Tele - Ugly or Beautiful?

[R.B. Huckleberry]

I own PRS, Hamer, Martin, Reverend, G&L and Fender guitars.


Hands down, the one that looks the best to me is the Telecaster. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

[bigG]

I don't think it's the best looking guitar in the world, by far. But it's unique and gets the job done. That sound only a Tele can make. Just ask Springsteen, or the GREAT James Burton, or any number of today's artists who have found a new voice for the Tele in all types of music.

It's really an open-ended question. Ugly or beautiful physically or tonally? It certainly is the most basic of electric guitars - a slab of wood, a big thick slab of wood U-shaped neck, strings, vol, tone and 3-way blade switch. Maybe its beauty lies in one of my favorite phrases: "elegant understatement".

It's all subjective, in the end. I could do w/o one if I had to. I have one (MIM - chrome red), and, if I had to let it go, it wouldn't kill me. I rarely play it.

[Martinguy]

I love the look of the Tele. I think it looks awesome. MUCH better looking then a Stratocaster.

Let me cut to the chase here. I have only had one Strat in 30 years of playing and I got rid of of it because the looks of it bugged me. I personally think Strats are ugly. I may be the only player who feels that way, but thats just me.

They are comfortable, play great and sound great...but I cant get past the looks. Looks wise they have always seemed to come across to me as *Space age* or *ultra modern*, and if there is any style that bugs me its those two.

I am more of a *conservative* or *retro* type of guy regarding style.

Currently I play a Les Paul, a 335, and a Tele.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I originally thought that Teles were Butt Ugly.

They've got a limp-wristed cutaway and an idiotic cut-in-half no-style pickguard...

But now I am caught by their iconic appeal. Spending time with guitars and guitar related talk will do that to you.

I want one.

[sunvalleylaw]

I think they look fine, and in the right hands, sound great. But after shopping for them, I found that they don't feel comfortable to me, and I have a hard time dialing in the sound that I hear others get. I guess part of that is because I am so used to my favorite strat pup positions, and teles are clearly different creatures.

[Kazz]

The alien with his singing organ in his butt said "limp wristed" now that is funny.

[MAXIFUNK]

This is the closest I have come to a tele. It was the Fender Tele FMT HH in Black Cherryburst. It was a sweet looking guitar Set neck with a 15 inch radius, medium jumbo frets, and two hbs with a push pull pot for single coil or hb modes. It was very light and very thin and was almost toylike. I eventually traded up to a 50 Anniversary Deluxe Strat. It was a very pretty color though.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...elefmthh-1.jpg

Hey Zman toy like in what way?

[mjk123]

I hated Tele's but after looking at them and hearing how they can sound, I am game for them. I will say that they are a thing of beauty...

[ZMAN]

Maxi: It was very thin in the body and the neck was one of the thinest I have played. I am a big fan of slim taper but this was really thin. The neck had a set of huge jumbo frets and a 15 degree radius. It was a set neck unlike most Telecasters and just didn't seem substantial enough. I had a set of open coil humbuckers and a push pull tone control that let you get single coil or hummbuckers. It was very light and didn't have a lot of resonance. Of course mine was made in Korea by Cort.
I guess I am just not a tele type of guy.

[Kazz]

Zman...that is one pretty tele there.

[ragnarpk]

it all depends on the finish.... i like sunburst teles, or those awesome rosewood ones, that are just natural looking.. but i would never buy just a black telecaster, for instance. meh.

[pes_laul]

I used to think they were lame...Until I played the 72' original (which is actually signed into the dudes will for me to get) Now I love and appreciate the guitars sound and looks.:

[Kodiak3D]

I'm not a big fan of their appearance, but I'll say anything bad about their sound.

[street music]

I'm not a big fan of their appearance, but I'll say anything bad about their sound.

TRY THAT AGAIN THERE KODIAK????

[just strum]

I love the look of the Tele. I think it looks awesome. MUCH better looking then a Stratocaster....



I am more of a *conservative* or *retro* type of guy regarding style.

Currently I play a Les Paul, a 335, and a Tele.

I started this thread over a year ago and I have to say that my feeling have run hot and cold when it comes to the Tele. I don't find it visually appealing and its sound is only enjoyable when in the hands of someone other than me.

I too am conservative and find the Strat such a mainstay in rock and blues that I consider it a conservative guitar. I guess I look at the LP the same way you look at the Strat. For some reason the guitar has never appealed to me.

We do have common ground however - the 335. Although I don't own one, I feel there is no better guitar (I think I may have mentioned that before).

[MAXIFUNK]

Maxi: It was very thin in the body and the neck was one of the thinest I have played. I am a big fan of slim taper but this was really thin. The neck had a set of huge jumbo frets and a 15 degree radius. It was a set neck unlike most Telecasters and just didn't seem substantial enough. I had a set of open coil humbuckers and a push pull tone control that let you get single coil or hummbuckers. It was very light and didn't have a lot of resonance. Of course mine was made in Korea by Cort.
I guess I am just not a tele type of guy.

Zman thanks for the answer because i have that same axe in amber and then neck is way to flat for me as well. I was just looking for a response from some more seasoned than I as a guitar player.

I think as much as I hate to do it I am going to sell it for a blackout Tele or Michael Kelly patriot Honestly I am leaning more towards the MK honestly since I already have 2 strats and replacing a HH style axe for another HH style axe makes the most since to me.

But thanks for answering.

Maxi.................

[ZMAN]

Yea Maxi: I think the combination of the Jumbo frets and the flat neck really made it uncomfortable for me. I really didn't pay much attention back then about radius, and frets. There were several plusses with this guitar though.
I liked the humbuckers, and the push pull switch. Up to that point I had only purchased Korean or MIM guitars from Fender. I wanted to start buying more MIA Strats and Gibbies. I get a really good trade-in value for my guitars from the shop I deal with and he had an NOS Deluxe 50th Anniversary Strat still unopened in 2006, so I jumped on it.
I have tried to find a Tele that I liked. I want the Vintage 52 colors, with the 6 saddle bridge, 9.5 rdius neck and vintage pickups, I prefer a MIA. I don't want the SCNs or the vintage tele bridge. You would think they would make this guitar. Maybe they do now but I am not really looking. I know the 52 comes with a standard bridge and electronics kit. But I really don't like the 7.5 radius. Other than that it is the only one I have felt good playing.

[Brian Krashpad]

it all depends on the finish.... i like sunburst teles, or those awesome rosewood ones, that are just natural looking.. but i would never buy just a black telecaster, for instance. meh.

Different strokes.





Then again, I can make anything look good.

[Kodiak3D]

TRY THAT AGAIN THERE KODIAK????

Woops, I appear to have left out a word...I meant I'll NEVER say anything bad about their sound. :

Teles sound great. Too many great tele players out there to name that have changed music forever (Keith Richards comes to mind) to say anything bad about teles.

As for their looks, however, I don't find them ugly or anything, just kinda bland. They don't reach out and grab me. Then again, I used to not care for the SG look but my opinion on that has changed as of late. Probably will for teles someday too.