[Noodler]

I have so many questions about Telecasters.
I first liked them from the movie Crossroads in the 1980's.

I own a Nashville Deluxe Tele, which has 3 Tex-Mex pickups. Unlike the website, the sticker on the body said it is Ash (not Alder).

So here are my questions:

1. The Tex-Mex pickups are called "Hot-Rodded" as if this is a good thing. Why is it a good thing? It sounds from what others say that vintage PUPs are better.

2. If I want a new Tele with a fatter neck (like a U or D), which model should I go for? Most models seem to come with C-shape necks, but I have stubby fingers.

3. What is it about maple necks that make them sticky in the shop? Does the stickiness go away? Can you get them without being sticky? And how much does the maple vs rosewood affect the tone?

4. What is the difference between a 3 and 6 saddle bridge, really?

5. What is the differerence between Koa, Ash, Alder, etc?

6. Are the Kluson style tuners that come with it any good?

I basically want one that sounds like Lee Kernighan or Brad Paisley, with a fatter neck, and preferably a wider nut, too. Which model would I go for next time?

[Stratrat]

Being a Tele lover myself, I'll take a shot at some o' these:

1) The hotter pickups have a more "driven" (i.e. dirty) sound. Personally, I prefer vintage pickups - you can add dirt to clean, but you can't add clean to dirt.

2) The Baja Tele has a very fat neck, but it's kind of a 'V' shape. Some like it, some hate it. The fattest neck is generally considered to be the one that comes on vintage "Nocasters" - but those are very spendy guitars! Another option is to order an aftermarket "fat" neck from a place like Warmoth, Allparts, USA Custom Guitars, etc. Warmoth has a "fat" neck that I really like (it's what I have on my 'Partscaster'), and the Allparts TMN-F neck is highly regarded by many who like fatter necks on their guitars. If you buy them pre-finished, they'll almost always bolt right on to your Tele with no mods needed - just remove and replace 4 neck screws. You can also order them with a wider nut, which addresses your issue at the end of your post. The one on my Partscaster has a 1 3/4" nut width.

3) Sometimes what makes them sticky in the shop is having fifteen million people with gooey hands playing the guitars! Seriously though - nitro finish necks can sometimes feel sticky, but they'll usually "smooth out" after you play them a bit. If not, a light rubbing with some ultra-fine steel wool will help. Some of the poly necks with gloss finish feel that way too - I prefer the "satin" poly finish just for that reason....less "stickiness".

As far as the maple vs. rosewood thing - I find that to be corksniffery. Tone freaks who can supposedly tell such differences say that maple sounds brighter than rosewood, but IMO the differences are very subtle at best unless you have highly trained and extremely sensitive ears. I'm apparently not that gifted, so the biggest difference to me is looks.

4) One has six saddles, one has three.
Seriously though....besides looking more "vintage", some say that the 3-saddle bridge offers more "twang" and more sustain. I've got a few Teles - a couple with 3-saddle and a couple with 6-saddle. Sometimes I think I can hear a difference, sometimes not. The only one that it seems I can consistently notice a difference on is my 'Partscaster', which has an aluminum saddle for the E/A strings and brass saddles for the D/G and B/E. That one seems to have more twang and resonance, but it's so subtle that you don't really notice it unless you play it side by side with a six saddle Tele - and even then, the difference isn't earth-shaking. This is another area which I feel goes into corksniffery.

The other difference is that the six-saddle bridges make intonation easier because of the individual adjustments.....that's why some people who use 3-saddle bridges go to "compensated" saddles.

5) Ahhhhh - this goes into the dreaded "tone woods" debate. This topic is hotly debated amongst tone freaks, and once again I'll call corksniffery. IMO, the biggest difference is looks - pure and simple. I doubt that very many people could tell the difference in tone between different woods if you blindfolded them and had them listen to each guitar.

One of the guys on the Telecaster board did an interesting experiment a while back. He posted a sound clip and asked people to guess what kind of wood he had used in building the guitar. Guesses were all over the board, with some offering most excellent explanations why they thought it was such-and-such wood. Turns out he built the thing out of solid MDF ("particle board"), using a modern six-saddle bridge and a "blade" pickup.....about as non-vintage as you could possibly get, yet it still "twanged".

6) Personally, I LOVE the vintage Kluson-style tuners. Much easier and cleaner than tying "knots" in your strings when you wind them, with no sharp points to stick you. I have them on two of my guitars and will probably eventually swap my other Teles out for them also.

As for having one that sounds like Brad Paisley or Lee Kernighan - the biggest factor in their sound is how they play! That goes back to the "tone is in the fingers" thing.....Brad Paisley would sound like Brad Paisley whether he was playing his Crook Custom G-Bender Tele through a Dr. Z amp, or a Squier Affinity through a solid-state Crate. Sure, the gear helps - and Brad is a serious gear-monger and "tone freak" - but the bottom line is that no particular model of Tele is going to make any of us sound just like him. He plays several different Teles, all with different pickups, through different amps (most notably an old AC-30, a Dr. Z "Z-Wreck" and Stang Ray, and a Bruno UG30), but he always sounds like Brad no matter which one he's playing.

[Noodler]

Wow! Excellent post. I learned so much!

I tried looking everywhere to find what sort of amp that red thing Brad Paisley uses. I thought it looked like a Matchless, but couldn't see in his clips. So it's a Dr. Z?

Have tried a Baja Tele. Love it, especially the neck. The one I tried had a wierd blue neck pickupup. That's the sort of neck I'm after. Got short fingers and ironically find it harder to hold, say, an F chord with a skinny neck!

Thought of replacing my neck, but there is no such thing as a replacement Tele neck with Fender on it. That's important if I ever wanted to sell it, because people buy just because of that name...and I kind of like looking down and seeing the badge there too!

Thanks for the comments about cork-sniffery. It makes me feel better about the one I chose, especially since I bought Rosewood but like twang. I was just playing along with some Muddy Waters, and it is kinda nice.

Not sure what you mean about the knots with the Klusons. I haven't changed the strings yet, so I'll take a closer look at that!

Your parts-caster sounds great.

[Stratrat]

Originally Posted by Noodler

....I tried looking everywhere to find what sort of amp that red thing Brad Paisley uses. I thought it looked like a Matchless, but couldn't see in his clips. So it's a Dr. Z?

Kinda going off on a tangent here, but since BP is one of my favorite artists (and Z's are my favorite amps!)... yeah, he plays a bunch of different Dr. Z amps. He's even played a part in the development of a couple of them (The Prescription ES and Stangray). There was a great article about him in Guitar Player magazine recently, and he is a total gear freak. His "reference" amp is an old Vox AC30 (also red, like his Dr. Z's) that he's had for many years - no matter what other amps he has, they're compared to that old AC30 because it's "his" sound. He's owned (and recorded with) numerous different models of Dr. Z amps. His "Z-Wreck" was a collaboration between Dr. Z (Mike Zaite) and the late Ken Fischer, who built Trainwreck amps (very rare, very beautiful, VERY expensive). There are only three "Z-Wrecks" in existence - Brad has two of them and Mike Zaite has the other one. I'm sure he has about a zillion other amps, but his main amps right now are his old AC30, the Dr. Z "Z-Wreck" and Stangray, another (newer) AC30 modded by Tony Bruno, and a Bruno Underground 30 (which is another AC30 derivative amp). He also has an original Fischer Trainwreck, which he says he seldom takes out on tour because it's so valuable and so rare....there are only about 100 Trainwreck amps in existance, and each one is individually named!

Originally Posted by Noodler

....Thought of replacing my neck, but there is no such thing as a replacement Tele neck with Fender on it. That's important if I ever wanted to sell it, because people buy just because of that name...and I kind of like looking down and seeing the badge there too!

Good point if resale value is important to you. I didn't care when I built my Partscaster because I'll never sell it.

Originally Posted by Noodler

....Thanks for the comments about cork-sniffery. It makes me feel better about the one I chose, especially since I bought Rosewood but like twang. I was just playing along with some Muddy Waters, and it is kinda nice.

Just remember that those are only my opinions - some would agree, while there are others who would strongly disagree with me on those points. I'm far from an expert, just another hack with an opinion.

Originally Posted by Noodler

....Not sure what you mean about the knots with the Klusons. I haven't changed the strings yet, so I'll take a closer look at that!

Klusons usually have a hole in the middle of the tuning post (going straight downward, not sideways) and a slot instead of the usual sideways hole. You cut the string to length, stick it straight down into the hole, bend the string into the slot and wrap it around the tuning post, then tune it up to pitch. It eliminates those long, loose ends on your strings that turn into sharp, blood-sucking points if you don't cut them off perfectly flush!

Originally Posted by Noodler

....Your parts-caster sounds great.

Thanks. It was my first build and I have to admit that I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Here's a couple pics of it (the sunburst in the second pic is my Hwy1 Tele):

[GuitarDad]

I have been to a few Brad Paisley concerts.....it is a guitar players concert for sure........ He not only puts on a great show but gives guitar "lessons" on just about every song.

His custom made Paisley Teles (Crookcustomguitars.com) are unique in everyway. I have chatted with his guitar tech on line on the telecaster web page.

You could contact Bill Crook at Crook Custom Guitars for more info on your request.

[Stratrat]

Yep, Bill Crook builds absolutely magnificent guitars. There are a lot of great pics of his different designs on his web page (I've visited it many times!). When I'm ready to lay down the money, I will definitely own one of his builds.

[eddiez152]

Start,
Lot of darn good info.

[knight46]

Great thread guys, thanks for all of the information.

[Noodler]

Stratrat, that Partscaster is marvellous! And my favourite colour too. I usually like blonde or natural teles and light-blue strats, but that is...well...me! So what is the body made of? Can you just buy the parts and assemble it? Was the body already that beautiful baby blue colour? (and what's that called?) Srsly, love at first sight man, well done!

There is a Tele forum I have visited before. Is this it?:

your photo while gigging...please - Telecaster Guitar Forum

I liked the pictures thread (favourited it), but I was looking to find more about the Tex-Mex pickups I bought and there wasn't much on there. I should join up.

My Nashville Tele does have that vertical hole in the Klusons, just like you said!

Here's a link to a Brisbane guy who does a few of modded Teles:

Welcome to The Guitar Repairers!

He uses wallpaper to get the pattern. Apparently it just sucks up lacquer. Interestingly, all of his Teles have gum stuff stuck on the G string right near the nut to shorten the string slightly. He reckons they all have intonation problems on that string!?

The attached thumbnail is of Jake Nickolai who cooks on his guitar. Notice 3 knobs on a Tele!? Bizarre!

[Stratrat]

Originally Posted by Noodler

....So what is the body made of? Can you just buy the parts and assemble it? Was the body already that beautiful baby blue colour? (and what's that called?) Srsly, love at first sight man, well done!

Thanks! The body is made of hard ash, and I bought it from Warmoth already painted/finished. The color is called "Sonic Blue". Yeah, you can buy the parts and assemble it - I did a thread about my build here. The body, neck and some of the parts came from Warmoth, with a few other parts coming from here and there around the 'web.

Originally Posted by Noodler

There is a Tele forum I have visited before. Is this it?:

your photo while gigging...please - Telecaster Guitar Forum

Yep, that's the one. There are some great threads about Tele builds there - I learned a lot from reading them before I started on my project. Especially look for the threads by "Buckocaster51" - he's a great builder and documents his builds very well - lots of pictures and very extensive descriptions of what he's doing.

Originally Posted by Noodler

Here's a link to a Brisbane guy who does a few of modded Teles:

Welcome to The Guitar Repairers!

He uses wallpaper to get the pattern. Apparently it just sucks up lacquer.

He has some nice looking guitars on that site. I really like the "wallpaper" guitars - they're similar in concept to Bill Crook's paisley Teles. Distinctive and beautiful!

[Noodler]

Thanks Stratrat, I've favourited your building thread. I'm looking forward to reading it. I'll have to look into the cost of parts and decide whether I might want to build one or to just buy a Fender Baja one next time, depending on cost (remembering that prices here are way different to the US).

Watching the filmclip to "Alcohol" by Mr Paisley this am, and spied a little Z on his red amp. must be that Dr Z thing you mentioned.

I've addeed an attachment which I think a lot of people will find interesting and informative (well I sure did!). It's from Fender about neck types. I think the one I like is a soft V. Its fatter than the C I have, but not flat at the back like a classical guitar which wears my thumb out.

[Stratrat]

Originally Posted by Noodler

...Watching the filmclip to "Alcohol" by Mr Paisley this am, and spied a little Z on his red amp. must be that Dr Z thing you mentioned.

Indeed. You can see the 'Z' logo on the head and cab in the pic of my amp up above. The logo is the same on all of Doc Z's amps.

Originally Posted by Noodler

...I've addeed an attachment which I think a lot of people will find interesting and informative (well I sure did!). It's from Fender about neck types. I think the one I like is a soft V. Its fatter than the C I have, but not flat at the back like a classical guitar which wears my thumb out.

Another useful reference for neck profiles can be found here on Warmoth's site. It explains a little bit about profiles and shows the differences in the ones they offer. There is a lot of good information in the FAQ's linked just to the right of the profile pics too.

[Rockerbob]

I'm a Strat and Tele guy, and I can appreciate all the strat and tele "style" guitars out there, but a real Telecaster is a heavy chunk of Ash with humming single coil pickups.

[Noodler]

Thanks for the link to the Mormoths site. I find it interesting that when asking "which neck is right for you?" they seem to say "bigger hands, fatter neck" but that's not always true. I've got stubby fingers, but find that the neck on the Baja is much more comfortable than the skinny C that I have (on all my guitars). It pulls my thumb back in behind the guitar. But the advice to base it on your friends' guitars is good advice, IMO. A great site to have a look at, ta!

The guitar I bought had a sticker on it which said the body is ash (although the website says it should be alder) so I guess that's a good thing.

My wife, lovely thing she is, picked me up a cheap delay pedal from the supermarket! (I don't know if they do that in the US, but over here that's plain odd!) So the next step is to figure out how to turn the knobs to get that 100ms single echo slapback delay for country twangin. The knobs don't have names and so far it's sounding like an experimental Pink Floyd album.

I'm still toying with the sounds this thing can get. I'd like to be able to get some of the tones from the movie "Crossroads" like "Feelin Bad Blues" by Ry Cooder. That "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" sound. Any suggestions? What about for Rolling Stones' songs? What do you use the neck pickup for?

[Noodler]

Since this last post, I've learned a bit.

The Tele I bought looks great but was the wrong one for me. "Hot-Rodded" pickups sounded great in theory, but that actually means muddy and unclear. What I should have gone for was something with standard Tele pickups.

I've also learned that you basically only really ever use the Bridge pickup for just about anything. Good thing the neck one is shiny, cos looking at it is just about all it's for!

The good thing about the Nashville ones (the one I bought) is that you have the bridge/middle position which can get some good tones.