Some Fender Questions ...

DiRtyFranK38

Lately i've been thinking about buying myself either a fender strat or a fender tele. now, i need something in the 500's and under price range. therefore, it means i must pick up one of the Mexican assembled ones, with American parts. question number one - are they still the classic, awesome sounding fenders they are known for being? judging by reviews, it seems that everyone loved them and said if you can't drop a ton of cash, go with one of them mexicans. either way, i have no choice. next, what are your opinions on what's a better guitar...tele or strat? i know it's all taste, style, and opinion, but i'd like to know people's insite on both. what are the strong points/weak points in each? i'd love for everyone to help me out. once these answers are solved, i'll come up with some more questions in making my decision. thanks for all the help until then though!

just incase you're curious, my current guitar is a michael kelly patriot hot rod. The price was in the $500's when i got it. i absolutely love it...it's just that, at some point in my life i want to have a strat, tele, sg, and les paul. now that i gathered up enough cash for a strat or tele, i want to make my first move. for this comming xmas, hopefully, in a joint effort from my family i can get a gibson les paul. but anyways, my amp is a fender hot rod deluxe tube amp. my pedal rig consists of boss ds-1, ibanez ts-9 turbo, crybaby wah, ibanez stereo chorus, line 6 echoe park delay, and mxr phase 90. thought that info might be important, considering certain guitars sound better in certain set-ups. so judging by this info, the state i'm at cash wise, and the questions i've asked in the previous paragraph, i'd love all the info i can get!!


- thanks

MLC2006

what type music are you looking to play? that's the big question. you've got all the right amp and pedals to make a Strat sound good, but imo, I would much prefer a Gibson in most applications (btw, I have a 1997 USA Strat and a 1993 Gibson Les Paul Standard). to me, the Gibson is just easier to play all around, is more versatile, and has a MUCH better tone. I was on a major SRV high when I got my Strat and it DOES get a great blues tone, but it can't rock like my Les Paul.

as for the Strat vs Tele (I've owned a tele before too), I just think the Tele is a much more primitive guitar than a Strat. and Strat is more contoured to fit against your body. and the Tele is more "twangy" than a Strat. the Tele I had neck was not nearly as good as my Strats.

so if I had a druther, I'd druther have a Les Paul over either one. but I'd definitely rather have a Strat than a Tele.

DiRtyFranK38

MLC2006 wrote:

what type music are you looking to play? that's the big question. you've got all the right amp and pedals to make a Strat sound good, but imo, I would much prefer a Gibson in most applications (btw, I have a 1997 USA Strat and a 1993 Gibson Les Paul Standard). to me, the Gibson is just easier to play all around, is more versatile, and has a MUCH better tone. I was on a major SRV high when I got my Strat and it DOES get a great blues tone, but it can't rock like my Les Paul.

as for the Strat vs Tele (I've owned a tele before too), I just think the Tele is a much more primitive guitar than a Strat. and Strat is more contoured to fit against your body. and the Tele is more "twangy" than a Strat. the Tele I had neck was not nearly as good as my Strats.

so if I had a druther, I'd druther have a Les Paul over either one. but I'd definitely rather have a Strat than a Tele.

thanks for that. i play rock music from all over the spectrum. tons of pearl jam and lots of that type of rock. pj, aic, soundgarden, stp... but also i'll play some classic rock or older metal. but mainly a "pearl jam sound" is what i aim for. i try to model everything after them =P.

as far as you saying how a gibson les paul is better than both .. i know this, and as i said hopefully my family will all chip in for that around xmas time. BUT until then i plan on purchasing myself either a strat or a tele.

1 for the strat on the scoreboard

exhausted

look at the epiphone les pauls too.

for the types of bands you're going for, honestly, give the les paul serious consideration.

i know it's not gibson on the headstock but the mexican fenders have never impressed me much. but there are a few golden nuggets among the epis. and for the sounds i think you're going for i think you'll be happier.

http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Limited-Edition-Les-Paul-Custom-519391-i1168180.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Top-Electric-Guitar-518341-i1149996.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Top-Electric-Guitar-518341-i1149994.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Electric-Guitar-517413-i1149387.Music123

or get a tele and put a 4-way switch in it such that the neck and bridge act as one big humbucker. gets you into some heavier sounds. not les paul heavy, but heavier than the strat.

exhausted

oh wait. the kelly is a humbucker guitar. you've got that base covered.

i say the tele.

Switch

Tele all the way.

This conversation has been done many times, and the pros for the Tele are:

Unique factor: Everyone has a strat or strat copy. Rock out on a Tele and you will stand out.

Pinches: Are much nicer to play on a Tele.

Space(?): The volume control isn't as close to the bridge as on a Strat, so you can play much easier (Hard to explain)

Palm Muting: The bridge is much more comfortable to palm mute on than the Strat.

Contours: Arn't there, because they arn't needed. The Tele is just as comfortable as the Strat.

+ It's just generally cooler

Pacomc79

If you're looking at fenders in that price range see if you can't find a Jimmie Vaughn strat, they are pretty nice.

There are also some great Japanese built models in that range that are better than the Mexicans.

The Baja teles might be around that as well or you can go with one of the Highway one Teles or you could look in to the Mexican built 50's 60's or 70's Strats or teles and probably be very happy.

Bottom line is you'll know, it's got to feel good in your hands and sound right. Not every guitar sets up well for everyones hand eye or ear that's why there are so many. Play everything, and try to play using your amp in the store if you can.

If you're looking at gibsons too, make sure you play the high end stuff so you can tell the difference in the cheaper models and what they were going for. You need to try the 50's fat neck and the 60's slimmer neck to see which one feels better.

Just play anything and everything that looks cool to you and work your way down to 500 or so, that's how you find the good value guitars. Japan makes great guitars for the money, Edwards/ESP Tokai, very good specs for the money if you're not so worried about the headstock name.

DiRtyFranK38

thanks alor everyone.

anyone else with tele/strat pros and cons and comparrisons, please share!

mccreadyisgod

I'd seriously recommend a Nashville Telecaster. It's a Mexi Tele that can be bought for a decent price (new or used), and it's got the typical Tele bridge/neck pickups with a Strat middle pickup between them and 5-way switching. It's not quite the same as both guitars in one, but it's damn close.

Personally, between Strats and Tele's, I can't choose. I've had both, loved both, gotten sick of both... regretted selling both...

xtremehardy388

I'd say get a strat but PLEASE...play before you try!!!!!! And try different guitars out!

StuffnJunk

stone plays Do the Evolution on a TELE:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lxewzqqeI_A

and on a STRAT:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rwj9Htg0I

sennin

I bought a 1985 Japanese Strat for $350. The 80's were cool!

DiRtyFranK38

thanks everyone for the help. i'm kind of leaning towards a tele but idk. now, as far as colors, i am thinking about maybe either the arctic white or midnight wine. is the midnight whine very purple? or is it a cool maroon-sh type thing? and how is the arctic white? i think it has a slight yellowish tint, just not quiet as much as a blonder or honey blonde guitar. opinions would be great.

Anon

DiRtyFranK38 wrote:

thanks everyone for the help. i'm kind of leaning towards a tele but idk. now, as far as colors, i am thinking about maybe either the arctic white or midnight wine. is the midnight whine very purple? or is it a cool maroon-sh type thing? and how is the arctic white? i think it has a slight yellowish tint, just not quiet as much as a blonder or honey blonde guitar. opinions would be great.

I'd go either the sunburst or the black, so i'm no help to you at all :-)
The midnight wine is almost exactly to the color on the fender color charts.

All the best finding something you like!

DiRtyFranK38

i decided that if i get a tele it'l be a sunburst and if i get a strat it'll be arctic white.

still loving some more tele vs strat opinons though.. thanks

Drew263

StuffnJunk wrote:

stone plays Do the Evolution on a TELE:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lxewzqqeI_A

and on a STRAT:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rwj9Htg0I

He used to play it on a LP too.

StuffnJunk

he used to play everything on an LP....he's become a real fender man as he's gotten older.....same thing with pete townshend

lucylespian

I'm a fish out of water on strats vs teles, but I can say this.

I recently bought a strat, which didn't last long becasue there was too mcuh contrast in tonte wiht my other gits. It had vintage USA pups. If you are used to humbuckers, you might want ot try a higher output pup than that, something overwound , like a Texas Special. I suspect I would have been happier with those. Also I have read a lot of opinions where people have said that a Tele is much more like and LP than a strat. For example, it is not easy to tell which parts Page recorded on which guitar.

Another thing. Don't try a high end Gibson like a 1959 re-issue, unless you want ot buy one. Everything else seems so much less after playing one of those, true !!

journeyman

I have a midnight wine mexi tele. It kinda looks different in different light. Light/dark, fluorescent/incandescent. I slapped a black pick guard on, and it looks much better vs the stock guard. Also put on vintage bridge with barrel saddles. I'd put on a p 90 pickup but that would be to much fan-boy action right there.

Riot_Rain

StuffnJunk wrote:

stone plays Do the Evolution on a TELE:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lxewzqqeI_A

and on a STRAT:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rwj9Htg0I

I am a 28-year-old girl who is just taking her first steps into The World Of The Guitar (as an excursion from the Land Of The Organ) and those two videos just made me realise that
a. I love Pearl Jam (no news there)
b. there is so much more to guitars than I always thought (as in, more than just the colour and shape)

I am going to start playing a cheapy creepy guitar soon, to see if I like it, but I've got a feeling this may turn into a loooong excursion (I got fed up of saving for a Hammond organ )

:D

DiRtyFranK38

i made my decision, and i'm going with a tele. with that said, i read many reviews on this instrament, and though they were great, lots of people said to change the pic ups. is this really necassary? and if so, what pic ups are good to put on there?

exhausted

live with it awhile before considering a pickup change. until you learn the characteristics of the instrument, there isn't much point in speculating on what you could change.

once you know exactly how it sounds in your hands you'll have a better idea of what you may want to change.

Novawind

I'd say it's about feel, too. In all truth, I picked up one of those cheapo Squier Teles a few months ago and tried it. Suprised the hell out of me, it was a cool little guitar for being so cheap. Felt really nice too. You might be suprised and get lucky with a Mexican Tele, just try a bunch out and find a diamond in the rough.

Jooooosh

exhausted wrote:

look at the epiphone les pauls too.

for the types of bands you're going for, honestly, give the les paul serious consideration.

i know it's not gibson on the headstock but the mexican fenders have never impressed me much. but there are a few golden nuggets among the epis. and for the sounds i think you're going for i think you'll be happier.

http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Limited-Edition-Les-Paul-Custom-519391-i1168180.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Top-Electric-Guitar-518341-i1149996.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Top-Electric-Guitar-518341-i1149994.Music123
http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Electric-Guitar-517413-i1149387.Music123

I second the epi les paul. Yesterday I went to a local dealer to play some mexican strats and telis, and to be honest I wasn't too impressed. I played 3 of each, for the price they were decent but all had fret buzz to some degree. I guess the mexican stuff is really hit and miss, so if you go that route definately play the one you're buying -- don't just order one online.

Anyways after playing the fenders, one of these caught my eye. The quilted maple was actually great looking, so I hooked it up to a hot rod deluxe and played around for a bit. I'll spare you the adjectives and just say I had them put it on hold until Thursday, tomorrow I'm going in to buy it. The price was great as well, $609 with hardshell case after tax.

westsidepie

If you want a really good strat pretty cheap, look on ebay or in local shops for Japanese strats. They were actually (in my humble opinion) better then their american counterparts.

I had an epi Les Paul. I put some DiMarzio pickups in it, did a good setup on it, and it was a really sweet guitar. I won't pay what Gibson wants these days for a Les Paul.

RAT!

anybody play the highway 1 tele? theres one on craigslist im thinking bout
gettin'. thoughts?

DOSW

Jooooosh wrote:

Anyways after playing the fenders, one of these caught my eye. The quilted maple was actually great looking, so I hooked it up to a hot rod deluxe and played around for a bit. I'll spare you the adjectives and just say I had them put it on hold until Thursday, tomorrow I'm going in to buy it. The price was great as well, $609 with hardshell case after tax.

That's my guitar.

Jooooosh

DOSW wrote:

That's my guitar.

Mine too as of a few hours ago.

keeponrockin

Jooooosh wrote:

Mine too as of a few hours ago.

Congrats! Pics!