Tele's, Hummm good question. I have both a tele and a strat. Main difference, different types of single coil pickups, and neck cross-section. Tele (stock) pickups are brighter, read glassy, crystalinne but also full of low end. Don't believe the low end part? Use RTA and look at output of neck pickup. Strats while they are generally considered "bright" are in contrast to the tele rather dull. For the other end of the spectrum listem to gibson "paf" which is really dull (comparatively). IMHO, the tele with heavily driven preamp or distortion sounds like crap, but backed off a bit or used like I enjoy through a JCM 800, bout 1/2 way on gain sounds .........righteous. The necks on older tele's are more of the v shape and narrower at the nut than the strat. Super for me since I have left my hands in hot water for too long and they shrank. I did like one posters comment, if the magic don't happen it's not for you. Caveat, magic is sometimes not so readily apparant or easy to discern at first glance. Last comment think about what the guitar was designed for: clean, crytalline highs, a bit of twang, cough cough country. I will say that while not on the surface good for metal, turn down the tone control a bit, role off some presence or treble then add OD or Distortion. I love both the tele and strat now, but it took for ever to get past old bias. To hear some really hot tele listen to Danny Gatton but he is very (tonally)bright.
