Results 1 to 28 of 28

Thread: In search of the best and simplest Tele tone.

  1. #1
    Foot Soldier
    rocknrolldork's Avatar
    Member No
    5911
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Age
    56
    Posts
    545
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    20

    In search of the best and simplest Tele tone.

    I have always loved the sound of Telecasters. Just got a couple of mine out for the first time in too long. Tonight I'm trying a couple simple stock combos to try to get as close to some of the classic sounds from country, funk, soul and rock. I'm trying an early Mesa Studio (pre-Studio .22) 1 x 12 and a Tweed Fender Blues Deville 4 x 10. Any of you all play Telecasters? Any advice on other simple amps and/or setting to make the Tele sound like it should?

  2. #2
    Somewhere in the Shadows
    Full On Cocktard
    CSM's Avatar
    Member No
    23246
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Washington
    Age
    94
    Posts
    47
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    Try a '59 Bassman reissue as far as an amp. as for amp settings on any amp to get that tele twang drop the bass to almost nothing 2 or so bring up the mids to maybe at 6 or so. crank the treble and use very little presence. That'll keep things bright and twangy.
    "Now we gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, shit happens, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta roll with it." Vincent

  3. #3
    Banned
    132dB's At Your Service

    Member No
    25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    20' Above Water
    Posts
    10,849
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    99 black MIM Tele here, pawn prize $100.00

    Last month I stripped the finish with a heat gun, did a strat-style belly cut and armcut on the bandsaw, then picked up a Stetsbro trem for it.

    I got a '68 lead pickup and bridge for it, then picked up a Stetsbro trem for it instead with a zebra PAF from an ES-175(?) some shit.. output is a nice 8.1K.

    What I liked about it most was price, good tuners and nice stock chromey bridge.

    What I didn't like was having to rebuild the thing completely - the necks' like a baseball bat and needs a shave.. also paint was too thick and I hated the radiuses. I expect a Tele to have the sharp edges and its a shame I had to strip it down to get it back to the proper edges... the bowling-ball finish just was so thick the edges' radius grew to like 5/16" and the original 50s thru early 70s had 1/8" radiuses.

    I'm planning on doing an antique pink paisley from an old roll of wallpaper. I have enough to do dozens of tops and backs if I wanted..

    I'm using my most-used amp with it, Gallien-Kruegar GK250-ML Microlead Stereo with the stock 2x12 cab and although it's piercing twang is not beset by the EQ or solid-state output, I have a wah and an FET preamp with a tube-based treble booster to warm things up for it.

    For the record, the stock Made In Mexico pickups come from China and they are horrible.

  4. #4
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94

  5. #5
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94
    I have one of these. Run it through a clean power amp (I use a Carvin DCM 1000) and a good speaker cab and they sound wonderful.


  6. #6
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    68
    Quote Originally Posted by GAR View Post
    99 black MIM Tele here, pawn prize $100.00

    Last month I stripped the finish with a heat gun, did a strat-style belly cut and armcut on the bandsaw, then blah blah blah
    Awwwe BULLSHIT!

    STFU already!


    Let someone have a fucking thread about gear without all your self-important Mr. Know-It-All lying!

  7. #7
    Banned
    132dB's At Your Service

    Member No
    25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    20' Above Water
    Posts
    10,849
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    Coolest Tele amp, though I don't own one would be original Fender Twin.

  8. #8
    "EVERYBODY UP!!!"™
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Diamondjimi's Avatar
    Member No
    5109
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Southern Ontario
    Posts
    12,086
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    52
    Quote Originally Posted by rocknrolldork View Post
    I have always loved the sound of Telecasters. Just got a couple of mine out for the first time in too long. Tonight I'm trying a couple simple stock combos to try to get as close to some of the classic sounds from country, funk, soul and rock. I'm trying an early Mesa Studio (pre-Studio .22) 1 x 12 and a Tweed Fender Blues Deville 4 x 10. Any of you all play Telecasters? Any advice on other simple amps and/or setting to make the Tele sound like it should?
    Go with a Fender Deville. Great tone...

    Quote Originally Posted by Hardrock69 View Post
    Awwwe BULLSHIT!

    STFU already!


    Let someone have a fucking thread about gear without all your self-important Mr. Know-It-All lying!
    Is there such a thing as over-replying? Christ he just rambles and rambles. Seems like GARfail's been on the receiving end of one too many donkey punches...

    Quote Originally Posted by GAR View Post
    Coolest Tele amp, though I don't own one would be original Fender Twin.
    Yeah, maybe if you're playing in a Beach Boys cover band...

    My fav. Tele tone is with a Marshall...
    Trolls take heed...LOG OUT & FUCK OFF!!!

  9. #9
    Banned
    132dB's At Your Service

    Member No
    25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    20' Above Water
    Posts
    10,849
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    This thread ultimately develops the question "what best speaker" for a Telecaster.. and having owned an original 61 Bassman must say: the ceramic-mag Oxford that came stock is one shitty speaker.

    They turn rubbery when you go past 4 in a 2x12 configuration, using the stock Bassman which might be 22 watts.

    I don't like ceramic magnet Oxfords OR CTS's. I like the alnico's though.

  10. #10
    Kill A Commie For Mommy
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Kristy's Avatar
    Member No
    7609
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Denver, Colo
    Posts
    16,334
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    64
    Quote Originally Posted by Diamondjimi View Post


    My fav. Tele tone is with a Marshall...
    Is it just me or does Beck seem to be walking all over Clapton without even trying?

    Anyhoo, My all-time (yes all-time fav) solo by Jeff Beck was the one he played in 'Too Much To Lose' I apologize for the Spinal Tap-esque cheesy YouTube "vid" Solo starts around 1:49
    Last edited by Kristy; 02-02-2010 at 01:26 AM. Reason: because he's Jeff Beck, duh!?

  11. #11
    "EVERYBODY UP!!!"™
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Diamondjimi's Avatar
    Member No
    5109
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Southern Ontario
    Posts
    12,086
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    52
    Quote Originally Posted by Kristy View Post
    Is it just me or does Beck seem to be walking all over Clapton without even trying?
    Yeah , pretty much...

  12. #12
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    68
    Funny, I never wanted a Tele. But my Fender Lead II has a pair of single coil EMGs in it, and it's tone is so Tele-snarly it sounds like a rabid wolverine.

  13. #13
    your mother's boyfriend
    Head Fluffer
    jackassrock's Avatar
    Member No
    8310
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    cincinnati
    Age
    54
    Posts
    299
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    20
    THE classic Tele setup is as follows;

    Telecaster, Fender Tweed Deluxe.

    None more awesome. You can even throw a TS-9 in between in case you want to rock it up a bit. And don't forget the reverb. If you are going with what you've got use the Blues Deville. I have one of them too, and it will deliver a real close approximation to the classic F clean tone, should do you just right for your telecastonation.
    Last edited by jackassrock; 02-02-2010 at 10:03 AM.
    It's a shame that families should be torn apart by something as simple as....wild dogs

  14. #14
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    68
    I would tend to agree.

    My best friend had an early Tweed Twin that must have been a one off. It was a mid-50s amp, all stock parts from the factory, but it had differences that set it aside from all other production-model tweed Twins.

    Anyway, he also had an early 70s Tele, and man...that was the ultimate.

    Being an old Twin, you could turn that sucker up and it would ROAR.

  15. #15
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94

  16. #16
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94
    I got to play a GE Smith Telecaster at the Fur Peace Ranch. Great guitar. The bridge pickup is screwed into the wood so you get more sustain.

    YouTube - The G.E. Smith Telecaster®

  17. #17
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    68
    Steven Seagal has one of the Iceman's Telecasters.

  18. #18
    Cunning Linguist
    DIAMOND STATUS
    jhale667's Avatar
    Member No
    7379
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    20,929
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    82

    Wink Who knew?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hardrock69 View Post
    Steven Seagal has one of the Iceman's Telecasters.
    He's actually supposed to be a pretty decent guitarist, from what I hear...and a huge blues freak.

  19. #19
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94
    Quote Originally Posted by Hardrock69 View Post
    Steven Seagal has one of the Iceman's Telecasters.
    He's an asshole. He owned some land next to ours up in Ennis, Montana. The first thing he does is close all public access from his property which meant people didn't have access to the river anymore. In Montana there's an unwritten rule that you leave sportman's access open and the sportman closes the gates behind him. He also let the weeds grow to where they were sprouting up in neighbors pastors. He didn't pay his bills. He was obnoxious. He sold the property rumor being he had financial problems.

  20. #20
    Banned
    132dB's At Your Service

    Member No
    25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    20' Above Water
    Posts
    10,849
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Nitro Express View Post
    I got to play a GE Smith Telecaster at the Fur Peace Ranch.
    Even when he's smiling, GE Smith looks like he's taking a shit.

    Same as EVH. You shoulda smashed GE Smith over the head with a Telecaster and saved us all the discomfort of looking at him again.

  21. #21
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    68
    Quote Originally Posted by GAR View Post
    You shoulda smashed GE Smith over the head with a Telecaster and saved us all the discomfort of looking at him again.
    Why waste a good Tele on a good player? Better to use one to smash your fucking face in so nobody has to hear the farting sounds coming out of your mouth!

  22. #22
    Some cunt changd my name
    Foot Soldier
    LEFTY is Gar's Bitch's Avatar
    Member No
    25097
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    My trayler
    Age
    64
    Posts
    562
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    16
    Quote Originally Posted by Hardrock69 View Post
    Why waste a good Tele on a good player? Better to use one to smash your fucking face in so nobody has to hear the farting sounds coming out of your mouth!
    your a mean ugly man.dont you dare threaten gary or ill break my foot off in your ass tougf guy.

  23. #23
    Foot Soldier
    rocknrolldork's Avatar
    Member No
    5911
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Age
    56
    Posts
    545
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    20
    Quote Originally Posted by Nitro Express View Post
    I have one of these. Run it through a clean power amp (I use a Carvin DCM 1000) and a good speaker cab and they sound wonderful.

    That pedal looks pretty cool.

    At higher volumes the Deville was closer to what I was looking for than the Mesa. The Mesa surprised me a bit though. I got a pretty good Champ-ish sound out of it. The Mesa sounded better with the MIJ Tele and the Deville LOVED the American Tele. I wish I had recording gear on my computer so I could post sound clips. Tonight I'm trying an old Bassman setup and JCM800/1936 cab for shits and giggles. Such a simple great guitar.

    Anyone like the feel of the MIJ Tele necks? They seem to fit my hand a bit better than the American and MIM necks.

  24. #24
    Elite shredoholic
    Veteran
    kentuckyklira's Avatar
    Member No
    8269
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Germany
    Age
    57
    Posts
    1,770
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    21
    My favorite Tele tone is my 78 standard Tele through a Peavey Classic 20. Then again, I´ve never owned a Fender Twin so I can´t say how much I´d like that tone!

  25. #25
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94
    I wish I still had my Classic 20. It was a great amp. With a Tube Screamer it got great overdrive and the clean tones were great.

  26. #26
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Nitro Express's Avatar
    Member No
    7682
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Posts
    32,797
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    94
    I don't own a Telecaster but if I play my Wolfgang through my Mig 50 with the volume pot turned down, it get's this cool Tele type raunch. Actually those pickups on that guitar are very versatile and they clean up nicely with the volume knob. Using the volume knob you can milk all sorts of tones out of that guitar.

  27. #27
    Banned
    132dB's At Your Service

    Member No
    25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    20' Above Water
    Posts
    10,849
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    0
    I like the old Mig50 sounds, and I don't.

    One thing it does well is go from clean to semi-clean, to a barely-Plexi tone but not quite. And things inbetween.

    It's its' own thing, but I imagine it would do a tele very well.

  28. #28
    26-21
    ROTH ARMY ELITE

    Member No
    22484
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Home again
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,351
    Status
    Offline
    Rep Power
    31
    ...Straight through an old Princeton, no pedals. Can't get much more "Tele" than that.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Check out this TELE!
    By Sarge in forum This Is Gear Street
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 02-25-2009, 01:30 PM
  2. Any Tele Players here???
    By Don Corleone in forum This Is Gear Street
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 09-03-2007, 07:10 AM
  3. Dimarzio "Rails" for Strat & Tele
    By 25%moreCOWBELL in forum This Is Gear Street
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 10-20-2006, 12:52 PM
  4. Need a Tele neck!
    By Big Fat Sammy in forum This Is Gear Street
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 08-08-2005, 07:51 PM
  5. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 05-31-2004, 01:52 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •