Telecaster/Stratocaster: Chevy/Ford?

[Wadcutter]

I'm an all acoustic guy, don't really know squat about electric guitars except I like the way they sound. I was sitting in church earlier today watching the worship team play and noticed one of the guys was playing a Telecaster. Got me to thinking about how does a Tele differ from Strat (other than looks), and why a person would choose one over the other? Does the Tele do things the Strat doesn't and vice versa or is it pretty much personal preference visa vi Chevy/Ford? Is one preferred for different styles of music over the other? Is there a big price difference? Just wondering.

[terrapin]

You will get alot of thoughts on this. To my mind the Telecaster is like the workhorse and the Strat is multiple-purpose tool. Nothing does what a Tele does better than a Tele. Basic pallette of tones done to perfection. A big component of that is the bridge system and having the back pickup mounted in a steel plate. The Strat is much more versatile in tone options making it more user friendly. Once again, the bridge system is a big component whether or not the tremelo is floated or locked out.

Both can do what the other does, but each has definite strengths.

[catdaddy]

I won't get into the difference in sound between the two since much of the sound of an electric guitar can be determined by the different pickups that are available and by the amp that the guitar is being played through.

I prefer a Telecaster for reasons of ergonimics. I dislike the three pickup configuration of the Stratocaster. The middle pickup always seems to be in my way when I play. I like to dig in with a pick and that pickup sits right in my picking/strumming sweet spot. On the two pickup Tele the absence of the middle pickup gives me right-hand room that I really appreciate. I also don't care for the location of the volume and tone knobs on the Strat or the fact that it has a pickup switch with 5 positions- just too many options for my needs and abilities.

Having said that, I really like the sound of a Strat as long as it's being played by someone else.

[Bob Womack]

The Tele/Strat comparison is more like Chevy/Pontiac or Ford/Mercury. Fender/Gibson is more like Ford/Chevy of old.

Bob

[pitner]

Well I should point out you do need both.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The Tele/Strat comparison is more like Chevy/Pontiac or Ford/Mercury. Fender/Gibson is more like Ford/Chevy of old.

Bob

Very true.

I think basics are that they are bolt on and have 2-3 single coils. This is where there are similarities that can overlap between the two. To my ears, the Strat has a slightly more compressed sound while the Tele has a lot more twang.

If I had to pick just one, I'd probably pick a Nashville style Tele. Lots of signature twang and you also get positions 2 and 4 of a Strat. At some point, I'll probably get something along the lines of a more traditional Strat, but with a much flatter radius.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by terrapin

You will get a lot of thoughts on this. To my mind the Telecaster is like the workhorse and the Strat is multiple-purpose tool. Nothing does what a Tele does better than a Tele. Basic pallette of tones done to perfection...The Strat is much more versatile in tone options making it more user friendly...Both can do what the other does, but each has definite strengths...

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The Tele/Strat comparison is more like Chevy/Pontiac or Ford/Mercury. Fender/Gibson is more like Ford/Chevy of old.

Having owned both I would have said more like Camaro/Corvette back in the day, the Working Joe/Jane's basic boulevard blaster versus the upscale bells-&-whistles sports car - and just like the Tele/Strat both will get your attention in a hurry when you put the hammer down...

[Sasquatchman]

I think Telecasters have a skinnier nut width than strats, of course the base model has no tremolo bar.....

Really, you have to go play these things (then plug in a Les Paul) to "get" what's going on. I've played some wicked teles and some wicked strats. If I had to buy one... I'd buy a tele right now because I kind of like the raunchy tone with just a little distortion.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Sasquatchman

I think Telecasters have a skinnier nut width than Strats....

Varies from year to year in the vintage pieces, and model to model in the current lineup; I think if you play enough equivalent modern (MIM, American Standard, etc.) Teles/Strats side-by-side - there are definite (and intentional) variations between different lines as I'm sure you're aware - you won't find any more difference than would be normal between otherwise identical models within a single line...

[franchelB]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Having owned both I would have said more like Camaro/Corvette back in the day, the Working Joe/Jane's basic boulevard blaster versus the upscale bells-&-whistles sports car - and just like the Tele/Strat both will get your attention in a hurry when you put the hammer down...

And I think it's more of a Ford Mustang/F150 comparison. The Strat is like the Mustang riding around the town at night, going to the clubs and such. The Tele is like the F150 and is considered a farm vehicle.

I have both the Strat and the Tele. But I play my Tele more often! Yeah, no worries mate!!

[mikealpine]

I like guitars that give you much of both, such as a Nashville Tele and a G & L ASAT Classic S. The former has switch positions much like a Strat and requires a separate switch or push/pull pot to give you the classic neck/bridge Tele sound, whereas that mechanism is included on the G & L. For me, agree with the poster who said the center position pickup get in the way, and I had t learn to adjust.

[swsman]

I have one of each.
Strat has more comfortable body, it is easier to do volume swells, love the Strat neck pickup, on mine I have wiring modded - position one is middle coil only, position two is bridge and middle, position three is bridge only, position four is neck and bridge and position five is neck only - like having neck and bridge combined - smooth like a humbucker. I also assigned bottom tone pot to bridge pickup.
Really enjoy using it for variety of music and even do some fingerstyle playing on it.

Now onto my CVC Tele - I had always wanted a Tele, to complement Strat. This year I picked up my classic vibe for $300 out of the door, so did ok there.
Love the twang of the bridge pickup, tone control gives a lot of tonal choices, also use middle position a bit, least utilized is neck pickup only - just doesn't quite deliver like Strat neck pickup. I plan on reversing control plate around so volume and tone knobs will be upfront to help with quick access for volume swell and will do a tone pot mod. Will add electrosocket jack at some point as well.

For me Strat does things a Tele cannot do, Tele does what Strat cannot do. Love having them both.

[Wadcutter]

Learning a lot here, thanks guys!

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by terrapin

You will get alot of thoughts on this. To my mind the Telecaster is like the workhorse and the Strat is multiple-purpose tool. Nothing does what a Tele does better than a Tele. Basic pallette of tones done to perfection. A big component of that is the bridge system and having the back pickup mounted in a steel plate. The Strat is much more versatile in tone options making it more user friendly. Once again, the bridge system is a big component whether or not the tremelo is floated or locked out.

Both can do what the other does, but each has definite strengths.

I think this is really well put. The session guitarists I know, who play everything from rock to jazz to country to folk... all use a strat.

[MBE]

I remember this quote but forget who said it:

"A good tele punches and sings, while the strat stings and screams."

I always thought that was a good way to describe the tonal differences.