Tele - Ugly or Beautiful?

[player***]

younger brother plays a MIA tele and loves it.although he is straight up country whereas I am at the other end of the spectrum with embedded Rock roots.I tried to teach him rock style guitar but hey he plays.seems more comfy with acoustic and country or bluegrass but that's cool he makes music nevertheless

[drunkinminer]

For me when I was younger I thought the Tele was a crap guitar and the Esquire was just cheap. I mean one pick up WTF is that all about. Fast foward 15-20 years. I bought two Teles both MIM Standards (Artic White and Chrome Red) and converted the red one into a Esquire to see what they were all about. I look back with regret now that I ever had those feelings. I sold the white Tele and kept the red Esquire. I lightly reliced the body and for a first timer and it being a poly body it looks fine to me. For me while the Tele is no slouch the Esquire is the best damn guitar ever made. The reason I like the Esquire so much I can concentrate more on playing then flipping the selector switch trying to get the sound I want the Esquire already does that for me.

So to answer your question "If a tele is ugly or beautiful?" The Tele is beautiful but the Esquire is "Drop Dead Gorgeous.

[Mike S.]

At the end of the day, I think that the Tele is the best design of all time as far as solid body electrics go. Leo's first was the best IMO.

It's the model that I would choose if I could have only ONE guitar and no other, so that should tell you what I think of it's beauty.

Wonderfully simple, yet immensely effective. What more can you ask for?