After being a Strat guy for years and years, I bought a Fender Vintera 2 60's tele last year when they were announced. I was expecting to play it for a while and keep it when I needed that sound, but was not expecting it to be my Core Silver Sky. I've upgraded a few things here and there - new pickups, the Greer Supermass Neck plate, compensated saddles....it's now basically the only guitar I play. I mainly play Blues, R&B, Gospel, Funk, singer-songwriter, and some jazz. The Tele can handle all of it in spades. I've wanted to start thinning down my rig as well, and I've gone to a REALLY stripped down pedalboard, and the my tele just keeps up sounding super full. While I always felt like Strats needed some pedals to get the sound I wanted in my head, the Tele doesn't need anything to get the sound I'm going for. Like you showed here, throw a capo on and finger pick, I even have something that can work well for a singer-songwriter thing. I basically only take my Tele to gigs now with a tuner and an HX stomp if I gotta play direct. Huge fan now of the Telecaster.
A confirmed Strat player for the last 49 years, I got my hands on a s/h Fender Vintera 50's Roadworn Tele last year. I have used it for studio work mainly, but after recently adding compensated bridge saddles and having it set up properly, it is starting to fight the Strat for stage space. Great value for money versatile workhorse. Love it.
I play in a rock cover band. We play tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Motorhead, and blues stuff in between. I play a Tele all the way, and never feel like I compromise anything tonewise. You can do ANYTHING with a Tele. Love my Jazzmaster as well, but my Tele will always be my n°1.
I started playing in the mid 60’s with a Gretsch, moved to Gibsons in college, then loved a 57’ Strat for many years. Stopped playing for awhile due to working in the film business but when I got interested again I bought a G&L ASAT Classic. It’s a great guitar and could be all I need although I have 18 now.
The PRS Silver Sky. That's my life long dream. Just to honor the name sake. That beautiful man (he who should not be named) has made all of us be introduced to SRV, the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews, Coldplay as if we've never heard them before. That's my guitar. Oh and a tele. Yes a tele for sure.
Teles are marvellous things.. like stripped down hotrods.. also there’s the deluxe and the custom (Keith Richard’s kind) with a humbucker or two which turn the tele almost into a Les paul- but perhaps losing a touch of the twang but great do anything guitars… light and uncomplicated and tough as old boots!
My Nashville tele is pretty much the only electric guitar that I actually need. I’ve wired it so that switch positions 1, 3 and 5 are standard tele and 2 and 4 gives me the strat options - best of all worlds. The spare guitar I take to gigs is also a Swiss Army knife of a guitar - the PRS 24-08. That thing has so many excellent sounds in it plus a decent trem. All bases covered.
I bought a simple Player Series Telecaster about two years ago and have been a Tele fanatic ever since. Bought a nicer Nash and then a Seuf. I finally settled on a Fender Goldfoil Telecaster. From cutting through the mix, to the no frills controls, to the thicker untapered body, I now prefer it. Years of Les Pauls and Stratish things all were quickly washed away.
My primary guitar is a G&L ASAT, switched up a bit as it is a semi-hollow and has a Seth Lover humbucker instead of the traditional Telecaster neck pickup. It’s incredibly versatile and can pretty much do anything I need it to do. Super stable and loves to be in tune. The bridge is a bit sweeter sounding than a true Tele, but the tone knob on one of those can sweeten them up with a little adjustment. Hard to go wrong with a Telecaster.
My one guitar would be the Reverend Double Agent OG. One Humbucker, P90 and the bass contour control. It's very well built, relatively simple, and you can get so many sounds out of it
Three in the morning here and this episode was much appreciated. Your playing and loop work are so fresh and seamless. You go on a lot about gear but bottom line is, you are one of the best players and especially on the tele. Lots of shredders out there trying too hard. Your original solo pieces are pure, joyful class.
I have a Nashville Professional; Telecaster. So it has a middle pickup and with a push/pull knob so you have all the pickup positions - so it does many things. I am not a gigging musician, so the weight of this Tele is like my Custom Shop Les Paul(which I would miss for it's humbuckers in a one guitar situation)
I have a G&L Tele but … I just got a Harley Benton Fusion-T Pro Roasted Maple FNT with a Wilkinson tremolo. And got it from Thomann to US in 3 days. I love it. I’ve had all kinds. I’ve been playing for 58 years and this Fusion-T is my favorite guitar.
I have two electric guitars - a Telecaster and a Gretsch semi hollow with a Bigsby. The Gretsch is my favourite if I had to pick. But it’s a good combo to have and I love both of them.
I have been a telecaster freak for over 30 years , i currently own 5 of them ,i also have 3 strats , 2 prs guitars , 2 gibsons , 1 Taylor 810 and a D18V Martin . Out of all these i play my Tele’s the most ,probably 80% of the time and i do that because i find it the most versatile Guitar to play ,Jazz , rock ,country ,pop and metal , they have everything you need and nothing you don’t ‘
Scotty Anderson is my favorite Tele Player. There is a video called "The cheapest, easiest B-Bender" worth watching, as it doesn't involve any routing, or permanent changes to the guitar. I've even seen a video how you can make a similar bender yourself.
I could get buy with a clear sounding Goldtop Les Paul with p-90s. Being primarily a Jazz guy, a 17 inch solid wood archtop with a floating single coil would be good. My 1952 Gibson L-5N with Kent Armstrong floater would work too. 😊
Got a 1996 US Tele from new, gigged it for 10-15 years, then acquired a Deluxe Strat - amazing feel - then recently a Sire H7, which plays beautifully. But, I keep going back to my Tele. It’s raw, authentic, can do lots of sounds and genres, easy as hell to maintain. And yes, if I only had one, it would be my Tele.
I truly love your way of making music. So delicate, full of soul, intelligent, inspirational and "open". I would prefer other instruments in your hands but.. Anyway, thank you for sharing such pearls of art with us.
my first electric was a squier telcaster, still with me, and remains as one of my most used guitars.... just changing the pickups and taking it to a good tech once in a while makes it almost perfect
I was never a Tele guy. Really disliked them but I picked up a copy in a second hand store to fix and flip. It was so comfortable to play and great sounding. I love them.
I love listening to you play with a cleaner/low gain sound. All the expression and nuances come out more. It gets lots in a barrage of distortion and delay
I have taken a Tele along to a jam seaaion and loved how easy it could fit it. It can really cut through in rock yet you could go towards jazz. That said, for pit band work my HSS Strat covers everything. Boring but you often need a bit of vibrato. I prefer my SSS Strat in my own band but have a single pickup Cabronita self build I use for about a 1/3 of the set, which is almost an Esquire!
I've had 5 strats over the years, and I love that special thing that strats do, but for about 7 years at one point I used only a Tele. This was a second hand Fender thinline 72 ,that had the two wide range humbuckers ( Seth Lover designed staggered sets of three string sets of singles off-set and opposite wound). This guitar could fo anything, even sound like a Les Paul for crunchy chords. The sound could do an almost single coil sound if I turned it down on the volume a bit, and the hollow section softened the harsh edges of the sound in a most airy way, that you would get usually from only a 335 This particular Tele could do even more versatile things than most Teles, and for a long time I used it exclusively. If a string broke during a set, at least the lack of a trem meant it would stay in tune until the break where I could change strings. If I had only one guitar, this would be the type I would use... a thinline Tele ( not as harsh sounding as some Teles) and preferably with the Fender wide range humbuckers. Just the best all-round instrument.
when i was young my mother (rip ) bought me a telley in the late 70s it was a 75 with a humbucker in the neck i like but i wanted a stratacaster because back then all the greats used a strat style guitar so i bought me a strat and for many years i didn't use that telecaster for giging at all ! and in the late 80's it got stolen out of my home with other gear , and i just moved on with out missing my tele , fast forward i walk into music store in the states and saw this (Mexican) gold top tele and bought it and it's been my go to guitar especially for tracking its a great studio guitar it's so versatile but a little noisy with pedals i love it ! 60 plus years of technology and its still perfect !
My telecaster has been my only electric for 10 years until this year when I got an AM-6 to complement it. I made upgrades to the tele for the first time ever this year and only love it more and more... A telecaster let's me accomplish essentially anything I want on guitar with the only limit being my own skill and creativity.
The Freidman Vintage T Classic is my favorite so far. I compared against a lot of Fenders and Suhrs and just loved the neck and pickups on it better... though it is a tad neck heavy as the body is made out of a lighter pine.
I have 2 teles (one is a baritone) , a strat, and a PRS, a cheap bass plus 2 acoustics... I don't need any more. My standard tele and PRS are my favorites BUT if I had to choose one guitar as a permanent guitar it would absolutely be the all 'round telecaster ! No genre of music it isn't well suited for. Would love a B-Bender especially made and installed by Joe Glaser in Nashville. I always love seeing jazz players like Julian Lage, Bill Frisell or Tim Lerch to name a few play tele's. Leo got it right the first time !
I used to play on a few cruise ships in the house band. Production shows Jazz nights, whatever. And I am still absolutely obsessed with this idea that one day I might get a contract for 6 months, I have to pick one guitar and take it across the world to play absolutely anything. I'm not a through and through tele guy. But I know it's the right tool for that job.
I’ve been playing primarily Strats for the last 50 years. I just bought a Harmony Jupiter thin line, and I’m thinking of it as the baby of a Les Paul and a Tele. Tele type short bridge and bolt on neck, so it has some Tele aspects, but a mini humbucker and full-size humbucker like a LP. The shape is kind of between LP and Tele and so it the 25” scale length. On the Strat, I was always a bit unhappy with bends pulling the trem bridge up, especially the intonation of double-stop bends. That’s so much nicer on a hard-tail bridge.
I love my Isbell signature tele. I got my Les Paul back today after set up and new nut. It’s a great and faithful old guitar but I am struggling a little bit to get used to again. I’m just so comfortable with my tele now
Two things. 1) A while ago Johnny A landed a gig with the Yardbirds and he asked his fans if whether or not to take his Tele or his Junior and ultimately he chose his Junior because he felt that he could get both Tele and Les Paul sounds out of it. 2) Recently I had to downsize and I got rid of all but two guitars, one being a Tele. The Tele forced me to dig really deep with it and while it’s not a substitute for an LP or a Strat I can get fairly close to where I’m happy; albeit with the help with a couple of pedals.
I’ve only had about 25 guitars, and am trying to whittle them down. That said,amongst the specimens in my stable, the PRS 408 is the one. Mine’s a semi-hollow wood library with a an IRW neck. I’d actually prefer to have a hard tail, or perhaps a Paul’s Guitar, but I’m holding out for either variation with a rosewood neck.
I have a couple of Nashville Teles and I could probably get almost everything I want out of either one of those (they are quite a bit different from each other actually LOL) But the one guitar I can't survive without is my LP Deluxe. The mini humbuckers actually give you a tone of tonal options and it's my favorite guitar to play in the entire world. You absolutely CAN get by with one, though. I did it for years and was perfectly happy.
I was a Gibson guy in my teens then I became a strat and tele player at twenty. Then I became a ibanez az player when they came out...never going back...lol
If you asked me last year I'd have said that I'm a strat guy through and through. But nowadays, a telecaster is my number one choice. I just love the simplicity of it. Also, if it was good enough for Prince, it is good enough for me.
Favourite Tele player: Bill Frisell (not excluvely a Tele player, of course). Only 1 guitar - my go to for the last 30+ years, 1992 Roger Sadowsky NYC S Style HSH. On a budget . . . PRS SE Custom 24-08, bought one a couple of years ago and been enjoying it a lot - very versatile pick-up combinations, I'd like to try the top-end version sometime.
You mentioned complication in your approach to music and how that doesn't get you played in an elevator. It reminds me of working with some lovely French guys: I could sum them up by them saying "yes, it will work in practice, but will it work in theory?" and then going for a long lunch to talk about it...
I own 2 Telecasters. Both USA. One 94 with a Rosewood neck and Lambertone Pickups and the other is a stock one with a maple neck. If I had my druthers I’d rather have my 94 and it would be the one and is currently my go to guitar.
I love my Tele (custom-built by Keith Holland), but if I could only have one guitar it would be my hard-tail Strat (also built by Keith). I don't use the whammy and being a hard-tail it covers most Tele sounds in addition to the classic Strat. Wish I hadn't sold my K-Line Truxton. Chris' builds are first rate and that guitar played and sounded amazing...
A couple years ago I wanted to get a good Fender vintage tele in butterscotch blonde with a black guard. My supplier was out of them so I opted for a Shijie. Beautiful guitar. A year ago I installed a proper Mojotone control set and Fender vintage knobs. Made it even better. But I’m still a diehard Strat player. My Suhr is my go to for Stratiness. 😅
Team Tele here, if I could only have one. Currently I have 2 Teles, a 63 reissue and a 50s mod. While the 63 is nice, I think the pickups and 4-way switching in the 50s mod make for a more versatile, single guitar.
the only downside of the vintage design is the faulty by design cup jack. can't use a right angle cable on it, becomes loose and no matter how much you tighten it stays loose. its literally just a small sheet of metal with pointy corners put into the wood. then the cup is bolted to that. once the wood goes its all over. sure there are fixes, but why not just come stock with either a plate jack or a two screw electro socket. when leo started G&L you will notice all his teles had plate jacks. no more cup.
Right now, if I had to pick only one guitar, it'd be my telecaster ultra texas tea. Love the compound neck more than I thought I would. Love the look. Love the guitar!
I still prefer a LesPaul for most heavy genres. But with some fairly simple mods, almost any guitar can get you close. A top loaded ashtray bridge T, with brass saddles and lipstick neck pickup. Wouldn't be my first choice for death metal. But a string through body, with a coilsplitable humbucker in the neck. Can expand the tonal possibilities. A hopped up T is all you really need. Probably the most cost effective way to go, for beginners looking to get a jack of all trades guitar.
Great topic (especially in these financially challenging times) For me, yes, a Tele will be enough. I keep one at home and one in the rehearsal studio, and that’s it.
Custom bound Tele with a 4 way switch, 4th position being both pickups in series. Also PTB wiring. If the guitar I already did this too wasn't so heavy.... So, I would do this to a lighter one and make it my only 1 one as I am forced to sell everything to pay the rent at some point in the future.
Torn between a custom Tele (mine looks quite a bit like yours) and a Les Paul Jr Doublecut. They can do everything, as long as you’re not scared of the volume/tone knob. Are your picks also not wax potted?
I love my Fender Custom Shop tele, but the lack of body contours is the deal killer as far as it being my only guitar. Mostly playing/practicing in the seated position, a strat-style is the way to go if I could only keep one guitar.
Enjoyed this video. You mention the hardtail being a key aspect of the Tele appeal, I'm curious if you've ever played hardtail Strats and if you have an opinion on those?
I can get by with just a tele, if I were willing to forego my usual wang bar theatrics. But the same could be said of any two-single-coil design, such as a Jazzmaster - or better yet, the G&L Doheny I've used a lot these last couple of years. That being said, you'd be hard pressed to do heavy rock or especially metal with a tele, using "modern" tones. You can do it, but it isn't the "traditional sound". If I had to have ONLY ONE guitar, it would be either my Strandberg Prog or my Doheny, by the way - just more sonic space. The Sälen Classic (tele-type, with dual singles) or my old parts-o-caster Tele wouldn't be far behind, though!
T-Style guitars are awesome. My first guitar was a T-Syle, and it is my favorite along with the S-Style guitars. If fact, if it wasn't for Jimi Hendrix, I would just play a T-Style guitar, it is because of him I play an S-Style, and I am glad I do, they are awesome guitars in their own right.
I think if I could only have one guitar, it would be the PRS CE 24. I have a 1996 CE24 with the rotary knob, and I think I can get pretty much any sound I would ever need from it. It has a trem, so I can go surfy. it's bolt on so I can get twangy , It has a pretty hot treble/bridge pickup so I can get loud and crunchy if needed. The second position (or maybe the 4th - the one closest to the bridge only dial) gives a sweet clean sound. It really just works well everywhere.
Teles are dead easy to change. I put in a Duncan ‘59 and Hot Rails like a Danny Gatton/ Mike Stern guitar. The split coil and treble bleed are PRS DGT spec. 6 beautiful sounds and it’s my go to electric.
I like my Tele so much, it's my favorite Guitar. 🙂 Awesome playin John. I was on your Patreon page and wanted to buy the backing track but I can't find it. Which one is it and how do I get there?
Back in the early nineties I had a actual bitsa Tele which comprised of a real early 50s maple neck, 60s body, 50s pickups, 60s bridge and 50s wiring. It was amazing and worked for anything. Sadly I can't stand normal tele bodies for playing stood up as they have no body routing so it had to go....
I am lucky enough to have quite a few guitars, some labled as lawer guitars but the guitar that makes me smile the most is my squier fsr classis vibe esquire, granted it has a seymour duncan in it. I just love it. I can gig with it and not worry too much... my usa tele had to have a refret after a guy knocked it over and it landed flat on its neck.. gutted. After that always cautious taking expensive guitars out. A tele is all you need.
Leo got it right on the first try. If I could only have one for the rest of my life, it would be a Tele no doubt. They can just do absolutely everything.
I always think that 😅 i never had one and bought my first a year ago and since then I gig with it every week and it's perfect in it simplicity and fits just in any song
I don’t want only one guitar 😢 - can I have two ? If so my fender MIJ 62 reissue Tobacco double bound with Texas specials. And then a dual humbucker. Any of my Les Paul’s or my SG 61 reissue - cover all bases there - but why thin back, the fun of guitar is GAS 🎉
I know for sure a telecaster is the only guitar I would ever need for all kinds of music. use mine quite often for recording but much less live. For no real reason. I have just always been a strat guy. Despite its shortcomings like brittle bridge pickup, wiggle stick threatening things go out of tune, tending to get buried in the mix I just can’t let go. Certainly not with my Silver Sky. Maybe some day that leightweight blackguard with compensated brass barrel saddles and magic pickups will just catch me off guard.
Yesssssss. Search your feelings - you know it to be true. I'll sell every single guitar I own before I sell my Tele (and I'd only sell that to buy another tele)
On a more serious note - you have essentially three sounds that will take you through anything (and are less faffy to switch between Vs a strat). The neck is not as chimey as a strat, but that jazzy warmth is perfect for, well, jazz. The middle position is everything from pop chords to quasi-acoustic accompaniment, to funk city. Bridge is so much more usable than a strat it's not even funny - classic rock rhythm to searing leads no problem. The switch is right there under your fingers, as are the one volume and tone. No fuss,.no muss, and virtually nothing to tweak once the very basic setup is done. Desert island guitar right there.
If I could only have one guitar, it would be the Aria Pro II, RS 850, 2nd generation (that was stolen from me in 1993) ! I love and appreciate the 'Tele' more and more (specially a good sounding one), but I always miss the Tremolo... I do own the 'Bigsby' from Game Changer Audio, but it's different from having it , on the guitar.
I do have several guitars and basses. But, I should say that I only need my Player Tele & Jet Jr bass to *play songs in my fav style*. Isn't that the real goal?
A tele would be my answer if i didn't have issues with hum sometimes. So my answer is a prs pauls guitar. My se pauls guitar is a super versitile beast for everything ive used it on the last year.
I'm strongly considering getting one of those gold foil telecasters and swapping the bridge plate and bridge pickup to someing more traditional to complement the prs in a couple different ways
After being a Strat guy for years and years, I bought a Fender Vintera 2 60's tele last year when they were announced. I was expecting to play it for a while and keep it when I needed that sound, but was not expecting it to be my Core Silver Sky. I've upgraded a few things here and there - new pickups, the Greer Supermass Neck plate, compensated saddles....it's now basically the only guitar I play. I mainly play Blues, R&B, Gospel, Funk, singer-songwriter, and some jazz. The Tele can handle all of it in spades. I've wanted to start thinning down my rig as well, and I've gone to a REALLY stripped down pedalboard, and the my tele just keeps up sounding super full. While I always felt like Strats needed some pedals to get the sound I wanted in my head, the Tele doesn't need anything to get the sound I'm going for. Like you showed here, throw a capo on and finger pick, I even have something that can work well for a singer-songwriter thing. I basically only take my Tele to gigs now with a tuner and an HX stomp if I gotta play direct.
Huge fan now of the Telecaster.
Amazing endorsement, are you still using just a standard tele neck pickup or did you change it to something else (humbucker, P90, etc)?
What pickups did you settle on?
A confirmed Strat player for the last 49 years, I got my hands on a s/h Fender Vintera 50's Roadworn Tele last year. I have used it for studio work mainly, but after recently adding compensated bridge saddles and having it set up properly, it is starting to fight the Strat for stage space. Great value for money versatile workhorse. Love it.
I’m a bit upset to learn that I’m not a trust fund baby to be honest 😢
Thanks JAKE for all the GREAT LOANS to john nathan Cordy, UK's finest Guitarist Today.
Ha ha
Lol, I thought you were too Jake…. Either way, who cares, even if you were, at least you accomplished being a great singer and player 🤷♂️
😂😂
Just a masive berk?? @JakeLoosemore
I play in a rock cover band. We play tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Motorhead, and blues stuff in between. I play a Tele all the way, and never feel like I compromise anything tonewise. You can do ANYTHING with a Tele.
Love my Jazzmaster as well, but my Tele will always be my n°1.
I started playing in the mid 60’s with a Gretsch, moved to Gibsons in college, then loved a 57’ Strat for many years. Stopped playing for awhile due to working in the film business but when I got interested again I bought a G&L ASAT Classic. It’s a great guitar and could be all I need although I have 18 now.
I have the same guitar and love it!!
I own a jillion guitars, the GL tele is my favorite...
Agree, if it can only be 1, for me it must be a Tele
For God's sake don't let my wife find out that I only need one guitar!
The PRS Silver Sky. That's my life long dream. Just to honor the name sake. That beautiful man (he who should not be named) has made all of us be introduced to SRV, the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews, Coldplay as if we've never heard them before. That's my guitar. Oh and a tele. Yes a tele for sure.
Agreed!
Teles are marvellous things.. like stripped down hotrods.. also there’s the deluxe and the custom (Keith Richard’s kind) with a humbucker or two which turn the tele almost into a Les paul- but perhaps losing a touch of the twang but great do anything guitars… light and uncomplicated and tough as old boots!
My Nashville tele is pretty much the only electric guitar that I actually need. I’ve wired it so that switch positions 1, 3 and 5 are standard tele and 2 and 4 gives me the strat options - best of all worlds.
The spare guitar I take to gigs is also a Swiss Army knife of a guitar - the PRS 24-08. That thing has so many excellent sounds in it plus a decent trem. All bases covered.
I bought a simple Player Series Telecaster about two years ago and have been a Tele fanatic ever since. Bought a nicer Nash and then a Seuf. I finally settled on a Fender Goldfoil Telecaster. From cutting through the mix, to the no frills controls, to the thicker untapered body, I now prefer it. Years of Les Pauls and Stratish things all were quickly washed away.
Welcome to the dark side…
My primary guitar is a G&L ASAT, switched up a bit as it is a semi-hollow and has a Seth Lover humbucker instead of the traditional Telecaster neck pickup. It’s incredibly versatile and can pretty much do anything I need it to do. Super stable and loves to be in tune. The bridge is a bit sweeter sounding than a true Tele, but the tone knob on one of those can sweeten them up with a little adjustment. Hard to go wrong with a Telecaster.
My one guitar would be the Reverend Double Agent OG. One Humbucker, P90 and the bass contour control. It's very well built, relatively simple, and you can get so many sounds out of it
Three in the morning here and this episode was much appreciated. Your playing and loop work are so fresh and seamless. You go on a lot about gear but bottom line is, you are one of the best players and especially on the tele. Lots of shredders out there trying too hard. Your original solo pieces are pure, joyful class.
I have a Nashville Professional; Telecaster. So it has a middle pickup and with a push/pull knob so you have all the pickup positions - so it does many things. I am not a gigging musician, so the weight of this Tele is like my Custom Shop Les Paul(which I would miss for it's humbuckers in a one guitar situation)
I have a G&L Tele but … I just got a Harley Benton Fusion-T Pro Roasted Maple FNT with a Wilkinson tremolo. And got it from Thomann to US in 3 days. I love it. I’ve had all kinds. I’ve been playing for 58 years and this Fusion-T is my favorite guitar.
I have two electric guitars - a Telecaster and a Gretsch semi hollow with a Bigsby. The Gretsch is my favourite if I had to pick. But it’s a good combo to have and I love both of them.
I have been a telecaster freak for over 30 years , i currently own 5 of them ,i also have 3 strats , 2 prs guitars , 2 gibsons , 1 Taylor 810 and a D18V Martin . Out of all these i play my Tele’s the most ,probably 80% of the time and i do that because i find it the most versatile Guitar to play ,Jazz , rock ,country ,pop and metal , they have everything you need and nothing you don’t ‘
Scotty Anderson is my favorite Tele Player.
There is a video called "The cheapest, easiest B-Bender" worth watching, as it doesn't involve any routing, or permanent changes to the guitar. I've even seen a video how you can make a similar bender yourself.
As a kid growing up on a strat I thought I hated teles. Aged about 29/30 I realised the error of my ways!
I could get buy with a clear sounding Goldtop Les Paul with p-90s. Being primarily a Jazz guy, a 17 inch solid wood archtop with a floating single coil would be good. My 1952 Gibson L-5N with Kent Armstrong floater would work too. 😊
Got a 1996 US Tele from new, gigged it for 10-15 years, then acquired a Deluxe Strat - amazing feel - then recently a Sire H7, which plays beautifully. But, I keep going back to my Tele. It’s raw, authentic, can do lots of sounds and genres, easy as hell to maintain. And yes, if I only had one, it would be my Tele.
I truly love your way of making music. So delicate, full of soul, intelligent, inspirational and "open".
I would prefer other instruments in your hands but.. Anyway, thank you for sharing such pearls of art with us.
my first electric was a squier telcaster, still with me, and remains as one of my most used guitars.... just changing the pickups and taking it to a good tech once in a while makes it almost perfect
I was never a Tele guy. Really disliked them but I picked up a copy in a second hand store to fix and flip. It was so comfortable to play and great sounding. I love them.
I love listening to you play with a cleaner/low gain sound. All the expression and nuances come out more. It gets lots in a barrage of distortion and delay
I agree I have 3 of them . 1. Regular American made Tele 2: Tele deluxe with Lollar humbuckers 3. B Bender Tele
It's all I need
I have taken a Tele along to a jam seaaion and loved how easy it could fit it. It can really cut through in rock yet you could go towards jazz.
That said, for pit band work my HSS Strat covers everything. Boring but you often need a bit of vibrato. I prefer my SSS Strat in my own band but have a single pickup Cabronita self build I use for about a 1/3 of the set, which is almost an Esquire!
I've had 5 strats over the years, and I love that special thing that strats do, but for about 7 years at one point I used only a Tele. This was a second hand Fender thinline 72 ,that had the two wide range humbuckers ( Seth Lover designed staggered sets of three string sets of singles off-set and opposite wound). This guitar could fo anything, even sound like a Les Paul for crunchy chords. The sound could do an almost single coil sound if I turned it down on the volume a bit, and the hollow section softened the harsh edges of the sound in a most airy way, that you would get usually from only a 335 This particular Tele could do even more versatile things than most Teles, and for a long time I used it exclusively. If a string broke during a set, at least the lack of a trem meant it would stay in tune until the break where I could change strings. If I had only one guitar, this would be the type I would use... a thinline Tele ( not as harsh sounding as some Teles) and preferably with the Fender wide range humbuckers. Just the best all-round instrument.
when i was young my mother (rip ) bought me a telley in the late 70s it was a 75 with a humbucker in the neck i like but i wanted a stratacaster because back then all the greats used a strat style guitar so i bought me a strat and for many years i didn't use that telecaster for giging at all !
and in the late 80's it got stolen out of my home with other gear , and i just moved on with out missing my tele ,
fast forward i walk into music store in the states and saw this (Mexican) gold top tele and bought it and it's been my go to guitar especially for tracking its a great studio guitar it's so versatile but a little noisy with pedals i love it !
60 plus years of technology and its still perfect !
My telecaster has been my only electric for 10 years until this year when I got an AM-6 to complement it. I made upgrades to the tele for the first time ever this year and only love it more and more... A telecaster let's me accomplish essentially anything I want on guitar with the only limit being my own skill and creativity.
The Freidman Vintage T Classic is my favorite so far. I compared against a lot of Fenders and Suhrs and just loved the neck and pickups on it better... though it is a tad neck heavy as the body is made out of a lighter pine.
I have 2 teles (one is a baritone) , a strat, and a PRS, a cheap bass plus 2 acoustics... I don't need any more. My standard tele and PRS are my favorites BUT if I had to choose one guitar as a permanent guitar it would absolutely be the all 'round telecaster ! No genre of music it isn't well suited for. Would love a B-Bender especially made and installed by Joe Glaser in Nashville. I always love seeing jazz players like Julian Lage, Bill Frisell or Tim Lerch to name a few play tele's. Leo got it right the first time !
I used to play on a few cruise ships in the house band. Production shows Jazz nights, whatever. And I am still absolutely obsessed with this idea that one day I might get a contract for 6 months, I have to pick one guitar and take it across the world to play absolutely anything. I'm not a through and through tele guy. But I know it's the right tool for that job.
like Ed Bickert
I’ve been playing primarily Strats for the last 50 years. I just bought a Harmony Jupiter thin line, and I’m thinking of it as the baby of a Les Paul and a Tele. Tele type short bridge and bolt on neck, so it has some Tele aspects, but a mini humbucker and full-size humbucker like a LP. The shape is kind of between LP and Tele and so it the 25” scale length. On the Strat, I was always a bit unhappy with bends pulling the trem bridge up, especially the intonation of double-stop bends. That’s so much nicer on a hard-tail bridge.
Only tuned in to find out the colour of the body, but just been blown away by your playing . Lovely job pal.
I love my Isbell signature tele. I got my Les Paul back today after set up and new nut. It’s a great and faithful old guitar but I am struggling a little bit to get used to again. I’m just so comfortable with my tele now
Two things. 1) A while ago Johnny A landed a gig with the Yardbirds and he asked his fans if whether or not to take his Tele or his Junior and ultimately he chose his Junior because he felt that he could get both Tele and Les Paul sounds out of it. 2) Recently I had to downsize and I got rid of all but two guitars, one being a Tele. The Tele forced me to dig really deep with it and while it’s not a substitute for an LP or a Strat I can get fairly close to where I’m happy; albeit with the help with a couple of pedals.
I’ve only had about 25 guitars, and am trying to whittle them down. That said,amongst the specimens in my stable, the PRS 408 is the one. Mine’s a semi-hollow wood library with a an IRW neck. I’d actually prefer to have a hard tail, or perhaps a Paul’s Guitar, but I’m holding out for either variation with a rosewood neck.
SG standard for me. For much the same reason- it needs few pedals. I run mine with a boost (rawk baby!) and delay.
I have a couple of Nashville Teles and I could probably get almost everything I want out of either one of those (they are quite a bit different from each other actually LOL) But the one guitar I can't survive without is my LP Deluxe. The mini humbuckers actually give you a tone of tonal options and it's my favorite guitar to play in the entire world. You absolutely CAN get by with one, though. I did it for years and was perfectly happy.
I was a Gibson guy in my teens then I became a strat and tele player at twenty. Then I became a ibanez az player when they came out...never going back...lol
My 1972 John Birch Custom SG. Originally built for Dai Shell of Sassafras.
If you asked me last year I'd have said that I'm a strat guy through and through. But nowadays, a telecaster is my number one choice. I just love the simplicity of it. Also, if it was good enough for Prince, it is good enough for me.
Favourite Tele player: Bill Frisell (not excluvely a Tele player, of course). Only 1 guitar - my go to for the last 30+ years, 1992 Roger Sadowsky NYC S Style HSH. On a budget . . . PRS SE Custom 24-08, bought one a couple of years ago and been enjoying it a lot - very versatile pick-up combinations, I'd like to try the top-end version sometime.
You mentioned complication in your approach to music and how that doesn't get you played in an elevator. It reminds me of working with some lovely French guys: I could sum them up by them saying "yes, it will work in practice, but will it work in theory?" and then going for a long lunch to talk about it...
I own 2 Telecasters. Both USA. One 94 with a Rosewood neck and Lambertone Pickups and the other is a stock one with a maple neck. If I had my druthers I’d rather have my 94 and it would be the one and is currently my go to guitar.
Agreed John, I also think a high pickup output Jazzmaster has a place in there too…
I love my Tele (custom-built by Keith Holland), but if I could only have one guitar it would be my hard-tail Strat (also built by Keith). I don't use the whammy and being a hard-tail it covers most Tele sounds in addition to the classic Strat. Wish I hadn't sold my K-Line Truxton. Chris' builds are first rate and that guitar played and sounded amazing...
A couple years ago I wanted to get a good Fender vintage tele in butterscotch blonde with a black guard. My supplier was out of them so I opted for a Shijie. Beautiful guitar. A year ago I installed a proper Mojotone control set and Fender vintage knobs. Made it even better. But I’m still a diehard Strat player. My Suhr is my go to for Stratiness. 😅
Team Tele here, if I could only have one. Currently I have 2 Teles, a 63 reissue and a 50s mod. While the 63 is nice, I think the pickups and 4-way switching in the 50s mod make for a more versatile, single guitar.
Offset Tele; a more comfortable Tele what with comfort cuts. I play my Tele more than all of my other guitars combined.
the only downside of the vintage design is the faulty by design cup jack. can't use a right angle cable on it, becomes loose and no matter how much you tighten it stays loose. its literally just a small sheet of metal with pointy corners put into the wood. then the cup is bolted to that. once the wood goes its all over. sure there are fixes, but why not just come stock with either a plate jack or a two screw electro socket. when leo started G&L you will notice all his teles had plate jacks. no more cup.
Right now, if I had to pick only one guitar, it'd be my telecaster ultra texas tea. Love the compound neck more than I thought I would. Love the look. Love the guitar!
That intro was really really beautiful 🔥
I still prefer a LesPaul for most heavy genres. But with some fairly simple mods, almost any guitar can get you close.
A top loaded ashtray bridge T, with brass saddles and lipstick neck pickup. Wouldn't be my first choice for death metal. But a string through body, with a coilsplitable humbucker in the neck. Can expand the tonal possibilities.
A hopped up T is all you really need.
Probably the most cost effective way to go, for beginners looking to get a jack of all trades guitar.
Great topic (especially in these financially challenging times) For me, yes, a Tele will be enough. I keep one at home and one in the rehearsal studio, and that’s it.
Agree. Tele. Funk, Blues, Rock, Country and Jazz....even Metal.
Great playing style! What a sound. What are the pups and do you have the tome rolled off at all?
Custom bound Tele with a 4 way switch, 4th position being both pickups in series. Also PTB wiring.
If the guitar I already did this too wasn't so heavy....
So, I would do this to a lighter one and make it my only 1 one as I am forced to sell everything to pay the rent at some point in the future.
I believe the telecaster is the most recorded electric guitar in history and for good reason it’s amazing so simple but so versatile
Glad you mentioned Ted Greene. My guitar hero.
Torn between a custom Tele (mine looks quite a bit like yours) and a Les Paul Jr Doublecut. They can do everything, as long as you’re not scared of the volume/tone knob. Are your picks also not wax potted?
I love my Fender Custom Shop tele, but the lack of body contours is the deal killer as far as it being my only guitar. Mostly playing/practicing in the seated position, a strat-style is the way to go if I could only keep one guitar.
Lmao, you actually need body contours ? I thought this was just a made up joke.
Enjoyed this video. You mention the hardtail being a key aspect of the Tele appeal, I'm curious if you've ever played hardtail Strats and if you have an opinion on those?
I can get by with just a tele, if I were willing to forego my usual wang bar theatrics.
But the same could be said of any two-single-coil design, such as a Jazzmaster - or better yet, the G&L Doheny I've used a lot these last couple of years.
That being said, you'd be hard pressed to do heavy rock or especially metal with a tele, using "modern" tones. You can do it, but it isn't the "traditional sound".
If I had to have ONLY ONE guitar, it would be either my Strandberg Prog or my Doheny, by the way - just more sonic space. The Sälen Classic (tele-type, with dual singles) or my old parts-o-caster Tele wouldn't be far behind, though!
My first and still my favorite guitar; K-Line Truxton.
I'm a strat guy at heart, always have been. I do play my tele pretty often though.
T-Style guitars are awesome. My first guitar was a T-Syle, and it is my favorite along with the S-Style guitars. If fact, if it wasn't for Jimi Hendrix, I would just play a T-Style guitar, it is because of him I play an S-Style, and I am glad I do, they are awesome guitars in their own right.
Jimi *did* use Noel's Tele on the Purple Haze solo. HF.
I think if I could only have one guitar, it would be the PRS CE 24. I have a 1996 CE24 with the rotary knob, and I think I can get pretty much any sound I would ever need from it. It has a trem, so I can go surfy. it's bolt on so I can get twangy , It has a pretty hot treble/bridge pickup so I can get loud and crunchy if needed. The second position (or maybe the 4th - the one closest to the bridge only dial) gives a sweet clean sound. It really just works well everywhere.
Agreed a prs with good coil splits is super versatile.
Own a lot of guitars and my favorite is a GL telecaster!!
Teles are dead easy to change. I put in a Duncan ‘59 and Hot Rails like a Danny Gatton/ Mike Stern guitar. The split coil and treble bleed are PRS DGT spec. 6 beautiful sounds and it’s my go to electric.
A Strat style , G&L USA Comanche. Pretty much can get close to all sounds and also sound unique.
Tele all the way - I’ve got a Patrick James Eggle T which is outstanding in every respect
I like my Tele so much, it's my favorite Guitar. 🙂
Awesome playin John. I was on your Patreon page and wanted to buy the backing track but I can't find it. Which one is it and how do I get there?
Back in the early nineties I had a actual bitsa Tele which comprised of a real early 50s maple neck, 60s body, 50s pickups, 60s bridge and 50s wiring. It was amazing and worked for anything. Sadly I can't stand normal tele bodies for playing stood up as they have no body routing so it had to go....
You actually got rid of a guitar simply for body contours lol, do you have the softest belly on earth ? Lmao
I am lucky enough to have quite a few guitars, some labled as lawer guitars but the guitar that makes me smile the most is my squier fsr classis vibe esquire, granted it has a seymour duncan in it. I just love it. I can gig with it and not worry too much... my usa tele had to have a refret after a guy knocked it over and it landed flat on its neck.. gutted. After that always cautious taking expensive guitars out. A tele is all you need.
4-way switch or middle strat pickup added (Nashville Tele) makes it as good as anything.
Strat w/Hardtail is the best for me
Leo got it right on the first try. If I could only have one for the rest of my life, it would be a Tele no doubt. They can just do absolutely everything.
I always think that 😅 i never had one and bought my first a year ago and since then I gig with it every week and it's perfect in it simplicity and fits just in any song
I don’t want only one guitar 😢 - can I have two ? If so my fender MIJ 62 reissue Tobacco double bound with Texas specials. And then a dual humbucker. Any of my Les Paul’s or my SG 61 reissue - cover all bases there - but why thin back, the fun of guitar is GAS 🎉
I know for sure a telecaster is the only guitar I would ever need for all kinds of music. use mine quite often for recording but much less live. For no real reason. I have just always been a strat guy. Despite its shortcomings like brittle bridge pickup, wiggle stick threatening things go out of tune, tending to get buried in the mix I just can’t let go. Certainly not with my Silver Sky. Maybe some day that leightweight blackguard with compensated brass barrel saddles and magic pickups will just catch me off guard.
Yesssssss. Search your feelings - you know it to be true. I'll sell every single guitar I own before I sell my Tele (and I'd only sell that to buy another tele)
On a more serious note - you have essentially three sounds that will take you through anything (and are less faffy to switch between Vs a strat). The neck is not as chimey as a strat, but that jazzy warmth is perfect for, well, jazz. The middle position is everything from pop chords to quasi-acoustic accompaniment, to funk city. Bridge is so much more usable than a strat it's not even funny - classic rock rhythm to searing leads no problem. The switch is right there under your fingers, as are the one volume and tone. No fuss,.no muss, and virtually nothing to tweak once the very basic setup is done. Desert island guitar right there.
Great great intro🎉🎉🎉
Is that an acoustic simulator with the plate reverb?
I have vintage white K-Line Truxton and it is amazing. K-Line pickups are sweet ❤ Tele all the way💪
You can do it all with a Telecaster
I like strat and tele. The tele sounds fantastic and i don't need the tremolo, but i find it unbalanced when playing sitting
If I could only have one guitar, it would be the Aria Pro II, RS 850, 2nd generation (that was stolen from me in 1993) !
I love and appreciate the 'Tele' more and more (specially a good sounding one), but I always miss the Tremolo... I do own the 'Bigsby' from Game Changer Audio, but it's different from having it , on the guitar.
Yes a trem works on a Tele! Have one. GREAT
I do have several guitars and basses. But, I should say that I only need my Player Tele & Jet Jr bass to *play songs in my fav style*. Isn't that the real goal?
Have you tried an offset telecaster? For me it’s a great combination of simplicity and body shape.
Andy Summers , Danny Gatton and Mike Stern...!
A tele would be my answer if i didn't have issues with hum sometimes.
So my answer is a prs pauls guitar. My se pauls guitar is a super versitile beast for everything ive used it on the last year.
I'm strongly considering getting one of those gold foil telecasters and swapping the bridge plate and bridge pickup to someing more traditional to complement the prs in a couple different ways
One guitar, my variax wish they would make newer models modeled after the Revstar
That's what I do. I sell to buy, whether that be guitars or pedals.
I'll just keep playing my 80's budget Yamaha SE150 until something better comes along. I'm still searching.
The PRS Vela checks the box for me... I have not actually played a telecaster (yet) ... wait, what? am I even a real guitar player!?!
I have a G&L ASAT, it’s my best sounding guitar and so versatile