pickups in Demon's thread:


-------------------

Pickups are magnets that create the sound of the guitar. They absorb the vibration your string makes and turn it into a sound that comes from your amp. Your guitar has two humbuckers (dual coil pickups), meanwhile a guitar like a Fender Strat has three seperate single-coil pickups. When distorted, that Fender's sound won't sound nearly as heavy and crunchy as your PRS, because the pickups on that guitar only have 6 poles each. Meanwhile, your PRS has two humbuckers, and each humbucker has two lines of 6 poles equaling 12 active poles. A humbucker is two coil pickups in one, which is why it gives a much fuller tone than a single-coil. Look at your pickups closely, notice they have a split down the middle? And that they have bolts/buds on top of them? Beneath each bolt/bud is an independent magnet that picks up the vibration from the string above it.

Humbuckers vary greatly. The higher end PRS humbuckers are pretty good, because they use better magnets and are more sensitive. Some of the best pickups are active pickups that require a 9v battery to run on. My Schecter is loaded with two of the best pickups known to man, the Seymour Duncan JB (Jeff Beck) and the '59 Jazz. But a humbucker is only 60% of a guitar's true sound. It also matters *greatly* the kind of wood the guitar is made out of and what kind of neck the guitar has. Most guitars have bolt-on necks, and other more expensive guitars have a neck-thru design where the neck is part of the body piece and cannot be removed. I think your PRS is neck-thru, but I'm not entirely sure.

The advantages of neck-thru are immense. My Schecter C1 Classic is neck-thru (which is VERY rare for a guitar in its price-range) and compared to my other guitars, I can hold a note *much* longer on the C1 then I can on any other axe. Neck-thru construction gives you a whoooooole lot more sustain and a slightly fuller tone.

Sometimes I think I know way too much about this shit.

 

[Error Macro]

Alpha, I like you man, but you are coming off as being really biased and closed-minded in this thread. Fender's can sustain for a long, long, time; bridge humbuckers in Strats sound awesome; they are very flexible guitars if you know what you're doing. There is a reason why Fenders are the most popular guitars ever, and I'm talking about popularity with musicians, not because some poor kid can't afford anything better than a cheap Mexican Squier. That argument doesn't hold any water anymore, what with all the other cheap guitars out nowadays. I prefer Gibsons for that fat, thick, rock/metal sound, but Strats and Teles have their purposes in music too. Not too many other guitars can have a midrange and clarity to cut through a mix like a Strat can. I like to switch off between my guitars depending on what mood I'm in.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I'm not the only one here who thinks Fender's are generally lousy. I am the only who is making a case out of it, though. As far as the bias, thing. Like I said, I used to own Fenders and I wasn't satisfied with them as much as I am with my current guitars. If Matt wants a Fender, he should at least get one that has a humbucker in it.

 

[ballhog]

If you are going to get a telecaster, I definitely say go for the '72 custom, you will have more sound options with the humbucker in the neck position than two single coils. It also looks like that guitar has separate volume and tone controlls for each pickup, which is a feature most fenders lack. For the record, Fenders don't suck, it's really a matter of taste. If you like the "fender sound", get a damn fender. They aren't my favorite guitars, but there is nothing wrong with them.

I say this in all of these reccomend a guitar threads, but here it is again. Take your $1000 and check out what is available used. And definitely don't buy something you haven't played.

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[soakrates]

Fenders suck? Tell that to Eric Johnson, who still has the most exquisite lead tone I've ever heard and is also a notorious tone freak.

The best way to find out what kind of guitar you want is to play as many different guitars as possible and figure out which one you like the most. That said, I like Telecasters a lot. Get yourself a decent amp, an old beat up Tubescreamer pedal, and some decent chops and you can belt out one of the most authentic American rock sounds you'll ever hear.

 

[iapetus]

Alpha, I like you man, but you are coming off as being really biased and closed-minded in this thread.

IAWTP, and I wouldn't play a Tele if you paid me.

 

[Raxel]

Eric Johnson is a great guitarist, and does his thing really well. But if you've heard the G3 stuff when Vai and Satch are with him (My guitar wants to kill your mama etc), he's simply outclassed. I really love his clean tone though

 

[soakrates]

Eric Johnson is a great guitarist, and does his thing really well. But if you've heard the G3 stuff when Vai and Satch are with him (My guitar wants to kill your mama etc), he's simply outclassed. I really love his clean tone though

I haven't heard it, but it wouldn't surprise me that EJ would be out of place in a setting like that. He's not as much of a "rock" guitarist as most people seem to think he is. He's much more suited to, as you put it, doing "his thing."

I doubt that his choice of guitar has much to do with him getting outclassed by Satch and Vai.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"I really love his clean tone though"

Isn't that what matters? Guitars don't make the chops .

 

[drohne]

Sometimes I think I know way too much about this shit.

then you'll be relieved to know that it's almost all factually inaccurate. i can elaborate later if you like.

edit: and re: versatility, i think it's silly to look for one guitar that does everything. unless you're in a cover band, you're better off with a guitar than can do a few sounds really well than a guitar that can do a million sounds you may or may not want. no, i can't play metal on my telecaster, but i don't want to play metal. and i'd argue that an esp can no more replace a telecaster than a telecaster can replace an esp. not everyone has the same needs, and obviously fenders suit a lot of musicians.

 

[soakrates]

Guitars don't make the chops .

And for the record, it's not as though Johnson doesn't have the chops. Listen to "Cliffs of Dover," "Venus Isle," or "Lonely in the Night." He's not really a shredder, but his string jumping ability and creativity with those minor pentatonic scales is just staggering.

 

[skip]

I see no problem with owning a fender and then having a bunch of effects pedals and amp settings to mess around with. vanilla guitar sounds nice at the appropriate times, but all the layered stuff is what makes music sound good to me.

and down with snobbery.

 

[AlphaSnake]

then you'll be relieved to know that it's almost all factually inaccurate. i can elaborate later if you like.

Enlighten me. Because the books I've read must be all wrong. -_-

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[mattx5]

Wow, this thread erupted while I was away

While I'm going to try every guitar in the store before I make my decision, I'm pretty confident I'm going with the 72' Tele Custom.

I like the Fender sound and it has a humbucker pick-up for the extra versatility. Not to mention it's FX friendly (See Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead ).

I'm definitely not closed off to the idea of a PRS, and I think I may pick one up somewhere down the road anyways because-

I never was going to limit myself to just a Tele.

I don't want a guitar that can do everything.

The Tele suits me fine for blues and light rock, while a PRS will probably be better suited for some metal and alternative stuff (i.e. Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.)

Again, I'm not saying that a PRS wouldn't be good for blues and light rock, it's just that I'd prefer a Tele for those genres, and a PRS for other genres where it could probably perform better at than a Tele(Metal and Alternative as mentioned before).

Anyways, thanks for all the advice in this thread everyone, even though it seems that nobody can agree on anything

 

[ballhog]

Not surprising that no one agrees here, we never do. Just get what you like. But play before you buy!!! And at least check out the used stuff.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Not surprising that no one agrees here, we never do. Just get what you like. But play before you buy!!! And at least check out the used stuff.

I can agree with that. Play it before you buy it. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Tele 72, though. I'm glad you're getting that one and not the others.

 

[ballhog]

Shit, now we agree. Way to make me look like an asshole Alpha.

 

[demon]

May I suggest this one?

 

[ballhog]

May I suggest this one?

I actually got one of those for about $675 canadian. It's hot as shit!