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Do I need a tele? Why? Which one?

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  • I was tele-sceptical until I started visiting this place, but when I bought a Baja from here was instantly converted - it has an enormous range, and is excellent for all sorts of clean/low gain stuff (great for other stuff as well, but I tend not to play that). The neck pickup on mine (Twisted Tele?) is one of my favourite places to stick a selector switch. 
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  • Which "one"?! I don't understand. You need more than one! 

    https://i.imgur.com/vKVZJui.jpg
    Be warned, they're addictive. Especially once you start tinkering. 
    I started with the "Springsteen" one, then built the "Shiflett" one and finally the "Telemaster". 



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  • CeeJayCeeJay Frets: 455
     The neck pickup on mine  is one of my favourite places to stick a selector switch. 
    Doesn't it get in the way?

    I'll get me coat............... :s
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  • chris78chris78 Frets: 9168
    lysander said:
    I like the look, love the (good) bridge pickups, find the non contoured ones uncomfortable to play, don’t like most neck pickups, and hate narrow nuts that are very frequent on teles.

    So I would say definitely go try a few on a couple of occasions to see if you really need one.
    You said (good) bridge pickups like there has ever been a bad one on a tele?
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  • FreebirdFreebird Frets: 5821
    I thought I needed a Tele until I got a Jazzmaster.
    I thought I needed a Jazzmaster until I got a Tele  ;)
    If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it.
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  • chris78chris78 Frets: 9168
    I’m biased, but they are the original solid body mass produced and remain impossible to improve on. It’s about finding what you like. The simplicity of a blackguard is hard to beat. A baja for £400-500 will give you every electric guitar tone there is, on a budget.
    People who don’t get them don’t understand you need a bit of fight. A PRS is miles easier to play, but I’ll take a thinline tele to a gig, not get shoulder ache, cut through better and it’ll break the head of the guy I need to hit without any damage to it. It’s perfection, including the neck pickup (as long as it’s overwound). 
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  • For those finding the Baja neck a bit chunky, the classic player 60’s is slimmer with a rosewood/pau ferro board and flatter radius. Pickups very similar though.
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  • Went to Formby Guitar Show today with my son and picked an almost new Mexican Vintera 50s Modified for his 18th birthday. Really impressive - great neck, great range of tones and really playable. 
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  • WolfetoneWolfetone Frets: 1479
    The real question is.... 'are you worthy of a Telecaster?'

    The Kalashnikov of guitars, the Swiss army knife of   axes.

    Perhaps you should stick with your Les Paul  and PRS Custom and let the real men  go about their work with a proper guitar.....
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  • thebreezethebreeze Frets: 2797
    I spent years revering and loving the look of Teles and the place they hold in the whole guitar story but I hated playing them and found them really limiting for some reason.  About a year ago I kind of got it and now I’m not sure I’ll play much else! (I’ve played Strats all my life).

    Just because of the neck the Baja might be the best call.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    I don't think you currently have a single coil bridge option so that would be a good reason.

    I've always wanted a Tele cause they just look so great but, especially since I got a hot base plated bridge pickup for my Strat, I just can't justify it.
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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    Freebird said:
    I thought I needed a Tele until I got a Jazzmaster.
    I thought I needed a Jazzmaster until I got a Tele  ;)
    I thought I needed a Strat until I got a Tele and a Jazzmaster. Or something like that. B)

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  • Philtre said:
    Freebird said:
    I thought I needed a Tele until I got a Jazzmaster.
    I thought I needed a Jazzmaster until I got a Tele  ;)
    I thought I needed a Strat until I got a Tele and a Jazzmaster. Or something like that. B)

    I've actually got a Tele as well. And a Yamaha Pacfica 311MS, which is a T-style guitar with a coil-tappable neck humbucker.

    They (T-style guitars) are very versatile.

    :)

    R.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14324
    Freebird said:
    I thought I needed a Tele until I got a Jazzmaster.
    I thought I needed a Jazzmaster until I got a Tele  ;)
    Stop messin’ about. Everybody needs (at least) one of each!  :)
    Be seeing you.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    If you're basically just looking for an excuse to allow yourself to buy one - you'll probably always want one for the rest of your life so you might as well get one at some point, why not now?
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  • Ash body, maple neck, A3’s in the neck and bridge is a beautiful combination.
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  • I love neck pickup on a tele. Neck on a strat is my favourite (probably) pickup sound, but sometimes it's a bit too identifiable and full. 

    Tele neck, you get a similar flavour, but dialed down a bit which sounds like it would be worse, but often works better in a track.

    Plus, neck and bridge together is just righteous. So good!
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  • nickpnickp Frets: 183
    So the general gist is - the Tele exists, so I need one.  Oh and they are great guitars, except they look like it's been sawn out of a plank of flooring :)  excellent.
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8592
    chris78 said:
    I’m biased, but they are the original solid body mass produced and remain impossible to improve on. 
    Yes, you are biased, but so is everyone else. Telecasters can be improved on. Body contours help a lot. 

    Everybody has their own choice of pickups. I like a Strat type neck pickup for what I play, and a tapped bridge to get both 50s and 60s sounds.

    When it comes down to personal preferences I like the upper bout to be half inch longer  Others would argue that this is a step too far, and it’s no longer a Tele. 

    To prove how much of an anorak you can become: I ended up with the guitar fully strung and plugged in whilst I shaved fractions of a mm off the neck profile with a cabinet scraper. 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8592
    edited February 2020
    nickp said:
    So the general gist is - the Tele exists, so I need one.  Oh and they are great guitars, except they look like it's been sawn out of a plank of flooring   excellent.
    One of mine is sawn out of a builder’s plank. 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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