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Old 09-06-2017, 02:20 PM
Northward Northward is offline
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Default Telecaster with tremolo?

Hi

I bought an old Ibanez Telecaster last winter and must say I was surprised how easy it is to pick up and play. Teles was never a favourite of mine but I do think I get why it's such a loved instrument now.

However, I'm into a bit of ambient and Shoegazy stuff and think I'd like a tremolo for my next guitar. I also think Humbuckers or TV Jones type PUP's (my focus is clean tone).

The only Telecaster I see with a tremolo is the Godin Session. Any others worth mentioning?
I do NOT want a clunky Bigsby.

I'd wish they made the cool looking Empire with a trem.
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Old 09-06-2017, 05:42 PM
TNO TNO is offline
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Half the charm of the tele is the fixed bridge.
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Old 09-06-2017, 05:55 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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not that you can't have it, but humbuckers and tv jones are not normal pickups for teles. teles usually have bigsbys for the tremolo. sounds more like you want a gretsch.

play music!
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Old 09-06-2017, 05:57 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TNO View Post
Half the charm of the tele is the fixed bridge.
so true or more. especially with 3 saddles.

play music!
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Old 09-06-2017, 07:14 PM
Northward Northward is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by muscmp View Post
not that you can't have it, but humbuckers and tv jones are not normal pickups for teles. teles usually have bigsbys for the tremolo. sounds more like you want a gretsch.



play music!


I guess that's why Cabronita's got so popular so fast. People love the Telecaster form and playability, but preferred Gretsch PUPs. You rarely see them with tremolos though.

It's killing me how conservative the big players are. Most Stats and the likes come with terms, but nearly no Teles or SG's do.

And all those beautiful Gretsches come with those #%*}><•#!! looking Bigsbys... [emoji28]

I have a feeling the options was way better in the 80s. I find it hard to find what I want now. The marked is flooded with very much the same same same all over.
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Old 09-06-2017, 07:29 PM
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Ed-in-Ohio Ed-in-Ohio is offline
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Reverend Pete Anderson Eastsider S. IMO Reverends are the best value electrics, and this model is a killer!

reverend-pete-anderson-eastsider-s-satin-mulberry-mist.jpg
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Old 09-06-2017, 07:36 PM
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For a Fender guitar why not try a Jazzmaster/Jaguar trem unit. Apparently people have got them working with traditional Tele bridges. You might need to do a little filing to allow the strings to run behind the bridge. And of course a lot of routing...
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Old 09-06-2017, 07:41 PM
guitararmy guitararmy is offline
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Besides that Reverend model above, Tom Anderson Guitars also makes a T-style guitar with a trem.

You could build a custom tele parts-ocaster with a trem...
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Old 09-06-2017, 08:54 PM
Northward Northward is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed-in-Ohio View Post
Reverend Pete Anderson Eastsider S. IMO Reverends are the best value electrics, and this model is a killer!



Attachment 2628


Yup! This is probably a nice alternative. Never tried a Reverend and don't know much about what quality to expect.
Thanks.
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Old 09-06-2017, 08:57 PM
Northward Northward is offline
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Default Telecaster with tremolo?

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Originally Posted by moon View Post
For a Fender guitar why not try a Jazzmaster/Jaguar trem unit. Apparently people have got them working with traditional Tele bridges. You might need to do a little filing to allow the strings to run behind the bridge. And of course a lot of routing...


I have been thinking a lot about getting a Jazzmaster, but you know how it goes.. we like a guitar to speak to us. Looks and shape is important.

I don't wanna DIY experiment with stuff I have no experience doing. Been thinking for a long time about getting a custom build thing. But it'll have to wait. I can't afford it now.

Charvel seen to make some nice ones, but their Tele finishes strangely are dead boring. Weird...!as their Superstrats looks really colourful. People are puzzled about this and their headstock decisions too. I really don't get Fender at all.
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Last edited by Northward; 09-06-2017 at 09:13 PM.
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Old 09-07-2017, 12:33 AM
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Since you saw you play some shoegazey stuff, I think a Jaguar would be right up your alley.
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Old 09-07-2017, 07:55 AM
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For a Tele with a tremolo try to find the very unique Tele Deluxe Plus. They were made for a couple/few of years in the early 90's.

One guy I can think of who played one was Michael Houser from Widespread Panic before pancreatic cancer took him way too early.

His sounded great and he always said they were the most incredible guitars he ever played.
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Old 09-07-2017, 08:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Northward View Post
Hi

I bought an old Ibanez Telecaster last winter and must say I was surprised how easy it is to pick up and play. Teles was never a favourite of mine but I do think I get why it's such a loved instrument now.

However, I'm into a bit of ambient and Shoegazy stuff and think I'd like a tremolo for my next guitar. I also think Humbuckers or TV Jones type PUP's (my focus is clean tone).

The only Telecaster I see with a tremolo is the Godin Session. Any others worth mentioning?
I do NOT want a clunky Bigsby.

I'd wish they made the cool looking Empire with a trem.
You want a Duesenberg. They make the smoothest trem in the business and offer either a HB/P90 or HB/HB configuration.
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Old 09-07-2017, 09:30 AM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
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Well we live in a market that supplies most every combination of everything. The era of the single Telecaster model fades into the black&white past.

I'm as guilty as the next person in liking electric guitars as statuary, loving the colors and shapes, and I have a long, fond relationship with Telecasters. So if you want everything you want, colors, shape, pickups, trem type, etc. you can look around for it or build or commission a custom model, and it's your right to not compromise on any of your specifications.

So having said all that, it's always possible that what you think you want and the results you actually want are not the same. This isn't a knock on you or your request. It's just a universal possibly in these things, for you, me, and the next person.

Trem systems differ, sure. The Strat style bridge and it's decedents like the Wilkenson, are the most common. You likely have used them, and have some idea of their particularities. if only because of that. I've grown to like Bigbys, and since it design and designer are from the same culture that gave us the Telecaster there's some artistic consonance in using one on a Tele. The Jaguar/Jazzmaster trem design is very smooth, and once you deal with the bridge issue it's really a great system.

Here are a few "not what you think you want, but..." things to consider.

Someone's mentioned the Jaguar or the Jazzmaster. Despite the short scale, the Jaguar pickups do a pretty good bridge Tele sound, more so that most Strats. Jazzmaster pickups get something akin to the Gretsch sound. The current Squier J Mascis model is a great guitar right off the rack in my experience (and it has a TOM bridge so no finicky setup needed).

If you want the sound of Gretsch pickups, but are hesitant to do your own mods, you really should consider a Gretsch. Are you sure about Bigsby's? The current Electromatic line seems good.

It's a mod, but besides Bigsbys, there's the Stetsbar add-on trem system. I've never used one, but I used to work with a guy who said his worked well.

https://stetsbar.com/

Or course if you really want something different in the shoe gaze genre, there's always the Tele with a B-Bender. There's a sound that's just waiting to be exploited in that context!

Again, not meaning to deny you your dream guitar, just mentioning options.
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Old 09-07-2017, 10:47 AM
Northward Northward is offline
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Default Telecaster with tremolo?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankHudson View Post
Well we live in a market that supplies most every combination of everything. The era of the single Telecaster model fades into the black&white past.



I'm as guilty as the next person in liking electric guitars as statuary, loving the colors and shapes, and I have a long, fond relationship with Telecasters. So if you want everything you want, colors, shape, pickups, trem type, etc. you can look around for it or build or commission a custom model, and it's your right to not compromise on any of your specifications.



So having said all that, it's always possible that what you think you want and the results you actually want are not the same. This isn't a knock on you or your request. It's just a universal possibly in these things, for you, me, and the next person.



Trem systems differ, sure. The Strat style bridge and it's decedents like the Wilkenson, are the most common. You likely have used them, and have some idea of their particularities. if only because of that. I've grown to like Bigbys, and since it design and designer are from the same culture that gave us the Telecaster there's some artistic consonance in using one on a Tele. The Jaguar/Jazzmaster trem design is very smooth, and once you deal with the bridge issue it's really a great system.



Here are a few "not what you think you want, but..." things to consider.



Someone's mentioned the Jaguar or the Jazzmaster. Despite the short scale, the Jaguar pickups do a pretty good bridge Tele sound, more so that most Strats. Jazzmaster pickups get something akin to the Gretsch sound. The current Squier J Mascis model is a great guitar right off the rack in my experience (and it has a TOM bridge so no finicky setup needed).



If you want the sound of Gretsch pickups, but are hesitant to do your own mods, you really should consider a Gretsch. Are you sure about Bigsby's? The current Electromatic line seems good.



It's a mod, but besides Bigsbys, there's the Stetsbar add-on trem system. I've never used one, but I used to work with a guy who said his worked well.



https://stetsbar.com/



Or course if you really want something different in the shoe gaze genre, there's always the Tele with a B-Bender. There's a sound that's just waiting to be exploited in that context!



Again, not meaning to deny you your dream guitar, just mentioning options.


Thanks [emoji4]
A lot of good thoughts here and things to consider.

You are right on the fact that what we think we want and what we actually need may not be the same. Ironically I used to think Teles looked kinda weird and dated when I was young. But the design has grown on me. And I love the ease they offer.

B-bender Shoegaze - I've thought exactly about that [emoji28][emoji1303]

As for getting a Stetsbar I have read mixed reviews about them. People seem to take them off after a while.. not a good sign. I've read that they alter the sound.
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