Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: MrBump on July 22, 2008, 01:17:50 PM
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I'm starting a new job, and I thought I might treat myself to a new electric. It's been about 17 year since I bought my last one...
Now, I've been hankering after a Tele for some time. And I've seen a few that I like. Basically, it comes down the the Highway One, the Baja, and the custom spalted maple with 2 humbuckers.
The reason that I wanted a Tele was to get that meaty sharp grind that you can get from the bridge pickup. Which suggests the Highway 1 or the Baja - however, the finish on the spalted maple one is amazing. And since putting Nailbombs into my Charvel, I'm really lovin' the humbucker thing...
.. but then again, If I get the Highway 1, that opens up another world of BKP Tele pickups...
I'm struggling. Given that they all play really nicely, what would you guys do?
(Roo, don't bother - I know what you would do...)
:wink:
Mark.
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I've just posted this in my Rich Robinson Tele pickup thread. The Squier Classic Vibe Tele is another option. Pine body, and they're £225! Bargain!
Squier Classic Vibe Tele (http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303025507)
(http://www.squierguitars.com/products/prod_images/guitars/0303025507_xl.jpg)
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Ya see, that's great! And I think that "The Boss" set would be pretty damn cool in that...
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Yep, they'd be good!
I'm thinking Brown Sugar and a Stormy....
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I wasn't sure whether to post here or there Twinfan... here'll do...
Are they Classic Vibe Squiers out yet? I came across them on the tele forum a few weeks back and all the telephiles in the US were jumping up and down about them and getting generally excited like it was the rebirth of something or other - but the impression I've got is that they aren't available here yet.
I did a quick search just now, and they're appearing on web sites now, but none of the ones I looked at actually have any to sell!!
I want to try them (and the strats) the minute they appear :D
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If you want meaty sharp grind you should have a go on some p90 guitars :D I just got my first p90 guitar (well, I've had the guitar for ages but only just put humbucker size p90s in it) and I love the sound they have :)
Those black tele customs with maple necks and p90s look great.
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I like the fat neck on the Baja.
But I also like the thin nitro finish on the Highway One - it's not supposed to be very durable, so you'll have a relic after a year or so. :)
The Squier also looks great.
I'm not keen on the spalted one.
Not helping much, am I?
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The Classic Vibes are due in the UK shortly....
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I like the fat neck on the Baja.
But I also like the thin nitro finish on the Highway One - it's not supposed to be very durable, so you'll have a relic after a year or so. :)
The Squier also looks great.
I'm not keen on the spalted one.
Not helping much, am I?
You are, actually. I think that I'm getting carried away with the aesthetics of the spalted maple one, because it's really that sharp single coil thing that I'm after. There are some good deals out there, and I can get a pretty decent Tele and a new set of BKPs for under 500 quid. Which is a bargain.
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Have you thought about the Squier Tele Custom IIs. They have P-90s.. I bought one yesterday and it arrives tomorrow, can't wait!!
Its got a great review here
http://www.imuso.co.uk/directory/reviews/electric-guitar-reviews/fender-squier-telecaster-custom.htm
(http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~echong/images/SquierTeleCustomIIblonde.jpg)
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That's OK... not convinced though...
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I wouldn't take any notice of reviews on imuso.co.uk. "The Man in the Jar" is there to sell stuff, after all.
It does look a nice guitar, though.
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just to point out, the spalted one doesn't really sound like a tele... humbuckers, set neck, mahogany all-round etc. if you're after the tele tone, you might be disappointed.
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That Classic Vibe Squier is VERY nice! :o
But pine body?! Wonder what that sounds like?
EDIT: +1 with what Dave said re the Spalted. They are quite nice though, just not very Tele-like!
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That Classic Vibe Squier is VERY nice! :o
But pine body?! Wonder what that sounds like?
The chaps on the tele website were debating the pine, and seem to think it could well be a good thing, and that in fact some of the early esquires/etc were made out of pine type material.
I wants to play one to find out.
Off to get me teeth inspected - this might remove any funds for possible GAS excitement, though, fingers crossed...
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just to point out, the spalted one doesn't really sound like a tele... humbuckers, set neck, mahogany all-round etc. if you're after the tele tone, you might be disappointed.
Yeah, absolutely. But think what it could sound like with Warpigs and a CS...
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just to point out, the spalted one doesn't really sound like a tele... humbuckers, set neck, mahogany all-round etc. if you're after the tele tone, you might be disappointed.
Yeah, absolutely. But think what it could sound like with Warpigs and a CS...
... similar to a Les Paul with the same combo I should imagine! :wink:
Interesting, Andy, I'm quite intrigued! Must remember to try one out when they're available.
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Have you thought about the Squier Tele Custom IIs. They have P-90s.. I bought one yesterday and it arrives tomorrow, can't wait!!
Its got a great review here
http://www.imuso.co.uk/directory/reviews/electric-guitar-reviews/fender-squier-telecaster-custom.htm
BEAUTIFUL
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I was tempted by a squier custom 2, never got round to it. Made of Agathis wood, not sure if that's a good thing or not. Still can't decide if i like the mustard yellow though.
I've bought and pimped a couple of MIM fender teles, can get them cheap and for £400ish you can have one new and bkp-ed. My current number 1 has a single holydiver in the bridge. So freaking awesome.
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Yeah, absolutely. But think what it could sound like with Warpigs and a CS...
not too much like the classic telecaster tone, i'd wager! :lol:
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Hi,
I prefered the Baja... so I bought one.
Something to consider is if you like the modern Fender feel or a more vintage feel.
The Highway One has a modern 'C' neck profile with a 12" radius.
The Baja has a soft 'V' neck profile with a 9.5" radius.
The Squire Classic Vibe looks to be very good value.
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I'm getting one of those CV Telecasters. They're nuts about them on the Tele forum. They seem to be excellent guitars and not just great for the money.
I found a soundclip of one. It's been modified to an esquire but it still has the original bridge pickup.
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6706890 (http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6706890)
I'd say that's very impressive for a 'stock' Chines guitar.
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Nothing wrong with that! Lovely!
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Confused now.
Just took an extended lunch break to visit Tin Pan Ally and play some Teles.
Played a Baja, a Highway One, and what I think was a Mexican '60's reissue.
Without a doubt the Mexican reissue played and sounded better, at least to me. The one piece maple neck and fingerboard felt really good.
But I'm starting to have doubts as to whether or not I actually want that SOUND. Maybe it was the cr@p Peavey that I was playing through, but they all sounded really shrill... Maybe I've just gotten so used to my lovely rich Nailbombs...
Hmm... Not sure what to do.
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Teles are shrill, that's what they do. You need to compensate for that with the amp EQ.
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Teles are shrill, that's what they do. You need to compensate for that with the amp EQ.
Yeah, that's true - the question though is whether it's a Tele that I really want...
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Doesn't sound like it!
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You know, I think I'm edging away from it...
Maybe something Les Paul-ish with P90s? That should give me the Tele sharpness with loads more warmth...
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Gretsch Duo Jet?
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LP Special :)
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Duesenberg Starplayer TV? (see avatar)
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You know, I think I'm edging away from it...
Maybe something Les Paul-ish with P90s? That should give me the Tele sharpness with loads more warmth...
That's almost bringing you back to that Squier Tele Custom.
Or maybe you could find one of these somewhere:
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/TeleJr.jpg)
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Ah! I see this thread has taken an unexpected turn Mr Bump :lol:
It does sound like you're edging away from a tele - and you're a wise man if you can find that out for certain before you've bought one...
But just to confuse you some more though :D I think I'm probably in vaguely the same place as you, except I've owned one since February.
I've always hankered after a tele since fellow rockers in the early 80s were telling me "you can't play metal/rock on a tele". Later on I learnt about Steve Cropper and all those fine, fine guitarists - you can't do that sort of thing without a tele. I saw Johnny Cash in the late 80s before he got big again, his lead-guitarist that night did superb tele things (most of which were just "dung-tigga-dung-tigga" in nature, but it was fab). Er, who else? ...does anyone else remember the Georgia Satellites? Dan Baird, was that his name? The list goes on and on.
I owned an old squier for ages - used it live a few times, when I was doing a "Tom Petty" sort of job in a band. But it just didn't have that "twang".
Then I got the baja in february. It took me ages to find a butterscotch rather than the other colours, I tried it for 5 mins, it was ALL twang, I sighted the neck, bought it, and ran home as fast I could...
Then I discovered what all tele-lovers know - it's a beast all on it's own, and you've really got to work to make those sounds. I seriously regretted buying it for a while, especially when I got an Explorer a week later. But all the while I had "but I should like a tele" nagging away. Then one weekend I spent all day playing her, setting her up, playing her some more, adjusting amp settings (Twinfan's right btw), playing her some more... and fell in love - there was "that sound" coming out of my playing...
Sometimes I pick up the tele and it's "wot?? where's that gorgeous sound gone?". It's because I've got back into my "Les Paul" head, or whatever else I've been playing.
At the moment, if I've been playing something else all week, it takes me at least an hour on the tele to get my mind round it, and then suddenly from the next room I'll hear "that's sounding nice, which one is that?"
The sound I'm talking about is the "just on the dirty side of just breaking up" fender type amp sounds. Use the volume and tone on the guitar for clean, dirt or bite. I'm talking bends and vibrato, I'm talking staccato single note rhythm parts, etc, etc... I'm playing mainly blues, country rock, that sort of thing on it.
If that's anything like what you've been hankering after - then I'd say the tele is what you're going to want one day, but you're going to have to learn to play it like that to get those sounds - otherwise, whenever you pick it up, it is somewhat extreme and not at all what you first had in mind :lol:
Sorry for the essay (especially if I'm barking up entirely the wrong tree) but I've just got a feeling that you'll need a tele one day...
EDIT: holy-sh1t!! that thing Philly's posted is cute - wot is it? (I don't usually like the look of "exotic" teles)
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EDIT: holy-sh1t!! that thing Philly's posted is cute - wot is it? (I don't usually like the look of "exotic" teles)
It's a Tele Junior - probably a Custom Shop one, I think, because the production ones were cherry with black scratchplates. Mahogany with a set neck. :)
It wasn't in the catalogue long before they replaced it with the Tele-Sonic, which was a bit more Gretschy.
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I mentioned earlier on in the thread that I was getting a Squier Tele Custom II today...
All I can say is wow... I'm especially impressed with the out of box set up. It was perfectly in tune and the action was great. I was expecting I'd have to change the strings but the ones they came with are pretty good...
I know I just received it today so its in the honeymoon period, but I am very impressed so far. I played for a good hour and a half without putting it down getting great bluesy kind of tones... It looks great too
Anyways, if anyone is after a cheapish tele, then I highly recommend these...
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Gretsch Duo Jet?
Hmmmm........close, I think.
I've heard Mr Bump speak of: richness, Tele Sharpness, Les paul warmth and P90.
A Duo Jet with Dyna's is very tele-like with a thick single coil sound, and a Filtertron Duo Jet is slightly closer to a Les Paul but hasn't got the midrange beef. Both still rule IMHO.
But how about a Power Jet?
It has all of the above. If you want to add big midrange growl to that list, seriously have a look at the Power Jet.
I have one and it's my absolute favorite.
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I'm starting to have doubts as to whether or not I actually want that SOUND. Maybe it was the cr@p Peavey that I was playing through, but they all sounded really shrill...
The Tele is a strange one as shrill is part of the sound.
Did you do the ol' Tele trick and knock back the tone pot a little to thicken the sound?
I'd love a Power Jet but it's a lot more expensive than a Baja.
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I mentioned earlier on in the thread that I was getting a Squier Tele Custom II today...
PICS! CLIPS!
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Ah! I see this thread has taken an unexpected turn Mr Bump :lol:
It does sound like you're edging away from a tele - and you're a wise man if you can find that out for certain before you've bought one...
But just to confuse you some more though :D I think I'm probably in vaguely the same place as you, except I've owned one since February.
I've always hankered after a tele since fellow rockers in the early 80s were telling me "you can't play metal/rock on a tele". Later on I learnt about Steve Cropper and all those fine, fine guitarists - you can't do that sort of thing without a tele. I saw Johnny Cash in the late 80s before he got big again, his lead-guitarist that night did superb tele things (most of which were just "dung-tigga-dung-tigga" in nature, but it was fab). Er, who else? ...does anyone else remember the Georgia Satellites? Dan Baird, was that his name? The list goes on and on.
I owned an old squier for ages - used it live a few times, when I was doing a "Tom Petty" sort of job in a band. But it just didn't have that "twang".
Then I got the baja in february. It took me ages to find a butterscotch rather than the other colours, I tried it for 5 mins, it was ALL twang, I sighted the neck, bought it, and ran home as fast I could...
Then I discovered what all tele-lovers know - it's a beast all on it's own, and you've really got to work to make those sounds. I seriously regretted buying it for a while, especially when I got an Explorer a week later. But all the while I had "but I should like a tele" nagging away. Then one weekend I spent all day playing her, setting her up, playing her some more, adjusting amp settings (Twinfan's right btw), playing her some more... and fell in love - there was "that sound" coming out of my playing...
Sometimes I pick up the tele and it's "wot?? where's that gorgeous sound gone?". It's because I've got back into my "Les Paul" head, or whatever else I've been playing.
At the moment, if I've been playing something else all week, it takes me at least an hour on the tele to get my mind round it, and then suddenly from the next room I'll hear "that's sounding nice, which one is that?"
The sound I'm talking about is the "just on the dirty side of just breaking up" fender type amp sounds. Use the volume and tone on the guitar for clean, dirt or bite. I'm talking bends and vibrato, I'm talking staccato single note rhythm parts, etc, etc... I'm playing mainly blues, country rock, that sort of thing on it.
If that's anything like what you've been hankering after - then I'd say the tele is what you're going to want one day, but you're going to have to learn to play it like that to get those sounds - otherwise, whenever you pick it up, it is somewhat extreme and not at all what you first had in mind :lol:
Sorry for the essay (especially if I'm barking up entirely the wrong tree) but I've just got a feeling that you'll need a tele one day...
EDIT: holy-sh1t!! that thing Philly's posted is cute - wot is it? (I don't usually like the look of "exotic" teles)
Damn you!
That's EXACTLY what I was thinking - that's the sound I'm after!
I remember seeing Bruce Springsteen on TV, and he was playing some AMAZING lead lines on what looked to be a pretty stock Tele. The tone was sharp and cutting, but had real ooomph, something that really hit you in your chest... not really twang, the amp was overdriven, but THAT'S the sound that's been haunting me...
I think that you're right about living with it and getting the best out of it by tuning your amp... I suspect that it's going to sound pretty good through my 1971 Orange with the amp volume at about a quarter....
I think that I'm coming back to the Tele...
And yes, I did tame the shrill with the tone pot, again I don't think that the Peavey did it justice...
More thinking to do, I think. Appreciate the advice, as always.
(BTW Philly, that Tele with 2xP90s looks amazing...)
Mark.
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:lol::lol::lol:
I was almost sure that's where you'd be at!
Good luck with whichever way you go :D
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I've had a think, here's the plan:
We'd all love a Grestch of some sort, but it's not in the budget, so forget that for the moment.
A) Go back and get that Mex Tele (I assume it's a "budget" price?)
B) By my reckoning, you've got about a month to play it and see if you're into it (see steps C to D)
C) In about a month Twinfan gets his hands on a Classic Vibe tele and discovers that it is so "tele" like that he cannot bear to put a humbucker in it, and that now, with his baja, he has his "tele twins"
D) Twinfan will then be on the look out for another budget tele of reasonable quality to "Rich Robinson" instead (he'll probably need two eventually)
E) If your Mex tele is not a keeper (and you did look after it didn't you?) you now have a ready buyer in Twinfan. If it is a keeper, Twinfan looks elsewhere...
I know, I know, how to explain it all to the Missus - I have the very story you need:
"Hey, aren't the guys on the BKP forum just great: Twinfan's lent me one of his teles to try out for a month or so, just to see if I like it. What a great guy..."
If it's a keeper, she'll probably know as well, and a simple "wow, he sold it to me at a great price after I fell in love with it, wot a great bloke Twinfan is" will do. (Show her pictures of more expensive ones the same colour).
If it's not a keeper, obviously you'll take a small loss of some sort when you "give it back", if you need a story for that, how about "one of the guys at work is retiring and I accidentally put X notes in the collection cos they were stuck together - I only worked out what I'd done a couple of days later - I just can't go and ask for my money back now, it would be too embarrassing..."
Sorted :D
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
Sounds like a foolproof plan! What could possibly go wrong?
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Perfect. Absolutely stunning plan, with no obvious drawbacks whatsoever...
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:lol:
PMSL! Perfect plan - completely foolproof!
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hahahaha excellent idea! :lol:
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I like the cut of your jib Andy. Next time I am in bother with Mrs 38th, rather than going to Network Rails excuse committee, I shall be seeking your guidance. Btw, that Tele is very very close to my perfect guitar that I hope to acquire via the good offices of Feline one day.
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Btw, that Tele is very very close to my perfect guitar that I hope to acquire via the good offices of Feline one day.
Which one, 38th?
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I'd wait with the Mexican Tele for now.
Many guys on the TDRP (tele forum) claim the CV Tele is every bit as good as a $700.- Mexi Tele or one of the 80's MIJ Squiers.
I'm getting one as soon as it's available in europe.
I've owned a Mexi Tele, played a Lite Ash and a Squier stanfard. So expect a full review of the CV as soon as I have it and took it out for a spin.
Next I'll probably have to save for a set of Blakguards.
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^ And that there from Ratrod is the fatal flaw in my plan folks... :lol:
Assuming that they come in in sufficient numbers so that we can all have a go before the quality drops, I would also recommend waiting for the CV to appear before buying a budget tele at the moment. I have a feeling that apart from the neck being slimmer, I'm going to prefer it to my baja... and therefore have to buy one...
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I don't want to spoil the general euphoric mood :wink: , but I'm just a bit puzzled how Squier have suddenly come up with this amazing CV Tele when the rest of their stuff is fine for the price but just... okay.
They must have cut some corners somewhere.
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That picture you posted Philly-the P90 jobby.
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That P-90 Tele is a nice sounding thing, alright, and I'm thinking of getting one as a backup axe, but by the heavens, any I've tried have been stupidly heavy.
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That picture you posted Philly-the P90 jobby.
Interesting - so even though you're a Strat/Tele guy, you'd go the P-90 route for a custom jobby?
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I don't want to spoil the general euphoric mood :wink: , but I'm just a bit puzzled how Squier have suddenly come up with this amazing CV Tele when the rest of their stuff is fine for the price but just... okay.
They must have cut some corners somewhere.
that's what i'd have thought. maybe these new classic vibes are a cut above (as they are quite a large new range, so i guess it is possible). But until i can try one for myself, i'm putting all the love down, at least partly, to internet hype.
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I'm with Philly and Dave. Still; I really want to try one.
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Yeah Philly. I already have the Strat and Tele and so a P90 jobby ( I am warming to that name) would be a fine addition plus I love the tones of P90's and I think it would cover the ground I want to cover-prably more than a Strat would-plus it would look so cool too and that, after all, is more important than tone :wink:.
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Yeah Philly. I already have the Strat and Tele and so a P90 jobby ( I am warming to that name) would be a fine addition plus I love the tones of P90's and I think it would cover the ground I want to cover-prably more than a Strat would-plus it would look so cool too and that, after all, is more important than tone :wink:.
Amen to that! :) :wink:
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P-90's are the way forward. Honestly. I've put my Eggle in the hands of a lifelong Tele man, and awesome country guitarist, who swears that he'll never go back to stock single coils. As he puts it, there's a certain "ignorance" (possibly a dialect thing!) about P-90's that just kills a regular single coil.
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Dreaming for a P90 tele too!
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I'm with Philly, Dave_mc, Indy, and probably most others over these CV Squiers.
I think it IS possible that "they" have come up with a fine instrument at a very fine price, but I strongly suspect that after the initial burst, that the quality will go down - and that's the main thing that might drive me into getting one (once I tried one for myself), I don't really need another guitar right now... :roll:
I'm sure that for me, it is a case of IIGAS ("internet-induced-GAS"), it's you guys, the guys on the tele forum, etc, etc, - and I'm adding to it as well... amazing free marketing eh?
I'm with Dave though - I really want to try one.
Actually, of the four guitars in the range at the moment, it's the CV 60 strat that I'm most interested in. (I'm sure it's crossed my wife's mind that I might accidentally by both a tele and a strat if they come up to scratch, but I haven't actually admitted it out loud yet :D)
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P-90's are the way forward. Honestly. I've put my Eggle in the hands of a lifelong Tele man, and awesome country guitarist, who swears that he'll never go back to stock single coils. As he puts it, there's a certain "ignorance" (possibly a dialect thing!) about P-90's that just kills a regular single coil.
gotta love the northern ireland definition of the word "ignorant". :lol: EDIT: it's something along the lines of "rude", if anyone's interested/cares. there's kinda an element of "big and clumsy" in there too, though, sometimes.
some of our words are awesome, and there's no real exact english equivalent e.g. skite, hoke, wee, kwer (no idea if those are spelt correctly).
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Argh... now I've got P90 Tele GAS.
Is the Squire Vintage Modified Tele Custom II (snappy name) the only off-the-shelf dual P90 Tele around?
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Argh... now I've got P90 Tele GAS.
Is the Squire Vintage Modified Tele Custom II (snappy name) the only off-the-shelf dual P90 Tele around?
Its flippin great, I have barely been able to put down since I bought it
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I have always loved P90's but have only had Fender guitars and obviously I have Fenders because I love the feel and the tone and when I first came across a P90 Tele a few years back I thought that that would be the ideal set up. I have a friend in the USA who is trying to get me to buy his Gibson Les Paul Special and it is a very good price and it does have the mojo factor (his guitars are always top notch) cos he is reasonably well known. I may give in to temptation and get it as it is such a bargain. But I will still probably end up getting a Tele with them as I just love the look of Teles ( and no Roo I am not trying to bait you-I once disliked the look of them).
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Sometimes I love the look of the Teles, sometime I hate... Well, I must have many styles of guitar, because the "appeal" on me for them always change... :?
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gotta love the northern ireland definition of the word "ignorant". :lol: EDIT: it's something along the lines of "rude", if anyone's interested/cares. there's kinda an element of "big and clumsy" in there too, though, sometimes.
some of our words are awesome, and there's no real exact english equivalent e.g. skite, hoke, wee, kwer (no idea if those are spelt correctly).
Looks like it's the same as Ignorante in portuguese:
Either: a person without knowledge in something and a very rude/unpolite/rough person
isn't it?
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ah, that sounds about right. perhaps that is where it comes from. :D
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Good to see someone as fond of the oul hiberno-english as me, dave!
"Ignorant" is a bit like "hallion". hard to explain to those who don't know it, yet perfectly sensible to those who do.
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haha, i forgot about hallion!
of course, you can combine the two; you don't want to come across an ignorant hallion if you can help it.
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P-90's are the way forward. Honestly. I've put my Eggle in the hands of a lifelong Tele man, and awesome country guitarist, who swears that he'll never go back to stock single coils. As he puts it, there's a certain "ignorance" (possibly a dialect thing!) about P-90's that just kills a regular single coil.
Yeah I dont know if I'll ever go back to the smaller fender style singlecoils after using p90s, they sound like I always wanted a strat to sound but never could!
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I have a friend who got one of these (a Telesonic), but it weighed a ton!! Neither a Fender or a Gretsch in the end too, it sounded OK but not what either of us were expecting. I guess you need a hollow guitar to get the Gretsch sound.
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i'm not a fan of the fender P-90's (black doves) ... i brought some a while back and they were probably the worst pickup i have ever seen as far as construction goes. The wires from the coil actually travelled through 5mm of open air to get to the eyelets making them very delicate to handle and that wasnt helped by the smaller sized bobbin that doesnt anywhere near fill a P-90 cover. they were both quite warped as well. they didnt quite have a true P-90 sound either
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I have a friend who got one of these (a Telesonic), but it weighed a ton!! Neither a Fender or a Gretsch in the end too, it sounded OK but not what either of us were expecting. I guess you need a hollow guitar to get the Gretsch sound.
At least they should be chambered. They could have scored a homerun if they made it a thinline.
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it would be better with filtertrons me thinks!!