got my first actual Telecaster today

Comments

• ruger9

  August 2014

  Don't sweat that it's not a "high-end" tele. Fender makes some SUPER, affordable teles. Just because they are cheaper, because they were not made in America, does not mean they are lesser instruments.
  
  I love my American Standard (had it for 20 years), but my next tele will be a Classic Vibe 50's. Less than $300, American Std. neck profile, and a great guitar. (I might change the pickups, but that goes w/o saying lol)
• RogerioFerraz

  August 2014

  I can't see any mods to be made except a maybe new set of pickups in case the original ones do not suit your tastes. Other than that, enjoy the greatest guitar ever made! :-)
  
  Ruger, I have a Classic Vibe 50's myself and can't recommend it highly enough - great guitar!
• IgnatzMouse

  August 2014

  Thanks to both of you for your comments. I played it some more this morning and I think that I will like it a lot. Very different neck profile than I'm used to, but easy to adjust to. The pickups are hot, but I so far I've found that I can dial back the tone and play with the amp settings to get a wide range of tones from pretty mellow to extremely twangy, so I think there's some flexibility there. It came with .09s, and I'll probably put .10s on it and see how that works out.
• halouis

  August 2014

  congrats on the guitar. and happy belated birthday. Teles have always been my favourite. I used to do 9's on Teles and 10's on Gibby's. Guess it was the scale length difference.
  
  but once I got back into playing last winter. the tele I bought had 10's on her and I just went with that. Still have the same strings on her.
• JimCampilongo

  August 2014 edited August 2014

  Congratulations and happy birthday!
  
  pictures!
• BlueCajun

  August 2014

  Congrats! I really like American Specials, especially the jumbo frets. And the Olympic White is especially sharp looking. Mods? Depends on whether you like the Texas Special Tele pickups. I think they sound pretty good. But others may be tempted to change them, depending on their preferences.
• IgnatzMouse

  August 2014

  Thanks Jim! I've only got one picture so far; relaxin' on the front porch. But, I can't seem to upload it, no matter how small I make it! Now, an aesthetic question: stay with the black pick guard, or go with white?
  
  
• ruger9

  August 2014

  hmm... with NEW Olympic White, it could go either way. But if that finish yellows as it ages (I don't know if they do this anymore since Fender switched to poly), a white pickguard is absolutely required. LOL
  
  
• OfMythicWorlds

  August 2014

  Congrats on both getting a Tele and even more, receiving such a gift from your loving wife! Enjoy it, and play it every chance you get. (it'll grow on you)
  Say, does it occupy a nice location, out there "on display" for everyone to admire? Cuz we all know, just _looking_ at a Tele is half the fun.
• clavan

  August 2014

  I think you have a realy nice wife "ignatzMouse" "She bought you a Tele ..." wow!!
  
  My wife doesn't ;-)
  
  Btw.Congrats!!
  
  Regards
  Clavan
• IgnatzMouse

  August 2014

  Thanks everyone! I agree that my wife is pretty wonderful. She's also a fiddle & piano player so she has some understanding of the situation...
  
  I have pretty much played it constantly for the last three days, and yes, it is on display!
  
  Now I can also start to think about modifying my previous Tele knockoff (a "Vintage Reissue" guitar from the UK) which has some nice aspects to it (a Wilkinson bridge and nice locking tuners), but the electronics are off somehow (nice bridge pickup, but the next pu is not quite right and the wiring must be funky because the middle switch position sounds truly awful), and the neck (rosewood) is pretty much flat (which I don't like). So, new neck (suggestions?) and new electronics (I'm thinking of a Lollar "Charlie Christian" neck pickup and a new switching mechanism at least).
  
  But, that's an extremely back burner (no pun intended) project, because I love the new guitar, and I'd rather be playing, all things considered...
• campinout

  September 2014

  hey man congrats and happy birthday! that looks like pretty high end tele to me! I don't see whay you would need to make any mods (I do like the bridge on mine, which is the same as yours but does not have that ash tray lip...had no idea what I was buying at the time, but I do like it). I like yours the way it is though. post some pictures!
• IgnatzMouse

  September 2014

  Hey! It worked! Here's the new American Special.