... but is it ever a Haymaker! Smokin' holy Joe! I made that up - inside humor has to do with "Hey Joe", and Barden's Tele pickups combined. :shock:
It's about time I let my new Tele out of the bag, or from where it's locked up, in a tough Fender USA travel & road case. :?:
Quickly, let's get to the Tele, and less about me, except this is how I found it. I have used the Tele, frequently, in the last 7 - 10 years to show different opinionated guitar players, semi pro to pro (most pros know, if they have the gear, and correct finger movements) that the Tele can be a formidable instrument, easily up to the level of Gibson (Les Paul) and PRS for hard rock, and modern fusion, as well as 'sensitive', brooding underground music, whatever that's about, I haven't really figured out the Indie stuff? Anyhow, so many like Oasis go for hollow bodies, Nickelback and wannabes with PRS, hard rock players with LP's, shredders with so many others; there's a smattering of Strats out there always and generally, people think that the Tele is for Country folk, well not Keith Richards or Mike Campbell (Tom Petty), and Chrissie Hyndes - I love her! :oops:
I planned, late in 2010 on making my own design of Tele to appeal to younger players, on the street, and in our cities and towns, whether they play in their bedrooms, man caves or in bars and onstage. I wanted to 'sex up' the Tele, and make it more comfortable, cool, and heavy hitting, while it could still do what it was designed for over 60 years ago. So, modernize - in cars they call it resto-mod; upgrading an old piece with new running gear and equipment, making it smoother, sleeker.
I got in touch with Bill Callaham, Dale at Glendale guitars to see what they had already, and I did not want to knock off anyone else's ideas, plus I don't need to learn from traditionalists like Bill Nash, Jay Monterose or Robin Guitars, out of biz.
I googled Tele designs and private or small builders and came up with this, it was for sale, and I bought it. Now, it's owned, by me, same as Nash Guitars' first and only Custom Strat, #0001 - they make a good pair. I want to combine Strat and Tele features with PRS knock-out looks, and the things have to play, feel really comfortable, and be light, like a Chev Corvette!
Oh, I need to add this first. It was a single pickup "Esquire" in the video, but it is a 2 pickup Tele now; when I bought it. :!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc9Tu3Kt0Po
It has a Warmoth body, lite ash, and it's chambered, and has a maple cap. Yep, if you chamber with shaped tone-galleys inside, you have to cap it with something, and usually maple, so that's consistently cool. Add a custom spider web paint job, done like lace on 50's hot rods, and darken the candy apple a bit with black, to match the one-of-two-ever-made LACE Burgundy bridge pickups, and the neck pup is a Fender CS Texas Special. I usually don't like TS's and have made a couple of Tele pups based on them, but with a little more zing - so they are quiet, powerful, and without requiring a humbucker at the neck, while HB's are fine, and can be awesome there, when they split. I talked about that with TV Jones, with promise.
The bridge itself is modern, and I would prefer a hybrid which I have developed, as has Barden himself, but this is a nice smooth, low lying or flat profile Wilkinson Gotoh, made of brass, then black chrome plated, with 6 modern saddles, available from Stew Mac. The neck is a Fender John 5, and while it is rosewood, it is bright with all the power under the hood. It is wide, and has a 12.5" radius to play like butter, and go on a real bender! Monster of a headstock, sustains good with rare black pearl Sperzel locking tuners. The tuning keys are the pearl part, a nice cosmetic touch, like in a show piece.
It's still a Tele, but has all of the Strat contours, for the arm, and even a generous tummy cut. The pickguard is Warmoth too, and is a hybrid, or actually Tele-coustic - it lets the top vibrate, and the sound comes out better, in theory. I believe that it works, though pickups are magnetic and only pick up the strings' vibration and metal content, the strings vibrate uniquely when the wood is just right, the body is semi-hollow, and the neck joint is tight, giving it snap and snarl or bite!
Here she is, called "Spider" or "Spyder" until further names emerge, because of the paint job, or for a Porsche convertible?
Although the idea is to share the Tele concept with players of all ages and styles, or to teach an old standard some new tricks, here is the kind of stuff I am into playing right now, or some of the sounds I am getting. If you haven't got much time, the Beach Boy's solo is at 2 minutes into the old, antique song which they souped up with crazy Doug Supernaw. :lol:
And the Jayhawk's Tele solo is at 2:22 with a nice hint of steel guitar, and volume swells, like Cadillac and train horns etc.
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
I LIKE her! Kinda appeals to this older geezer too.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
I LIKE her! Kinda appeals to this older geezer too.
Me too, although I'm four days younger than Moonrider. One thing I do slightly disagree with is that the Telecaster needs sexing up - for me, it's the perfect guitar. Certainly the most versatile, anyway!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I like it!
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Thank you Moondrider, Vic and TR.
I agree that the Tele is a versatile tool as-is, please pardon the plethora of pink, but I use my little Telebuddy girl to show they're for the youngsters too. But there seems to be an age or certain styles of music that players aren't considering Teles too much for and that inspires me to do some tweaking, either with colours or electronics or both. We can't hurt the image, trying to help? :lol: Even before her time, my kids and I played the snot out of a Peavey Reactor, about 10 years, then sold it.
I have since bought a Peavey Generation "Tele" type, with 2 singles, a humbucker, 5 positions, and it's not nearly as good?
Perhaps, I'll start a thread on my first-year 1998, also-black Fender Nashville Tele, in time, as it undergoes continual mods.
I've mentioned some of my other Teles, and this isn't the time to repeat, but my 1993 MIM "Torch" is my most taken out and flogged. For whatever reason (nothing to do with Danny Gatton) it has had beer poured on it, and been splashed with flying, frying zucchini - yeah stuff that gets thrown at barn dances or parties, not flying burritos, or cow patties, thanks. :roll:
So I guess there's a few kids who like twang and nothing else will do? I think they are forced to play violin first, that helps.
She needs a pink and blue copy of Elvis' 1968 and Jimi's '69 Vintage Ace Woodstock strap even though she can't sling it? :shock:
http://www.vintageguitarstrap.net/for-sale/vintage-ace-guitar-strap-jimi-hendrix-woodstock-elvis/158/
A 1981 Tele-type, and hardtail Strat-like Bullet Deluxe will do too, as it is a beginner's type, and more light, still like a Tele.
Some may like their Tele neck which has a square heel grafted to the round pocket of a same-era, pre-83 Dan Smith Stratocaster. The mix 'n match usually works the other way, Strat neck in Tele pocket - that's been a long-time hybrid.
Now I'm very embarrassed about the pink and red background with my favorite Tele, but you get what you get, sometimes?
This is more like it Vic, a Tele that LOOKS like a Tele! 3 way switch too. I took my Highway One which I bought in 2009, and haven't put down for a year, and finally converted it to a Black Guard, and got the honorary 60th Ann. neckplate. As I see it, that didn't really cost me much, it saved $1900! - Fender's given me GAS just once too many times and I 'm already bloated.
Sorry for the hot air - you know why? I haven't been home for awhile, I miss my family & am making up for it with music. :|
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
what a treat. teles!
Blue Jay, I think I already told you in a previous thread but I love those Teles with flowers! Really I love all the Teles but those with flowers are pretty cool! Particularly the blue one!
Thanks, for another couple of die hard Tele fans chiming in - glad to hear from you guys!
I have to go and get some tasks done, and won't be here for awhile. I'll be doing that disappearing act a lot, but hope I'm always able to return and drop in, to see what condition your condition is in? I'm not so hot, sore back, gained weight, lost my family, maybe my car - I know where it is, but it's been sitting and is locked up, not running... and 2/3 of my guitars...
I'll always think of Vic, his gal and his Tele in that order. Times may be tough but where there's love there's always hope. :wink:
Anywhoo, because my wife is hounding me and always wants a piece of the action, I won't be building new Teles or updating Gretsches, or even building my new Tele bridge, which would have been so simple, since it is already blueprinted, and has a manufacturer. I could sell them myself, I have a number of web domains and they'd fit in a box the size of a cigarette pack.
Easy to stock, and ship out from a little post office - but it wasn't meant to be. I was going to live near the border, near NY and Pennsylvania, because my interests are there, and I was going to try drag racing again before I'm over the hill, that's when my wife threw me out. I've been buying and customizing these Teles anyway, trying to uppgrade my playing too, and pick a lot faster, but in a state of shock or upset, I feel like smashing everything. So, more pics while they're in 1 piece. :?
First I'd like to show more of "Spider" and the burst of pattern coming from the bridge plus the tummy cut and arm contour.
Then there's this former American Std. candy cola monstrosity with rare Emerald/Purple LACE Dually in black, and split too. I've studied the Joe Barden bridge, longer model, different spacing as well for non-vintage Telecasters with a cut out fence. Oh, I only bought the body, Warmoth PG and the electronics/Barden bridge & hot JB pup. I got a MIM Deluxe neck to match (my budget???@$250 instead of $450 for Am. Std. or Dlx. with odd compound radius) to match the feel of my Nashville Tele.
The black Nashville is a hot rod of sorts, always undergoing change. Remember the Terminator? That was one incarnation.
That "T-Rex" and "Splat!" (vintage ash body salvaged and painted by Bill Nash) attempted to take Teles to the younger set.
So, you wouldn't want to hear how many times I've changed that '98 Nashville to sound different, but now it's like a '54 Strat, except it has 5 sounds instead of 3; the neck pickup has lower K's resistance and is a little jazzy-to-vintage rock and middle Strat pickup is a ceramic with lots of high end sparkle, like Buddy Holly and the bridge is still the Tex Mex w/twang!
Next, I have a new bridge from the Bridge Works in Monongahela PA., 3 brass barrel intonated saddles and both sides, upper and lower have cut down, or scooped fences. I got a '62 upgrade neck pickup, and Robert Cray staggered, RWRP vintage colored Strat middle, and one of my favorites, as in Hwy One, an Alnico 3 bridge, wrapped in white jute and waxed.
Here's a cute company BTW, check out their customized guitar straps/music bag? Your design! http://www.heyjute.com/ #
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
These are some drool worthy teles. Im quite envious, although I do enjoy my cheapos.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Enjoying is good Roy, thanks! May you always have a comfy roof over your head and enough guitars to fill the house! :wink:
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
