Mexican Teles

[jimistone]

I've had my strat since 1976. Man, that guitar has seen some abuse but the only trouble it has ever given me was the volume pot got scratchy a few decades ago. I had a Gretch Country gentleman that had been routed for Gibson humbuckers as my electric guitar before I got a strat. All my hero's played strats....Trower, Jimi, Bolen, Gilmore, Rory, Clapton.
I was fixated on Strats. ...I would just stare at a picture of one of the guitar greats playing a strat and Jones for one so bad!!

I had a summer job and before I saved up any money I heard about a older strat for sale in a bar. I went and checked it out and it was a sunburst 1966 strat in pretty good shape and it was propped up on an old sunn 100 watt tube amp stack. The bar owner wanted $300 for the guitar and amp. I talked him into selling just the guitar for $150 (I had a super reverb amp). He agreed and I gave him $50 ...all the money I had...and agreed to bring him the other $100 in 2 weeks when I got paid (my entire paycheck).

Man I was beside myself for those 2 weeks waiting on that guitar. I was so broke too.

When I plugged that fucker into that super reverb amp it was magic!

It was worth the wait and financial sacrifice!!!

 

[Chili]

I've had my strat since 1976. Man, that guitar has seen some abuse but the only trouble it has ever given me was the volume pot got scratchy a few decades ago. I had a Gretch Country gentleman that had been routed for Gibson humbuckers as my electric guitar before I got a strat. All my hero's played strats....Trower, Jimi, Bolen, Gilmore, Rory, Clapton.
I was fixated on Strats. ...I would just stare at a picture of one if the guitar greats playing a strategy and Jones for one so bad!!

I had a summer job and before I saves up much money I heard about a older start for sale in a bar. I went and checked it out and it was a sunburst 1966 start in pretty good shape and it was propped up on an old sunn 100 watt tube amp stack. The baronet wanted $300 for the guitar and amp. I talked him into selling just the guitar for $150 (I had a super reverb amp). He agreed and I gave him $50 all the money I had, and agreed to bring him the other $100 in 2 weeks when I got paid (my entire paycheck).

Man I was beside myself for those be weeks waiting on that guitar. I was so broke too.

When I plugged that fucker into that super reverb amp it was magic!

Great story.

I recently bought a chinese strat. It sounds and plays great and I don't care where it was made.

 

[jimistone]

Man, I have to turn this predictive text off. It won't let you type words like "strat" without correcting it into "start or "strategy".

I have to fight that shit every time I post anything!
(even in that last line it corrected shit into shot)

 

[antichef]

I've been on a straight SG diet for about 20 years. My wife got my my first real Fender amp earlier this year, and now I'm starting to think about a guitar to go with it. I have an old Charvel Surfcaster with lipstick pickups from 1991 - kind of fun sounding, but I think a Jazzmaster or a Tele would be better. I got a Mexican P-bass last year, and it seems fine to me - no urge to do anything to it. If I could find a Mexi jazzmaster in surf green with a maple fretboard, I'd jump on it, but I don't think there is such thing - maybe no such thing as any jazzmaster with a maple fretboard.

I have always hated strats.

 

[BroKen_H]

Probably, but I wouldn't be happy with it because I now know better. I don't want a reasonable working tone. I want a tone that excites me. I've been spoiled though. I admit it. I'm spoiled. I do feel and hear the differences between a really good guitar and a mediocre working guitar. I can tell the difference between a budget Bugera amp and a handwired Friedman or a vintage Plexi. That might be kind of snobby, but I'm not just saying that. I can tell the difference. Some guy in the crowd probably can't, but I can, and I'm the one doing the playing, so I wanna be happy with what I'm playing.

I'm no guitar player, by any means. Mostly a hack.
But what Greg's saying RIGHT HERE is why I try so desperately to emulate the sound I'm used to in my bass. Not because it's the best sounding bass setup ever, but because it excites me to play with that tone. The hard push and deep pump of 18" sub(s) with the grind, growl and grit of several 10s just makes me happy to play! It improves your performance; no doubt in my mind.
That's why I'm playing around with my three guitars and my sims and my Vox trying to find tonal combinations that breathe that life into my playing.

 

[Robus]

How are you getting along with that AC-15?

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

I think it's funny that people worry about the weight of a guitar. Not for tone reasons so much, but because they get tired. How fucking frail are you that having 7-10 pounds strapped on you for a few hours at most is a huge burden? It's not like you're actually carrying it. It's just hanging there. If that's a problem, you need to make some lifestyle changes. Eat better, get in shape, hit the fucking gym or something.

lol - funny shit... oh wait...
Seriously though slinging Lesters did bother me a bit when I was gigging. I was not in bad shape, weak or frail by any means but eleven pounds hanging off a what - three inch contact point? - on my shoulder for three hours and I'd be sore later. My lower back would get a bit tight as well.
Never stopped me though.

 

[jimistone]

OB Atkins, one of the best guitarists I've ever known, was a very weak and frail guy. He played a LP Standard (vintage no weight relief). He would jam for hours without taking it off. He was 5'5" and probably weighed 110 soaking wet.

 

[BroKen_H]

How are you getting along with that AC-15?

Thanks for asking! Once I got through the "didn't know the two inputs were two separate channels " fiasco, we've been doing all right. Hello has the LP through it on a kind of low backing track. The tone was a good, clean one. Working on more hopefully to come out soon. Still trying to get that Vox "ring" out of it. Seems to take a lot of speaker push and volume and not so much gain. Haven't heard Brian May or Mike Campbell come out of the speakers yet...but some good tones! Anyway, don't want to derail a Tele thread on a Vox amp...

 

[Robus]

Cool. Derail? Have you been reading it?

 

[Greg_L]

Haven't heard Brian May or Mike Campbell come out of the speakers yet....

And you're not going to.

 

[minerman]

I used to be a strat guy, actually more of a "super-strat" guy (humbuckers, Floyd Rose, & funky/reverse headstocks)...Matter of fact, I couldn't stand Lester's back during my gigging days, oddly enough, it was because of one guy who played in a band locally...He had a shit-load of guitars, mostly LP's, & everyone just hated his sound/tone, it sucked, it was just nasally, terrible sounding, & this was years ago before I even thought about tone the way I do now...So I associated his shitty tone with Lester's, & didn't really have a clue...
That wasn't the only reason we didn't like the guy though, he was an insurance salesman, & treated us burned-out grunts like we were scum...
I guess looking back, we acted the part, so we kinda got what we deserved there...

It's almost funny now, looking back to those days, really none of the guys I knew worried about having great gear, matter of fact, we didn't really give a big fuck if our speakers were Celestion or Gorilla, we didn't give a fuck if our amp was a Marshall, Randall, or Gorilla, we were all just happy to have any kind of gear so we were able to play...

I have a MIM strat, it was my first guitar when I got back into playing a few years ago, & discovered recording...I'm sure the MIM tele's are good, I see nothing wrong with having one, as long as you're happy with it, matter of fact, that's about the only type of guitar I don't have at the moment, so I'd actually like to have one...

 

[BroKen_H]

And you're not going to.

Nope. I don't have the mods to the amp or the electronics in front. But, the main point is I don't have their style, chops, or skill. Being aware of my limitations is no problem. I'm just still looking for BroKen to come out.

 

[easlern]

Anecdotally, I own 2 MIM Fenders, one being a tele, and both have electronics that failed within a year. The second (jazz bass) was used but still. If you're buying Mexican, expect issues I'd say. Never owned a US Fender so I can't say how those compare.

 

[Chili]

Anecdotally, I own 2 MIM Fenders, one being a tele, and both have electronics that failed within a year. The second (jazz bass) was used but still. If you're buying Mexican, expect issues I'd say. Never owned a US Fender so I can't say how those compare.

For future reference, try not to use this type of cable...

 

[easlern]

I love playing power cords though!

 

[Chili]

I love playing power cords though!

 

[MiamiMike]

Great bang for the buck and the newer ones seem better made than the older 90's era ones.

 

[Robus]

Great bang for the buck and the newer ones seem better made than the older 90's era ones.

True of Fenders generally.

 

[sparky123]

i've got the the tele classic vibe. pretty good guitar for the money.349 u.s. but just picked a peavey falcon classic with script logo circa 1980's, its a strat but can sound like tele thats better sounding than american fenders .200 u.s. perfect condition original case included