Tbe problem is, once you have both, you need a les paul...and after that you’ll need a 335...after that a good ibanez to schreed and at the end a good rickenbaker to get some beetles sound...🤣🤣🤣. Cheers
This is painfully true. I recently built a strat. Now I literally NEED to build a tele. That old saying, the perfect number of guitars is always: 1 more.
You are right. I already had two acoustics and an Epiphone Les Paul and am running out of space for guitars. I had the impulse to get a Strat so I went to my favorite pawn shop and tried a few out and surprisingly a $90cad Silvertone Strat copy was the nicest feeling and sounding, Im now running low on floor space hahaha. Can never have too many guitars, just not enough space.
@@RobertBakerGuitar I did and resigned almost immediately, les pauls are the most uncomfortable guitars I've ever played, the way the sharp edges digs into you is horrible. I see why strats and some few teles have contours.
I have a Tele. Can't go wrong with it. Except I would also like a Strat. But until I can play better there is not much point in having more guitars it would be waisted cash.
You should try a Les Paul or SG for a second guitar. The humbuckers would give you more tones to explore with. Go to "Elevated jamming tracks" RUclips channel for lead guitar practice.
Teles are the best guitars I've ever played. Strats feel like toys and Les Pauls feel unnecessarily bulky. Teles are right there in the perfect sweet spot. I love them so much.
I have a very expensive PRS but my new Tele is far more fun to play. Oh, 2 strats and a Gretch (and a John 5 Tele) hang on my wall but I pick the 50's Tele everytime.
Agree v much. Sold a USA deluxe strat after buying a squier classic vibe tele. Much prefer the tele. It just feels right. I always go to the right position on the neck. The tone is pure. You just reach that telecaster age.
Nah. The position 2 and 4 are very unmistakable and quite a lot of that is down to how the guitar is made and its specifications. You can get close to the neck and bridge sounds but position 2 and 4 are unmatched. I think a lot of it comes down to how much you like THAT sound in particular. Because the rest can be somewhat mimicked (maybe not with the strat neck pickup).
ernest howard I did it the other way around but true. Then most get a LP or es 335 or sg style guitar after that. Any Gibson style for that matter usually come get third.
Both of course, two of the best guitars ever made. When you feel “un inspired” you pull out the other guitar and become “wowed” again. Having both gives you an amazing tonal range.
There is a work-around for the Tele bridge sound on a Strat, but it involves 'hardtailing' your Strat and then tapping a piece of brass tightly between the tremolo block and the wood of the body. I use a 3/4 inch thick brass pipe ring, sawn in half across the radius (which gives you two pieces). The increase in brightness and sustain is immediately noticeable, and these rings are cheap like borscht. I've done this with a 2004 Squire Affinity Strat and an 1974 Ibanez Strat copy, and the results are the same: a major increase in sustain in the G and D strings. So, the question is whether or not to 'hardtail'. I guess the only solution is to buy more Strats! ; )
I am trying to learn guitar and I asked myself this exact question .... "tele or strat??" .... Answer: WHEN you get good on the strat, reward myself with the tele!! ... so now I have my goal!!
The answer? BOTH! 😉 4:00: True, the neck pickup on the strat is awesome, but the bridge and middle positions on the Tele are kickass! I own both of them and I love them equally but I absolutely agree that if you can only pick one, the Strat is more versatile.
I’m a Tele guy, although it took a while to get there. The first Fender I owned was a ‘62 Strat in about 1971, after several years with a Gibson SG. I didn’t like the bridge pickup on the Strat much, and in ‘74 I got a new Tele. It wasn’t all that great, and it took a ‘59 Tele to make me realize how great Teles could be. I love the 2nd and 4th positions on a Strat, wished I could get them on a Tele, so the ideal Tele for me has a Strat middle pickup, Tele neck and bridge pickups, and a 5-way switch. Best of both worlds.
I can live without a Strat. I can’t live without a Tele. I play the Blues & I know I know - Clapton plays a Strat - but I think the Neck pickup, when properly adjusted in height - is fantastic for smooth Blues, whereas the Bridge Pickup is great for Rock/Blues like The Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, also Funk. I would also describe the difference in sound between the two as: The Tele gives you Twang in the Bridge position. The Strat gives you Quack in the #2 position. Love my Tele.
Used to be a long time strat player. Then I got a tele and now it's my main. To be fair, the tele is American and the strat is Mexican. But still I'm more of a tele guy- it's just a solid straight-forward rock machine.
@Brody Sodon About five years ago I picked up a Chinese-made Thinline and was amazed at how nice it played. The neck was straight, frets perfect, and it played smoothed as silk. This October I recently bought an (Chinese-made) Epiphone Limited Edition, Peter Frampton Les Paul Custom Pro. Very light, not top heavy, and no need to have it set up. Plays perfectly right out of the box and the damn thing stays in tune, even the B string. I am very surprised at the high quality of the Chinese guitars on the market. I had a Mexican-made Tele Squire in the 80s and it was junk.
I have a HSS strat and I like to think about her as a “smart guitar”, ‘cause you can do everything with it. Obviously love the tele, but as you say, It’s another world of sounds 😁
I recommend an srv strat. It costs a bit more (1,800$) but it's an American strat and is one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played. Definitely look into one and play one if you get the chance. I hope the search for the perfect strat goes well! 👍👍
So last month i was deciding whether to pick up a strat or a tele, my brain says go for the strat, but my heart say go get that tele, so i pick the tele. A week later, i go through old album of my high school years, and found the reason i pick my tele, my first ever performing music in front of a crowd was with a telecaster (which was rented for a school performance), and i dont ever recalled playing a tele before 😂
I have both. Here’s part of the reason: my 2017 Professional Strat is wonderful BUT sometimes I plan drone style ( hit and let, say, the low E or A or D string ring )while I noodle on the higher note strings. With its floating bridge, if I do a bend while noodling, the drone string will drop in pitch. My November 2018 Elite Tele, on the other hand, does not have a floating bridge & there is no pitch drop from droned string(s). The tonal differences of the two being noted (no pun intended) they have their respective spots within the audio spectrum in addition to feel / playability. I miss my 1972 Tele ( traded like a fool) b/c of the pure clean treble tone it gave. It could buzz your ears with the bridge pickup even at low volume through my 1974 Fender SuperReverb. Could always find it in the mix with in your face treble.
Interesting video. Jeff Beck got over the problem of the arm contour on his Esquire by sanding it down. Lowell George liked the Tele bridge pickup so much that he put one in his Strats.
I've had both; but I sold my regular Tele and Tele Thinline. I guess they weren't versatile enough. I turned my 1979 Ash Strat into a Frankenstrat - blocked the tremolo cavity, added a series pickup switch, stripped the poly finish, put in 500K pots, made a Maple veneer pickguard...unrecognizable in looks and tone :)
I have a Squire atm, so technically I feel like I need both, but I will need a strat every time! But of course, money will be the death of me haha! Really cool and in depth video as always!
Squiers are great man. I've modded my squire to my liking and it plays really well. If I bought a fender and did the same mods it might have been better I think when it comes to strats and teles (most of the fender line in general), you can take any guitar and make it play and sound good.
Fender officially refers to the positions on the pickup switching as "1" for the bridge pickup, then counting upward as you head toward the neck. Thus, the bridge and middle position is "2", and the neck and middle position is "4".
I feel the same way about the Strat bridge pickup. I solve the issue by putting a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup in its place. Humbucker sound in single coil size. An HSS configured Strat would work too.
I always thought teles look really ugly. Strat on the other hand is a much more elegant design. And as we know, how it looks is clearly the most important thing in a guitar
I've always avoided the Tele because i don't particularly care for country and i didn't want that stigma. Now 25 years later i want the quintessential hardtail single coil. I played my "Poor Man's PRS" for 10 yrs before i discovered that i could split the coils...Wow! So much closer to the sound I was trying to get but still missing the "funk" tone.
T West: also... ...nobody ever went to jail for breaking their guitar's neck. Guitars don't get jealous. And they don't complain if you're not playing with them on a regular basis. Yeah, I'm single too. 😂
I choose Tele but better if it has arm rest or contour. But for mellower stuffs I love Strat. Only one thing that I could not leave behind is a humbucker bridge pickup. Or at least single coil sized humbucker pickups.
I have 2 of each. An original 1973 US Bullet, natural wood and a Corona 1980's Strat. with tilt neck adjustment. Tele no 1 is a twangy early type and the other one has Super DeLuxe pickups that makes it quite "Straty". I love all of them. They are different tools in the toolbox. You make good videos and some nice playing. Cheers, JohnnyH-DK
I converted from strats to teles mainly because there´s no middle pickup to hinder my picking.This after playing acoustic guitar for many years.The rhythm pickups in teles work mostly fine for me.
My opinion is to have both, i mainly use a strat but i also use a tele. They both have qualities that are so different that in my opinion i just need both
As it happens I am the complete opposite in my preference - while I have a preference for the sound and style of a Strat I always found the Tele a lot more comfortable to play, and with a balance that perfectly suited me. I never had the issues regarding non-contoured edges because I always played it standing, never sitting. And no matter how it sounds, it you aren't comfortable playing then you'll never get the best from either it or yourself.
None: I find Teles more comfortable too. I like Strats but the volume control is too close to the strings. I especially like my Squier Contemporary HH Tele because it has a "belly contour" on the back and a satin finish neck. (Also because I installed Dimarzio pups; Super Distortion in bridge, PAF "36th" in neck. John 5 configuration; two volumes, no tones.)
Try a "twisted tele" neck pickup - it's more like a strat. Many players like a broadcaster/nocaster type bridge pickup, with a twisted tele in the neck. I sold both my American Standard telecasters long ago, and both my Silverface Princeton Reverbs, so now I feel very needy.. On one of my strats, I want to do that 7-way thing, where one tone knob is for all three, the other tone knob becomes a volume knob for the middle pickup. By doing that you can get the neck and bridge together (like a tele), or all THREE pickups in series, for a FAT sound. Position one is for the neck and middle, but you can roll the volume off on the middle to get the neck alone. Position two is the middle and bridge together, but you can roll off the volume on the middle to just get the bridge. Position three is the neck and bridge together, position four all three pickups....which leaves position 5 (something out of phase perhaps). I was watching a video of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who described one of his strats being setup that way, if I remember correctly (maybe slightly different - I've been medicating). Anyways, that's a cool mod for getting two (three?) cool options. If you just want the middle, use position one or two, and turn the volume down on the neck or bridge. Very cool mod methinks, but everything seems cool right now................!.
I'm more of a Tele man myself, but one thing I've always been curious about is which one sells better and is therefore more "popular". You'd have to look at sales figures across all Fender and Squier series makes/models to figure it out and I'm not even sure if they release that information, but it would be really fun to know.
Years ago I was working in the big city and had disposable income. I stopped at Guitar Center on my way to our weekly Jam Session and bought an American Standard Strat. I also ordered a Tele in the same color (Lake Placid Blue) but had to wait a week for it to come in to that specific store. I played the Strat for a week. The following Saturday, the Tele was in and the difference was astounding to me. Somehow, the Tele "*FIT*" me best. It was like putting on a comfortable, warm glove. I kept the Strat for alternate tunings and when I needed a whammy bar, but the Tele became my Main instrument. The other guitarist in the Jam Session tried both and preferred the Strat. My conclusion: It's very personal.
I love your passion for guitars ! I always loved the Telecaster but my guitar teacher was Les Paul guy and of course persuaded me to get a Les Paul, I found it to be an awkward guitar to sit and practice with bc of the weight, no body contours and the overall balance of the guitar had the neck always lifting up, it was a chore to sit and practice with it and that's probably why i never got good, lol But you are correct in saying Telecasters never go out of tune bc they don't , great video, Peace !
I like both but I prefer Strat, not only because of it's versatility but also for the floating bridge which allows you to play a bit more expressive (like Jeff Beck, Steve Lukather, Mike Oldfield, etc)
1) Twang Banger Pickup. 2) Use a Tele bridge pickup on a Strat with a grounded base plate under it. 3) Cut the back off of the tele bridge plate and mount the pickup plate in front of the Strat trem. 4) Use a Wudtone new country tele trem assembly on a Strat and cut out the pick guard to go around it. * Wire the Strat with the ability to blend the neck pickup to 1 & 2 positions.
Having both (a few times), yes, the sounds are different. The Tele is SO distinct from the Strat! The Tele has 3 distinct tones: Bridge: DISTINCTLY bright, a cross between hum & single (i.e., roll your highs off for SC sounds). Middle: nice clean, but NOT Strat. Neck, full, clear--not position 2 or 4. Neck: Really smooth, almost buttery. It works for certain songs, not for all. The strat/tele is more like a comparison between sliced bread and hamburger or hotdog buns; they're both bread, just different kinds.
Great explanation. Play a Strat for the exact same reasons/versatility. Bridge pickup for me on a Strat, though, can get you some SG / P-90 / AC/DC sounds when you role off the tone to about 5. It’s also great for solos wide open with some delay - think Journey. “Position 2”, I use a lot for that clean Motown sound with some reverb. It’s good for clean fingerpicking, too. “3”, just me, is useless by itself - just for aiding positions 2 and 4. I don’t use “4” much either unless I’m playing some SRV, which is rarely. Position 5 will get you some Chili Peppers/Clapton/numerous other classic sounds. I like it for clean solos. “2” and “5” are the Strat sounds, but bridge pickup is underrated. For me, the perfect combo is to have a Strat and second guitar with some humbuckers.
If you can only have ONE electric guitar, make it a Strat. (Possibly with some kind of noiseless pickups in it.) That way, you have one instrument that can do everything in some passable incarnation, from clean twang to high-gain power. Maybe not with perfectly authenticity, but good enough to get you through to any regular person’s satisfaction.
This is my stand on it too! It delivers on both fronts. My one gripe is the lack of comfort cuts. If it had the strat comfort cuts it would be near perfect.
Got one last week. Had the 3rd position switched to neck & bridge pickups, and 4th position switched to middle pickup, i never use the neck & middle pickups together
@@rocknrollcowboy1620 that's fair. Each person has their own flavor! I actually have come around to liking all the positions on that thing. It is my go to axe for most things these days.
Got a Suhr Strat HSS SSV in the bridge and 2 Michael landau Standards in the middle and neck it is the Fattest Strat I've ever played with just the right amount of Quack
It's tough cause I don't have another single coil to compare it to but the even the SSS suhr classic has a nice bridge pickup, it doesn't sound nearly as shrill as Rob's demo (but it's hard to tell what is his tone vs what is the strat). I bought it with the intention to rewire it to HSS but I found I liked it, it sounds killer for way overdriven classic rock tones. Biggest thing tele has going for it is the hardtail.
You need both. The question then is... Fender, G&L, ESP, parts build... I know, right!!! GAS is a terrible thing. And then there;s ampage... Don't get me started...Then pedals... FML...
you can buy a on/off switch for 3$ and with a modification that requires 4 soldering Connections, you can add a switch that allows you to turn on the neck (or Bridge if you prefer) pick up - this allows you to use 1st and 3rd pickup - which sort of gives oyu the tele pickup Combo. Google seven Sound strat and you'll find wirings and Sound Tests.
diesel828 ...I tried a few..including a good old American Standard...but the Road Worn...as you say..had a feel of trusty old jeans...specifically where the neck was concerned.... I have to find better... Funny, when they came out, there were a lot of haters...suggesting that the scars a guitar bears...should have been inflicted by years of night-work in smoky bars...yet they had no problem with someone buying a vintage 64 Strat with someone else’s scars. Well, the prices of Road Worn fell off....at one point one could buy one one ebay for $399....not anymore though....these are serious instruments and enough people now know that....
Hey Rob...Finally I’m here after a months and months..I did checked Fender Players Series HH Telecaster.. OMG I loved it ❤️❤️❤️.. Those humbucker were smooth and creamy.. You have to checkout those Teles..
I've had my 1971Telecaster for almost 50 years. I STILL love it a tiny bit more than a Stratocaster. But although decades have passed, I still don't know what the heck to do with the lovely chrome plate that covers the back pickup. Now THAT'S the REAL decision. Help!
I mean, I agree with you. But position 2 on a Strat is VERY close to the middle position of the Tele. The Tele just has more bass to it. Both tones are firmly in the swamp. Edit: on further reflection you just need to have both a Strat and a Tele
As a Gibsontard I went with the Telecaster with humbuckers (I have a Gretsch for the uber-twang sound so I wanted something more in the middle of Gibson and Gretsch. Hence the humbuckers. It still sounds very much Fender-y but more warm basically.) The shape felt pretty natural immediately and looks good to me. I also preferred it being less featured.
i have a mexi tele with humbuckers. Grew up in a musical family so have played everything under the sun. i think the tele with humbuckers is the best of every world in one guitar. spilt coil certainly sounds closer to a true tele than a strat. plus she sounds great with plenty of over drive
Swapped an American Strat for an American Tele. Absolutely love the Tele. (Got a Les Paul Jr. and a 335 in the meantime.) Will be getting another Strat. Just because... 😎 Want to look at other brands/models too, though. Lots of good instruments out there.
Hi Bob...your video is helpful, especially for the noob with limited exposure to these kinds of considerations. For me I own both a couple of Strats and a couple of Teles. I prefer a Strat, however because of the tonal options, the ability to make myself a “new guitar” with the ability to swap ore-loaded, pre-wired pickguards in a matter of five minutes for pennies on the dollar for what a new Strat costs and lastly , I play a fair number of pick-up gigs where I get a phone call that has me filling in at the last minute for one of or the guitarist(s) in a local band. My Strat is my go to because I often don’t know exactly what I’m walking into in these situations and the Strat (along with a couple of my prefab pickguards in my gig bag and I can cover most any contingency. One correction. The element that contributes to the Tele bridge pickup sound is not the bridge mounting plate but rather there is a metal plate that is part of the pickup itself and is mounted underneath the lower bobbin. The pickup is electrically connected to this plate I seem to recall and the plate serves to modify the magnetic field shape and density. As an experiment I took a Duncan “vintage voiced” Tele pickup I had in my parts box. With a little mod to my Strat, I installed the Duncan Tele p/u and played. While not 100% the Tele tone, in the context of a band mix, I suspect that the slight diff would disappear. I then removed the Duncan p/u and did some surgery to remove that metal plate. Once reinstalled in my Strat, it sounded like the spikiest, ice puck in your ear Strat bridge p/u in all of creation. As you prefer aTele with pretty much exclusive use of the bridge pickup, have you ever considered getting an Esquire? Just a thought to give you a bad case of GAS 💭 ...no, not that kind. 😆
Great video. Really makes a person think. I have a couple of Strats and a couple of Teles. I'm playing more on a Tele right now, and I call it a Tele, but it is a custom body, Jackson neck and pickups (humbucker bridge, single coil neck), Fender USA pots and switch. It has an ash tray cut for humbucker, then it has a metal roller nut and roller bridge saddles, which seems to add a little brightness back into what the humbucker takes away. With the roller nut, I think I could shoot arrows with it and it still stay in tune. Anyway, it is a great sounding guitar. The neck pickup in that one simply sounds more like a Jackson. My other Tele is a normal Tele. But, I'm with you on your thinking. I just don't have that many uses for a SC Strat. They are great for some southern rock, and songs like Journey's Lights, Stevie Ray songs. I think the best sound out of a single coil Strat would probably be like Rainbow's Stone Cold. To me, they sound best with an old Marshall or an old Super Reverb. I am going to put humbuckers in one of my Strats and see how that sounds. If I had to choose between a normal 2SC Tele and a 3SC Strat I think I would pick the Tele. From Paisley to Zeppelin, how can you go wrong? But, just like you, if the house is burning down, I'm heading out the door with my Les Paul...LOL.
Love the Strat. I started on a Gibson V and then switched to a Strat... The rest is history. Like you I love my PRS, EVH Wolfgang, Ibanez Jem Jr etc however my vintage Strat is still my go to. Just had it refreted last summer and it's still playing like a million bucks. I have had a tele before and will probably buy another one. Gonna buy a G&L tribute legacy first though.
Also listen to 'Houses of the Holy'... The lead guitar track on practically every song is a Tele. Two of the HOTH outtakes that ended up on 'Physical Graffiti'; 'The Rover' & 'Houses of the Holy' are Tele songs as well. But nevertheless, you need a Strat to play 'In The Evening' & 'For Your Life'. Bottom line: YOU NEED BOTH.
Fine: Thanks, I'm flattered. My best friend thinks the World revolves around a Les Paul through a Marshall stack and I take great delight in tweaking him by pointing out how often Jimmy Page used Teles in the studio.
Fine: 'The Rover' is one of my favorite Zep tunes. If you listen to timbre of the notes and how quickly they decay, that's classic Tele bridge pup stuff. And Jimmy is using an MXR Phase 90 with the sweep set slow. He also used the Tele quite a bit on 'In Through The Outdoor'; you can hear Parsons-White B String Bender-equipped Tele during the solo to 'All My Love'. On 'Fool In The Rain', another fave of mine, he played the solo using a Tele with the Phase 90 and an MXR Blue Box which is a fuzz box that adds a note two octaves below the one played. Also 'Ten Years Gone' & 'Down By The Seaside'; both Tele tunes as well. Jimmy preferred the Les Paul live because it's louder and has more punch but in the studio where he had better control of the dynamics, he used his Teles quite a bit.
![Strat vs Tele - Why I Prefer a Strat [mostly]](/img/1.gif)
Do you need a Strat or a Tele?
Yes.
Michael Gray haha
Naaaah
i need a jaguar
@@lynxlosange9645 What, no jazzmaster?
Telecaster and handrail strat both.
If you have a Strat, you need a Tele.
If you have Tele, you need a Strat.
Fender, baby.
fender is king
Tbe problem is, once you have both, you need a les paul...and after that you’ll need a 335...after that a good ibanez to schreed and at the end a good rickenbaker to get some beetles sound...🤣🤣🤣. Cheers
Exactly.
Owning both works for me... 😎
This is painfully true. I recently built a strat. Now I literally NEED to build a tele. That old saying, the perfect number of guitars is always: 1 more.
How many guitars do you really need?
One more. Always one more.
Testify my brother!
One more
Are you the famous Simon Templar?
@@garygritter5701 I can neither confirm or deny... 😉
Are you the Gary that always wear a wig?
@@OhNoNotFrank maybe 🤔
i am just going to put it out there...
guitars are like pokémon
got to get them all!
*put
asdf asdf thanks. Dam autocorrect
filip karlsson *damn
You are right. I already had two acoustics and an Epiphone Les Paul and am running out of space for guitars. I had the impulse to get a Strat so I went to my favorite pawn shop and tried a few out and surprisingly a $90cad Silvertone Strat copy was the nicest feeling and sounding, Im now running low on floor space hahaha. Can never have too many guitars, just not enough space.
gotta catchem all
Needed a Tele, got one. Needed a Strat, got one! Their like Candy, I want more of Them! Thanks for sharing brother!
*They're like candy.
Steven mGyori or like potato chips, can’t stop at just one. Lol
G.A.S. - Less of a problem, more a way of life ...
They're
I own a Nashville Tele. It's a bit of both words.
That was the moment that i bought a flying v
😂
Lol
Flying v with bigsby bridge
@@biggieford9772 even better, flying v with vintage 60s vibrola lmao
Title: Strat or Tele
Me: Immediately Thinks: Both
Robert: If you have to have just one...
Me: 🤔 can’t have a favorite child so how can I choose.
Lol
Sheer logic.
@@dugan6056 i agree
Every parent has a favorite, they just can’t say it out loud unless they are drinking wine with other parents.
Tele.
What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.
Old Sodd with or without a belly curve?
@John DiLoreto “But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters,”
Me too. And I just bought tickets for Star Wars 9.
Teles do speak Bocce
HMU, i got u
I was on the cusp of getting another Strat but am being drawn towards a Les Paul.
It's time to join the Les Paul army my friend. Gib up resistance is futile!!
I love them both too...
My sister plays a Les Paul with PAF pickups, a beautiful instrument. I have an ES335 and an SG, so my next guitar would be a gold top Les Paul.
@@RobertBakerGuitar I did and resigned almost immediately, les pauls are the most uncomfortable guitars I've ever played, the way the sharp edges digs into you is horrible. I see why strats and some few teles have contours.
@@RobertBakerGuitar can u explain what u were doing there at like 6:35-6:45?
I have a Tele. Can't go wrong with it. Except I would also like a Strat. But until I can play better there is not much point in having more guitars it would be waisted cash.
You should try a Les Paul or SG for a second guitar. The humbuckers would give you more tones to explore with. Go to "Elevated jamming tracks" RUclips channel for lead guitar practice.
I said that and ended up with 6 in a short amount of time. LoL I'm trying out different styles before I invest big $$.
"waisted"? on a Strat?? WASH OUT YOUR MOUTH PAUL.
Teles are the best guitars I've ever played. Strats feel like toys and Les Pauls feel unnecessarily bulky. Teles are right there in the perfect sweet spot. I love them so much.
For real
I have a very expensive PRS but my new Tele is far more fun to play. Oh, 2 strats and a Gretch (and a John 5 Tele) hang on my wall but I pick the 50's Tele everytime.
Agree v much. Sold a USA deluxe strat after buying a squier classic vibe tele. Much prefer the tele. It just feels right. I always go to the right position on the neck. The tone is pure. You just reach that telecaster age.
@@ejpurkis I really want to grab a Classic Vibe Telecaster. Will probably grab one soon
Agreed. Also, Teles are way better for jazz - the neck pickup works wonderfully there.
yes and the answer is tele. strat may sound “different” but , its optional. any single coil can mimic a strat, telecasters are a whole nother beast.
whole other
mimic but not replicate. A good strat has a very unique sound if you ask me
Nah. The position 2 and 4 are very unmistakable and quite a lot of that is down to how the guitar is made and its specifications. You can get close to the neck and bridge sounds but position 2 and 4 are unmatched. I think a lot of it comes down to how much you like THAT sound in particular. Because the rest can be somewhat mimicked (maybe not with the strat neck pickup).
Buy the Strat first. But you'll come back later and buy the Tele.
Exactly
true story
ernest howard I did it the other way around but true. Then most get a LP or es 335 or sg style guitar after that. Any Gibson style for that matter usually come get third.
I did and found I'm happiest with my '17 American Professional Tele. On the neck and middle setting.
And so on...And so on...
Before I get any of those, I need this Bob Ross shirt xD
Saw that, immediately felt the need to paint some happy trees and jam on my Tele.
You can get them at kohls! In the men's tshirts!
Beat the devil out of it 😂 😂
BrainBomb _1 I noticed that too, honestly I just feel stoned listening to Bob Ross talk.
Paint some happy trees on your guitar
First guy on RUclips that actually says what he chooses instead of "decide on your own", thanks!
I prefer the body shape of the strat, but the bridge of the tell.
I like the body of a tele but the sound of a strat! We're fucked!
Someone needs to make a Strele.
Dugan tele’s sound too trebley, strat all day! Raw power
I thought my Tele bridge pickup to trebley for years . A mate of mine said" turndown yet volume pot A bit " and it worked. Fuck.
charvel san dimas is the answer.
Both of course, two of the best guitars ever made. When you feel “un inspired” you pull out the other guitar and become “wowed” again. Having both gives you an amazing tonal range.
There is a work-around for the Tele bridge sound on a Strat, but it involves 'hardtailing' your Strat and then tapping a piece of brass tightly between the tremolo block and the wood of the body. I use a 3/4 inch thick brass pipe ring, sawn in half across the radius (which gives you two pieces). The increase in brightness and sustain is immediately noticeable, and these rings are cheap like borscht. I've done this with a 2004 Squire Affinity Strat and an 1974 Ibanez Strat copy, and the results are the same: a major increase in sustain in the G and D strings. So, the question is whether or not to 'hardtail'. I guess the only solution is to buy more Strats! ; )
I am trying to learn guitar and I asked myself this exact question .... "tele or strat??" .... Answer: WHEN you get good on the strat, reward myself with the tele!! ... so now I have my goal!!
I don't like the Tele neck pickup either, which is why I routed the neck position on my partscaster for a P90!
Dude that's sick pics pls
Gordon Tubbs I did that to on my 2nd Telecaster Partscaster
Funny, but I LOVE the Telecaster neck pickup.
And the contrast between neck and bridge is amazing for an easy voice change midsong.
The answer? BOTH! 😉
4:00: True, the neck pickup on the strat is awesome, but the bridge and middle positions on the Tele are kickass! I own both of them and I love them equally but I absolutely agree that if you can only pick one, the Strat is more versatile.
I love the Fender Telecaster but prefer the Fender Stratocaster. In my humble opinion, the Stratocaster is the finest electric guitar ever made.
Teachering agreed
@longrider wait till i get my new white tele next month
Agreed
Teachering you’ve never played a Red Special
@I Have Crippling Depression go to my channel, i have two recent videos showcasing me playing the tele haha
The Answer is always, more is more
I’m a Tele guy, although it took a while to get there. The first Fender I owned was a ‘62 Strat in about 1971, after several years with a Gibson SG. I didn’t like the bridge pickup on the Strat much, and in ‘74 I got a new Tele. It wasn’t all that great, and it took a ‘59 Tele to make me realize how great Teles could be. I love the 2nd and 4th positions on a Strat, wished I could get them on a Tele, so the ideal Tele for me has a Strat middle pickup, Tele neck and bridge pickups, and a 5-way switch. Best of both worlds.
I can live without a Strat. I can’t live without a Tele. I play the Blues & I know I know - Clapton plays a Strat - but I think the Neck pickup, when properly adjusted in height - is fantastic for smooth Blues, whereas the Bridge Pickup is great for Rock/Blues like The Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, also Funk. I would also describe the difference in sound between the two as: The Tele gives you Twang in the Bridge position. The Strat gives you Quack in the #2 position. Love my Tele.
Used to be a long time strat player. Then I got a tele and now it's my main. To be fair, the tele is American and the strat is Mexican. But still I'm more of a tele guy- it's just a solid straight-forward rock machine.
I'm a Tele guy! Currently playing a Squier Vintage Modified 72 Tele Thinline. Rock On
its actually amazing how good even the cheap squier teles are . I have an affinity and would take it over my prs se singlecut any day of the week
@@todorkerev1707 damn that's some high praise
@Brody Sodon About five years ago I picked up a Chinese-made Thinline and was amazed at how nice it played. The neck was straight, frets perfect, and it played smoothed as silk. This October I recently bought an (Chinese-made) Epiphone Limited Edition, Peter Frampton Les Paul Custom Pro. Very light, not top heavy, and no need to have it set up. Plays perfectly right out of the box and the damn thing stays in tune, even the B string. I am very surprised at the high quality of the Chinese guitars on the market. I had a Mexican-made Tele Squire in the 80s and it was junk.
I put a Strat neck pickup in my tele and a tv jones in the middle position.
I haven't seen the video past 30 seconds yet but he's gonna say whatever one works for you I bet.
He said Strat based on versatility. I preferred the Telecaster as a kid. Still do now
Lol! I see this isn't your first rodeo watching guitar shootout videos.
I've recently fallen deeply in love with the tele bridge sound and am dying to get one of my own, thanks for the demo Rob
I have a HSS strat and I like to think about her as a “smart guitar”, ‘cause you can do everything with it. Obviously love the tele, but as you say, It’s another world of sounds 😁
In the 50’s: blue telecaster
In the 60’s: sunburst strat
My first electric, was a Tele. Had both. Idk if it's because of that, but I prefer the Tele over the Strat.
My first was also a Tele, and I still use it because it's really great. But I generally prefer Strats
For me its the exact other side! 😂
Probably not. I first had a strat. Then I got a tele and like it so much more.
My top 3 guitarists played Strats - Hendrix, SRV, and Jeff Beck - so I need a Strat. Do I also want a Tele? Damn right I do.
I recommend an srv strat. It costs a bit more (1,800$) but it's an American strat and is one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played. Definitely look into one and play one if you get the chance. I hope the search for the perfect strat goes well! 👍👍
Just bought both :D Had both in various forms over the years, but never together. Finally settled on the perfect pair
So last month i was deciding whether to pick up a strat or a tele, my brain says go for the strat, but my heart say go get that tele, so i pick the tele. A week later, i go through old album of my high school years, and found the reason i pick my tele, my first ever performing music in front of a crowd was with a telecaster (which was rented for a school performance), and i dont ever recalled playing a tele before 😂
Time for a little math lesson.
x = how many guitars you have
y = your new amount of guitars
x + 1 = y
I have both. Here’s part of the reason: my 2017 Professional Strat is wonderful BUT sometimes I plan drone style ( hit and let, say, the low E or A or D string ring )while I noodle on the higher note strings. With its floating bridge, if I do a bend while noodling, the drone string will drop in pitch.
My November 2018 Elite Tele, on the other hand, does not have a floating bridge & there is no pitch drop from droned string(s).
The tonal differences of the two being noted (no pun intended) they have their respective spots within the audio spectrum in addition to feel / playability.
I miss my 1972 Tele ( traded like a fool) b/c of the pure clean treble tone it gave. It could buzz your ears with the bridge pickup even at low volume through my 1974 Fender SuperReverb. Could always find it in the mix with in your face treble.
Interesting video. Jeff Beck got over the problem of the arm contour on his Esquire by sanding it down. Lowell George liked the Tele bridge pickup so much that he put one in his Strats.
I've had both; but I sold my regular Tele and Tele Thinline. I guess they weren't versatile enough. I turned my 1979 Ash Strat into a Frankenstrat - blocked the tremolo cavity, added a series pickup switch, stripped the poly finish, put in 500K pots, made a Maple veneer pickguard...unrecognizable in looks and tone :)
Ha ha, did the same
I have a Squire atm, so technically I feel like I need both, but I will need a strat every time! But of course, money will be the death of me haha! Really cool and in depth video as always!
Squier are alright, very difficult to tell difference between squier and fender without looking at the logo... Both are factory instruments.
^true. Squiers are pretty great nowadays
Squiers are great man. I've modded my squire to my liking and it plays really well. If I bought a fender and did the same mods it might have been better I think when it comes to strats and teles (most of the fender line in general), you can take any guitar and make it play and sound good.
Tele is must have for most everything. Strat for signature neck pickup tone. I have Mex both. Tele just continues to please.
I want a Mex Tele
Do You Need A Strat Or Tele?
No
I got a Mexican Tele too. I love it.
@@ivoncraig does it do cleans really well too? :) i am considering one myself
@@ivoncraig thanks for the feedback, i appreciate it!
Fender officially refers to the positions on the pickup switching as "1" for the bridge pickup, then counting upward as you head toward the neck.
Thus, the bridge and middle position is "2", and the neck and middle position is "4".
Both!!! Hey i,m an old timer junior! We used to say guitarist need a strat, a tele and humbucker guitar if some sort. Then you git everything covered.
I feel the same way about the Strat bridge pickup. I solve the issue by putting a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup in its place. Humbucker sound in single coil size. An HSS configured Strat would work too.
I always thought teles look really ugly. Strat on the other hand is a much more elegant design. And as we know, how it looks is clearly the most important thing in a guitar
@Kitten Katt You calling the Jazzmaster ugly??
ok.. but why not neck strat pickup on tele? best of two worlds
I think I Fender may have offered that variation at one point. And then there is (or was?) the Nashville Tele which had a Strat middle pick up added.
@@93greenstrat yes..i know
.but middle pickup is not bridge pickup...the sound is very diferent
I've always avoided the Tele because i don't particularly care for country and i didn't want that stigma. Now 25 years later i want the quintessential hardtail single coil. I played my "Poor Man's PRS" for 10 yrs before i discovered that i could split the coils...Wow! So much closer to the sound I was trying to get but still missing the "funk" tone.
If you like comfortable try a Jazzmaster 😉
eN Wolf I agree with you. Along with Jaguars, Mustangs, and Jagstangs
Jazzmasters are heavy as shit
I bought a Strat... and then I kept buying more and more strats and other guitars.
Now I still wonder why I’m single...
Cool. How many Strats do you currently have? They are my favorite guitar
T West: also... ...nobody ever went to jail for breaking their guitar's neck.
Guitars don't get jealous. And they don't complain if you're not playing with them on a regular basis.
Yeah, I'm single too. 😂
MGTOW
Must not have been getting enough humbuckers if you're still single 🤷🏼♂️
I choose Tele but better if it has arm rest or contour. But for mellower stuffs I love Strat.
Only one thing that I could not leave behind is a humbucker bridge pickup. Or at least single coil sized humbucker pickups.
Got them both, love them both. More tonality on the strat, great grit on the tele...
I have 2 of each. An original 1973 US Bullet, natural wood and a Corona 1980's Strat. with tilt neck adjustment. Tele no 1 is a twangy early type and the other one has Super DeLuxe pickups that makes it quite "Straty". I love all of them. They are different tools in the toolbox.
You make good videos and some nice playing.
Cheers, JohnnyH-DK
The Tele is the most versatile guitar out there. Get a Tele first, then get a Strat. After that move on to Les Pauls and others
I converted from strats to teles mainly because there´s no middle pickup to hinder my picking.This after playing acoustic guitar for many years.The rhythm pickups in teles work mostly fine for me.
No need to choose: a G&L ASAT Classic S.
haha i've got a G&L ASAT bluesboy, sounds perfect.
G&L Comanche is my number 1. It's my all time favorite guitar.
Once you go G&L you never go back.
My opinion is to have both, i mainly use a strat but i also use a tele. They both have qualities that are so different that in my opinion i just need both
I totally agree with everything.....I am a strat guy but want a Tele ....
Both. And a Les Paul and a 335. I have a Tele Elite and a partscaster strat with vintage Bill Lawrence single coils.
As it happens I am the complete opposite in my preference - while I have a preference for the sound and style of a Strat I always found the Tele a lot more comfortable to play, and with a balance that perfectly suited me. I never had the issues regarding non-contoured edges because I always played it standing, never sitting. And no matter how it sounds, it you aren't comfortable playing then you'll never get the best from either it or yourself.
None: I find Teles more comfortable too. I like Strats but the volume control is too close to the strings.
I especially like my Squier Contemporary HH Tele because it has a "belly contour" on the back and a satin finish neck. (Also because I installed Dimarzio pups; Super Distortion in bridge, PAF "36th" in neck. John 5 configuration; two volumes, no tones.)
@@lespauldisciple3349 : _"I like Strats but the volume control is too close to the strings"_
I hear you there; that can be so irksome!
@@lespauldisciple3349 : _"I like Strats but the volume control is too close to the strings"_
I hear you there; that can be so irksome!
Try a "twisted tele" neck pickup - it's more like a strat. Many players like a broadcaster/nocaster type bridge pickup, with a twisted tele in the neck. I sold both my American Standard telecasters long ago, and both my Silverface Princeton Reverbs, so now I feel very needy..
On one of my strats, I want to do that 7-way thing, where one tone knob is for all three, the other tone knob becomes a volume knob for the middle pickup. By doing that you can get the neck and bridge together (like a tele), or all THREE pickups in series, for a FAT sound. Position one is for the neck and middle, but you can roll the volume off on the middle to get the neck alone. Position two is the middle and bridge together, but you can roll off the volume on the middle to just get the bridge. Position three is the neck and bridge together, position four all three pickups....which leaves position 5 (something out of phase perhaps). I was watching a video of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who described one of his strats being setup that way, if I remember correctly (maybe slightly different - I've been medicating). Anyways, that's a cool mod for getting two (three?) cool options. If you just want the middle, use position one or two, and turn the volume down on the neck or bridge. Very cool mod methinks, but everything seems cool right now................!.
I'm more of a Tele man myself, but one thing I've always been curious about is which one sells better and is therefore more "popular". You'd have to look at sales figures across all Fender and Squier series makes/models to figure it out and I'm not even sure if they release that information, but it would be really fun to know.
I'd guess strat just based on what I see people playing.
Years ago I was working in the big city and had disposable income. I stopped at Guitar Center on my way to our weekly Jam Session and bought an American Standard Strat. I also ordered a Tele in the same color (Lake Placid Blue) but had to wait a week for it to come in to that specific store.
I played the Strat for a week. The following Saturday, the Tele was in and the difference was astounding to me. Somehow, the Tele "*FIT*" me best. It was like putting on a comfortable, warm glove. I kept the Strat for alternate tunings and when I needed a whammy bar, but the Tele became my Main instrument.
The other guitarist in the Jam Session tried both and preferred the Strat.
My conclusion:
It's very personal.
Just bought a 2001 American standard Strat.
Built 1 superstrat, so far at 4 Telecaster based gats. Single coils, filtertrons, humbuckers, bigsby.. both hollow and solid. so versatile
I love your passion for guitars ! I always loved the Telecaster but my guitar teacher was Les Paul guy and of course persuaded me to get a Les Paul, I found it to be an awkward guitar to sit and practice with bc of the weight, no body contours and the overall balance of the guitar had the neck always lifting up, it was a chore to sit and practice with it and that's probably why i never got good, lol But you are correct in saying Telecasters never go out of tune bc they don't , great video, Peace !
I like both but I prefer Strat, not only because of it's versatility but also for the floating bridge which allows you to play a bit more expressive (like Jeff Beck, Steve Lukather, Mike Oldfield, etc)
Thanks, I just picked up the telecaster. This was helpful
I love the bridge pickup on the tele, the clean sound you can get from it is gold
You need both, but tele got tone for days
1) Twang Banger Pickup.
2) Use a Tele bridge pickup on a Strat with a grounded base plate under it.
3) Cut the back off of the tele bridge plate and mount the pickup plate in front of the Strat trem.
4) Use a Wudtone new country tele trem assembly on a Strat and cut out the pick guard to go around it.
* Wire the Strat with the ability to blend the neck pickup to 1 & 2 positions.
My ideal rig is a Tele, Es 335, a Guitar with P90’s and a Gretsch
Jackson Williams my man
Having both (a few times), yes, the sounds are different. The Tele is SO distinct from the Strat! The Tele has 3 distinct tones: Bridge: DISTINCTLY bright, a cross between hum & single (i.e., roll your highs off for SC sounds). Middle: nice clean, but NOT Strat. Neck, full, clear--not position 2 or 4. Neck: Really smooth, almost buttery. It works for certain songs, not for all. The strat/tele is more like a comparison between sliced bread and hamburger or hotdog buns; they're both bread, just different kinds.
i sit here as both my strat and tele stare at me from across the room
Are they still stare'n?
Great explanation. Play a Strat for the exact same reasons/versatility. Bridge pickup for me on a Strat, though, can get you some SG / P-90 / AC/DC sounds when you role off the tone to about 5. It’s also great for solos wide open with some delay - think Journey. “Position 2”, I use a lot for that clean Motown sound with some reverb. It’s good for clean fingerpicking, too. “3”, just me, is useless by itself - just for aiding positions 2 and 4. I don’t use “4” much either unless I’m playing some SRV, which is rarely. Position 5 will get you some Chili Peppers/Clapton/numerous other classic sounds. I like it for clean solos. “2” and “5” are the Strat sounds, but bridge pickup is underrated. For me, the perfect combo is to have a Strat and second guitar with some humbuckers.
If you can only have ONE electric guitar, make it a Strat. (Possibly with some kind of noiseless pickups in it.) That way, you have one instrument that can do everything in some passable incarnation, from clean twang to high-gain power. Maybe not with perfectly authenticity, but good enough to get you through to any regular person’s satisfaction.
Both .. HSS Strat for general use and Tele for gigging
Got me a white blonde deluxe Nashville tele 👍🏻
Best of both worlds.
Love it so much.
This is my stand on it too! It delivers on both fronts. My one gripe is the lack of comfort cuts. If it had the strat comfort cuts it would be near perfect.
Those Nashvilles are beautiful to my ears.
Got one last week. Had the 3rd position switched to neck & bridge pickups, and 4th position switched to middle pickup, i never use the neck & middle pickups together
@@rocknrollcowboy1620 that's fair. Each person has their own flavor! I actually have come around to liking all the positions on that thing. It is my go to axe for most things these days.
Wallace Moss I’m getting the 3rd pos. Modded for neck and bridge as well 😁
Got a Suhr Strat HSS SSV in the bridge and 2 Michael landau Standards in the middle and neck it is the Fattest Strat I've ever played with just the right amount of Quack
It's tough cause I don't have another single coil to compare it to but the even the SSS suhr classic has a nice bridge pickup, it doesn't sound nearly as shrill as Rob's demo (but it's hard to tell what is his tone vs what is the strat). I bought it with the intention to rewire it to HSS but I found I liked it, it sounds killer for way overdriven classic rock tones.
Biggest thing tele has going for it is the hardtail.
You need both. The question then is... Fender, G&L, ESP, parts build... I know, right!!! GAS is a terrible thing. And then there;s ampage... Don't get me started...Then pedals... FML...
you can buy a on/off switch for 3$ and with a modification that requires 4 soldering Connections, you can add a switch that allows you to turn on the neck (or Bridge if you prefer) pick up - this allows you to use 1st and 3rd pickup - which sort of gives oyu the tele pickup Combo. Google seven Sound strat and you'll find wirings and Sound Tests.
I have both. A Road Worn 60's strat, and a Reverend Eastsider T (it's a T-style guitar).
Road worn stuff is some of the best pieces Fender has made in the last 30 years...specially the first generation..
@@zeroceiling I do like the road worn. I thought I would hate the neck, but it was super comfortable, which is the main reason I bought it.
diesel828 ...I tried a few..including a good old American Standard...but the Road Worn...as you say..had a feel of trusty old jeans...specifically where the neck was concerned.... I have to find better...
Funny, when they came out, there were a lot of haters...suggesting that the scars a guitar bears...should have been inflicted by years of night-work in smoky bars...yet they had no problem with someone buying a vintage 64 Strat with someone else’s scars. Well, the prices of Road Worn fell off....at one point one could buy one one ebay for $399....not anymore though....these are serious instruments and enough people now know that....
If you get a Squier or Fender '51, you can have them both.
Hey Rob...Finally I’m here after a months and months..I did checked Fender Players Series HH Telecaster.. OMG I loved it ❤️❤️❤️.. Those humbucker were smooth and creamy.. You have to checkout those Teles..
I've had my 1971Telecaster for almost 50 years. I STILL love it a tiny bit more than a Stratocaster. But although decades have passed, I still don't know what the heck to do with the lovely chrome plate that covers the back pickup. Now THAT'S the REAL decision. Help!
I need a new Lester Paulos, but I don't have like 5k aud.
I mean, I agree with you. But position 2 on a Strat is VERY close to the middle position of the Tele. The Tele just has more bass to it. Both tones are firmly in the swamp.
Edit: on further reflection you just need to have both a Strat and a Tele
I will take a tele every day!!,..I just prefer them.,
As a Gibsontard I went with the Telecaster with humbuckers (I have a Gretsch for the uber-twang sound so I wanted something more in the middle of Gibson and Gretsch. Hence the humbuckers. It still sounds very much Fender-y but more warm basically.)
The shape felt pretty natural immediately and looks good to me.
I also preferred it being less featured.
i have a mexi tele with humbuckers. Grew up in a musical family so have played everything under the sun. i think the tele with humbuckers is the best of every world in one guitar. spilt coil certainly sounds closer to a true tele than a strat. plus she sounds great with plenty of over drive
Swapped an American Strat for an American Tele. Absolutely love the Tele. (Got a Les Paul Jr. and a 335 in the meantime.) Will be getting another Strat. Just because... 😎
Want to look at other brands/models too, though. Lots of good instruments out there.
Recently decided to downsize my collection to just a few: a telecaster, a stratocaster and a Les Paul. I'll let you know how it turns out!😬
G&L Tribute Series Legacy are well worth a look.
G&L anything is the way to go
Hi Bob...your video is helpful, especially for the noob with limited exposure to these kinds of considerations. For me I own both a couple of Strats and a couple of Teles. I prefer a Strat, however because of the tonal options, the ability to make myself a “new guitar” with the ability to swap ore-loaded, pre-wired pickguards in a matter of five minutes for pennies on the dollar for what a new Strat costs and lastly , I play a fair number of pick-up gigs where I get a phone call that has me filling in at the last minute for one of or the guitarist(s) in a local band. My Strat is my go to because I often don’t know exactly what I’m walking into in these situations and the Strat (along with a couple of my prefab pickguards in my gig bag and I can cover most any contingency.
One correction. The element that contributes to the Tele bridge pickup sound is not the bridge mounting plate but rather there is a metal plate that is part of the pickup itself and is mounted underneath the lower bobbin. The pickup is electrically connected to this plate I seem to recall and the plate serves to modify the magnetic field shape and density. As an experiment I took a Duncan “vintage voiced” Tele pickup I had in my parts box. With a little mod to my Strat, I installed the Duncan Tele p/u and played. While not 100% the Tele tone, in the context of a band mix, I suspect that the slight diff would disappear. I then removed the Duncan p/u and did some surgery to remove that metal plate. Once reinstalled in my Strat, it sounded like the spikiest, ice puck in your ear Strat bridge p/u in all of creation.
As you prefer aTele with pretty much exclusive use of the bridge pickup, have you ever considered getting an Esquire? Just a thought to give you a bad case of GAS 💭 ...no, not that kind. 😆
Everyone needs both but remember, a real telecaster has a 3 saddle bridge and no belly cut.
Great video. Really makes a person think. I have a couple of Strats and a couple of Teles. I'm playing more on a Tele right now, and I call it a Tele, but it is a custom body, Jackson neck and pickups (humbucker bridge, single coil neck), Fender USA pots and switch. It has an ash tray cut for humbucker, then it has a metal roller nut and roller bridge saddles, which seems to add a little brightness back into what the humbucker takes away. With the roller nut, I think I could shoot arrows with it and it still stay in tune. Anyway, it is a great sounding guitar. The neck pickup in that one simply sounds more like a Jackson. My other Tele is a normal Tele. But, I'm with you on your thinking. I just don't have that many uses for a SC Strat. They are great for some southern rock, and songs like Journey's Lights, Stevie Ray songs. I think the best sound out of a single coil Strat would probably be like Rainbow's Stone Cold. To me, they sound best with an old Marshall or an old Super Reverb. I am going to put humbuckers in one of my Strats and see how that sounds. If I had to choose between a normal 2SC Tele and a 3SC Strat I think I would pick the Tele. From Paisley to Zeppelin, how can you go wrong? But, just like you, if the house is burning down, I'm heading out the door with my Les Paul...LOL.
I also hate the sc on strat’s bridge but I love tele bridge.
Love the Strat. I started on a Gibson V and then switched to a Strat... The rest is history. Like you I love my PRS, EVH Wolfgang, Ibanez Jem Jr etc however my vintage Strat is still my go to. Just had it refreted last summer and it's still playing like a million bucks. I have had a tele before and will probably buy another one. Gonna buy a G&L tribute legacy first though.
Listen to Led Zeppelin 1, then ask yourself: Do I need a Les Paul or a Tele?
Why, because there's no Les Paul on the album, but you wouldn't think so!
Also listen to 'Houses of the Holy'... The lead guitar track on practically every song is a Tele.
Two of the HOTH outtakes that ended up on 'Physical Graffiti'; 'The Rover' & 'Houses of the Holy' are Tele songs as well.
But nevertheless, you need a Strat to play 'In The Evening' & 'For Your Life'.
Bottom line: YOU NEED BOTH.
LesPaulDisciple you just blew my freaking mind
Fine: Thanks, I'm flattered. My best friend thinks the World revolves around a Les Paul through a Marshall stack and I take great delight in tweaking him by pointing out how often Jimmy Page used Teles in the studio.
LesPaulDisciple yeah, I always just assumed that teles were never used after LZ1. I was especially surprised he used one on The Rover.
Fine: 'The Rover' is one of my favorite Zep tunes. If you listen to timbre of the notes and how quickly they decay, that's classic Tele bridge pup stuff. And Jimmy is using an MXR Phase 90 with the sweep set slow.
He also used the Tele quite a bit on 'In Through The Outdoor'; you can hear Parsons-White B String Bender-equipped Tele during the solo to 'All My Love'. On 'Fool In The Rain', another fave of mine, he played the solo using a Tele with the Phase 90 and an MXR Blue Box which is a fuzz box that adds a note two octaves below the one played.
Also 'Ten Years Gone' & 'Down By The Seaside'; both Tele tunes as well.
Jimmy preferred the Les Paul live because it's louder and has more punch but in the studio where he had better control of the dynamics, he used his Teles quite a bit.
My first electric was a strat, sold that for a schecter but I think id be happier with a tele. Love the look, tone and feel of fenders.