Telecaster quandry

[andrewsrea]

There are a ton of great Stratocasters and Strat copies. Everyday I see a plethora below $200, even a lot below $100.

I typically only see a few Telecasters in my area for sale and they are rarely below $500. What does that mean?

[mickey]

People who buy real Fenders have more dollars than sense?

[Chocol8]

It means that a lot of people who buy cheap strats often sell them. Fewer tele players buy cheap teles and flip them.

[ILuvTeles]

Teles rule!

[uwmcscott]

It means that a lot of people who buy cheap strats often sell them. Fewer tele players buy cheap teles and flip them.

I can't prove it with numbers but my guess is that cheap strats are probably the most common guitars sold in general, so there are likely a lot more used ones. Most department store or amazon "starter kids" are strat-type it seems as well. It's likely the most copied electric design in history.

[Gear_Junky]

This is a curious observation. I was never drawn to teles until recently with that Squier sale. And before clicking on that I've been checking classifieds, etc. And yes, aside from Rondo it's harder to find a good tele copy for cheap.

My first solidbody electric was a used, all black, no-name strat copy that couldn't hold tune and didn't have tone (what did I know then?). When I was buying my first new electric, it was a Yamaha Pacifica, around $200 then. These are not exact copies, just loose resemblances, but they had a "strat" and a "tele" version, but I wanted the "strat". I think I always thought that 3 pickups for the same price was better than 2 pickups? And a "free" whammy bar? And the most ubiquitous shape, the cliche of what an electric guitar looks like. Nuances come with experience, exposure, age.

I have yet to seriously play a proper telecaster, but after watching a number of videos I am convinced of it's unique coolness. And I like that it's the first [commercially successful] solidbody electric guitar, so it's kind of primal in that sense. I can't wait for mine, I hope I can "age" the neck/fretboard, I like that "vintage" tinted look. I wonder if Tru Oil would work right over the satin poly.

[Gear_Junky]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

[Gear_Junky]

People who buy real Fenders have more dollars than sense?

Now, there's no need for ad hominems, I happen to own a genuine Fender tweed guitar strap I bought used on eBay and I consider myself a very frugal person

[mickey]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

I bought this for $60 plus shipping (from Rondo) and it was NOT a B-stock.

STL3.jpg

Those were good times.

[Gear_Junky]

Mickey, that looks awesome - I almost like those SX headstocks better than Fender's. But I thought you didn't consider them guitars if they didn't have air in the middle

I think for $60 I'd be willing to learn to play lefty!

[mickey]

Mickey, that looks awesome - I almost like those SX headstocks better than Fender's. But I thought you didn't consider them guitars if they didn't have air in the middle

I think for $60 I'd be willing to learn to play lefty!

It will certainly never be one of my favorites.
When Kurt introduced the "new headstock" SX's (that everyone appears to think are butt fugly)
he closed out the remaining SX STL's out for $60 & for that price even I couldn't turn it down.

[nomadh]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

I bought this for $60 plus shipping (from Rondo) and it was NOT a B-stock.

STL3.jpg

Those were good times.

[nomadh]

Teles are a funny situation. Easier to build seen as old school. Somehow the newer model strat with contours became the cheap copy standard. Plus similar strat type deans and yamahas I think strats must outnumber tele types 6 to 1? Hell maybe 20 to 1? Kurt was genius jumping on that market 10+ years ago. I think it was 10 to 1 sx teles to strats as all the maniacs here stocked up.

[dabbler]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

I bought this for $60 plus shipping (from Rondo) and it was NOT a B-stock.

STL3.jpg

Those were good times.

Old headstock goodness! I got mine on my first trip to the store, I think, it was 2006 (my second was during the moving sale). $55, but I definitely spent more than $5 driving from the DC suburbs. Still, it was well worth the trip!

SX017.JPG

[Mossman]

There are a ton of great Stratocasters and Strat copies. Everyday I see a plethora below $200, even a lot below $100.

I typically only see a few Telecasters in my area for sale and they are rarely below $500. What does that mean?

It means once you know the joys of the Telecaster, you don't want to give it up!

With SX, Harley Benton and Squier CVs around, I rarely even look for used, budget-level, Fender-style guitars anymore (I assume you're talking about the used market?). A quick search on the LA Craigslist reflects what you're saying though. I saw two Squier Bullet Teles (both of them way overpriced), and two knock-off brands that I'd never heard of before. The rest were $1,000 and up.

I also saw a nice looking Cort Tele right at $500, but the seller is firm on that price... Because it's vintage, don't you know... 1982!

[dabbler]

I am more of a strat guy, but I will say this, a tele is a player's guitar. A strat is very forgiving, the hard bridge on the tele makes its response very direct, it will not hide sloppy playing.

[Mossman]

I have yet to seriously play a proper telecaster, but after watching a number of videos I am convinced of it's unique coolness. And I like that it's the first [commercially successful] solidbody electric guitar, so it's kind of primal in that sense.

I used to hate Telecasters... You can ask anybody here how I feel about them now.

I hope I can "age" the neck/fretboard, I like that "vintage" tinted look. I wonder if Tru Oil would work right over the satin poly.

Depends on who you ask... Some say Tru-Oil and Poly are incompatible, others say that Tru-Oil is part polyurethane and that makes them compatible. I've used Tru-Oil over poly and didn't have any issues, but you may not be satisfied with the degree to which Tru-Oil imparts a yellow tint. I used to mix in a little yellow ochre oil paint into the Tru-Oil for an aged, vintage patina:

Earthling headstock out.jpg

57 p headstock 1.JPG

[Mossman]

I am more of a strat guy, but I will say this, a tele is a player's guitar. A strat is very forgiving, the hard bridge on the tele makes its response very direct, it will not hide sloppy playing.

I think that's true of all Fender guitars. I used to prefer Gibson-style guitars and had a hard time transitioning from LPs and 335s to the Tele, because the Tele showed me how sloppy my playing was, but I always felt the Strat was the most unforgiving of all. I always felt more "exposed" when I played a Strat, and nothing about them felt or sounded "right" to me.

Of course, that opinion has changed since then.

[ILuvTeles]

Thanks [mention]Gear_Junky[/mention] - Another tele joins the fold...

[golem]

On the local used markets T styles are typically in short supply compares to S styles at any price point. I find it relatively easy to sell a tele with traditional pickups locally.

[mozz]

the hard bridge on the tele makes its response very direct, it will not hide sloppy playing.

That was my exact thought on the first one I built. Straighten up, concentrate, this guy means business.

[andrewsrea]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

I had not. Out of stock, so someone must have grabbed that up!

I would have considered it, but I am OCD picky about what I like in a Tele neck. I like the 7.5" to 9.5" radius, 1-5/8" nut, rosewood fretboard and a fat, but not clubby neck depth with a 'U' or 'V' shape. Plus I have my MiM 1968 Thinline Reissue that is plenty fine. If I were to do another Tele, it would be a pine body and I'd have the neck built to my spec.

[andrewsrea]

And I imagine you've seen this:
https://www.rondomusic.com/product10273.html

I bought this for $60 plus shipping (from Rondo) and it was NOT a B-stock.

STL3.jpg

Those were good times.

To foot-stomp how good a deal that was, in that era many of the major guitar companies were tacking on a lefty charge. And IMHO, Rondo was offering great guitar quality closer to the 'shapes' of the guitars they were copying.

[andrewsrea]

It means once you know the joys of the Telecaster, you don't want to give it up!

That was one of my conclusions. I am also thinking that overall demand for Teles is / was less than Strats. It would be interesting to see Fenders sales stats by year for Tele vs Strat.

[Mossman]

It means once you know the joys of the Telecaster, you don't want to give it up!

That was one of my conclusions. I am also thinking that overall demand for Teles is / was less than Strats. It would be interesting to see Fenders sales stats by year for Tele vs Strat.

I have no idea what the sales numbers are, but it would seem that Teles have gained in popularity over the last few years, judging by the amount of content I see on YouTube and other media. I didn't notice at first, because I just became a Tele afficianado myself a few years ago, but after a while, it has become clear that the Telecaster is a lot more popular than I thought it was.