Strat vs. Telecaster, i need opinions
Port'o'Chael
Northern Inc.) wrote:
> two words: Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper now uses a Peavey, though. It's *kind* of
a Tele, but with a neck-through design (I think), and a
contoured body with a maple deck.
---Michael...
_____________________________ __________________________
_____________________________BGSC__________________________
My opinions are mine only,though they SHOULD be everyone's!
Mike Healy
>p...@RS6A.wln.com (PNG - Pacific Northern Inc.) wrote:
>>
>>two words: Steve Cropper
>
>
>is this a player? he plays a tele?
>
>which do you recommend for r&b/blues?
>
Do the words STAX, Memphis, Sam&Dave, Watermelon Man, Ramsey Lewis
mean anything to you?
Mike Healy
Jack Howard
> > two words: Steve Cropper
> >
> Or James Burton.
Or, two words in capital letters:
DANNY GATTON!
--
Jack Howard
jho...@fas.harvard.edu
Johnny Mnemonic
: Tele really is more of a country guitar, although you can get some wicked, searing blues tones out of it. It was originally designed as a country guitar, with the Strat being more for rock/blues players. It's just more limiting with only two pickups a
nd a single cutaway. Now this is only my opinion--I don't want to piss off all you Tele players out there who swear it's the absolute best guitar for rock.
I wouldnt call a tele a country guitar though. I dont know the history
so I cant say if it was designed to be, but telecasters show up
everywhere (just like strats). I've seen teles used in blues, rock, pop
you name it. The single cutaway is fine (all my opinion) since I have
full range of the fretboard. Is it limited in sound? Maybe, limited is
rather vague. It will certainly produce different tones, so you relaly
have to pick up both and play with them. The trem is nice if you use it
(though I put bigsby's on a tele and love it, but it's more money out of
pocket). Tele's and strats are used everywhere really these days.
Leo Fender
>
>i'm having a hard time deciding what guitar i'll want to get.
>i have a strat & am comfortable with it, but i really like the way the
>telecaster looks better, & also Prince is 1 of my favorite guitarist & he
>used to use a tele. the stuff i'm into tends more towards r&b, bluesy
>stuff with a mix of rock & funk, pretty much like Prince's Purple Rain
>type stuff. so which guitar would ya'll think more well suited, strat or
>tele? & to narrow it down more, for straight r&b blues which do ya'll
>think is more suited. i kno the tele is supposedly like a country guitar,
>but i seem to see alot of r&b/blues players use it, if they're not using
>a les paul or some other gibson.
>& i've already tried les pauls & that's just not me, so nobody say
>'screw that shit, get a les paul!'.
>
>--
In my opinion, the Strat is a lot more versatile than the Tele. You
might find a Tele a bit limited in terms of the styles of music you
want to play. My first electric guitar was a Strat, then I sold it
for a Tele in which I found very limited (no tremolo, two pick-ups,..)
...After a year, I sold it for another Strat as I needed to play more
styles of music. But if the Tele is your thing, then go for it...it's
a nice instrument that is capable of producing great tones.....
David A Morning
<eyeno!@didntthinkso!.com> wrote:
> p...@RS6A.wln.com (PNG - Pacific Northern Inc.) wrote:
> >
> >two words: Steve Cropper
>
> umm. what?!?
>
> is this a player? he plays a tele?
Steve Cropper wrote for and played on many of the old Stax singles.
Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood are two I can think of, but there's bound to
be millions of others since he was part of the label songwriting team and
house band.
Dunno if he plays a Tele though, last time I saw him he was playing something
I didn't recognise. Looked vaguely like a Les Paul junior (the double cutaway
version) with a Fender headstock, painted a toffee colour. Whatever ir was,
it certainly wasn't a Tele.
Daniel Stanley
>
>I would say that the Stratocaster is more comfortable to wear--which I
>find a definite plus when having to stand up for a four set gig. From
>1959 I used a Stratocaster, then ten years ago I started using a
>Telecaster and the hard corners seem to pain my ribs and also bruise my
>forearm. So I usually sit down and play unless it is required that I
>sing--where it is generally good form to stand.
>One drawback of the Stratocaster is that with the tremolo they are
>difficult to get--and keep--in tune. The cure is to take the bar off and
>disconnect the springs.
>
>Hope this is helpful,
>
>Tom Cooney
>
I would instead suggest ADDING springs. W/ four or five springs that
bridge won't move, and, to me, part of the Strat thang is the sound of
the springs, sort of, kinda, if you know what I mean. Just my .02, natch
D. STANLEY
nsl...@prodigy.com
" Truth is not confusion" - XXXXX
Daniel Stanley
Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Stax' house band.
He is all over a TON of great records ( there MUST be a collection
available...)
Most notable, IMHO, is an instumental called " Green Onions", but there
are tons. This band backed and co-wrote with ALbert King on the bulk of
his sixties catalog. They also ( I believe) backed Otis Redding at
Monterey. ( As a matter of fact, Cropper co-wrote " Sitting on the Dock
of the Bay").
In addition to all that, Mr Cropper and his eternal sidekick Donald "
Duck" Dunn were members of the " Blues Brothers", and are IN THE MOVIE!
AND!... they were core members of the band the backed EVERYBODY at the
Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary thingy a couple years ago...I'm sure a real
knowledgable person could add alot to this... ( please do).
This guy is no less important to guitar history than Hendrix, Chet Atkins,
Segovia or any other notable player of the century. ( IMHO ;-} ).
SEFSTRAT
difficult to get--and keep--in tune. The cure is to take the bar off and
disconnect the springs. >>
They WERE, you're right. But with the newer roller nuts (the LSR is
better than the Wilkinson, although they both work well), the locking
keys, and the hipshot tremsetter, they hold tune pretty well now.
Steve
SEFS...@AOL.com
Alan K. Wong
: Tele really is more of a country guitar, although you can get some wicked,
: searing blues tones out of it. It was originally designed as a country guitar,
Well, here's a list of Tele players
Roy Buchanan, Steve Cropper, Danny Gatton, James Burton, Albert Collins,
Muddy Waters, Keef Richards, Vince Gill, JB Hutto
: with the Strat being more for rock/blues players. It's just more limiting with
: only two pickups and a single cutaway. Now this is only my opinion--I don't
: want to piss off all you Tele players out there who swear it's the absolute
: best guitar for rock.
Here's a list of Strat players,
Jimi Hendrix, Dave Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Robbie Robertoson, Mark Knopfler,
Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Lowell George, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam
: The Strat is definately a more versitile guitar--three pickups, an extra tone knob,
: and a trem. If you want a guitar do a lot of different things, then get the Strat.
Sort of. However, I tend to dime my tone knobs on my strat, and control my tone through
the amp tone controls & the pu selector.
The strat is really worth having for that purple tone on the neck pu, positions 2 & 4.
For slide, I really like the middle pu
That said, my tele is worth using for:
the bridge pu sound
the neck sc pu & bridge pu sound
the neck humbucker with presence on 12 and guitar tone knob dimed
Unlike a strat, you must use the tone knob on a tele (or you'll destroy everybody's
hearing in a 50 mile radius :)
: And I've noticed that most of the country cats are going Strat these days. However,
: if you already own a Strat, then get the Tele--go for variety.
Well to encourage GAS, if you play out a lot, you should have a Tele, a Strat & a
Les Paul in order to get a variety of tones all three can get ya. None can get
duplicate the other. I do find the Tele useful for cutting through in a large
band ensemble (eg. 1 rhythm guitar, 1 lead guitar, 3pc horn section, 1 kybd, 1 drummer
1 bass, 3 backing singers).
*====================================================================*
Alan Kwang-Tak Wong Alan...@trw.com Tel: (310)814-5008
TRW, One Space Park, M5/1454a Redondo Beach, CA 90278, USA
*====================================================================*
Charles Held
d...@dsc.gla.ac.uk (David A Morning) wrote:
>Steve Cropper wrote for and played on many of the old Stax singles.
>Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood are two I can think of, but there's bound to
>be millions of others since he was part of the label songwriting team and
>house band.
He was the guitarist in Booker T. and the MGs ("Green Onions") and also wrote
and played on "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" with Otis Redding.
>Dunno if he plays a Tele though, last time I saw him he was playing something
>I didn't recognise. Looked vaguely like a Les Paul junior (the double cutaway
>version) with a Fender headstock, painted a toffee colour. Whatever ir was,
>it certainly wasn't a Tele.
His most famous work was with a Tele. He now has an endorsement deal (and thus
equipment supplied by) Peavey.
JFOG10
years when he switched to a Peavey Tele-style
--JIM--.
Claude V. Lucas
>
>> > two words: Steve Cropper
>> >
>> Or James Burton.
>
>Or, two words in capital letters:
>
>DANNY GATTON!
>
Syd Barrett, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page...
claude ( no tele yet... )
Oh Yeah - Roy Buchanan
ric...@interaccess.com
(Daniel Stanley) wrote:
> "Thomas A. Cooney" <afn0...@freenet.ufl.edu> wrote:
> >
> >I would say that the Stratocaster is more comfortable to wear--which I
> >find a definite plus when having to stand up for a four set gig. From
> >1959 I used a Stratocaster, then ten years ago I started using a
> >Telecaster and the hard corners seem to pain my ribs and also bruise my
>
> >forearm. So I usually sit down and play unless it is required that I
> >sing--where it is generally good form to stand.
Are they the same string length? A knowledgeable dealer was telling me
that a PRS has a shorter scale than a Strat, so less tension, so easier to
play (LP's too). Is this also true of the Tele? I know nothing about Teles
- I always thought the Strat was the later, improved model of Fender's
elec guitar, and the Tele was the original, crude version. Any help on
this? Thanks!!
SEFSTRAT
that a PRS has a shorter scale than a Strat, so less tension, so easier to
play (LP's too). Is this also true of the Tele?>>
Strat/Tele scale length, nut to bridge, is 25 inches.
Les Pauls : 24 3/4 inches
PRS and now, Carvin: 25 inches even.
Yes, you can feel it. The shorter the scale, the slacker the strings are
at pitch. IMHO, this is one of the HUGE factors in the tone of a guitar.
Steve
SEFS...@AOL.com
J.F. Bronowich
> This guy is no less important to guitar history than Hendrix, Chet Atkins,
> Segovia or any other notable player of the century. ( IMHO ;-} ).
Let me second that emotion. His sound is as identifiable, and as copied, as anyone's. Without
ANY pyrotechnics. One of the best ever -- he should be studied hard!
=Joe=
Michael Edelman
: Tele really is more of a country guitar, although you can get some wicked, searing blues tones out of it. It was originally designed as a country guitar, with the Strat being more for rock/blues players. It's just more limiting with only two pickups and a single cutaway. Now this is only my opinion--I don't want to piss off all you Tele players out there who swear it's the absolute best guitar for rock.
Well, his 'facts' are about as accurate as his typing ;-).
The Tele wasn't designed as a 'country' guitar any more than the Strat was.
Both were designed as electric guitars, period; Leo Fender had a preference
for country music, but he wasn't a musician. The Strat had its first
popularity among C&W players, too; probably the first big Strat star
was Eldon Shamblin of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys.
Both the Tele and the Strat have a wide variety of sounds. In fact, the
biggest difference between the two has more to do with the Strat's
vibrato than the three pickups. Try a hard tail Strat some day- sounds
a lot like a Tele!
There are really no 'rock guitars' or 'country guitars'; most people
think Jimmy Page always played a Les Paul or that double-neck Gibson,
but he's revealed in many interviews that most of the earlier Zepplin albums
were recorded with a Telecaster! So much for limitations.
I think you should choose a type of guitar based on how it feels to
you, and how it looks to you. Please yourself.
--mike
--mike
Computer Digest Limited
: Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Stax' house band.
: He is all over a TON of great records ( there MUST be a collection
: available...)
: This guy is no less important to guitar history than Hendrix, Chet Atkins,
: Segovia or any other notable player of the century. ( IMHO ;-} ).
PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
and many other fine moments.
It also pinpointed some of those individuals who were responsible
for *disco*. I consider that an important public service. I've
always wondered how *disco* mutated from the Motown cool vibe.
John S. Shinal
comd...@vnet.net
Philip Dahl
: PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
: and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
: and many other fine moments.
They did a pretty good job with the subjects they covered, but
the things they completely ignored make you wonder:
The Who
Bruce Springsteen
The Eagles (except a few put-downs)
Michael Jackson (almost completely)
Frank Zappa
Heavy Metal (except a few knee-jerk put-downs)
Drummers
I'm not saying I love all these, but how can you leave them out of
the history of Rock and Roll?
Michael Edelman
: >One drawback of the Stratocaster is that with the tremolo they are
: >disconnect the springs.
: >
: I would instead suggest ADDING springs. W/ four or five springs that
: bridge won't move, and, to me, part of the Strat thang is the sound of
: the springs, sort of, kinda, if you know what I mean. Just my .02, natch
With 5 springs you pretty much have to *sit* on the bar to move it. If
you want a Strat that'll stay in tune, use two springs and a Trem-Setter.
I believe Fender is installing thiese in some new guitars. They do
work great *IF* you install them properly. I've seen a lot of improper
installation by guys who think they know better than the guy who
designed the thing ;-)
--mike
PNG - Pacific Northern Inc.
: Strat/Tele scale length, nut to bridge, is 25 inches.
: Les Pauls : 24 3/4 inches
: PRS and now, Carvin: 25 inches even.
actually Strats and Teles are 25 1/2 inches.
you are correct about the rest.
Best
Chris Scott
Daniel Stanley
>
>In article <47p2fa$9...@panix2.panix.com> lei...@panix.com (Philip Dahl)
writes:
>> They did a pretty good job with the subjects they covered, but
>> the things they completely ignored make you wonder:
>> The Who
>> Bruce Springsteen
>> The Eagles (except a few put-downs)
Even worse ( and I'm no big Eagles fan), they didn't mention Gram Parsons
( Byrds, Flying Burritto Bros, solo work) as a prime instigator in the
whole country-rock thing.
>> Michael Jackson (almost completely)
>> Frank Zappa
>> Heavy Metal (except a few knee-jerk put-downs)
>> Drummers
* The invention of the solid body guitar and bass by Leo Fender :-) *
>> I'm not saying I love all these, but how can you leave them out of
>> the history of Rock and Roll?
>They also had, what, five hours to cover forty years of music? They
>had to leave out a LOT of things.
True enough, but some things wre covered that really weren't that
important.
Over all though it was a pretty good series. Also PBS ran it without a
1/2 hour pledge break between each segment ( at least in Boston), so
thank tham for small favors.
Mg...@wave.net
wrote:
> <<Are they the same string length? A knowledgeable dealer was telling me
> that a PRS has a shorter scale than a Strat, so less tension, so easier to
> play (LP's too). Is this also true of the Tele?>>
>
> Strat/Tele scale length, nut to bridge, is 25 inches.
> Les Pauls : 24 3/4 inches
> PRS and now, Carvin: 25 inches even.
>
> Yes, you can feel it. The shorter the scale, the slacker the strings are
> at pitch. IMHO, this is one of the HUGE factors in the tone of a guitar.
>
> Steve
> SEFS...@AOL.com
Actually Strats and Teles have a 25 and a 1/2 inch scale length.
PRS falls in between.
adm...@earthlink.net
b/ bends easier
c/ all other things being equal sustains less
Keith Richards plays a tele syle guitar and if that aint rock with a
caipital R I don't know what is.
Andrew Rogers
>Let me second that emotion. His sound is as identifiable, and as copied,
>as anyone's. Without ANY pyrotechnics. One of the best ever -- he should
>be studied hard!
Fans of Steve Cropper's style should also check out the work of his spiritual
successor, Teenie Hodges of the Hi studio band. Any Al Green compilation
would be a good place to start.
Andrew
Andrew Rogers
>Cropper always played a single pick-up Esquire until the past couple of
>years when he switched to a Peavey Tele-style
Not always an Esquire - I've seen pictures of him in the Stax studio, and
he was using a rosewood-board Tele. His studio amp of choice was a Fender
Harvard.
Considering that Fender used to run his picture (along with James Burton,
Jimi Hendrix, and other Tele/Strat users of note) in their ads, I was really
surprised to read about the Peavey endorsement deal. I might have even
bought a Steve Cropper signature Tele.
Andrew
Jorge Martinez
If you play a Gibson, your sound like Gibson, if you play a
Telecaster, your sound like Telecaster, but I think that the
Stratocaster is the only guitar on the world that sounds different
on each musician.
If you want to make music with a personal touch, you should select
the StratoCaster, definitely.
Hope this helps...
Jorge.
Fulltone
Young man...you must string your strats with little-boy strings.
Andrew Rogers
> PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
> and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
> and many other fine moments.
>
> for *disco*. I consider that an important public service. I've
> always wondered how *disco* mutated from the Motown cool vibe.
It didn't - in fact, the classic Motown sound left NO direct stylistic
successor. Disco originated largely with Philadelphia producers (most
notably Gamble-Huff, but also Thom Bell), and while Motown continued to
have hits through the disco era there was no longer a "Motown Sound".
They should have stayed in Detroit...
Andrew
Bob Hester
wrote:
> In article <47oqvs$b...@ralph.vnet.net> comd...@katie.vnet.net (Computer Digest Limited) writes:
> > PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
> > and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
> > and many other fine moments.
> >
Steve Cropper. God, he was the reason I bought my first Fender Esquire back
in the mid 60s. Thanks for the nostalgia.
--
My opinions only.
SHERMAN ANGELA MAE
> : 2 Springs in a strat??????????????????
> : Young man...you must string your strats with little-boy strings.
>
> properly. Even with 10s, 2 springs are enough- though a trem-setter
> is *very* helpful in getting proper function. With more than two springs
> you lose the light floating action that's so desreable in a properly
> set up Strat.
I gotta back up full...@aol.com (his name is Mike too) on this one.
After owning and playing Strats for years, I've never seen a Strat
with any guage strings set up with 2 springs. I tried it for laughs
once (with .010s) a few years ago. I even had the springs pulling at
an angle (connected to the outside holes of the trem block and the
inside of the claw) and the trem pulled _way_ up when I strung up
the guitar and it was _way_ too loose. You can do a lot of
adjusting with the claw screws, but still, 2 springs with a vintage
style trem just moved too much and wasn't right. I use .012s now
and it takes 4 springs for the trem to float and be set up correctly.
With .010s, 3 springs pulling straight usually is the proper tension
and having the outside springs pull at an angle adds a little more
tension which, to me, is more comfortable. I like my trem to float
too, but (like Mike [fulltone] says) unless you're using .008s (tiny
little strings), I don't think 2 springs are gonna give you enough
tension.
I don't know about guitars, but Mike definitely knows about guitar
electronics. Fulltone effects are among the best out there. I've
got a Fulldrive and am gonna get a Deja'Vibe as soon as I can afford
it.
Paul (postin' from a friend's account)
Guitar & Vox
Dirty Pool in Boulder
Michael Edelman
: 2 Springs in a strat??????????????????
: Young man...you must string your strats with little-boy strings.
I suspect 'Fulltone' simply doesn't know how to set up a strat
properly. Even with 10s, 2 springs are enough- though a trem-setter
is *very* helpful in getting proper function. With more than two springs
you lose the light floating action that's so desreable in a properly
set up Strat.
--mike
Port'o'Chael
Some of us prefer a greater resistance (which also seems
to improve tuning stability, and maybe even tone a little
bit). Having tried the tremsetter, I didn't care much
for the way it created a "notch" feel at the neutral
setting. That's just me, though.
Dadblamed newsreader, anyway.
---Michael...
_____________________________ __________________________
_____________________________BGSC__________________________
My opinions are mine only,though they SHOULD be everyone's!
Daniel Stanley
>
>Fulltone (full...@aol.com) wrote:
>: 2 Springs in a strat??????????????????
>: Young man...you must string your strats with little-boy strings.
>
>I suspect 'Fulltone' simply doesn't know how to set up a strat
>properly. Even with 10s, 2 springs are enough- though a trem-setter
>is *very* helpful in getting proper function. With more than two
springs
>you lose the light floating action that's so desreable in a properly
>set up Strat.
>
Yes, but to develop that Popeye the Sailor man picking arm fore-arm that
chicks dig so much you just gotta have 5 spring in there! I heard that
SRV
used springs custom built with K-values akin to automobile shock
absorbers... that's just what I heard...
D. STANLEY
nsl...@prodigy.com
" Truth is not confusion" - XXXXX
Well, in this instance, it probably is ;-}
James D Robins
> : Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Stax' house band.
> : He is all over a TON of great records ( there MUST be a collection
> : available...)
> : This guy is no less important to guitar history than Hendrix, Chet Atkins,
> : Segovia or any other notable player of the century. ( IMHO ;-} ).
> PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
> and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
> and many other fine moments.
> It also pinpointed some of those individuals who were responsible
> for *disco*. I consider that an important public service. I've
> always wondered how *disco* mutated from the Motown cool vibe.
> John S. Shinal
> comd...@vnet.net
When I think about pre-disco R&B, I think of the Blues Brothers, with
Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn (who now plays with Clapton, etc.).
If you weren't around in the mid-60's, that was "soul" music. Steve
needed an axe to chop through a B3 and a horn section, thus the
Tele. In most R&B bands, however, the guitarist played a cherry red
Gibson 335 (see Matt "Guitar" Murphy). Got a few minutes? Pick up the
Best of Wilson Pickett and the Best of Sam and Dave. (Get funky.) Jim
--
Mike Fitzgerald
In article <1995Nov21.1...@rgfn.epcc.edu> ah...@rgfn.epcc.edu (James D Robins) writes:
> Computer Digest Limited (comd...@katie.vnet.net) wrote:
> > Daniel Stanley (NSL...@prodigy.com) wrote:
>
> > : Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Stax' house band.
> > : He is all over a TON of great records ( there MUST be a collection
> > : available...)
>
> > : This guy is no less important to guitar history than Hendrix, Chet Atkins,
> > : Segovia or any other notable player of the century. ( IMHO ;-} ).
>
> > PBS 's series "Rock and Roll" had a great segment with Cropper
> > and Donald "Duck" Dunn, talking about playing with Albert King
> > and many other fine moments.
>
>
> Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn (who now plays with Clapton, etc.).
> If you weren't around in the mid-60's, that was "soul" music. Steve
> needed an axe to chop through a B3 and a horn section, thus the
> Tele. In most R&B bands, however, the guitarist played a cherry red
> Gibson 335 (see Matt "Guitar" Murphy). Got a few minutes? Pick up the
> Best of Wilson Pickett and the Best of Sam and Dave. (Get funky.) Jim
There is a box set from Stax/Volt that has all the great stuff on it. Sam and
Dave, Otis Redding, Booker T and the MG's and Albert King. Steve Cropper is
all over it and following from there you can hear his influence on all types
of music today.
And if you think he can't burn, pick up Roy Buchanans "Loading Zone" and
listen to the version of "Green Onions" on there. I really smokes.
--
Mike Fitzgerald mrf...@GroupZ.net
No sappy sig here.
Daniel Stanley
>Strats vs. Tele's, don't forget that tele's don't have contour bodycut
in
>the back or front. If you are a larger type guy, it will cut off the
>circulation in your arm.
>
I am building a Tele style guitar w/ a body from Wormoth. For a pittance,
I asked them to countour it like a Strat. It is so purty! An option
worth looking into, IMHO.
Actually , I THINK Fender is making a production Tele w/ Strat contours.
Perhaps it is just the rib cage contour, I'm not really sure. AND I think
'70's
Tele Deluxes ( or Customs) had Strat contours.
I play a Strat mostly. One reason is the comfort of the guitar over the
long haul. I have a Tele I love for the sound, and a Les Paul that is so
fine, but the Strat is the one I take when I'm taking only one...