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16195 Views 50 Replies Latest reply: Oct 12, 2009 8:14 PM by fester2000 RSS
fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
fester2000
1,050 posts since
Oct 30, 2006
Currently Being Moderated

Sep 6, 2009 3:54 PM

Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

Want to do this on the cheap.  Willing to buy new/used/whatever.  Willing to build my own from a kit.  Having browsed teles for the better part of the last 2 years, I've got a few "must haves" on the guitar, which include:

 

(1) maple neck and fretboard.  Non-negotiable.

(2) two pickups, single coil.  Also non-negotiable.

(3) color needs to be consistent with the vintage look.  Surf green, vintage cream, butterscotch.  I saw a copper one that looked pretty cool.

 

I'm not normally such a "show" guy w/ guitars, but I have a weird thing with tele's.  Dunno why.

 

Options I've looked at, from lowest to highest price include:

 

(1) build your own kit, e.g. http://store.guitarfetish.com/testgukifete.html

 

Advantages: Cheap.  Can paint whatever color I like.  Will learn a bit about guitar hardware.

 

Disadvantages: I'd have to buy a different neck (see req. #1, above).   Pups probably suck.  Even a master builder might end up with a lemon.  I'm likely to botch the whole thing b/c of lack of experience, skill and talent.

 

(2) buy a bottom of the barrel knockoff, e.g. http://store.guitarfetish.com/xvsicusobo.html or http://www.rondomusic.com/stl50.html

 

Advantages: Cheap.  Get to bit*h if someone else screws up the build.  Can upgrade components as needed (presumably easier than building one from scratch, but maybe not).

Disadvantages: Like will get what I pay for.  All components likely suck.

 

(3) buy cheap, new Squier tele, maybe even the "Vintage Vibe" tele that seems to be getting great reviews.

 

Advantages: Brand name/returnable w/ 30 day return policy.  Vintage vibe line gets really good reviews, probably not a bad starter tele.

 

Disadvantages: More expensive than other approaches.  Still may not sound good and/or feel good.

 

(4) buy good, used tele - maybe a MIM or even MIJ Fender?

 

Advantages: can spend less on a project guitar that I can mod as I like.  Can spend more and get a player.  Can modify with neck/pups as I like.

 

Disadvantages: no guarantees, likely more expensive, the more I have to do re project work the more opporunities I have to screw it up.

 

I'm actually willing to consider selling my very, very nice American Deluxe 50th Anniversary strat (worth roughly $1,000) to buy a less expensive nice strat and use the extra to finance a nice tele.

 

Please let me know your thoughts, experiences, speculation, whatever.

 

Cheers,

 

Fester2k

  • Bluestone Iknowathingortwo
    Bluestone
    1,198 posts since
    Feb 11, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 25, 2009 9:27 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Hey bro

     

    Check out Carvin's Tele kit...you put it all together....paint etc....

     

     

    http://www.carvinguitars.com/kits.php

     

    My personal favorite go to guitar is my Carvin Bolt...that I made from one of these kits....I now have  EMG DG20's pups on it...I rounded the body, I have painted it with cool stuff.....all my own custom work...It's a great guitar.

     

     

     

    OM

  • Slingy Just Startin'
    Slingy
    418 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 26, 2009 12:12 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Selling one great guitar to get two mediocre ones is not a great idea imo. I've had a couple Tele's and played them for years, they were good guitars, but ultimately decided they were not for me anymore. I was always playing rock on it and never got into chicken picking and tele licks. I would seriously look at getting a used one of the best quality you can afford. Stick with Fender if possible.

  • Slingy Just Startin'
    Slingy
    418 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 26, 2009 12:22 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    If you want to look at not USA made MIJ are very nice, MIM can be hit or miss, Squiers I just can't speak for, but G&L ASAT are also very very good value if you can find one used in your price range.

  • LoonyBin-Fizzbin Gear Head
    LoonyBin-Fizzbin
    2,070 posts since
    Mar 26, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 26, 2009 6:44 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    There you go! 

     

    A 100.00 dollar rebate!!

    http://www.fender.com/amstdrebate/

     

    I think it would still be over a grand though!

  • DoctorWu Just Startin'
    DoctorWu
    394 posts since
    Jan 27, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 26, 2009 8:51 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    The Tele is a very nice "no frills" guitar, IMHO.  And I've seen Jeff Beck do some amazing things with them.  I sure wish that I knew someone who actually owns one of those GuitarFetish knock-offs.  They look so delicious in those photos, and I'm very curious about how they play/sound.  I could come up with the money for one of those just by banning myself from snack machines for a period of time.  The guitar would be much healthier for me than all that junk food, and way more fun. 

  • mikey1 Just Startin'
    mikey1
    524 posts since
    Jan 24, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 26, 2009 9:45 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Get a cheap Tele. But make it a Fender Tele. Nothing else will do. Anything else has to have an asterisk. Parenthesis.

     

    You might have to kiss a few frogs but the cheap Tele is a good way to go if your willing to dig. And if it turns out to be your cup of tea, it's highly upgradeable. And, if you know what you're doing and or can follow the directions on the Fender website, you can fix almost anything. But not everything.

     

    Here are some things to look for:

     

    The saddles sit level with the baseplate. The farther out of whack the saddles look, the worse the guitar. The first thing I look at on any guitar is the saddles. On Fenders, you want factory specs.

     

    Sight the neck. Hold the guitar on a horizontal plane in front of you and look at the neck. You want a nice straight neck. I usually sight the guitar from front and back. Some of the cheaper Teles have wasted necks. Look for a twist in the neck. You cant fix that. It will never intonate.

     

    Play the guitar at all the way up the neck and listen for fretting. Listen for a plinking sound when you fret a note.

     

    Stay away from the Indonesian Teles. Even if it looks and feels terrific. Walk away. Walk away now.

     

    If it's a Fender with a straight neck, decent tuners, and working pups that sound good, you're set. Unless of course, it's the aforementioned Indonesian Telecaster. And what do we do then.....?

    • DoctorWu Just Startin'
      DoctorWu
      394 posts since
      Jan 27, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Aug 27, 2009 7:28 AM (in response to mikey1)
      Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

      mikey1 wrote:

       

      Stay away from the Indonesian Teles. Even if it looks and feels terrific. Walk away. Walk away now.

       

      If it's a Fender with a straight neck, decent tuners, and working pups that sound good, you're set. Unless of course, it's the aforementioned Indonesian Telecaster. And what do we do then.....?

      You wouldn't happen to know if those Guitar Fetish teles are Indonesian, would you?  I've been trying to find someone who may have bought an electric guitar from that web site but haven't found anybody yet.

       

      None of the photos on the web site appear be "Photoshopped" and I'm actually pretty good at detecting that kind of stuff.  A sharpening filter and adjustments to color saturation have apparently been applied, but that seems to be it.  And those Guitar Fetish guitars look absolutely beautiful in the web site photos.  But if the guitars are junk due to some structural integrity issue etc., then that's certainly a waste of talent and also of good wood.  It's really not that easy making one look all beautiful and symmetrical.  It's more than half the battle.  Because part of what makes a guitar look beautiful (perfect frets, symmetry, etc.) is also what makes it a good guitar.

       

      Therefore I have to wonder that if a guitar factory accomplishes this much, then why wouldn't they also be capable of making the guitars physically and structurally sound as well?   Of course, I admit to being a bit naive about stuff like this, and I know that the world's full of things that are just eye candy.  But if I owned a guitar factory with all the tools, materials, and talented workers to build very beautiful guitars, I would feel like an absolute idiot to not also make them playable and structurally sound.  But that's just me.

  • dentiff Just Startin'
    dentiff
    5 posts since
    Aug 26, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 27, 2009 6:58 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Anyone ever seen a ESP LTD KH602 with an unpainted neck and back? The whole back unpainted?

  • HeavyChevy Just Startin'
    HeavyChevy
    68 posts since
    Feb 2, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 27, 2009 11:53 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    1. Keep your Strat

    2. Get a Fender Tele (not a knockoff)

    3. Get a MIM from a shop so you can check it over carefully (see Mikey's post).  I love the MIM Fender Tele (Midnight Wine - Maple neck / fretboard) that I purchased.  I've made no alterations because none are needed.  It was on the wall, previously set up by the shop (not purchased at Guitar Center).

     

    Tele's are underappreciated these days.  They are much more than just twang machines.  For instance, Pagey used one for the lead to "Stairway".

     

    However, I suppose, they are not for metal - not that there is anything wrong with that !!!

  • Slingy Just Startin'
    Slingy
    418 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 28, 2009 6:09 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Just a heads up but there are litterally hundreds of used Tele's to scour through in the used section at http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/index.cfm Type in keyword Tele and see what I mean. You can even sort it out by price very handy.

  • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
    fester2000
    1,050 posts since
    Oct 30, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 31, 2009 11:58 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Thanks to everyone who's contributed to the discussion.  I think I might've found a decent used MIJ tele locally on Craigslist.  Here it is:

     

    http://austin.craigslist.org/msg/1349078680.html

     

    What do you think, assuming it checks out?

     

    Cheers,

     

    Fester2k

    • pbear5 Just Startin'
      pbear5
      472 posts since
      Jan 25, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Aug 31, 2009 6:18 PM (in response to fester2000)
      Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

      $450 seems steep for a Squier but it looks really nice--just the right amount of wear from the looks of it.  i always found Squier necks a little too narrow with really tight string spacings but you'll know if it's for you when you check it out. 

      • Jimmy_James Just Startin'
        Jimmy_James
        69 posts since
        Jul 12, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Aug 31, 2009 6:39 PM (in response to pbear5)
        Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

        Squier designs them like that on purpose. There market is to beginning players. So they make the necks small because they're counting on younger people to play them with smaller hands

        • pbear5 Just Startin'
          pbear5
          472 posts since
          Jan 25, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Aug 31, 2009 7:09 PM (in response to Jimmy_James)
          Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

          i thought that was the case but, in case my memory wasn't accurate, i thought it safe to just say that i found them to be too narrow.  i can adapt to a lot of differences in guitar geometry but put those strings too close together and forget about it.  my favorite strat copy is a Peavey Predator from the 80's--very wide string spacings, large radius fingerboard and they were one of the first guitars, to my knowledge, that had a matte finish on the back of the neck.  i still own the one i bought new in '83 and i found another one recently at a pawn shop for $70.

    • Slingy Just Startin'
      Slingy
      418 posts since
      Jan 25, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Aug 31, 2009 11:04 PM (in response to fester2000)
      Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

      Wow! That looks dead on like my first guitar, the year, the color everything. Nevermind the Squier branding, those 80's Japan Tele's are great. I liked it much better than the American Standard Tele I recently got rid of. Not sure about the value though. If you look at it, see if it has a nickel sized ding to the wood on the top edge.

      • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
        fester2000
        1,050 posts since
        Oct 30, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Sep 1, 2009 6:42 AM (in response to Slingy)
        Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

        Slingy wrote:

         

        Wow! That looks dead on like my first guitar, the year, the color everything. Nevermind the Squier branding, those 80's Japan Tele's are great. I liked it much better than the American Standard Tele I recently got rid of. Not sure about the value though. If you look at it, see if it has a nickel sized ding to the wood on the top edge.

        Yeah, I'm not too worried about the Squire thing, but I'm choking a bit on the price.  I can get a used Variax 500 for about the same cash.  I'll take a look at it, see how it plays.

         

        Re the ding to the wood, are you seeing that in one of the pics?

         

        Cheers,

         

        Fester2k

        • LoonyBin-Fizzbin Gear Head
          LoonyBin-Fizzbin
          2,070 posts since
          Mar 26, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Sep 1, 2009 7:53 AM (in response to fester2000)
          Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

          Gassing?

           

           

          AX40?

           

          Kin-da looks like a tele.... um!

           

           

          http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/8/3/586783.jpg

          http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/1/4/544114.jpg

          • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
            fester2000
            1,050 posts since
            Oct 30, 2006
            Currently Being Moderated
            Sep 2, 2009 5:52 AM (in response to LoonyBin-Fizzbin)
            Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

            LoonyBin-Fizzbin wrote:

             

            Gassing?

             

             

            AX40?

            Badly.  Very badly.  Played the MIJ Squire Tele.  It was a bit of a mess -- scratchy tone pot, volume pot falling off, setup was a disaster.  Pickups sounded great, however.  Told the guy I thought it was a $250 project guitar at best and wished him luck selling it. 

             

            Went to GC, played several guitars, including the AX40.  Beautiful guitar, really amazing looking.  But the playing experience was less than magical. It needed a little work on the setup, but I wasn't in love with the pickups (read a review that really liked 'em).  Played some used strats, teles, new strats & teles, and nothing really did it for me.

             

            Went to the other GC in town and played a Honey Blond American Deluxe Series "Nashville" Telecaster.  Looks like this:

             

            http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/0/2/523702.jpg

             

            Yes, it violates my "two pickup" rule.  But of the numerous guitars I've played over the last two weeks, this one was the best sounding/playing instrument by a mile.  I hate the look of the extra pickup, but this guitar has a five way selector switch and the variety of tones from the Tex-Mex pups (the middle one is a strat pup) was amazing!  And the price was just under $600 -- normally these go for $730.  It's more than I wanted to spend, but this really seems like such a versatile guitar, I'm having a hard time convincing myself it isn't worth the extra dough.

             

            Cheers,

             

            Fester2k

  • Jimmy_James Just Startin'
    Jimmy_James
    69 posts since
    Jul 12, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 31, 2009 4:18 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Some one here already said it. G&L ASAT! Its better then a Fender. And it has the best single coils you will ever hear. There is the Tribute ASAT's as well. There over seas and you still get the USA pick ups. I have used ASAT's since the 90's. You cant beat the build quality. And the MFD will blow anything away. Each pole peice is adjustable. The output is as much as my active EMG's. Do yourself a favor. Just buy a G&L

  • ndonato Just Startin'
    ndonato
    19 posts since
    Sep 9, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 2, 2009 8:53 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Why not look into Fender's Road Worn series?

    • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
      fester2000
      1,050 posts since
      Oct 30, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Sep 2, 2009 9:44 AM (in response to ndonato)
      Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

      ndonato wrote:

       

      Why not look into Fender's Road Worn series?

      They look great, but they're nearly $1,000.  Way, way way out of my price range.

       

      Cheers,

       

      Fester2k

      • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
        fester2000
        1,050 posts since
        Oct 30, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Sep 2, 2009 8:19 PM (in response to fester2000)
        Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

        Another good looking option -- has a 3 day return policy.  Upgraded w/ locking tuners & Fender Vintage Noiseless tele pups in the neck and bridge (it's got the stock Tex-Mex in the middle position).

         

        http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170377655258&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1550wt_1166

         

        Cheers,

         

        Fester2k

        • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
          fester2000
          1,050 posts since
          Oct 30, 2006
          Currently Being Moderated
          Sep 4, 2009 8:13 AM (in response to fester2000)
          Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

          Pulled the trigger on the blonde Fender Nashville Deluxe Tele w/ maple fingerboard this a.m. with the GC Labor Day sale.  It was $555 + $20 for the gigbag.  They're restringing it right now and I'll pick it up after work.  I'm soooooo excited about this thing!

           

          http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/0/2/523702.jpg

           

          Once I've gotten comfortable with it, I'm guessing I may be able to sell the Strat.  We'll see.

           

          Love the hardtail bridge, love the neck, love everything about it (other than the look of the extra pup, which I'm sure I'll get over, lol).

           

          Thanks again to everyone for their input!

           

          Cheers,

           

          Fester2k

          • Karl_Houseknecht Expert Line 6 User
            Karl_Houseknecht
            3,374 posts since
            Jan 25, 2007
            Currently Being Moderated
            Sep 4, 2009 8:20 AM (in response to fester2000)
            Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

            fester2000 wrote:

            love everything about it (other than the look of the extra pup, which I'm sure I'll get over, lol)

             

            Hey, if you really wanted to you, you could put a different pickup cover on it to make it match better.

             

            Congrats!  New Guitar Day is always a good day!

          • phil_m Expert Line 6 User
            phil_m
            3,076 posts since
            Jan 25, 2007
            Currently Being Moderated
            Sep 4, 2009 8:36 AM (in response to fester2000)
            Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

            That looks like my tele, well sorta.  I have the Nashville Power Tele, and it's the same finish as that, and has the third pickup.  It also has a Fishman bridge.  Mine has a rosewood fretboard though.

             

            Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  I've always found those Deluxe Fenders to be very nice instruments.

            • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
              fester2000
              1,050 posts since
              Oct 30, 2006
              Currently Being Moderated
              Sep 4, 2009 8:47 AM (in response to phil_m)
              Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

              phil_m wrote:

               

              That looks like my tele, well sorta.  I have the Nashville Power Tele, and it's the same finish as that, and has the third pickup.  It also has a Fishman bridge.  Mine has a rosewood fretboard though.

               

              Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  I've always found those Deluxe Fenders to be very nice instruments.

              Thanks, Phil -- how do you like that Fishman Bridge?  I've played a number of electric guitars w/ piezo pups and I can't say I've been impressed with any of the acoustic simulators.   The best I've played was an Epiphone LP, of all things.  Way, way better than the Ovation VXT, which had a sticker of somewhere near $1,500 or $2,000, as I recall.

               

              Cheers,

               

              Fester2k

          • Slingy Just Startin'
            Slingy
            418 posts since
            Jan 25, 2007
            Currently Being Moderated
            Sep 4, 2009 5:29 PM (in response to fester2000)
            Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

            Great score and what a nice price. I'm ready for sound clips.

            • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
              fester2000
              1,050 posts since
              Oct 30, 2006
              Currently Being Moderated
              Sep 6, 2009 3:53 PM (in response to Slingy)
              Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

              Slingy wrote:

               

              Great score and what a nice price. I'm ready for sound clips.

               

              Hokay, here's a clip of some kraptastic playing using all five positions on the pickup selector.  I started with the neck, then played the same lick five times, each time moving back one notch down the row.  I'm playing a piece of Eric Johnson's "SRV" song b/c it seemed to bring out the tele sound (I've never owned one before, so the Tele repertoire is a bit shallow, lol).  So it goes: neck only, neck+mid, mid only, mid+bridge, bridge only.

               

              In addition to the awful playing, I need to also apologize for the clipping -- it gets more pronounced as the clips go on.  It was baked into the recording and I couldn't fix it afterwards.

               

              Here's the rig I used: Tele (volume at about 60% and the tone around 75% - when both are wide open, there's just too much gain and too much harsh treble (even for a tele)) --> X3 Live running AC30 Top Boost (no cab modeling or effects of any kind) --> HT-5 Poweramp input (clean channel) --> Marshall 1936 2x12 cab --> SM58 (on axis, ~2" from center of cone) --> UX-2 --> Reaper.

               

              Added a little verb and delay using the Gearbox plugin, a touch of eq, some compression and limiting from the T-Racks suite, and that's it!

               

              Let me know what you all think!

               

              Cheers,

               

              Fester2k

              Attachments:
              • cgtrox Expert Line 6 User
                cgtrox
                1,442 posts since
                Jan 25, 2007
                Currently Being Moderated
                Sep 6, 2009 7:24 PM (in response to fester2000)
                Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

                Very nice! That's a Tele! Are you gonna upgrade the pickups?

                 

                cgtrox

                • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
                  fester2000
                  1,050 posts since
                  Oct 30, 2006
                  Currently Being Moderated
                  Sep 6, 2009 9:00 PM (in response to cgtrox)
                  Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

                  cgtrox wrote:

                   

                  Very nice! That's a Tele! Are you gonna upgrade the pickups?

                   

                  cgtrox

                  Thanks!  No plans to upgrade the pickups, but....um...I did do something slightly goofy.  When I got the guitar home and started playing it through my gear Friday night, I didn't get the magic I'd enjoyed while playing the guitar @ GC through a Hot Rod Deluxe.  So I went online and ordered both the Xavier XV 820 from the guitarfetish.com website:

                   

                  http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217_2063_7611599

                   

                  and an Agile "TC-630" ( http://www.rondomusic.com/product848.html ):

                  http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/electric/tc630check1.jpg

                   

                  Here's the plan: I've got 30 days with the Nashville Tele.  Both the Agile and the Xavier have return policies as well, so why not see what the difference is?  If I can live with a cheaper guitar, all the better.   If I end up shipping both of them back, the cost of shipping will simply be the insurance policy that let me know I got the right guitar.  But if one of these plays well, I could drop in a killer set of pups and still be way ahead on the dollars.

                   

                  My hope with buying the Fender is that it'd have just about everything I want on it.  Having lived with it for a couple of days and learned what works with the guitar, I'm suspecting I'll likely keep the Fender.  But I hear such amazing things about Rondo, we'll see how it all ends up.  I'll definitely get clips of all three running through the same gear so everyone can hear it.

                   

                  Cheers,

                   

                  Fester2k

                  • cgtrox Expert Line 6 User
                    cgtrox
                    1,442 posts since
                    Jan 25, 2007
                    Currently Being Moderated
                    Sep 7, 2009 11:38 AM (in response to fester2000)
                    Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

                    Good plan, but on the Rondo(Agile) stuff be wary of the finish. Their guitars look really nice and are well made but the finish is so thick or not traditional so it kinda chokes the sound of the guitar compared to regular thinner finishes. I have a couple of friends who got Agile LP's and said that.

                     

                    cgtrox

              • Karl_Houseknecht Expert Line 6 User
                Karl_Houseknecht
                3,374 posts since
                Jan 25, 2007
                Currently Being Moderated
                Sep 6, 2009 7:48 PM (in response to fester2000)
                Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

                Wow, that is one pretty sounding guitar!   Progressively twangier as you get closer to the bridge.  But I like.  And your mic'ing technique is getting better.  Very natural sounding.

                • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
                  fester2000
                  1,050 posts since
                  Oct 30, 2006
                  Currently Being Moderated
                  Sep 6, 2009 9:07 PM (in response to Karl_Houseknecht)
                  Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

                  Karl_Houseknecht wrote:

                   

                  Wow, that is one pretty sounding guitar!   Progressively twangier as you get closer to the bridge.  But I like.  And your mic'ing technique is getting better.  Very natural sounding.

                  Thanks, Karl -- I think the mic'ing is largely a function of (1) getting an SM58 (sounds much more like the amp in the room, IMHO) and (2) spending 5 minutes on mic placement (I got it set up in a place w/ some heavy high gain stuff sounding good).  I wish I'd heard the clipping during the recording, b/c none of the meters showed any clipping and I could have easily backed off a few db's and still had plenty of sound to work with.

                   

                  One thing I've discovered lately, largely as the result of playing so much acoustic, is that I'm becoming a bigger fan of thin picks.  Really thin.  I'm using Dunlop thins with the Tele and it makes a HUGE difference, even relative to the medium picks.  It really helps bring out the clean snap in a guitar.  Thicker picks just have a "thud" in them that doesn't seem to work for me at all, even though I've been playing medium to thick picks as long as I can remember.

                   

                  Cheers,

                   

                  Fester2k

  • Adamhoek Just Startin'
    Adamhoek
    10 posts since
    Jan 26, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 4, 2009 11:28 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    I love the sound of teles. but i dont like the headstock on them. they look disproportionate to the guitar.

    I have a variax and usually run the tele sound through it.

    looking at your options i would buy a second hand one. sure there is no garentee on it. but if its lasted this long...it will prolly keep going

  • Slingy Just Startin'
    Slingy
    418 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 6, 2009 11:29 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: I think I'm gonna get a tele(ish) guitar.  Thoughts?

    Yeah nice range of sounds. I wouldn't mind hearing the bridge with the volume wide open and some gain which is another great Tele sound. Tele bridge loves to get raunchy. If there is no combination of bridge and neck pickup, then you are missing one classic Tele sound, but the added strat positions is a huge bonus imo which are probably more useful.

  • mikey1 Just Startin'
    mikey1
    524 posts since
    Jan 24, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 7, 2009 6:49 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

    That was excellent tone imo. I'd be surprised if the knockoffs sounded as good. I'd be willing to bet they wont intonate as well either.

     

    But, although I dont have a tattoo and dont plan on getting one, if I did, it would probably say Fender. So, I'm a little biased.

    • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
      fester2000
      1,050 posts since
      Oct 30, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Sep 7, 2009 7:28 PM (in response to mikey1)
      Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

      mikey1 wrote:

       

      That was excellent tone imo. I'd be surprised if the knockoffs sounded as good. I'd be willing to bet they wont intonate as well either.

       

      But, although I dont have a tattoo and dont plan on getting one, if I did, it would probably say Fender. So, I'm a little biased.

      Hahaha re the tattoo.  Thanks for the comment on the tone -- much appreciated.  I'll do a comparison with clips once the new guitars arrive.  I'll also take lots of pics.

       

      Cheers,

       

      Fester2k

    • pbear5 Just Startin'
      pbear5
      472 posts since
      Jan 25, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Sep 8, 2009 4:35 PM (in response to mikey1)
      Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

      i've never really known one guitar to "intonate" better than any other unless the bridge is placed so wrong that you don't have the travel needed or the nut is cut wrong.  but, because the copies have the authentic two-strings per saddle design and it looooks like yours has six saddles that could be a true statement.  i looked at the black '02 e-bay model you were looking at and it seems to have three saddles--was yours customized or did Fender do a change at some point?

       

      the clip (the clean one) sounds really nice--i like the first go-round the best nice and round but still bell-like, little tubby maybe but that's not the end of the world.  i had visions of a pignose amp, a beach campfire and some girls in cut-off jeans and bikini tops dancing like they think a deadhead might have back in the day (must have been in a 90210 flashback sequence or something.)

      • 0dannyboy Just Startin'
        0dannyboy
        76 posts since
        Dec 5, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Sep 9, 2009 9:56 AM (in response to pbear5)
        Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

        I had an itch to get a Tele too....I found a SX Tele for 60 bucks at a used store. It had some equaly cheep "hot rails looking" pups in it ...I bought it to "really make sure I wanted a Tele" before spending hard eaned gig money on a Fender usa version. I plugged in through a cheap preamp and recorded this tune for my daughter.

         

        ELLIES WORLD

            http://soundclick.com/share?songid=4561338

         

         

        I sold the guitar to a friend in need shortly there after but replaced it with a American deluxe Tele cherryburst s-1 switching maple with a cool "tummycut"

        I love my new Tele but i think after buying the 60.00 dollar version that no matter what you build you cant go wrong with a Telecaster tonewise.

  • oldrocker24_7 Just Startin'
    oldrocker24_7
    17 posts since
    Feb 9, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 8, 2009 2:12 PM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

    Good sound from the Fender!....but I'll be surprizes if u don't keep the Agile....even if u Do keep the Fender. It's nice to have 2 on hand to play around w/. Agile's have a way of growin' on u......I just saw a nice Samick Valley Arts Custom Pro Tele on FleaBay also...a Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel) model...Samick made a nice peice w/ their Valleys Arts models a few years back....

  • oldrocker24_7 Just Startin'
    oldrocker24_7
    17 posts since
    Feb 9, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Oct 7, 2009 11:56 AM (in response to fester2000)
    Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

    I'm curious to see what you found out w/ gettin' the teles....U got a Fender and an Agile...and....a Squier maybe?....how did they shake out,...as far as tone, playability build quality....etc......lemme know...k?....thanx

    • fester2000 Iknowathingortwo
      fester2000
      1,050 posts since
      Oct 30, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Oct 12, 2009 8:14 PM (in response to oldrocker24_7)
      Re: Got a Tele -- here are a few clips...

      oldrocker24_7 wrote:

       

      I'm curious to see what you found out w/ gettin' the teles....U got a Fender and an Agile...and....a Squier maybe?....how did they shake out,...as far as tone, playability build quality....etc......lemme know...k?....thanx

      Hey mate, sorry for the delay getting back to you.  Here's the update:

       

      Bought a Fender Nashville Tele.  Liked it, probably would have kept it, but then I bought the Agile Checkerboard tele copy from rondomusic.com and the Xavier XV820 from guitarfetish.com.  Both were perfectly serviceable, but suprisingly the Xavier was my preferred of the two, despite being about $100 cheaper.  The pups were much better, and that was the decisionmaker.  The Rondo Agile felt more substantial overall, the neck felt great, but the pups were really bad.  They had a suprising combination of being both bland (lacked dynamics, generally felt cold and slightly sterile) and noisy (really noisy).  Yes, If I really wanted a good tele, I could have put good pups in the Rondo, and been happy, but I got the bug for a really nice tube head setup, so all of it's gone back for refunds, and I took advantage of MF's 20% discount today to get both an Egnater head and an M13.

       

      Cheers,

       

      Fester2k

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