strat vs. tele

[TheGuitarMan]

Stock American Strats really are kinda boring. It's is pretty much an amatuer's guitar.

If you add graphite saddles and bridge, another string tree, locking tuners, new pickups, new trem (fenders trems = the sucks), push pull pots or even emg active electronics you've got a great guitar. Needless to say, the standard strat really isn't the world's most versitile guitar right off the shelf. If you want versitility, go with a 24 fret, dual humbucker guitar with push-pull pots and a six position switch.

 

[foo]

If it's only for recording you may want to consider getting something with humbucking pickups (and a Strat or Tele can now be had with those) but I'm not sure about the quality of the sound (anyone?). Mine both have single coils.

The choice between the two depends on what you want to do with it. The tele will do jsut about anything you want - it has a great jangly sound, lots of top end and can be overdriven for a pretty good rock sound (a la early Jimmy Page) - Ed Bickert also used one and got a real jazzy sound out of his.

Same thing with the Strat - it will do different things very well - Mark Knopfler, Hendrix, Hank Marvin, Dave Gilmour. I don't know of anyone famous who uses one for a real jazz-box sound, but put the front pickup on and take the volume knob to about 6 and tweak you r amp and you should be okay.

My choice? Probably the Tele, but I could make the Strat work, too.

foo