Author Topic: What makes the Tele sound? (Read 6268 times)

n_mountain · « **on:** August 23, 2006, 12:08:29 PM »

Hi,
Here's a question for the guitar builders.
Suppose i have a Superstrat with Mahagony body and Maple top, bolt-on Mahogany or Maple neck.
Can i get a Tele tone just by putting tele pickups in it ? Or is the wood a problem?
I mean I know it will probably sound warmer and have less 'twang' but will it sound anything like a Tele?

Does the Tele form affect the tone at all or just the amount of wood (As long as it looks like a guitar and not an 8 lbs bar ;) ) ?

Many thanks :)

PhilKing · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2006, 12:25:49 PM »

You need a hardtail strat to start to get close to a Tele sound, but even that won't work because the pickups are very different. The bridge pickup is wider than a Strat and at a different angle to the Strat bridge too. IMHO this is the pickup which gives the Tele most of its sound. Then of course you have to have the neck and bridge pickups on together (though you can do this with a superswitch).

With a tremelo guitar you will never really get the Tele sustain, even though you can get some similar sounds from the neck pickup.

n_mountain · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2006, 01:04:29 PM »

Thanks Philking,
yeah, with superstrat I just meant the basic form, no tremolo.
Would ANY hardtail work?
I read that the Tele bridge is also important.

basically I'm more interested in the Tele neck tone, so I was thinking something like a neck tele single plus a splittable bridge humbucker (cause i also want some fat rhythms :)) and a superswitch.
Do the tele neck sc sound very different than other (strat) neck sc?

WezV · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2006, 01:51:13 PM »

Some people say the tele bridge is important because it is only attached by a few screws near the back, the rest (and importantly the bit holding the pickup) is free floating. Not sure i agree with it but havig that huge chunk ofmetal has got to affect the sound to some degree. The metal plate on the bass of the bridge pickup is also considered important. The tele neck pickups are different to strats mainly because they are narrower and therefore 'see' less of the string and usually have less windings. Its not gong to sound exactlty like a tele with the mahognay body but you might get close

n_mountain · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2006, 09:33:09 PM »

Stupid question, but are Tele neck sc different size than strat neck sc?

Searcher · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2006, 11:12:15 PM »

The traditional Tele neck pickup is a lipstick pickup. I dunno exactly how they are different to standard single coils, though they look narrower and are covered. How much that changes the sound I don't know.

deg0ey · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2006, 11:22:49 PM »

I know it's probably considered blasphemy by many around here, but I almost exclusively use the neck pickup of my tele...

To me, the neck pickup in the tele sounds more like a split 'bucker than the strat style single coil. Gives a slightly warmer tone methinks :drink:

Tellboy · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2006, 09:00:58 AM »

Just a point regarding split humbuckers (I have 2 guitars with these fitted) - although the split coil will give a good 'single coil' sound don't expect it to sound exactly like a Tele (or a Strat). Humbuckers usually have a single bar magnet at the bottom of the coils with slugs/screws passing through the coils to form pole pieces whereas single coils have the coils wound around 6 individual magnets and therefore usually have a stronger magnetic field.

Ratrod · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2006, 10:47:15 AM »

What makes a Tele sound like a Tele is mostly it's pickup, mounted in a metal plate on the body. Some Tele's are equipped with a Bigsby and still sound like a Tele. The body shape is an important factor as well.

Muzzzz · « **Reply #9 on:** August 25, 2006, 04:00:55 AM »

Most teles also have the string-through-body system, which is supposed to add sustain. bigsbys are cr@p.

hunter · « **Reply #10 on:** August 25, 2006, 08:04:04 AM »

The Tele is a big chunk of wood, the body is much thicker than teh Strat. This adds a lot to the oomph. I recently played a Tele and it was very very close to a good les paul on the neck PU.

n_mountain · « **Reply #11 on:** August 25, 2006, 03:37:31 PM »

hey, thanks for all the information!! :D

n_mountain · « **Reply #12 on:** August 25, 2006, 03:43:52 PM »

oh I forgot, hunter.
As i asked some things on amp heads...
I went to a store not so near from where I live to test some. Unluckily I got stuck in traffic so I didn't really have much time to actually play.
All I tried was a Cornford Richie Kotzen model. That's no frills on channel head.

Well, now I don't have much experience with amps but it was definitely NICE!
What struck me the most was the cleanish crunchy sounds. The pressure (or oomph) was ridiculous!!! (in a good sense :D)
I think I also understand what you mean by good tube amps being more 'organic'

WezV · « **Reply #13 on:** August 28, 2006, 07:49:21 PM »

Quote from: Searcher

The traditional Tele neck pickup is a lipstick pickup. I dunno exactly how they are different to standard single coils, though they look narrower and are covered. How much that changes the sound I don't know.

Its not a lipstick pickup unless its made in a lipstick case. Its a covered single coil made like any other fender single coils are under there covers. It is slightly smaller in size than a strat pickup.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #14 on:** August 29, 2006, 12:02:48 AM »

You are right that a decent valve amp sounds organic. My ears are still ringing from a gig I have played tonight and it was one of those venues where we got a great sound and my Tele (fitted with BK Country Boy pups ) sounded "the business". Played a ton of blues tonight-great fun.