I've Decided on My Next Guitar

[Anfontan]

Thanks , I like it a ton, just got back from a practice with it.

Korean. I'd liked to have seen a 50's RI, and a H1 Texas, but none were around. The H1 Texas specs out real nice, but I have difficulty imagining a much better P/U set than the Duncan APT's in the Lite Ash. I thought long and hard about a Japanese '52 RI, but the risks and delay just didn't seem worth it. You can almost get a used USA RI for the same money.

I keep having to fight back the urge to strip the body and refinish it in butterscotch blonde nitro. That would be hot, but would inevitably lead me to strip and refinish the neck in vintage amber tint, and then I'd have to hunt down a new decal.

Antonfan-my opposite from the parallel universe has been posting again I see!


It's not externally obvious, and I didn't mention it, but I also reversed the tone and volume knob, so it's V-T-switch. Leo Fender realized that knob was in the wrong place (well, due to all the Nashville guys flipping the plate over on their guitars) so that's why the Stratocaster featured the knob in the correct location from the factory. Volume swells are now possible, all the minute changes in drive are instantly accessible, and the tone knob is not too far out of the way, either. As Outlaws says, you are probably less likely to swat off the cap, and then gash your hand on the nekkid switch, as well.

There are some cool Telecaster forums where the control panel flip was shown but it wasn't stated why. The butterscotch blonde is THE original Tele color I think, to me anyway, but like I stated in an early post, the wood grain on that guitar is too great not to let it show with the clear coat.

 

[RandyW]

I just bought a Tele. My advice: go shopping, don't buy on the 'Net. I was fully prepared to dish out $1k-ish for one of the Americans, but every one I saw in a configuration I wanted was badly flawed, as in, not worth owning at any price.

I ended up with a Lite Ash, which are available in Vintage White and transparent (gotcher Blonde sorta covered), and sounds spectacular with it's Duncans (once set up right). I added a milled jack socket, a Switchcraft jack, a set of compesated saddles, and cut a new nut (mainly because I just bought nut-making tools, and have been throwing a new nut on anything in my house worth less than $1k), and flipped over the control panel. If the 1/16" doesn't bother you, these are great. Mine weighs a feathery 6lbs 12oz, but one other sample (out of 3-4 I've seen recently) weighed the same as a typical solidbody guitar. Also, I got it for about dealer cost, for some reason.

http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450002571/17.JPG


Nice neck joint, major problem on the USA's I looked at.

http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450002571/20.JPG

http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450002571/21.JPG

Ermghoti, just curious how easy it was to get the nut out of the neck of your tele. Were you able to get it out in 1 piece or did you have to split it?
I picked up a MIM lite ash I believe it is made in Korea but assembled it MIM.
I've already installed Bill Lawrence pickups, re did the wiring, installed copper tape in th caviites. releveled/recrowned and polished the frets, graph tech bridge pieces, Schaller locking tuners.
It still needs a nut I don't know if I should just go with a graph tech or put a bone one on.

I bought one ot those nut building packages from SM also. I've done about 2 dozen saddles and 7 nuts so far. I haven't done a strat or tele nut but with that little tab I just wondered if it is possible to jar it loose with out having to
cut it down the middle?

Beautiful guitar you got there. I couldn't say the American teles played any better of looked any better than the imported one either. They do have a little more detail in there fret and neck work though.

 

[ermghoti]

Ermghoti, just curious how easy it was to get the nut out of the neck of your tele. Were you able to get it out in 1 piece or did you have to split it?

I put the edge of a punch against it, and tapped it straight up from the fretboard, popped right out.

It still needs a nut I don't know if I should just go with a graph tech or put a bone one on.

I tried a bone nut, surprisingly, it didn't do it for me. It made the tone thicker, which also means less twangy, which, to me, means "less Tele-sounding." I ended up with Stew-Mac's Slipstone.

I bought one ot those nut building packages from SM also. I've done about 2 dozen saddles and 7 nuts so far.

I feel your pain.

I haven't done a strat or tele nut but with that little tab I just wondered if it is possible to jar it loose with out having to
cut it down the middle?[

I did a Squire Strat, it had the radiused bottom, big pain, the Tele was straight, no problemo. The factory nut was a hollowish molded piece, no protrusion.

Beautiful guitar you got there. I couldn't say the American teles played any better of looked any better than the imported one either. They do have a little more detail in there fret and neck work though.

Thanks again! The Americans I saw that day were embarassing, which I have not noted in the past, or even since. Just a bad day at the factory, or something.

 

[Zaphod B]

I'm heading to the nearby GC today to see what Teles they have hanging on the wall. I'm curious to see the quality differences between the MIA and MIM/MIK models.

I'll post a report later.

 

[Unsprung]

I was at a Jacksonville, FL music store, 2 years ago, and tried a Highway One Telecaster vs. a Standard Telecaster, and although I didn't plug either into an amp (I was truly noodling around, that day), I could tell that the Highway One was the better of the two.

Matt

 

[ridgeback]

Consider a Line 6 Variax. It models the Strat, Tele, Gibsons, and a host of others well. Most who get them never pick up the other guitars they have.

Ed

I only ask because of your rep but YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT???!?
I've never played one but really ARE YOU SERIOUS????

Oh yeah, my vote is for the Nashville TexMex Tele or the Big Block.

 

[Ed Dixon]

I only ask because of your rep but YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT???!?
I've never played one but really ARE YOU SERIOUS????

Yes. You will find may Variax owners who also have an assortment of other conventional guitars. Most of those leave the other models in their case and only carry the Variax.

I have a 67 Tele, a 80 LP, a 80s Lucille, a 80s Strat, and a 2003 PRS Custom 24. The guitar I play 3 times per week is the Variax 500. The others remain in their cases.

Ed

 

[zacanger]

yeah, but what about the FEEL?

Yes. You will find may Variax owners who also have an assortment of other conventional guitars. Most of those leave the other models in their case and only carry the Variax.

I have a 67 Tele, a 80 LP, a 80s Lucille, a 80s Strat, and a 2003 PRS Custom 24. The guitar I play 3 times per week is the Variax 500. The others remain in their cases.

Ed

I was thinking about getting a Variax back when they were new, and I tried one out at a shop and it felt disgusting. I mean, sure, it gives you decent sounds sometimes, but it's never going to sound quite as good as the real thing. And it feels like playing a 2X4.

 

[32-20-Blues]

Highway One's kick ass, if you can live with a thin (albeit beautiful) finish.