Solid Vs. Thinline Tele

kswilson89

I'm in the market for a new tele and having never played a thinline before I'd like to get some opinions on the tonal differences between the two? I'd assume the thinline would be brighter due to having less mass in the body but maybe I'm completely wrong on that assumption? Are thinlines generally lighter in weight? Let me know your thoughts people!

guitars4you

Thin lines are generally lighter in weight - Maybe slightly thinner tone - more crisp/snap with less mids and clear lows - almost scooped mids - overview statement

JerkMoans

I'd say thinlines are far more fun.  Lighter in weight - markedly so, and bags more twang.  Especially if you mod them with a set of TV Jones Classic Filtertrons

terada

I love a good thinline tele. I currently have two, a 69RI that is fully thinline and a 72RI that is only half thinline (I think). Both are lighter than a normal tele but the full thinline is crazy light. 

The 69RI has normal tele pickups, is very bright as @guitars4you says. The 72RI has humbucker/wide range pickups so is a bit of a wild card, but still sounds great.

JerkMoans

I'd add that the Fender 'wide range' HBs installed in 72RIs are slightly less wide range than one might imagine, being naught but 'normal' HBs encased in a good lunk of wax and installed in larger covers.  There seems to be a thriving market in providing after-market replacements to seek to capture the 'true' WRHB sounds of the 70's.

guitars4you

JerkMoans said:

I'd say thinlines are far more fun.  Lighter in weight - markedly so, and bags more twang.  Especially if you mod them with a set of TV Jones Classic Filtertrons

I love the sound of a Filter Tron in a Tele - especially neck and a regular Tele pick-up in the bridge

JezWynd

JerkMoans said:

I'd add that the Fender 'wide range' HBs installed in 72RIs are slightly less wide range than one might imagine, being naught but 'normal' HBs encased in a good lunk of wax and installed in larger covers.  There seems to be a thriving market in providing after-market replacements to seek to capture the 'true' WRHB sounds of the 70's.

I'm not sure about 'normal HB's'. The 72 reissue I had recently had pickups that sounded far more like single coils than HB's I've tried in the past. I don't dispute that they are HB's in a WRHB case but I think there's more going on with them - I was pleasantly surprised at how like a single coil they sounded but a touch more depth and width to the sound, a sort of 'super single coil' sound.

JerkMoans

JezWynd said:

JerkMoans said:

I'd add that the Fender 'wide range' HBs installed in 72RIs are slightly less wide range than one might imagine, being naught but 'normal' HBs encased in a good lunk of wax and installed in larger covers.  There seems to be a thriving market in providing after-market replacements to seek to capture the 'true' WRHB sounds of the 70's.

I'm not sure about 'normal HB's'. The 72 reissue I had recently had pickups that sounded far more like single coils than HB's I've tried in the past. I don't dispute that they are HB's in a WRHB case but I think there's more going on with them - I was pleasantly surprised at how like a single coil they sounded but a touch more depth and width to the sound, a sort of 'super single coil' sound.

Glad you liked 'em!  I have cloth ears for this sort of thing, but certainly thought my 'Trons were a massive improvement.  Hey!  This stuff is all subjective, right?

Interesting blog post at the Creamery website about it all.

fretfinder

Although not the norm, there are some solid Teles that weigh less than some Thinlines, so it’s not always the other way around... 

HAL9000

I’ve got a couple of solid Teles (Fender), plus a thinline (G&L). I’d say the thinline sounds a bit warmer, and is harmonically somewhat richer. It also has a little less of that Tele ‘snap’. Still recognisably Tele though.