all you great guitar players from around the world

i always found the neck pickup on a tele to be not twangy at all. great for blues and rock... maybe because yours is gettin on... have you considered just changing out the pickups? it would be cheaper, and may solve your twang problems.

you didn't really say what sound you are interested in, other than "less twangy". all 3 of what you have listed have their own very different sounds. you have a tele, so you know what it sounded like new. blues on the neck, country on the bridge, right?. les pauls have 2 humbuckers, a thick tone, a little warbly, heavy(tone and weight), shorter scale neck, strong rhythm guitars, especially on the low end. strats have 3 single coils which give it a distinct tone. it cuts through more than an lp, seems to have more high end punch, is noticable lighter, has a longer neck.

i own a prs with p90 pickups, which sort of splits the difference between them. p90s are single coils that sound warm and smooth, but not as thick as an lp or as piercing as a strat. plus the neck is not a bolt on, so it feels good up on the high notes. the only thing that bothers me, and lp's are this way, too, (not sure about strats)is that i bought the 22 pickup. i hate having to bend up to that high e every time.

Leear, I'm not trying to sell you anything but you really should go play a Schecter. You can get very close the sound of a Strat and a twin humbucker style guitar all in one. They play great and are about half the cost of what you are looking at. (Used is probably cheaper.)

After evaluating mine long and hard, I'm keeping mine. It sounds great and plays great and even has a two step switching system just like the Strat. But the tones are warmer if you want them to be. I'm finding it to be one of the better values for quality guitars you'll find.

I'd bet everyone here who owns a Schecter have nothing but good to say about theirs. 8)

If you want a good allrounder you could do alot worse than a fender toronado.I bought one last year for my son and I think excellent.It has two seymour duncan open humbuckers which give an incredible amount versatility.The cleans sound super clean and if rocks yer thing then the pickups are awesome when cranked.I was really amazed by it.My son picked it because he didn't want a les paul but still wanted the humbuckers and strats just weren't "cool" enough.
I would recommend this guitar to anyone.Pound for Pound it is probably the most versatile guitar you can get.And they look cool! IMO

Fender Toronado

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0260700595

I would have someone take a look at your tele. I mean, if you don't like it than you don't like it, but usually guitars seem to get better as they age. Maybe with some minor improvements it will be much better :)

Look into Carvin, you can customize your instrument for a fraction of the cost of a custom shop guitar. I've played an ae-185 for about three-four years now and its great, lots of variety in tones. You can select pups, wood, everything.

Fixing the Tele gets my vote too. New pickups will cost around £100 (what's that, $175 or something), far less than the cost of a new axe.

Best,

A :-)

+1 for fixing the Tele. If you still don't like the sound, you can still sell the Tele. If it is an American Tele, it should be worth at least $600 and probably more.

I have both tele and strat. my strat is most versitile. check that out.
I like the idea of altering your tele. alot less spendy than buying new.

maybe a humbucker in the neck position?
or keeping it single coil so you dont have to route holes in the guitar.
there arte some pretty hot single coils out there. easy to pop in.
Seymour Duncan.com
LindyFralin.com

Jason Lollar.com

there are some pretty interesting G&Ls out there to look into.
but I would stick to the same type neck and scale length that is Fenderish. that way you will not have to adjust . as in a Gibson.

well now for the long story. i have been in the studio and playing an actual Gibson Les Paul Pro.... I've loved it... I also like my tele because give it credit, old but its so cool... I have a Dimarzio Chopper in the bridge, for a while the neck pickup and bridge pickup combo this gave me I loved, but now Its worn out its welcome... Its a mexican tele, i found at a pawn shop BRAND NEW... it was still plastic wrapped with the plastic junk on the pickguard as well.. Guy said it been there for a few months I paid him 150 for it it was perfect i just changed that bridge pup.... I play country/swamp pop/rock n roll, band type deal but we dont' play that much... My christian rock band plays the most and my tele has made it happen just getting to that point now that twang No GOOD... now the neck pup on my tele combined with the drive channel on my hot rod is awesome, but thats it..lol... The wiring is messing up the pots are dirty now, jack fuerell (SP) is coming out.... I have a Strat, but like someone above stated, strats are no longer "cool" and they feel wierd to me now. I thought Nashville Tele? Schecter has crossed my mind but eh, not really me. Epi Les paul is looking good, just wondering how it do with the whole country type deal.....

I say we are christian rock, we do covers of praise songs and put our own style to them which many people have said is Southern Rock/Rolling Stones 80's music..... We are writing our own music and its sounding the same. Just that Tele tone no longer satisfys me? Am I wrong? I thought about fixing it I did, but I've alrady upgraded one PUP,

strats are no longer cool? :evil:

talk to Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton....

I've read (can't remember, too young) that everyone thought strats were passe a while back, then some guy named Stevie something came along...

I remember your post about the LP. Look into one of those, used. New ones are overpriced imo. I'm not an expert, but it sounds like the tele could use a good wiring inspection/cleaning and a new neck pu. My friend installed a humbucker in the bridge of his tele and a knifeblade humbucker in the neck and its great! Keep the single in the neck, pop a HB in the bridge (you can get knifeblades for the bridge as well) and you'll have a Gibsonish sound out of your tele, from the bridge at least. But you said you liked the neck anyway

New PU and possible routing = $250 to be liberal.
New Gibson LP = $2200 and getting yelled at by the wife. :D

But I can understand wanting a new axe. I've been playing the same one for a while, like a mentioned, and am jonesing for something different.

You might try getting a EQ ( Dano EQ =$29)
Just an idea. :idea:
Oh yea...Strats will ALWAYS be cool 8) 8) 8) :lol:

Yea strats are cool i played one today but its not me i dont like their feel.... i mean i could pay one once I get used to it, so now i've narrowed it down between epi les paul quilted top or the 60th anniverssary strat.....

I always did like the feel of a Gibson neck, I used to play a Ibenez LP back in the late 70's. You have to go with what feels right :D