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Joe Bonamassa Forum → Joe's Guitars, Amps and Gear → tele, strat
ok i am lucky enough to have a strat and a tele, but i'm only learning so don't really know much
for those of you that know, what are the differences ? i know they look different and have different pick up configuration but i know there is a lot i don't know 
The Tele's pickups sound different than say a Stratocaster. The neck pickup is duller and perhaps more hollow. The '52 spec Teles have especially mellow sounding neck pickups to accomidate bass-like/rhythm tones of that era's music. I also find that Teles tend to have a slightly thicker bridge pickup but with more presense than a Strat bridge pickup. The middle selection on a Tele is less "clucky" and sounds totally different than the middle pickup on a Stratocaster. To me though, the biggest differences are the guitar's neck and bridge. Something about Telecasters make you want to play twangy riffs and do those country style bends. The bridge design allows for a lot of sustain being that it's mounted straight to the body. Don't take my word for it, try a bunch of both and see for yourself.
The Tele's pickups sound different than say a Stratocaster. The neck pickup is duller and perhaps more hollow. The '52 spec Teles have especially mellow sounding neck pickups to accomidate bass-like/rhythm tones of that era's music. I also find that Teles tend to have a slightly thicker bridge pickup but with more presense than a Strat bridge pickup. The middle selection on a Tele is less "clucky" and sounds totally different than the middle pickup on a Stratocaster. To me though, the biggest differences are the guitar's neck and bridge. Something about Telecasters make you want to play twangy riffs and do those country style bends. The bridge design allows for a lot of sustain being that it's mounted straight to the body. Don't take my word for it, try a bunch of both and see for yourself.
thanks a lot mate
It's easy.
A Tele plays both kinds of music- country AND western.
A Strat plays everything.
My question to you would be in a nice way, why did you buy the later guitar (Strat or Tele)? You must have realized it had a different feel and tone you liked, but yet you ask, just wondering?
Many great blues players use Strats (more then Tele's), but some greats like Albert Collins used Tele's. I just outfitted a Joe Strummer Tele with Fralin Blues Specials and can definetly be used for Rock and Blues. I notice a different quack in tone, but generally the biggest difference I feel is the neck radius most of the time. I don't think one should pigion hole a Tele as a Country only guitar, just go to Youtube and type in Albert Collins....enjoy.
Good luck in your learning and enjoy a life long relationship with your instruments!!
Cheers!!
P.S. Jimmy Page did many recordings in the early Zep days in studio using a Tele and Jeff Beck used one enough that Fender launched an overpriced version of his relic tele - again, far from country guitar players!!
My question to you would be in a nice way, why did you buy the later guitar (Strat or Tele)? You must have realized it had a different feel and tone you liked, but yet you ask, just wondering?
Many great blues players use Strats (more then Tele's), but some greats like Albert Collins used Tele's. I just outfitted a Joe Strummer Tele with Fralin Blues Specials and can definetly be used for Rock and Blues. I notice a different quack in tone, but generally the biggest difference I feel is the neck radius most of the time. I don't think one should pigion hole a Tele as a Country only guitar, just go to Youtube and type in Albert Collins....enjoy.
Good luck in your learning and enjoy a life long relationship with your instruments!!
Cheers!!
P.S. Jimmy Page did many recordings in the early Zep days in studio using a Tele and Jeff Beck used one enough that Fender launched an overpriced version of his relic tele - again, far from country guitar players!!
And in fairness, Gilmour recorded most of Animals with one. Stairway to heaven solo was recorded on Jimmy's brown Tele, I believe.
Just my opinion but Fenders are more use full then any other humbucking guitar.. or maybe I should say single coils for you anti fender folks. I think Telecasters have a tendacy to be too bright if put into the wrong hands but can make some of the best rock and roll sounds known to man. Strats are so human like in their voicing its scary, but the bridge pickup usually sucks... I have both now and find I like the shape of a strat better because its what I'm used to, but the boldness of my telecaster always takes command on stage over all the other instruments on stage, and I'm in a 7 piece band of noise makers! The strat has a more smooth blues sound for me but doesn't always have the power I need to stand out. The bite is what cuts through the mix.
t92780 wrote:My question to you would be in a nice way, why did you buy the later guitar (Strat or Tele)? You must have realized it had a different feel and tone you liked, but yet you ask, just wondering?
Many great blues players use Strats (more then Tele's), but some greats like Albert Collins used Tele's. I just outfitted a Joe Strummer Tele with Fralin Blues Specials and can definetly be used for Rock and Blues. I notice a different quack in tone, but generally the biggest difference I feel is the neck radius most of the time. I don't think one should pigion hole a Tele as a Country only guitar, just go to Youtube and type in Albert Collins....enjoy.
Good luck in your learning and enjoy a life long relationship with your instruments!!
Cheers!!
P.S. Jimmy Page did many recordings in the early Zep days in studio using a Tele and Jeff Beck used one enough that Fender launched an overpriced version of his relic tele - again, far from country guitar players!!
And in fairness, Gilmour recorded most of Animals with one. Stairway to heaven solo was recorded on Jimmy's brown Tele, I believe.
Yeah, and the list goes on and on. Tele's with the right pickups - for me Fralin Blues Specials and they roar.
hi jakey,
i had a strat to begin with but my brother bought the tele recently, i was always down on tele's dismissing them as just a country twang thang but i know there are some people here who really know one guitar from another so i knew by asking the question i'd get some good answers
Just my opinion but Fenders are more use full then any other humbucking guitar.. or maybe I should say single coils for you anti fender folks.
I like three single coils, two won't do it. But I happen to like P-90's better than single coils.
Strats are really versatile. I have amps that just "work" better with strats, and ones that are loyal to humbuckers... it's almost a bummer because you want all your gear to work together.
Just devil's advocate - Humbucking guitars that coil tap or can accomplish the same pickup configurations (like my Bumstead) can hang with single coil combos.
Jimmy Page wired LP's
Triple humbucker pickup guitars (like my Bumstead SG) 6-way switch
Firebirds (with three mini humbuckers)
PRS McCarty
etc.
Joe Bonamassa Forum → Joe's Guitars, Amps and Gear → tele, strat
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