A realization...

[tbeltrans]

Recently, I decided to get a Fender Telecaster since several of the jazz players I like seem to play them and they are so easy on my hands.

So, Guitar Center has an exclusive model that suits me well, the Telecaster Showcase model. Here is the link of anybody is curious about this model:

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender/...00000322506.gc

Anyway, what I came to realize is the effect that having access to so much information on the internet can have on me, and probably many of us.

I brought home the Tele and have been enjoying its extreme ease of play. But then, I started watching some youtube videos that explained various aspects of Telecasters, and found out that you can "upgrade" pickups, necks, bridges, and whatever else can possibly be upgraded.

There is a whole world of vintage Telecasters, Frankencasters, Nocasters, and everything in between. It can become a real rabbit hole that one can get lost in until the wallet and bank account are empty.

At that point, I felt I was at a fork in the road.

I could ignore all this information and continue using my Telecaster for exactly what I bought if for, which is the ability to put in hours of playing time that my acoustic would not allow because my hands get tired.

Or, I could decide that there is probably some shiny new or NOS thing that is just the ticket to put my Tele over the top as the best thing since sliced bread.

I think we come to this fork when we run into AGF forums, where at one time a single guitar or maybe two would be all we need but then after discovering the wide world of acoustic, we begin to expand our collection and worry over the smallest details we never knew existed.

Since I have been down that rabbit hole with my acoustics and have such a collection, I decided to ignore all the goodies available for my Tele and instead focus on playing and learning in the manner I intended when I bought it.

Anyway, this realization has really come into focus for me since getting my Tele. I decided to post here in the electric section because it isn't an acoustic. However, I do think that the overall idea would be just as applicable in the main acoustic area too.

Tony

[BoneDigger]

I think there are always going to be people who feel like they need to upgrade parts (especially pickups) even when it's not necessary. Instead of watching videos on the many possible upgrades, I would always recommend watching videos demonstrating the many ways that you can get different tones from a tele (or any other guitar). In other words, learn what your guitar is capable of. Then, once you have a handle on that, learn what your amp is capable of. Then, once you feel that it's time for an upgrade, you'll better understand what you need to upgrade to.

[Lillis]

That’s one nice guitar. I think it’s safe to say it doesn’t “need” any upgrades although I understand the temptation. I just picked up a new Player plus and find it so nice that the only upgrade I made was replacing the plastic tone/vol knobs with Fender metal ones. ( I imagine yours came with the metal knobs already). I would echo the advice of getting to know it well before considering any changes. Congrats.

[tbeltrans]

Thanks to you both, Bonedigger and Lillis. I am not going to do any upgrades to my Tele, but I can definitely say that the temptation was there.

I have a very specific reason to have purchased the Tele, and this particular model fit the bill very well. I like the 12" radius and rosewood fretboard. These pickups are made for this particular model and they are warmer than a typical Tele, which is perfect for the sound I want.

What I am doing with my Tele is arranging and playing chord melody. The guitar allows me to play much, much longer than I can on my acoustic guitars due to the lower tension and action.

I am sure that, over time, I will play with both my amplifier (Acoustic Image Coda Series III) and the Tele to dial in the sound, but it is basically there already so I am not worried that I need to change any hardware to get there.

My post was about the temptations that so much information provides, essentially the paradox of choice in which so much choice can lead to eternal dissatisfaction. It was an observation and I made the decision to not go down that route, just as you folks have expressed.

Tony

[raysachs]

The key is to know what you really WANT to change to make the guitar work better for YOU and leave the other stuff alone. I have a strat that started life as a stock Robert Cray hardtail. Over time I knew I liked but didn’t love the neck - I replaced it with a much beefier neck with a maple fretboard and a soft-V profile. It wasn’t even an “upgrade”, but for me it was a massive improvement. I also had it rewired so the first tone control affects the bridge and neck pickups (which are never engaged at the same time) and the second tone control is just for the middle pickup and uses a no-load pot so I can run it wide open in combination with the neck or bridge and maximize “quack”. These changes kind of make it a “partscaster”, but there really aren’t any upgrades per se, just specific changes that make it a better guitar for me, but might not for anyone else. It’s my #1 electric and has taken on a few stiff (and far more expensive) challengers and come out decisively on top each time.

-Ray

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by raysachs

The key is to know what you really WANT to change to make the guitar work better for YOU and leave the other stuff alone. I have a strat that started life as a stock Robert Cray hardtail. Over time I knew I liked but didn’t love the neck - I replaced it with a much beefier neck with a maple fretboard and a soft-V profile. It wasn’t even an “upgrade”, but for me it was a massive improvement. I also had it rewired so the first tone control affects the bridge and neck pickups (which are never engaged at the same time) and the second tone control is just for the middle pickup and uses a no-load pot so I can run it wide open in combination with the neck or bridge and maximize “quack”. These changes kind of make it a “partscaster”, but there really aren’t any upgrades per se, just specific changes that make it a better guitar for me, but might not for anyone else. It’s my #1 electric and has taken on a few stiff (and far more expensive) challengers and come out decisively on top each time.

-Ray

This seems to be what I am seeing again and again in youtube videos - folks changing the stock Tele or Strat into something suited to that player.

I like everything about my Tele at this point. If I were to change anything, it might be the pickups. There are third party vendors (there is probably a different term for this in the guitar world) who make such pickups that look just like the original Fender parts.

However, I would want to live with my guitar for some time before even considering such a change because the pickups it has from the factory sound fine to me at this point.

It is interesting to read and hear/watch all the things people to do to their guitars though. I am sure customizing is a lot of fun.

When I wrote the original post, I was thinking of posts I have seen in the main acoustic section of the forum in which some people have said that they were perfectly happy with just one guitar - until they started reading about all the different types of guitars people have in these forums. A whole new world opened up to them and suddenly, they found themselves looking for more from their instruments and finding it in still other guitars as they were acquired.

Until getting my Tele, I never really paid much attention to discussions of electric guitars. Now I see that the Tele seems almost to be a platform for experimentation and modification IF a player chooses to go that route. I intend, at least for the moment, to just play what I have before making any such decisions to modify it.

Tony

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

This seems to be what I am seeing again and again in youtube videos - folks changing the stock Tele or Strat into something suited to that player.

I like everything about my Tele at this point. If I were to change anything, it might be the pickups. There are third party vendors (there is probably a different term for this in the guitar world) who make such pickups that look just like the original Fender parts.

However, I would want to live with my guitar for some time before even considering such a change because the pickups it has from the factory sound fine to me at this point.

It is interesting to read and hear/watch all the things people to do to their guitars though. I am sure customizing is a lot of fun.

When I wrote the original post, I was thinking of posts I have seen in the main acoustic section of the forum in which some people have said that they were perfectly happy with just one guitar - until they started reading about all the different types of guitars people have in these forums. A whole new world opened up to them and suddenly, they found themselves looking for more from their instruments and finding it in still other guitars as they were acquired.

Until getting my Tele, I never really paid much attention to discussions of electric guitars. Now I see that the Tele seems almost to be a platform for experimentation and modification IF a player chooses to go that route. I intend, at least for the moment, to just play what I have before making any such decisions to modify it.

Tony

It sounds like you’re new enough to electric that you don’t have a really defined idea of what you like and don’t like yet. A tele or a strat is a great vehicle for figuring this out in time because they’re both customizable even down to easily changing out necks - I guess a jazzmaster could be too. In terms of customizing electronics / pickups, nearly any electric is a good candidate for that. I’ve done much less of that than most, but I’ve been playing strats and teles long enough to know exactly what I like and what I don’t in those and the couple of mods to my strat got it exactly how I like.

I’m one of those guys who’s always been happy with one acoustic and one electric - that’s all I’ve had most of my adult life. Currently I have two of each. On the acoustic side, I really like the variety of having one rosewood guitar and one mahogany which play very similarly (both smaller Martin’s with Mod-V necks and 24.9” scales) but sound very different. I’ve been a rosewood guy at times and a mahogany guy at times over the years, but today I’d have to say I love them both about equally and love having one of each. On the electric side I’ve owned several and I’m just a strat guy with pretty specific tastes, all of which are met by my somewhat modified strat. I also have an SG with P-90s - P90s are the only other sound I REALLY miss when I don’t have them available, but I’d be fine with just a strat.

I play the strat 90+ percent of the time. I could easily live without the SG, but I’ll never give up my strat. I’ve had teles, Les Pauls, semi-hollows (with both humbuckers and P90s), Firebirds, etc - I’ve been around the block with electrics and I’m just a strat guy through and through - it’s the only guitar I’ll always have as long as I can play even a little bit. I don’t play electric because it’s easier than acoustic - I play it because it’s a whole ‘nother instrument / sound with a nearly identical user interface. I was much more of an electric player in my youth, much more acoustic these days, but I’ve always loved and had both. In both cases I know what I like (some degree of V in the neck seems to be universal with me - on Fender necks I love a 7.25” or 9.5” radius and can’t stand 12, on Gibson type necks 12-14” is fine and on acoustic 12-16” is fine) and what I don't based on many years of playing both. If I could modify acoustics, I’d have probably done it by now, but since I can’t I’ve just gotten pretty specific about what I’ll buy because I have to get it right from day 1. With electrics there are more options.

-Ray

[Dru Edwards]

Tony, the electric guitar world has the same addiction to nuances and minutia as the acoustic world does. If you like the way your guitar plays and sounds then there's no need to go down the rabbit hole.

As you get more familiar with your Tele, if you decide you want to try and get a specific tone then you may wat to look at a different pickup, pedal, or even amp... or even another guitar. Until then, play and enjoy!

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by raysachs

It sounds like youÂ’re new enough to electric that you donÂ’t have a really defined idea of what you like and donÂ’t like yet. A tele or a strat is a great vehicle for figuring this out in time because theyÂ’re both customizable even down to easily changing out necks - I guess a jazzmaster could be too. In terms of customizing electronics / pickups, nearly any electric is a good candidate for that. IÂ’ve done much less of that than most, but IÂ’ve been playing strats and teles long enough to know exactly what I like and what I donÂ’t in those and the couple of mods to my strat got it exactly how I like.

I’m one of those guys who’s always been happy with one acoustic and one electric - that’s all I’ve had most of my adult life. Currently I have two of each. On the acoustic side, I really like the variety of having one rosewood guitar and one mahogany which play very similarly (both smaller Martin’s with Mod-V necks and 24.9” scales) but sound very different. I’ve been a rosewood guy at times and a mahogany guy at times over the years, but today I’d have to say I love them both about equally and love having one of each. On the electric side I’ve owned several and I’m just a strat guy with pretty specific tastes, all of which are met by my somewhat modified strat. I also have an SG with P-90s - P90s are the only other sound I REALLY miss when I don’t have them available, but I’d be fine with just a strat.

I play the strat 90+ percent of the time. I could easily live without the SG, but I’ll never give up my strat. I’ve had teles, Les Pauls, semi-hollows (with both humbuckers and P90s), Firebirds, etc - I’ve been around the block with electrics and I’m just a strat guy through and through - it’s the only guitar I’ll always have as long as I can play even a little bit. I don’t play electric because it’s easier than acoustic - I play it because it’s a whole ‘nother instrument / sound with a nearly identical user interface. I was much more of an electric player in my youth, much more acoustic these days, but I’ve always loved and had both. In both cases I know what I like (some degree of V in the neck seems to be universal with me - on Fender necks I love a 7.25” or 9.5” radius and can’t stand 12, on Gibson type necks 12-14” is fine and on acoustic 12-16” is fine) and what I don't based on many years of playing both. If I could modify acoustics, I’d have probably done it by now, but since I can’t I’ve just gotten pretty specific about what I’ll buy because I have to get it right from day 1. With electrics there are more options.

-Ray

Thanks Ray. Though I have played electric prior to this, I did so only when I was paid to do it (full time union musician) or when I played in a church band that liked rock for some reason.

When I played in a full time working trio (the AF of M union job), I had an inexpensive electric guitar until I found a good deal on a Gretsch Tennessean hollow body. When I played in church bands, I got both a Les Paul (the cheaper model with the natural wood finish) and a Tele. At the times I no longer needed these, I sold them since I wasn't using them anymore.

I was never drawn to electric guitar, preferring acoustic. Now, as I am getting older, I am finding that with my acoustic, I have to play for shorter periods because my hands get tired. I have either done myself (my McPherson CF guitars), or had done (my Taylors) set ups to get the action as low as possible and am using lighter gauge strings. That is still not enough at this point.

Several jazz players use Teles, so I decided to get one. I don't care for the 7.5" or even 9.5" radius on the typical Tele/Strat fretboard, but found the Tele American Showcase 12" radius to be comfortable for me. These guitars play so easy that I can play for extended periods and that solves my hands issue quite nicely.

When you talk about the different guitars and the changes you made, I get the impression (perhaps wrongly...) that you are at least part rocker and/or country picker. My interest is in solo jazz chord melody and the range of sounds I would need are rather limited.

So far, it seems that I can get the sounds I want from my Tele just as it is. The pickups in it are apparently specific to the American Showcase model, which is exclusive to Guitar Center. These seem warmer than the typical stock Fender Tele, but still retain the clarity. They are also hotter, and I suspect have more winding than is typical.

When I purchased my Tele, all I knew was that it felt better than other Teles to me and sounded more full. I didn't realize this model was unique to Guitar Center until I got home and started looking around the internet. It was a pleasant surprise to me.

Here is also where my strict "try before you buy" policy paid off. I would have never known about this guitar and the important ways it is different from the other Teles I have played by looking at an online "catalog" web site. The difference between a 9.5 and 12" radius would have meant little to me unless I had actually played both and could feel the comparison. Lucky for me, there are 4 Guitar Centers in my area, none more than a half hour drive.

So chances are that I won't be looking to modify my Tele, but instead just use it as it is. I can easily see going down the rabbit hole I described in my original post, but can also easily see that I really don't need to. To me, it is a similar rabbit hole that many of us have taken with our acoustic guitars.

Before we got involved in these forums, many of us were probably quite happy playing what we had originally purchased, and just one guitar was likely enough to keep us satisfied. Reading the forums, we find out about all these little details we never even knew existed and years and many dollars later, we realize that sometimes "ignorance is bliss" as we get caught up in looking for that perfect sound and easy playing boutique acoustic. It is this that I was observing once again, but this time with the electric guitar world.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this Tele has locking tuners. I looked these up so I know now what they are and how to use them properly. So again, no need to change those out in the future either.

Tony

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Tony, the electric guitar world has the same addiction to nuances and minutia as the acoustic world does. If you like the way your guitar plays and sounds then there's no need to go down the rabbit hole.

As you get more familiar with your Tele, if you decide you want to try and get a specific tone then you may wat to look at a different pickup, pedal, or even amp... or even another guitar. Until then, play and enjoy!

Exactly! If I do change pickups at some point in the future, I now know that I can get a nice fat tone from pickups that look otherwise just like what my Tele came with. There are a number of such vendors. However, the pickups that came with my Tele are certainly warmer than the typical Tele.

Tony

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by raysachs

It wasn’t even an “upgrade”, but for me it was a massive improvement.
-Ray

This right here. It is about finding out what works for us, and the sooner we do that the better players we will become. For me, this isn't about skill so much as it is confidence.

I hate "fighting" an instrument. If it means I need a new body style, a lighter gauge of strings, a different neck, or any combination therein, that has been the secret for me. It doesn't matter what brand, how expensive, or what the best shiny new thing is, the instrument has to be an extension of myself. I can't fake it either. I've tried. Life is too short to play an uncomfortable guitar or chase that "upgrade", which has left me disappointed more than once. Amps, pickups, pedals, tone woods can leave one's head spinning and wallet drained.

Think about all that early music we love where the artists did what they did with less.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

This right here. It is about finding out what works for us, and the sooner we do that the better players we will become. For me, this isn't about skill so much as it is confidence.

I hate "fighting" an instrument. If it means I need a new body style, a lighter gauge of strings, a different neck, or any combination therein, that has been the secret for me. It doesn't matter what brand, how expensive, or what the best shiny new thing is, the instrument has to be an extension of myself. I can't fake it either. I've tried. Life is too short to play an uncomfortable guitar or chase that "upgrade", which has left me disappointed more than once. Amps, pickups, pedals, tone woods can leave one's head spinning and wallet drained.

Think about all that early music we love where the artists did what they did with less.

This ^^^ crosses my mind often when reading all the minutia we fuss over about our guitars.

Tony

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Recently, I decided to get a Fender Telecaster since several of the jazz players I like seem to play them and they are so easy on my hands.

So, Guitar Center has an exclusive model that suits me well, the Telecaster Showcase model. Here is the link of anybody is curious about this model:

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender/...00000322506.gc

Anyway, what I came to realize is the effect that having access to so much information on the internet can have on me, and probably many of us.

I brought home the Tele and have been enjoying its extreme ease of play. But then, I started watching some youtube videos that explained various aspects of Telecasters, and found out that you can "upgrade" pickups, necks, bridges, and whatever else can possibly be upgraded.

There is a whole world of vintage Telecasters, Frankencasters, Nocasters, and everything in between. It can become a real rabbit hole that one can get lost in until the wallet and bank account are empty.

At that point, I felt I was at a fork in the road.

I could ignore all this information and continue using my Telecaster for exactly what I bought if for, which is the ability to put in hours of playing time that my acoustic would not allow because my hands get tired.

Or, I could decide that there is probably some shiny new or NOS thing that is just the ticket to put my Tele over the top as the best thing since sliced bread.

I think we come to this fork when we run into AGF forums, where at one time a single guitar or maybe two would be all we need but then after discovering the wide world of acoustic, we begin to expand our collection and worry over the smallest details we never knew existed.

Since I have been down that rabbit hole with my acoustics and have such a collection, I decided to ignore all the goodies available for my Tele and instead focus on playing and learning in the manner I intended when I bought it.

Anyway, this realization has really come into focus for me since getting my Tele. I decided to post here in the electric section because it isn't an acoustic. However, I do think that the overall idea would be just as applicable in the main acoustic area too.

Tony

Yes indeed and actually in many aspects of our first world lives .. We do have a funny conundrum, I call the "Too Much Stuff Syndrome" .

But I decided the same, and I will keep both my PRS and Tele as is, and just play them ....

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Thanks Ray. Though I have played electric prior to this, I did so only when I was paid to do it (full time union musician) or when I played in a church band that liked rock for some reason.

When I played in a full time working trio (the AF of M union job), I had an inexpensive electric guitar until I found a good deal on a Gretsch Tennessean hollow body. When I played in church bands, I got both a Les Paul (the cheaper model with the natural wood finish) and a Tele. At the times I no longer needed these, I sold them since I wasn't using them anymore.

I was never drawn to electric guitar, preferring acoustic. Now, as I am getting older, I am finding that with my acoustic, I have to play for shorter periods because my hands get tired. I have either done myself (my McPherson CF guitars), or had done (my Taylors) set ups to get the action as low as possible and am using lighter gauge strings. That is still not enough at this point.

Several jazz players use Teles, so I decided to get one. I don't care for the 7.5" or even 9.5" radius on the typical Tele/Strat fretboard, but found the Tele American Showcase 12" radius to be comfortable for me. These guitars play so easy that I can play for extended periods and that solves my hands issue quite nicely.

When you talk about the different guitars and the changes you made, I get the impression (perhaps wrongly...) that you are at least part rocker and/or country picker. My interest is in solo jazz chord melody and the range of sounds I would need are rather limited.

So far, it seems that I can get the sounds I want from my Tele just as it is. The pickups in it are apparently specific to the American Showcase model, which is exclusive to Guitar Center. These seem warmer than the typical stock Fender Tele, but still retain the clarity. They are also hotter, and I suspect have more winding than is typical.

When I purchased my Tele, all I knew was that it felt better than other Teles to me and sounded more full. I didn't realize this model was unique to Guitar Center until I got home and started looking around the internet. It was a pleasant surprise to me.

Here is also where my strict "try before you buy" policy paid off. I would have never known about this guitar and the important ways it is different from the other Teles I have played by looking at an online "catalog" web site. The difference between a 9.5 and 12" radius would have meant little to me unless I had actually played both and could feel the comparison. Lucky for me, there are 4 Guitar Centers in my area, none more than a half hour drive.

So chances are that I won't be looking to modify my Tele, but instead just use it as it is. I can easily see going down the rabbit hole I described in my original post, but can also easily see that I really don't need to. To me, it is a similar rabbit hole that many of us have taken with our acoustic guitars.

Before we got involved in these forums, many of us were probably quite happy playing what we had originally purchased, and just one guitar was likely enough to keep us satisfied. Reading the forums, we find out about all these little details we never even knew existed and years and many dollars later, we realize that sometimes "ignorance is bliss" as we get caught up in looking for that perfect sound and easy playing boutique acoustic. It is this that I was observing once again, but this time with the electric guitar world.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this Tele has locking tuners. I looked these up so I know now what they are and how to use them properly. So again, no need to change those out in the future either.

Tony

I take it back - sounds like you DO have some pretty specific preferences with electrics, based on much more experience than I gleaned from earlier posts. So, good deal that you found what you like. Anything that can keep you playing is the right thing!

And, yeah, in my earlier life I was more of a rock and blues guy and played mostly electric, although always had room for playing acoustic too. And when I play electric now, that's still what I mostly play, other than dropping lead sections into whatever tunes I've been recording. Jazz chord melody is so far beyond me as a player that I only partly understand what it is. Well, OK, I understand what it is, but that's as close as I'll get to ever doing it. And, hey, if Julian Lage and Bill Frissell can play so much great jazz with teles, it's not gonna hold anyone back!

-Ray

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I take it back - sounds like you DO have some pretty specific preferences with electrics, based on much more experience than I gleaned from earlier posts. So, good deal that you found what you like. Anything that can keep you playing is the right thing!

And, yeah, in my earlier life I was more of a rock and blues guy and played mostly electric, although always had room for playing acoustic too. And when I play electric now, that's still what I mostly play, other than dropping lead sections into whatever tunes I've been recording. Jazz chord melody is so far beyond me as a player that I only partly understand what it is. Well, OK, I understand what it is, but that's as close as I'll get to ever doing it. And, hey, if Julian Lage and Bill Frissell can play so much great jazz with teles, it's not gonna hold anyone back!

-Ray

No problem. In a sense, I am rather new to electric guitar because though I have owned a few and played them, I never paid any real attention to them. They were nothing more than tools.

But now, I need a guitar that will allow me to continue playing as my hands stiffen up with age. I felt the Tele would be the simplest of electric guitars if I could find one that suited me, and I fortunately did.

As for chord melody, I don't consider myself a true jazz guitarist. That is a lifestyle that requires real dedication and it would be disingenuous of me to pose as something I am not.

However, I enjoy studying jazz guitar and the vocabulary. For me, arranging chord melody is something akin to working out crossword puzzles or playing scrabble where you are looking for just the right harmony and texture to bring out the melody.

Though I enjoy listening to fingerstyle players, whether in open or standard tunings, especially the really accomplished players such as Satashi Gogo, I personally find playing that music rather boring as a steady diet. I enjoy the mental challenge of nice extended lush harmony and the Great American Songbook tunes are perfect for that. That is a rabbit hole I enjoy going through.

Tony