Fender Teles and swimming through the Fender sea

I just bought an American Special Tele for $900 new yesterday. I love tele's and I own a really nice 55 that never leaves the house. I was gigging with a strat and, damn, I love tele's...kind of a one trick pony but it does that trick really well! I got it in Lake Placid blue with the rosewood neck. I played a bunch of USA and MIM tele's in the store for an hour and came back to this particular guitar. The thick frets are kind of new to me but I like them alright. Also, it only came with a gig bag, but I can use my strat hardshell if I take it out. Got to A/B it with the 55 that has a maple neck....the 55 is a bit brighter and the texas special pups on the USA Special are a little higher output. The neck on the new one is a bit thinner too which I like. Overall, LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
 
its interesting how some guitars just call you back..lol
some just get in the top 5 right away, then it gets harder to choose.
mentioning pickups is imo, the other 50%..... first the feel and visual and all that, then the 50% tone.
I have Texas Specials on my new one and years ago thought they werent for me, but this time the neck works well, and in the middle offers a nice humbucker sound thats really nails my other test, the third is a very biting "lead guitar" tone that I never used, Im more rythm....but I would be happy with just a Texas Special and a nice creamy humbucker pair.
Two positions!

man Teles are just awesome designs and solid and no frills. I counted 36 choices this year on the Fender page, that does make it a bit harder but no ones complaining...I remember having no choices which sucked.

congrats!
 
its interesting how some guitars just call you back...

Tell me about it... :facepalm:

While I'm a total Hagstrom Swede nut....I was always partial to Teles.
So I had a '52 RI I bought back in '95...that classic butterscotch blonde....but I could never really warm up to it mostly because of the "C" neck with that small, 7.25" radius. I'm much more comfortable with a "U" shape, slightly thinner (I don't have super long fingers)...and at least a 12", but up to a 15" radius.
My Hags are all like that.

Anyway...I ended up selling that '52 RI Tele this past winter...figured it might as well go to someone who will play it a lot more, and I used the $$$ toward some other gear. I mean, I have a boatload of Hags...so I'm not going to miss the Tele.

Last night and today while watching the World Cup...I've been on eBay looking at...Teles. :facepalm:
I wouldn't be surprised one ends up back in the studio...but this time I would get something different, something I will enjoy more neck-wise, since there are 12" radius necks and more flatter necks found on other Tele models than then classic stuff, like the '52.
 
I used to break high Es (9s) all the time on my (string thru) Tele. At gigs I kept spare strings, ferrules and a stringwinder on top of my amp. I could change the string out in less than 30 seconds while the bass player talked about something or other to the audience.
 
I used to break high Es (9s) all the time on my (string thru) Tele. At gigs I kept spare strings, ferrules and a stringwinder on top of my amp. I could change the string out in less than 30 seconds while the bass player talked about something or other to the audience.

When they were restringing and setting up my new American Standard this weekend in the shop they kept breaking the high E. There was a sharp edge in the bridge plate which they filed...now it's OK.
 
I strung up two guitars with Ernie Ball pinks....both guitars broke the Hi e-string...I assumed a bad batch of strings. Both top loaders, Epi SG and a Squier 51. and I was sober and paying attention.
Might check the bridges out for sharp spots this weekend.
 
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