Question for Telecaster players, re: strangeness in pickup selector of 52 reissue.

[jseth]

Originally Posted by gmm55

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have to admit that after thirty years of playing I am now totally smitten with the Telecaster, and will probably end up buying it. I played Gibsons for a long time, and then Stratocasters, but never paid a moment's notice to the Telecaster. To be candid, the look never appealed to me, and so I never really spent any time with one. Having this one here in my shop where I could spend enough time with it (as opposed to trying one in a music store, which rarely allows one the opportunity to become intimately familiar with the shades of tone) changed my mind. The tone is entirely different than a Strat, and thoroughly captivates. I have also been exploring videos of top Tele players (Danny Gratton, Vince Gill, etc.,) and hear the same qualities as I am finding with this one.

Although I own neither, the Tele always seemed more appealing (tone-wise) than a Strat; the Tele is far more versatile, in my opinion. Now, the Strat makes a few sounds that you can't really get anywhere else, but I've always loved the Telecaster for all-around playability and tone.

If you're checking out players like Danny Gatton, check in on The Master, James Burton... he's the one (or one of them) who started all that stuff! Check out Roy Buchanan if you think that a Tele can't be used for Blues (also, Mike Bloomfield, Robbie Robertson)...

I was raised in Orange County, Ca. in the 50's and 60's; graduated High School from Fullerton Union High. So, I've been quite familiar with Leo's work for a long time... the Telecaster is truly iconic!

Glad you have a chance to really "get" that...

[jstegeman]

If you have a watch of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOFTWdcovtw (it's a video where they review the classic vibe series from Squier), the guy on the left (whose family owns the music store at which they are shooting the video) at some point talks about how he noticed the same thing on a classic tele and called Fender about it - he explains how the pickup was wired that way (with all the treble out of it) because there were no electric basses at the time, so you would have two guitarists, and one playing the Tele with that pickup selected to cover the bass line.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by BTF

The original circuit can be quite versatile in itself (cool quick-switching sounds). Used here by the great Stephen Stills to excellent effect ("dark tone" starting about :31):

Note that he used Gretsch instruments (with a similar preset capability) in live performances with CSNY - I had no problem duplicating his tone at the time with my '64 Double Annie...

[Tone Gopher]

Originally Posted by jseth

If you're checking out players like Danny Gatton...

FWIW, if you are into Danny Gatton's tone, know that he used Joe Barden pickups - a very different concept from the Fender single coils.

[zabdart]

Originally Posted by BTF

The original circuit can be quite versatile in itself (cool quick-switching sounds). Used here by the great Stephen Stills to excellent effect ("dark tone" starting about :31):

Hmm... I thought Stephen was playing a Les Paul on "Wooden Ships." At least that what it sounds like... but it could be an old Broadcaster.

[BTF]

I've seen Stills with Teles and Esquires. I'm sure he'd probably have a Broadcaster stashed away. I can't recall where I read that he used one on "WS", perhaps it was in Duchossoir's book or an old "Guitar Player". He certainly DID use Tele/Esquires as well as Gretsch, Strat and Firebird guitars.

As a matter of fact, if any of you have the original LP pressing of "Deja Vu", there's a pic inside of Stephen playing his old Tele!

Here's a video of him using an Esquire for those who think I'm balmy (or at least balmier than normal ). He also used a Sunburst Tele and the Esquire on the CSNY tour circa 1991:



It's of course a later performance.

[gmm55]

Originally Posted by Tone Gopher

FWIW, if you are into Danny Gatton's tone, know that he used Joe Barden pickups - a very different concept from the Fender single coils.

For as modest as my familiarity with the Telecaster is, I actually knew this from reading The Guitar Pickups Handbook by Dave Hunter. The book contains interviews with several high profile pickup makers like Lindy Fralin and Joe Barden. While the pickups are certainly quite different from Fender, I still detect much commonality between Gatton's tone and that of other Tele players, which I would attribute to construction.

[zabdart]

Originally Posted by gmm55

I have to admit that after thirty years of playing I am now totally smitten with the Telecaster, and will probably end up buying it. I played Gibsons for a long time, and then Stratocasters, but never paid a moment's notice to the Telecaster. To be candid, the look never appealed to me, and so I never really spent any time with one. Having this one here in my shop where I could spend enough time with it (as opposed to trying one in a music store, which rarely allows one the opportunity to become intimately familiar with the shades of tone) changed my mind. The tone is entirely different than a Strat, and thoroughly captivates. I have also been exploring videos of top Tele players (Danny Gratton, Vince Gill, etc.,) and hear the same qualities as I am finding with this one.

It's true, the Telecaster is a very homely looking guitar -- it's just functional as all get-out. The poetry and the beauty of the thing lies in the simplicity and directness of its design. For a guitar that looks so limited upon first inspection, the amount and variety of things it will do for you is nothing short of extraordinary. Leo designed the Telecaster to be "easy to build, easy to operate and easy to service and maintain..." and it's certainly all of that. Along the way, he came up with a design that's just about the most road-worthy guitar ever built! Finally, Teles have a tone that you just won't find in any other electric. You really don't appreciate how great they really are until you've owned and played one for a few years.

[gmm55]

There was a particular five minute interval of playing where I knew that after thirty years of trying everything but a Telecaster, I had in one brief moment become a dyed-in-the wool Tele-man.

It appears that the neck pickup is not RWRP for hum cancelling. Are there Tele's or pickup sets with one pickup wired RWRP for hum cancelling, like Strat sets for position 2 and 4? Not that I want one. I have no problem with 60 cycle hum. To me, it's part of a single coil sound. Just curious whether this is an option. I am not finding this information in looking up information about pickup sets.