Telecaster style guitar for jazz - best one?
Vince McKnight
G&L ASAT Bluesboy, G&L ASAT Classic Semi-hollow, Fender Thinline, US Fat
Telecaster, or Tom Anderson Hollow T, or Fender Deluxe HH, American Fender
HS, Fender Fat Telecaster MIM?
What the best sounding Tecaster style guitar for jazz?
What do you guys think?
Max Leggett
If I got another Tele, and that sounds like a nice idea, I'd go for an
American Tele with buckers in both positions. Is that the fat one? Can
you get it with a 5-way switch like a Strat? That'd be my druther.
Al
to drop a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe mini-hum in the neck slot. I'm not looking
for a real jazz sound though.
Vince McKnight
"David Moss" <david.no...@anka.fzk.de> wrote in message
news:2gq94vF...@uni-berlin.de...
> I got the Custom Tele FMT HH, on Fender's website at
> http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0262000
> I'm not an expert, but to me it looks cool and has a really nice
> jazzy sound since I put flatwound 11s on it. It was also pretty
> cheap.
>
>
> "Vince McKnight" wrote...
John Link
has a very big sound even with light strings.
Jack Zucker
switch to a 12" radius and put a thicker neck on them.
--
Experience a revolutionary way to approach the instrument.
Introducing Sheets of Sound for Guitar
"Let the music govern the way you play guitar instead of the guitar
governing the way you play music!"
Check it out at:
http://www.sheetsofsound.net
"Al" <data...@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:3NWdnQaGXOT...@speakeasy.net...
Al
Joey Goldstein
I've tried alder and swamp ash Tele bodies and I like alder much better
for jazz.
I also prefer rosewood fingerboards on my necks, bridges with 6 saddles
and a good humbucker in the neck position.
--
Joey Goldstein
http://www.joeygoldstein.com
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca
Jonathan Giblin
news:40A80FF5...@nowhere.net...
> I've tried alder and swamp ash Tele bodies and I like alder much better
> for jazz.
> I also prefer rosewood fingerboards on my necks, bridges with 6 saddles
> and a good humbucker in the neck position.
>
Sounds like you're describing the Yamaha Mike Stern model. I don't think
they make these anymore, but you can pick 'em up dirt cheap on Ebay.
Joey Goldstein
Jonathan Giblin wrote:
>
> "Joey Goldstein" <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> news:40A80FF5...@nowhere.net...
>
> > I've tried alder and swamp ash Tele bodies and I like alder much better
> > for jazz.
> > I also prefer rosewood fingerboards on my necks, bridges with 6 saddles
> > and a good humbucker in the neck position.
> >
>
> Sounds like you're describing the Yamaha Mike Stern model.
There are two versions of this, a good expensive one and a budget one.
The good one is made with a swamp ash body and a maple neck. If you like
Stern's jazz sounds then this is the a good guitar to get to get those
sounds. I was after something more akin to Ed Bickert's sound.
The cheap one is not bad. It's alder with a maple cap (I think) but it
still has a maple neck. It would need a better pickup. The neck's are
not real nice on these either.
> I don't think
> they make these anymore,
I think they do, both of them.
> but you can pick 'em up dirt cheap on Ebay.
--
Martin Lane
really, you could buy any tele you want, if you like the way it plays.
then replace the bridge with one of the vintage style bridges with
the three brass pieces. they make these now so that they are
intonated. brass is a soft metal and sounds warmer than steel. then
put a warm sounding humbucker in the neck position, like a joe barden
tele neck pickup.
the difference in sound between the vintage bridges and the modern
6-saddle bridges is ASTOUNDING. i replaced mine on the recommendation
of a friend, not really knowing what i was in for, and it really made
the guitar COME ALIVE.
those joe barden pickups are pricey but they are so warm and amazing
... he is currently out-of-business ... but his stuff is constantly on
ebay. i hope that joe comes back. (i love you joe!)
i did all of the above to a late 90's mexican nashville tele and it's
now my main guitar. (and this is coming from a guy who used to play
50's archtops thru polytones). i don't recommend the recent mexican
fenders, though. but the mid-90's were great. the whole thing cost
me about $500.
or you could buy a used danny gatton model for megabucks.
Martin Lane
really, you could buy any tele you want, if you like the way it plays.
Miguel Marcos
PAC1511MS.
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D1322%2526CTID%253D223900,00.html
In Europe (and, I imagine, Asia) they also distribute a cheaper Tele
model, the 311 with Rosewood or Maple necks. I have the Rosewood. It
sports a neck humbucker and bridge single coil, and goes for the about
300 Euros. Excellent, especially at that price. I don't know why it's
not distributed in the US. At Harmony Central, however, there are
reviews from some US-based players who have purchased it in the US.
Miguel
"Jonathan Giblin" <jgiblinATcopper.net> wrote in message news:<40a81...@newsfeed.slurp.net>...
Halim Sutanto
Hhhmm...let me guess...Get a fender telecaster and change the neck
pickup to seth lover or '57 classic....how 'bout that? I am doing that
to mine. gotta widen the holes though....cost me lotsa $$$ on that!
Jack Zucker
--
Experience a revolutionary way to approach the instrument.
Introducing Sheets of Sound for Guitar
"Let the music govern the way you play guitar instead of the guitar
governing the way you play music!"
Check it out at:
http://www.sheetsofsound.net
"Al" <data...@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:IpacnT7_Naq...@speakeasy.net...
> You can get a 12" radius and they have, I think, three neck profiles. You
> might have to special order, but Heights Guitars will be glad to do that
for
> you. Check them out here...
>
> http://www.glguitars.com/frameset.htm
Jack Zucker
than the modern ones.
--
Experience a revolutionary way to approach the instrument.
Introducing Sheets of Sound for Guitar
"Let the music govern the way you play guitar instead of the guitar
governing the way you play music!"
Check it out at:
http://www.sheetsofsound.net
"Martin Lane" <enaln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:af5f364c.04051...@posting.google.com...
Max Smith
Personally, I prefer single coil pickups for jazz, so I wouldn't go for
a humbucker model.
Lots of the classic jazz guitar of the fifties/sixties was recorded with
single coil pickups (Charlie Christian, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Wes
and others used them, though not on all recordings).
You might prefer a rosewood fingerboard.
Vince McKnight wrote:
--
I'm Max Smith and I approve this message.
"When all you have is a hammer, you get pretty damn good at driving nails."
David Moss
"Vince McKnight" wrote...
> Yeah, I was looking at that one. You like it?
>
>
> "David Moss" <david.no...@anka.fzk.de> wrote in message
> news:2gq94vF...@uni-berlin.de...
> > I got the Custom Tele FMT HH, on Fender's website at
> > http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0262000
> > I'm not an expert, but to me it looks cool and has a really nice
> > jazzy sound since I put flatwound 11s on it. It was also pretty
> > cheap.
Yes, I certainly do - really pretty guitar and I love the sound,
especially now with the flatwounds, it's exactly the full and
warm jazzy tone I was looking for. Sounds terrific for chord-
melody fingerstyle standards, and good for funky stuff too,
though the feeling is more laid-back than punchy - though
that could be me rather than the guitar! This is through an AER
acoustic amp, can't say anything about other amps - though
in the store I immediately liked the acoustic tone, even before
I plugged it in.
However, note the proviso that I'm not an expert, I only
played maybe three different humbucker Teles in the store
before picking this one. I was trying to stick to the
budget of around $500, and I wanted something that I
liked as stock because I'm too lazy for swapping pickups
and bridges - I'm still learning jazz guitar, and I figure I
have a long way to go before I can really say the instrument
is the limiting factor, so I'm not that fussy.
I'd read a load of stuff on this NG about which woods are
good and such, but I forgotten it all by the time I got to the
store. This one's got a mahogany body with a flamed maple
top, mahogony neck and rosewood fingerboard, no idea if
that's officially good or not. The back is shaped which makes
it comfortable to hold. Came nicely finished and set up.
Martin Lane
> Hmmm - I gotta disagree. Those vintage bridges sound *MUUUUUUUUUUUCH* better
> than the modern ones.
in my post, i was actually recommending replacement of the modern
bridge with a vintage bridge. perhaps my wording wasn't clear.
please tell dude why you like them and maybe he will get one too.
>
> "Martin Lane" <enaln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > ... then replace the bridge with one of the vintage style bridges with
Martin Lane
> than the modern ones.
in my post i was actually recommending the vintage bridge over the
modern bridge. i made this recommendation, as most new teles seem to
come with modern bridges. perhaps my wording wasn't too clear.
please tell dude why you think they sound much better and maybe he
will get one too.
> "Martin Lane" <enaln...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > ... replace the bridge with one of the vintage style bridges with
Bluesbird2000
You got it for $500.00???
David Moss
> You got it for $500.00???
$500 was my target when I went shopping, but I
went up to about $600 for the Tele Custom FMT.
I just checked the web, $630 is the current price
at music123.com.
Even though it looks so cool and carries the Custom
name, this isn't an expensive US Tele - it's made in
Korea. But it seems Fender likes it good enough to
put their own name on the headstock, rather than
"Made for Fender" or "Squier by Fender" or whatever.
BTW, I just figured out that FMT means Figured
Maple Top. Duh!
Dallas Selman
is alder with an ash top. It has a humbucker and sounds Bickertish right
outa the box.
"Max Smith" <sixstr...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:cb2qc.720$ln1...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
Joey Goldstein
Jack Zucker wrote:
>
> Hmmm - I gotta disagree. Those vintage bridges sound *MUUUUUUUUUUUCH* better
> than the modern ones.
My MIM Tele Deluxe came with an old style stamped steel bridge but it
had 6 steel saddles for intonation.
I've A/B'd it with:
1. the same bridge but with 6 brass saddles
2. a Stew-Mac stamped steel bridge with 3 brass saddles angled for
better intonation
3. a modern Gotoh bridge; chrome colored brass with 6 saddles
For jazz, for what I like to hear, from this guitar, and from other
Teles I have tried the same things with, there is no question the Gotoh
bridge sounds better. It is less jangly and has more sustain. It is not
as good a bridge for those signature jangly R&B and country Tele sounds though.
The modern bridges on the American made Teles have a different string
spacing than the vintage ones do. This makes it next to impossible to
replace the bridges on these guitars with a vintage style bridge or
vintage spec bridge like the Gotoh if you so desire. The saddles on
these bridges are made from some sort of steel also. I much prefer the
sound of brass saddles for jazz.
IMO Of course.
Note: In the past here I've said that I was pretty sure that Ed Bickert
also uses the Gotoh bridge but evidently this is not the case. The guys
who work on Ed's guitar have told me that he just has a vintage style
bridge but has had 6 saddles installed, probably steel, just like the
original bridge my Tele started out with. So there ya go.
<http://www.google.com/groups?as_q=Tele%20bridge%20alder&safe=off&ie=ISO-8859-1&as_ugroup=rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz&as_uauthors=joey%20goldstein&lr=&num=30&hl=en>
That's a link to all the things I've said in the past here about Tele's
set up for jazz playing.
--
thomas
> played maybe three different humbucker Teles in the store
> before picking this one. I was trying to stick to the
> budget of around $500, and I wanted something that I
> liked as stock because I'm too lazy for swapping pickups
> and bridges - I'm still learning jazz guitar, and I figure I
> have a long way to go before I can really say the instrument
> is the limiting factor, so I'm not that fussy.
Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
tomw
tomb...@jhu.edu says...
>
> Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
>
There are two types of guitar players in this world: those with a Tele,
and those who need a Tele.
--
Tom Walls
the guy at the Temple of Zeus
Max Leggett
wrote:
>In article <7d424f23.04051...@posting.google.com>,
>tomb...@jhu.edu says...
>
>>
>> Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
>> archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
>>
>There are two types of guitar players in this world: those with a Tele,
>and those who need a Tele.
Actually, Tom, there are three kinds of guitarists: those who can
count and those that can't.
Max Smith
anything, and those who don't.
--
Michael Tueller
(in message <40A8E78D...@nowhere.net>):
> For jazz, for what I like to hear, from this guitar, and from other
> Teles I have tried the same things with, there is no question the Gotoh
> bridge sounds better.
Joey, is this the bridge you're talking about?:
<http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/Bridges2.htm>
Michael
Max Smith
thomas wrote:
>
> Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
An archtop is like a high-classed. beautiful and delicate lady - very
nice to look at - and a sweet voice, but generally more sensitive to
rough treatment and harder to get rockin' without a lot of feedback.
A Tele is like that-not-so-pretty-but-ooh!-what-a-nice-hard-little-body
gal whose always ready to be rode hard and put away wet.
oh, and a Tele is definitely a screamer, and everyone loves a screamer...
Vince McKnight
"tomw" <tw25R...@cornell.edu> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b12e2678...@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
thom_j
> tomb...@jhu.edu says...
>
> >
> > Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> > archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
> >
> There are two types of guitar players in this world: those with a Tele,
> and those who need a Tele.
No tomw I beg to differ. there are two type players in this world:
those who(m) are good players & those (i.e. me) who wannabee..8^)'.
t.j.
thom_j
"Max Smith" wrote:
> There are two kinds of people - those who say there are two kinds of
> anything, and those who don't.
Max S... is this something like the credo of "sometimes you feel like
a nut and sometimes you don't"?? a curious tee'...
thom_j
>
> thomas wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> > archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
>
> An archtop is like a high-classed. beautiful and delicate lady - very
> nice to look at - and a sweet voice, but generally more sensitive to
> rough treatment and harder to get rockin' without a lot of feedback.
>
> A Tele is like that-not-so-pretty-but-ooh!-what-a-nice-hard-little-body
> gal whose always ready to be rode hard and put away wet.
>
> oh, and a Tele is definitely a screamer, and everyone loves a screamer...
Damm and you'all think I'm bad!! btw: replace "Tele with Strat!" t.j.
Joey Goldstein
Michael Tueller
(in message <40A92C5B...@nowhere.net>):
> <http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Hardware/GotohStdTele.htm>
This is the one I meant, something went wrong in the copy and pasting
cycle...
Hm, I get closer and closer to build me a 'jazz'-Tele myself...
Michael (still not sure which parts vendor has the best bodies/
necks...)
Jonathan Giblin
> The cheap one is not bad. It's alder with a maple cap (I think) but it
> still has a maple neck. It would need a better pickup. The neck's are
> not real nice on these either.
You don't dig the neck? I dunno, I've got the cheapie (311s, I think) and I
love the neck. To each his own though, I guess.
BTW, I like the pickups a lot on mine too, although they are noisy single
coils. Might be just as good to go for the 311. You can pick 'em up for
about $100 on Ebay. Tough to go wrong for that, even if you just use it for
a backup.
Chrome!Hat
> The good one is made with a swamp ash body and a maple neck. If you like
> Stern's jazz sounds then this is the a good guitar to get to get those
> sounds. I was after something more akin to Ed Bickert's sound.
> The cheap one is not bad. It's alder with a maple cap (I think) but it
> still has a maple neck. It would need a better pickup. The neck's are
> not real nice on these either.
>
I agree about the pup. It's ok, but...
I replaced mine with a '59. It's better, but I would pick a less mid-rangey
next time. I think the alder sucks up the highs.
I like the neck though. It's a personal thing, but I find it fast and
comfortable.
This guitar does not like flat-wounds - like in dead with zero sustain.
Half-wounds are fine.
Rick
Joey Goldstein
For what it's worth...I've had better luck with USA Custom Guitars than
I have with Warmoth.
Chrome!Hat
"Dallas Selman" <dse...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:Zq4qc.11147$RM.4626@edtnps89...
> Don't forget the Yamaha models. The expensive one is ash, the cheaper one
> is alder with an ash top. It has a humbucker and sounds Bickertish right
> outa the box.
>
Perhaps there are different models of the alder pacifica (the cheap one).
Mine is a single slab of alder.
BTW, I tried a couple when I bought mine and the one I liked was a natural
finish. I may be wrong, but the it may make a difference not to have the
wood encased in a plastic lacquer
Rick
thomas
>
> > Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> > archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
>
> An archtop is like a high-classed. beautiful and delicate lady - very
> nice to look at - and a sweet voice, but generally more sensitive to
> rough treatment and harder to get rockin' without a lot of feedback.
>
> A Tele is like that-not-so-pretty-but-ooh!-what-a-nice-hard-little-body
> gal whose always ready to be rode hard and put away wet.
>
> oh, and a Tele is definitely a screamer, and everyone loves a screamer...
We're gonna need a cigarette over here after that post. Sounds
like somebody needs go out and rent himself a porno.
Stan Gosnell
news:0001HW.BCCF3437...@News.Individual.DE:
> Michael (still not sure which parts vendor has the best
> bodies/ necks...)
>
You don't have to buy premade parts. It's really not that
difficult to make bodies and necks completely from scratch. You
can order precut fingerboards from many sources, and StewMac.com
has all the other stuff you need. I like Randy Allen's
fingerboards, because he has lots of scale lengths available as
standard, and can custom cut them to any scale length you want.
If you want standard sizes, stewmac has them.
Just be very, very careful about starting this. It's highly
addictive. ;-)
--
Regards,
Stan
David Moss
"thomas" wrote...
> Hey David, I thought you have a nice new luthier-built
> archtop. What do you want a Tele for?
Good question. It was to have a cheap backup
for situations when I don't want to risk the archtop -
for example the barbeque jam session in a guy's that
garden that I've been invited to. Also, to have
something that I can play through headphones for
late-night practice without disturbing the neighbours -
the archtop is pretty loud even unplugged, I live in
a town house with the neighbours about 20 feet away,
and I realized that I was always holding back when
practicing. For a budget of around $500 I got it
narrowed down to a cheap 335 copy or a cheap Tele,
and when I compared them in the store I liked the
Tele better.
thom_j
> We're gonna need a cigarette over here after that post. Sounds
> like somebody needs go out and rent himself a porno.
Or a porno'ette?
tomw
says...
masters
excellent player
very good player
good player
good at some things, has weak points
so-so
intermediate player
crap player
beginner
They all need Teles. You notice "crap player" is higher than beginner.
Ain't no way I'm a beginner!
thom_j
Sadly as of late I feel I'm in your crap player to so-so anymore
and it aint a good feeling.. cheers thom_j.
thomas
I just ordered an Aria Sinsonido for quiet practice
in my office. Maybe I'll post a review once it arrives.
Steven Rosenberg
> I just ordered an Aria Sinsonido for quiet practice
> in my office. Maybe I'll post a review once it arrives.
I am awaiting your review. I think the Aria is cheaper than the
Soloette. Did you get nylon or steel string?
Mondoslug1
>> You got it for $500.00???
>
>$500 was my target when I went shopping, but I
>went up to about $600 for the Tele Custom FMT.
>I just checked the web, $630 is the current price
>at music123.com.
>
>Even though it looks so cool and carries the Custom
>name, this isn't an expensive US Tele - it's made in
>Korea. But it seems Fender likes it good enough to
>put their own name on the headstock, rather than
>"Made for Fender" or "Squier by Fender" or whatever.
>
>BTW, I just figured out that FMT means Figured
>Maple Top. Duh!
>
Those are pretty cool guitars I think.
I played one I liked alot, one that I didn't care for as much.