New Fender: Strat vs Tele

[airborne1]

I couldn’t decide between a US made Strat and Tele, so, I bought both. When I play the strat it is my favorite. When I play the tele it is my favorite. Both are played through a Fender Blues Jr IV.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by GangstaPat

Ever consider a Nashville Telecaster? Here Fender tries to blend the best of both worlds.

It still maintains most of the best of the tele, except that in it's stock configuration you don't get the bridge plus neck position that the middle position on a classic tele 3-way gives you. So you have to modify it somehow to get that particular great tele sound. You could do it by reassigning either the 2 or 4 switch position, but then you lose one of the stratty "quack" positions. Or you can put some sort of toggle in there to always turn the bridge (or neck) on, so you then you can get any and every combination you'd ever want, but it gets more confusing. AND, the 2 and 4 have a bit of quack to them, but they don't quack like a strat, because the neck and bridge pickups are different enough from strat pickups that the combination with the middle pup (which IS a strat pickup) are notably different. I think a modified Nashville can make some sense for a performing tele player who just wants a bit more variety (or get a Baja, which can do a lot of the same stuff, but has more mojo, IMHO), but I don't really consider it a stand in for a strat...

I'd still go for one or the other then add the other one later. Or just go down to a MIM level, which can be awesome, and for about the price of a really good American model you have two really good Mexican models. Both the Nashville and Baja models are Mexican, BTW. I chose door #2, but there are a lot of ways to do it...

-Ray

[robj144]

Originally Posted by airborne1

I couldn’t decide between a US made Strat and Tele, so, I bought both. When I play the strat it is my favorite. When I play the tele it is my favorite. Both are played through a Fender Blues Jr IV.

But, what if you play both at the same time?

[Bob Womack]

I was a Gibson guy for years before I got my first Fender style, a G&L S-500 (tuned-up Strat).I've owned it for nearly twenty years and love it. About five yeras ago I got a Tele.

Observations: sometimes you just need a wobbly tail guitar to gently wobble chords or do some effects. You want a Strat for that. BUT... I can't emphasize the business of how different bending feels against a floating vibrato bridge. You often end up working twice as hard to get the bend you want. Also, as you bend one string up the rest go out of tune downwards, as Frank mentioned above. Most of the tuning problems where you can't get the guitar to return to pitch can be alleviated or ameliorated with locking tuners and a good nut setup, but the feel is far different from bending against a stop tailpiece.

As a result, I feel far more comfortable doing lead work on a Tele than on a Strat.

So, there are some things to chew on.

Bob

[J Patrick]

...i’ve owned more strats and teles than I can recount...dozens of them anyway...they are different enough that I will always own a strat and a tele...but...if I had to choose one...it would be a telecaster...and the reason is because for me...a tele covers all of the styles I like to play where the strat falls short....

.....I don’t find that a strat covers my jazz and country style playing as well as a tele...rock and blues are a wash between the two for me...a strat does offer the quack tones which are a plus for funk and does give you a couple of tone options you won’t get with a standard tele...but I ain’t playing much funk these days...I used to though and a strat would be my first choice if I still was...

....another thing I like about teles is that they are super easy to mod and since all four teles I currently own are premium parts-casters that I put together I have a wide range of pickup and hardware configurations to match up with various playing situations....

....but like I said...I will always have a strat and a tele...

[Dru Edwards]

Sounds like you need both a Strat and a Tele.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Sounds like you need both a Strat and a Tele.

What Dru said ^^^

[3notes]

Originally Posted by airborne1

I couldn’t decide between a US made Strat and Tele, so, I bought both. When I play the strat it is my favorite. When I play the tele it is my favorite. Both are played through a Fender Blues Jr IV.

Sweet.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I say to the OP.... If you are a really good player and can make any guitar sing, get the Tele. Anything less in terms of ability to play, I'd get the Strat because it has more tools to help make you great. Particularly if you get a Strat set up with a humbucker at the bridge.

I never gave that a thought about how bending the strings would be very different, Tele to Start. Interesting point, Bob.!! I can't play for beans so I've owned 2 Strats. I need all the help I can get. People that love their Tele's really love their Tele's. They smile a lot too.

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I was a Gibson guy for years before I got my first Fender style, a G&L S-500 (tuned-up Strat).I've owned it for nearly twenty years and love it. About five yeras ago I got a Tele.

Observations: sometimes you just need a wobbly tail guitar to gently wobble chords or do some effects. You want a Strat for that. BUT... I can't emphasize the business of how different bending feels against a floating vibrato bridge. You often end up working twice as hard to get the bend you want. Also, as you bend one string up the rest go out of tune downwards, as Frank mentioned above. Most of the tuning problems where you can't get the guitar to return to pitch can be alleviated or ameliorated with locking tuners and a good nut setup, but the feel is far different from bending against a stop tailpiece.

As a result, I feel far more comfortable doing lead work on a Tele than on a Strat.

So, there are some things to chew on.

Bob

How about a hardtail Strat.?? Makes me wonder if it would respond more like a Tele for the more experienced....

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by 3notes

How about a hardtail Strat.?? Makes me wonder if it would respond more like a Tele for the more experienced....

I reject the notion that the strat is a guitar for a beginner and a tele a guitar for advanced players. I've been playing both for years and I don't sound a bit better on a strat than I do on a tele. I've never gotten on well with a tremolo bar, so most of the strats I've had over the years, I've blocked or decked the trem. I currently have a hardtail strat. As long as you immobilize the tremolo, they all play pretty much the same. The strat is no easier or harder to play than the tele. Given similar necks and setups, I don't find that they play differently at all. They just have a different palette of sounds to draw from. Some days I'm in the mood for the strat's neck pickup and quack settings, some days I want the simplicity of a tele and the ballsy bridge pickup...

-Ray

[Jaden]

Some general impressions:

A standard strat with tremolo block decked or especially floating is more akin to a synthesized string instrument with absolutely neutral & naked tone profile that works well with added processing and effects. String touch will be soft, almost ‘loose as a goose’ - I find nothing at all hard rock about the strat - it sings and doesn’t bark or bite.

Telecaster - raw bite and bark, flat slab no contour body, bridge pickup adds attack to touch on the strings.

I own 2 Teles and no Strat and am happy with this choice and not looking to add the latter.

[bsman]

I've had many examples of each, and still have one of each. One thing I find interesting is that (at least in my experience) teles seem to hold their value better than strats. I have no idea why, but that's always been what I've found. I really love them both, so I fear I can't help decide on the basis that one is intrinsically 'better' than the other. I think you really need to pick up one of each in a store and see which one speaks to you.

[dave42]

Nashville Deluxe. 12" radius fretboard and tone. I wanted the neck/bridge option. So I swapped the bridge and middle pickup leads on the switch to end up with this...
1: Middle alone. Strat tone.
2: Standard Quack (bridge/middle) Strat tone.
3: Bridge
4: Bridge/neck
5: Neck

I don't miss middle/neck position at all. All the Strat and Tele tones anyone would want.

For me, I don't care for the volume control so close to the bridge on the Strat.

Good luck!

[GHS]

Wow! another tough one. I have one of each ( dont even play my Epiphone Les Paul anymore). and like them both However...if I were to have onlu two guitars they would be a Martin 000-15...and a Telecaster...of any brand.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by 3notes

How about a hardtail Strat.?? Makes me wonder if it would respond more like a Tele for the more experienced....

I've never had a chance to sit down with a hard tail Strat but would love to. I just wonder if the greater mass of wood on the Tele is contributing to its qualities? I've never really considered the Tele a step up from the Strat, myself. They each have things they can do.


Bob