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I want to get a Telecaster and a Fender amp, but I need some help/education
I play bluegrass and old time acoustic guitar (with a little banjo and mandolin on the side), and I've been wanting a Telecaster for some time. I have very little electric guitar experience though, so I'm trying to educate myself before jumping in. That's where you all come in!
I'd like to get an electric guitar for various styles of roots music (folk, country, and honkytonk) playing. My ears have always like the telecaster (especially vintage telecasters) for that type of stuff. I've also liked the what I've heard coming from the Fender vintage reissue tube amps. I live in a condo, so I don't want a big amp. I don't want to break the bank or go totally budget either. For both the guitar and the amp, I don't want to feel like I'll outgrow it, but I don't need all the best features either. The guitar must be USA-made though. (To put it into acoustic guitar terms, I'm looking for the D-18 GE or the J-45 True Vintage of Fender Telecasters and amps.) So, what models of guitar and amp should I consider? What don't I know that I really need to know to make this decision (for example: tell me about traditional tele pickups.) In the amp, I don't need a separate gain channel for what I'm looking to do, right? I'm sure there will be more questions to come, but thanks for now! |
#2
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52 tele and a non reverb tweed Princeton or 64 blackface Princeton is all you need to know
btw there are lots of kits and ptp clones of the 5f2a...so you don't need to spend the big $ for a real vintage...wander around the telecaster forums there is a ton of info. |
#3
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Thanks! |
#4
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i have the american vintage 58 tele and everyone who plays it says it is great. i usually use it thru my 59 princeton or 66 deluxe reverb. go to your big box store and play all of the teles they have as well as the fender amps. leave your wallet at home for now. do some shopping online and then make your decision. note that the amp is about 40% of your sound. the tele forum is great. here is a link. check the guitar subforum as well as the amp subfora. you may want to register and post. you'll get a lot of good info. www.tdpri.com play music!
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2014 Martin 00015M 2009 Martin 0015M 2008 Martin HD28 2007 Martin 000-18GE 2006 Taylor 712 2006 Fender Parlor GDP100 1978 Fender F65 1968 Gibson B25-12N Various Electrics Last edited by muscmp; 08-27-2017 at 03:41 PM. |
#5
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The last iteration of the American Standard Telecasters were very good instruments, and they aren't terribly expensive, especially used. The Fender Princeton Reissue is a fine amp, I owned one for a little while, but the Fender Deluxe Reverb is, IMO a better amp for just a little more money.
One of the things I would think about that may seem counterintuitive, is spend more money on the amp than the guitar. If I were on a budget, I would rather buy a nicer amp and a slightly cheaper guitar. My reasoning is that it is easier to upgrade a guitar than an amp. Guitars are more fungible.
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Bourgeois Aged Tone Vintage D Gibson CS 1958 Les Paul Std. Reissue Mason-Dixon FE 44 Combo Amp |
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#7
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Telecaster
If you have your heart set on a Fender Telecaster I will not be the one to steer you away. If you are open to other suggestions don't overlook an American made G&L ASAT Classic. They are a great instrument and flawless build quality. Most have a 1-5/8" nut which kept me from buying one since my budget was looking used and I have huge hands.
Find one with a rosewood board and give it a strum. You'll feel it all down your leg. I have an original 68 twin reverb. It's the only Fender amp I've ever owned so I can't help you with other suggestions in that department.
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1995 Collings D2H Larrivee SD-60 12 String 2014 Martin D-18 Sunburst 2014 American Standard Telecaster (Maple Board)Mystic Blue 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster (Rosewood Board) 1994 Fender 40th Anniversary Stratocaster Caribbean Mist 2011 Martin JC-16RE 50TH Anniversary 2004 Martin J-15 2011 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Red 1993 Continental TriCone |
#8
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Don't dismiss the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II. It will play everything you listed. Fantastic guitar for the money. Made in Canada.
Also check out a Bugera V22 amp. |
#9
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It is a little tighter than a standard 1 11/16 on an acoustic, or on a Gibson electric, and I do notice it. That said, if you go G&L, you can custom order what you want in the $1300-$1500 range and you can spec up to 1 3/4" nut width via the Classic Wide C neck (see neck options at above link). Or, you can get an off-the-rack Asat Classic and get a luthier to cut you a nut with 1 11/16 string spacing, too, if you don't mind getting closer to the edge. |
#10
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I'd check out http://www.tdpri.com/forums/
For guitars and amps. You mention living in an apartment. I'd start out with a small tube amp of about 5 watts and a few pedals. Put in some good tubes and play. Then, you can update your amp, assuming you want to, later. A Telecaster is an excellent choice. I had a Gibson ES135 that felt a lot like an acoustic guitar. Good luck. |
#11
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#12
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I would also look into the Squier line by Fender. Not the cheapo models (Affinity, etc.), rather something like the Squier Vintage Modified Tele Custom
which I bought last year for $400. It plays extremely well for a non - American Fender. |
#13
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I should have included a decent amp by Fener. I have the Champion 20 for $100. You should be able to get both for a bit under $500 !
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#14
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Lot of good suggestions.
I agree you don't need to break the bank on a Tele, There are great Teles out there for < $700, and you don't need a MIA. Even the Classic Vibe series (not MIA) get a lot of praise over at TDPRI. You can always swap out the pickups (Teles are the most modified guitar I know of). Regarding the amp, I'd stick with the Princeton Reverb (or Deluxe Reverb). Now you have an iconic guitar that sounds great through an iconic amp--a match made in heaven. Even if you decide you want something else later, at least you have experienced two iconic standards to compare other guitars/amps with. You'll never know how this combo sounds unless you experience it yourself. |
#15
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Nothing wrong with the Mexican standard teles. I have an '09 that is every bit as playable and tuneful as my Ron Kirn custom barnbuster. As far as Fender amps go, the cheapest tube amp in their line is the Pro Jr, and it has much of the mojo of the original champs (i.e. Just a volume control and tone knob) and has the added charm of getting loud enough to play in a band situation. You should be able to get a used late-model MIM tele for not too much (about $300-350 around here in expensive NorCal) and the amp for about the same. I guarantee you will not feel undergunned with that combo.
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